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!

I'd really love the opportunity to gush over your Houston Texans in a PGB. Truly, I would. It's infinitely better than having to make chicken salad out of chicken fecal matter. The Texans, however, apparently do not see fit to give their fans something to cheer about. Instead, we're treated to another week of coach-speak about "going to work," "finding ways to be effective," "playing clean," and the like. At this point, that garbage is simply nauseating muzak in the proverbial Texan fan's elevator. We've heard it too many times for it to be anything but background noise.

Be honest with us, Smithiak. Your charges have won thirty percent (30%) of their games this season. That means they're actually running behind the franchise's abysmal lifetime winning pace. That's like losing a footrace to a blind man with no legs. Your team looks to be a virtual lock to go winless on the road. The offense is capable of putting together very solid efforts that will inevitably collapse when it matters most, primarily due to quarterbacks who have an innate ability to give the opposition the ball at the absolute worst possible time. Thanks to a breathtaking combination of mind-boggling coaching decisions and a secondary that should be accompanied by a Surgeon General's Warning, the defense is a complete and utter joke. If not for Super Mario and DeMeco, the Houston defense wouldn't be good enough to stop a Division III offense. Your best defensive back and team leader is coming off a horrific injury and, while gamely trying to shake the rust off, is still another offseason away from making a tangible difference in the weakest area of your team.

In short, this is a bad football team. We know it. You know it. Let's stop the charade.

That's not to say that all is lost; there's most assuredly a healthy amount of talent on this team in addition to Mario, DeMeco, and Dunta. Andre Johnson is the best wide receiver in football. Owen Daniels is one of the best tight ends in football. Kevin Walter is a fine WR2. Steve Slaton is the kind of explosive threat at RB this team has never had. Jacoby Jones is a weapon in the return game (though hanging onto the ball is still a concern). The offensive line shows flashes of dominance and has improved throughout the season. And Jebus help him, Matt Schaub could be the answer at QB if he (1) is able to stay on the field for more than three consecutive weeks at a time and (2) realizes that the terms of his contract do not require one to two turnovers per game. The cupboard is not bare. There's plenty of work to be done and plenty of talent to be upgraded, but there's enough here to form a foundation from which success can be built.

We know Rome wasn't built in a day, and you did inherit a 2-14 mess. We know that. Yet the same old platitudes do nothing for us. They're grating. They don't show anywhere near the frustration that we're feeling. The frustration you should be feeling. Shake things up, for crying out loud. You know who's not performing. If you don't, go ahead and search BRB, DGDB&D, Houston Diehards, Stephanie Stradley, and/or any other Texans message board or fan site for the following phrases:

"Anthony Weaver"
"Travis Johnson"
"Jacques Reeves"
"Petey Faggins"

You could add Morlon Greenwood to that list, but an injury has made him a non-issue for now. I'd love nothing more than to add any Houston safety to the list as well, but I think the Wilson-Ferguson tandem may be the best option in a bad lot right now.

Play Frank Okam. Play Antwaun Molden. Play Tim Bulman. Play Earl Cochran. Play Fred Bennett (who looked like arse yesterday, but remains a youngster with promise). Keep Xavier Adibi out there, even if Greenwood gets healthy. None of those guys may prove to be the answer at their respective positions. Maybe one of them will, though. Maybe two. Maybe all of them. Try 'em and see. You are a 3-7 football team. Find out which areas need to be targeted with the greatest intensity in the draft (and to a lesser extent, free agency). You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Do it.

Limited chestnuts from the latest loss to Peyton Manning & Co.:

1. See what happens when Steve Slaton gets the ball? As good as he was (and he was awesome), kudos to the OL for run-blocking at the highest level we've seen all year. They were dynamite.

2. Special props to Ahman Green. That second TD was due to a tremendous second effort. I fully expected him to tear an ACL celebrating.

3. If Duane Brown can't figure out how to stop speed rushers off the end, we are in deep trouble. Alex Gibbs, you're our only hope.

