SB Nation - Fred Bennett

Texans State of the Union: Defense

Jake — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:58:02 -0000

Three weeks ago the Texans were cruising. They were riding a three-game winning streak, and at 5-3 Houston was positioning themselves for a run at the post-season. Now after three divisional losses that were all squandered in the fourth quarter, the season seems lost for the Texans. Some have begun speculating that head coach Gary Kubiak will lose his job and the franchise will once again start over, while others have already started to focus on the pinnacle of the Texans' season (the draft), while another small contingent of fans cling to hope that the remaining soft schedule will allow the team to pull off a five game miracle finish to sneak into the playoffs.

The wide spectrum of feelings is understandable. The Texans have what is undoubtedly their best team ever, but despite that promise, they keep meandering around mediocrity. The game Sunday against the Colts is a perfect metaphor for the season. In the first half the Texans looked unstoppable on both sides of the ball, and then in the second half they didn't look like they belonged on the same field.

So what should we think of this colossally frustrating squad? I'm sure Tim will write a great breakdown on the train wreck for this weekend, so I want to cover what I think of the future, not just for the season but for next year as well. In an effort to break it up, I will start with the defense, then move on to the offense and finally look at the coaching staff.

Author's Note: Please don't consider this as me giving up on 2009. I will explain my opinion on what can and should be accomplished in the remaining five games, but I feel the near and far-term future go hand in hand so it's easier to explain it all at once.

The defense was the biggest focal point of the offseason. It didn't take a genius after 2008 to figure out that side of the ball needed more help. The vast majority of draft and free agent focus was spent on the defensive squad after Gary Kubiak went out on a limb to give longtime friend and colleague Fred Bush the defensive coordinator position despite having Bush no experience at that level.

- Defensive End:

- Antonio Smith has been worth the ransom we paid for him. He is one of the new additions that has created a mean streak that had been lacking last season. That emotion can be detrimental at times, but I think he is just one of those players who you have to take the occasional bone-headed play from along with his inspired ones. Smith has applied considerably more pressure than his 2 sacks suggest, and he also has been adept against the run.

- Mario Williams is seriously hurt, and his shoulder likely won't heal until the offseason. That's a shame too because he finally has a bookend supplying the kind of pressure Williams never had before when he was being singled out by protection schemes. One thing that still plagues Mario is his aggressiveness. Opponents continually allow him to rush straight into the backfield and then run the ball right by him. Williams is a gamer and will continue to give his best, but I don't think he will be back to regular form until next season, and there might even be a possibility of surgery following this year.

-Rookie Connor Barwin is just as raw as expected. His two sacks were the results of both speed and effort, which constitute the entirety of his pass rushing moves as of now. While some may argue that second round picks shouldn't be used on projects, the presence of Smith gives Barwin some time to learn his trade before he learns the tricks.

- Defensive Tackle:

- Amobi Okoye is not a bust, but he's not yet a Pro Bowler either. I'd like to think that he'll get to that level eventually, but at least he's showing that last year was more of a fluke than 2007 was. So far Amobi has been better against the run than I thought he'd be, but not as good at pressuring the quarterback as I'd expected.

- The Texans larger nose tackles have been decent to invisible, but out of Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina, DelJuan Robinson and Frank Okam, there isn't a single starting caliber player at the position.

- Linebacker:

- DeMeco Ryans is about as consistent as possible, which is key considering he plays a position which values that attribute above all others. Ryans isn't the type of player that will ever have an abundance of sexy stats like sacks or interceptions, but he can almost always be relied upon to know his assignments, lead the defense and plug the middle. Losing him would be an enormous blow because while he may not be the best defensive player, he is by far the defensive MVP.

- Brian Cushing has been just as good if not better than advertised. You can nitpick at his coverage technique but no player is perfect, especially a rookie. All bias aside, Cushing gets my early vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year because while Brian Orakpo has the sacks and Jairus Byrd has the interceptions; Cushing has shown the ability to do it all.

- Zac Diles has been decent at the WLB position but nothing earth shattering. Xavier Adibi has seen little of the field since his removal from the nickel package in favor of Cushing in Week Two. Both are serviceable, but added depth would be beneficial, although low, on the list of priorities.

Cornerback:

- Dunta Robinson is not a number one corner... period. I know he is still a fan favorite to some, but the tape doesn't lie--he is not good in coverage. Quick, without looking, how many pass interferences can you remember Dunta committing because he was burnt? Now how many touchdowns do remember getting thrown to his man? Now how many interceptions and pass breakups do you think he has? I will give it to him that he plays the run extremely well for a cornerback, but that's not why you pay $25 million dollars guaranteed. I would be shocked if he was re-franchised. Rick Smith won't pay him the kind of money he is looking for, so in all likelihood he has five games left in Houston.

