As SOLIS noted here, 8-8 is worlds better than 7-9. 8-4, which is what your Houston Texans accomplished after their 0-4 start, is even more impressive when you consider that the bagel they posted through the first quarter of the season eliminated them (for all practical purposes) from postseason contention. While you'd like to believe professional athletes would have enough pride in themselves to expend maximum effort regardless of the situation, that's not always the case. The Texans didn't roll over, and that's worth noting and applauding as we enter the offseason.

That's not to say that this team is ready for 2009, because it's not. There are several areas ripe for upgrades in the starting corps, most notably DE, DT, CB, and FS. And although the offense has all the makings of an elite unit, there's always room for improvement and depth. In that vein, this PGB will spit out my thoughts on yesterday's win over the Bears with an eye toward possible offseason moves. Position by position, and then we'll end with the coaches. Now:

1. QB--I'll accept the argument that Matt Schaub is still a work in progress, but I believe the position that The Schaub can't be the starting quarterback for a playoff team is untenable based on what we've seen. Yes, he turned the ball over too much this season, and that's a problem. But he also threw for more than 3,000 yards, 15 TD, and 276.6 yards per game in about two-thirds of a season (including his near flawless 328 yard, 2 TD, O INT effort yesterday). Those are big-time numbers. The kind of numbers that should leave us no doubt that Schaub should be starting in '09.

With regard to Sage Rosenfels, I'm still of the mind that he's a fine back-up despite the fact that he provided us with what I believe was the single most horrific moment in franchise history. He's no longer the attractive trade bait he once was, so I'd count on him being Schaub's No. 2 again in '09. I'd look for the Texans to make QB a very low priority this offseason, though I think a young QB could be drafted relatively high in 2010 for grooming purposes.

2. WR--Still the strongest area on the team, led by the best wide receiver in all of football. Another Sunday, another ten (10) catch day for Andre Johnson, who finishes 2008 as the league leader in both receptions and receiving yards. Quite simply, it doesn't get any better than 'Dre. Memo to Kubes and Kyle Shanahan: That fade to 'Dre in the end zone...why isn't that in the playbook every week? It can't be stopped.

Kevin Walter quietly had another very effective season as the No. 2, though there were a handful of games where his contributions didn't show up in the stat sheet. Although K-Dub only had one catch yesterday, it was huge; that drive could have very well ended in zero points and changed the entire complexion of the game without that reception. Apostrophe Davis wasn't the factor he was in 2007, but I think his emergence in '07 was primarily due to Andre Johnson missing almost half of the season. Apostrophe is an average No. 3; his value as a return man is what really makes him a key cog in the scheme.

Jacoby Jones has been and continues to be a complete non-factor at WR and a fumble waiting to happen as a punt returner. He put another one on the ground yesterday, and I don't know how Kubes can keep running him out there. His speed is undoubtedly electrifying, to the point that I wonder if there'd be any interest in him in the trade market. If I could get a fifth round pick or better for him, I'd do it in a second if I was Rick Smith. As I sit here today, I wouldn't bet on Jacoby being a Texan in 2009; I could absolutely see him struggling in the preseason and being one of the final cuts in late August. With the possible exception of Jacoby, I'd look for the status quo to remain at WR in '09.

3. TE--Owen Daniels finished with better numbers than he did a year ago, posting 70 receptions, 12.3 YPC, and showing little sign of the ball control issues he displayed at times in '07. OD is already one of the best tight ends in the league, and he's only getting better, as witnessed by that 33-yard scamper yesterday. You can count the number of TEs in the NFL who can routinely move the chains on a single play on one hand, and OD is one of them. Draft-wise, I don't know that it's even worth spending a late-round pick on someone to replace Joel Dreessen. Dreeseen's not going to be mistaken for Tony Gonzalez, but he's a cost-effective spot player when OD isn't on the field.

4. RB--1,282 rushing yards at 4.8 YPC. 50 catches for 377 yards. 10 TD. Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe your Houston Texans have themselves a franchise running back. Yes, Smithiak needs to acquire a short-yardage bruiser to take some of those third-and-two carries away from Slaton, and I'm sure they'll do it. The question is whether that acquisition is made through the draft or via free agency. Personally, I'm guessing we could see a late-round pick burned on a big RB, though an undrafted rookie free agent taking the gig is another distinct possibility. The only thing I do know is that there's no way we're going to see Smithiak spend anything remotely resembling sizable coin on a RB.

