I'd be lying if I said that my extended absence was purely work related, but truth be told, higher headquarters inspections are a mother.  So again, I was Aiming High this past weekend and didn't watch the game until after the contest had long been decided.  Like last time, I did my best to avoid all contact with football until I got home and started chugging beers.  The only thing that clued me in to what happened was a text from a buddy of mine (Saints fan):  "Your team is kicking ass".  Imagine my excitement... 

There was a certain irony to the unfortunate events that took place on Sunday afternoon.  It's taken me several days to actually put into perspective what I saw.  In a sense, the game left me feeling Minnesota.

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Okay, I was non-existent for this week's live game blog and it was with good reason, I was fulfilling my commitment to the USAFR.  Now, be being the true fan that I am, I had my better half record it and didn't watch what happened until after the game had long been decided.  That's not to say that I didn't have an idea of what happened - a chance meeting with my unit's only other proclaimed Texans fan pretty much clued me in - his expression told me all I needed to know...

So with the power of DVR, I watched the game twice... first time building a buzz, and the next stinking drunk.  Now, the funny thing is that I didn't start taking game notes until the second game.  The following is based on what I saw with my two bloodshot eyes.

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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.

With Tim still blogging by candlelight, I was given the opportunity to interview Jimmy of the Music City Miracles for this week's installment of the pre-game recon.  I tried to keep the Vince Young questions to a minimum... but who am I kidding?  The burning question is whether or not we've seen the last of Vince Young.   So with out furher ado, here's how it went: 

With the Jags and Colts both off to a slow start, and the Titans in sole control of first place, how likely is it that the Titans will finish the season as the top team in the AFC South?

It is entirely too early to declare anything, but I think the Titans have a great shot to win the division.  They have a really good defense and running game, and the gap that was between them and the Colts is pretty much gone.  I don't think there was ever much of a gap between them and the Jaguars.  This division is wide open, and the Titans have as good of a shot as anyone to win it.

***

The Titans had a top-five defense in 2007 and are looking every bit as impressive this year, but that wasn't always the case.  In 2006 they were dead last, allowing a league worst 369.7 yards a game.  Who gets the credit for this dramatic turn around?  Which defensive player could you least afford to lose?

It was a combination of things; Albert Haynesworth finally turned into the dominating player they thought he was going to be when they drafted him.  The Titans signed David Thornton and Chris Hope before the 2006 season, and they finally got acclimated to the defense.  Cortland Finnegan moved from the nickel back to corner and played really well.  Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy stayed healthy for most of the season.  All of those things came together at the same time and made for a dominant defense.

The answer to the 2^nd question is Fat Albert.  He collapses the middle of an offensive line and opens everything up for the rest of the team.

***

With a career passer rating of 68.3 (45.6 in 2008), Vince Young is clearly not the next Steve Young.  Did the Titans fail Vince Young or did Vince Young fail the Titans? Who takes the blame? 

I am not sure that anyone has failed yet, but if I had to answer your question it would be VY that failed the Titans.  He showed the playmaking ability and leadership in his rookie season that the Titans knew he had when they drafted him.  Something happened between the end of that season and the start of the next season, and he lost that competitive fire.  It is too early to close the book on VY's career.

***

Think back to the 2006 NFL Draft.  Where do you think this team would be right now if the Titans had drafted Vanderbilt's own Jay Cutler instead of Vince Young? 

Not real sure how to answer this one.  Cutler would not have led the 2006 team to an 8-8 record, but it is pretty obvious that Cutler is a better quarterback than VY right now.  Put Cutler with this defense and running game and the Titans could probably go 14-2.

***

With Jeff Fisher saying that he will stick with Kerry Collins as long as the Titans are winning, how close are we to seeing the end of the Vince Young era?  Is it possible that we would see Vince play another position?

The VY era is far from being over.  This might be Kerry's team for this season, but VY will get his shot again in training camp next season, if not earlier.  You don't take a guy #3 overall and give up on him after less than 30 starts.

I don't see VY moving to another position.

***

So far, Chris Johnson has lived up to his game breaker billing.  He's averaging nearly six yards a carry through the first two games. We know the kid is fast as lightning (a record 4.24 at the combine), but what is it about his game that makes him so effective on the field?

Well it starts up front with the offensive line.  The Titans have one of the best O lines in the NFL.  He also has really good patience and vision to go along with his speed, and he catches the ball well out of the backfield.

***

Extra Point: The final score between the Texans and Titans will be  24-10 Titans  because the Titans will play really good defense and run the ball effectively.

Our many thanks to Jimmy for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions.  You can see my answers to his questions here.

When the Texans' original schedule was released, most of us in the fan base were ecstatic with the placement of our bye week (Week 8).  But unfortunately for us,  Hurricane Ike had different ideas...

With Ike wreaking havoc along the Coastal Bend and knocking holes in the roof at Reliant Stadium, it left little chance that the Texans would host a home game any time soon.  And because the game of football doesn't lend itself to playing doubleheaders, the only real solution was to rearrange the schedule and soldier on. 

Now, the participants in Week One live game thread can attest to the fact that I held out until sometime in the third quarter before I lost all hope.  Regardless of the situation, I usually try to remain optimistic.  Much like last year's Carolina game, when the chips were down, the Texans clawed their way back into that game and kicked some ass... while history didn't repeat itself in week one, the lesson still remains.  

So why do I mention it?  Because as fans, we can bitch and moan about having to burn our bye week only one game into the season...or we can try to focus on the positives.  So without further ado, here are five (5) silver linings that came from the clouds of Hurricane Ike.

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In the face of an impending hurricane, the Texans carried on with this week's practices with one thing on their minds - preparing for the Baltimore Ravens.  With last Sunday's debacle in rear view mirror, the Texans have only one goal, prove to everyone that they are better than their week one showing.

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