I'm still a little sick to my stomach from that game as I write this, but I will forge ahead.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Houston Texans defense...excuse while I vomit...was absolutely, incredibly inept and terrible. Granted Maurice Jones-Drew is a talented running back, the rest of the Jaguars offense is ridiculously over-untalented and there is no excuse for letting them run up the scoreboard and all over the field.
The main reason that the Jags were able to run all over the Texans was the simple fact that the Texans defense is Awful with a capital "A". For the third week in a row the safeties didn't back up the front 7 by filling the cut-back gaps and Jones-Drew was able to scamper for a 50+ yard Touchdown run. Excuse me while I vomit again.
David Gerrard was able to find an open receiver on nearly every pass play. Despite the fact that the Jaguars were playing with a very inexperienced offensive line, the Texans couldn't get much pressure on Gerrard. Like he did in week 1, Texans Defensive Coordinator Frank Bush didn't adjust at all to what he was seeing out of the Jags and kept blitzing linebackers and secondary, which left receivers wide open.
An ineffective blitz is worthless. It's actually even more damaging because it leaves receivers wide open that a decent Quarterback who doesn't panic under pressure can dump the ball off to. The Texans Defense is inexcusably terrible at putting pressure on the Quarterback, stopping the run and stopping opposing offenses on 3rd down. These three factors are the reason why if some big moves aren't made...the Texans will go nowhere this year.
The coaching staff insists on continuing to play Beasing who is absolutely terrible. He's slow, he over-pursues, bites on play-fakes and arm tackles. Nick Ferguson, Barber or bringing back Harrison would all be better options than Beasing. That's the first move that needs to be made.
Next, Kubiak and McNair need to make it very clear to Bush that if he doesn't start adjusting to offenses, he'll be fired. It's as simple as that. The Defense can only be as good as their coordinator.
Ugh. This defense is disgusting.
The pathetic defense aside, the offense played really, really well against a decent Jaguars defense. Schaub was able to throw for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also put his team in position to tie the game twice, but the Texans were kept out of the endzone by a bad pass-interference call and a questionable Chris Brown fumble. Schaub might have even had another chance to get the boys in the endzone in the last minute if it hadn't been for a stupid Mario Williams Horse-Collar tackle on third down. Overall, I was pretty impressed with Schaub in this game.
As predicted, Steve Slaton seems to have gotten his legs back under him. He was able to get 76 yards on the ground including a 20 yarder as well as receive for another 37. This game is exactly what the young Slaton needs to get his confidence back.
Back from injury, Kevin Walter also had a big game as the Texans leading receiver in his first game of the season. Andre Johnson was a little limited, but his presence was still felt on 4 receptions that totalled 86 yards.
All in all, this Battle Red Sunday was extremely painful to watch. It's like a roller coaster getting excited over the offense doing so well and scoring touchdowns, only to watch the defense lazily let the opposing team counter with their own score. I'll still give credit that it is early in the season and they still have a chance, but the Texans better start focusing on making drastic improves to the defense...starting now.
I think I'm going to throw up again....
9.23.2009
Chester Pitts: Out for the Season
The streak has officially come to an end. After undergoing extensive knee surgery to repair the meniscus cartilage and articular cartilage, Houston Texans Left Guard Chester Pitts will be on the injured reserve for the rest of the 2009 season. He and Kris Brown are the only two active remaining players from the Texans inaugural season. Because Brown has missed action before, Pitts was the only player to have started every single Houston Texans game. 114 games to be exact.
It's a bummer that Pitts had to go down, but perhaps it is the shake-up that the Texans Offensive line needed to get the run game off the ground. Ex-Longhorn Kasey Studdard will step up to replace Pitts and brings a certain "fire" that the line has been lacking a little.
Nothing can dispute Pitts' toughness and talent, but he has been playing slightly injured as it was. I think it may have been showing too. Studdard comes in at 100% and should help the Texans offense not miss a step.
Get better, Chester...we'll welcome you back next year!!
It's a bummer that Pitts had to go down, but perhaps it is the shake-up that the Texans Offensive line needed to get the run game off the ground. Ex-Longhorn Kasey Studdard will step up to replace Pitts and brings a certain "fire" that the line has been lacking a little.
Nothing can dispute Pitts' toughness and talent, but he has been playing slightly injured as it was. I think it may have been showing too. Studdard comes in at 100% and should help the Texans offense not miss a step.
Get better, Chester...we'll welcome you back next year!!
Huguley's Humpday Houston Texans Report: Week 2 to Week 3
There certainly is a buzz this week among Houston Texans players and fans. I’m as big a fan as there is, but I think fans need to hold their enthusiasm in check just a little to avoid possible let-downs. I’d prefer to see the Texans in the playoffs come January, but its way early to be crying “play offs” again.
While the Texans showed promise and a lot of heart last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, there are still quite a few elements that they MUST work on before they can truly be called contenders. The obvious is getting both their running game and run defense up to par and out of the basement of the NFL. After the first two weeks of the season, the Texans are dead-last in the league in both categories.
Making the necessary adjustments to improve these two areas is integral in the development of this team being successful this year. While Matt Schaub and the Offense proved they could move the ball for over 400 yards against the Titans despite a lack-luster running game, they are still missing the “ball control/clock management” element that a stable running game provides. If you control the clock, you can win most games. Granted this didn’t work for the Dolphins Monday Night, but they had no defense to stop Payton Manning who did what he had to do to win a game with just 15 minutes of possession.
This is why the Texans must improve their Defense as well as the running game and then…only then…can they truly control games.
Going from Week 2 to Week 3, the Texans are making strides. Although they’re dealing with the fact that ironman Left Guard Chester Pitts sprained his MCL in his right knee Sunday, they seem to be making the necessary improvements and adjustments to give the run game a boost. Sadly breaking a 114 game streak of starting every game since the beginning of the Texans, Coach Kubiak states that he knows Pitts will miss some games. How many is yet to be determined.
Pitts will have arthroscopic surgery today which will help find out the severity of the injury and how much time he’ll miss. In the mean time, ex-Longhorn wild-man Kasey Studdard will be preparing to step into the starting role. Pitts had been struggling with injury all Pre-season and may not have been actually playing at 100% in the first two games. Having a young guy like Studdard who foams at the mouth to pancake defenders step in at 100%, could be one of the boosts the Texans need to spark the run-game. Studdard stepped in when Pitts went down against the Titans and that was just about the time that things got rolling for the Texans offense. He’ll miss assignments, but expect Studdard to really benefit the Texans offense this Sunday against the Jaguars.
In an interview on Houston’s SportsRadio 610, Eric Winston seemed confident in the improvements that are being made and in his Quarterback. He said that last week Schaub was throwing “B.B.’s,” acknowledging that out of his 39 pass attempts, 25 were completions and another 5 to 6 were drops. That kind of accuracy really shows Schaub’s potential. The team knows it and stands behind him as a leader.
When asked about the running game improvements, Winston stated that Tennessee “fits the run” better than any other team in the league; meaning that they are a tried and true run-stopping defense. The one time that the Texans running game was able to break out for a 12 yard gain was the one time that the Texans offense was able to put a blocker on every defender who was playing the run. All other times they over-loaded the box, assignments were missed and the running game was stuffed.
The good thing is now the Texans know what’s been going wrong, but as GI-Joe used to say, “knowing is have the battle.” Now they will have to prepare for the Jaguars smash mouth run defense and be ready to show the fans and the rest of the league that they can run the ball. Chris Brown should see more touches this week, which will hopefully light the fire in Steve Slaton and get him playing the way we all know that he can. The Redskins have signed Running back Anthony Alridge off of the Texans practice squad this week, so Brown, Slaton and the occasional Moats carry should be all that we see this week against the Jags.
