Moving

The 2010 NFL season is coming up in a couple of months. Another 17 weeks of football is right around the bend. Unfortunately, Mardi will no longer be participating in this blog. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. As such, this blog will be moving to a new URL soon and will be changing its name to focus on the Texans from this fan's perspective. Look for the new URL soon and hope to see you all there.

Free Agency Update

It has been reported in a few media outlets that backup QB Rex Grossman has signed a 1 year deal with Washington. John David Booty was signed by Houston this past January to add depth to the QB position.

All indicators are pointing to the imminent departure of G Chester Pitts. He is set to visit with both Detroit and San Francisco this week. As one of the original remaining Houston Texans, it will be sad to see his run ending here, but I do wish him the best of luck with his remaining NFL career.

I read on the transaction wire that Houston signed G/C Wade Smith on Tuesday. His 8 years of NFL experience on the Offensive Line should give the Texans a nice boost. Last season he played in all 16 games with Kansas City, including 9 as a starter.

The 2010 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. The consensus, at least over at Foxsports.com, is that Houston is in need of a Running Back. At this point I'm not sure of Steve Slaton's status, but providing he is healthy I don't see much of a reason to try to draft another feature back. The fumble problems weren't confined to Slaton and all of the backs employed this past season had difficulty getting the ball any decent distance past the line of scrimmage. I have heard talk that Houston should get a big interior Defensive Lineman to help take some of the pressure off DT Amobi Okoye. Okoye does have the quickness and has shown flashes of what he can do, but he does need another big 300+ pounder to help him break through the interior blocking. The Texans also have a need at Cornerback. At this point the Texans already have 2 corners coming off rookie seasons, so I would look for a veteran to help these guys along in their development.

Update...

Several teams are making a run at WR Kevin Walter. There are predictions that he will sign with Baltimore, even though Houston has expressed interest in retaining him. It's hard to tell what's going to happen with this being an uncapped year. I'm glad there are no public bidding wars, but who's to say what will happen. The one free agent whom I would have liked to see come to Houston, RB Chester Taylor, has signed with Chicago. This will definitely take some pressure off Jay Cutler, but I would have liked to see the pressure taken off Matt Shaub.

Hmmm....

I just read that Minnesota RB Chester Taylor is an Unrestricted Free Agent going into this offseason. Although he is 29, he does have a lot of gas left in the tank and would add some serious toughness to the RB position for Houston. Add to that the fact that he has not been a feature back since Adrian Peterson joined the Vikings, Houston could get him relatively cheap. I would be interested to see how this plays out.

There are reports that Houston is very interested in keeping Kevin Walter. He is a solid number 2 receiver who could compete for a number 1 slot on any other team. I'm hoping that Houston does keep him. Letting him go will allow teams to bring more pressure on Andre Johnson.

The top players at CB right now consist of 2 rookies. I'm hoping that Houston can address this through free agency rather than through the draft as the team will need some veteran leadership at this position. The secondary at the corners was arguably subpar at times this past season.

Offseason Reindeer Games part 1

So the NFL season is over, we've gone through our football withdrawals, and have settled into an alternate routine. Now it's time for the reindeer games to begin. I'm not sure if Mardi will be posting too much concerning the offseason, but I'm going to try to keep up with it as best I can as this can sometimes get as exciting as the season itself.

I'm sure all of you have read by now that Gary Kubiak has been given a contract extension. Whether this is good or bad depends on your point of view. I personally think this is a good move. It provides continuity in leadership, which is going to be vitally important going into the offseason. The Texans are improving (albeit slowly - too slowly for some) and to shake up leadership would just be destructive. While some may say that the coaching is at fault for the disappointing 4 game losing streak, I can really point to only 1 play that had a big affect on the outcome of the game (halfback option, anyone?). It will be interesting to see who Kubiak brings in to replace Kyle Shanahan, who, despite making some rookie mistakes, overall did a good job as the Offensive Coordinator.

The other big news that just came out is that the Texans are not going to franchise CB Dunta Robinson, nor are they offering him a new contract. I can't say I'm all that sad about seeing him go. Up until his injury in the 2007-2008 season he was on his way to becoming a premiere cornerback in the NFL. Of course he lost a step or upon returning in the middle of the 08-09 season. Nobody faulted him for that, but he was faulted for holding out on the time right up until the beginning of the 09-10 regular season. Robinson missed training camp and his performance at many times was mediocre to average at best. He clearly was not happy with his contract situation. I wish Dunta Robinson good luck with his next team, but perhaps it's time to bring in some fresh talent.

There's my offseason update so far this year. Feel free to comment or question anything I have said and let's look forward to another great season of Houston Texan football!

