2013 Houston Texans Thread

[eagle eye]

After an unusually close nail biting win over San Diego Monday night the Texans came through pretty much healthy including DE JJ Watt who pulled his quad and LB Joe Mays who also had quad issues. S Ed Reed who is continuing to rehab after having hip surgery earlier in this year will be a game time decision Sunday morning on whether he plays. Even if Reed is active Shiloh Keo will make his second start for the Texans in 2013.

Speaking of Reed he celebrated his birthday this week and his teammates surprised him with a gift and a cake. On September 11 the team gave the now 35 year old Reed a walker to tease him about his advancing age and the cake was in the shape of a Hall of Fame jacket like the one Reed will surely wear 5 years after he retires when he becomes HOF eligible.

Tuesday was also a big day for DL Antonio Smith. He was the first man at the Texans practice facility and he greeted his teammates as they began showing up for work. It will be the first time he has been able to hang with the team after he was suspended the last two preseason games and the Week 1 game due to an incident in the Miami preseason game involving Dolphins lineman Richie Incognito. Smith is excited to be back with the team and excited to begin his season vs Tennessee on Sunday.

DeAndre Hopkins got a full week of work in after making a very successful debut last week in San Diego easily outplaying starter LeStar Jean. Gary Kubiak told reporters this week that Hopkins is gaining confidence the more he gets to practice. He also said that when he got the game plan for this week's game against the Titans it didn't overwhelm him like it did last week when he got the game plan for the Chargers game. Hopkins is still playing a little catch-up after missing the last half of training camp with a concussion. It looks like Houston finally has a worthy compliment to Andre Johnson.

According to Texans.com's Drew Dougherty here are five things to watch when Houston hosts division rival Tennessee tomorrow at noon.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-vs-Titans/574d4aa4-7842-4155-a077-9202c6e1ed08

[LUSportsFan]

Texans came back to win in overtime against the team formerly known as the Houston Oilers in a game they should not have needed too. Schaub 2 picks, Randy Bullock very inconsistent. Adrian Foster had some good runs. Ben Tate had a really nice run at the beginning of the game. DeAndre Hopkins had a great comeback and a great day overall. Hope Andre Johnson did not have a serious injury. Texans defense looked dominating for a lot of the game, but did not look very good during the Titans 99 yard drive.

Highpoint was the Texans comeback after I was about to give up on them. Glad I stuck it out except for Randy Bullock's muffed chances to win in regulation.

Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk 2

[eagle eye]

Randy Bullock has caused me to start looking at the free agent player list in one of my fantasy leagues. The guy has a strong leg but when the lights come on he goes out to lunch.

The two point conversion by Foster was all guts and determination. Really nice run. Ben Tate is making a free agent case for himself. He's looking really good and if he keeps it up he's going to need more touches.



Hope Andre Johnson did not have a serious injury.

Highpoint was the Texans comeback after I was about to give up on them. Glad I stuck it out except for Randy Bullock's muffed chances to win in regulation.

Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk 2


Reported by Texans.com's Drew Dougherty:

Tight end Owen Daniels had encouraging words about Johnson's status.
"I talked to him and he said he was all right," Daniels said. "He wanted to go back in, but protocol is that you can't at that point."
Johnson finished with 76 yards receiving on a game-high eight catches.

[eagle eye]

Gary Kubiak said in media conference call today that he expects WR Andre Johnson to play of Sunday when the Texans travel to Baltimore to battle the Ravens this Sunday. His availability was in doubt after he suffered a concussion in last Sunday's game vs Tennessee on a hit in the 4 qtr by the Titans' Bernard Pollard. Pollard was fined $42K by the NFL league office for that hit. It will be good to have the 2013 leader in total catches through the first two games of the season but Johnson is still going through the NFL's concussion protocol and his availability won't be known for sure until late in the week. The Ravens D is still pretty good but their offense has struggled so far in 2013. This will be nice opportunity to not only pound on the Ravens in their home stadium but to go to 3-0 on the season. The last thing I want to hear is the Baltimore crowd chanting the "1000 Nation Army" chorus. That is a really annoying noise. I guess it's because I don't like the Ravens very much.

Randy Bullock struggled in the win over Tennessee last Sunday a week after he won a game ball for his work in the comeback win over San Diego. Bullock could have cost his team a win with a missed field goal at the end of regulation that sent the game into overtime. The first attempt was from 51 yards out and Bullock drilled it right through the center of the uprights but Tennessee called time out a moment before the snap of the ball. The second attempt was blocked but the Titans were off side giving Bullock another shot 5 yards closer. This time he had the distance but he hit the left upright sending the game into the extra frame. After the game Bullock said team chairman and CEO gave him words of encouragement and he said everyone has been really supportive which should give him a real boost in confidence to know the team, from the top down is behind him.

Last week it's now being reported that Ed Reed was "really, really close" to playing against Tennessee. With that in mind we should expect to see him make his Texans debut in his old stomping grounds in Baltimore. It will be nice to see Reed in the lineup and he should have a little extra motivation going back to the field where he forged his Hall of Fame career. I'm sure Reed would have liked to finish his career in Baltimore but it didn't work out so he may want to show his old GM and head coach, Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh, they cut bait too soon on him.

I think the Texans have found the compliment, and ultimate replacement for Andre Johnson at long last. DeAndre Hopkins broke out against the Titans and was the leading receiver for the Texans logging in 7 balls for 117 yards and the game winning TD in overtime. It was Schaub to Hopkins that led the team for that winning score and it's clear Hopkins is the real deal. He still has plenty to learn about being an NFL receiver but so far his star has been shining bright in the first two games of his career.

Let's back the truck up a little bit about Ben Tate. Yes, he's looked good so far but his stats, especially last Sunday was skewed by one 60 yard run in the game that saw Tate rush for 93 total yards. His stat line looks awesome, 9 carries for 93 yards for 10.3 ypc average. But, if you take away that one run he goes 33 yards on 8 carries which is only 4.1 ypc. Arian Foster's line was 19 carries for 79 yards and a TD which is also 4.1 ypc. Tate has looked good but it's not time to replace Foster. Remember Foster missed off season work and training camp. He has been having to work his way back into game shape. So, while Ben Tate has looked good Foster is still the bell cow in Houston and he is going to get better each week.

[LUSportsFan]

If Tate and Foster's egos don't get in the way, I like the running back by committee possibility. The challenge is to get both to buy into the concept and find a way to keep both in the flow of the game.

On the other hand, there are some running backs that seem to get stronger as the game progresses. If the committee experiment results in a production reduction, then maybe a feature back / closer back arrangement should be quickly picked up. I think the challenge either way is to keep both happy and working as a team member rather than as an individual that happens to be on a team.

I like both Foster and Tate. I'm glad both are on the Texans team. I don't want the talents of either to be wasted.

[eagle eye]

WR Andre Johnson was a full partcipant in today's practice and Gary Kubiak said later in the day Johnson should be a full go against the Ravens on Sunday.

Duane Brown will likely miss this week's game with a turf toe injury. It's looking like Ryan Harris will get the start Sunday.

Garrett Graham and Ed Reed were listed as limited. I'm sure both the Texans and Reed are hoping he can play against his old team in their home stadium. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed.

Owen Daniels and Jonathan Joseph were given a veteran day off today. They were listed as full participants but they did not participate. No worries here.