Not to go unmentioned is that fact that the Texans Defense will also need to be working this week on making the necessary adjustments to stop the Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville running game. Jones-Drew is a small, strong runner who reminds me of a bowling ball. He runs over people, spins and runs over the next guy, all the while possessing a good amount of speed to break away when he needs to. Although the Jags running game is limited by two rookie tackles, if the Texans don’t work out the kinks, this could be another embarrassing run defense performance.
Sunday’s game won’t be easy for Schaub and Company. The Jags come into this game 0-2 and will certainly be playing like they have something to prove. The Texans better be ready. If they aren’t, this could be a very upsetting loss to both the players and the fans and a tremendous set-back to the season.
Other Texans news between Week 2 to Week 3 includes Jacoby Jones pleading guilty to DWI charges that he received in a 2008 traffic accident. Thankfully, the Texans won’t lose Jones to any jail-time, but he will have to attend alcohol education classes and have a breathalyzer placed in his vehicle for a year. Although this is a negative stamp off the field for a positive week for Jones on the field, he says that he has realized his mistake and learned from it. Let’s hope so.
Let’s hope next Humpday there are some good things to reflect on about Battle Red Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Have thoughts on how this game will turn out? Let me know in a comment!
While the Texans showed promise and a lot of heart last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, there are still quite a few elements that they MUST work on before they can truly be called contenders. The obvious is getting both their running game and run defense up to par and out of the basement of the NFL. After the first two weeks of the season, the Texans are dead-last in the league in both categories.
Making the necessary adjustments to improve these two areas is integral in the development of this team being successful this year. While Matt Schaub and the Offense proved they could move the ball for over 400 yards against the Titans despite a lack-luster running game, they are still missing the “ball control/clock management” element that a stable running game provides. If you control the clock, you can win most games. Granted this didn’t work for the Dolphins Monday Night, but they had no defense to stop Payton Manning who did what he had to do to win a game with just 15 minutes of possession.
This is why the Texans must improve their Defense as well as the running game and then…only then…can they truly control games.
Going from Week 2 to Week 3, the Texans are making strides. Although they’re dealing with the fact that ironman Left Guard Chester Pitts sprained his MCL in his right knee Sunday, they seem to be making the necessary improvements and adjustments to give the run game a boost. Sadly breaking a 114 game streak of starting every game since the beginning of the Texans, Coach Kubiak states that he knows Pitts will miss some games. How many is yet to be determined.
Pitts will have arthroscopic surgery today which will help find out the severity of the injury and how much time he’ll miss. In the mean time, ex-Longhorn wild-man Kasey Studdard will be preparing to step into the starting role. Pitts had been struggling with injury all Pre-season and may not have been actually playing at 100% in the first two games. Having a young guy like Studdard who foams at the mouth to pancake defenders step in at 100%, could be one of the boosts the Texans need to spark the run-game. Studdard stepped in when Pitts went down against the Titans and that was just about the time that things got rolling for the Texans offense. He’ll miss assignments, but expect Studdard to really benefit the Texans offense this Sunday against the Jaguars.
In an interview on Houston’s SportsRadio 610, Eric Winston seemed confident in the improvements that are being made and in his Quarterback. He said that last week Schaub was throwing “B.B.’s,” acknowledging that out of his 39 pass attempts, 25 were completions and another 5 to 6 were drops. That kind of accuracy really shows Schaub’s potential. The team knows it and stands behind him as a leader.
When asked about the running game improvements, Winston stated that Tennessee “fits the run” better than any other team in the league; meaning that they are a tried and true run-stopping defense. The one time that the Texans running game was able to break out for a 12 yard gain was the one time that the Texans offense was able to put a blocker on every defender who was playing the run. All other times they over-loaded the box, assignments were missed and the running game was stuffed.
The good thing is now the Texans know what’s been going wrong, but as GI-Joe used to say, “knowing is have the battle.” Now they will have to prepare for the Jaguars smash mouth run defense and be ready to show the fans and the rest of the league that they can run the ball. Chris Brown should see more touches this week, which will hopefully light the fire in Steve Slaton and get him playing the way we all know that he can. The Redskins have signed Running back Anthony Alridge off of the Texans practice squad this week, so Brown, Slaton and the occasional Moats carry should be all that we see this week against the Jags.
Not to go unmentioned is that fact that the Texans Defense will also need to be working this week on making the necessary adjustments to stop the Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville running game. Jones-Drew is a small, strong runner who reminds me of a bowling ball. He runs over people, spins and runs over the next guy, all the while possessing a good amount of speed to break away when he needs to. Although the Jags running game is limited by two rookie tackles, if the Texans don’t work out the kinks, this could be another embarrassing run defense performance.
Sunday’s game won’t be easy for Schaub and Company. The Jags come into this game 0-2 and will certainly be playing like they have something to prove. The Texans better be ready. If they aren’t, this could be a very upsetting loss to both the players and the fans and a tremendous set-back to the season.
Other Texans news between Week 2 to Week 3 includes Jacoby Jones pleading guilty to DWI charges that he received in a 2008 traffic accident. Thankfully, the Texans won’t lose Jones to any jail-time, but he will have to attend alcohol education classes and have a breathalyzer placed in his vehicle for a year. Although this is a negative stamp off the field for a positive week for Jones on the field, he says that he has realized his mistake and learned from it. Let’s hope so.
Let’s hope next Humpday there are some good things to reflect on about Battle Red Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Have thoughts on how this game will turn out? Let me know in a comment!
9.22.2009
Week 3 - Texans v. Jaguars: The Early Prediction
The Houston Texans once again will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in what has become a two time a year heated rivalry. It should be another home win to keep the Texans on their uplifting path, but it will be just as hard fought as last weeks. It'll be a strong chance for Matt Schaub and Company to give die-hard fans like myself something to cheer loudly for as well as be a chance to win back the "bandwagoners" who litter the crowd at Reliant and streets of Greater Houston.
The Jags are the only team in the AFC South whom the Texans have shown to have "consistency" over and I don't see that changing this week...especially on Battle Red Day.
Jags Quarterback David Gerrard has always been that a little over-rated and Coach Jack Del Rio may be a little too desperate to make some big things happen for his ball club this year. With these two factors and virtually no talent other than geriatric old fellers and coke heads at receiver, the Jaguars shouldn't get much of a passing game off.
Maurice Jones-Drew scares the pants off me and if our run Defense doesn't come prepared, he'll smack them in the mouth just like Chris Johnson did against the Titans last week. However, I have hope and belief that Cush and Demeco will handle business. Vik Vij, Texans Featured columnist at BleacherReport.com, has the feeling that Connor Barwin and Mario Williams should have huge games against two Rookie Tackles. I have to say that I agree fully. We should finally see some big-plays from our Defensive line.
On Offense, the Schaub-Johnson show will continue this week with the passing game firing on all cylinders. Expect Owen Daniels to get his catches and if Kevin Walter makes a return, he too should have a big game. Coach Gary Kubiak has already stated on his Monday appearance on CBS Houston Sports Radio, SportsRadio610, that Chris Brown should see a few more touches this week in light of Steve Slaton's recent troubles. Brown is a hard nosed runner who when healthy has the ability to break through for 4-5 yards per carry. He just lacks a little of the break-away speed and talent that Slaton showed us last year.
