Rough week, huh? First and foremost, I hope everyone and their respected love ones made it safely through Ike. It's easy to forget, especially in times of extreme annoyance like now, that that's really all that matters. Speaking of annoyance...along with more than a million of my neighbors, I'm still without power at my house. Luckily, I'd made plans to be in Nashville this weekend, so I'm writing this from the comfort of my hotel room. I'll have much more to say about the last eight (8) days, hopefully sometime this next week.

For now, let's just open the usual game day thread as we continue to search for some semblance of normalcy. I'm also scheduling a second game day thread to post around 1:30 p.m., in the event the first one gets full. Have at it, BRB. We all deserve a few hours of distraction today.

With the ghost of Ike still maintaining a strangle hold on Tim's power grid, I've again been given the opportunity to pick up the proverbial ball here at the BRB and run with it.  So here goes the latest installment of Three and Out: Useless Predictions for Sunday's game.

1. We'll see the Texans will effectively pressure Kerry Collins in 3^rd and long situations. I can't see Kerry being able to avoid the pass rush of DE Mario Williams. Mario gets a sack and a half. Side bet: DT Amobi Okoye has a big game and also picks up a sack and a half.

 

2. The Texans will be forced to get RB Steve Slaton the ball in open space. Expect to see the Texans use a bevy of screens and sweeps. I expect Slaton to go 17 for 73, with two runs over 8 yards. Side bet: RB Chris Taylor gets the call and finds the end zone from the red zone.

 

3. Kerry Collins is has a career 73.5 quarterback rating and has almost a one to one ratio on his TDs to Interceptions (175:172). That being the case, I think we see the ball hawking kid from South Cackalaky have a much easier time this week than he did in week one. I expect Fred Bennett to have a gem of a game. Side bet: Jacques Reeves endears himself to Texans fans with his first interception.

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT:  I've gone on record as saying that the Texans would sweep Tennessee this year.  I won't let one shaky start and a stupid hurricane change my opinion.  Texans come out guns ablazin' and win 24 - 14.    Hell yeah.