What discussion of "sizable coin on a RB" would be complete with mentioning Ahman Green? As in, "Ahman Green won't be a Texan in '09." Ryan Moats has been intriguing in limited action (including but not limited to yesterday, when he filled in for Slaton while Slaton was in Kubes' doghouse for reasons unknown to us--was it that fumble, something else, etc.?), which may well result in an invitation to camp and the opportunity to return as a No. 3.

Something to ponder that Chris raised: Will Steve Slaton hold out? He's fresh off a monstrous season in which he proved to be invaluable to the Texans; the second year of a third-round rookie contract is no longer commensurate with his stature; and he plays a position that has perhaps the shortest shelf life in professional football. His leverage may never be greater than it is now. So what does he do? I have no idea; needless to say, it bears watching.

5. OL--Thank you, Alex Gibbs. You made an offensive line that was rather underrated last year into an undeniable strength this season. Chris Myers had the problems a smaller center is going to have with mammoth DTs, but he has to be considered one helluva return on a sixth round pick after his first year in H-Town. Chester Pitts may have had the best season of his career. Mike Brisiel proved to be a solid, inexpensive solution at RG (though I seem to remember him being a greater source of penalties than anyone else on the line throughout the season). Duane Brown had moments where he looked every bit like the rookie he is, but he showed enough flashes of promise that I have no idea why Ephraim Salaam took snaps away from him. In the final analysis, I'd have to say that I was most disappointed in the play of Eric Winston, who seemed to take a step backward from the tremendous performance he put forth in '07.

Schaub was sacked 23 times this season; Sage was sacked 9 times. With three (3) new starters on the OL, one of whom is a rookie protecting the QB's blind side, that's not too shabby. Add in Slaton's success on the ground, and there's little doubt that Alex Gibbs was manna from heaven.

I'd look for your Houston Texans to draft OL for depth, but it certainly does not qualify as a priority.

Wow...that ran long. Separate post on defense and special teams forthcoming tomorrow.

Drat. That tasted like failure. For all the positive press your Houston Texans received after knocking out the top team in the conference, there's been an equal amount of teeth grinding over yesterday's horrendous loss to Oakland. While one game does not a season make and shouldn't erase the many positives we've witnessed over the last month, there's nothing wrong with legitimately lambasting an egg laid. And that's what yesterday was. A fat, colossal egg.

Frankly, Sunday's season-ending home game against Da Bears can't come quickly enough; both the organization and the fans are eager to wash the taste of garbage out of our collective mouth. The first winning season in franchise history won't be happening, but Texans fans have been treated to chronic failure in sufficient doses that we shouldn't really dismiss the progress evident in consecutive non-losing seasons, right? While I'm incredibly disappointed at what we witnessed yesterday, I'm going to leave the pathetic display we saw in California yesterday where it belongs--the rearview mirror. Before I do, however, some observations:

1. Now THAT was the Houston defense we've come to despise during the Richard Smith Era! Eight (8) yard cushions to receivers, regardless of down and distance? Check. No blitzing? Check. Wholly insane decisions (e.g., dropping Jesse Nading into coverage on Darren McFadden) that make us wonder whether the man at the controls is calling formations in between huffs of paint thinner? Check. A complete lack of pressure that allows the opposing QB to look like a Pro Bowler, regardless of whether he actually is one? Check. It was like Richard Smith brought our long nightmare home for the holidays.

2. What does it say about your defense that the reaction of several fans after seeing that sort of incompetence is relief? As in, "Whew. No way they can bring Richard Smith back now."

3. Last Richard Smith point, I swear. If Smithiak brings him back for another season, there could be more outrage within the fan base than anything that's happened this side of drafting Super Mario.

4. The secondary, to a man, was awful in its entirety. I'll give a slight break to Nick Ferguson for bringing the wood in run support, but every other facet of their play was horrendous. And I fully admit my bias, so disregard this to whatever extent you want to: Jacques Reeves may have had his worst game of the season, and that's saying something.

