A lot been going on!

So many things frying up!

 Since my last installment... Where to begin? Super Mario has gone to the Bills, Joel Dreesen to Denver, Brisiel to Oakland and to everyone's surprise and amazement DeMeco Ryans was traded to the Eagles. Each of those teams just got a little bit better and I wish each of these players the best of luck. KC should also be added to the list for picking up Eric Winston. He was released before my last post but found a new home with the Chiefs. I feel they will be very happy with this acquisition. Oh, and Laurence Vickers to the Cowboys? I have to call Blasphemy on that one.

 As sad as the past is, it is more important for us to look toward the future. It's great to have retained center Chris Myers. The man is the O-Line anchor and under his leadership, I doubt the Texans will see much of a drop after losing a few key players on either side of Myers. Last years "Next man up" theme may very well start in the pre-season. By that, I mean, the next guy in line tends to step up and preform with great intensity and effectiveness. So far, Rick Smith and the Texans coaching staff have proven to have a good eye for the new guys.

 The Texans have grown to be known for their draft picks over the last several years. I have no doubt that this year will be any different. Sure, I have my favorites but I am not a decisions making part of the equation. Luckily, most of the mock drafts have my picks leading as a Texans wish list pick up. Most noticeably, Kendall Wright. You all know I've brought him up more than once.

 Cap space has been a huge part to all that has gone on in the last month. For previous Texans players (who will remain nameless) that have talked about the Texans being "too cheap" to keep them, nothing could be further from the truth. If the Texans were all that cheap, they wouldn't be over the cap every year forcing them to lose good/great players. The salary cap has been and will continue to be the Achilles heel of any organization holding highly talented players on their rosters. I have no doubt that Mr. McNair would pay many players more than they currently make if he was able to do so without having to gut the rest of the team in order to do it.

I am looking forward to what is to come once draft candidates start signing with teams and maybe a few late FA pickups by the Texans. This should be a fun ride going into training camp then into pre-season.

Chiming in before all the cuts and drafts

 Well, I'm sure everyone has heard about the big deal made with Mr. Foster. The man is worth every penny, and then some. Now lets turn our eye to Myers, Brisiel, Dreessen and Williams. Not sure about everyone else but only two of those four stand out as needed for their positions and that would be Myers and Dreessen.

 Brisiel is very good at his position but we really haven't seen a major drop off there when he has been out. Caldwell has stepped in and done a more than acceptable job and costs less then keep Brisiel. I hate to see even the slightest drop off but when we need to make bigger improvements at position like wide receiver than we would see drops on the O-line, we might need to make the sacrifice to make the over-all team, better.

 Williams would be my biggest disappointment in the area of releases. Williams is an exceptional player and dominates his position with unbelievable power and speed, when he is healthy. As much as I'd love to see him stay with the Texans to help bring fear to any offense they come up against, the new defensive scheme has proven that it can perform exceptionally with out him. Granted, we do better with Williams but a single player is not required to maintain a defense in the top 3 across the entire NFL. The Texans flipped between 2nd and 1st all last year and will do better this year, even without Williams, as the group will have more time to absorb more of the Wade Phillips style 3-4. The price tag that follows Williams is the killer.

 After signing a big contract with Foster, we will need to open up some money to cover a solid WR, hopefully, in the first round. The best that the Texans will probably be able to pick up will more than likely be Kendall Wright, and that is nothing to frown about. After watch Mr. Wright's game footage and see the body control and ball concentration that this young man has, he would make a huge improvement to the Texans long ball capacity and help not only stretch the field but also to widen it. With Johnson on one side and Wright on the other plus the proven TEs the Texans already posses, opposing defenses will have to stay on their toes. Let's not forget the two headed monster the Texans have coming out of the backfield.

 After my previous post, You all know how I feel on the corner position. Jones would make a great addition to the other side of the ball. Jackson needs to find other fields to work on. I know that sounds harsh but I know way too many people backing me to worry about making that statement.

 Again, I welcome comments as long as we keep it civil. I'll even respond to questions and, please, help keep this alive. Donations will help me have more time to research and compose.

The Jacoby Jones Experiment?

Jacoby Jones Experiment?

Before anyone starts freaking out I'd like to start by saying this post is entirely of my own design and that I have no ties with or influence over the Texans organization so, this is not something that's even being considered (to the best of my knowledge) by the team or coaching staff.

After looking over footage and remembering back to various plays over the last couple seasons, I think the Texans need to keep Jacoby Jones, if all parties are willing to take the chance and make the move. Hear me out. There is no question that Jacoby is fast, has a good reach and solid vertical jump. Add to this soup of talent a coached aggression and ability to keep up with just about any route runner in the league and I think you have the makings of a great corner back!