The Final Entry

Well here it is my final entry to a good run, as I was going back through the old blogs to get an accurate score I was happy to see we actually had people reading the blog occasionally and leaving comments. I apologize for missing this before. It was definitely an interesting year of football and I can't wait until next season. As for the final scores. In the regular season I ended with 149-106 and Rick ended 151-104. Tight race. Post season I ended 8-3 and Rick ended 7-4 by winning the score of the Super Bowl, we both predicted the wrong team.

I can't even begin to predict what next season will bring but I know I can't wait to find out. Until next time.....

Oh yeah the score!

35-27

Superbowl XLIV

As Mardi already stated, this is a tough call. I'm going to go with the Colts. The final score will be 31-24.

The Super Bowl!

Tough call, but I am going with the Colts.

And again I say......

WTF

Pro Bowl

NFC all the way

WTF

that's all I have to say....

Conference Champs

New Orleans
Indianapolis

Champions.......

Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings 

Enough said  

Err....

Hmm where to start.... ok well let's start with Dallas at Minnesota. Did you see that coming? I sure didn't, as stated in my previous post I expected it to be close yet MN totally spanked the Cowboys. Keith Brooking crying to the Vikings sideline only added more insult to the Cowboys. Terry Bradshaw commented that the additional score was unnecessary and only added insult to the injury of the Cowboys.... ok what were they (Vikings) supposed to do?  I would like someone to answer that question for me. Should they have rolled over? Kicked a field goal? Ran for yards to deplete the clock? Someone shed some light on this for me.

The Jets and Chargers.... well I was right it was lower scoring however not less exciting. I actually missed the live game but I did get to watch it later. Wow, that was tight and intense. The other two games were as predicted and really not all that exciting. Next week leads to more excitement, I can't wait to see the predictions. Go Vikes!

This Texans Season

Well, as anyone who has kept up with NFL season knows, the Texans did not make the playoffs. While most of the experts agreed at the beginning that this would be the year they made it, it was not to be.

The excitement definitely started with the drafting of Brian Cushing out of USC. This guy was expected to bring a new intensity and attitude to the defensive unit, and he delivered big time. He led the team in tackles this season, had his fair share of interceptions, and won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. That's not bad at all for the 17th overall draft pick. He did make a few rookie mistakes, but all in all he had an excellent season.

One of the biggest early problems Houston had this season was on run defense. Up until the game in Cincinnati, Houston was dead last in the league when it came to run defense. Teams were running at will, and that cost Houston 2 of its first 3 games this season. The rushing defense eventually clamped down as the interior of the line got its act together and the linebackers became more comfortable.

Another early problem, and one that would plague the team the entire season, was the lack of production in the running game. Steve Slaton led all NFL rookies in rushing for 2008-09. This season, however, he could barely get past the line and developed problems with fumbling the ball. He was effective in screens, but in rushing just seemed to lose it. To be fair, the offensive line needs to shoulder some of the blame for the lack of yardage as all the running backs employed this season had problems getting through the line.

This problem became very apparent in short yardage situations. In a couple of instances this season Houston needed short yardage, but failed in the run attempts. A clear example was the game at Arizona. Houston was less than a yard from tying the game in the final seconds and the line could not push back the defense just enough for the score.

Although Steve Slaton had the most fumbles this season, those problems were not his alone. Chris Brown fumbled the ball into the end zone while hosting Jacksonville. Jacksonville recovered for a touchback and was able to hold the ball until the clock ran out. A fumble by Ryan Moats in Indianapolis cost Houston a chance to tie the game before halftime.

Gary Kubiak remained committed to the running game, however, as the play action pass is a big part of the Houston passing game. In a lot of instances this proved to be the right strategy, although the play action would have probably been a lot more effective if Houston's running game was more effective.

Back on defense, last year Houston had a very questionable secondary. This seemed to be the case early on this season as well, but the secondary also began to clamp down. Safety Bernard Pollard was a big factor this season. He is a smart player who can read offenses fairly well. Dunta Robinson, the number 1 corner, did not live up to his franchise tag this year. Last year it was understandable as he missed half the season recovering from a torn ACL, but this year he more often than not got burned. I don't see him getting a new franchise tag anytime soon.

Mario Williams had a subpar season this year. This, however, can be attributed to a couple of different things. He played most of the year with a shoulder problem, which limited his ability to penetrate into the pocket. It is rather difficult to throw off a blocker with only one arm at full strength. Add to this the fact that he was constantly double-teamed as the opponents seemed to be unafraid of the rest of the line. Antonio Smith helped provide a lot of pressure, but not enough to offer a whole lot of help to Williams. That's not to say Williams didn't contribute. More often than not he was at the very least knocking opposing quarterbacks to the ground as the ball was being released, which indicated he was at least getting pressure on the pocket.