5. Wherefore art thou, Mario?

6. Amobi Okoye: One sack, as predicted, and a forced fumble to boot. Editor's Note: Please ignore all other predictions. Though I did manage to get the final score right, albeit with the teams reversed. Crap.

7. It's frightening to see how much better Xavier Adibi is than Morlon Greenwood this season. If you ever had any questions about whether Greenwood should still be getting snaps, they should have been answered yesterday.

8. Kris Brown gets major props for knuckling that fifty-three (53) yarder through on a sloppy field. That was ridiculous.

9. Jacoby Jones is done fooling me. I've now reached the point where the otherworldly talent he's flashed at points throughout the last two (2) years will no longer hold me hostage. He's simply too large a liability, as witnessed by him putting the ball on the ground yet another time yesterday.

10. Speaking of special teams...I hit on it in the Comments here, and I want to open it up to discussion. Why does Joe Marciano always seem to avert blame for the poor performance of his unit? Special teams play has vacillated between decent and awful this year. It's never approached "consistently good" in 2008, has it? I'm not saying that Marciano is in Richard Smith territory; he's done a solid job throughout his time in Houston and deserves the benefit of the doubt. I simply question why there doesn't seem to be any accountability for his unit's failings when we have no problem blasting Kubes/Shanahan and R. Smith.

11. There is no excuse, not even Nnamdi Asomugha's brilliance, for not getting the ball to Andre Johnson. He's the best wide receiver in the NFL, yet he doesn't even have a pass thrown his way until the fourth quarter? No excuse for that, Schaub.

12. Nice to see Owen Daniels do what Owen Daniels can do. He really was the lone bright spot on that side of the ball.

13. That was as quiet a 102 total yard day as you'll ever see from Steve Slaton. He was never really a factor.

14. The offensive line got taken to the woodshed by Derrick Burgess & Co. Burgess in particular had his way with Eric Winston, in much the same fashion that Jevon Kearse did the previous Sunday. That's worrisome.

15. While Chester Pitts' unsportsmanlike conduct penalty didn't cost his team the game, having to settle for a FG after said penalty hurt. Badly. Sort of what I imagine getting shot in the stomach would feel like.

16. The Schaub had the pocket shrunk around him far more than it should have been, but he's got to step up and make plays. He didn't, and that INT was nothing short of horrendous. Until Schaub shows he can take care of the ball when it matters most, it's going to be tough imagining him ever reaching anything approaching "elite" status.

17. Trailing by eleven (11) points, Kubes and/or Shanahan's play call on 4th and Inches was gutsy. And odd. And poorly conceived to my admittedly amateur eye. Granted, it's easy to say that after the fact, but I think every Texans fan watching that play develop was screaming, "Take the points!" or at the very least, wondering why Kubes, who loves to roll his QBs out of the pocket, didn't incorporate that into the call. Kubes guessed wrong, and that was all she wrote.

18. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Owen Daniels; Defense--Amobi Okoye; Special Teams--Kris Brown.

Striving for .500 to close the season isn't sexy by any means. Still, remember that your Houston Texans have rallied back from an 0-4 start. That means they've got a shot to have played 8-4 football after the first month of the season. That's something to build on. Again, it's not what we want, but it's a heckuva lot better than 2-14, 4-12, 5-11, and/or 6-10 (twice). Rejoice in the opportunity for consistent mediocrity, people!

According to the Chronicle, Super Mario and 'Dre will be representing your Houston Texans in the starting lineup in Honolulu. While they should have been locks regardless, I'm thrilled to see these two guys get their due.

What's more, the Texans boast an additional five (5!) players named as alternates--DeMeco Ryans, Owen Daniels, Vonta Leach, Chester Pitts, and Steve Slaton. My initial reaction is that DeMeco was penalized for his non-DeMeco play earlier in the season while he was fighting an ankle injury; Daniels for his relatively quiet games while The Schaub was out and Rosencopter was running the show; and Vonta for being a FB, which by definition is a thankless job, to say nothing of that fact that people outside Houston have no idea how valuable he's been to the rushing game this season.

I'm pretty surprised that Pitts got the alternate nod, though he's undoubtedly been one of the top performers on a vastly improving Houston offensive line. And Slaton...well, methinks he got screwed, chiefly because of his rookie status, with the plethora of other solid options at RB in the AFC being a culprit as well. That said, I'd rather have Slaton than nearly anyone in the league. It ain't a trip to Hawaii, but it'll have to do.