Let's just hope Slaton pulls out of his funk this week. His fumbling has been discouraging and although it hasn't really been a recurring issue for him in the past, it better not start now. A sophomore slump isn't uncommon and usually ends about half-way into their 2nd year. If he doesn't make some strides toward the positive this week, he'll be back against the Raiders. I'll stamp it with my guarantee.
All in all...I think the roof will be rocking at Reliant and the Texans will pull off a 28-13 victory.
The Jags are the only team in the AFC South whom the Texans have shown to have "consistency" over and I don't see that changing this week...especially on Battle Red Day.
Jags Quarterback David Gerrard has always been that a little over-rated and Coach Jack Del Rio may be a little too desperate to make some big things happen for his ball club this year. With these two factors and virtually no talent other than geriatric old fellers and coke heads at receiver, the Jaguars shouldn't get much of a passing game off.
Maurice Jones-Drew scares the pants off me and if our run Defense doesn't come prepared, he'll smack them in the mouth just like Chris Johnson did against the Titans last week. However, I have hope and belief that Cush and Demeco will handle business. Vik Vij, Texans Featured columnist at BleacherReport.com, has the feeling that Connor Barwin and Mario Williams should have huge games against two Rookie Tackles. I have to say that I agree fully. We should finally see some big-plays from our Defensive line.
On Offense, the Schaub-Johnson show will continue this week with the passing game firing on all cylinders. Expect Owen Daniels to get his catches and if Kevin Walter makes a return, he too should have a big game. Coach Gary Kubiak has already stated on his Monday appearance on CBS Houston Sports Radio, SportsRadio610, that Chris Brown should see a few more touches this week in light of Steve Slaton's recent troubles. Brown is a hard nosed runner who when healthy has the ability to break through for 4-5 yards per carry. He just lacks a little of the break-away speed and talent that Slaton showed us last year.
Let's just hope Slaton pulls out of his funk this week. His fumbling has been discouraging and although it hasn't really been a recurring issue for him in the past, it better not start now. A sophomore slump isn't uncommon and usually ends about half-way into their 2nd year. If he doesn't make some strides toward the positive this week, he'll be back against the Raiders. I'll stamp it with my guarantee.
All in all...I think the roof will be rocking at Reliant and the Texans will pull off a 28-13 victory.
9.21.2009
Houston Texans Defeat the Tennessee Titans: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Thankfully the Houston Texans came out of week 2 with a hard fought win over the Tennessee Titans. They made some big plays and got some huge breaks that fell their way, but it wasn’t all fun and games. Incredible intensity levels by both teams led to some “interesting” altercations from even the quietest factors like Andre Johnson.
A wild 2nd half melee on the Texans sideline resulted in the ejection of Titans Defensive Lineman Jason Jones and a personal foul being given to Texans Wide Receiver David Anderson. The fight quickly escalated, but was ended just as fast.
I’m sure the NFL will be billing a number of players a nominal fine once they review the tapes and see all the punches thrown. Matt Schaub won’t be receiving one though. He tried to stay out of the fight and exchange friendly words with Titans coach Jeff Fisher, while keeping an eye on the Titans bench to make sure no one took a cheap shot at him.
Schaub had a huge game passing for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns, which was definitely part of the good that could be taken from the game. He also showed the confidence that the Texans players need from their Leader, but seemed to be lacking in week 1 against the New York Jets. We knew he had it. Now the challenge is to show it every single week!
Andre Johnson also had a big game after stumbling in the early minutes. His two touchdowns were certainly exciting to say the least, one of which was an incredible catch on the side of the endzone. Johnson would have had one more, but the pass was just slightly overthrown and he got trampled by Titans Defensive Back Cortland Finnegan.
Owen Daniels showed why he is such an integral asset to this offense and Jacoby Jones stepped up into the shoes of a starting receiver making some big plays. Despite several great catches including a magnificent touchdown, Jones did get extremely lucky that a bobbled punt was ruled as “Fair Catch Interference”. Although it helped the Texans in this situation, that’s probably a rule that should be re-evaluated at some point in the near future.
Kubiak and Shanahan showed their ability to call something other than a run play at the goal line, which resulted in a quick strike to Owen Daniels for the score. The Offense showed run. The Defense expected it. And the Texans coaches…exploited it. It was a very nice coaching call.
I have mixed emotions about how the Defense played. In the end, they did what needed to be done to win a game. They played with fire in their pants, made some great plays, created turnovers and were able to get some pressure on an immobile Kerry Collins. Also, for the second week in a row Rookie Brian Cushing was all over the field making tackles. Dunta Robinson showed flashes of his innate ability to be a teammate and play for the team. I was happy to see him helping other players up, making plays, giving high fives and showing that his little money issues…may have just been “all talk.” These were the good aspects of the Defense that have me looking toward next week’s game against the Jaguars.
But…then there was the bad.
When Running back Chris Johnson touched the ball, he was able to make the Texans Defense look a little silly. Granted he’s a talented player who will make big plays from time to time, but this game got a little out of hand. The secondary seems to still be unsure of what to do with the cut-back lanes to keep a runner from cutting back to wide open field. Johnson exploited this element to blow up the field on his 91 yard scamper. Then at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, somehow he was left wide open for a 50 yard pass play. It was pretty disgusting to say the least.
Luckily though, that is all that the Titans were able to get going on Offense and after that long pass, the Texans Defense did something I wasn’t sure if they were capable of doing: adjusting. They adjusted to match what the Titans were throwing at them and they had a very strong second half that eventually led to a win. That adjustment could be the turn-around for the Defense in this early season.
Chester Pitts going down is also another bad element of this game. It’s difficult to lose someone who has been an ironman throughout the history of this franchise, but I believe Kasey Studdard will step in and do just fine filling in for the injured Pitts.
While the Texans definitely showed some good and a little bit of bad…there was also some ugly. Steve Slaton’s performance was just not what we know we can expect from him. Something has gotten in his head and limited him to under 2 yards per carry as he tries to make holes out of running into the back of his own linemen. He also had two fumbles, which combined with his fumble last week are becoming a very unwanted trend. Whatever has gotten into his head, he needs to get over it and get back to being the Slaton we all know and love. I had expected him to break out last week against the Titans, but it didn’t happen. I think we should all continue to be patient though. He will come back. I’d bet my house on it.
All signs from this game whether good, bad or ugly were vast improvements over the blunder against the Jets. The win over the Titans have given the rest of us hope once again for the Texans to have a break out year. Expect them to continue this week as they take on the Jags in full Battle Red! Go Texans!
A wild 2nd half melee on the Texans sideline resulted in the ejection of Titans Defensive Lineman Jason Jones and a personal foul being given to Texans Wide Receiver David Anderson. The fight quickly escalated, but was ended just as fast.
I’m sure the NFL will be billing a number of players a nominal fine once they review the tapes and see all the punches thrown. Matt Schaub won’t be receiving one though. He tried to stay out of the fight and exchange friendly words with Titans coach Jeff Fisher, while keeping an eye on the Titans bench to make sure no one took a cheap shot at him.
Schaub had a huge game passing for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns, which was definitely part of the good that could be taken from the game. He also showed the confidence that the Texans players need from their Leader, but seemed to be lacking in week 1 against the New York Jets. We knew he had it. Now the challenge is to show it every single week!
Andre Johnson also had a big game after stumbling in the early minutes. His two touchdowns were certainly exciting to say the least, one of which was an incredible catch on the side of the endzone. Johnson would have had one more, but the pass was just slightly overthrown and he got trampled by Titans Defensive Back Cortland Finnegan.