4. I get that the plan was to keep Peyton Manning off the field by running the ball. That's a good plan. But something's still wrong when Owen Daniels only has one catch and Andre Johnson only has five (5); I don't think the latter even got a pass thrown his way in the second or third quarters. You have to figure out a way to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers.

5. As echoed by Matt here, there wasn't a single Texans fan whose surname is not "Rosenfels" who did not call that game-ending interception well before it happened. I couldn't even muster any anger about it. Just bleak resignation. Crippler of my soul, thy name is Sage.

6. Super Mario didn't register a sack, but he was thisfreakingclose to sacking Peyton on at least a half-dozen plays that I saw. Yes, Peyton Manning is that good, though you have to give Richard Smith credit for totally disregarding a blatant mismatch.

7. It's 10:17 p.m., and Richard Smith is still gainfully employed as the defensive coordinator of your Houston Texans. What he did in a previous life to deserve this kind of invincibility, I'll never know.

8. The secondary still drains me of my will to live. Nothing new there.

9. What is new, however, is The X-Factor. I've made no bones about the man-crush I have on Adibi; I feel like a proud father right now. Or I would. If I had kids, and one of them was Xavier Adibi. I'm getting light-headed.

10. Another Texans loss, another case of questionable timeout management by the coaching staff. Really would've been nice to have one or two extra timeouts on that last drive, huh? Especially when one of them was burned due to having thirteen (13!) players on the field and therefore avoidable under every circumstance? Oh, Richard Smith...you are evil. What dark force injected you into this earthly plane?

11. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Steve Slaton; Defense--Xavier Adibi; Special Teams--Kris Brown.

Your Houston Texans travel to the Dawg Pound on Sunday. Yup, it's a road game. Yup, we're dead in the water.

Last night, I received the following text message from my buddy Jay:

DeAngelo Hall...please? Anybody but Jacques Reeves.

Some of you have already begun debating the merits of pursuing Hall, who was unceremoniously dumped by the Raiders a day or two ago, in the Comments to the latest PGB. I think the debate deserves its own thread, so here we go.

As many of you will remember, Hall was the player many Houston fans were hoping would fall to the Texans back in '04. At the time, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Hall or a dude named Dunta Robinson would be the selection at No. 10. Needless to say, I'm pretty happy with how that worked out. Question is whether you, as a Texan fan, want DeAngelo Hall now. He's cleared waivers, so Hall could theoretically be signed for a low-risk, incentive-laden contract.

The negatives to signing Hall? By nearly all accounts, he's been a locker room cancer in Atlanta and Oakland. Plus, there's a fine argument to be made that Hall is vastly overrated. And don't forget that you already have Fred Bennett and Antwaun Molden waiting in the wings. Wouldn't you want to get those guys on the field instead of adding a player who could take snaps away from them?

The positives to signing Hall? He's not Petey Faggins or Jacques Reeves, which by definition would make him an upgrade to what the Texans currently trot out to start each game at CB.

Personally, I'm not interested in Hall, primarily because I want to see more Bennett and Molden, so I'm opposed to bringing someone on who could give Richard Smith an additional excuse to avoid playing the youngsters. Secondary reason, of course, is that Hall seems to be a problem child; that doesn't seem like it'd help a 3-5 team.

Discuss, BRB. Pursue DeAngelo Hall or not?

Better late than never, right? As Baltimore is fast ahead, let's put the latest road loss in the rearview mirror as quickly as possible...

1. The most maddening thing I think I've read all season, courtesy of Jacques "I Make Petey Faggins Look Good" Reeves:

"That’s what I want," Reeves said about quarterbacks trying to pick on him. "It gives me a chance to make plays, so I have no problem with it."

You have got to be kidding me. News flash, Pepe Le Pew: You're awful. Every Sunday, you make me want to go on a killing spree. You make Petey Faggins, widely considered to be the worst defensive back in all of football, look like Deion Sanders. I hate you, Frenchy. The reason teams throw at you is precisely because you do not make plays (Sunday's fluke pick-six aside). They're going to throw at you regardless, so the least you could do is not encourage them to do so. It's akin to dousing yourself in gasoline and then dancing around a campfire. I want to scream right now.