That was a ball, was it not? Not a pretty game aesthetically, but you won't see me even beginning to turn my nose up at the first four (4) game winning streak in franchise history. It could have been 2-0 and I'd still be ecstatic. Tons to talk about, so let's dive in:

1. I love that all it took for Andre Johnson to get some love from places outside H-Town was an 11 reception, 207 yard, 1 TD game. I'm not going to play the "no respect" card, yet it's laughable that 'Dre is the best WR in the league and 90% of NFL fans don't know it. All the guy does is make big play after big play on the field while keeping a ridiculously low profile off it. The only non-statistical headlines you ever see his name in are the ones you'd pray to see every player's name in. We should thank our lucky stars every day that we've got 'Dre. In a related story, Cortland Finnegan should thank his lucky stars every day that he only has to see Andre Johnson twice a year.

2. Although he made a few curious throws that appeared to be aimed at the dirt, I was incredibly impressed with Matt Schaub's performance yesterday. He was under a good amount of pressure all day and took some hard shots, yet he stood tall and made some huge throws. Some of those needles he threaded to 'Dre and Kevin Walter were simply ridiculous. His failure to feel pressure from Jevon Kearse and subsequent fumble aside, it was awesome to see him hang in there and move the ball against a great defense.

3. Speaking of Kearse...Eric Winston was used and abused all day. That said, I clearly remember one third down run by Steve Slaton that was essentially stopped a couple yards short of the marker until Winston single-handedly dragged Slaton to a first down. I actually jumped out of my chair and was ready to make Winston the player of the game on that play alone.

4. I thought the middle troika of Brisiel, Myers, and Pitts did yeoman work all afternoon long. They lost a few battles, but they were approximately ninety-seven (97) times better than they were in the first match-up with the Titans.

5. I remain puzzled as to why Ephraim Salaam continues to take snaps from Duane Brown. Brown ain't Orlando Pace (yet), but he's the future at LT, and he sure as heck looks better than Salaam, including but not limited to Salaam's sudden penchant for being penalized on what seems like every third snap.

6. Really, really surprised how quiet K-Dub and Owen Daniels were yesterday. I'm going to chalk that up to 'Dre imposing his will on the Titans and The Schaub exploiting that mismatch. Know this, though: We'll need big games from both of those guys on Sunday at Oakland, because Nnamdi Asomugha's going to be in 'Dre's hip pocket all day long.

7. Tell me another RB you'd rather have for the next three (3) years instead of Steve Slaton. If that list is more than five (5) players (maximum) long, I call shenanigans. I continue to be amazed with Slaton's toughness each week. He keeps his legs moving and seems to pick up tough yards you wouldn't expect from a back his size. And then he breaks one off, and there are no words to describe it, so I'm forced to make one up. And I'm going to do so right now. Scrumtrilescent.

8. It was said a couple of times in the second-half live game thread, but it bears repeating: Only one (1) player has rushed for 100 yards against the vaunted Tennessee defense all season, and said player did it both times he played 'em. Steve. Effing. Slaton.

9. Despite missing a chip shot, Kris Brown gets a free pass. He's banked more than enough capital to warrant that, and he did rebound to kick the FG that proved to be the difference.

10. It was negated by K. Brown's shank, but Apostrophe Davis had a big-time return in the third quarter to set that drive up, and he downed one of Turk's punts awfully close to the goal line. The best part about Apostrophe? Unlike Jacoby Jones, my heart doesn't drop into my stomach every time he touches the ball.

11. If you didn't watch the game, you might think that the Houston secondary had a very good day. And yes, Fred Bennett did pick Kerry Collins off, albeit on what was the equivalent of a punt by Collins; it was that bad of a throw. To my eye, the lack of success in the Titan passing game was far more about Collins' inaccuracy than the secondary's coverage. Collins was off all afternoon, and his receivers were dropping many of the balls he did put in their breadbaskets. Even on the much ballyhooed 4th and 3 play that clinched the game for the Texans (more on that in a bit), Justin McCareins had Jacques Reeves beat. The throw was juuuuuust out of McCareins' reach. Consequently, I do not see Tennessee's paltry passing stats as some sort of a breakthrough for our secondary. Kerry Collins had a greater responsibility for his team's struggles than Richard Smith's secondary did.