Owen Daniels showed why he is such an integral asset to this offense and Jacoby Jones stepped up into the shoes of a starting receiver making some big plays. Despite several great catches including a magnificent touchdown, Jones did get extremely lucky that a bobbled punt was ruled as “Fair Catch Interference”. Although it helped the Texans in this situation, that’s probably a rule that should be re-evaluated at some point in the near future.
Kubiak and Shanahan showed their ability to call something other than a run play at the goal line, which resulted in a quick strike to Owen Daniels for the score. The Offense showed run. The Defense expected it. And the Texans coaches…exploited it. It was a very nice coaching call.
I have mixed emotions about how the Defense played. In the end, they did what needed to be done to win a game. They played with fire in their pants, made some great plays, created turnovers and were able to get some pressure on an immobile Kerry Collins. Also, for the second week in a row Rookie Brian Cushing was all over the field making tackles. Dunta Robinson showed flashes of his innate ability to be a teammate and play for the team. I was happy to see him helping other players up, making plays, giving high fives and showing that his little money issues…may have just been “all talk.” These were the good aspects of the Defense that have me looking toward next week’s game against the Jaguars.
But…then there was the bad.
When Running back Chris Johnson touched the ball, he was able to make the Texans Defense look a little silly. Granted he’s a talented player who will make big plays from time to time, but this game got a little out of hand. The secondary seems to still be unsure of what to do with the cut-back lanes to keep a runner from cutting back to wide open field. Johnson exploited this element to blow up the field on his 91 yard scamper. Then at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, somehow he was left wide open for a 50 yard pass play. It was pretty disgusting to say the least.
Luckily though, that is all that the Titans were able to get going on Offense and after that long pass, the Texans Defense did something I wasn’t sure if they were capable of doing: adjusting. They adjusted to match what the Titans were throwing at them and they had a very strong second half that eventually led to a win. That adjustment could be the turn-around for the Defense in this early season.
Chester Pitts going down is also another bad element of this game. It’s difficult to lose someone who has been an ironman throughout the history of this franchise, but I believe Kasey Studdard will step in and do just fine filling in for the injured Pitts.
While the Texans definitely showed some good and a little bit of bad…there was also some ugly. Steve Slaton’s performance was just not what we know we can expect from him. Something has gotten in his head and limited him to under 2 yards per carry as he tries to make holes out of running into the back of his own linemen. He also had two fumbles, which combined with his fumble last week are becoming a very unwanted trend. Whatever has gotten into his head, he needs to get over it and get back to being the Slaton we all know and love. I had expected him to break out last week against the Titans, but it didn’t happen. I think we should all continue to be patient though. He will come back. I’d bet my house on it.
All signs from this game whether good, bad or ugly were vast improvements over the blunder against the Jets. The win over the Titans have given the rest of us hope once again for the Texans to have a break out year. Expect them to continue this week as they take on the Jags in full Battle Red! Go Texans!
9.16.2009
Andre Johnson's Dick's Sporting Goods Commercial
In case you've missed it somehow, I present to you Andre Johnson's commercial!
We're proud of you 80!
"Who want's a Hoagie?"
We're proud of you 80!
"Who want's a Hoagie?"
Huguley's Humpday Houston Texans Report: Week 1 to Week 2
Three days after the demoralizing loss to the New York Jets, the Houston Texans organization seems to be in the right mind to rebound and bounce back in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. The shock that the team, staff and fans all felt on Sunday as the Jets punched the Texans in the mouth seems to have dissipated some and alas there is hope.
Interviews on Houston’s Sportsradio 610 with Coach Gary Kubiak, Matt Schaub, Eric Winston and Duane Brown all showed promise of the Texans realizing what malfunctioned against the Jets, accepting it and being focused on correcting what needed to be corrected for the team to get back on track. Matt Schaub seemed confident in the team going forward despite their loss, noting that they know exactly what steps and adjustments they need to make to turn things around. ‘Understanding what happened’, ‘coming out all week with a sense of urgency to get better’, and ‘being fully prepared’ were some of the key factors that Schaub stated were needed to right the ship.
He’s got that “urgency” part right. If there is one thing that was missing against the Jets, it was that.
“We have to live 6 days with the bad taste in our mouth until the next game to get a better taste in our mouth,” stated Schaub admitting the team’s extreme disappointment with their performance and loss. It’s comforting that it isn’t just the fans who were left with a bad taste in their mouth after that game.
Getting rid of the bad tastes of a loss and having urgency to get better is only part of the remedy. The Team is also facing the difficult task of diagnosing problems and fixing them.
Offensive Tackle Duane Brown pointed out that one of the problems was how difficult it was for them to adjust to the 3-4 Defense and constant Blitzing that the Jets were throwing at them from all different directions. It’s a problem that they are aware of and are correcting this week to give Schaub more time no matter who they’re facing. Jokingly yet with confidence Brown said, “I got Vandenbosch.”
The Titans Defense is no joke, so I certainly hope he does.
Jaques Reeves and Kevin Walter, who were missing elements against the Jets, should be making their return to the starting line-ups. Reeves will offer some much needed experience to the Texans Secondary, while Kevin Walter should be able to take some pressure off of Andre Johnson giving Schaub a legitimate number 2 Receiver and giving the Titans Secondary another challenge to account for. Safety Eugene Wilson may also be ready for action for the first time since Brett Favre’s cheap-shot gave him a knee injury in the third week of the Pre-season. Wilson is a strong hitter who offers decent run-support from the Safety position, so having him back could really help the Texans Defense put the kibosh on the Titans running game. Trust me…they need it.
First round draft pick, Brian Cushing saw quite a bit of action in the first game of his career. He missed all of Pre-Season and sucked up the 1st game butterflies to be a solid presence at Linebacker. Cushing should improve upon that this week and really aide to the resistance against the Titans running game.
Titans Quarterback Kerry Collins is nowhere near as mobile as Mark Sanchez was, so Mario Williams and Connor Barwin should be able to really get some legitimate pressure to break up the passing game. Let’s hope Frank Bush has a good plan in place to get this done.
All in all, the Texans Defense should have a very good game.
On offense, from the statements of Winston and Brown in their interviews, expect the Texans Offensive Line to take the steps needed to give both the Passing game and the Running game a boost. In his Rookie season, Steve Slaton was able to run all over the Titans Defense and we shouldn’t expect any less this week even with his slow start. Once Slaton get’s his motor running, Schaub will be able to go over top and hit Andre Johnson on a few long shots. Fear not, Texans fans, the Offense will return this week.
Halfway through Week 1 and Week 2, things are looking like they may turn around for the Texans. We’ll just have to wait and see. Inevitably, the Tennessee Titans are always a physical team who put up quite a fight. Expect this week to be no different, but I expect the Texans to bounce back with a close win. This week better not be bookended by disgusting Texans losses.
Here’s to optimism. Prove me right, boys. Prove me right.
PS – Dunta- You can redeem yourself this week. Make things right.
Interviews on Houston’s Sportsradio 610 with Coach Gary Kubiak, Matt Schaub, Eric Winston and Duane Brown all showed promise of the Texans realizing what malfunctioned against the Jets, accepting it and being focused on correcting what needed to be corrected for the team to get back on track. Matt Schaub seemed confident in the team going forward despite their loss, noting that they know exactly what steps and adjustments they need to make to turn things around. ‘Understanding what happened’, ‘coming out all week with a sense of urgency to get better’, and ‘being fully prepared’ were some of the key factors that Schaub stated were needed to right the ship.
He’s got that “urgency” part right. If there is one thing that was missing against the Jets, it was that.
“We have to live 6 days with the bad taste in our mouth until the next game to get a better taste in our mouth,” stated Schaub admitting the team’s extreme disappointment with their performance and loss. It’s comforting that it isn’t just the fans who were left with a bad taste in their mouth after that game.