- Glover Quin is the reason that Dunta is expendable. He plays the run just as well and in the same fashion that Dunta does. He would, however, be just as abused as Robinson if he was out in the position to cover number one wide receivers, as would Jacques Reeves. Both are pleasant surprises as a number two cornerback and nickel corner respectively, but that doesn't mean that they can move up the depth chart once Dunta leaves. A lack of a true good-to-elite cover corner is one the biggest problems for this team, and considering that they don't get to free agency very often, it will likely be a problem next year too. By the way, you might have been able to tell but I have written off both Fred Bennett and Antwaun Molden.

Safety:

- Bernard Pollard has changed this defense because of a mixture of good play on his part and complete lack thereof on all the other strong safeties prior to Pollard's assumption of the starting role. He is not a prototypical interchangeable safety that can cover deep just as well as he can play the run, but it is rare to find a safety so good at one discipline. I can understand Kansas City feeling that they didn't want to start him, but he has made them look terribly stupid for giving him an outright release. As long as he is paired with a good coverage free safety, Pollard is a huge asset against the run and I am just as in favor of re-signing him as Mike Kerns is.

- Eugene Wilson is a good coverage safety and plays well with Pollard. The problem is that Wilson has played all 16 games in just one of his 7 NFL seasons, which is probably the reason why the personnel savvy Patriots let him go. What amplifies this problem is that the depth at safety is probably the weakest throughout the entire team (offense and defense) as Dominique Barber and John Bushing are substandard.

Summation:

- After three games of sieve-like defense, Gary Kubiak was under fire for elevating Frank Bush to a position that he appeared to not be ready for. Since those first three games, however, the defense has outperformed the offense. During the four losses in the time period stated, the defense allowed an average of 12 second half points, which is counting the two pick-6 interceptions that Matt Schaub threw. These were all games that were winnable and while the defense is not without fault, the offense continually showed an inability to put games away.

- The defense's performance is admirable considering the lack of depth and talent at certain positions, and Frank Bush should be commended for it. Take for example the lack of talent at NT, which has allowed opposing quarterbacks to step up in the pocket even when pressure is being applied on the outside. To counter this, Bush has sent Cushing on blitzes, resulting in 1.5 sacks but also making the defense susceptible to outside runs as well as quarterback sneaks like what we saw against Tennessee. Another huge problem is the coverage. If zone coverage is called, tight ends like Dallas Clark and Vernon Davis eat the middle for lunch, but if you go with man coverage you either concede Dunta getting burnt or lose a player to continually helping him over the top. Both options allow for quarterbacks to know exactly where they can deliver the ball and thus avoid pressure with quick throws. It's a vicious cycle.

Future:

- This season looks good for the defense considering they face the 24th, 22nd, 21st, 12th, and 2nd (in a game that may not feature starters for too long) offenses in the remainder of the season. Not only are they unproductive, but many are one-dimensionally favored toward running, which is something the Texans have stopped lately, even if marginally so in a loss against a Titans squad that scored 20 points. I believe that DeMeco will go to another Pro Bowl, and Brian Cushing will be defensive ROY.

- The future looks bright for the Texans' D despite the current holes. Pollard, Okoye, Williams, Ryans and Cushing have all yet to play their fifth season, making the corps of the unit extremely young. Cornerback would be my first priority for the draft as it is not only the most glaring weakness but the position also typically takes at least a year or two before a player can rise to a great or even good status. Defensive Tackle and Safety are close behind with both being slightly less crucial because serviceable players currently fill those spots.

Chris Johnson: What To Do?

Tim — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:58:16 -0000

For all the wringing of hands over Vince Young's return to Reliant on Monday night, it's understood that Chris Johnson has likely earned the focus of Frank Bush & Company. 1,091 rushing yards, an average of 6.42 yards per carry, 262 receiving yards, an average of 8.73 yards per reception, 9 TDs, and quite possibly the greatest speed in the NFL tend to take the spotlight off even VY.

For all his otherworldly talents, however, Chris Johnson has been contained at times this year. Against Pittsburgh, he was limited to 68 total yards. The Jets held him to 105 total yards in Week Three. The Jags cut him off at 94 yards in Week Four, and Week Five saw CJ post a paltry 43 total yards. Keeping Chris Johnson in check is possible, if not probable.

In their prior matchup with the Titans, your Houston Texans saw Johnson trample them for an insane 284 total yards (197 rushing/87 receiving) and 3 TDs. In other words, that Week Two loss to the Texans accounted for 18% of his rushing yards, 33% of his receiving yards, and 33% of the touchdowns he's tallied on the season. He has to be licking his chops for Monday night.

