Good To Get A Win

by Jake on Oct 5, 2009 9:13 AM CDT Comment 42 comments

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Ok, it was the Raiders. JaMarcus Russell may be the worst starting quarterback of the last decade, which makes the fact that he was a number one overall pick laughable. The Texans shouldn't plan a trip to the playoffs just because they beat a bad team, but at least they beat them they way they were supposed to... kind of. I'll be doing a more in depth overview of different players later after I watch the game again, but for right now I wanted to give my initial impression having only seen it live.

Offense - I'm starting to get concerned about the obsessive need to "establish the run". I understand that the Texans offense is predicated off of play action pass, but if you're playing a team that is shutting down the run but is getting burnt by the pass, why stick to the run on first and second down just to create a third and long almost every series? This is probably what led to the abysmal 3 for 16 third down conversion rate. That stat was inflated by the understandable conservative play calling adopted in the second half to protect the lead, but when everyone knows that you're running on first down you probably won't have much success.

Defense - I'm already prepared for the "it was only the Raiders" speeches, but this is what we wanted to see from the Texans defense. Their quarterback play might be epically bad which led the defense to sell out against the run, but they did the same thing against Tennessee and Jacksonville and still gave up big plays to the opposing running backs. Darren McFadden and Michael Bush was one of the better running committees in the league last year, and are more than capable of hitting home runs, especially McFadden with his 4.3 speed. It would be a feeding frenzy around here if they had given up big plays, so I'll go out on a limb and admit that I was thrilled that the Raiders longest play was 20 yards on a WR reverse, a problem that we fixed later by stopping another reverse for negative yards. It wasn't perfect, but it was an improvement.

So one quarter of the season is now finished. The next quarter will be HUGE for the Texans. Our secondary is atrociously bad in coverage, and next week they'll have the task of trying to contain two of the best wide receivers in the league against the Cardinals. The week after that they'll have to travel to a surprisingly better Bengals team, before playing another resurgent 49ers squad, both of whom have potent rushing attacks (yes, I'm talking about Cedric Benson. 91 yards per game and 4.4 per carry is good no matter how you look at it). The Texans will finish off this block of four games in Buffalo against an injury plagued Bills defense. Given that the third quarter of the season is all divisional games, it's time for the Texans to either prove they're a playoff caliber team or not. A 3-1 record over that span would be huge, although I'm afraid it will be 2-2 and mid-season .500 record.

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Now it's time to step up

and play consistantly on the road.

If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be fucked up.

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by CFHTim on Oct 5, 2009 9:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed on establishing the run.

I don’t care how good your running game is; when you run into teams like Pittsburgh, New York, and Baltimore, more than likely it’s going to come down to the passing game for us.

That doesn’t mean we have to keep connecting on twenty-yard throws. We just need to chip away on 1st-down with some little gains and force the opposing defense to respect the screen pass, short slants, and RB dump-offs.

Even if you’re passing 70% of the time, it doesn’t mean you have to try for big drop-backs that get your QB killed when the opposing defense starts teeing off. Maybe we just don’t have the speed at RB, but I can’t help but get the feeling that against say, Rex Ryan’s aggressive defense, we couldn’t have helped our situation immensely with some quick dump-offs to the TEs and RBs.

by Nashmeister on Oct 5, 2009 9:57 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Very true. If you’re a passing team, don’t go away from what’s working. I’m surprised at how the play calling has changed this season because even though Slaton ran for 1200+ yards last year, the Texans were a pass-happy team. And that is OK. Look at how well it works for the Colts and Saints.

