Gather 'round, Kids...Let's Talk About The Good

One of the positives of being an old, jaded adult is that I'm an old, jaded adult.  For those of you who've been around the Texans since the beginning, it's not that we're not used to losing, it's that our expectations were higher this year.  Even *I* believed the Texans had a solid shot at making the playoffs, though I long believed our defense was going to be exposed as completely fraudulent.  While the bleach is flowing like whisky 'round these parts, let's look at a couple of factors that make this team worthwhile to follow from here on out.

In David Letterman-esque, fashion, here are the Top 5 Reasons to Continue Watching the Texans.

#5: Kareem Jackson (will fall down).  Really, bfd?  Really, fair reader.  All season, I've been saying the Texans have not put Jackson in a position to succeed, and after nine games on the firing line, we'll get to look for measurable improvements.  His play will have a tremendous impact on how we handle the 2011 off-season.  And, believe it or not, there's still a lot to like about Jackson.  NOTHING we've seen from here should've been considered unexpected, and I'm willing to give him more time to flex his muscles.  Anyway, it's far to easy to give up on the kid at this point in his development.

#4: BattleRedBlog.  You may think I'm patting myself on the back on this one, but this isn't the case.  I'm not shy in my belief that BRB has some of the best football "journalists" on the Internet, much less bloggers.  Most of all, we aren't going to piss down your back and tell you it's raining.  You'll always get an honest assessment from us, whether rosy or not, and with writers like Rivers and Tim and the rest of the staff here, the analysis will be sound and thoughtful.

#3: Worst.  Defense.  EVAR.  For realz.  With the Bills holding the Lions to "only" 390 yards yesterday, and Shaun Hill's pedestrian 75.7 passer rating, we may have overtaken the Bills for the worst pass defense in the past 17 years (which likely means it's the worst in history).  I know it's a bit morbid of me, but I do get quite a bit of entertainment value from the whole debacle.  I've long wished I could've witnessed the Philadelphia Phillies 1930 season, in which their pitching staff managed a massive 6.71 ERA.  The Texans are kinda like that.  I mean, if we're going to be the suckiest bunch of sucks who ever sucked, let's be historically bad.

One day, you'll be able to set your grandchild on your knee and say, "Yes, I was there for the Texans in 2010.  Zac Diles and Eugene Wilson actually did play.  They were real people.  Really!  No, I'm not making them up.  Please don't put me in that crooked rest home."

#2: Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson.  The Texans still have the best WR in his era on the squad, and watching Teh Schaub and Andre play pitch and catch is absolutely beautiful.  Andre is a man among children every time he takes the field.

#1: Arian Foster.  He's not quite Andre just yet, but how wonderful is it to watch him on a weekly basis?  He has the speed, quickness, and smoothness to just mesmerize me.  Even as much as a defense-first guy I am, for my money, there's nothing like watching a running back with Foster's skills, and he still doesn't even have a full season under his belt.

I know this isn't the glass-is-completely-empty post as most of you expect from me.  I am inherently critical, and I recognize this personal foible.  However, there's still a lot to like about this team, and above are five reasons why.  For those of you who'll still revel in the pain on a weekly basis, what will keep you going (blind fandom aside)?