If writing were my primary job, I'd be updating far more often, unfortunately, I've missed opportunities to provide the posts I'd like to have made. Well, here we are back in the second round of the playoffs, again.
"The Brady Bunch" has weaknesses but everyone has to be on top of their game if they want to exploit those weaknesses. Special teams can continue as they have in the last part of the season (Minus a few penalties) but there needs to be some movement with the offense and defense to make the biggest impact against this Patriot team.
I'll sound like a broken record when discussing the offensive attack. Score early and score often. The Texans must grind down the clock with the offense and find a way to put 7s on the board every chance they get. This will probably be done best with an explosive ground game and quick, short passes just to move the chains. The Texans must keep their defense fresh to the very end of the game, especially with all the injuries to so many starters.
To keep things simple, the offense has two goals in this up coming game against the Patriots. Score with every possible opportunity and hold on to the ball as long as possible.....KEEP BRADY OFF THE FIELD!
The defense has to stay with the "Bulls on Parade" mentality. To keep Brady from taking advantage of his key players, the back field must stick to their guy like glue, unless the ball goes somewhere else. What do I mean by that? Corners safeties and inside linebackers need to back each other up while stumping their primary assignments.
Brady is a quick strike QB. One thing Brady does well is get rid of the ball, fast. Key? Don't let him. Do not give the tight ends or backs any breathing room off the line. Those guys thrive of catch and run in the check downs and design short plays. The Texans secondary must keep Brady searching for open targets and cut his ability to find them.
Second responsibility for the secondary will be to back each other up. Once the ball is in the air, attack the ball....even if that means leaving the guy they are covering in order to back up their brother in arms. It's a nice maned coverage that morphs into zone tackling as the play evolves.
As for the front guys, do what (Watt) you do. Attack the man with the ball. If Brady is holding on long enough, well.....need I say more? Aside from introducing Brady to the turf as often as possible, watch for the runs and scrambles. When doing a Pinch attack, keep an inside linebacker or Safety ready to come up the middle. It's nice to collapse the pocket from both sides but the middle seems to be the weak point of a pinch.
Well, that's my 2 cents. I guess I'm about as qualified to as any other arm chair QB with a keyboard. As I say all the time. I just call it as I see it.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Target, Patriots!
I would like to apologize for the time between posts. Between work and family, time hasn't been on my side.
When this season started, I had 4 games that concerned me the most. Those games would be Green Bay, Baltimore, Chicago and New England. Making it through the first 3 or those 4 with only one loss was refreshing.
This being one of the big games in the AFC for the Texans, it is also my final big concern for the season. Sure, the Texans could drop one against the Colts or the Vikings but those will not be the confidence builders we can see from a shoot out win against Tom Brady in his own house.
With many people still saying this is a lost cause for the Texans, they MUST go into Foxborough with a huge chip on their shoulders. There are things that can be done to help keep things moving in the right direction for Houston.
The first thing is, stop the pass! Brady is an 'air strike commander'. I have little concern with the Texans ability to choke New England's run game to a meaningless effort but the air game is a completely different story, all-together.
J-Joe must be healthy. If this is not the case, Jackson will have to cover Welker and the Safeties will have to work to help the less experienced corners along with the ILBs to cover New England's impressive tight end corps..
The front 5 on the defense will need to cover the run, as usual, and find a way to not just pressure but bring down Brady. Brady can work under pressure pretty well so just 'giving him a hard time' will not disrupt his game as it would a lesser experienced QB. He needs to find himself getting up off his butt early and often.
Besides the defensive side of he ball, Houston will need to stack up the points. Head for the end-zone at every opportunity with whatever tools are available in which to get there. I know Houston is well known for it's running game but in the case, they need to put on a display with their receivers and tight ends.
Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and Arian Foster need to have the game of their lives to make sure this New England team cannot out score them.
In short, I am still hearing a lot of people saying the Texans can't win this game. I'd sure enjoy those people being proved wrong.
When this season started, I had 4 games that concerned me the most. Those games would be Green Bay, Baltimore, Chicago and New England. Making it through the first 3 or those 4 with only one loss was refreshing.
This being one of the big games in the AFC for the Texans, it is also my final big concern for the season. Sure, the Texans could drop one against the Colts or the Vikings but those will not be the confidence builders we can see from a shoot out win against Tom Brady in his own house.
