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Only 2 of 16 'experts' from ESPN pick Houston for the playoffs

ESPN has posted their AFC Preview and only two brave souls have selected our Houston Texans to make their first playoff appearance. KC Joyner the 'Football Scientist' and Bill Williamson . KC has Indy winning the division and Jacksonville missing the playoffs in favor of the Browns while Bill predicts that Jacksonville will win the division with Houston and the Colts with the Wild Card. 5 out of 16 have both wild card winners coming from the AFC South. Bill and Matt Williamson (scouts inc) both predicted Gary Kubiac will be Coach of the Year. Matt Willamson also predicts Mario will win Defensive Player of the Year. So Matt says we'll have coach of the year and the defensive player of the year, yet we miss the playoffs in favor of the Jets. Huh?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/preview08/news/story?id=3552727

 

**edited awful spelling.

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err.. football scientist

meh. i should really start using spell check.

- tyler

by bullpen116 on Aug 27, 2008 2:02 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

espn

At least these so-called experts, on the whole, acknowledge that the Texans are on the rise and would probably make the playoffs in another division. They’re not outright dismissing us anymore!

by BigTexBD on Aug 27, 2008 6:48 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

In the ESPN NFL preview

Most ‘experts’ picked the Texans to finish 4th in the division. It’s amazing how these guys hardly go beyond repeating the same old tripe when they’re analyzing them. It’s all about how the O-line needs to improve and how the D looks ok. In my mind, it’s exactly the opposite.

And of course most of them haven’t gotten over the VY manlove.

Ugh.

by tehGrindCrusher on Aug 28, 2008 7:59 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

We have a lot to prove

You have to admit we haven’t done much in the past to inspire a whole lot of confidence in the national media, what with our 1-5 in division record. I was surprised we got as much love as we did. I was also surprised at the love given to Tenn. as well.

and yea..the people who talk about the o-line have done just about zero research.

- tyler

by bullpen116 on Aug 28, 2008 9:43 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Agree

…that we have a lot to prove. To be honest, I’m worried that our d is going to suck so bad that we won’t be able to improve upon last year’s record.

But it wouldn’t hurt those guys to do a little research and realize that creating sacks, as opposed to preventing them, is our biggest problem these days.

They’re just recycling things from the pre-Kubiak era.

by tehGrindCrusher on Aug 28, 2008 10:25 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Got my SI yesterday

which I had cancelled months ago, but they still keep sending to me.

and their NFL Preview has the Texans going 6-10. i didn’t read the whole piece, but it was all about Roosevelt Colvin and literally, there were four paragraphs and at least half a dozen references to the Patriots before the words Houston or Texans even appeared in the writeup.

weak.

by littlevisigoth on Aug 29, 2008 10:18 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I'm just glad

neither of the two was Sean Salisbury. What a bag of wind he is. He’s the Bill Walton of the NFL.

The Texans could very well play their first postseason game this year, I don’t care what the “experts” say.

"...and if I claim to be a wise man, well, it surely means that I don't know". SL

by Southern Lion on Aug 29, 2008 4:54 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Actually, it is surprising that even 2 experts chose the Texans...

to make the playoffs.

If you think about it, it just makes no sense. There are only 2 wildcard spots in the AFC, and you can’t reasonably expect Houston to win games within the division. With a bit of luck, the Texans might win one against some week 17 backups just like last year, but 0-6 in the division is the most likely outcome.

I expect the Texans to have a respectable 6 or 7 win season in a division that is still far too tough for a franchise that has never posted a winning season.

by BeansCarter on Sep 1, 2008 7:43 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Wait...what?
There are only 2 wildcard spots in the AFC, and you can’t reasonably expect Houston to win games within the division. With a bit of luck, the Texans might win one against some week 17 backups just like last year, but 0-6 in the division is the most likely outcome.

Subtlety is the key to successful trolling. This is just lame.

Yay, sports.

by MDC on Sep 2, 2008 8:35 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

In the time it took me to read your post...

…VY threw three more passes into the dirt.

by bigfatdrunk on Sep 2, 2008 9:22 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

That's ok.

VY can keep throwing into the dirt. As long as he runs 45 yards for the OT victory at the end of the game, Titans fans willo be satisfied.

Sorry to point it out again, but we own you. period.

by BeansCarter on Sep 2, 2008 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hello, 2006 called.

It suggested you stop living off of one play two years ago. I told it you were busy and would have to call it back.

Yay, sports.

by MDC on Sep 2, 2008 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

How about 2007...

Maybe we’ll just kick 8 field goals again. How about we sick our Haynes on your Schaub?

I may be living in the past, but I am only doing it because almost every time we play you, we win. You guys have to refer to a future that hasn’t yet happened in order to experience success. Ours is the more tangible kind, we’ve actually lived it.

by BeansCarter on Sep 2, 2008 3:01 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

You talk about "more tangible" success

when the start of this discussion was your comment about what the Texans’ division record was going to be in 2008? I wonder when those silly ol’ Tennessee schools are going to start teaching logic.

Yay, sports.

by MDC on Sep 2, 2008 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Exactly,

I think you do “get it”.

Some of the things we know to be true about the Texans:

- Never had a winning season
- No clue what a playoff game feels like
- Has not beat the Titans since 2005

- Vegas has the Wins over/under at 7.5 for the Texans
- Vegas has the odds at 25/1 that the Texans win the division

Anyways, you get the point.

So when I make a forecast based on what has happened in the past, it’s relevant. You need to be able to point to improvements in order to make the case that the Texans have improved.

All the sportscasters get paid to pick the next big ‘sleeper’ team. Some like the Texans. I’m not drinking that Koolaid.

When bloggers on your site start arguing that the Texans are a better team than the Titans, it’s important to bring you back down to earth.

There are only so many games a chop-blocking scheme predicated on causing injuries (within the rules, of course) can win you.

by BeansCarter on Sep 2, 2008 6:38 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Well, then...

using what you know, explain your statement “but 0-6 in the division is the most likely outcome.” Provide statistical analysis that said outcome is the MOST likely, especially in light of the Vegas over/under of 7.5 wins (which means the Texans would have to go 7-3 or 8-2 outside the division, despite games against Pittsburgh, Green Bay, etc.). Also, 25/1 odds to win the division does not sound like the odds you would give a team who is “most likely” going to win NO division games, so please address that in your analysis as well.

Otherwise, admit that you were talking out of your ass and we can all just move along.

Yay, sports.

by MDC on Sep 2, 2008 7:26 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

ok ok

Though the Texans will be the underdog statistically in every intra-division game they play this year, you are astute in pointing out that the combined probability does not equate to 0-6. It’s probably somewhere between 1 and 2 wins to be truthful.

Robbing you of those 1 or 2 wins was just poetic license, but admittedly, not what I believe.

by BeansCarter on Sep 2, 2008 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

He's just upset because

if THEY had the first pick on ’06 they still woulda picked VY and we STILL woulda picked Mario, and we STILL woulda been right.

No doubt they own us. Lets just hope we act more mature when we win this year.

Healthy and Turnover free 2008-09, and we win 11!

by texanphil on Sep 2, 2008 3:39 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

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