Matt Schaub had an outstanding year this year. He led the NFL in passing yards (4770) and was 5th in the NFL in passing touchdowns (29). I've heard the argument made that his numbers were inflated because of the poor running game, but all one has to do is look at Peyton Manning's numbers this season to negate that argument. The Indianapolis running game was the worst in the NFL this season, which necessitated Manning's big numbers. I'm not sure how Schaub feels, but I think it's a shame he wasn't sent to the Pro-Bowl.

Andre Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards for the 2nd straight season and became only the 2nd player in NFL history to have back-to-back 1500+ yard seasons.

Finally we come to the kicking game. Kris Brown has been the kicker for Houston since the beginning of the franchise. Through the years he has been a dependable kicker and for a couple of years was the envy of the league. In the second half of the season this year, however, he struggled mightily. In 2 games he missed field goals that would have at the least sent the games into overtime. In the final game against New England, he missed 2 field goal attempts and and extra-point attempt. I don't count blocked kicks because that is more a line problem. He's only 34 years old, so he still has plenty of life left in the game. For this upcoming season, however, I see Houston bringing in someone to compete for the kicker position.

The 4 game losing streak was hard, especially given that all the games were in the AFC South Division. In fact, the 2 games where Kris Brown cost the overtime were in back-to-back weeks. This is where Houston had the chance to establish itself in the playoff hunt. They were competitive in 3 of the 4 losses and each one could have gone the other way. Had 1 of them gone our way, I could have at the very least put off writing this entry for a week.

Houston finished the season 9-7 for their first winning record in franchise history. In the AFC South they finished 1-5, but placed 2nd in the division due to their overall record. Against the NFC, Houston went 3-1 and against the rest of the AFC they went 5-1. Houston finished 4th in Total Offense at 383.1 yards per game and 13th in Total Defense. The run defense went from 32nd in the beginning of the season all the way to 21st in Total Yards and 10th in Yards per Attempt - both of these placements are great improvements over the course of the season. Of course, finishing 30th in Rushing is not a great achievement, which I'm sure will be addressed in the offseason.

Of course, the changes for next season are happening already. Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan made his intentions clear before the end of the season that if his father, Mike Shanahan, was selected as Washington's next coach, that he would leave to coach with his father. Assistant Head Coach Alex Gibbs also departed Houston to join Pete Carrol's coaching staff in Seattle. This move came as a bit of a shock to both players and fans. Bob McNair, the owner of the Houston Texans, has affirmed that Gary Kubiak will be returning for a 5th season as Houston's Head Coach.

All in all, I'm proud of what Houston has achieved this season. They made mistakes but the winning attitude started to come through toward the end of the season. They remained competitive in all but 2 of their losses this season and in the final game against New England managed to erase a 2 touchdown deficit in the 4th quarter. The clawed their way to at least be knocking on the door to the playoffs, but unfortunately were not in control of their own destiny this season. I find it amusing that the team that beat Houston in Week 1 was the team that controlled Houston's playoff fate in Week 17.

Divisional Playoffs

Arizona at New Orleans (New Orleans)
Baltimore at Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
Dallas at Minnesota (Dallas)*
New York Jets at San Diego (New York Jets)*

Divisional Playoff's

Wow, this is not an easy week to call. I have to be honest I am struggling on this one. Let's take a look:

Arizona at New Orleans -  Well this is a toss up. With the Saints players being rested and healthy I look for them to play much better than the last couple weeks. For that reason New Orleans

Baltimore at Indianapolis - I think the Colts may struggle, their rushing game is not going to win this game in any way. However Manning is amongst the best and will be the key to this game. Indianapolis

Dallas at Minnesota - What a painful game, my two favorite teams. I honestly think this game is going to be tight and perhaps the most exciting of the weekend for any fan. Be that as it may my loyalty lies at home. Minnesota


NY Jets at San Diego - Yet another extremely close game but I think it will be more low scoring. I don't look for a lot of excitement out of this one but I do see a winner in San Diego

What a wild finish to the Wild Card weekend

Most of the games this weekend were less than eventful as the margins were vast. I can boast a 3-1 record and am kicking myself for not picking the Cards. I was close and only at the last minute decided to go with the Packers. Although had I picked the Cards I am sure the Packers would have won. I must say that game was more than a bit exciting. Couple the game with watching it in a sports bar surrounded by green and gold and it was a good time.

Much to my dismay I have to watch my Vikings face the Cowboys next weekend, my two favorite teams. Had I faced this challenge a month or two ago I would have said Vikings hands down however the Cowboys have rallied together and became a force to be reckoned with. But the purple and gold has home field and is undefeated at home. I of course will pick my Vikings but we will save that for later this week. What does Rick think of this past weekend's games?