[eagle eye]

What the heck happened to Houston yesterday? They couldn't find their ass with both hands, a road map and a guide. It looked to me like they successfully beat themselves allowing a pick-6 and kick return for a TD and despite having Ed Reed make his first start of the year at his old stomping grounds in Baltimore it wasn't enough to overcome stupidhead that manifested itself as 14 penalties for 113 yards. Houston laid one great big red, white and blue egg in Baltimore yesterday. That's ok. They are currently tied for the division lead with a surprisingly better Tennessee Titans (who Houston has beaten already) and the Indy Colts (who pulled off a surprise win over the 49ers in San Fran yesterday) at 2-1 with the woeful Jacksonville pulling up the rear at an 0-3 (with little hope for something better than 0-16 on the year). It would be better for Houston to just burn the film of yesterday's game in which Andre Johnson suffered a shin bruise and Matt Schaub suffered a through a really lousy game. He played like crap in my opinion. The run game was non-existant with both Arian Foster and Ben Tate equally effective with Foster gaining 54 yds on 12 carries (4.5 ypc) and Tate getting 36 yds on 9 carries (4 ypc) but they never got the chance to do much with Houston trailing most of the game and Matt Schaub (25 for 35/194 yds/0 TD's/1 INT) having to pass so much. Even more than that was the fact that both teams time of possesion was virtually equal Houston could do nothing against the Ravens D which hadn't been that impressive so far until yesterday. That's okay, next week they will be at home to face --- OMG --- the 3-0 Seahawks. Oh, crap. You'd sure want to be playing better going up against the dreaded Sea-chickens.

[eagle eye]

Gary Kubiak said today that all the x-rays and tests came back negative on Andre Johnson. He has a pretty bad shin bruise and will be considered day-to-day as the week progresses. Good news for Johnson, the Texans and their fans.

Kubiak also said T Duane Brown worked out on the field with trainers on Monday which is a good sign he's making progress with the turf toe issue that caused him to miss the Ravens game. Brown will continue to be day-to-day as he rehabs the injury.

In his first game action of 2013 Ed Reed practiced Monday and said he was fine and feeling no soreness. This is good news going forward as the Texans can at least claim reletively good health so far this year.

Gary Kubiak said Monday he's very frustrated because his team has yet to gel as a team and play with any consistancy so far in 2013. They have shown a lot of heart and resilience needing both to eek out victories in the first two weeks of the season. Neither served the Texans well as nothing went right in the loss to the Ravens. The good news is it's early in the season and there's plenty of time to right the ship.

[eagle eye]

The good news is Andre Johnson is scheduled to start against the Seachickens on Sunday. Semi-good news is Duane Brown has been practicing and will be a game time decision on whether he'll play.

Houston's offense, most notably Matt Schaub, will need to play better against Seattle. Against the Ravens he made some poor decisions especially the ball he threw for a pick-six that turned the game around. Houston was winning and in Ravens territory when he threw a ball he should never have thrown. It should be a heckuva defensive struggle. The good thing is Seattle is not as good on the road and Houston's crowd can get LOUD. The Texans will have to be stout against the run and shut down Marshawn Lynch to have a chance in this game. I am rooting for the Texans but I'm not confident they can pull it out.

Here is an aritcle from Texans.com by Texans beat writer Drew Dougherty about the 5 things we should be watching on Sunday.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-vs-Seahawks/483160f6-cbf9-42fc-8f34-e4548ac85ca0

[eagle eye]

There has been some question about whether or not Matt Schaub is the guy to lead Houston to the top of the league. It's looking more and more like he's not. I was talking to a friend of mine who is also a big Texans fan and he was at the game Sunday and he said it's a shame to have the team Houston has but no quarterback to lead them. It was reported that people were burning Schaub jerseys in the parking lot of Reliant Stadium. Part of the blame has to go on Gary Kubiak for calling a naked bootleg when the Texans were gaining yards on a steady diet of Arian Foster in an effort to eat up clock. Don't make a first down, no problem. Punt it a way and let the defense continue to pound the Seahawks offense. Run out the clock, Texans win 20-13. Not this day. Schaub handed the game over on a silver platter and I'm really getting to hate Pete Carroll. The Texans travel to San Francisco who woke up against the Rams last Thursday. If Houston, i.e. Schaub, doesn't wake up as well Houston will be looking at 2-3 square in the face. Houston is better than that but you have wonder if that's true with Schaub under center.

[eagle eye]

DeAndre Hopkins was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for September the NFL announced today. Hopkins is the first Texan to receive the honor since Brian Cushing in November and December of 2009. Hopkins posted 20 catches for 270 yards (13.5 YPC) and a TD in September.

Duane Brown returned to practice today. The practice was just a light walk through but Gary Kubiak said Brown was a full participant making his first return to practice since he injured his toe in the Week 2 game against Tennessee. Kubiak also said despite Brown's participation he was still considered day-to-day.

Here is an article from Texans.com called Tale of the Tape that compares Houston's Arian Foster and San Fran's Frank Gore so far in 2014.

http://www.houstontexans.com/taleoftape.html

[BigNasty92]

[color=navy]DeAndre Hopkins was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for September the NFL announced today...


In related news, the NFL also named Matt Schaub Veteran Offensive Sh!tbag for September....

[eagle eye]

[color=navy]DeAndre Hopkins was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for September the NFL announced today...


In related news, the NFL also named Matt Schaub Veteran Offensive Sh!tbag for September....


LOL! Here's hoping that Schaub has a much better October than he did September beginning in San Fran on Sunday.

[eagle eye]

It's time to get over last week's loss to Seattle. That one is gone and as much as we'd like to we can't change the outcome. We need to get behind the Texans, including Matt Schaub, because they are facing a tough challenge against the 49ers in their place.

Houston is the early game of the two on Sunday Night. So, they should have our undivided attention.

The good news this week is that Brian Cushing passed his concussion protocols and will play Sunday night!

If Arian Foster can run against the Seahawks (Ben Tate too) then there's no reason not to believe he can't run on the 49ers. It would be sweet to see AF get 100+ yards rushing and about 35-40 yards receiving. It sure would take the pressure off Matt Schaub.

Here are the 5 things to watch in the Texans game Sunday night according to Texans.com's senior writer Drew Dougherty.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-at-49ers/283fcf01-0a82-44fa-a2fc-57488f12cb59

[eagle eye]

Wow, is Matt Schaub been lousy? No, he was bad on one play against Seattle last week. This week? That's another story all together. Should it matter that Houston has face two of the top three defenses that past two weeks? I don't know but Schaub was just plain sorry last night. The problem was TJ Yates wasn't much better. Houston just absorbed an old fashioned beat down in Frisco and the problems didn't just lie in Schaub's lap but he's got to accept that he was pure d lousy last night. Texans fans better hope he can find a way to right his ship because as much as people love the backup neither TJ Yates nor Case Keenum is the short term answer. Maybe the long term but this is a team that is basically ready to win NOW. Schaub can play better than he has so far in 2013 and maybe we are over reacting to a 2-3 start to the season but now they are in a division with a team in Indianapolis that is for real and in first place with a 4-1 record and Tennessee team that is playing really good defense at 3-2. That mean Houston is in third place and 2 games out of first. Not where we should be. Not only that but Indy just finished beating the two teams Houston lost two. They beat Frisco in Frisco two weeks ago and now they've beaten Seattle at home. Yeah I know, Houston did enough to win but they ended up with the L. The season isn't over and we've seen Houston start out of the gate fast and fade at the end. Ok, it's time to come out of the gate slow and finish with a flourish! If they do then the conversations around the water coolers at work will be long forgotten.

[LUSportsFan]

As a Texans fan, it's looking like this season may be a lot longer (meaning painful to endure) than I would like it to be. I just hope they right the ship soon. This Texans' season reminds me of the Bruce Springsteen song, "One Step Up (and Two Steps Back)". The problem is that it's looking like the Texans have taken a lot more than two steps back this season when compared with the last few.