In all the Chris-Johnson-For-Jebus and Vince-Young-For-Pope hoopla, the point that might not be getting as much run is that, despite Chris Johnson having his way with the Texans in Week Two (included but not limited to lining up wide with no one within 15 yards of him pre-snap), the Texans still managed to beat the Titans in Nashville. What's more, that Texans' defense did not feature Bernard Pollard or Jacques Reeves. That defense did prominently feature Fred Bennett, Nick Ferguson, and Dominique Barber, none of whom are likely to see the field on anything but special teams (at best) come Monday night. Just as VY makes the Titans' offense a different animal, the Texans' defense has evolved into something entirely different.

My question is simple: If you're Frank Bush, what do you do to contain Chris Johnson? My initial thought is that you have to spy him, but with who? Pollard? Brian Cushing? DeMeco Ryans? For those of you who saw any of the games where CJ was held in check, what did those defenses do?

We've all heard and read how teams want to shift the burden to Vince Young and the rest of the offense. Implicit in that assertion is containing Chris Johnson. How do you do it?

Titans vs Texans coverage

Take The Half-Season Poll: Most Disappointing Defensive Player For Your Houston Texans?

Tim — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:34 -0000

Two sides to every coin; we've already taken a look at the best, so now let's turn our attention to the other extreme. Which defensive player on the Texans has disappointed you the most thus far? Vote in the poll below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the Comments.

Poll

Who Has Been the Most Disappointing Player on the Texans' Defense Through Nine Games?

Mario Williams

101 votes

Antonio Smith

58 votes

Frank Okam

45 votes

Amobi Okoye

37 votes

Xavier Adibi

27 votes

Fred Bennett

135 votes

Jacques Reeves

6 votes

Dunta Robinson

155 votes

Connor Barwin

28 votes

DelJuan Robinson

7 votes

Dominique Barber

14 votes

Nick Ferguson

9 votes

622 votes | Poll has closed

Post-Game Breakdown: Texans Drop Heartbreaker To Colts In Indianapolis

Tim — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:38 -0000

Almost a full day later, it still hurts. If you're a believer in moral victories, yesterday's loss in Indianapolis probably counts as a moral victory. If you're like me, moral victories do very little for you eight (8) years in. Still, there's a lot to like from what we saw yesterday against the Colts, and your Houston Texans nearly beat an undefeated team (perhaps the best team in the NFL right now) at their house. Unfortunately, they don't keep track of "near-wins," and we have two full weeks to digest what we saw before the Texans get a chance to take the field again. Let's get to the specifics from the fourth loss of the season:

1. Kris Brown--you are forgiven. He has hit far too many big kicks in his career as a Texan, including but not limited to that monstrous 56-yarder he put through the uprights immediately before the half to seize momentum from the Colts (although it must be noted that said boot was the fortuitious consequence of the Colts calling timeout and erasing his first try), not to receive the benefit of the doubt. It is fair, however, to note that Brown has missed the same number of FGs thus far in 2009 that he missed in all of 2008, in 19 fewer attempts. Worth keeping an eye on.

2. How is it that seemingly every Texans fan, going into the game, knew it was folly to try to cover Dallas Clark with a linebacker, yet Frank Bush assigned Brian Cushing to the task virtually the entire game? Linebackers simply cannot cover Clark, just like linebackers could not cover Owen Daniels. By putting Cushing on Clark, the Texans were essentially conceding the matchup, and Peyton Manning blistered 'em all day. Why not put a DB on Clark?

3. The Texans cannot play zone. It's the equivalent of death by a thousand cuts. Please, please, please do not subject us to any more zone looks, Mr. Bush. It's horrific to watch and astoundingly ineffective.

4. I do not come only to bury Frank Bush, friends. The horrors of the first half (first quarter in particular, when Peyton threw 25 (!) times for about 180 yards) were profound, yes, but Bush showed once again that he can make adjustments at halftime. Say what you will about the Houston offense controlling the ball in the second half, but that was a different Texans defense we saw after the intermission. The offense kept the defense fresh and off the field with sustained drives, but the defense was darn good in the second half.

5. In years past, your Houston Texans would have trailed the Colts 21-0 at halftime. This time, it was 13-3, because the defense bowed up and held the Colts to field goals. That is tangible and anecdotal progress.

6. Total Rushing Yards for Indianapolis: 72. Granted, they only ran it 18 times, primarily because they had so much success through the air. Still...72 yards is 72 yards.

7. I think Kerns e-mailed a copy of his Friday post to Bernard Pollard, because Pollard looked like a man angling for a new deal yesterday. Two interceptions from a SS who's not really the ballhawking type. Yes, one of them was on an awful throw from Reggie Wayne, and the other may well have been the result of a Colt running the wrong route. Regardless, both were HUGE plays and occurred on Houston's side of the field. Qualify them however you like, as long as you throw "HUGE" in there as well.