12. Speaking of Richard Smith...don't look now. It's happening. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

13. DelJuan Robinson was a freaking animal yesterday, getting in the backfield and making plays seemingly every time he was in there. By my count, it's now official: Every DT on the Houston roster should be playing before Travis Johnson. Yet none does. That in and of itself should be a fireable offense.

14. Two (2) season-ending injuries of note for the good guys: Both Xavier Adibi and Antwaun Molden are done for the year. The silver lining with Adibi is that we have a pretty good idea what we've got with him, and it's much better than Morlon Greenwood. I'm still bent we didn't see more of Molden at CB this season.

15. Welcome back to the land of the living, Amobi. That stop of LenDale White in the early fourth quarter was HUGE.

16. While I think DeMeco could have done better in mocking the White-Johnson tandem, the message is accurate. The Titan running game was a non-factor when it mattered the most, though we should thank the Tennessee coaches for not continuing to give the ball to Chris Johnson. Seemed like he was good for ten (10) yards every time he touched the ball, especially in the first half.

17. I miss Zac Diles, but Kevin Bentley has done a great job filling in for him. Bentley has shown a knack for making plays in the backfield that we didn't really see with Diles, though that may be entirely due to Richard Smith finally allowing his linebackers to cross the line of scrimmage.

18. Thank you, Jeff Fisher. Thank you for not using Bironas to try to win the game, even though he'd hit from 51 in the first half. Yeah, yeah...the wind. Whatever. You can't fool me. My Christmas gift to you is in the mail.

19. Not to spoil the surprise, Coach, but it's a Vince Young jersey.

20. Some of the quotes from various Titans after the game simultaneously baffled and enraged me. To wit:

"Slaton didn’t do anything," Titans outside linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "Slaton busted that run (34 yards) at the end of the game, and we pretty much had him in check. To tell you the truth, I don’t think their running game hurt us at all today."

"We know this team isn’t better than us," Titans tight end Bo Scaife said. "This team isn’t going to the playoffs, and we played down to their caliber today.’’

[LenDale White said] "This game means nothing anymore. We will not be playing this team anymore. It’s a big win for them as an organization I guess or supposedly. No matter what they do they’ll still go home on playoffs. We have a lot to look forward to."

[Cortland Finnegan, on his helmet-to-helmet cheapshot on The Schaub] "If I did I was just giving him a quick, you know - kiss, welcoming him back to Houston you know from the Oilers. So that is about all that is."

Why can't these guys just say the classy thing? Something to the effect of, "Give the Texans credit; they were the better team today." Why demean the accomplishment of your opponent? What good does that do? All it does is make Houston fans hate Bud Adams' troops even more than we already do.

21. Since we're on the subject of hate, you know I couldn't let a Texans-Titans game pass without checking in with my buddy Jay. As longtime readers will recall, Jay became a bit of a legend around here after his showdown with Bud Adams in Nashville last year. As expected, Jay had a few choice words for Albert Haynesworth when he went down with an injury that will keep him sidelined until at least the postseason. Haynesworth's run his mouth and been an absolutely classless piece of garbage to Matt Schaub and the Texans, so I don't think there were many Houston fans broken up to see him go down. As you'd figure, Jay was not in the "awwwww, I hope he's okay" camp. Quotes from the man who may hate the Titans more than anyone in the world:

"You're killing the grass, Albert! Get up!"

"I hope it's broken."

"Where's your contract now, Albert?"

Classy? Perhaps not. But if anyone deserved a dose of what he's dished out over the years, it's Haynesworth.

22. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Andre Johnson; Defense--DelJuan Robinson; Special Teams--Apostrophe Davis.

On to the Black Hole, and a shot at the first .500 plus record of the season!

 

A win on the road. Whoda thunk it? The impotence of your Houston Texans on the road has been well chronicled, so no need to delve back into it in this space. It should be noted, however, that the Browns were beyond hospitable yesterday. It's a rarity for any team to turn the ball over five (5) times in a single game. It's even rarer for the Houston Texans to be on the receiving end of that kind of generosity. As is his custom, Sage Rosenfels did his best to swing the turnover margin back in favor of the opposition. Yet even Sage, in all of his nine-picks-in-five-games glory, couldn't overcome the hopelessness of Romeo Crennel's crew. Truly, yesterday was a battle of the titans, if the titans were the professional versions of the Washington and Washington State football teams.