[eagle eye]

This item makes me think I should ressurect the "What the Hell were you thinking" thread because this certainly qualifies. Even if a player plays bad he doesn't deserve this:
A so-called fan confronted Matt Schaub AT HIS HOUSE to berate him for his play the last couple of weeks. No violence occurred but the fact that a person would actually do something like this is beyond me. I honestly think that the person who did this could be prosecuted for perpetrating a terroristic act and should be ASAP. The notion that someone would do this is beyond my ability to fathom. Also, another person took pictures of Schaub's wife and kids and posted them on facebook. This too is an act of terror and should be prosecuted as such. How would you feel if someone did that to your family? If the cops didn't do something I certainly would. I would teach that person what it means to mess with a man's family. This is contemptable and cowardly and expletives I'm sure most of you can fill in as well as I. If somebody beat the crap out these people, put them in the hospital it would send a message as well as prosecuting them as terrorists. See how these people like GITMO with pissed of Muslims. You might say I'm over reacting but I don't play when it comes to my home and family and neither would you.
Here's a link to ESPN.com on the matter. Wait until the first video finishes and check out Mike Golic's reaction.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9795996/nfl-eyes-fan-incident-home-matt-schaub-houston-texans

[eagle eye]

Okay, we are going to put the past two weeks behind us and look forward to righting the ship and what better team to face at this point than the Rams. The Rams give up a ton of yards in the run game and their pass defense is nothing to right home about. It's a home game that should be a shoe-in for the Texans to sort of calm people down and right the ship. Houston should take care of business and it should take some of the heat off of Matt Schaub. Allow him to build some confidence and get past this rough patch of the season.

Arian Foster has been limited in practed due to a thumb and a chest injury but there isn't any doubt he will play Sunday. Andre Johnson missed practice Thursday because of the shin injury he's been nursing for couple of weeks ago also isn't expected to miss time either.

[eagle eye]

Texans and Rams Sunday notes:

> Andre Johnson is listed as a game time decision but he said he would be out there. The question is whether he can go due to the shin injury he suffered a few weeks ago against Baltimore. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but I'm sure it's giving a veteran player a chance to heal up some.

> Fantasy owners need to make sure you pick up Garrett Graham. He's a good player and he'll be starting for the foreseeable future due to the broken leg Owen Daniels suffered against the 49ers.

Here's some things to-do from Texans.com beat writer Deepi Sidhu and Drew Dougherty's 5 things to watch in Sunday's game.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-To-Do-List-vs-St-Louis/7ee1455a-8e12-4f7a-b315-4aa92b29955b

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-vs-Rams/6d65621f-e32b-4527-93d0-506afede15f3

[eagle eye]

In the past week we heard about so-called Texans fans who stalked Matt Schaub to his house and publicly derided him for his recent poor play and posted pictures of his family on social media pages for no other reason than to facilitate others into harassing his family. In yesterday's game Schaub injured his ankle on a sack by the Rams and had to leave the game. When Houston fans saw that Schaub was hurt people actually cheered. It makes me ashamed to be a Texans fan because I would be associated with jerks like that. I can't believe fans of their own team would do that. There is only one other time I've seen a player who was injured cheered because he was injured and that was when "fans" in Philadelphia cheered when Michael Irvin was laying motionless on the stadium turf with a neck injury that caused temporary paralysis and ended up ending his career. I never liked Philadelphia before that and I've hated Philadelphia ever since. Any Philadelphia team. Can't stand them or their fans. I can only imagine what Matt Schaub and his family think of Houston now. Even Rams players said what those fans did was messed up. What's common around the country is when a player is hurt you shut up until you find out if the player is okay or not and when you see he's okay then you applaud. Never mind about whether or not Houston got spanked by the Rams the issue here is a little compassion for another human being. The same guy who played so well last year and got the team to the playoffs, the same guy who does charity work and fund raising work all over the city of Houston got cheered when he was injured. Houston, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. I really thought "Clutch City" was better than that.

[eagle eye]

When it rains it pours, doesn't it? In today's press conference Gary Kubiak said that strong safety Danieal Manning will miss for an undetermined amount of time due to a "significant knee injury" he suffered in last Sunday's loss to the Rams. Shiloh Keo will move into the spot for the foreseeable future.

According to Kubiak the real downfall of the Texans has been the turnovers and penalties they have committed during this four game losing streak including 5 pick six's in 5 games in a row setting a most dubious NFL record. It makes perfect sense because looking at the numbers Houston has been pretty darn good on offense sans turnovers and penalties. The Texans are ranked 7th in total offense gaining 395.7 yards per game while the defense is just allowing 252.8 YPG. How about that Schaub haters? Schaub had thrown pick six's in the previous 4 games but he had taken care of the ball against St Louis. TJ Yates managed to chunk two picks including the record 5th pick 6 in a row. There were also fumbles, one for TD, that derailed the Texans. Besides the turnovers Houston had 7 penalties for 95 yards which didn't help matters one bit. If Houston takes better care of the ball and stops shooting themselves in the foot with the rash of penalties they've been committing they could be 5-1 or 6-0 but they have and they are 2-4 as a result. Things don't get any easier this week as Houston travels to Kansas City to face the undefeated Chiefs.

Speaking of Matt Schaub, he is determined to play Sunday although considering the treatment by Houston's so-called fans the past two weeks I can't imagine why. Kubiak has said it's an end of the week decision he will have to make. In the mean time Kubiak said he will prepare both TJ Yates and Case Keenum to play this week. Kubiak said he will prepare both the same and decide on the starter at the end of the week. Yates played the rest of the game last Sunday going 12-17 for 98 yards and two picks. Hardly a stellar performance. If you listen to the ESPN afternoon radio show both AJ Hoffman and Fred Fauer immediately hang up when Case Keenum's name is mentioned to replace Schaub. I may be off base here but Keenum is mobile which Schaub is not and he's got a better arm than Schaub. The only things he doesn't have are size (6'1" 205) and the experience. The last couple of years has seen a renaissance at the QB position and the read option or at least mobility in the QB position has been the new vogue in the NFL. As for size, if you believe the measureables for Keenum vs Russell Wilson (5"11" 206) Keenum is actually bigger. Not being a fan of either Hoffman or Fauer I tend to think they are just pessimists and nay-sayers anyway. Eff them and I really hope Keenum gets his chance if Schaub can't go.

[eagle eye]

Stop the freaking presses! The latest news from ESPN is that Matt Schaub WILL NOT be available for Sunday's game vs Kansas City and Gary Kubiak has named Case Keenum this week's starter!! Keenum is a popular choice because he played his college ball at the University of Houston and is a local kid who really played well during this past preseason. TJ Yates has not progressed the way the Texans would have hoped and actually looked like he regressed in the past two games he came into the game in relief of Matt Schaub. He's played like a guy who is trying not to make a mistake or a QB who doesn't trust himself to make the throws needed to move the team. I'm happy to see Keenum get this opportunity but it's unfortunate that his first start is on the road against the best defense in the NFL this season.

[eagle eye]

Houston played another good game yesterday and lost. After 4 carries Arian Foster was lost for the game due to a pulled hamstring and they had a rookie QB making his first start of the season. All things considered I think the Texans did as well as they could. Keenum's debut, in a loss, wasn't bad if you consider he was facing one of the best defenses in the NFL. His final stat line was 15 of 25 for 271 yards and one TD and NO PICKS. His QB rating was 110.6. His TD pass was a thing of beauty as he hit DeAndre Hopkins in stride in the end zone for a 29 yard strike.
Houston had it's chances at the end but the Chiefs dialed up their pass rush and sacked Keenum and forced two fumbles and they just never gave the Texans a chance to win. The Chiefs simply was not going to allow Houston to steal the game from them. No position player from either team put up 100 yards. The game's leading rusher was Jamaal Charles who gained 86 yards on 21 carries and Andre Johnson was the leading receiver on the field gaining 89 yards on 4 receptions. Now, to be fair, Charles added another 37 yards receiving to give him 123 combined yards but you get my point. It was a defensive slugfest and KC just made more plays.
It was a nice debut for Keenum and I'm convinced he did better than TJ Yates would have but the question here is was it enough to justify benching Matt Schaub when his ankle is healed enough for him to play? That's a Gary Kubiak call but given Koobs' history I'd say it wasn't. The important thing was Keenum comported himself very well and he should leapfrog Yates as the primary backup. I'm sure Houston fans will be behind the move but you can't always go with the fans. There's a saying in the NFL the most popular player on any team is the backup QB and after yesterday's game the fans will be calling for Keenum to start.