2. There are lots of reasons to think Richard Smith is an incompetent boob. The refusal to blitz. The insistence on playing defensive linemen who are nowhere near as productive as the younger guys below them on the depth chart. The inability to maximize the skills of his personnel. These are all good reasons. But in my opinion, there is no bigger reason to want Smith's head on a platter than his cornerback rotation. I'm willing to be lenient about his use of Dunta Robinson; Dunta's still rounding into shape after a horrific injury and is shaking the rust off (e.g., getting beat for a TD by Sidney Rice). No such benefit of the doubt, however, when it comes to Richard Smith's bizarre use of Fred Bennett and absolute refusal to incorporate Antwaun Molden into the rotation. Bennett was a revelation last year; now he can't even get consistent snaps in front of Jacques Reeves and/or Petey Faggins? I'll make this perfectly clear: I would rather see Fred Bennett wearing his helmet backwards and lined up across from Jerry Rice than be subjected to another second of Reeves or Faggins. Simply put, there's no way Bennett is worse than either of those guys. It's not possible. I have no idea if Molden is an answer at CB, but give me the potential that he is over the known quantity that is the poisonous non-coverage skills of the incumbents any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Again, I want to scream.

3. Hey, Dick Smith: Tim Bulman and Earl Cochran each notched a sack. In light of that success, as well as the fact that they've clearly outplayed the guys ahead of them all season, any chance Bulman and Cochran supplant Travis Johnson and The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver as the starters? Or even take snaps away from them? Of course not.

6. I think DeMeco's ankle is really messed up. He's spoiled us since his rookie year, so it blows to have to see him look less than the stellar Pro Bowler we're used to.

7. The last memory I'll have of Zac Diles this season is him biting on that fake and allowing Visanthe Shiancoe to score the winning TD for the Vikings. I hate that.

8. If Owen Daniels isn't in Honolulu in February, there should be an investigation. 11 catches for 133 yards? Tight ends don't put up those kind of numbers.

9. The Vikes neutralized Andre Johnson as well as a team not named the Texans can do it. As opposed to years past, the nice thing is that the Texans have enough other weapons that the offense doesn't completely grind to a halt if 'Dre has a quieter game. The offense may not be as explosive without 'Dre hovering around 100 receiving yards, but guys like OD, K-Dub, and Steve Slaton still give the QB options. That's a treat.

10. Duane Brown and Ephraim Salaam should be ashamed of themselves. I know Jared Allen's a stud and all, but they were outclassed the entire game. As I noted here, one play of Salaam getting pancaked really sticks out in my mind. The fact that Brown has to face another 3-4 defense on Sunday (remember what James Harrison and Joey Porter did to ol' Duane) should have Sage increasing his life insurance policy.

11. Staying on Sage...that pick into double coverage (in the end zone, no less) that effectively ended the game was atrocious. Communication issues aside, there was no excuse for that throw. The worst part about it? Tell me you didn't see it coming. You're lying.

12. The Texans' defense is far too crappy for the offense to be able to turn the ball over at all, much less inside the red zone. It's a chronic problem that doesn't seem to get better at all, and I don't know why. Is it simply execution by the players? Is it coaching? What's the deal?

13. Matt Schaub shouldn't have been out there after he started limping, though I appreciate his toughness. His INT on the wounded duck to Vonta Leach looked to be the result of his inability to put his whole body into the throw. No player ever wants to come out, so that's on Kubes.

14. What's not on Kubes, however, is Schaub's fumbling. It's also a problem that's not going away.

15. Thought the interior of the Houston OL did a very admirable job against the one ton of push that is the Williams Wall. That was unexpected.

16. I'm tired and now much angrier than when I started writing this, so I'm wrapping this up. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Owen Daniels; Defense--Zac Diles; Special Teams--Kris Brown (by default).

Sunday brings the Ike'd out game against Baltimore, and your Houston Texans will be without their starting QB and leading tackler. The only way this could be any more ominous is if it was on the road.