8. Glover Quin played exceptionally well. I've been one of those fans scratching my head over his elevation to the starting lineup over Jacques Reeves. No more. He's legit. ~~As legit as Fred Bennett was his rookie year!~~. Sorry about that.

9. Chicken/Egg here...although Reggie Wayne had 8 catches, he wasn't much of a factor. Was that relative ineffectiveness due to the Dallas Clark-Brian Cushing mismatch, or did Dunta Robinson have more to do with it than we'd like to admit? Personally, I'm of the mind that it's more the former, but Dunta can't win at this point. If Wayne would've had a big game, we'd all be ripping D-Rob for that.

10. Connor Barwin's contributions to the Texans yesterday came in the form of two gigantic penalties. Yet another reason why Tim Bulman is highly underrated.

11. I waited until the bye week was upon us to do this. I can't wait any longer. Here goes: Jacoby Jones is having a tremendous season. He's been an asset on special teams, in the passing game, and occasionally, in the running game. For someone I thought was sure to be cut in September, I might have been more wrong about him than I was about Cushing.

12. The preceding paragraph has guaranteed that Jacoby will fumble twice on Monday Night Football for all the world to see. My apologies--I simply couldn't continue not praising the guy for having a fine season.

13. While Joel Dreessen didn't put up Owen Daniels numbers, he did have a big third down catch. He's not OD. He doesn't have to be in an offense that features Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter starting at WR. That said, we saw how much Schaub misses OD yesterday. Peyton has Dallas Clark; Schaub had OD. Without OD, Schaub is more prone than ever to lock in on 'Dre and force passes his way (e.g., the pick into triple coverage). I hope that Schaub uses the bye week to reestablish the rapport he had last season with K-Dub. As amazing as 'Dre is, he cannot be expected to wrestle the football away from three defenders every game.

14. K-Dub's catch inside the IND 5 was one of the best I've seen this season. Nice to see him become a significant part of the offense again. I repeat: We're gonna need it more than ever with OD gone.

15. When Dwight Freeney beat Duane Brown yesterday, it looked really, really bad. What we don't see in nearly as dramatic fashion, however, is the multiple times Brown kept Freeney in check. Freeney's one of the best ends in the league, so Brown's going to get beat a time or three. Yet Schaub was clean most of the day, and that's a testament to the entire OL.

16. Schaub's second INT, though? All Chris Myers.

17. Matt Schaub finished with two (2) less completions and seven (7) less attempts than Peyton Manning en route to another 300+ yard passing day. Most importantly, he operated a two-minute offense, starting from his own 15 yard line, with no timeouts, and got the Texans into field goal range. That's about as good as it gets.

18. I hope Ryan Moats enjoyed that starting gig, because I don't think it's going to be his when the Titans visit on November 23rd. That's not to say he played poorly; he didn't. But when a guy gets the gig on the strength of not fumbling the football, then proceeds to fumble the football, all while the deposed starter does not fumble the football, I'm guessing Steve Slaton goes back to the first string.

19. Much was made in the Comments during and after the game about the Texans failing to snap the ball from the IND 1 after Moats appeared to fumble; as you'll recall, Houston let the clock run to the two-minute warning, which gave the Colts extra time to consider challenging the play. Which they did, successfully.

I don't blame Schaub for failing to snap the ball. I blame Kubes. More to the point, I blame whoever he's got in the booth. Kubes may not have been able to see it from the opposite sideline, but there's no excuse for his staff in the booth not to see what was going on. In the past, we've all given Kubes a lot of flack for his horrific and ill-timed challenges. Inevitably, this has led us to question exactly who he has watching over this stuff in the booth. I still don't know who it is. All I know is that the person or persons seem to be doing a very poor job. Even worse, Kubes doesn't seem to think it's a problem worth addressing.

20. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Matt Schaub (chiefly because of that final drive; Andre Johnson deserves it too); Defense--Bernard Pollard; Special Teams--Matt Turk (Jacoby actually did very little on punt returns, and I can't give it to the dude who missed the game-winner).

Now we get to work ourselves into a frenzy for two weeks until Bud Adams' Army of Darkness and Monday Night Football return to Reliant Stadium. It's gonna be a looooooooooong fortnight.