Interesting Notes:

> Keenum's first start was against KC. In 2007 Matt Schaub's first start was against KC.
> Keenum's 101.6 QBR was a team high for a first start.
> Keenum's 271 yards passing broke Schaub's record of 225 yards for a first start in franchise history.
> In Week 3 Dallas lost to the Chiefs by the same 17-16 score Houston lost by yesterday.

Bad News

> Arian Foster left the game after 4 carries with a hamstring issue. Hopefully, this won't be a long term issue.
> Brian Cushing left in the third quarter when Jamaal Charles went low to block him and injured the same knee Cushing suffered a season ending torn ACL last year. This time around Cushing has a broken fibula and a torn LCL. Cushing said his season could be over. You have to know Jamaal Charles feels bad today because he lost a season two years ago with his own torn ACL. This is a devastating loss to Houston whose defense suffered a lot after Cushing was hurt in Week 5.

[eagle eye]

With all the troubles around the Texans headquarters there seemed to be a need for Gary Kubiak to send a message to his team. Or, a need to exercise discipline over a team who may need it. Or they just violated team rules on the road trip to Kansas City as Kubiak stated in today's press conference. Either way there really must be more to the story that a simple violation of team rules as opined by Houston Chronicle reporter John McClain. When asked about what team rule/s were violated Kubiak responded, "I won't discuss team rules. I've made a decision to move forward.".
The three players waived are DE Sam Montgomery, LB Willie Jefferson and RB Cierre Wood. Montgomery was the Texans 3rd round pick in this year's draft which speaks to the seriousness of the reason or reasons behind the waiving of these players. Teams just don't give up on 3rd round picks without good reason. Jefferson is from Beaumont and he went to school at Ozen HS and he attended college at Stephen F Austin. This past April Jefferson was signed as an undrafted free agent. Cierre Wood made a big splash for himself in this past preseason. After going undrafted after a very good college career at Notre Dame Houston signed Wood just hours after this year's draft as a UFA. Wood showed such promise in preseason Houston kept him on the final 53 man roster despite having Arian Foster and Ben Tate in front of him. With Foster suffering from a hamstring injury early in the game Wood would have been in line to make a contribution to the team.
All three players made the trip to KC but none of them was active for the game. Apparently, their transgressions occurred at the team hotel and was serious enough to cost them their jobs.

[LUSportsFan]

Yesterday was great for the Texans. It was close, but they prevailed against the bye.

Tough to be a Texans fan during the losing streak!

Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk 2

[eagle eye]

That's pretty funny stuff LUSportsFan! The normal joke is, at least Houston didn't lose, is old. I'm still hoping Case Keenum is the starter going forward but I'm afraid Kubiak is going with Matt Schaub. In truth, Schaub has been pretty good he just couldn't stay healthy. This year he's been healthy but not very good. Here's hoping he can turn it around following the bye week.

[eagle eye]

In today's press conference Gary Kubiak said that Case Keenum will be the starting quarterback this coming Sunday vs Indianapolis. When asked about the status of Matt Schaub Kubiak said his health in terms of his ankle that caused him to miss the game in Week 7 vs Kansas City was "fine". Earlier in the day Ian Rappaport of NFL media reported that Schaub has torn ligaments in his ankle but he was going to play through that injury. NFL.com is reporting another source said that Schaub's ankle might not be 'right' for the rest of the season. Either way I'm sure this a very popular decision to the Houston Texans fans considering Keenum did a pretty good job despite the loss to KC.

[eagle eye]

It's a little too early in the week for the Texans to say whether or not Arian Foster and Ben Tate will be available this week. Both are saying they expect to play but for Foster nursing a hamstring and Tate cracked ribs THEY don't know if they can play as yet.
In the mean time Houston has signed 3 RBs to fill the depth chart for this week. Besides Foster and Tate ailing the Texans released Cierre Wood so the cupboard was pretty bare in the RB department. Houston signed Deji Karim and Dennis Johnson and they elevated Ray Graham off the practice squad. Both Karim and Johnson were in training camp with the Texans and both were among the final cut downs so Houston could get down to the final 53. Both did a good job which made their cuts more difficult. Johnson was in a neck and neck battle with Wood, who ended up making the final roster, because in the final two preseason games Johnson fumbled a couple of times and it cost him a job. Karim was a free agent and Johnson was on the Cleveland Browns practice squad. All three of the newest members of the Houston RB club are familiar with the system and it won't take long for them to get up to speed.
Deji Karim is an NFL veteran and I would guess that if Foster and Tate can't go against the Colts Karim would get the start. Johnson could also be used as a kick or punt returner which adds to his value to the team.
The Texans are off today so more news will surely begin to flow again beginning Wednesday. Fantasy players will need to get on top of this because if Foster and Tate can't go Karim will be a hot pickup off the waiver wire.

[eagle eye]

it will be a hot time in the old H town tomorrow night. The Texans fresh off their much needed bye week with a quarterback that is the universal (Except for Matt Schaub and family) choice of the people of Houston to lead the team into the second half of the season makes for an electric atmosphere going into a division game against division leader Indianapolis (them again!) fresh off an emotional win over the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos. All this and they are the only game in town, or in the nation, on Sunday Night Football. Wow.
Keenum, Case Keenum will take his martini shaken, not stirred. Make no mistake, he will be the man in the spot light as he makes his first NFL start in his home town and where he made his bones in college at U of H finishing his career as the all time passing leader in NCAA history. I've been in Reliant Stadium and it's freaking loud but the noise could eclipse the Guinness World record set in Seattle earlier this season. To say Keenum is a popular choice in Houston is to exhibit a gift of understatement that is nearly unmatched.
If Keenum is to take advantage of the hometown crowd he can't start slowly. Get down the field and score, especially if it's a TD, and get the crowd amped up and rattle the normally unflappable Andrew Luck. Run the ball and importantly pass the ball effectively. Get 'Dre, DeAndre and Garrett involved. Let Deji Karim and Dennis Johnson get their chances and ride Ben Tate as long as his ribs can stand it.
I'm saying this team will ride a wave of emotion and purpose and put a little smack down on the Colts. Final Score---Texans 31 Colts 20.

[eagle eye]

Does it seem sometimes that God is conspiring against the Texans? I mean, after all, Case Keenum fever was in full bloom in Houston and Keenum was delivering driving the Texans to an 18 point half time lead. Then the head coach and offensive play caller is stricken with an as yet unknown malady and he is taken to the hospital as a precaution which means he won't be on the field to see this apparent win through. From then the bottom fell out from under the Houston Texans. The offense could only muster a paltry 3 points on offense while giving up 24 points to the hated Colts. Words cannot express the feeling felt by all Texans fans after the final gun went off. Only Dallas fans can relate as they gave away a similar game a week ago to Detroit.
Fortunately, at least for now, Gary Kubiak is stable and doing well in the hospital as doctors try to figure out what happened to him. Some are guessing that it was exhaustion while ESPN is reporting that doctors gave him drugs normally given to someone who has a stroke. I hope I speak for all when I say no matter what I hope he recovers completely and is back on the job soon.
You would have to say that Keenum is an improvement over Schaub and except for a totally blown call on a third down pass to Andre Johnson that was, IMO, wrongly overturned, or if Randy Bullock had made the three field goals he missed Keenum's debut would have had the storybook ending it deserved. I'm not one to call for a man to lose his job but considering the troubles he's had so far this season GM Rick Smith has got to be considering an alternative kicker who may not currently have a job. Bullock has been as close to awful as it gets and at 2-6 Houston as a whole has to be feeling pretty awful too.