Final numbers from the victory over Detroit are here. I suppose I'd have to say that Sunday's win was better than the previous week's win, primarily because the offense looked simply unstoppable for a half against the Lions, while it was much more inconsistent throughout (cough...Schaub...cough) versus Miami. So that's a positive, I guess. On Sunday, after doing a reasonable impersonation of a pro-caliber defense in the first half (albeit one that had the fortune to face an offense led by Dan Orlovsky), Richard Smith's gang (especially the secondary) reverted to its typically awful ways in Half Two. What I want to know is this: When are we going to see a complete, thorough effort from your Houston Texans? Is it too much to ask? Is the defense even capable of providing that kind of performance? Why do I feel like these are rhetorical questions?

Lest I sound like I'm complaining too much, let me make clear that I'm ecstatic about a second win. Winning streaks for our beloved franchise are about as rare as quiet nights at home are for Pacman. I'm not turning my nose up at winning two in a row. The fact remains, however, that you're not going to beat many teams playing like the Texans did in the second half last Sunday. Good teams can afford the occasional lapse like that; struggling teams looking to put something together cannot. To the specifics:

1. I'm starting with the OL this week, and with good reason. Every week, I see the run-blocking improve. At this rate, the Texans are going to have a, dare I say, dominant running game by season's end. The pass-blocking was overwhelmingly good as well; the three (3) sacks surrendered looked to be more of the coverage variety than the smoked-off-the-snap vintage.

2. A bit confused as to the new Duane Brown-Ephraim Salaam rotation. It would have made a lot more sense at the beginning of the season. Now, it strikes me as odd, though there's no doubt that D. Brown has had trouble staying in front of the quicker DEs he's faced so far.

3. Tremendous bounceback game for The Schaub, one red zone fumble before the half aside (which proved to be costly from a momentum standpoint, as the offense stalled for much of the second half and generally looked a bit out of sync). Completing twenty-six (26) out of thirty-one (31) passes isn't something you see every day. Unless you're watching the Horns, of course. Again, I temper my enthusiasm with the caveat that it came at the expense of the Lions, but perhaps The Schaub Train is picking up steam after his dramatic game-winning scamper against the Fins?

4. Andre Johnson could catch the speed of light if he wanted to do so.

5. Owen Daniels finally got off the TD schneid in a big way. He's been so consistently good that I think I'm in danger of taking his excellence for granted.

6. In the Comments below, take a shot at listing all the current RB 1-2 punches in the NFL that you believe are better than Slaton-Green. Not better single RBs, mind you, but better RB tandems. I think you'll be amazed at how short the list is.

7. One more word on Slaton...he's already the second-best running back the franchise has ever had, and he's only six (6) games into his career. That's really exciting and terribly depressing at the same time.

8. If you weren't lucky enough to be at Sunday's game, check out this video someone taped of the defensive starter introductions. If you're pressed for time, fast forward to about 2:15 and watch Dunta's entrance; the team wisely introduced him even though he wasn't starting. I'm not ashamed to say I got a little choked up when I saw him jumping around after emerging from the tunnel. I don't know that we'll ever see anyone so happy to get back to work as Dunta was last Sunday.

9. Speaking of Dunta, he was most assuredly rusty; Mike Furrey had him beat far more often than not. It'll come, though. And it can't come soon enough, because...

10. Petey Faggins remembered he was Petey Faggins and played accordingly. The only, and I mean the ONLY, explanation for why Richard Smith would allow Petey to even get within five (5) yards of Calvin Johnson by himself is a botched lobotomy. It explains everything, really. Our defensive coordinator has been lobotomized and is scheming to reflect that. How else do you explan that Smith finally saw fit to call a couple of blitzes? You know he didn't do that willingly. The icepick did it. The icepick giveth (blitzing), and the icepick taketh away (assigning Petey Faggins to single-handedly hold C. Johnson).

11. Congratulations, Jacques Reeves. You were far from good, but your inadequacy was upstaged by Petey. Clever trick.

12. Will Demps looked really good in run support, though the concerns about the safety play in pass coverage remain.

13. The linebacking play, and specifically that of Zac Diles, seems to be improving each week. Shockingly, it really helps the pass rush when the linebackers are occasionally turned loose to pursue the QB, as evidenced by Diles' sack. Novel idea, I know, and I'm not even lobotomized.