Remember that everyone was looking to slash Glover Quin from the roster after the 2010 season for some really rough ending plays that cost a couple of games. Well, they tried an experiment to see what he could do at the safety position and he did really well. One of the biggest things in any sport is recognizing where to put who so the team can benefit from their strengths so, I say we should try another experiment in 2012.

I know I will have some people ready to jump all over me for even bringing this up but if you take the time to think about it, the move would make sense. Jacoby has all the makings of a tremendous corner. He is capable of catching the ball and making amazing runs after reception. Granted, one of the reasons I am hearing 'fans' talk about letting him go is due to some of his rougher games such as the 1 out of 11 passes caught and the missed punt catch in the playoffs. As a corner, he isn't required to catch the ball to make the big plays, he just has to make it to the ball and touch it so the other guy can't catch it. If he catches it and makes a play after contact with the ball, all the better, and it's something he has proven more than capable in doing.

If Jacoby is willing to make that transition, I think it would be worth the time to try and convince Kubes and Phillips to give it a go. Kareem Jackson isn't doing it opposite J-Joe but I think Jacoby could be great working the other side.

Remember, I always welcome comments pro or con but this is something I honestly think would work out for everyone. Please keep any comments civil.

It was a great run

Maybe a little respect, finally?

  I had to take a couple days to reflect on the season and how it ended. I'm going to take a shot, first of all, to some "fans" (I use that term loosely) and their reactions to a certain player before giving my, hopefully, inspirational post.

I don't care how big a mistake is, the behavior I saw on the news was unacceptable. You can look at the film of the game and see that Jacoby Jones was already beating himself up in the worst possible way. The man has played his heart out. I'm not going to lie and say he's been 100% in every game he's played but t6he man has made huge plays and had great games. Regardless of his record, death threats and burning of jerseys on the mans property is going completely out of bounds. I am ashamed of this type of behavior from this city. I grew up in this city and have never seen such retched behavior. I hope those people are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.


Now to the rest of the post. This was certainly a powerful year for the Texans organization. I don't recall ever hearing of a team taking so many key loses to field personnel and still making it to the second round of the playoffs, especially the QB and primary receiver.

TJ has earned the title of future of the Texans even if he has to back up Schaub for another year or two while building knowledge and experience on the NFL. I don't know what is to come of Mr. Yates. After giving an impressive and respectable start to his pro career, I'm sure there are some team looking to rebuild that might be drooling over such a young man and his potential. Honestly, I think Kubiak would be insane to let this man go without a fight. Yates could continue developing under Schaub or he could be thrown to the dogs to rebuild on his experience on the fly. Either would probably be effective. Still, if Yates were moved to the top of the list (I do not see Kubiak making that move, just yet) I think Schaub should be offered an assistant coaching position to help develop the kid.

I know it nay seem that I am advocating replacing Sachaub but that is not where I am going. I'm just living in the reality of the NFL and the fact that personnel changes can and do happen for the good of the team and people with far more experience and knowledge of the game, than I, make these decisions and I am looking at possibilities. It would just be a horrible change to let such potential as Mr. Yates just walk away.

At wide receiver, Andre being out for most of the season forced the team to understand that they cannot allow themselves to rely on a single man to make big plays and "take us all the way". I take nothing from Andre Johnson, he is a superb athlete and amazing receiver. The reality of the situation is that one man cannot be expected to take on that role for the long ball. Walter is great as well but to get to the point, the Texans need to build on that position. Now comes the constructive criticism for Jacoby.

Jacoby Jones is fast. The man has moves. He does have two major issues that can be corrected, though. 1) is his lack of ability to let the last play go. 2) He needs to better develop situational awareness. Let's look at 1. If Jacoby starts off with a good play or two, he continues to build on his own momentum. That is a great trait to have. Where I have noticed is that he is overly critical of himself and if he starts off a game with 1 or 2 rough plays, he holds on to it the rest of the game, that is dangerous for himself and the team. The first point is something that Jacoby will have to work on as part of who he is as a person, the second is something that can be coached. He can be kept as a work in progress or...


Mario! Don't think wrong about how this starts but Super Mario is the beast that this defense needs to keep things going in the right direction. Brooks Reed stepped in and did a wonderful job. We need to find a way to keep his talent on the field but Mario really needs to be put back in his old place and with Barwins productivity, he needs to stay on the field. Money needs to be spent and I understand that some people will need to go to open the wallet and still stay within the salary cap.