[eagle eye]

Texans notes:

> No official word as yet about what the cause was of Gary Kubiak's collapse as he was leaving the field for halftime Sunday night. He is still in the hospital as doctors try to determine what exactly befell Kubiak. Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network reported yesterday that Kubiak suffered a mini stroke called TIA (Transient Iscemic Attack) and he was given, according ESPN's Adam Schefter, medication to break up blood clots associated with a stroke. As I said, no OFFICIAL word has come out about Kubiak's condition. Many speculate it was a combination of stress, fatigue and dehydration that could have been contributing factors in the incident.

> How good was Andre Johnson Sunday? This good: his 229 receiving yards gave him 12, 067 career receiving yards which makes him tied with Torrey Holt as the second fastest player to reach 12,000 yards in just 146 games; The 100+ yards he gained gives him 47 100+ games tying him for sixth place with Holt and Michael Irvin; His three touchdown receptions is a franchise high for a single game; The 62 yard bomb Johnson caught in the opening moments of the 1st quarter was the first TD pass for Johnson since early last year; Johnson has now caught at least one pass in 109 consecutive games he's played in. It is worth noting he should have had ten catches for about 245 yards but the refs wrongly overturned the catch (IMO) costing Houston a big first down in the 4th quarter.

> Did you guys see that LT Duane Brown owned Colts LB Robert Mathis? Brown flat dominated Mathis from start to finish. It was a heckuva performance against one of the best speed rushers in the NFL.

> Ben Tate did a nice job but I don't think the Texans ran the ball enough, or maybe it wasn't effective enough. Either way I believe the Texans missed Arian Foster and with his back acting up again and who knows how long Houston will have to make due without him.

> I think whoever calls plays this Sunday needs to grow a pair and be a little more aggressive and Case Keenum needs a few plays where he gets some short quick routes to throw to. Keenum tends to hold the ball a bit too long. That's my only gripe. He needs to get the ball out quicker most of the time and that will make him more effective on the deep routes and the scrambles. All in all, I'm happy for the change and the question is, can he consistantly be the guy we saw against the Chiefs and Colts? Only time will tell but so far so good. Forget the nay-sayers on the Blitz.

[eagle eye]

It turns out that Greg Rosenthal's report that Gary Kubiak had a mini-stroke or Transient Iscemic Attack was correct. Mr Rosenthal had some good information apparently. One question, did Rosenthal violate Kubiak's HIPAA law rights? Or at very least did the guy to told Rosenthal about Kubiak violate the HIPAA law? I'm just saying. Kubiak is now home from the hospital and not even Greg Rosenthal knows exactly when he'll return to work.

It's official, Wade Phillips was officially named interim head coach until Gary Kubiak can return to work.

Arian Foster is still aching in his back. He was all but eliminated from training camp with back issues so it'll be Ben Tate and his cracked ribs toting the rock this week. I would expect Deji Karim to be activated this week.

[eagle eye]

Surprisingly, the Texans have decided to stick with Randy Bullock as their place kicker despite his missing 3 field goals in last Sunday's loss to Indianapolis. Earlier this week the Texans hosted tryouts to former Texans kickers Shane Graham and Neil Rackers as well as veteran NFL and CFL place kicker Justin Medlock. If Bullock makes the three attempts he missed on his 1/4 night vs the Colts it is pretty certain Houston would have broken out of their slump and beaten the division leader all in one fell swoop. You would think Bullock is on a very short leash in terms of his job security going forward. Teams don't like to give up on draft picks and Bullock was a 5th rounder last year who missed all of his rookie season due to an injury and they are giving the ex-Texas A&M star every chance to right the ship.

Gary Kubiak will miss the trip to Arizona this week as he recovers from the TIA he suffered at half time of last Sunday's game. Offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, will call the plays this week. Dennison took over after Kubiak went down last week and the Texans could only manage 3 second half points against the Colts as Houston blew an 18 point half time lead to Indianapolis. Dennison will continue to work in the press box and call the plays down to quarterbacks coach Karl Dorrell on the sideline who will relay the calls to Case Keenum.

Gary Kubiak is home recuperating but he's still keeping in contact with the Texans. It is not certain when he can return to work but he's still keeping tabs on the team. He is hoping to make a visit to the Texans practice facility this week. Right now doctors want Kubes to stay home and relax and NOT think about football but that's like asking squirrels not to collect nuts for the winter.

[eagle eye]

This week Case Keenum gets another crack at ending Houston's losing streak. Arizona is beatable even at home. We will see how much of a difference having a new play caller, OC Rick Dennison, and we'll see how much Gary Kubiak's visit to the Texans practice Friday inspires the team. It should certainly answers the questions they probably had about whether he's really doing okay.
Keenum likely won't have Andre Johnson to lean on as much as he has because I'll bet a dollar to a donut that Patrick Peterson will be shadowing Johnson all over the field Sunday. DeAndre Hopkins, Garrett Graham and the rest of the receiving corp will need to step up and make their presence known. If the defense can put pressure on Carson Palmer it could be a long day for the Cards offense. Palmer ain't Andrew Luck. They will need to put the clamps on Andre Ellington and Rashard Mendenhall and force Palmer to beat them and I believe Palmer can't do that. Go Texans. Go Case Keenum.

Sleeper pick - Garrett Graham. The Cardinals have given up more fantasy points to tight ends in 2013. Graham can be the difference for the Texans this week.

[LUSportsFan]

Question is...

Do I want to torture myself watching the Texans today? Based on the first 15 seconds of the game, I may end up with an elevated blood pressure...not starting off very well. :(

Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk 2

[eagle eye]

The ineptitude of the Texans offense perplexes me. In the first half the Texans look good but in the second half they look like crap. They scored 17 of their points in the first half and had an oh-by-the-way score in the fourth quarter but it looked like the Arizona did the same thing Indianapolis did and that's just blitz the crap out of Houston and they didn't have an answer last week and they didn't have an answer this week. It's incredible that even four man rushes seem to devastate the O-line. Houston won't go anywhere until they learn how to deal with pressure up front. The only thing Dallas and Houston have in common is a lack of a way to counter pressure which frustrates the crap out of me. Houston, in my mind is now mathematically eliminated from any playoff hopes. This may not be literally true but it's sure clear they aren't going anywhere this season.

[eagle eye]

If Andre Johnson got a vote in who will be Houston's starting QB going forward I'd bet a lot of money he pick Case Keenum. Johnson hadn't caught a TD pass all season until Case Keenum took over the reins against Indianapolis and then he caught 3 TD passes in a heartbreaking loss to the Colts. Johnson got his fourth TD pass last week despite tight coverage by Arizona ace CB Patrick Peterson. Fantasy owners are happy too because despite his being acknowledged at one of the top 5 WRs in the NFL Johnson was a fantasy bust because Matt Schaub didn't target him in the red zone or, like Keenum did against the Colts, from the Texans red zone with long passes. Keenum has been a revelation and the only person not surprised is head coach Gary Kubiak who waited with baited breath hoping Keenum would not get drafted so Houston could snap him up as an undrafted free agent. In his 1-1/2 years on the Texans Case has already leapfrogged TJ Yates and Matt Schaub and he could actually become that franchise QB for the Texans a la Tony Romo. You get the comparisons right? An guy who rose up after not being drafted to take control of the QB position for the next ten years. I'm rooting for the guy. Houston could certainly do worse. Now, I don't want to jump the gun and anoint Keenum too soon but so far so good. Now, the OC needs to figure out a way to beat the blitzes that have ruined the second halfs of the past two games. But, the Texans face a pretty bad Oakland Raider team who fought with the NY Giants on who was going to do more to lose their game last Sunday and Oakland won that battle losing a horrible game by both teams. Keenum should get his first win this week and it will be about damn time.