Texans vs Colts coverage
Texans vs Colts recap
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Post-Game Breakdown: Texans Hang On Against 49ers

Tim — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:04:02 -0000

BFD already did a fine job taking a look at many of the individual performances from Sunday's win over the Niners, so I'm going to focus on the bigger picture in this PGB. First and foremost:

1. I can't help but notice how many of us seemed viciously unhappy with the "W" on Sunday. Reading many of the Comments in the open game threads, you'd think the Texans lost the game. This isn't exactly the first time we've responded like that, either; recall how down and/or critical many of us were after the win over Oakland. My thought? The Texans don't have a rich enough history of success for any of us to be depressed about a win, no matter how nasty it got at the end (and it did get way too close for comfort). I lose sight of this from time to time. We're not the Steelers. We're not the Colts. Our best single-season winning percentage is .500. To put it mildly, wins have been scarce. When we get one, we shouldn't let the potential sting of a near-loss ruin the experience. Now, is there a lot to discuss and question? Absolutely. Never should have gotten as close as it did. But I'm going to do my best not to let those concerns completely overshadow the relative rarity of a Texans victory. In a year or two, with some semblance of sustained achievement, perhaps. Not yet, though.

2. Even with the second-half struggles, I can honestly say that I never had a doubt the Texans would hold on. I don't recall ever feeling that way before.

3. The defense remains a work in progress, but the rush defense is exponentially better than it was at the beginning of the season. It's been exceptional for the last month.

4. Not coincidentally, Amobi Okoye is becoming more and more of a factor every week. I no longer think his face should be on the back of a milk carton.

5. Nice to see Super Mario return to the sack column. Query: Is that injured shoulder affecting him more than he or the team is letting on?

6. Jeff Zgonina: Second-best DT on the roster? Third-best? Under any analysis, Frank Okam is getting embarrassed week in and week out.

7. Every superlative performance by Owen Daniels makes it less likely that he gets a long-term deal from the Texans. I cannot see Smithiak giving him the Kellen Winslow, Jr. money he wants considering the upcoming obligations the team has to address (e.g., DeMeco Ryans, Matt Schaub's option, a new deal for Mario Williams, etc.), and games like Sunday only reinforce the notion that OD deserves to be paid like one of the top TEs in the league. What's more, given the animosity between the parties that surfaced this past summer, banking on OD taking a hometown discount to stay in Houston seems foolish. Thus, the question becomes whether you think the Texans should pay a TE, even one as gifted as OD, the $20 mil or so guaranteed that it'll likely take to keep him happy here. I hate to say it, and I absolutely love Owen Daniels, but I don't think you can, given the dollars you're going to have to dole out to others. And that's not even taking into account whether James Casey can be a reasonable facsimile of OD.

8. Has any player fallen farther during the Smithiak Era than Fred Bennett? From rookie stud to not even dressing for a game when presumably healthy. Who ever would have thought we'd be here after the 2007 season?

9. Eugene Wilson and Bernard Pollard are the best safety tandem the Texans have ever had.

10. What did Ryan Moats do to Gary Kubiak and/or Kyle Shanahan? I'm all for yanking Steve Slaton when he puts the ball on the ground, but why is Chris Brown the exclusive backup? Especially since Moats looked so good against Oakland?

11. Watching Matt Schaub play QB for the Houston Texans makes me truly appreciate how wretched David Carr was and makes me even angrier that it took me almost five (5) years to stop making excuses for Carr.

12. Is the Texans' offense multidimensional enough to warrant playing it safe with Andre Johnson this week? And what is playing it safe--can you dress 'Dre and play him as a decoy? Or do you give him two weeks to heal in preparation for the divisional battle with Indianapolis? I'd like to think the Texans can win one without 'Dre, but I would not want to be making that decision.

13. Alex Smith should send the Texans a nice care package for getting his career back on track. No disrespect to Smith, of course, but three (3) TD passes to the exact same player on what appeared to be the exact same route? He owes Frank Bush a bottle of scotch.

For all the positive vibes we've seen from the first winning streak this season, the Texans must keep it going on Sunday at Buffalo if they truly are in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Bills have had several chances to roll over and haven't, so they're not to be taken lightly, and a road game is a road game. Even with Andre Johnson, this wasn't going to be a picnic. Without him? Very, very dangerous.

49ers vs Texans coverage
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ROTB War Room: The Texans Secondary

Andrew602 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:33 -0000

Before I continue on, this is the first of a series of segments, so it's still a work in progress, and if it seems a bit disorganized, that's probably because it is. And Texans fans, please don't lash out on me, as I'm not an expert of the Houston Texans.

When the Texans take the field on Sunday, the Cardinalswill be prepared for a team they've had a chance to watch the last two weeks. There will be many keys to the game but the big factor will be how the Cardinals approach the Texans secondary. This obviously favors the Cardinals as they have Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston - and oh yeah, a two-time MVP in Kurt Warner throwing to them. So far this year the Cardinals passing game hasn't been what it was a year ago, and a large part of that goes behind bad pass protection, poor game planning, and bad play calling. A lot of what happens over the bye week is fixing areas of concern, and extensive game planning for the upcomming opponent - which happens to be the Texans. That brings us to exhibit A: The Texans secondary. They're a group that have struggled to say the least, and that's facing some weaker competition in the league. The quarterbacks that they've faced in no particular order are Kerry Collins, David Garrard, JaMarcus Russell, and Mark Sanchez. In other words, a 37 year old, a rookie, a has-been, and the worst quarterback in the NFL. Then we look at the starting wide receivers they've faced - Jerricho Cotchery, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Nate Washington, and Torry Holt. It should also be known that none of these receivers led their team in receiving when they played the Texans, and none are top tier wide receivers. Now that we've seen the competition, let's take a look at the Texans secondary.