With many people still saying this is a lost cause for the Texans, they MUST go into Foxborough with a huge chip on their shoulders. There are things that can be done to help keep things moving in the right direction for Houston.
The first thing is, stop the pass! Brady is an 'air strike commander'. I have little concern with the Texans ability to choke New England's run game to a meaningless effort but the air game is a completely different story, all-together.
J-Joe must be healthy. If this is not the case, Jackson will have to cover Welker and the Safeties will have to work to help the less experienced corners along with the ILBs to cover New England's impressive tight end corps..
The front 5 on the defense will need to cover the run, as usual, and find a way to not just pressure but bring down Brady. Brady can work under pressure pretty well so just 'giving him a hard time' will not disrupt his game as it would a lesser experienced QB. He needs to find himself getting up off his butt early and often.
Besides the defensive side of he ball, Houston will need to stack up the points. Head for the end-zone at every opportunity with whatever tools are available in which to get there. I know Houston is well known for it's running game but in the case, they need to put on a display with their receivers and tight ends.
Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and Arian Foster need to have the game of their lives to make sure this New England team cannot out score them.
In short, I am still hearing a lot of people saying the Texans can't win this game. I'd sure enjoy those people being proved wrong.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
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.
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.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
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.
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.
Friday, October 05, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
3-4 defense on the move in 2012, or not.
It's been well established that Pittsburgh will be using a 3-4 defense in 2012 as they have been using that scheme since 1982, without fail. It has worked well for them. During the 1990s and into the earlier part of the the new century the 3-4 had faded away to near extinction. Well, it has returned with a vengeance.
The top three defenses of the 2011 season were all running a 3-4 scheme (Steelers, Texans and Ravens, respectively). The Steelers defense most recently have been lead by Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau. The man obviously knows his stuff. LeBeau lead one of the better defenses of the 1980s, the Bengals. I would look for the Steelers to remain a top 5 defenses in 2012.
The Texans started running under the legendary Wade Phillips in 2011 and will continue in 2012, even after concern he might take a head coaching job somewhere else. The Texans defense adapted very well to the 3-4 and ended the 2011 season 2nd overall in Defense. Anyone who reads my blogs knows that I am rather partial to the Texans but I think others will agree that the Texans ending in the top 5 Ds in the NFL is a high probability for 2012.
The Ravens defensive team speak for themselves. These guys are total professionals and any defensive coordinator would love to have this group to work with. Rex Ryan started these guys on the path to the 3-4 and they have stayed with it since. Granted, the powerhouses of the Ravens defense is getting along in age but they still have a lot to fear if you are an offense going up against them. If Reed can stay healthy, the long ball will be difficult for anyone sharing a field with these guys. True masters of the 3-4.
You can't talk about about a 3-4 defense without having something on the Ryan family. Buddy Ryan is another 3-4 legend and being from Houston I can't help but put this out here. Ryan made the Oilers a top 3 defense while he was here. Wade was replaced in Dallas by Rob Ryan and runs Buddy's playbook but I cannot lie, I'm not sure Rob has the instincts his father had. I know I'll get some backlash from people talking about the Ryan boys but both the Ryan sons picked up from their dad (Buddy) how to design and build a good 3-4 playbook but, with the exception of Rex's time with the Ravens, neither of them have been able to implement their 3-4 as well as dear old dad.
Rex might do well to leave the Offense of the Jets to someone better fit to build an offense and change his group from the 4-3 to a 3-4 if he wants to prove his guys the "better team".
Like I said, I expect some backlash over some of the commentary here but guys, I have to call it as I see it.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Back to business
Took some time off during the draft and trades that followed 'cause well, one more commentator on all that would have been too much to handle. After all, who really made accurate predictions during that time? Sure, there were obvious moves after the draft and surprise landings for some that were simply let go.
Though I still think we should have kept him and moved him to the other side of the ball (as a corner) where he would have had the best impact on the field, Jacoby Jones has officially been released by the Texans and signed with play-off rivals, the Ravens. Some Ravens fans seemed excited about the move as they are short in play making talent in the WR and return positions. I wish Jacoby the best of luck as he did land with a respectable team.
On too the young guys. We fans will have to learn the new players this year. With 8 draft picks and several undrafted FAs moving around the field and sidelines, we will need to learn more than just names but the players. Many Texan fans, myself included, have great expectations for the 2012 team with the pickups in free agency and the draft. The players just need to show us who they are.