[eagle eye]

The Texans made two big roster moves on Tuesday. One sort of expected and one that holds some controversy. Arian Foster was put on IR as he recovers from the back injury that has plagued him since training camp. Foster actually may need surgery to repair his back and if he decides to go that way he can do it now that his season is officially over.
Ed Reed was signed this off season with the Texans knowing he was coming off hip surgery. Reed hasn't been his old self but without off season workouts and no training camp I think he was due a little leeway. Many people feel that comments Reed made about the Texans players and coaches being outplayed and outcoahed was the reason for his release. Reed was signed after Houston let Glover Quin leave Houston via free agency and it was thought by many that a Reed for Quin deal was a bad trade because of Reed's age and health. Houston's pass defense has certainly been less than adequet this season and poor safety play is part of that. Reed's may have called a spade a spade in his critism of his team but being right doesn't mean you can piss off the boss. If rumors are true that seems to be just why Reed lost his job.

[eagle eye]

What else? I'll tell you what else. Punter Shane Lechler has been in the hospital the past 3 days battling the flu. He is expected to play against his old team, the Oakland Raiders, this week but if he can't go Gary Kubiak said K Randy Bullock can fill in for Lechler punting and Matt Schaub would take up the slack as holder for Bullock on place kicks.

Arian Foster underwent successful back surgery in California to repair a herniated disc. Foster sought several opinions and also tried to rehab the back but he elected to have season ending surgery this week. There was no sense is risking a very serious injury to Foster by rehabbing it and playing through back pain all season since Houston is all but mathmatically elimintated from the playoffs. Personally, I think their crazy to risk Ben Tate and his cracked ribs at this point but you know players want to play.

Kareem Jackson and Joe Mays will both be game time decisions this week facing the Raiders. Jackson left the game in Arizona with a chest contusion and he has missed practice so far this week. Mays could miss the game because a knee that he's had issues with of late swelled up on him and caused him to miss practice the past two days. He could be back at practice today. If Jackson is unable to go Brice McCain will fill in. If Mays isn't able to play then newly signed LB Jeff Tarpinian will play as he did last week against the Cardinals.

[eagle eye]

Never mind that Gary Kubiak was coming back from the 'mini stroke' that caused him to miss the past week and a half. Never mind that he had to coach from the top of the stadium in the coach's booth. Never mind everything. There are only 2 things that you need to know. The Texans lost their 8th game in row to the lowly Oakland Raiders by a score of 28-23 and the other thing is you could have seen the end of the Gary Kubiak era in Houston. Especially after the sideline blowup between Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub. Johnson left the sideline before the game was even over. For a guy like Johnson who NEVER makes a fuss that scene yesterday spoke volumes. This was supposed to be the week Houston finally got off the schnide playing a very winnable game against a supposedly 'weak' Raiders team garnering Case Keenum's first win as pro.
Wade Phillips' defense got burned for 24 points under the leadership of a guy who few, outside of his parents, ever heard of. I guess ex-Penn State QB Matt McGloin isn't that anonymous but really, this kid should not have lit up the Houston defense like he did. I realize Houston helped him out with short fields as a result of Texans turnovers but he tossed 3--that's 3--TD passes against a veteran defense. The losing streak has as much to do with poor defense as an MIA offense.
The disheartening thing was the Texans offense mailed it in for the 4th week in a row, some may say for the 8th week, in the second half of the game. Scoring 17 of their 23 points in the first half and failing miserably in 3 trips to the red zone in the second half including a potential game winning drive at the end of the game that ended in a WTF pass in Andre Johnson's direction on 4th down at the seven yard line. The futility wasn't Case Keenum's futility. He was relieved of the responsibility in the second half by Kubiak who said he wanted Schaub in the game to handle the game in ways he felt Keenum could not. He did move the team between the 20's but the red zone was as foreign to him yesterday as it has been the rest of the season. The sight of Mr Texan Andre Johnson walking off the field alone at the end of the game to the chorus of boos raining down Reliant Stadium was the moving picture of a team who has hit rock bottom. Jacksonville shows more heart and guts than this Texans team does. The past 3 years has seen our team climb out of a decade long muck to be considered one of the best teams in the NFL. Some even predicted Houston was a genuine, dyed in the wool Super Bowl contender. How far this team has fallen was on full display about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Even as much as team owner, Bob McNair, who has a deep and abiding man-crush on Gary Kubiak, had to have cringed listening to the boos inside HIS building. It really seems this is a no-win situation under Kubiak who I do credit for building a talent laden team. He just never seemed to be able to get over the hump and some of that wasn't his fault. The Texans best shot was 2 years ago when Schaub, who was on a good roll, was lost for the season and TJ Yates took the team into the playoffs only to lose to the Ravens on the road in the divisional round. It looked like Kubiak wasn't going to get the chance to try again to bring a championship to Houston, it looked like he was a guy who had worn out his welcome.

[eagle eye]

In another WTF moment at the Texans headquarters Gary Kubiak announced this week that Case Keenum will be the starting quarterback against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. Stating that he had every confidence in Keenum had to have people scratching their heads over that statement. If he had every confidence in Keenum why did he pull Keenum off the field in the second half against the Raiders? Very strange.

The Texans got JJ Watt back to practice today after missing practice yesterday due to a "sore back". The quotes are from Texans.com com and I'm not sure what they are inferring with the quotation marks. Maybe yesterday was just a veteran's day off type of thing to give Watt a little extra recouperation time. This is pretty common and Watt probably wasn't the only one with a "sore back".

Rookie tight end Ryan Griffin is cleared and back at practice after sitting out the past week due to a concussion he suffered the game prior to the Raiders contest. Griffin has done some nice things for Houston this season and his absence last week limited the Texans two tight end formations and their run game. He's excited to be back on the field now after having to watch the Raiders game from the locker room.

[eagle eye]

Andre Johnson responded to ESPN about his thoughts about the Texans after they lost to division rival Jacksonville by saying, "We suck." The Texans probably hit rock bottom last week in the loss to Oakland but now the Texans are tied with Jacksonville and Atlanta at 2-9 for the worst record in the NFL. This team is a disaster and between the Falcons and the Texans, based on preseason expectations, they have to be the biggest disappointments in the NFL so far. This is bad enough that Gary Kubiak may actually be in danger of losing his job. There really isn't any more to be said because, unlike the Astros, the Texans aren't in the infancy of rebuilding the franchise but maybe it should be. It may be time to let Kubiak go because the hemoriging won't stop. No matter what they do Houston can't do anything right. I think Kubiak has done a good job and the team, from a talent perspective, is worlds better than they were when he took over but it really is looking like he may have lost the team. The overall talent on the team is better than what we've seen all season and the only common thing is the coaching staff. Offense and defense. Wade Phillips isn't getting a pass here either. It is time for a change. Kubiak haters feel it's way past time.

[eagle eye]

If you've never gotten to see the New England Patriots in person this is your chance. The Pats come to H town to take their turn beating up the hapless Texans this Sunday. Unless a pure D miracle happens the Patriots will cruise past the floundering Texans team. I am serious about taking the opportunity to see New England, Tom Brady and company, in person. Texans fans will see how a well run organization operates. That's mean and I'm sorry but it's all I got for this team at this time. Even though the Texans may not be enjoying this Thanksgiving so much I hope you and yours have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

[eagle eye]

Does anyone agree that Wade Phillips' defense has more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese? The Patriots don't even play their best running back because he fumbles too much and the defense can't hold a lead to preserve their first victory in 2 and half months. This team is to be commended for their effort. The offense showed a little spark but I'm convinced Gary Kubiak either cannot or will not make adjustments at halftime. If Houston only had to play on half of ball they'd be 10-2 instead of 2-10.
Personnally, I didn't give Houston much of a chance against New England but I was pleasently surprised at just how close they made the game. The Patriots defense showed Houston how to preserve a win by pressuring Case Keenum and picking him off to end hopes of a last minute comeback. Despite how I think Houston got better talent-wise under Gary Kubiak I am firmly convinced that a total turnover in the coaching staff is needed. I understand that the loss of Arian Foster and Brian Cushing are big losses but there is no way Houston should be 2-10 with the talent still on this team.
It's hard to believe that Houston has gone from AFC South champion to cellar dweller in one year. Now, they play Jacksonville who just beat them a couple of weeks ago and are bringing in a 3 game winning streak. This time they play in Florida and I am not holding my breathe in anticipation of a Houston win.