The Texans Secondary:

The defensive backs for Houston have 23 years of experience between the four of them, which is about 5.7 years of experience each. They're all relatively young and have talent, particularly in Dunta Robinson and Eugene Wilson. What hurts this unit, is the insertion of young players, particularly in Dominique Barber and Fred Bennett, who may not be starting material just yet. Another problem that comes to mind is the lack of game-changing-plays from this unit. In four games, they have one interception and one forced fumble between the four of them. That's not the kind of explosive play that you want from your starting defensive backs. That's also something that will make fans and Kurt Warner a little more comfortable this Sunday. Looking at the individual stats(below), it's evident that this isn't a very active group. Seven passes defended doesn't scream "aggressive secondary". The lack of a big play should be a positive sign for the Cardinals, who mightily struggle when turning the ball over.

Player	Tackles	FF	INT	PD
Robinson	11	1	0	3
Wilson	5	0	1	1
Barber	16	0	0	2
Bennett	15	0	0	1

There passing-defense stats overall can also be misleading, due to the talent that they've faced so far this year. The secondary is giving up 12 yards a catch, which is 23rd in the league. They are giving up an average of 207.5 receiving yards a game, which ranks 7th in the league. On the conversion side, Texans opponents have a 3rd down conversion of 40%, which is 19th overall. The surprising stat is the 7th ranked receiving yards allowed. This means that only six other teams in the league are holding opponents to less receiving yards. Sounds like a concerning stat for a pass-first offense right? Wrong. As stated earlier, this passing defense has yet to face any real competition through the air, most notably the Raiders. If you throw the Raiders game out the window, it changes where this team ranks. They would average 231.6 receiving yards a game, which would drop them to 16th in the league. On opponents third down percentage, the Texans would be allowing a whopping 50%, which would drop them to dead last in the league. Let's just call this the "Raider-Effect".

So what does all this mean for the Cardinals offense? This means that a team featuring two pro bowl wide receivers will likely have big games, and should be at the receiving end on most 3rd downs. This also means that the Cardinals need to attack through the air early and often, to get a quick lead. Putting Anquan Boldin in the slot gives you a tough receiver in open space on the field. Another advantage is having a healthy Steve Breaston who is often the underrated player on offense. When Fitzgerald gathers a lot of the attention, it gives Steve Breaston a chance to get open, evidence being his 12 catches and 177 yards in the last two games. Next, let's take a look at the leading receivers that have played the Texans the last four weeks:

Week 1 - Chansi Stuckey 4 catches 64 yards 1TD
Week 2 - Chris Johnson 9 catches 87 yards 1TD
Week 3 - Mike Sims-Walker 6 catches 81 yards
Week 4 - Louis Murphy 3 catches 34 yards

What I can gather from those numbers is one thing - the Texans focus on the opposing teams starting receivers. Neither of the four players above were the starting receivers on their teams, but all managed to lead in receiving. That trend could continue this week as Larry Fitzgerald will see his usual double coverage. That also means big games for Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. One thing the Cardinals need to do is get back to doing what they do best. The no-huddle offense has been successful in the past and I see no reason to not use it against the Texans. I'd also like to see the occasional gadget or trick play. That's it for today - Is there anything else you'd like to see from the Cardinals against the Texans Secondary?

Arizona Cardinals vs. Houston Texans: Injury Report

Hawkwind — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:41:09 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

It's time to start defending this place. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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Normally the rest and relaxation of a bye helps a team not only re-focus but more importantly it gives them time to get healthy and that seems to be the case with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals put out the first official injury report in a week and a half yesterday and it's probably fair to say that they are healthier right now than they have been at any point this season. Need proof? For the first time since probably very early in training camp every single member of the team participated in practice, although there were a couple of "limited" action guys. Here's a complete rundown:

Kenny Iwebema (ankle) - Limited
Steve Breaston (knee) - Limited
Darnell Dockett (ankle) - Limited
Reggie Wells (thumb) - Limited
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (finger) - Limited
Kurt Warner (shoulder) - Full participation

All in all that's very good news for the home team. Everyone is expected to be ready by Sunday although DRC is expected to have his thumb heavily wrapped (so you might not want to bet your mortgage on him recording his second INT of the season) as is Wells. The Texans, who have not had a bye week yet, released a much less favorable injury report after their practice yesterday.