Also, the point of the West Coast offense is to give your receiver a 3-6 yard dump-off with space in front of them to make a play. That would work great with Walter, Johnson, Slaton, or Daniels. If they make the catch and are immediately tackled, it is the same gain as a short run. Now I am not saying that the Texans run a West Coast offense (not sure what exactly you call that the Texans run), but the point is that if the run doesn’t work, do short passes to fill that void.

by theaxeeffect4721 on Oct 5, 2009 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Completely agree

You don’t establish the run to win.*

You establish the run WHEN you’re winning.

good job Koob.

he was smart in getting that much film on slaton. did you notice that one play early in the first that slaton popped for like 10 yds? it was a very clever play. slaton started left, he had the center and a guard pull with him…. on the backside, the tackle waited a sec, blocked BACK to the middle, slaton cuts it back for like a 6 yard game. NOBODY (outside of maybe Bellicheck) creates plays better than Koob and Co. that fake to walters out of the backfield play was created JUST IN CASE the raiders saw that on film and overpursued. very very smart playcalling.

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by chrisd21 on Oct 5, 2009 10:18 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

good observation

Film, yes! That’s exactly what they were running for. They need to figure out what isn’t working and the best way is to do it, try some things and get the film to analyze. I suspect we will see some vague differences in their running game in the next few weeks that will translate into success, and it will be based off of this game. They had the luxury of doing this against an ineffective Raider team. That was good coaching and it is coaching for long-term improvement. Good for Kubes!

I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?

by Rip Jersey on Oct 5, 2009 2:32 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

dayum.

TITANS HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER:
(on what it would take for backup QB Vince Young to get in the game) "Kerry’s our starter. Kerry gives us the best chance to win. There was a little bit of life left. We got some points and if we would’ve got the onside kick, it might have quieted down and he might have put his starters back in. That was my decision today, to stay with him and try to find a way to win."

wow!!!!!!!!!!! jacksonville had pulled their starters!!!? lmfao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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by chrisd21 on Oct 5, 2009 10:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ha

The Hillbillies are 0-4. Titans fans are probably still drowning in moonshine this morning, poor guy (lol).

Next up… The Colts. Good for us, either way is good. If the Titans lose they are digging a hole that they will not be able to get out of. If they win, they put a loss on the Colts and that would be nice.

by wasteph on Oct 5, 2009 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

They are still up

from doing meth all night long. They will be 0-7 soon enough.

If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be fucked up.

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by CFHTim on Oct 5, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it was beautiful - the score was closer than that game was

we crushed the saggin tits

by OGN on Oct 5, 2009 8:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

y'all slapped them titties around.

by Jordann on Oct 6, 2009 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

or my personal fav......

tea bagged some TITS on a sunday afternoon.

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by chrisd21 on Oct 7, 2009 9:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A win is a win

We should have beat them last year. This game should have been more of a blowout. A win is a win though, in the end it is all that matters. The Texans haven’t really beaten anybody yet (1-7 combined record of oppenents we beat). Arizona is a team that is good offensively and should give us fits with our secondary. Hopefully our offense comes up huge and we win a shootout. 45-42 in the dessert. Last team with the ball wins!

by wasteph on Oct 5, 2009 11:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

1-7? Jax is 2-2 alone.

by nolander on Oct 5, 2009 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that would be an example of someone we lost to, not that we beat

by jroberts5 on Oct 5, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We don’t need your logic around here

by nolander on Oct 5, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

haha

I wish we would have beat them… then we would be singing a different tune. Instead we don’t know what to expect from this team.

by wasteph on Oct 5, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

1000% Agree

For the love I’m sick of hearing after every game “trying to establish the run” We’ve heard that ever since this franchise was established and now we have a dominant passing attack with one of the best group of receivers out there and we are still stubborn. I don’t care if it was the worst team in the league, at the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th we can’t be that conservative. I remember when we played the Rams a few years back and Bulger got hurt. All of a sudden we are playing a bad team without their starter and what happens? They come back and beat us. Play to win, not play not to lose.

by jroberts5 on Oct 5, 2009 11:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

in unrelated news.....

(written in the visitor’s locker room) lol. jerry jones must be pissed……..

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by chrisd21 on Oct 5, 2009 11:54 AM CDT reply actions 7 recs

That is so Sweet

If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be fucked up.