[eagle eye]

Okay, I feel a little better about the Fowler trade. Why? Because of the following article from Astros.com talks at length at why THEY feel good about the deal. Now the skeptic in me worries about the possibility that this is just the official web site trying to put a positive spin on the deal. I hate being skeptical but these are, after all, the Astros. Check this out and decide for yourself but you know, at least for now, I'll agree with Big T and applaud the trade.

[eagle eye]

You look at the Houston Texans bench in the final two minutes of the Thursday night game vs Jacksonville and it looked to me like a team that was whooped. Trailing 14-7 to division rival Jacksonville and seemingly on the move with Case Keenum dinking and dunking the team down the field he threw an incredibly bad pass to Andre Johnson severely under throwing the the pass which was picked off. ending any threat Houston had of tying up the game going into half time. Then DJ Swearinger behaved like a huge ass hat taunting a Jaguars player giving them a first down when Houston should have had a 3-and-out defensive stand allowing Jacksonville to add to their lead before half time. It seemed clear that Gary Kubiak has lost his team. It must have because owner Bob McNair decided to fire Kubiak on the plane ride back to Houston last night.

"We felt that a change was needed at the head coach position and Gary Kubiak is no longer the head coach," Texans chairman and CEO Bob McNair said Friday.
Wade Phillips will be the interim head coach, and the rest of the coaching staff will be evaluated.
"To have this string of losses that we sustained is just totally unacceptable and it

[eagle eye]

It's official. Wade Phillips' hat is in the ring to become the Texans next head coach. I sincerely hope Wade doesn't get the job. No offense to Wade but his head coaching track record isn't nearly a good as his record as a defensive coordinator and to be honest his defense hasn't been all that great this season. I'm not sure who I want to be head coach at this point but I do know I don't want Phillips.

[LUSportsFan]

It's official. Wade Phillips' hat is in the ring to become the Texans next head coach. I sincerely hope Wade doesn't get the job. No offense to Wade but his head coaching track record isn't nearly a good as his record as a defensive coordinator and to be honest his defense hasn't been all that great this season. I'm not sure who I want to be head coach at this point but I do know I don't want Phillips.


Out of curiosity I looked up the stats on www.NFL.com/stats/team.

Given the miserable record, I was surprised to see how well the Texans ranked overall.

#3 Total Defense
#2 Passing Defense
#21 Rushing Defense

Total defense statistics probably don't tell whole story. It would be interesting to see a ranking of starting short field possesions the teams had to defend. It would be useful to check the statistics by quarter also. The Texans lost a lead so many times in the second half this year.

Here's the ranking of my other team, the Dallas Cowboys:

#32 Total Defense (out of 32)
#32 Passing Defense
#28 Rushing Defense


Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk 2

[eagle eye]

I'm curious how the Cowboys and Texans rank in terms of points allowed. To me, this is the stat that matters most. The other rankings don't mean much to me because they can change with one or two bad weeks. In the Texans case they have given up a lot of points and their offense hasn't scored all that much. The Texans defense hasn't exactly held up their end in terms of denying the opposing team points. In the Cowboys corner it's obvious they aren't very good. The overall talent on the defensive side of the ball is not good. Dallas is going to have to do something drastic to upgrade the talent on that side of the ball.

[LUSportsFan]

I agree about points allowed. I was looking for that. I'll see if I can find something. That gets back to the bend, but don't break scenario.

There are a few other things I'd like to dig into.

1. Offense doesn't help the situation - In light of all the pick sixes that Schaub threw this year, it would be interesting to compare the other team's scores based on points given up by Offense vs Defense. The Texans' offense didn't help matters this year. He threw pick sixes in multiple games so he definitely was not helping the cause!!
2. Comparison of defensive penalties and when committed - I'd also like to look at penalties at critical times either keeping the other guys drives alive or putting the defense in a tough spot. I know it happens all the time, but it would be interesting to see if there is a situational trend that negates the other numbers.
3. Comparison of performance based on opponent...Are the numbers skewed - Another thing would be to look at performance compared by opponent. May not find anything there since the Texans weren't even able to defeat Jacksonville in two tries this year.
4. How they compare in big plays given up - They could look great most of the time, but it means nothing if they give up too many big plays.

Sounds like I have a project on my hands. :)

There are a lot of reasons for a poor season. I'm struggling to find reasons for the collapse this year and even last year's late season collapse. I know one of the factors last year was injuries to key players. I think the injury bug was in play this year also, but that's part of the game. In many cases a good, well coached team can play its way through injuries.

[eagle eye]

There may be something brewing in the Texans camp this week. In one of the articles on Texans.com that Houston doubled up the reps Case Keenum got in practice today in the hurry-up and 2-minute offense drills. Wade Phillips said when he was named the interim coach on Monday that he would do something to tweek the offense in an attempt to break out of their rut. It looks like Phillips wants to run a faster paced offense against the Colts this week.

[eagle eye]

Here's an article about the 5 things to watch in tomorrow's game vs the Indianapolis Colts in Indy from Texans beat writer Deepi Sidhu.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-at-Colts/3fded752-7e68-453d-b635-2fdb12114ca3

I have a feeling with the firing of Gary Kubiak and the shake up of the coaching staff this week there will be greater sense of urgency for the Texans this week. That, and the fact that Indianapolis has been struggling the past 5 weeks losing 3 of their last 5. Despite all this Indy has clinched the AFC South Division title because of the fact that the rest of the division has been pretty bad. Houston will not have Arian Foster and that has really hurt the Texans offense but a new hurry up approach it has been reported to be coming this week along with the aforementioned changes this past week I see Houston winning this game 27-24 to break their 11 game losing streak.

[eagle eye]

Okay, I was wrong. I honestly thought that the Texans would rally together and play well enough to beat the Colts on the road. Must've been gas. The Texans losing streak is going to extend to 13 in a row as they face the Denver Broncos who are still fighting for home field advantage throughout the playoffs as they are neck and neck with a streaking Kansas City team who won't go away despite losing to the Broncos twice in 3 weeks. The Broncos have had ten days off after losing to San Diego last Thursday night to think about who they were going to hang 40+ points on next as revenge. Looks like it's going to be our poor, beleaguered Texans.
By the way, we will be without our starting RB Ben Tate who was put on IR yesterday because of another cracked rib to go with the 4 he cracked earlier in the year. Dennis Johnson will jump into the starting role with Tate out. The Texans will also be without Case Keenum who has a dislocated thumb and Matt Schaub gets his old job back.
Should be a real train wreck for the Texans this week but if you haven't seen Peyton Manning in person this would be a crackerjack opportunity see him play in person.

One item of interest that came out today is that the Texans interviewed former Bears head coach, Lovie Smith. Smith did a real nice job in Chicago winning 3 division titles and taking the Bears to their first Super Bowl since the '85 Bears steamrolled the Patriots. Smith is defensive minded coach and he would have to get a good offensive coordinator and possibly draft a franchise QB with the first pick in next year's draft. The Texans will surely have the No 1 pick wrapped up by season's end. Personally, I would love to see JJ Watt at defensive end in 4-3 defense which is the scheme Smith employed in Chicago. If Brian Cushing can come back next year he would be tailor-made for the 'mike' linebacker in the 4-3. So, I guess I'm saying I'm in for Lovie.