Getting rid of the bad tastes of a loss and having urgency to get better is only part of the remedy. The Team is also facing the difficult task of diagnosing problems and fixing them.
Offensive Tackle Duane Brown pointed out that one of the problems was how difficult it was for them to adjust to the 3-4 Defense and constant Blitzing that the Jets were throwing at them from all different directions. It’s a problem that they are aware of and are correcting this week to give Schaub more time no matter who they’re facing. Jokingly yet with confidence Brown said, “I got Vandenbosch.”
The Titans Defense is no joke, so I certainly hope he does.
Jaques Reeves and Kevin Walter, who were missing elements against the Jets, should be making their return to the starting line-ups. Reeves will offer some much needed experience to the Texans Secondary, while Kevin Walter should be able to take some pressure off of Andre Johnson giving Schaub a legitimate number 2 Receiver and giving the Titans Secondary another challenge to account for. Safety Eugene Wilson may also be ready for action for the first time since Brett Favre’s cheap-shot gave him a knee injury in the third week of the Pre-season. Wilson is a strong hitter who offers decent run-support from the Safety position, so having him back could really help the Texans Defense put the kibosh on the Titans running game. Trust me…they need it.
First round draft pick, Brian Cushing saw quite a bit of action in the first game of his career. He missed all of Pre-Season and sucked up the 1st game butterflies to be a solid presence at Linebacker. Cushing should improve upon that this week and really aide to the resistance against the Titans running game.
Titans Quarterback Kerry Collins is nowhere near as mobile as Mark Sanchez was, so Mario Williams and Connor Barwin should be able to really get some legitimate pressure to break up the passing game. Let’s hope Frank Bush has a good plan in place to get this done.
All in all, the Texans Defense should have a very good game.
On offense, from the statements of Winston and Brown in their interviews, expect the Texans Offensive Line to take the steps needed to give both the Passing game and the Running game a boost. In his Rookie season, Steve Slaton was able to run all over the Titans Defense and we shouldn’t expect any less this week even with his slow start. Once Slaton get’s his motor running, Schaub will be able to go over top and hit Andre Johnson on a few long shots. Fear not, Texans fans, the Offense will return this week.
Halfway through Week 1 and Week 2, things are looking like they may turn around for the Texans. We’ll just have to wait and see. Inevitably, the Tennessee Titans are always a physical team who put up quite a fight. Expect this week to be no different, but I expect the Texans to bounce back with a close win. This week better not be bookended by disgusting Texans losses.
Here’s to optimism. Prove me right, boys. Prove me right.
PS – Dunta- You can redeem yourself this week. Make things right.
9.15.2009
Why Not To Give Up Hope Yet On Matt Schaub and the Houston Texans
From the recent onslaught of criticism and lack-luster performance in Week 1 against the New York Jets, I fear that Matt Schaub is headed that direction too. Not only him, but also Steve Slaton – which is absolutely absurd by the way. He led the AFC in Total Yards from Scrimmage last year! That type of talent doesn’t just dissipate. Get off Steve’s back! He’ll be alright.
Now back to Schaub…
In the early moments of the 2008 season, fans were quick to judge Schaub as could be heard by resounding chant of “Rosenfels” reverberating through Reliant Stadium when the team opened up at Home against the Dolphins. Looking adversity of both the fans and the game in the face, Schaub took the bull by the horns and drove downfield to win that game in the last seconds aided by the magnificent play of Andre Johnson.
For Houston fans though, this wasn’t good enough. The chants for “Rosenfels” continued each Home game until unfair injury to Schaub finally gave the negative minded fans their wish. Rosenfels got his chance to shine, but didn’t shine very bright. His “helicopter debacle” versus the Colts led the fans to chant for Schaub’s return.
When Schaub was able to return, he was a man possessed as he picked apart defenses and led the Texans to a magnificent end to the season. Everyone seemed to suddenly have a restored confidence in Schaub and were looking forward to the 2009 season.
Yet after his freak ankle injury in the Pre-Season and a poor Game 1 performance, it seems as if fans are ready to press “eject” again. It’s absolutely ridiculous and completely proving of their fair-weather fannedness (to make up a word).
Schaub is a talented leader who possesses the talent to lead a team to the playoffs and beyond, but like any player he has to be given a chance to prove himself. The 2009 season is his chance. If only the negative Houston fans could look at things optimistically and see that like any other thing in life, bad games are learning experiences for players like Schaub to build upon to make themselves better for the next challenge.
For some reason though, a lot of Houston fans just don’t get it. As soon as someone has a bad game or gets injured, they are calling for a trade. It’s been seen time and time again through Houston sports history and has come back to burn the Houston fans as the cast out players have gone on to have excellent success elsewhere.
Last year Rocket fans were calling for Rafer Alston’s head on a stick. He got traded to the Orlando Magic and in turn helped them get to the NBA Finals. Where did the Rockets end up? Losing to the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. They did the same for Robert Horry in the 90’s, saying that he was getting too old. He went on to win several championships with the Lakers and the Spurs.
Then, of course, who could forget Joe Morgan’s exeunt from the Astros to the Cincinnati Reds in 1971 for a number of players who would never amount to anything. JOE FREAKING MORGAN!!! Then, what about Nolan Ryan being "too old"? He certainly seemed to handle batters well in a Rangers uniform.
The list goes on and on and while yes, some of it is due to stupid moves by the Houston sports teams’ brass, a lot of the pressure to get them out of town originates from the fans.
I’ve lived in major markets with major sports teams all over the US including New York and I have to say that Houston is the only one where I have seen fans be so aggressively negative and eager to jump to giving a player the boot. It’s also the only market where I have heard home town fans actually boo their home team. As a Houston fan and native myself, it’s actually disgusting to hear people who claim to be fans boo their teams rather than rally behind them in a time of adversity.
To the negative Houston fan’s credit, Houston teams have let down the fans time and time again by getting their hopes of having a “playoff season” only to fall short in the waning moments, but it could in-fact be the departure of the “ones that got away.”
Regardless of why so many Houston sport seasons have ended in blunder, the fact remains that the majority of Houston fans are quick to judge and bring the town mob with torches and pitchforks. Before jumping on this train ride of negativity for Houston Texans like Matt Schaub and Steve Slaton, think about the ones that got away. It’s not time to give up hope yet. What if they went somewhere else, had fan support and took a team to the Super Bowl?
Let the 2009 season play out. If Schaub is unable to play 14 games, doesn’t have 3500 yards and has more interceptions than touchdowns – then it will be time to bring out the riot gear. But now is the time to sit back, take a deep breath and support your boys because there is a long season ahead and the Texans will be much better with fans that rally behind them, not against them.
Go Texans!
9.14.2009
Disgusted at the Texans Loss - Why Dunta Robinson is a Douchebag
Wow. There are many, many words that could be used to describe the game that the Texans played against the New York Jets in the season opener. Unfortunately, most of these words are pretty damn inappropriate. To put it clean and simple, it was just disgusting and revolting to watch.
Matt Schaub and the Offense looked extremely flat. There was no energy and it looked like they would rather be at home on the couch than playing a football game. The Offense totaled less than 200 yards and never had a snap in the Red-Zone. That’s how bad it was.
The Defense showed signs of promise and really attempted to keep the Texans in the game, so that the Offense could make a play. But the Offense never made a play. Fatigue set in and the Jets blew things out in the second half.