You are banned from Music City Miracles.
Happy Now Tits?
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by CFHTim on Oct 5, 2009 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

This Needs Place Of Honor

This little piece of history will be forgotten if it isn’t preserved.

by kozanack on Oct 5, 2009 10:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

re: Reverse

It would be a feeding frenzy around here if they had given up big plays, so I’ll go out on a limb and admit that I was thrilled that the Raiders longest play was 20 yards on a WR reverse, a problem that we fixed later by stopping another reverse for negative yards.

I swear to Durga, I will physically kill the next person who calls an End-Around a Reverse. That is all.

So you're saying that now I have to think of some witty Sig that will be applicable across all the SBN sites? Go Texan Horn Stro Kets!

by Shake on Oct 5, 2009 12:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Did you see

that WR reverse that we ran last week with Walter against the Jags?

That was pretty sweet.

by Jordann on Oct 5, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

huh?

I thought it was a double reverse.

(Jordan, we need to buy a webcam for Shake to watch his head explode)

Note to self: Insert something witty here.

by bigfatdrunk on Oct 5, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Was it a double reverse?

End around. WR reverse. Same thing right?

If we split the cost, im pretty sure it’ll turn out to be a good investment.
Gotta make sure we record it though so we can get our five minutes of fame.
In other words, I am down! I’ll come over and bring the Shiner, you take care of the Q
and we’ll make this a viewing party!

by Jordann on Oct 5, 2009 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

nah.

they ran the same play last year on a 4th and 1, and brung it back this year, same situation, against the Jags. it’s not really a end around or a reverse, it’s just KW motions into the backfield from an empty set… and they’ll toss it too him going left/right. all three times i’ve seen em run it to the right, and they pull the guard and tackle, and they usually run it to the side where AJ can block. it’s a smart play, and they did a fake pitch and they were gonna hit AJ on a deep post… but the raiders stayed at home and blew up the play. which leads me to think that….
a. they were smart in staying at home
b. Koob grossly overestimated their film study.
lol. Koob may have assumed that they saw that play on film… but i dont think the raiders watch to much anyway. that’s a play best used against the Steelers or the Pats.

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by chrisd21 on Oct 7, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There are no positives, just non-negatives...

Spoiler alert: Potential Cheerios poop may follow:

Just about the only thing the Texans accomplished against the Raiders was not blowing everyone’s hopes for the rest of the season, which would have happened had they lost. The Texans winning really doesn’t give me any cause to say “look, they’ve pulled it together.” I hate to toss aside alot of the potential superlatives from a game like this, but Russell and the receivers were just SO BAD. I read almost nothing into the Texans anemic offensive performance in the second half. It looked like a scrimage to work on the run game. The defense…well, I’ll just say I’m not buying into Antonio Smith just yet. Cushing is quickly becoming my favorite player on defense. The Texans got alot of calls and alot of breaks in this one. Jacoby continues to tempt the football gods with his punt returns and it’s only a matter of time before that shit breaks the other way. Personal fouls appeared to be strictly one-sided. There were a couple roughing the passer penalties on the Raiders, but none on Cushing and that vicious head shot. Johnson for the Raiders got a celebration penalty, but Jacoby didn’t after his TD return. My dad asked me why one and not the other. Other than straight up hypocrisy, I really couldn’t answer that one. It was just so strange to see the defense and special teams step up and win one. It was just so strange that I’m just not buying it yet.

The true test in the life of a Texans fan is how gracefully you endure it.

by TexanKurt on Oct 5, 2009 1:49 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Ah.

Welcome back Kurt. What would this blog be without your negativity!

But as bad as that sounded, it’s just putting things in perspective.

I still dont appreciate you ruining cheerios with chocolate milk for me though.

by Jordann on Oct 5, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Question for you Kurt

I’m not saying you’re wrong in any of your comments, but why do you spend so much time dedicated to a team that you hate? Not being snarky, I seriously want to know.

You know... for kids.

by Jake on Oct 5, 2009 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

What hate?

I thought you said you were ‘prepared for the “it was only the Raiders” speeches’? I’m just not stopping at the Kool-Aid stand this week. I don’t think I should have to drink the Kool-Aid or otherwise be termed a hater. Given the nature of what you want to know, I’m not sure there’s much a can tell you because I don’t see what you’re talking about. Hey, I predicted a 5-2 start to this season before the season started. I’m predicting a win next weekend. How’s that for negative? Or is that hate?

