Rock The Vote: Who Or What Is Most Responsible For The Texans' Turnaround On Defense?
by Tim on Oct 24, 2011 3:00 PM CDT
in General BRB Idiocy
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PrintThis is a question I've been pondering the last couple of weeks. The 2011 Houston Texans defense is legitimately good. It'd be even better with a healthy Mario Williams and a servicable CB2, but even without those things, the Houston defense is still very solid. If the 2010 Houston Texans defense was a pile of fresh cow dung, the 2011 Houston Texans defense is a garden of blooming jasmine. It's night and day.
The question is, who or what is most responsible for that transformation? The easy answer is Wade Phillips. There's no denying the team has taken to his scheme, and it's a joy to behold. But is it possible the improvement can be attributed to something else?
I'm not here to dismiss what Wade's hiring as done for the Texans. It's gone as exceptionally well as any of us could have dreamed, and there's no doubt that Wade knows a thing or 93,971 about running a defense (as opposed to his predecessor, who very well could have somehow known a negative integer about running a defense). I wonder, though...is the success of the Texans' defense due more to Wade or to the pieces the defense has now that it didn't have last year?
Consider:
1. Johnathan Joseph wasn't a Texan last year.
2. Danieal Manning wasn't a Texan last year.
3. J.J. Watt wasn't a Texan last year.
4. DeMeco Ryans missed most of last year with a career-threatening injury.
5. Connor Barwin missed nearly all of the 2010 season with a horrific injury.
6. After serving a four-game suspension to start the 2010 season, Brian Cushing never really looked like the Brian Cushing we saw in '09 at any point in 2010.
That's a whole lot of talent that wasn't around in 2010. Is that the difference in how the defense is playing this year? Or is it in fact almost entirely attributable to the genius of Wade Phillips?
Personally, I'd lean toward the answer being more Wade Phillips, primarily because he has weathered the loss of Mario Williams rather brilliantly, which lends additional credence to the notion that Wade's scheme, and not the personnel, is the source of Houston's newfound defensive strength. Yet I can't ignore the significant influx of talent the Texans have had on defense since last year. While I don't think another defensive coordinator would have seen the immediate and sizable improvement that Wade has presided over this year (especially without a full summer to install a new system), I do think a credible DC could have engineered a decent turnaround with the talent available at Reliant Park now.
What do you think? Vote in the poll and sound off in the Comments.
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Jonathon Joseph. Period.
@THEREALALLENOU on twitter - "The man, the verb, the legend" OU'd
by AllenOU on Oct 24, 2011 3:05 PM CDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Agreed.
Well, not “period”. All of the above personnel changes were huge. But nothing we’ve done this season would have been at all possible without Joseph. He makes plays on the ball, he bottles up receivers after the catch, and QBs are scared to throw at him. Last year, QBs could confidently take three step drops against us and release the ball, knowing full well that the odds of anybody making a play on the ball were slim to none, and the odds of a PI or defensive holding call outweighed the risk. It rendered our pass-rush (which was still respectable with Mario and Antonio coming off the edge) fairly irrelevant.
This year, we’re getting long sacks (per PFO, sacks that happen more than 2.5 seconds after the snap). QBs have to pull the ball back when their #1 receiver is blanketed. I’m not one for hyperbole (that’s a lie), but Joseph is the best defensive player this franchise has ever had.
Hmmmm!
So you’re saying that if Frank Bush had J Jo last year we’d be a top 15 D?
(just messin’ wit ya)
Alcohol is necessary so that a man can have a good opinion of himself, undisturbed by the facts.
It seemed he was everywhere making an impact!
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
It took Wade
To effectively communicate the level of suck and force Smithiak to draft all D and sign J-Jo/Manning.
Blind fandom is all I got left.
"Down to clown with some other chick's lady bits" ~ MDC
Easy answer or not
Wade Phillips is responsible.
As far as players though, Jonathan Joseph has been an absolute freaking BEAST.
But Wade Phillips deserves the most credit.
Yes, Wade, can't argue with Johnathan Joseph being an impact player
The D is really a team effort and have to second Wade on that.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Rookies, too, but again, I give Wade the credit there, too
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
There's a lot of credit to go around
and Wade has his hand in all of it. I never expected this kind of turnaround.
And it's games like these, did you notice
towards the end of the game, they panned the sidelines and there’s Wade with this big smile on his face, ear to ear grin!
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Wouldn't you? Look where he came from!
Dallas Cowboys, all hat and no cattle since 1996.
by Jonathan Fosburgh on Oct 24, 2011 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions
WADE AID
His influence from draft day to FA signings.
Wades thumb print is all over this team.
2 Defensive Scores are in the Karma Bag
"Wade aid has lean in it, just saying"
by WreckNTexan on Oct 24, 2011 3:17 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Well the answer is pretty simple to me.
The Texans have sunk so much money and high round draft picks into this defense it’s about time it actually started to show on the field.
3 1st picks at CB. A 2nd pick at Safety. Another 2nd pick at CB.
A number 1 overall pick at OLB/DE. A 1st round pick a ILB/OLB. 3 more 2nd picks at LB. And a 1st round pick at DE.
Contrast that with the “talent” the Texans have sunk into the offense. 1st pick at WR and 1st pick at LT and a 2nd round RB. Our QB is a 3rd round pick. Our current RB was undrafted. The #2 WR a 7th round pick. Our starting TE a 4th round pick. I believe Joel is as well. Can’t think of any other offensive player taken higher than the 3rd round that’s on the team right now.
Now I know some area’s like the opposite CB spot haven’t lived up to that 1st status and guys like Mario and Manning are now hurt but this defense has been under performing for years and it’s about time the Texans got someday who can coach them up. That’s why guys like Brice McCain (coaches were high on him in the offseason and some laughed that off) have proven they can play at this level and play well. Tim Jamison is another example of this.
Right now the unit is better than I originally gave them credit for. Not elite or anything but pretty good.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
i have thought this same thing for a while now
I’ll use the old parcels analogy wade came into some good grocery’s and gives you a 5 star meal where as the defensive coordinators before him had good ingredients but kept making pea soup with moldy bread
there is no RIGHT, there is no WRONG, there is only POPULAR OPINION... *cough cough vote Ron Paul cough cough*
by Steelbluecurtain on Oct 24, 2011 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Also, Wade knew to go out and get just the right seasonings, ala JJ Watt, Brooks Reed, Danieal Manning and Johnathan Joseph
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
this is making me hungry
for a smashing of the glitter kitty’s
there is no RIGHT, there is no WRONG, there is only POPULAR OPINION... *cough cough vote Ron Paul cough cough*
by Steelbluecurtain on Oct 24, 2011 3:42 PM CDT up reply actions
exactly
i always felt we had talent on that side of the ball. We just didn’t have the coaching, I think our new secondary coach Vance Joseph should get a little credit as well. Also we need to give Rick Smith some credit for not bullshitting around waiting on namdi and pulling the trigger on joseph and manning.
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
by JLeeNino on Oct 24, 2011 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
Rec'd
we need to give Rick Smith some credit for not bullshitting around waiting on namdi and pulling the trigger on joseph and manning.
"My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me." -- Benjamin Disraeli
"If you really want something in life you have to work for it. Now quiet, they're about to announce the lottery numbers." -- Homer Simpson
"There is no rehab for stupid." -- Chris Rock
Never try to baptize a cat.
by texanslady on Oct 24, 2011 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
this is true
but then again the media might have been just using us to raise to price up for Nnamdi, we already knew what we was going to do before i think.
no doubt
I think the much “maligned” Rick Smith deserves SOOO much credit. We questioned his free agent pickups, his ability to scout talent, but after getting Wade, it seems it’s all coming together. Not to mention, those guys he drafted are developing mighty fast.
Free agent pickups: Wade Smith, Antonio Smith, Danieal Manning, Jonathan Joseph, Brett Hartman, Arian Foster, Derrick Ward, and Mike Brisiel.
Recent Draftees: Brice McCain, Antoine Caldwell, James Casey, Brian Cushing, Duane Brown, Connor Barwin, Brooks Reed.
Trades: Chris Myers for a 7th round pick (everyone forgets about this…SUPER good pickup), trade down to nab Duane Brown and get Steve Slaton as well, Derrick Mason.
I don’t hate on Rick Smith anymore. I think he genuinely has a good plan, and coaching has really capitalized on the talent he has accumulated.
man i forgot about the trade for Myers.
that turned out really good fo us. maybe even this year 7th round giveup might be worth it. Mason going to help us out through out the rest of this season.
by southpaw70 on Oct 24, 2011 4:42 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
u know what?
and Jacoby should get some credit too. He’s really improved the past 2 weeks. Maybe, the punt returning was killing his game as receiver all along?
Neptune's moons.
Duh.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Oct 24, 2011 3:27 PM CDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
There are many reasons
but Wade is resposible for the difference, the alignment of Neptune’s moons, and so much talent for Wade to work with. 1 year to total defensive domination?
did I type that outloud? oops.
wade phillips.
you can throw 11 of the best defenders in the league on that team last year and chances are they still SUCK ASS. the one thing that i saw yesterday is that EXPERIENCE trumps talent in almost any scenario. the titans’ led defense coaching staff was out coached, as well as mike munchak and the offense.
"my momma was the Mike Vick of ass whuppin. side arm delivery, no wasted motion.. and very mobile." - @doobieman21
conversely you could throw wade phillips
on the defense last year and i know they wouldn’t have been the worst
defense in the league
Yesterday's unit was more inexperienced than any we used last year.
Two rookies started and we lost manning forcing the Texans to use another rookie and Troy Nolan the rest of the game. Experience is a factor when you consider JJow or Cushing but as a unit credit goes to the defensive coaches.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
Texans are 4 in the league in team sacks
with 19 first place is a three way tie with 21 sacks.
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
Texans are also second in fewest Time of possession by the opposing team.
Through 7 games the Texans are 5th with 18.7 points given up per game. They gave up 26.7 last per game.
They are also second in 3rd down percentage with a 32 percent success rate at 26 made out of 82 attempts.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
beautiful...rec'd
Im looking for divine and a lttle intervention
And birds dont fly without my permission
Im prolly in the sky, flyin with the fishes
Or maybe in the ocean, swimmin with the pigeons
See my world is different, like Dwayne Wayne
And if you want problem Bit#h, i want the same thang
by F-BombTheJets on Oct 25, 2011 12:52 AM CDT up reply actions
brooks reed already has
16 tackles and 1 sack
mario had 11 tackles and 5 sacks
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
Yeah due to his athletic ability he can cover ground more like Barwin and not rush as exclusively as Mario.
I’d still take Mario though. He was on pace for 13+ sacks and was just hitting his stride at OLB.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
Barwin moving over
I like the idea of giving Barwin a chance at Mario’s postion. Let Brooks reed cover the TE, as was the case Sunday
2 Defensive Scores are in the Karma Bag
"Wade aid has lean in it, just saying"
Which is scary that he can do that considering he was a 4-3 DE in college
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 24, 2011 11:49 PM CDT up reply actions
What will happen when Mario comes back next season?
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Depends on how much Reed progresses
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 25, 2011 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions
I thought he looked much much better yesterday
He was solid in his run D assignments. He still needs to work on the pass rush but he’s getting there
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
But offenses tend to go away from Mario.
I would think not so much from Reed.
ur doin a lovely, lovely job of showin the bright side. appreciate that
Im looking for divine and a lttle intervention
And birds dont fly without my permission
Im prolly in the sky, flyin with the fishes
Or maybe in the ocean, swimmin with the pigeons
See my world is different, like Dwayne Wayne
And if you want problem Bit#h, i want the same thang
by F-BombTheJets on Oct 25, 2011 12:54 AM CDT up reply actions
the texans have the
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
whitest front 7 in football
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
If you count their backups, they're extremely white
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 24, 2011 11:50 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
few stats
7- in total D (only one team higher than us has played 7 games)
6- in passing D (3 teams played 7 games)
7 in rush D (2 teams played 7 games)
4 in sacks (1 team played 7 games)
7 in interceptions (5 teams played 7 games)
9- in scoring (1 team played 7 games)
The stats say we are one of the best defenses in the league, we have already played the toughest teams on our schedule, The offense hasnt been healthy all year. Once AJ and Casey get back I predict a lot of blow outs leading up to the playoffs.
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
Hope so.
If the injuries don’t cause too many problems, they have a pretty good chance of moving into the top 3 in most categories.
Remaining on the schedule: two games against the 32nd-ranked DVOA offense (Jacksonville), one against Cleveland (26th), one more against Indy (22nd), and a home game against Tennessee (6th, but we all saw how that went). In fact, I’m not entirely sure if those numbers are updated to reflect week seven. Tennessee has probably dropped out, and Cleveland and Indy probably dropped further as well. Carolina is the only remaining top-ten offense on the schedule. Other than that, we face the inconsistent Bucs and Falcons, and the Bengals.
Depending on how Hasselbeck does over the next several weeks, we might have five games on the schedule against rookie QBs, one against Painter/Orlovsky, and one against Colt McCoy. It’ll be tough to catch Baltimore, but we may very well end up with the best pass defense in football statistically (damn you, Brees!).
And on the other side of the coin, we have the 2nd or 3rd easiest schedule remaining in terms of pass defense. Schaub might end up with some pretty gaudy stats by the end of the season.
The scary thing is that we were only hoping that Wade could at least make the defense mediocre
A top 10 defense is far exceeding our expectations
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 24, 2011 11:56 PM CDT up reply actions
oh and
Raiders – 2nd in the league in sacks allowed – 8 total – 3 to texans
Titans – 3rd in the league in sacks allowed – 9 total- 2 to texans
Ravens – 5th in league in sacks allowed – 10 total – 2 to texans
"Is that right?????" SURE!?!!!??!!
F**K you're agenda
Poetry in Motion- Arian Foster''
At their current pace of 18.7 points per game the Texans are set to give up 299 total points.
That would be 128 points fewer than the 427 points given up last year.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
According to Kubiak
Manning had surgery today and he said no timetable right now but he threw out 4 weeks+.
Nothing really new but they are hoping to get him back this year.
Get ready for heavy doses of Troy Nolan and Shilo Keo.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
As long as he's back for the playoffs...
…which are now a certainty, by the way.
The playoffs, I mean.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Oct 24, 2011 4:25 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
“Houston sports” has been a bitter mistress in the past. But its going to happen this year, for sure.
I’m not near any wood, but I’ll humor you by knocking on my microwave. Hot Pockets time.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Oct 24, 2011 4:33 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
He did mention the possibility of putting Brandon Harris at safety..........
Anyone else think this could work?
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 24, 2011 11:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I do
I’d rather see him at CB, but if it takes putting him at S to get him on the field more then I’m all for it. Kubiak had this to say about it….
we really like what we see from Brandon Harris. He’s a smart player. We think he can go play some safety, so those are the options that we have. We’re going to see how things go this week, watch those guys work and decide where we move from there. Having a guy like Brandon up along with (Sherrick) McManis helps us in special teams too. We’ll see.
In the best case scenario (one in which Kubiak strays from the norm) he’ll make enough impact plays to warrant consideration at CB when Manning comes back, making both Allen and Jackson obsolete.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
At the very least he can make Jackson obsolete
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 25, 2011 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
one can only hope
Although, I’m not a big Allen hater. Still riding my McCain high. I think he needs to start.
Wade
Without Wade, maybe you don’t have the confidence to pull the trigger on your draft picks/free agency movies.
And to teach them the scheme this quickly? Wade was able to give them tape before the lockout SHOWING what successful play in his scheme was supposed to look like.
And to just give them some confidence that he knows the difference between defense and a hole in the ground. Young defense needs experience and a proven scheme. Confidence matters. Realistic confidence.
by StephS on Oct 24, 2011 4:26 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I'd like to say I'm suprised by it
But how many times did we hear about how Wade turns defenses around this preseason?
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
Exactly
Plus the total lack of OTA’s had me worried. I knew he was good but wasn’t sure if he could get us rolling before mid season.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Casey is expected to practice this week barring a set back in his rehab.
They also plan to have Andre practice this week so we’ll see how far along both of those guys are.
Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.
While Wade IS the answer
if we’re talking about players, it’s not even arguable: Brian Cushing (playing back to rookie season leevl) is the biggest reason for the turnaround.
While Cushing is the #1 reason, I am SOOOOOOO happy the Texans didn’t buy into the hype of Nnamdi and got Joseph. That guy is freaking sick. It’s close b/w JJo and Cush, but I’m giving Cush the edge, b/c I think he reaches the “unstoppable” mode as a linebacker. Not to mention, his ability/versatility to do whatever Wade asks from his linebackers can make up for the injury to Mario.
Bottom line: who really cares? as long as Wade has got them playing like the way they are right now!!!
My contribution to this thread amounts to agreeing with this comment.
I’d say:
1) Wade – you can’t argue with consistency throughout history. This isn’t the first time he’s turned a defense around so quickly
2a) Cushing – a rock in the middle, helps a ton while DeMeco gets back up to speed with his injury
2aa) JJo – Dude just gives the defense a #winning personality. I think his greatest contribution comes in the form of making the players around him better. The secondary in 2011 vs 2010, as a whole, is Christina Hendricks to Keira Knightly, if you catch where I’m going with that (if you don’t, I feel sorry for you…)
by Albiceleste on Oct 24, 2011 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Here's my two cents on Point 2aa
If you gave me a choice between this
or this
I’ll take the one with lower standards
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 25, 2011 12:16 AM CDT up reply actions
The Schnozberries taste like Schnozberries!
by TexansPride on Oct 25, 2011 8:10 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
*Blasphemy alert*
Do u guys think Demeco is expendable to make room for cap space going into next season? Seeing as we have to re-sign Mario and Foster, I’m wondering if anyone feels trading Demeco for draft picks would be a move to consider this offseason? I definitely don’t want to discuss it now, and I do believe he is the glue of our defense, so I’d hate to mess up chemistry, but…Sharpton has shown me something this season, and seeing as we’re pushing the cap # as it is…has Demeco become….expendable?!?
thats like saying we should get rid of OD too.
Dressen has shown alot too. So why not get rid of both guys? I still think we should have got Lofa Tutpa
Depends
Meco, he probably isn’t 100% still.
Texans make a deep run, people take pay cuts. Some people do.
2 Defensive Scores are in the Karma Bag
"Wade aid has lean in it, just saying"
He's coming of an achilles, an elbow and a hamstring issue.
I think he’ll be fine.
And to answer wiseonekms, he may not be playing at the level he was yet, but he’s light years better than expendable.
no.
the only reason he isn’t in there more is because he’s recovering from surgery still. everybody was saying the same thing about daniels last year, and look how effective he is THIS season, as opposed to the end of last season when he intially came back. meco will be fine, and even if he doesn’t notch another tackle the entire season, he helps us by getting guys lined up properly. cush don’t make plays without meco on the side of him. don’t believe me? check EVERY GAME AFTER MECO GOT HURT.
"my momma was the Mike Vick of ass whuppin. side arm delivery, no wasted motion.. and very mobile." - @doobieman21
by chrisd21 on Oct 24, 2011 4:45 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
*Rec'd for reaffirming my faith*
no doubt guys. Meco is a beast. I don’t even know what I was thinking.
You were thinking,
“I definitely don’t want to discuss it now”
then, you discuss it.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Couldn't agree more
I don’t think Cushing regressed last year as much as he was missing his anchor. And didn’t they try moving him into Demeco’s role for a few weeks last year?
Dallas Cowboys, all hat and no cattle since 1996.
by Jonathan Fosburgh on Oct 24, 2011 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes they did....
an experiment that went horribly awry.
Just my $.02
Even duct tape can't fix stupid
Cushing is a charging bull. You can't restrain him by making him have to think. Just let him loose.
Do you know what I mean?
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
So you can't ignore that in his overall performance last you.
Dallas Cowboys, all hat and no cattle since 1996.
by Jonathan Fosburgh on Oct 25, 2011 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I'll give you blasphemy
Mario might have played his last as a Texan. He is seriously dangerous and worth having in either a 4-3 or Wade’s 3-4. But, he is fixing to get very expensive and he is starting to look injury prone. Also, one of the things that makes the 3-4 attractive is that OLBs aren’t all that tough to find.
Don’t get me wrong – I want to see Mario back. But Rick may decide (possibly correctly) that a trade is better business.
As for Demeco, Cushing is great this year because he has Demeco. I love Cush, but he is not the coach on the field that Demeco is. Although the achilles injury is not finished healing, he’s still crucial to us.
So what you're saying is that we'd be better off franchising Mario, then trading him off????
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
"Fuck em all. Go Texans."
by The Night Owl on Oct 25, 2011 12:19 AM CDT up reply actions
This is all food for thought
Eventually, Mario will get healthy and then the Texans have an experienced Brooks Reed who they like, now what do you do?
The analogy to OD is a good one. He went down and the guys behind him rose up and played well. But, your point is correct. How many guys can they keep paying before it totals up to where you can’t pay them?
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Unfortunately
If we want to continue upgrading the team at multiple positions and building quality depth we’re going to have to consider letting some of our big name players go eventually. Mario has been a stud for us since he was drafted, but like smokehaus eluded to, the injuries are mounting and he’s going to demand a hefty contract. Also, I suspect Mario is going to be looking for elite 4-3 DE money, and that’s way more than 3-4 OLB pay.
I know how unpopular the subject is with most folks, but it’s rational to start thinking about other options. Remember, we’re still going to have to pay Arian Foster too. Between the two of them it will likely eat up every bit of cap space we’ve got unless the FO can work some magic. That may be possible but don’t be surprised if future plans don’t include Mario.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT TO GET RID OF HIM, AS MUCH AS SOME WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
What's happening right now is all proof that what you talk about will work
Mario goes down, Brooks Reed fills in, the D still works.
AJ goes down, multiple players fill in, the O still works.
It’s proof that the system is bigger than any one player and supports the argument that the team may have to make those salary decisions and the team will move on successfully.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
I don't want to agree
but Rip’s got a point. While we have to be quite careful where we cut salary, Mario and Meco are both certainly likely candidates to cut. I imagine Jacoby is on the short list too. Also, (and this would be very rational), if we got a similar ‘injury discount’ from Mario that we did for OD, I’d almost certainly keep Mario. He’d probably prefer getting franchised, but if it comes down to long-term deal vs 1 year, he might opt for the discounted long-term deal. At least, the optimist in me would hope he does.
While Foster deserves to get paid, I hope we don’t destroy cap space for him. He’s a beast, no doubt, but after seeing what’s happened to Chris Johnson, and how well is Tate is playing, I hope we won’t have to match CJ’s contract to re-sign Foster.
fair
but if it were up to trading him or franchising him: u almost have to franchise him, no?
Speaking of opponents
Our D is top 10 in almost all stats, and some folks complain “but they played crappy teams.” This lament is bullshit. Consider the #1 D in scoring, the Ravens. They played the offensive juggernauts of
Steelers
Titans
Rams
Jets
Texans
If you’re keeping count, that is semicrappy, crappy, awful, poor and very good.
Lets consider the #2 D scoring, the 49ers:
Seahawks
Cowgirls
Bengals
Eagles
Bucs
Lions
Or, craptastic, joke, rookie QB, chokeapalooza, inconsistent and very good.
Gues what: we have a legiitimately good Defense. Rejoice!
The analysis I've heard
today that makes me most angry are about how good the Steelers are. I remember almost every national analist said that our win over Pittsburgh wasn’t impressive because the Steelers “weren’t the same team.” Now that they are 5-2 I’ve heard everyone praising them as one of the best teams in the AFC. Know where four of their five wins came from? Seattle, Indy, Jacksonville, and Arizona.
God is not on our side because he hates idiots also.
by Meta Sandoval on Oct 24, 2011 5:21 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
*analyst
God is not on our side because he hates idiots also.
by Meta Sandoval on Oct 24, 2011 5:23 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m torn between the alignment of neptunes moons and the absence of frank bush.
by HTown80 on Oct 24, 2011 6:06 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
aight...
'Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.' -Frank Herbert
as far as Ive seen
Demeco Ryans isn’t back yet. Just some shell of him out there.
I wish we could hire coaches without "having grown up in Houston" being a job requirement.
He flashed in one game
The rest of the time he hasn’t been a big factor. On the other hand, he hasn’t been a major liability either so there’s that.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Wade Phillips without a doubt
Without wade Phillips, would have pushed for, or been able to get, Joseph or Manning?
How about I Punch-a-size your face for free! - Rod Farva
by distant_texans_fan on Oct 24, 2011 11:33 PM CDT reply actions
Wade isn't alone
I think it is partially Wade, but also the defensive coaches he brought in—Vance Joseph and Reggie Herring. Yes, the Texans signed Manning and J. Joseph—both of whom have had significant impact—but with all the plays made by the Texans’ LBs and younger D-backs, that is more than 2 FA signings can be attributed with, and even within Wade’s scheme, what ultimately makes it work is how the position coaches handle their responsibilities in instructing and explaining the new defensive philosophy, as well as placing greater emphasis on certain techniques, etc. to the various position groups. Honorable mention: DL coach Kollar—not a new guy, but certainly he has been a contributor to the overall defensive improvement.
Not to nitpick...
But what exactly have our young DBs done? Kareem still looks positively awful in coverage, Molden was cut, and while McCain has made a few plays at nickel, he still hasn’t proved to the coaches that he deserves a starting job that has very little competition. Meanwhile, Brandon Harris can’t get on the field, and Nolan still looks lost most of the time. Quin has made a decent transition to safety, but he’s not playing any better than he played last year at CB.
As for linebackers; Cushing has been exceptional, but he was every bit as good his rookie year without any sort of coaching. DeMeco (albeit returning from an injury) hasn’t been stellar, and we’ve seen very little of Sharpton. And at outside linebacker, Barwin and Reed aren’t lighting it up, and Mario was Mario.
Interestingly, the oft-criticized Kollar might be doing the best job of all our defensive position coaches. Watt is playing at a high level as a rookie, Antonio Smith is enjoying the best season of his career, Jamison is contributing, and Shaun Cody is doing enough to keep the run defense stout. So for the most part, I’m not seeing a whole lot of individual improvement on our team. However, the scheme allows our elite players (mostly newly acquired) to cover up some of our other weaknesses. That’s vital, since you probably won’t ever have superstars at every position.
by Nashmeister on Oct 25, 2011 2:19 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Finally, someone mentions Cody and it's not as a punchline
Nashy gives Cody a little credit for his stout run play….
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Does Cody have pics of you with a Philipino Tranny
’Cause you pump him up more than his agent?
Blind fandom is all I got left.
"Down to clown with some other chick's lady bits" ~ MDC
^Not an accusation
Just curious.
Blind fandom is all I got left.
"Down to clown with some other chick's lady bits" ~ MDC
Re: LB coaching
Every one of them is playing a completely new position in this new scheme. Cushing is returning to rookie form but as an inside backer, and the only LB on the field in dime packages. You are correct that Meco has not been stellar but it’s pretty safe to assume that’s strictly because of injury. Barwin is playing very well for a guy in his first year as a starter making a transition from DE to LB. And Reed has only had 1 1/2 games of real action, in which he’s done some impressive things.
I think you might be underselling the job Herring has done with this group just a little bit.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
The group of LBs has done very good
It is interesting that we are talking about DeMeco as the weakest of the bunch. Injury? Maybe. He has definitely lost a step. Will he get it back? I wonder. In the meantime, I really think they should give Sharpton increased snaps, if only to rest DeMeco, but also because he may have more athleticism than DeMeco right now. He could use the experience, too.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
I agree about Sharpton
I really wanted to see what he could do in this defense. He got a few reps Sunday but nothing close to significant playing time from what I recall.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
disagreed on Barwin.
I think he is playing well above the average OLB.
PFF doesn't think so.
They’ve given him awful grades in four games this season, and one very high grade against Pittsburgh. Though I think they sold him short for his performance against Baltimore.
I’m a huge fan of the guy, but he’s not getting to the QB and finishing plays like I’d hoped, and he’s pretty invisible in the run game. The season is young, though; I’ve got high hopes for him. He has the potential to be a double-digit sack guy. I think he’s capable of stepping up his game now that Mario is out, so I’ll reserve judgment until the end of the season.
I don't think you can pin it on one thing
Wade definitely gets plenty of credit, but as bad as our former D-Coordinators were the talent level on this team has increased pretty dramatically. Of course Wade heavily influenced the talent we went after, but Rick Smith deserves a lot of credit
Our starting safeties were terrible. Pollard was an asset in run support, but he was continuously exposed in coverage. We added Manning and moved Quinn to S which is probably his best spot. I really HATE losing manning. After being deprived of watching good safety play for so long I think I’ve developed a bit of a fetish for competent safety play.
Our Corners were horrible. Jospeh dramatically improved the level of play by himself, and the other corners have benefited from a better pass rush, better help from the safeties, and a competent game plan.
We also got back a healthy Cushing, a healthy Barwin, and a healthy-ish Demeco. Throw in JJ watt and we have gotten significantly better talent wise at 7 positions (though Wade should get credit for making the move with Quinn). Just based on talent alone you could tell this defense to just line up and play Cover 2 man under every single play and they would be better than they were last year.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
64 percent of all the world's statistics are made up right there on the spot
82.4 percent of people believe 'em whether they're accurate statistics or not
I don't know what you believe but I do know there's no doubt
I need another double shot of something 90 proof
I got too much to think about
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