14. Aside from a single long jaunt by Kevin Smith, the front seven did a fine job against the run.

15. Super Mario was held in check rather well by the DET OL; kudos to them. Unfortunately for the Lions, they forgot about BRB favorite Tim Bulman.

16. Speaking of Bulman, note that he notched his first sack mere days after granting us an interview. Coincidence? I think not. Amobi, you know where to find us.

17. Exactly what sort of compromising pictures does Anthony Weaver have that merit him getting snaps, much less starting? What else do Bulman and/or Earl Cochran have to do?

18. Kris Brown has not missed a field goal in nearly ten (10) months.

19. Matt Turk was as responsible for the Texans holding on to win as any single player, with assists by Apostrophe Davis and Antwaun Molden. Three (3) punts downed inside the five yard line? Are you kidding me?

20. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Owen Daniels; Defense--Zac Diles; Special Teams--Matt Turk.

One winless team in the rearview mirror, and another one dead ahead. Don't get complacent, though...Cincinnati has some weapons in the passing game, and they're completely capable of exploiting the horrendous secondary we know and hate begrudgingly tolerate. It won't be easy.

The Texans enter the 2008 season with an expectation level that's higher than any Reliant Park has ever seen.  A potent passing attack and some of the league's best young defensive talent have the Texans brimming with optimism. 

Tempering the Texans' enthusiasm, however, is a lack of depth at the cornerback position.  With standout CB Dunta Robinson beginning the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the Texans are fielding an opening day tandem of CB Jacques Reeves and CB Fred Bennett.  Throw in the much maligned CB DeMarcus Faggins and rookie CB Antwaun Molden, and is easy to see why cornerback is such a concern.

Needing to make a move to bolster the depth at the cornerback position, the Texans front office brought in another pedigreed player with something to prove.  Enter Eugene Wilson.

Continue reading this post »

Today's article in the Chronicle by Dale Robertson got me thinking. Actually, I've been thinking about this topic a lot since Dunta Robinson went down in November. Not that anyone can replace the guy who has been the heart and soul of the Texans defense since at least 2005, but someone has to start opposite Fred Bennett until Dunta gets back on the field (and that's assuming he even comes back at CB, which is a sizable assumption, given the nature of his injury). Come Pittsburgh, who's going to be starting at CB with Bennett?

It's clearly Jacques Reeves' job to lose. But given his history of looking like Petey Faggins on a bad day, I have considerable faith that he is eminently capable of doing just that. Antwaun Molden has impressed in camp, but he's a rookie, and he looked like a rook against New Orleans. It's probably asking too much for Molden to come in and start from Day One. Jamar Fletcher? Eh. I think I'd rather see Molden out there and deal with the lumps that would surely accompany him growing into the role.

Frankly, I really don't know what's going to happen. If I had to guess, I'd say that Reeves is your other starter at CB in Pittsburgh, but that Antwaun Molden displaces him around midseason. I know that's not exactly cause for celebration, but it could be worse, right? Right?

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.

Continue reading this post »

As always, here are the final stats. While we still need to temper our reactions (deep breath...it's only preseason...it's only preseason...exhale), Saturday night's win at New Orleans left us with plenty to chew on. Let's get going:

1. Matt Schaub played QB about as well as it can possibly be played. Whereas his effort the week before featured one abominable throw, Saturday night's showing was epic from start to finish. We all know it, but it bears mentioning again: If he stays upright, he's going to be a top ten QB in the NFL this season.

2. I was a bit critical of Sage in the live game threads (here and here), and I'll admit the numbers don't back me up. But he made a throw or two that looked like Schaub's mistake last week, so the stats may not tell the whole story.

3. Another positive: Chris Brown carried the ball eight (8) times (for a paltry 19 yards) and seemingly managed to avoid breaking, tearing, rupturing, spraining, straining, and/or tweaking anything. Wonders never cease.