That being said, the Defense’s play wasn’t really that good anyway. They gave up 3rd and long after 3rd and long. Frank Bush kept blitzing with our Linebackers and Defensive Backs on 3rd and long rather than having them drop back in coverage. Typically, this pressure would cause a Rookie Quarterback to make some bad plays, but Matt Sanchez proved early that he could handle the pressure and converted the 3rd downs. With this in mind, Bush should have adapted and had the DB’s and LB’s drop back in zone coverage rather than blitz. The secondary was non-existent.
The only positive to take away from the Defense’s performance against the Jets was the play by Brian Cushing, Mario Williams and Demeco Ryans. They were the only players on the field playing with heart and could be found making plays all over the field.
The lack of energy and coming out flat can all be blamed on Gary Kubiak. It’s his job to get these guys fired up and ready for the season opener, but he didn’t do that. Instead, he took the blame for the bad play saying, “It’s on me.”
A good coach would be all over those guys at Half-time and turn things around, not take the blame. Kubiak has shown flashes of being a good coach, but he needs to show some fire or he will completely lose support from the fans, the players and the Bob McNair. Then…it’s his job.
What is more sickening than the actual play of the game, is what happened with Dunta Robinson. With a sharpie, he wrote “Pay Me, Rick” on his shoes. Then, when asked about it after the game, he said that he was only in it to “Get Paid.”
That type of ridiculous, selfish attitude has no place on a football team. It is a locker room disrupter and can help a team self destruct. Even more so when it comes from someone who is supposed to be a leader. This action and attitude, however, makes Robinson far from a leader. It makes him a loser, a douchebag and a prick.
As a Houston Texans fan, I would rather see Gary Kubiak show some cajones and boot this loser off of the team and see them have a terrible season, than I would see him let Robinson stay on the team.
BOOT DUNTA ROBINSON!
The Texans have a lot of work to do over the next week before facing the Tennessee Titans, but it’s not time to give up hope. Let’s give them 5 games before we write them off completely…
Matt Schaub and the Offense looked extremely flat. There was no energy and it looked like they would rather be at home on the couch than playing a football game. The Offense totaled less than 200 yards and never had a snap in the Red-Zone. That’s how bad it was.
The Defense showed signs of promise and really attempted to keep the Texans in the game, so that the Offense could make a play. But the Offense never made a play. Fatigue set in and the Jets blew things out in the second half.
That being said, the Defense’s play wasn’t really that good anyway. They gave up 3rd and long after 3rd and long. Frank Bush kept blitzing with our Linebackers and Defensive Backs on 3rd and long rather than having them drop back in coverage. Typically, this pressure would cause a Rookie Quarterback to make some bad plays, but Matt Sanchez proved early that he could handle the pressure and converted the 3rd downs. With this in mind, Bush should have adapted and had the DB’s and LB’s drop back in zone coverage rather than blitz. The secondary was non-existent.
The only positive to take away from the Defense’s performance against the Jets was the play by Brian Cushing, Mario Williams and Demeco Ryans. They were the only players on the field playing with heart and could be found making plays all over the field.
The lack of energy and coming out flat can all be blamed on Gary Kubiak. It’s his job to get these guys fired up and ready for the season opener, but he didn’t do that. Instead, he took the blame for the bad play saying, “It’s on me.”
A good coach would be all over those guys at Half-time and turn things around, not take the blame. Kubiak has shown flashes of being a good coach, but he needs to show some fire or he will completely lose support from the fans, the players and the Bob McNair. Then…it’s his job.
What is more sickening than the actual play of the game, is what happened with Dunta Robinson. With a sharpie, he wrote “Pay Me, Rick” on his shoes. Then, when asked about it after the game, he said that he was only in it to “Get Paid.”
That type of ridiculous, selfish attitude has no place on a football team. It is a locker room disrupter and can help a team self destruct. Even more so when it comes from someone who is supposed to be a leader. This action and attitude, however, makes Robinson far from a leader. It makes him a loser, a douchebag and a prick.
As a Houston Texans fan, I would rather see Gary Kubiak show some cajones and boot this loser off of the team and see them have a terrible season, than I would see him let Robinson stay on the team.
BOOT DUNTA ROBINSON!
The Texans have a lot of work to do over the next week before facing the Tennessee Titans, but it’s not time to give up hope. Let’s give them 5 games before we write them off completely…
9.09.2009
Dear Phil Jackson
Dear Phil-
No matter how successful you think you are as an NBA coach, remember that any joker could coach a team to championships with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. A real coach like Rudy T. or Larry Brown does it with strategy.
Rockets over the Lakers eternal!
Go Rockets!
PS- You looked ridiculous in the 80s...and you still do.
No matter how successful you think you are as an NBA coach, remember that any joker could coach a team to championships with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. A real coach like Rudy T. or Larry Brown does it with strategy.
Rockets over the Lakers eternal!
Go Rockets!
PS- You looked ridiculous in the 80s...and you still do.
An Andre Johnson Commercial?
Okay, so I will admit that he isn't the most "interesting" guy in terms of camera presence and energy, but it is about time an advertiser took advantage of the star potential within Andre Johnson.
It's honestly surprising that it has taken this long for Johnson to book a national gig like the Dick's Sporting Goods commercial that is airing in the beginning of this 2009 campaign. It's actually kind of funny and pokes fun at the fact that Johnson can catch anything that is thrown at him.
Like the original Rothlisberger shoe commercial, this spot takes place in a Dick's Sporting Goods. Rather than shoes, however, Andre Johnson is there for receiving gloves. He proceeds to show the kids in the store why as he catches footballs, hoagie sandwiches, glasses of water and anything else that is thrown at him from a ball pitcher.
His star power outweighs the fact that he really sounds like he is reading from a cue card and lacks a little of the energy that typically keeps the attention of the viewer. BUT hey...it's Andre Johnson!!!
It's about time somebody recognized and put him in a spot. Next up: Steve Slaton in Subway commercials!
9.04.2009
Houston Texans Preseason Game 4: What to Watch
While it is commonly believed that the 4th game of the Preseason is pretty much a wasted game where teams showcase the players that they are planning to cut. Typically, this game either gives these players some exposure to be seen by other teams who may pick them up or gives some guys who are “on the bubble” of making the cut, a last minute chance to show the coaches why they should. For the most part, starters don’t even play a down in game 4.
Gary Kubiak, however, is looking at this game quite differently. In an interview earlier this week on Sports Radio 610 in Houston, Kubiak stated that there are still a number of starting positions up for grabs and potential starters will be playing in this game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From Chester Pitts fighting for his starting tackle position to the mess of Defensive Tackles trying to stake their claim, we will see some decent starter action in game 4.
(It may not be against Tampa starters, but it should help make a normally dull football game, slightly interesting.)
If they happen to decide to take time to watch the game tonight, despite it being the 4th Preseason game, there are 3 big things beyond the aforementioned starter battles that Texans fans should be watching and could get into a little.
1) The Quarterback Situation
Yes. Matt Schaub sprained his ankle last week. It WAS a freak play where his cleats couldn’t get the right traction to slow him down from a full speed run as he went from grass to the track-turf. And, no, he wouldn’t have played in this game whether he was injured or not. So forget about the ankle. The Quarterback situation should be fun to watch in this game.
Although Kubiak and staff say that the back-up position is sealed up with Dan Orlovsky, Rex Grossman gets a chance to come back from his injury and show this team why he should have chance at that spot. Orlovsky should play the majority of the game to help gain him more experience, but fans can expect a big –competitive second half from Grossman too. The Texans would be smart to make room for both guys…just in case the naysayers are correct and Schaub turns out to be injury prone.
