Rosenfels! Quinn! It's Texans-Browns!
Given how the season's gone thus far, I've found myself trying to find the silver lining in being a Texans fan. It's gotten to be downright painful to watch your Houston Texans each week. There's little hope for victory, and seeing the same mistakes week in and week out is giving me ulcers, not to mention increasingly tough Monday mornings. There's a lot to dislike about this team right now, and approximately 85% of it revolves around the defense. Still, here's a silver lining for you: At least we have a team.
Remember 1997-2001? I do. Our fall Sundays may have been more productive during that five (5) year stretch of void, but something was missing. We watched the games, yet we didn't really have anything invested in them. Well, except money, though that's neither here nor there. For all the Texans' foibles, they're ours. And that's worth its weight in gold, even if right now that worth is generally defined by a burning sensation and blinding rage.
Three (3) things that are sure to occur (read: no way these things will happen; the author is an idiot) when your Houston Texans invade Cleveland tomorrow afternoon:
1. Shaun Rogers is going to show us what a real, honest-to-god-of-your-choice DT/NT can do. Look at the picture in the Comments to this post over at Dawgs By Nature. Now imagine how having a player like that could open things up for Amobi Okoye. Now weep. It's okay. I'm not going to think any less of you.
Better? Good. Get ready for Chris Myers to get pushed back five (5) yards on every snap tomorrow. That's not an indictment of Myers; he's a lighter offensive lineman who can't be expected to contain a guy of Rogers' size by himself. That means guard help throughout the game, which should open lanes for Browns linebackers. Advantage: Team That Actually Plays A Huge DT Instead Of Giving The Majority Of The Snaps To A Smaller, Below-Average DT.
2. Dunta Robinson returns to the starting lineup with a bang. I'm calling a pick for the best DB on the roster as he continues to round into pre-injury form. In related news, whoever starts at the other CB spot (Reeves? Faggins? Bennett?) is going to be picked on alllllllll day with nary an adjustment from Richard Smith. That last statement isn't a prediction. It's a fact.
3. I've got a feeling that Owen Daniels and Andre Johnson are going to have sizable statistical days. As in, 89 yards receiving for OD and 107 yards receiving (with a TD) for 'Dre. Shanahan/Kubes have generally done a great job reincorporating those guys back into the offense the week after not going to them enough.
PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: Two words, folks. Road game. Until further notice, I can't pick your Houston Texans to win away from Reliant. Texans 24, Browns 30.