Foster must get paid! I hate to stir something like this up but the man has earned a paycheck. something positive needs to happen for this man by way of contract. Bob McNair seems like a good guy but he needs to understand that losing talent (See: Leach) as a result of having a tight wallet can come back to haunt you. If we want to make it to the Superbowl next season, we need to retain and build on the solid talent we have.

Keep in mind, I'm no professional trained analyst, I just call it as I see it. Sometimes, that's what we need to make good decisions ;o)

Enjoy the off season, guys, you've earned the rest and will needed. Next year you will have a couple more games to win. 

Still a lack of respect for Houston

Texans win first playoff game in franchise history but everyone is talking about the Saints?

The Saints have been there and done that. It's really not big news that they would have won in the first round of the playoffs. The Texans, on the other hand,  have fought tooth and nail working through losses of one key player after another to make an improbable appearance in the in the playoffs only to win, big, in the first round. Still, any news organization not in or around Houston want to talk about the Saints win.

At some point, the nation will have to come to terms that the Texans have finally shaken off the baby shoes of being the newest expansion team to a force to take seriously. As happy as the team and the city of Houston are about Saturdays playoff win, we can't take our eyes off the ball.

We need to keep a one up, one down attitude through the playoffs. One game up, one game down with a 'W' in end. Making our way through the playoffs we must focus on the fact that every team we play next will be more difficult than the last as they are the next team for good reason. Never lose respect for the potential of ANY team. Also, never fear what what we can do. The Texans have proven they know how to do what needs to be done but must not lose track of the fact that every team they play also has learned what they must do. We just have to be confident but not cocky about what we know.

Next Sunday we go to Baltimore to play a team that has found a way to hurt us in the regular season. It's time to show we are better than we were, then. Rice made a mockery of us in our last meeting and talked smack the whole game. This game gives new meaning to the concept of going into their house and punching them in the mouth to make a statement of our own. Mr. Rice needs to learn what it is to be humbled and not to talk too much to the wrong people.

Flacco looks like he needs to get out and run more. The Texans D should act as his personal trainer and make sure he feels he has to run for his life the whole game. Get that heart pumping, Joe! Texans corners and safeties need to look for gifts thrown down field and make sure those gifts are returned. None of this will be an easy task but the sweat and the pain will be well worth it when you walk off that field knowing 53 more guys now have good reason to show you respect in the future.

Let's go Texans. It's time to do work!

Heading into the playoffs

Let's stick with it!

We are going to stick with the "Can't go into the playoffs timid" theme for the post. As is known, there are individual players on the Texans teams that have playoff time and Superbowl rings. Those will be the "pace cars" for the rest of the team heading into the playoffs.

From what I've heard, the Texans have been making changes and additions to their playbook. New moves are always good in post season, no one will have had time to learn or defend against them. Not sure if my previous posts had anything to do with things I've heard over the past week but it's good to know the organization is thinking along the lines of opening things up and tweaking things to fit the people on the field.

I hate to maker predictions in post season mainly because every team makes drastic changes to how they do things. However, in this case, I see no reason the Texans cannot win the first round. Both teams are playing with rookie QBs. Dalton has more time in the pros as a starter than Yates but The Texans, under Yates, did pull out a last minute drive the last time they met for a win, in the Bengals house.

Besides the rumors of new plays and improvements in practice, the Texans will have A. Johnson back which will heavily improve the long ball capability of the Houston Offense. This will force the Bengals defense to open up space at the line in order to cover 'Dre  and the Bengal D hasn't been all that exciting against the run, as it is. Spreading the ball around might be a bit easier for the Texans especially with a healthy James Casey tossed into the mix. Casey can help keep the TE positions fresh in the games by giving more options to switch people out and still be effective in the air.

Do I really even need to bring up the Texans Defense? Honestly, they have played a little more conservative in the last few regular season games but we can hardly expect that type of attitude going into the post season. These guys will be pumped! Cushing plays best when he feels he has been wronged. Getting snubbed for the Pro bowl has apparently brought out the beast in him. According to Antonio Smith "He's (Cushing) going to destroy everyone".

Speaking of Smith, his "Ninja" persona has been bitten by a werewolf as he will, in post season, turn into the "Lycan Wolf Ninja". Lycans are far different than werewolves as the Lycan wolves are more wolf like with a human stance and much stronger/muscular in appearance.

Considering these two getting pumped then add the wild man beast, Connor Barwin and Mr. Wild hair rookie freaks of natures Watt and Reed and I'm not so sure I'd want to be an offensive back going into the AFC post season if I had to face these guys.

