For a team allegedly wracked by injuries, the Colts' list of wounded sure is short today. On the other hand, your Houston Texans' list is rather long. That does not fill me with confidence on this otherwise sunny day:

INDIANAPOLIS
D. Federekiel--out (bolshephobia)
R. Hall--out (cryptorchidism)
B. Sanders--out (bogyphobia)

HOUSTON
M. Bruener--out (hamstring)
C. Taylor--out (quadricep)
W. Demps--doubtful (hamstring)
X. Adibi--questionable (illness) Ed. Note: Really? Like a cold? Has X-Factor been healthy for six (6) consecutive minutes since he was drafted?
K. Bentley--questionable (ankle)
D. Ryans--probable (ankle)
B. Harrison--probable (shoulder)
E. Salaam--probable (knee)
E. Winston--probable (ankle)

It's the third game for your Houston Texans, so I figure the time is ripe for us to resurrect the ol' "Injury Report" schtick. You know the drill: The status and listing of each player is truthful, but I occasionally somehow misread the actual alleged injury. Yahtzee!

HOUSTON
M. Bruener--out (hamstring)
B. Harrison--out (shoulder)
A. Green--questionable (stiff breeze)
K. Walter--probable (toe)
F. Bennett--probable (shoulder)
Z. Diles--probable (shoulder)
E. Salaam--probable (knee)
E. Winston--probable (knee)
Tr. Johnson--probable (knee)
D. Robinson--probable (knee)

JACKSONVILLE
R. Nelson--out (vaginal prolapse)
B. Meester--out (phagophobia)
C. Naeole--out (Cauda Equina syndrome)
J. Durant--doubtful (Triskaidekaphobia)
M. Drew--probable (primordial dwarfism)
F. Taylor--probable (spasmodic torticollis)
T. McDaniel--probable (aulophobia)
T. Williams--probable (testicle cellulitis)
T. Williamson--probable (lactation mastitis)
J. Porter--probable (catagelophobia)

On the eve of his team taking Heinz Field to begin the 2008 season, Matt Schaub is definitely flashing that goofy smile today, because he knows that Smithiak just made his life a whole lot easier for the next few years by giving him the protection he needs every snap.  How, you ask? By locking up a franchise right tackle, that's how.

PFT is reporting that Eric Winston has signed a five (5) year extension for $30,000,000.00, $10,000,000.00 of which is guaranteed.  The Gaping Void that once existed on the right side of the Texans' OL is now going to be a strength until at least 2013.  Another brilliant move by Smithiak.

December 2, 2007.  3rd & 7.  Rosenfels is back in the shotgun.  The ball is snapped and Rosenfels passes over the middle to Ron Dayne for a short gain.  Fred Weary goes down with a knee injury.  Back in Houston, Mike Brisiel saw it all on TV.  His stomach turned.  One of his teammates and good friends was hurt.  As he kept watching, he saw Chris White come in and also go down with an injury.  

It was a bittersweet day for Mike.  He had just seen 3 teammates injured, but in the back of his mind, he knew that the team would be calling him up.  He'd been working on the practice squad for 2 years, competing week in and week out for his chance.  And when it came, he took it.

Game day came, and Brisiel took the field with the starters.  He spent most of the game working against Kevin Carter.  Mike said he'd always remember that first game and having to move Carter off the ball because he was so big and had such long arms.  Yet as we all saw, the Texans and Mike Brisiel got it done.

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Wednesday’s practice session came and went without much in the way of breaking news.  However, there was a report from the Houston Texans' own Brooke Bentley that said free agent running back Mike Bell would be paying the Texans a visit Thursday morning. 

As Texans training camp marches along, a handful of players continue to nurse injuries while others are making a case for being a part of the 2008 starting lineup.

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(images via assets.houstontexans.com & via rotoworld.com)

 

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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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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.

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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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