2) Defensive Line
Jeff Zgonina should also be another fun element to watch against the Buccs. The 39 year old Defensive Tackle is fighting to make the team and, honestly, he’s putting up a good fight. This game should be his make-or-break game that decides if the veteran gets to stick around.
Frank Okam and Deljuan Robinson should also put up some strong performances, trying to prove that they have what it takes to be the run-stuffing starters that the team so desperately needs. If they don’t prove anything, Kubiak will have no choice but to pick up a free agent or make a move to get someone in there who is a big, physical presence.
3) James Casey
I don’t know what it is, but there is something about this Rice alum. He had the city behind him and can play a multitude of positions. Not only that, but he can play them well. Add in that Rice University education and Casey proves to be smart enough to play any position you throw him in. This kind of versatility makes him a great weapon that the Texans have at their disposal.
In his Sports Radio 610 interview, Kubiak said that we should see James at Tight End, Full Back, Tail Back and “all over the field.” The last bit makes me think we may see him try his hand in a wild cat formation or at Quarterback. Look for Casey to play nearly the entire game at multiple positions and do pretty darn well at it to. (I just hope Kubiak isn’t doing that to feature him to other teams. KEEP CASEY, KUB!)
There are a number of other things to watch in this game, but you should tune in to the game and see for yourself. Go Texans!
Gary Kubiak, however, is looking at this game quite differently. In an interview earlier this week on Sports Radio 610 in Houston, Kubiak stated that there are still a number of starting positions up for grabs and potential starters will be playing in this game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From Chester Pitts fighting for his starting tackle position to the mess of Defensive Tackles trying to stake their claim, we will see some decent starter action in game 4.
(It may not be against Tampa starters, but it should help make a normally dull football game, slightly interesting.)
If they happen to decide to take time to watch the game tonight, despite it being the 4th Preseason game, there are 3 big things beyond the aforementioned starter battles that Texans fans should be watching and could get into a little.
1) The Quarterback Situation
Yes. Matt Schaub sprained his ankle last week. It WAS a freak play where his cleats couldn’t get the right traction to slow him down from a full speed run as he went from grass to the track-turf. And, no, he wouldn’t have played in this game whether he was injured or not. So forget about the ankle. The Quarterback situation should be fun to watch in this game.
Although Kubiak and staff say that the back-up position is sealed up with Dan Orlovsky, Rex Grossman gets a chance to come back from his injury and show this team why he should have chance at that spot. Orlovsky should play the majority of the game to help gain him more experience, but fans can expect a big –competitive second half from Grossman too. The Texans would be smart to make room for both guys…just in case the naysayers are correct and Schaub turns out to be injury prone.
2) Defensive Line
Jeff Zgonina should also be another fun element to watch against the Buccs. The 39 year old Defensive Tackle is fighting to make the team and, honestly, he’s putting up a good fight. This game should be his make-or-break game that decides if the veteran gets to stick around.
Frank Okam and Deljuan Robinson should also put up some strong performances, trying to prove that they have what it takes to be the run-stuffing starters that the team so desperately needs. If they don’t prove anything, Kubiak will have no choice but to pick up a free agent or make a move to get someone in there who is a big, physical presence.
3) James Casey
I don’t know what it is, but there is something about this Rice alum. He had the city behind him and can play a multitude of positions. Not only that, but he can play them well. Add in that Rice University education and Casey proves to be smart enough to play any position you throw him in. This kind of versatility makes him a great weapon that the Texans have at their disposal.
In his Sports Radio 610 interview, Kubiak said that we should see James at Tight End, Full Back, Tail Back and “all over the field.” The last bit makes me think we may see him try his hand in a wild cat formation or at Quarterback. Look for Casey to play nearly the entire game at multiple positions and do pretty darn well at it to. (I just hope Kubiak isn’t doing that to feature him to other teams. KEEP CASEY, KUB!)
There are a number of other things to watch in this game, but you should tune in to the game and see for yourself. Go Texans!
9.03.2009
Get Casey Hampton to the Texans? Maybe.
It's been rumored that the Pittsburgh Steelers may be looking to move Ex-Texas Longhorn Defensive Lineman Casey Hampton to clear up cap space and future contract issues. A Pittsburgh columnist has reported that they would not be surprised to see Hampton cut next week or traded to another team for a contracted player with less salary.
Hampton, 32 yesterday, would be a great addition to the roster if the Houston Texans could find a way to nab him up. His 6'1" 325 lb frame would be a perfect fit to help fill the gaps in between Mario Williams and Antonio Smith. During his 8 career he has amassed 147 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks. These aren't HUGE numbers, but for a Nose Tackle are telling of a solid presence in the center of the Defensive Line...which is exactly what the Texans are lacking.
It was no surprise that the Texans would trade away Travis Johnson who despite his team spirit and locker room presence, his on-the-field play has never lived up to what it was supposed to be. This trade, however, has left the up-front run support on the Texans a little light. Second year player Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Deljuan Robinson and Amobi Okoye are the Texans most likely remaining interior Defensive Linemen for the Texans in the 2009 regular season. None of which have proven to be of a true, hard-nosed, throw around your weight, run-stopping caliber. They are great to give another guy a spell, but not as starters. For Okam and Okoye, this could be their break-through years, but I emphasize "COULD."
Hampton would step in as an immediate improvement to this bunch, but I can't see the Steelers just cutting a player who holds so much value. They'll get something for him, but what will it take. One idea is for the Texans to trade their 1st round pick for next years draft straight up for him. While this trade is just about right in value (if the Texans end up having the season they are supposed to and end up with the 16-32 pick), it's missing something.
The Steelers can't lose Hampton this year and expect their Defense to perform as well as expected. It's not like they are in a "RE-BUILDING ERA" or anything, so a trade will take a little more and should include someone who can step in and take Hampton's place.
A trade like Okam and next year's 2nd or 3rd round pick for Hampton, is a much more likely scenario that the Steelers would take advantage of. Their president may be old and Irish, but he's not dumb.
I expect the Texans to make a move on Hampton. They'd be inappropriately optimistic of their current talent at interior Lineman not to. It's time to make a move, Kubiak and this is it! Let's have this be stage one in bringing those Longhorns back to Texas.
9.02.2009
Adrian Peterson's 75 Yard Scamper: Who's Fault Was It Really?
Because of team building and such, no one could ever expect Gary Kubiak to just blurt out what Texan's Defensive player was at fault in Monday night's mishap against the Vikings where Adrian Peterson took off like a cheetah for 75 yards and a score. Being the Viking's first Offensive play of the game, it was a punch in the mouth to the Texans coaches, players and fans who all knew full-well that they needed to stop the run.
So what went wrong on the Texans D? Somebody missed their assignment...that's what.
Naturally the cliche answer is to say, "Well...the WHOLE defense is at fault." However in my opinion, that answer is a bunch of crock.
The play went down like this:
The play was design as a run to go left. After the snap, the Offensive line and Adrian Peterson all showed signs of going left too. The Texans Defense pursued this just as they normally would. The D-Line and outside linebackers were all smacked in the face with good blocking. Adrian Peterson saw a lane back right, so he quickly cut back like a super-human and hit that hole. By this time he is past the defensive tackles who were engaged with blockers and had no way to escape. Demeco Ryans and Zac Diles had both pursued the original hole, but saw the cut-back. Their path to the cut-back hole was blocked by the pack of O-line and D-Line fighting in the trenches. One safety, Dominique Barber was off in la-la land following the pack to the left, while Brice McCain was getting his ass handed to him by a receiver blocking him...and AP broke out and was never caught.
Again...who's at fault?