The true test in the life of a Texans fan is how gracefully you endure it.

by TexanKurt on Oct 5, 2009 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The way I see it

Just because it could have been worse, and TK expects better doesn’t mean he hates the Texans. This is like the inverse of what happened when Rip Jersey was talking about how great Cushing was going to be.

by Tailgate Andy on Oct 5, 2009 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was trying to be combative

Maybe you’re just one of those people that predominately expresses negative feelings, I was just curious.

You know... for kids.

by Jake on Oct 6, 2009 8:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

some people.........

just love to shit in cheerios.

You are banned from Music City Miracles. (twice)
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by chrisd21 on Oct 7, 2009 9:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Paint me a scenario

where the defense would have impressed you on Sunday?

The team they were playing was the Raiders, they can’t help that. So what, against said Raiders, COULD they have done defensively to have some “positives”?

Because I think they had a lot of positives on that side of the ball.

I think the offense in the second half was terrible, but not the players on the field. The calls. But thats another story.

Smushiak will take us to the playoffs in 2009.

by texanphil on Oct 5, 2009 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The 22nd catch, right?

I can’t remember who said it, but it this was a damned if they do/damned if they don’t game for the defense. They were supposed to perform as they performed. It’s kinda why I see the defensive game yesterday as mostly neutral yet hopeful. Smith, Okoye, Quin, and Pollard all showed something we hadn’t even glimpsed all year.

If you turn 7 of those 9 drops into catches, not unrealistic for professional football players, the game would’ve been very different. So there’s that.

I joked that Russell was our MVP, but now I think it may have been DHB. That guy has no business being on a field.

Note to self: Insert something witty here.

by bigfatdrunk on Oct 5, 2009 7:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

BFD, you just don't understand football.

Darius Heyward-Bey is fast. That’s all you need.

/end sarcasm

by Tailgate Andy on Oct 5, 2009 8:22 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

He's dropped more balls than Cindy Crawford

Thank you. I’ll be here all night.

Note to self: Insert something witty here.

by bigfatdrunk on Oct 5, 2009 8:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

It’s just not possible to impress me overall, defensively against Russell and the Raiders given the gift drops and such. They certainly had some positives. I mentioned Cushing. That guy is on fire. That safety was SWEET. It’s been since December 2002 when we last saw a safety. That’s like a shot of Booker’s after years of drinking crap bourbon. The DBs had a couple interceptions they let get away. I would have liked to see them come up with those and be more ‘opportunistic’. They’ll need those against better teams. People have been hammering Okoye and Smith all season long. I’ve defended Okoye, saying he’s a long-term project. Okoye made some plays, but against that line I’m not going to run down the street shouting “see, motherfuckers, hahahahaha!” One game does not prove that guy’s over the hump. One game also doesn’t prove that Antonio Smith’s earned his $7 million for this season either.

I don’t think the offense was terrible at all. In fact, I blew it off as neither here nor there. Hell, I got complacent WATCHING the game. I can’t imagine actually having to play on offense against the Raiders once you’ve tallied 14 points. The offense, I think, used the time to work on things, like the run game. While not attaching many superlatives to the defense, I also am not bitching about the offense. Hey, it’s the Raiders!!!

The true test in the life of a Texans fan is how gracefully you endure it.

by TexanKurt on Oct 6, 2009 8:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Aside from

Schaub’s red zone interception, I didn’t have a problem with the offense. I sometimes wish they were more aggressive, but I have no complaints about being conservative in a situation like that. For support of this position I think you need look no further than the Rosencopter.

What did impressive me was the play against the run, they seemed a lot more focused. I thought Quin played well, but I’m not sure Quin v. Boldin is a good idea.

On a side note- I went to the game and after trudging through the rain to get there I thought it was sort of disappointing everyone bailed in the 4th.

by JimboTexan on Oct 5, 2009 4:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs