This Week in the Red Zone, or When Rationalization Will Rule the Day!

by UprootedTexan on Dec 27, 2011 6:00 AM CST in Comcast Sponsored Posts

Here stands the most considerate man in the world.

Like many of you, I do not want to rehash whatever the hell that was we saw on Thursday night. I'd just as soon not think about the incompetent referees, the zombie-like offense, or the utter lunacy of allowing Kareem Jackson onto the field at ANY point during which there is time still on the clock. (Aside: I found great comfort by singing the classic Tex-mas song "We Wish You'd Cut Kareem Jackson (and We Mean By Next Week)" during the drive to my wife's family's house. My wife, however, did not find this nearly as comforting)

Instead, I'm going to my happy place. A place where losing to Dan Orlovsky and the Colts can be molded and shaped and framed into a lovely centerpiece of denial and delusion.

Observe:

It WAS the game before Christmas, and the Colts have had such a horrific year prior to the game. And Gary Kubiak seems like a decent enough guy. I'm willing to bet you that, because we're already going to the playoffs and out of an deep sense of sympathy for the Colts' plight, Kubiak didn't exactly give a supreme effort on the gridiron Thursday and instead decided to give the Colts the gift that keeps on giving--a win and a muddied chance to get the first overall pick in next year's draft.

Yeah, yeah, that's it. He wanted to give them an early Christmas present! And the Texans, such men of high character, they went along with Kooky Kubiak's nutty scheme and played they way they did. They did because they HAD to in order to assure a Colts win.

Well played, Coach Kubiak, well played indeed.

See? Rationalization can make even the worst thing sound nice!

Oh, well. At least we get Wade and Andre back to face Southern Kentucky.

Also, since none of us want to relive the Thursday night debacle, this will be a very short and decidedly unsweet red zone review.

Red Zone Statistics

Trips to the Red Zone: 3
Total Time Spent in Red Zone: 2:04
Average Time Spent in Red Zone: :41
Red Zone Efficiency: 3/3 (100%)
Scores in Red Zone: 1 TD (Foster) 2 FG (35, 31)

Next week, the Texans close out their regular season with the return of Andre Johnson and Wade Phillips in a home game against "Glass" Matt Glasselbeck and the Southern Kentucky BE-SFs; with Andre...and Innegan.

Texans vs Colts coverage I Titans vs Texans coverage

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Comments

What's more important...

A win over the BE-SFs or…

Sitting Andre one extra game, so he can go super-beast mode in Week one of the REAL season?

I’m torn, but damn it’d be nice to ENSURE Andre wasn’t nursing any kind of injury going into that Wild Card playoff game.

-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog

by Fuzion on Dec 27, 2011 6:10 AM CST reply actions

more important

for Andre to get Game reps, so him and TJ can create a little chemistry before the playoffs.

Division Champion Houston Texans
Hi My name is Jack, why don't you help me off?

by WreckNTexan on Dec 27, 2011 6:39 AM CST up reply actions

I'm afraid if we rest Andre another week

He’ll be way too rusty to be his usual self in the first playoff game. Give him some limited playing time against the B-Buds to acclimate himself again to football speed.

The say the f**king smog is the f**king reason you have such beautiful f**king sunsets. - Ray Barboni

by LedTexan on Dec 27, 2011 6:41 AM CST up reply actions

Andre was not a factor...

…in his first game back after injuring the other hammy. He needs live reps against the BESFs, and I think they owe him the chance to line up against Finnegan to get his frustrations out (since Dre had to watch the Indy game from the sideline).

by Ezekiel 25 17 on Dec 27, 2011 9:07 AM CST up reply actions

If Andre can play

He had better play!

A lot of other replies before mine explain good reasons why.

Besides that, Andre wants to play.

"The greatest danger in planning for tomorrow is using yesterdays logic."
Marc Kahlberg

"Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them." - George Orwell

I think we will learn that the Bo$$man was right

by Barryfromtexas on Dec 27, 2011 11:40 AM CST up reply actions

&^%(%&^%&%&^$&^%(%^%&^%&^%&^%

There, now that I got that out of my system…

I’m still worried about our offense being able to move the ball, I’m worried AJ will be rusty (he was in his first come back), I’m worried the BE-SF’s will get into the playoffs which we’ll end up paying for the following week.

That’s how down the last two games have put me. BUT I still got to put on my DIVISION CHAMPIONS t-shirt that my wife got me for Christmas…so things could definitely be worse. As long as we don’t lose a ton of people due to free agency (which I don’t think we’ll lose anyone important without a fight) I REALLY look forward to watching this team again next year. BUT for once we can enjoy a playoff game before we have to think about that.

by Big T33 on Dec 27, 2011 7:55 AM CST reply actions

agree 100%....

About next season, I’m stoked!!!! Most important thing is resign Mario, arian, and Chris myers at all costs. Even if it means releasing demeco, Antonio, or both. Antonio can be replaced with jamison and demeco with a draft pick.

Dirt dog pimp

by jahunter221 on Dec 27, 2011 8:23 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

Personally

I think its iffy Mario will be back. Reed has made him expendable and Mario knows he will garish bank on the FA market like Peppers did. I think he will go to a 4-3 team. Drafting Reed in the 2nd was a genius move by Rick Smith and company.

I wish we could hire coaches without "having grown up in Houston" being a job requirement.

by DaGoaT on Dec 27, 2011 10:42 AM CST up reply actions

I disagree with the Reed making Mario expendable, but...

I still won’t be surprised if he decides to go somewhere else.

That said, franchise tag the hell outta him. Haha

Just your average, run of the mill hardcore casual Texans fan.

"Have you ever noticed that? We base our assessment of the intelligence of others almost entirely on how closely their thinking matches our own. I’m sure that there are people out there who violently disagree with me on most things, and I’m broad-minded enough to concede that they might possibly not be complete idiots, but I much prefer the company of people who agree with me."

by Autra on Dec 27, 2011 10:57 AM CST up reply actions

I dunno

Reed hasn’t been much of a downgrade on getting pressure on the QB, and he is an upgrade in run support and sideline to sideline pursuit.

I wish we could hire coaches without "having grown up in Houston" being a job requirement.

by DaGoaT on Dec 27, 2011 11:46 AM CST up reply actions

Reed isn't half the pass rusher Mario is.

Nobody on this team has the pass rushing talent Mario does which is far superior to whatever run support bonuses Reed might have over Mario (debatable because Mario was a god run defender to).

Barwin took longer than Mario but he’s grown into that OLB pass rush mold so he a and Mario could be bookend double digit sackers with Reed subbing in for both of them.

Prediction: 11-5 AFC South champions.

by Ethan Matz on Dec 27, 2011 11:53 AM CST up reply actions

Sign him

I just got a Battle Red Mario Jersey, we must re sign him

Division Champion Houston Texans
Hi My name is Jack, why don't you help me off?

by WreckNTexan on Dec 27, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions

I don't think we will have the cap space

Mario’s price tag is going to be too high. Foster will need a new contract as well.

I wish we could hire coaches without "having grown up in Houston" being a job requirement.

by DaGoaT on Dec 27, 2011 1:36 PM CST up reply actions

We will sign him. period.

If everybody was somebody, then nobody would be anybody - Gilbert and Sullivan

by professortex on Dec 27, 2011 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

What makes Mario expendable is Wade

This is the truth no matter who’s side you’re on.

"All our lives we're taught to get in line. The ones who conform never discover." - Undrafted Free Agent and NFL Rushing Leader Arian Foster

by Rip Jersey on Dec 27, 2011 3:25 PM CST up reply actions

whose

"All our lives we're taught to get in line. The ones who conform never discover." - Undrafted Free Agent and NFL Rushing Leader Arian Foster

by Rip Jersey on Dec 27, 2011 3:25 PM CST up reply actions

I agree. Everyone is expendable to some degree

And I wasn’t trying to suggest that they wouldn’t trade him if they needed to. What I am saying, is that everyone seems worried about the cap, and they shouldn’t be. More importantly, Mario is a tool that fits in Wade phillips scheme. I’m saying that they will sign Mario to a deal because he does make the defense better and because he wants to stay. There will be a SB run next year, and I guarantee, he will be on that train, even if its the second year in a row.

If everybody was somebody, then nobody would be anybody - Gilbert and Sullivan

by professortex on Dec 27, 2011 7:46 PM CST up reply actions

Not for $16.5M against the cap

If they do that, they better have a long term contract ready to go fast

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 Dec 27, 2011 12:10 PM CST up reply actions

I know it's a little early to be considering management changes but...

think the Texans should go after that Saints equipment manager? The full service one, assigned to rub DBrees’ balls?

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-locker-room-mvps/09000d5d82573794/Saints-sentimental-moment?module=HP11_content_stream

'Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.' -Frank Herbert

by chuckiepoo on Dec 27, 2011 9:14 AM CST reply actions

On the bright side...

If the “Trade Schaub” people needed only 2 games to make up their mind on that, then the calls to trade Manning and make Orlousy the starter should be coming up any second now…

by Karsh on Dec 27, 2011 9:27 AM CST via mobile reply actions