Despite the complete lack of aesthetic value in the contest, there were several items of note to discuss. Without further ado:

1. The Texans' first offensive drive of the game was the sharpest they've looked all season. Fourteen (14) plays. Seventy-nine (79) yards. 8:11 off the clock. And capped off with a beautiful TD pass from Sage to Kevin Walter. Simply amazing. The only negative I found was that the drive's conclusion meant that Houston's defense would have to take the field.

2. For much of the first half, it looked like Kubes and Shanahan were content with implementing their patented 'Dre-As-Decoy strategy. Though I grow apoplectic when this plan is put into motion, I have to admit that Kevin Walter made it tolerable. The return to 'Dre, especially that twenty-two (22) yard catch he made on fourth down to set up Kris Brown's FG right before half, set me at ease (though I still wish Sage would look at 'Dre more in the red zone).

3. More Owen Daniels, please. The guy's a Pro Bowl TE. He should be targeted accordingly.

4. I was on record that Shaun Rogers would eat Chris Myers alive and boy, was I wrong. Myers, with help from Brisiel and/or Pitts, was tremendous. It was easily the best Myers has fared against a mammoth DT, and it's very encouraging.

5. For much of the game, the OL was opening up sizable holes for Slaton and Green. The progress of their run-blocking each week has been one of the few consistently awesome sights of the season.

6. If you're looking for a single stat from the offense that indicates why your Houston Texans won, look no further than the fact that they had the ball for 37:25.

7. Was it just me, or was anyone else disappointed that Kubes didn't order a shot or two at the end zone on that second possession of the game when the Texans had first and ten at the CLE 12? It reeked of settling for a FG and/or not trusting your QB. Certainly, the latter is totally understandable considering Sage's habit of making Christmas come early for opposing defenses. I'd still like to see a more aggressive mindset that early in the game. You're only up a TD; don't start playing not to lose before half, for crying out loud.

8. The stats indicate that Jacques Reeves played very well yesterday. And yes, he actually did make a nice play (with his hands!) in knocking away what could have been a TD pass to Braylon Edwards. And yes, he did show some nice awareness picking off a deflected ball. And yes, he did force a fumble. If he can replicate that effort in every game for the rest of the season, I will consider backing off my assertion that he is one of the, if not the, worst CB(s) in the NFL. Not until then.

9. On Braylon Edwards...wow. The crew over at Dawgs By Nature tried to prepare me for it, but I had to see it to believe it. I honestly cannot recall the last time I saw such a set of stone hands on a wide receiver. Edwards should have had at least ten (10) catches for 150 yards yesterday.

10. Excellent INT by Fred Bennett. Here's hoping it's the spark he needs to return to his 2007 form.

11. Anthony Weaver had an interception. Not saying that Brady Quinn should give up football or anything, but he'd be nuts not to question it.

12. I can say without any reservation that Anthony Weaver played the best game of his Texans career yesterday. That shouldn't make me sad, but it does.

13. Although Super Mario didn't pick up a sack against the Browns, he did do two (2) things I have never seen on a football field. First, he actually picked up Jamal Lewis and body slammed him. Second, he nearly sacked Derek Anderson over and/or through Joe Thomas. Seriously...after pushing his way into the pocket, Mario Williams almost got a sack with a stud LT in between him and the QB. Unreal.

14. You know who's going to start being labeled a bust pretty darn soon? Amobi Okoye. And unlike when we rushed to Super Mario's defense, there's not very much evidence available to defend against that assertion.

15. Something to look forward to in 2009? A starting LB corps of Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, and Zac Diles. That troika could be very, very nasty.

16. As Solis texted me during the game, we had an Antwaun Molden sighting! I don't recall much of what he did at CB, and that's probably a good thing; means he didn't get torched. He also was vital on special teams...

17. ....by recovering Jacoby Jones' fumble. I fear that we're never going to able to completely trust Jacoby with the ball.