In total they listed twelve players the report with four in the DNP category, seven in the limited participation category and one who fully participated. The worst news, for them, is that two prominent defensive starters, Mario Williams and Brian Cushing, were both held out of practice. Williams is expected to play and Gary Kubiak (Texans Head Coach) has already said that he could play without stepping on the practice field this week. Cushing is a different story though because he missed practice with "FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS" and the bug has been running through the Texans locker room. Two players, one of which was starter Eugene Wilson, missed their game last week with the same condition and their injury report still has three players listed under the "illness" umbrella. Losing Cushing would be a huge hit for a front seven that has already struggled to slow down opposing running games. The only other injuries of note include their starting right guard, Mike Brisiel, who was limited and starting corner back Fred Bennett who missed practice due to 'non-injury' reasons.

Post-Game Breakdown: Texans Dominate Raiders

Tim — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:49 -0000

The offense has looked better this season. The defense most definitely hadn't. Qualify the victory however you want, but give me those qualifications every day of the week over the suicide watch that would have surely accompanied a loss. 2-2 is exponentially better than 1-3, so we should probably keep a positive outlook. Quick thoughts on the game:

1. I'm going to lead with Brian Cushing because he impressed me more than any other player on the field yesterday. He was, as -Jay texted me, "...everywhere...including [my] mind." Sure tackling, pressuring the QB, the appearance of being in on every play, the safety...what can I say, except that it's all but confirmed anew that I have no idea what I'm talking about? While I remain concerned about his ability to stay healthy, I've seen enough to say: Mea culpa, Mr. Cushing. Please accept this idiot's humble apologies.

2. Yesterday was Amobi Okoye's finest game in two years. Anyone disagree?

3. While Antonio Smith has yet to look like he was worth the huge free agent dollars he commanded, a few more afternoons like that and we'll all feel a whole lot better about him being in the long-term plans on the defensive line.

4. Throughout this young season, I've failed miserably at giving Tim Bulman the recognition he deserves. Seems like every time he's on the field, he's around the ball. Nice to see him getting more reps in the rotation.

5. Say what you will about Jeff Zgonina, but the guy consistently makes one more play per game than Travis Johnson ever did.

6. A very solid, albeit rather quiet, game from Zac Diles. The same could be said about DeMeco. Both were blotted out by the Sun That Is Brian Cushing.

7. Typing that last sentence felt like penance for me.

8. I'd love to get excited about the secondary's play. Really, I would. But JaMarcus Russell and the Oakland receiving corps are so bad, I'm just not sure that the secondary's success against the pass wasn't more a product of a bad offense's misfiring repeatedly. I will say, however, that Glover Quin and Bernard Pollard looked much, much better than the dudes they replaced (Fred Bennett and Dominique Barber, though Barber got the start due to Eugene Wilson's illness and actually played darn well). Indeed, D. Barber's stellar play yesterday, after looking so clueless the previous three games, only underscores the notion that any strides that may have appeared to have been made on the defense could be primarily due to the inept nature of the opposition. I'll reserve judgment, particularly because the secondary will have a chance to address the criticism directly on Sunday in Arizona, where they will be sporting large bullseyes on their backs.

9. Like pretty much everyone else on the defense, Dunta Robinson had his best game of the season. Was it worth $23 mil guaranteed? No.

10. One of these days, Mario Williams is going to split a QB in two, and I will not be the least bit surprised.

11. A note about the Raiders...why didn't they run more, especially early in the game? If I didn't know better, I'd think Tom Cable bet his bail money on the Texans to cover the spread.

12. In your entire life, you may not ever see a worse group of wide receivers than what Oakland trotted out at Reliant Stadium. I've never seen so many drops in a professional football game.

13. Of course, it might have helped if JaMarcus Russell was capable of putting touch on the ball instead of trying to break fingers with every pass.

14. I feel bad for Raiders fans. And if there's something more humiliating than pity from a Texans fan, I don't know what it is.

15. After looking like one of the best QBs in the league the last two weeks, Matt Schaub looked awfully shaky yesterday. I realize he didn't have a chance to atone much in the second half due to the conservative nature of the game plan, especially after the safety and Jacoby Jones' TD, but a 50% completion rate is not getting it done. And for the record, that's two awful interceptions in the red zone in two weeks.

16. In the same vein as the preceding point, I'm stunned that Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels only had two (2) catches each. I'm even more stunned that they were the team's leading receivers with those numbers.

17. That gorgeous 95-yard TD return isn't fooling me. I'm still mortified every time Jacoby Jones takes the field.

18. Two scores aside, can we officially be worried about Steve Slaton? It looked like it took Ryan Moats stealing carries, and threatening to steal more, before Slaton got it together.

