They often say that the truth hurts.  And when they say your team has been struggling to find a ground game and can’t rush the quarterback – there’s no denying the sting of reality. 

Whether they make you happy or mad, the guys at ColdHardFootballFacts.com are always willing to let you know how good or how bad your team is – not based on opinion, but based on statistical analysis (a/k/a the cold hard facts).

With a sabermetrics-like approach to covering every aspect of football, they again came up with a bottom line that left me shaking my head.  Let's take a look at their latest breakdown as they applied their Fillability Index to the teams of the AFC South.

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Athleticism.  It's hard to quantify, but when you see it you know it.  So I decided to experiment a little and put the Texans roster on the basketball court.  I wanted to see which 13 Texans players would make the best NBA team. 

Allow me to introduce your Houston Texans basketball team.

(special thanks to lp.imageg.net & i179.photobucket.com for images)

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The blitz was something on an endangered species last season for the Houston Texans.  Much ink was spilled going back and forth between the need to blitz more and the desire not to get a patchwork secondary smoked.

Defensive coordinator Richard Smith can't be afraid to call blitzes, even if they don't work the first time. If the Texans have to surrender one big play for a chance to make two, then do it. Playing defense the way the Texans need to, from start to finish, is a mindset that's nurtured during the week as part of hours and hours of preparation.

Thankfully, a lot has changed since then.  The secondary has gotten deeper.  The linebackers have gotten faster and the defensive line has gotten nastier.  Mario Williams has set the world on fire.  Amobi Okoye is building on his solid rookie season.  Frank Okam could be a beast in the middle.  And the secondary has improved too.  Fred Bennett is no longer a rookie cornerback.  He's a proven commodity that can make plays.  This year, the Texans are joined by speedsters Antwaun Molden and Jacques Reeves.  At some point, Dunta Robinson will return to the field.

So, who is going to hit Peyton Manning?  My guess--the linebackers.  No one has come out and openly said it, but all through the offseason and into OTAs, people have been dropping hints that opposing offenses will be seeing linebacker blitzes this year.

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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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