Well, you could say the whole Defense, but I think the true culprit needs to be called out. While you could place partial blame on Diles for getting caught behind the pack, the onus should truly be placed on the Safeties.
In a cut-back situation that has already been established as a run, the Free or Strong Safety assignment is to blast up and plug the cut-back holes. Barber was no where to be found or in position to do this. McCain was playing a shifted Corner and positioned almost as a safety because no wide out was lined up on his side and he was playing a deep zone. And who knows where in the heck Eugene Wilson was. He never even appears in the camera view.
So the fault for letting this play get out of hand would definitely be placed on Barber and McCain. As soon as they saw it was a run, they should have been charging to plug gaps. As soon as AP saw that gap to cut-back to, he should have been smacked in the face by one of those two guys.
As a former Free Safety, I can remember getting my butt chewed for not plugging cut-back gaps and blowing plays. And that was just in High School. I can only imagine the butt-chewing that they received from the Kubiaker. Ouch.
Gary does get a lot of props for keeping it within the team and not placing blame in the media. That kind of respect goes along way with players. Thanks for leaving it to guys like me to analyze!!!
This is just another testament to the fact of how bad we need Dunta Robinson on the field. If Dunta was playing the corner instead of McCain...he sheds the block and makes the stop.
PEACE!!!
9.01.2009
It May Be A Houston Texans Loss To the Vikings, But Chill Out Naysayer's...It's Just Preseason
Dear Texans NaySayers-
Now I will agree that the game last night between the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings was difficult to watch, it is not time to get all negative ninny on our boys. Before you become your severely negative self and jump off the Texans bandwagon as you usually do after a bad game, why don't you take a few minutes to look at things objectively, for once, and weigh the true facts about the Pre-Season games.
1. That's exactly it....It's a PRE-SEASON game! It doesn't mean diddly. The coaches are trying out new plays and players, while the players are trying out new techniques. NOTHING...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...can be truly evaluated from even the 3rd Pre-Season game that is a true reflection about how the Regular Season will go. If the Texans are getting blown out 2nd and 3rd week of the season...then you can begin to worry a little, but NOT IN THE PRE-SEASON. It's a written rule in the guidebook of being a true fan: "Thou Shalt not stress, evaluate, become hopeful or jump off thou bandwagon during Pre-Season football"
2. Other than the one long run the Texans actually did surprisingly well against the best number 1 back and arguably best number 2 back in the league. And one long run a game is part of the deal against playing ball with Adrian Peterson. He's gonna break one. It's inevitable. It was just discouraging this time because it happened on the first play. Without that run,they only averaged 3.6 yards a carry! That's pretty damned good! Plus, add our #1 draft pick into the mix when he is healthy and that play probably gets stopped.
3. Missed tackles by secondary guys who shouldn't even be playing with the big-boys won't happen in the regular season. If it wasn't for an undrafted-free agent trying to arm tackle on a few plays, the Vikings might not have scored or put themselves in position to score on that dump pass to Chester Taylor. With Jaques Reeves or Dunta Robinson back, that play doesn't happen...
4. What were the refs thinking?!?!?!? There were a number of extremely biased calls that ruled in Favre's favor in pivotal parts of the game. 4th downs becoming 1sts. Personal fouls offsetting when it really should have been only been against the Vikings. Nonsense Roughing the Passer Calls. It was amateur hour for the guys in stripes.
5. Schaub's ankle injury. THE MAN TURNED HIS ANKLE TRYING TO SLOW DOWN ON THE TRACK! This is a common injury and I honestly don't know why the Texans have track instead of grass there anyway. Cleats and that stuff...DO NOT MIX! But regardless..Schaub taped it back up and came back in the game and almost led the Texans to a Touchdown. He can and will play through anything to prove that these injuries are freak occurrences. he would have finished the game had it been a regular season game too. Give the man a break.
6. Our receivers looked GOOD! Johnson, Davis and David Anderson were blowing past a secondary who is arguably one of the best in the league. They were open on fly and deep out-posts routes time and time again. Dan-O's inexperience led to a couple of overthrown balls that would have been Andre Johnson Touchdowns and a pass to AJ when he should have went the other way to a wide open Andre Davis. I am truly excited about seeing what our receivers are gonna do.
I could go on and on about the reasons that you should calm down, breath, have a glass of Miller Lite or your favorite Cognac and chill. Relax a little on the bandwagon with us true fans that always stand behind and support our teams before you get all John Kerry fickle and jump off and run bitching to the radio shows. Look at the facts and be cool. The season will be just fine.
Texans 31 - Jets 17
Now I will agree that the game last night between the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings was difficult to watch, it is not time to get all negative ninny on our boys. Before you become your severely negative self and jump off the Texans bandwagon as you usually do after a bad game, why don't you take a few minutes to look at things objectively, for once, and weigh the true facts about the Pre-Season games.
1. That's exactly it....It's a PRE-SEASON game! It doesn't mean diddly. The coaches are trying out new plays and players, while the players are trying out new techniques. NOTHING...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...can be truly evaluated from even the 3rd Pre-Season game that is a true reflection about how the Regular Season will go. If the Texans are getting blown out 2nd and 3rd week of the season...then you can begin to worry a little, but NOT IN THE PRE-SEASON. It's a written rule in the guidebook of being a true fan: "Thou Shalt not stress, evaluate, become hopeful or jump off thou bandwagon during Pre-Season football"
2. Other than the one long run the Texans actually did surprisingly well against the best number 1 back and arguably best number 2 back in the league. And one long run a game is part of the deal against playing ball with Adrian Peterson. He's gonna break one. It's inevitable. It was just discouraging this time because it happened on the first play. Without that run,they only averaged 3.6 yards a carry! That's pretty damned good! Plus, add our #1 draft pick into the mix when he is healthy and that play probably gets stopped.
3. Missed tackles by secondary guys who shouldn't even be playing with the big-boys won't happen in the regular season. If it wasn't for an undrafted-free agent trying to arm tackle on a few plays, the Vikings might not have scored or put themselves in position to score on that dump pass to Chester Taylor. With Jaques Reeves or Dunta Robinson back, that play doesn't happen...
4. What were the refs thinking?!?!?!? There were a number of extremely biased calls that ruled in Favre's favor in pivotal parts of the game. 4th downs becoming 1sts. Personal fouls offsetting when it really should have been only been against the Vikings. Nonsense Roughing the Passer Calls. It was amateur hour for the guys in stripes.
5. Schaub's ankle injury. THE MAN TURNED HIS ANKLE TRYING TO SLOW DOWN ON THE TRACK! This is a common injury and I honestly don't know why the Texans have track instead of grass there anyway. Cleats and that stuff...DO NOT MIX! But regardless..Schaub taped it back up and came back in the game and almost led the Texans to a Touchdown. He can and will play through anything to prove that these injuries are freak occurrences. he would have finished the game had it been a regular season game too. Give the man a break.
6. Our receivers looked GOOD! Johnson, Davis and David Anderson were blowing past a secondary who is arguably one of the best in the league. They were open on fly and deep out-posts routes time and time again. Dan-O's inexperience led to a couple of overthrown balls that would have been Andre Johnson Touchdowns and a pass to AJ when he should have went the other way to a wide open Andre Davis. I am truly excited about seeing what our receivers are gonna do.
I could go on and on about the reasons that you should calm down, breath, have a glass of Miller Lite or your favorite Cognac and chill. Relax a little on the bandwagon with us true fans that always stand behind and support our teams before you get all John Kerry fickle and jump off and run bitching to the radio shows. Look at the facts and be cool. The season will be just fine.
Texans 31 - Jets 17
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