Wild Card Weekend by Rick

New York Jets at Cincinnati (Cincinnati)*
Baltimore at New England (New England)*
Philadelphia at Dallas (Philadelphia)*
Green Bay at Arizona (Green Bay)

Arizona has been too inconsistent at home this year to be confident with them winning. The same could be said for Baltimore. They had a hard time against Oakland until JeMarcus Russell was brought in to replace Charlie Frye at Quarterback. The loss of Wes Welker is a tough one for New England, but I Belichik has a way of getting his other players to step up. I can't explain what happened to Philadelphia last weekend, but I don't expect it to be repeated. I expect the game against Dallas to be a knock-down, drag out fight, but in the end I expect the Eagles to prevail. Cincinnati in the first half last weekend was another puzzle, but it appeared as if they were holding back against New York. Before you dismiss this as crazy, I'm not the only one floating this theory.

I hope Minnesota is ready for another visit from Green Bay. But then again, Mardi will be mighty torn if Dallas does pull out the home win.

Wild Card Weekend!!!

New York Jets at Cincinnati - I think this is going to prove to be a good game. The Bengal's are going to be hungry for a win after totally being dominated by the Jets last week. The defense is the key in this game and for that sake I am going with the Jets.

Philadelphia at Dallas - Philly at Dallas, now let me tell you this: I don't know how many times I was told last week the Eagles are going to crush the Cowboys.... many many men thought I was crazy for picking the Cowboys, well guess what? Those Cowboys clipped the Eagles wings last week. I don't look for another sweep this week, in fact I think it will be a tight race however my pick is again the Cowboys.

Baltimore at New England - Hmm New England is undefeated at home but they also lost Wes Welker. Tough call on this one but I am going to have to go with the Ravens.

Green Bay at Arizona - Easily the toughest game to call for me. Arizona has shown they are a good team with some definite strong points, however the Packers have Aaron Rodgers who has been a force this season. The Arizona line is rested as they were pulled from the game last week which reflected in the score. However the Packers are hungry to prove they can make it just fine with a purple and gold #4. It pains me to do it but I have to go with the Packers.

So there stands our Wild Card weekend lineup. What do you think Rick?

2009-10 season is over

And so ends the regular season. This year provided some very interesting games and results. I am most proud of my team. Even though we struggled at the end on the road we can boast a perfect season at home and are on our way in the playoffs. If my count is accurate I finished 154 - 86, with missing week 16 in there. Rick has the count so I will let him validate that. As for the upcoming games we have some good matches coming up. I will lay those predictions out later.

The Vikings are leading the Pro Bowl with 9 players heading there this year with Percy Harvin being added later than the rest. Unfortunately because the NFL decided to play the Pro Bowl first for some dumb reason all 9 of the Vikings will have to enjoy it from the bench. You see the two teams going to the Super Bowl whose players are in the Pro Bowl are not going to be able to play. Put 2 and 2 together.... you see where I am going with this. None the less I think it should be a good game.

Time to make my Super Bowl plans... watch for predictions for the playoffs later this week.

Week 17 Sunday Night Game

Jets 28 - 14

Week 17

Indianapolis at Buffalo (Indianapolis)
New Orleans at Carolina (New Orleans)
Jacksonville at Cleveland (Jacksonville)
Chicago at Detroit (Chicago)
New England at Houston (Houston)*
Pittsburgh at Miami (Miami) *
New York Giants at Minnesota (Minnesota)
San Francisco at St. Louis (San Francisco)
Atlanta at Tampa Bay (Atlanta)
Green Bay at Arizona (Green Bay) *
Philadelphia at Dallas (Philadelphia)*
Kansas City at Denver (Denver)
Baltimore at Oakland (Baltimore)
Washington at San Diego (San Diego)
Tennessee at Seattle (Tennessee)
Cincinnati at New York Jets (New York Jets 21-14)

Here we go - Week 17 is the week where the set teams usually sit their starters in preparation for the playoffs. Drew Brees has officially been benched as New Orleans has clinched the number 1 seed in the NFC. I expect to see Payton Manning, Tom Brady, and Carson Palmer see limited playing time this Sunday.

A lot of teams still have something to play for, including Houston. These teams may not be in full control of their respective desitinies, but I don't expect them to lie down. Houston will not only be taking a chance on the playoffs, but now has the chance to hit their first winning season in franchise history. Pride will be on the line this Sunday.

Matt Shaub ended Week 16 as the number 1 quarterback in terms of passing yards and tied for 5th with 27 TD passes, yet he got snubbed for the Pro Bowl. It's unfortunate, but oh well. Houston has Andre Johnson, DaMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, and Mario Williams going to the Pro Bowl, which is not a bad representation.

By the way, Mardi, you may want to score that Sunday Night game so we can have a tiebreaker.