I am not one to leave out those that will make a difference but the guys I have mentioned are the ones I've heard the most from in recent weeks. I take nothing from any of the other guys and if ANYONE think DeMeco Ryans won't be a force to recon with, you might want to reconsider your thought processes.

All that being said. I can't find a timid link from anyone that will be on the field come Saturday. Let's just open up the playbook and get nasty, this is the dawn of the age of the Texans!

Houston gets no respect!

Is Houston the Rodney Dangerfield of the sports world? Sure seems like it!

The Texans, both as a team and as individual players, have gotten punked, again. I'll get into the details in a bit but let's take a look at Houston as a sports city, in general. Even when we win, we still cannot be taken seriously. I'll only cover the top three sports clubs in order to not drag this out.

Retro back to the 1990s. The Houston Rockets make it to the NBA Championship for the first time (1994) and win. All you hear from sportscasters is that it was a fluke season. Everyone was saying there is no way the Houston Rockets would ever make it to the Championships, again. Well, they did, the very next year and guess what, they won, again. Still, very few wanted to give props to a two time Championship team. After the 1995 season, the winning team, aging, started drifting apart and started rebuilding. The fact is, they won twice in a row and only gathered marginal acceptance as a winning team.

Move forward to 2005. The Houston Astros fight their way to the World Series. Yes, I know they were swept in but the point is, no one expected them to make it that far. They were expected to lose the World Series. Houstonians stood behind their team regardless but the Astros received little respect from the rest of the nation.

Football is no different, on the national level. The Houston Oilers started their team in the AFL (Pre NFL-AFL merger) the same year as the Dallas Cowboys started in the NFL. The Oilers won the AFL championship their first two years as a team and made an appearance in the AFL Championships their third year where it took Dallas 6 years before they had their first winning season. The first year for Dallas, 1960, they lost every game. The Oilers went on to win 6 Division Championships and had 14 Playoff appearances but Dallas took the title of "Americas Team" under Tom Landry. Despite the dislike for the Oilers owner, Bud Adams, Houstonians loved their team. Houston now has a new and improved Football Organization.

Houston now have the Texans. In many ways they are an upgrade from the previous Houston Franchise. More respected owner within the city. Return to respectable and professional coaching staff. The team members are just as loved as the the previous franchise team members and now have their first Division clinch in Franchise history in a year filled with injuries to key players/positions and fighting for every yard and point they can grasp and still, with few exceptions, there is little respect on the national level.

Though several alternate positions for the Pro-bowl were offered to Texans, only two received outright invitations to the AFC team. Foster and Joseph are both very deserving players and I take nothing from them but many of their team mates were just as deserving from various position on both sides of the ball. A top rated offensive line seemingly snubbed. Linebackers that would be obvious assets to the AFC team in Hawaii, snubbed. There is more.

The Texans, despite their string of injuries, are moving into the playoffs being lead by Rookie, fresh starter, TJ Yates. The kid deserves respect for what he has taken on and the level of growth he has made in only a few short weeks. Seeing what he is capable of, there is no reason to downplay the potential that he could lead this team deep into the playoffs if not into the Superbowl. Still, most are calling a one and done year in the playoffs as if the spirit of this team could not rise from the ashes. This is a team that has proven itself stronger than a single person as each player works to put the whole team on their shoulders every time something goes wrong. Tj is one of those people. The list of obvious people, and I apologize if I miss anyone as there are so many, that are part of that group would be Cushing, Barwin, Foster, Tate, Jones, Daniels, Walter, Quin, Allen, Joseph, Cody, Watt, Brown, Reed, Smith, Ryans, A. Johnson and to be honest, I know I have missed some but I can't really sit here and name the whole active team.

We can't seem to get any respect. We need to take our respect as a sports city and make a run for the big ring. As I finish this post, I am listening to Mike Mayock (NFL Network Analyst) answering the question "Who do you think is the best AFC team" and saying Ravens and Steelers then finishing that answer by saying "And I think the Bengals could go far in the playoffs" Not even a condescending mention of the Texans until asked. Even then, he just disrespected TJ by making him out to be (paraphrasing) "A third string guy that they hope can be smart enough to play a few games to keep them in the hunt but not much else to be expected".

If the Texans are the team I know they are, this kind of disrespect will motivate them to take the respect they deserve. Win or lose, they will show up for every game from this point on. I'm reminded of the end of the movie "Ladybugs" when Rodney Dangerfield popped up and said "I finally got some respect!" As cheesy as this may sound, I feel this could be the Texans "Ladybugs" season where, at the end, they can stand up proud and yell "I finally got some respect!". That and the ever famous quote of champions...."I'm going to Disneyland!".