Mercilus looks to be a driving force on the defense and will help keep the pass rush fresh on the field while striking fear into the eyes of just about any QB in the league. We already know who we have from last season so let's keep an eye on the additions. Brady James might not be a rookie but he is new to the team. We all know his potential and adding him to the mix should prove a devastating supplement to existing talent. Having Crick's availability tossed into the mix, QBs and RBs will have a rough time of getting anything out of the backfield. J-Joe might get bored if a ball can't make it out of the passers hand. I feel good about the Texans D going into the 2012 season.
The offense looks to have made some positive changes, as well. Most notably would be at the WR position. Posey has shown the capacity to make big plays in his college years. Though he has hit a few off field bumps in the road to the NFL, I can't see where those will affect his game play or team interaction as he has a solid record of being a team player and doing what is needed on the field to help, not only himself but, his team. He seems to be a selfless man that thinks about those around him above himself. The man risked his future to help his mother. After doing so, he also worked to help improve his team even though he was not allowed to participate on game day. Good skills + good character = solid long term player willing to do what it takes to make the team a success. Can't complain about this guys being brought in even though I know some still question him as a result of his senior year suspension. Sometimes, we have to look past the headlines to get the real story.
The draft picks beyond who I've mentioned so far are not to be missed. Martin, though not the size we are use to seeing on the Texans WR roster, has insane moves with agility to make a great additions to the receiver corp and return games. Martin along with Brooks, Jones and Mondek will be welcomed addition for competition and depth on the offensive side of the ball. With the front line power coupled with speed and agility moving down field, the Texans 2012 offense looks to be a dominant part of the league in the coming season.
Overall, I have a good deal of confidence in the Texans 2012 season. The potential there is staggering. I also wish to say welcome and good luck in your first year as a Texan. We, the fans, look forward to getting to know you guys.
Though I still think we should have kept him and moved him to the other side of the ball (as a corner) where he would have had the best impact on the field, Jacoby Jones has officially been released by the Texans and signed with play-off rivals, the Ravens. Some Ravens fans seemed excited about the move as they are short in play making talent in the WR and return positions. I wish Jacoby the best of luck as he did land with a respectable team.
On too the young guys. We fans will have to learn the new players this year. With 8 draft picks and several undrafted FAs moving around the field and sidelines, we will need to learn more than just names but the players. Many Texan fans, myself included, have great expectations for the 2012 team with the pickups in free agency and the draft. The players just need to show us who they are.
Mercilus looks to be a driving force on the defense and will help keep the pass rush fresh on the field while striking fear into the eyes of just about any QB in the league. We already know who we have from last season so let's keep an eye on the additions. Brady James might not be a rookie but he is new to the team. We all know his potential and adding him to the mix should prove a devastating supplement to existing talent. Having Crick's availability tossed into the mix, QBs and RBs will have a rough time of getting anything out of the backfield. J-Joe might get bored if a ball can't make it out of the passers hand. I feel good about the Texans D going into the 2012 season.
The offense looks to have made some positive changes, as well. Most notably would be at the WR position. Posey has shown the capacity to make big plays in his college years. Though he has hit a few off field bumps in the road to the NFL, I can't see where those will affect his game play or team interaction as he has a solid record of being a team player and doing what is needed on the field to help, not only himself but, his team. He seems to be a selfless man that thinks about those around him above himself. The man risked his future to help his mother. After doing so, he also worked to help improve his team even though he was not allowed to participate on game day. Good skills + good character = solid long term player willing to do what it takes to make the team a success. Can't complain about this guys being brought in even though I know some still question him as a result of his senior year suspension. Sometimes, we have to look past the headlines to get the real story.
The draft picks beyond who I've mentioned so far are not to be missed. Martin, though not the size we are use to seeing on the Texans WR roster, has insane moves with agility to make a great additions to the receiver corp and return games. Martin along with Brooks, Jones and Mondek will be welcomed addition for competition and depth on the offensive side of the ball. With the front line power coupled with speed and agility moving down field, the Texans 2012 offense looks to be a dominant part of the league in the coming season.
Overall, I have a good deal of confidence in the Texans 2012 season. The potential there is staggering. I also wish to say welcome and good luck in your first year as a Texan. We, the fans, look forward to getting to know you guys.
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