[eagle eye]

The Texans put up a pretty good fight against the Broncos yesterday. They went toe-to-toe with the most prolific offense in the NFL and they were still in the game at halftime trailing 16-6 and after forcing a Denver 3-and-out to start the 3rd quarter Houston went on a 9 play 74 yard TD drive to close the gap to 16-13 with a little over 10 minutes left in the 3rd. That was as close as it got and that was the last time Houston scored in the game. The Texans continued to battle through the 3rd quarter but the fourth quarter was a different story. The Broncos scored TD's on their first three possessions of the 4th. First off an interception of Matt Schaub led to a 2 play 28 yard drive capped by a TD pass to Eric Decker. After a Houston Punt Denver travelled 55 yards in 8 plays ending again with a TD pass to Decker. The third possession ended a 4 play 56 yard drive with a 25 yard TD to TE Julius Thomas. One meaningless possession by each team later and it was game over. The biggest news of the game was that the 4 TD passes Peyton Manning threw drove his total for the year up to 51 which is a new NFL record breaking the record 50 TDs Tom Brady set in 2007 which broke Peyton Manning's record of 49 set in 2004. It may be that Manning could extend the record number next week but it remains to be seen since with the Broncos win and the Chiefs loss yesterday Denver clinched the division title and a first round bye once the playoffs begin.
There is one item of note about the Texans since this thread is dedicated to them and not the Denver Broncos. It ain't good folks. Yesterday's loss extends their season losing streak to 13 games. Freaking ouch! The Texans close the season out next week on the road against the Tennessee Titans so it is not inconceivable that Houston will end up 2-14 on the year and will have earned the 1st pick in the 2014 draft. I guess you take a little good out of all this bad.
The good thing about the losing streak continuing after Gary Kubiak was fired is that it's highly unlikely Wade Phillips will get anything more than minor consideration for the head coaching vacancy. It's time owner Bob McNair and GM Rick Smith Clean the coaching closet out. It's clear they will need a franchise QB and more help on the O-line and at RB on the offensive side of the ball and they will need some reenforcements at linebacker and defensive back. It may be time to stop depending on Brian Cushing and Whitney Mercilus. Cushing because he can't stay on the field and Mercilus because he is not effective. In the last 5 weeks Mercilus has a grand total of 10 solo tackles and 5 assisted tackles. See what I mean? If someone like Lovie Smith comes in and brings the 4-3 scheme it may fit Mercilus' style better but, that is only speculation. As for Cushing, I love the guy. He plays his ass off but devastating knee injuries in the last two years and you can't help but question his ability to stay on the field.
The good thing is, the hurting is just about over. One more week and it's time to wrap up this garbage in a big plastic bag and set it out by the street.

[eagle eye]

Okay, the significance of this week's game is pretty high. Why? Because the No 1 pick in the 2014 draft is up in the air. So far Houston has the No 1 pick but all that could change if the 2-13 Texans beat Tennessee and the 3-12 Redskins lose to the Giants then the Redskins win the right to the No 1 pick by virtue of a weaker strength of schedule. Now, the biggest caveat to this story is the fact that by winning the No 1 pick is that Washington won't even get the pick. Why? Because they traded their 1st round pick for 2014 as part of the deal with the St Louis Rams when Washington moved up in the 2012 draft to get RGIII. As it is after the Redskins made the playoffs last season the Rams had no reason to believe that they would get anything but a mid to late round draft pick. It is just a bonus that they will get no worse than the 2nd pick in 2014. That said, Houston could sure use that No 1 pick. Heck, if Houston does what St Louis did and trade down to stockpile picks for 2014 and 2015 it could pay huge dividends long term for Houston assuming they draft well.
Another nice bit of info came out on Mike and Mike this morning because they were talking with Tim Hasselbeck about which head coaching jobs are the most attractive coming up and Hasselbeck singled out Houston as a prime job. Why? Because there is a good nucleus of players on the roster meaning this is not a complete rebuilding effort. He also said that Houston's owner Bob McNair is a great owner because he isn't meddlesome like Jerry Jones or Dan Snyder and he is willing to spend money to help the team succeed.
Some are saying former Arizona Cardinals head coach and current offensive coordinator of San Diego, Ken Whisenhunt, is a candidate for the Houston job. I know that every name in the book will get thrown out there but I'm skeptical about him after the way the Cardinals imploded after Kurt Warner retired. I still like Lovie Smith IF he gets a good OC to run the offense AND they are able to get a true franchise QB with their first pick in the draft.

[eagle eye]

NFL.com is reporting that Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien has agreed to interview for the Texans job. O'Brien has done a marvelous job leading the Nittany Lions the past two years despite the NCAA sanctions placed on the school as a result of the Jerry Sandusky case. Prior to his hiring at Penn State O'Brien was the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.
O'Brien took over a scandal racked program and in his first season of 2012 he had very few players elect to leave the school despite the fact that players were allowed to leave without penalty. He led the Nittany Lions to a rather remarkable 8-4 record overall and they went 6-2 in the Big Ten. O'Brien was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, The Maxwell Coach of the Year and the AT&T-ESPN Coach of the Year in 2012. This past season Penn State went 7-5 for the season and 4-4 in conference play.
O'Brien was considered a candidate for NFL coaching positions that were open in 2013. He interviewed for jobs in Philadelphia and Cleveland but he declined saying, "I’m not a one-and-done guy. I made a commitment to these players at Penn State and that’s what I am going to do. I’m not gonna cut and run after one year, that’s for sure." With that said he has been very quiet and his agreement to interview at Houston could mean that if the right deal comes up he could leave Penn State.

[eagle eye]

Houston took care of business yesterday losing to the Tennessee Titans after leading through most of the first half. By extending their losing streak to 14 straight the Texans win the No 1 pick in the 2014 draft. The pressure was on because the Redskins were well on the way to losing their 13th game of the season to the NY Giants and a Houston win would have given the Redskins the first pick. Or rather the St Louis Rams who got the 'Skins 1st round pick as part of the deal that gave the Redskins the chance to draft RGIII. Anyway, the first pick is wrapped up and waiting for May 8th to be used. The only question left to answer is, will Houston take Johnny Football with that No 1 pick?

NFL.com reporter Ian Rappaport said yesterday he has it on good information that Houston will name their new head coach tomorrow! The Texans have already completed interviews with former Bears head coach Lovie Smith, Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien and interim coach Wade Phillips. Rappaport said the Texans will interview one more candidate, probably San Diego offensive coordinator and former Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, today and they will announce the hire tomorrow. No word as yet about any interviews. It's obvious that the Texans front office hasn't been sitting on their hands the past 3 weeks since Gary Kubiak was fired. They made their wish list, albeit a short list, and they are pursuing the next head coach at all speed. Any-hoo, if Rappaport is correct we'll know who will be guiding the ship tomorrow. Happy New Year, Texans fans.

[eagle eye]

Houston made good on Ian Rappaport's report that the Texans would name their next head coach on Tuesday. I saw the crawl during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last night where ESPN reported Bill O'Brien and the Texans agreed to terms earlier in the evening. It was reported that Houston had one last interview on Monday before making their decision. It was reported that Ken Whisenhunt would be the guy interviewed on Monday but when San Diego won their game against Kansas City and thus getting San Diego into the playoffs Houston could not speak to Whisenhunt per NFL league rules.

O'Brien, of course, comes from Penn State where he was head coach for the past two years. By all accounts O'Brien has done a remarkable job righting the Nittany Lions ship after it was rocked by the Jerry Sandusky scandal which included exposing former Penn State icon Joe Paterno as complicit in covering up the activities of Sandusky. O'Brien went 8-4 in 2012 including a respectable 6-2 in conference as Penn State began dealing with NCAA sanctions which were very harsh for the football program. His Nittany Lions were less successful in 2013 but he had successfully weathered the storm and was bringing respectability back to State College. Here is a link to an NFL.com article on how Penn State fans should be thanking O'Brien, not hating him for leaving after only two years.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000307907/article/bill-obrien-deserves-credit-for-his-2-years-at-penn-state

For me, I want wish Texan fans and BRI'ers a Happy New Year. Hopefully, O'Brien can make a difference in Houston. The Texans job is considered by many as a primo job because of an owner who is not afraid spend money and doesn't meddle in day-to-day affairs. This closes the book on this thread for me. The Texans 2013 season is over and it surely wasn't what we all expected. With a new year, a new coach we can only hope we have a different story to tell this time next year.