4. From what I've seen, I believe the coaching staff is giving Chris Taylor every opportunity to be RB2 in this offense. He's looked good at times and average to slightly below-average most of the time, however, so the jury's out on whether he will win the gig.

5. Steve Slaton looked markedly better in Week Two. I'm excited about the possibility of him stealing the starting job by Pittsburgh.

6. Kevin Walter is a damn fine WR, and I'm ashamed that I ever doubted him. Preseason or no preseason, 100 receiving yards in a half is elite work.

7. Considering the high regard I hold for K-Dub, it with the utmost respect I say this: David Anderson is a poor man's Kevin Walter. Dude is strong-arming his way into the WR rotation. Speaking of...

8. Jacoby Jones is strong-arming his way to irrelevance. If he doesn't get his act together, he's going to get into Texans games as much as I will this year.

9. The OL looked unbelievable in pass protection again, and I thought the run-blocking was better than the week before (though there's still plenty of room for improvement there).

10. Duane Brown continues to impress. I mean, REALLY impress. It's only preseason, but the guy looks like he knows what he's doing. Quick--name another Texans LT you could say that about week-to-week.

11. Morlon Greenwood looked bad...again.

12. He was by no means alone. I thought the defense as a whole looked mediocre at best and like a doormat at worst. ZERO pass rush. Decent job stopping the run. Horrendous job in pass coverage, though a couple of Brees' long completions honestly could not have been defended any better; Brees just made perfect throws. Speaking of...

13. Jacques Reeves looked like the Jacques Reeves Dallas fans were so happy to see depart more often than not. I had high hopes that Antwaun Molden would pick up the slack, but Molden looked like the rookie he is. He'll get better, I know. Reeves will get better, I pray.

14. Great safety play from Demps and Brown. They were good in run support last week, and I thought they improved in the passing game this week.

15. Overall, another game that meant nothing, though it was nice to see the Texans have to manage the game at the end to win. Most importantly, no season-ending injuries. We'll take it.

Next up: "America's Team" on Friday night. You know, if your "America" is Satan's playground.

With one preseason game down and three more to go, I might as well throw a few thoughts out there about who I think might be on the way out and/or the way up. Some of this I've noted before, but I think it bears extra mention based upon what we've seen and read thus far:

1. Could my dream DE opposite Super Mario actually become a reality? If you believe the words coming out of Kubes' mouth, indeed it could. I'll still believe it when I see it, though I'd have to think the Texans won't pay Anthony Weaver a base of $3,500,000.00 to be a backup. Then again, I thought the same thing last year about Flanagan and McKinney; we all saw how wrong I was on that one.

2. Consider Chris and I on the same wavelength when it comes to Ahman Green, though I think the argument noted by Andy in the comments there is legit. At this point, given the complete unknowns at RB, don't you almost have to roll the dice that Ahman can contribute? It's not like an Ahmanless backfield is that much more attractive (though it is probably better for the collective blood pressure of Texans fans).

3. I thought Jacoby Jones would be a shoo-in for a spot in the return game while pushing for time at WR. If I was Jacoby, I'd now be a bit worried that my inability, perceived or actual, to respond to coaching might put my spot as PR in jeopardy, to say nothing of reps at WR. Not saying Jacoby's in any danger of being cut; he is only in his second year. But I do think he's going to have to make real strides this season to stay out of Kubes' doghouse.

4. Does anyone believe that Chris Brown will actually get through the game in New Orleans without pulling, straining, and/or tearing something? I know I don't. And that's good news for Darius Walker and Chris Taylor. Steve Slaton has one roster spot sewn up, but it wouldn't shock me at all to see Kubes opt to carry both Walker and Taylor as insurance policies or outright replacements instead of a guy who's liable to get hurt putting his jersey on.

5. It's not all negative here, folks. I am positively geeked about seeing what Antwaun Molden can do on Saturday night. If Molden is what we hope he is, could the 2008 Texans secondary be like the 2007 Texans wide receiving corps--a huge concern heading into the season, only to become one of the strongest groups on the team as the season progresses? I think it well could be. How's THAT for some Kool-Aid?