18. Dunta Robinson started his first game in over a year yesterday, and the Houston Texans won on the road. His last start, you ask? Why, it also occurred the last time the Texans won on the road, more than a year ago! Coincidence? I think not.

19. It had to come to an end sometime, Kris Brown. Don't beat yourself up too much. But feel free to toss a haymaker or two Bryan Pittman's way. He's back to snapping like it's October 2007, albeit keeping things fresh by snapping low instead of high this time around.

20. There's nothing Richard Smith can do to save his job, right? Holding a team to six (6) points on the road is nowhere near enough, correct? Even if the defense pitches shutouts the rest of the season, Richard Smith has to be a goner, huh? I need reassurance.

21. A non-Texan related note: What was Romeo Crennel trying to accomplish by pulling Quinn in favor of Anderson? Is he begging to get canned? How can you do that to the young QB you just installed a week or two ago?

22. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Kevin Walter; Defense--Anthony Weaver (I'm as surprised as you are); Special Teams--Kris Brown.

No football this Sunday, baby, because MNF comes to Houston! I'm pretty sure watching two 4-7 "stalwarts" tangle with nearly nothing on the line was not exactly what ESPN had in mind when they selected this game. No matter. It's Monday Night Football, and I'm psyched. Bring on the Jags!

There are way too many Texans fans out there singing the Steel Blues.  I've been keeping a finger on the pulse of the Texans' play since Week 2, saying that the Texans are better than they've been playing. 

The Texans are on an upswing.  They have been grinding it out for 4 straight weeks against the Titans, Jags, Colts and finally breaking through against the Dolphins.  And the Dolphins were no paper bag.  It took Andre Johnson's ninja skills and the waterboy giving Schaub ice water on that last drive for the Texans to turn 4 weeks of battling into a win.

So let's take a look back at history.

Continue reading this post »

After nearly a month of practicing in the stifling humidity of the Bayou City, the Texans are paying a visit to another city famous for its sweltering heat and boggy marshes.  The Texans made their way to the Big Easy and if all goes well, both teams should be in for a hard week of practice. 

The Saints provide a different set of players for the Texans to practice against as they prepare for the regular season.  The Saints are also looking to hone their skills as they try and rebound from last season’s disappointing 7-9 season. 

Continue reading this post »

We're a few hours away from training camp opening, and our local fishwrap was kind enough to post a short slide show depicting some of your Houston Texans checking in. Aside from the obvious amusement that accompanies gems such as "Schaub had what David Carr lacked — namely leadership," I ask you this: When did people start naming the first son who shares his father's name with Roman numerals instead of simply "Junior?"

Congratulations, Travis Johnson. You've blown my mind again.

In the name of charity and goodwill, the Texans took time to visit the Astros at Minute Maid Park for a round of batting practice. In the now sixth annual Reliant Energy Home Run Derby, the Texans hacked their way to the biggest donation to date, with proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston.  The ten Texan players who made the ten mile trek from Reliant Park to Minute Maid were Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Eric Winston, Kris Brown, Mark Bruener, Owen Daniels, Bryan Pittman, and Chester Pitts.

Continue reading this post »

Some interesting things are intersecting in the Texans blogosphere...Matt over at DGDB&D has an interesting piece. It's specifically about an argument he's engaged in, but more generally, it's about how the Texans are viewed nationally.

At the same time, Sportsgamer.com just came out with the Madden 09 ratings shown in their graphic to the right.  You can definitely get a sense how the guys at EA Sports feel about the Texans. I bring this up because the Texans are about to enter a watershed season.

Anyone that knows football knows the Texans took a giant leap forward last season. Lots of 2nd and 3rd string players, as well as new starters, established themselves. Guys like Kevin Walter and Fred Bennett put themselves on the map. All but the most hardened man-crushes have let go of the Mario-bashing and decided that Young and Bush are more hype than substance. So with all that, the Texans are poised to make their mark in the national spotlight.

If you read this blog, you're probably a Texans homer.  You know that Mike Brisiel is going to steamroll Albert Haynesworth this year, and that Zac Diles is going to put Goldberg's spear on Maurice Jones-Drew.  So obviously our view of Texans players is probably a little skewed.

That being said, it'll be up to you to set the world right and lead the Texans to conquer the national stage.  Check out the ratings below and see what I mean.

 

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