Texans need to reboot the Defense for the season

 (Be sure to read comments on Mr. Rogers toward the end of this post.)

 I have one name that comes to mind.....Bryan Brahman

 With Cushing out for the season the Texans D still has a lot of experience but what I see as a weak point is the intensity that 'Cush' brought to the field. One thing I saw, even from last season, is that Brahman has the young intensity that any team would be crazy not to use, especially when losing someone like Cushing.

 Dobbins has been around and I don't want to take anything away from him as a vet and someone that has played under Phillips in the past. I have to say, though, I am not sure if he is the starter the Texans need to replace the intensity that Cushing brought to the team, on the field.

 With JJ Watt burning up the line, It's my opinion that Bradie James, who probably has the most knowledge of Wade's defense, hold the roll of play caller while having high motor youngsters like Watt and Brahman running around like mad-men putting fright in the hearts of opposing offenses. Mix up the experience and youth to get the best of both worlds. Most of all, have fun.

 One thing I would like to add to this post is the comments made by Rogers after the end of Sunday night football. I should probably say the lack of comment made. When asked about the game, he completely shunned his opposing team. Talked up how he was still great and how his team made great plays but....um... did he not recall the pressure brought on? Did he not recall hitting the ground a few times and even losing his helmet when going down at one point?

 My question to Mr. Rogers is, why couldn't you acknowledge the play of the defense that kept you on the run? When I played football, or any sport for that matter, there was always acknowledgement of the other team and anything good they may have done, even if it was a blow out. That's just good sportsmanship. I appreciate the history and legacy of the Green Bay organization. I cannot take that away from them. Though Rogers shows to be an efficient player, I can't say I appreciate his apparent lack of sportsmanship and professionalism.

I understand that Rogers was not happy about his critics and anyone who's ever played any form of sport will know that everyone goes through a slump or just has a few bad days from time-to-time. So, I can respect and understand Rogers sending a message to those people but to, seemingly, disrespect the team he just won against in the process? Not sure it was intended that way but it sure came across that way to me.

 As always, I'm just calling it as I see it.

Andre Johnson is still elite

 There has been talk lately that No. 80 might not be the same player he once was. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you that Mr. Johnson is every bit the player he has ever been. As an avid Texans fan, I might be taken as a biased source but being such a fan means I watch the players and see what they do.

 There are multiple factors in the, perceived, loss of productivity. Some are things that would eventually happen with any given elite player in a professional sports team. Others can be attributed to team evolution.

 A player that has been around for almost a decade cannot escape the film that follows him through the years. Johnson has so much film on him, the inevitable has come to fruition. Coaches have found a way to cover his style of play. It's obvious for anyone who has ever played and/or coached the game that defenses are covering elite players, such as Andre Johnson, in ways that even the greatest would have trouble with. Attacking a player from multiple angles in double and triple coverage will cause a loss of productivity from that player, regardless their elite status.

 Another thing to note when wondering about lost productivity is the need to go to someone in double or triple coverage. The Texans offense have evolved into a well rounded system that doesn't rely on any given player or position as they were forced to do in the past. The talent available in the passing game this year is greater than at any given time in the history of the franchise.

 Every team expects Johnson to be the main target for the long ball. Thing is, he's is no longer the only field stretcher on the team. Kevin Walter has upped his play making him a greater threat. Now add new young speedsters  like Jean, Martin and Posey an you have a field that is not only stretched North/South but also East/West. With everyone expecting the ball to go to Johnson's side of the field, Schaub isn't given much choice but to go to the other side or even go shorter to Daniels, Graham or Casey. Too many options when your best guy is covered like a baby with a king size blanket.

 All-in-all, if the Texans want to start helping Andre Johnson get back to the 1100+ yards seasons he's had in the past, they need to stack the opposite side of the field to force loose coverage on their star receiver. If defenses are forced to cover 2 wide outs, a tight end and possibly a halfback on one side of the field, they'll have to leave the star open to cover them.

Summing things up, Andre Johnson obviously still has plenty of gas in the tank, the team just needs to clean the filters so he can run at optimum performance. The man still has another 4 to 5 years before reaching his physical peak.

I'm still around

Sorry I haven't been able to post anything for a while. Family and work are preventing me from hoping much here. Would be nice if I could live off doing my blog so I could concentrate more on important things like football but......as is life.

If nothing else, I'll drop a few quick obvious observations and hopefully get a chance to do some proper reviews in the near future.

JJ Watt is killing everything holding a ball. Schaub is doing a great job of spreading the ball around. Though still playing like a young rookie, Keshawn Martin is playing better receiver than Jones did. We need to fix the run game and that might have a little to do with the right side of the line. I expect that to smooth out as the season progresses, though.

Hope everyone is enjoying the 2012 Bulls on Parade. And, sorry again for this crappy post. Will work on a better article with my normal or above average substance, soon.