19. Kris Brown missed a field goal. When was the last time that happened?

20. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Steve Slaton (I guess); Defense--Brian Cushing; Special Teams--Jacoby Jones.

Your Houston Texans head to the desert this weekend. The good news is that we should get a much better idea whether the new additions to the starting secondary are tangible upgrades or merely rearranged deck chairs on the Titanic. I think we'll see a healthy amount of blitzing again, because Frank Bush cannot realistically like his unit's chances of covering Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston & Co. if Kurt Warner does not feel heat on a regular basis throughout the afternoon. From a big picture perspective, I'll be watching with great interest to see if the team can put together two consecutive quality games in a row. Hasn't happened so far this season, and it had better start soon if this team has designs on breaking the 8-8 mold.

Gary Kubiak Says Changes Are Coming

Mike Kerns — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:39:43 -0000

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Looks like enough is enough for Coach Kubes. After watching CB Fred Bennett get burned worse than someone camping out on the sun over and over again, it appears that rookie CB Brice McCain will be starting opposite Dunta Robinson this Sunday against Oakland.

Injured CB Jacques Reeves was supposed to be back this Sunday, but he apparently has a jammed finger or wrist or something they were saying on the radio this morning. He did not practice yesterday. So it isn't likely that he wil be starting Sunday.

Another change being made is the recently acquired Bernard Pollard (the guy who ended Tom Brady's season last year) will start over John Busing this week at safety. If the guy is a hard hitter, he has to be an immediate upgrade. I like Busing, but it isn't like he is setting the world on fire so far.

Of course, with Oakland being the running team they are with former college studs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, who knows how many long runs are going to be forced down the Texans throats on defense? And if that happens, I can think of some other changes that might be coming to the coaching staff.

Post-Game Breakdown: Jaguars Defeat Texans

Tim — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:52:18 -0000

Yak.

As passionate as I am about your Houston Texans, I generally try not to overreact to a single game. Admittedly, I sometimes fail. This is one of those times. With that warning in mind, go ahead and skip the rest of this post if you're looking for pick-me-ups or they'll-get-'em-next-times. After yesterday's latest kick to the collective groin of the Texans fan base, those commodities are in relatively short supply. Not totally absent, but scarce. Let's get to it. We'll even start with the good:

1. One horrendous early pick aside (and it was a horrible throw/decision in every sense of the word), Matt Schaub played very well. He hit seven (7) different receivers, and it would've been eight if Joel Dreessen's TD catch hadn't been nullified by Kevin Walter's alleged offensive pass interference. As we saw in Tennessee, Schaub will put points on the board for this team if he's given time to throw. His greatest flaw is not his durability. It's his inability to play defensive back.

2. Kevin Walter makes this offense so much better that it's not even funny. He did a tremendous job adjusting his routes whenever Schaub got in trouble, and he works the middle of the field better than any receiver the Texans have ever had. Most importantly, he showed no signs of that tweaked hamstring.

3. As I texted BFD during the game, how is it that Jacoby Jones' hands can be so sure at WR yet such a liability in the return game? I know he didn't put the ball on the ground yesterday, but what does it say about your return man when every fan in the stands is praying that the ball will go over his head on every kick?

4. What was the general consensus on Kasey Studdard's first start? Overall, I thought the offensive line did a solid job in pass protection and a decent (as in, it got better as the game progressed) job run blocking. Although I was nervous about Studdard's debut, Schaub stayed upright for the overwhelming majority of the game and didn't appear to take many hits, so does Studdard get a passing grade?

5. I remain as perplexed as ever about Steve Slaton. While he looked better than he has all season, had a couple of 10+ yard runs, and a made monstrous 22 yard catch on third down late in the third quarter in what was easily his best game of the young season, Slaton still appears to be bracing for first contact whenever he takes a hand-off, which is something I don't recall him doing last year. Whatever the cause of his struggles, said problem(s) render Slaton, and to a large extent the running game, a total afterthought in the red zone. If the Texans were inside Jacksonville's 20, Slaton wasn't getting the ball.

6. Was it just me, or did Andre Johnson once again seem to go way too long between targets?

7. Owen Daniels already has the same number of TDs in 2009 that he had in all of 2008. He and his agent have to be rather pleased with that. Quick...someone check his Facebook to see if he's expressed that glee in print.

8. Helluva call by Kyle Shanahan to run K-Dub on 4th and 1. No one saw that coming.

And that's enough praise. On to the other side of the ball...BFD already did yeoman work pointing out the myriad inadequacies of the defense, so I'm going to do my best not to repeat him. Bear with me.

9. Words cannot describe how much the Houston secondary sucks. They do not cover, and they do not tackle. Fred Bennett might as well have a bullseye on his back, and I'd be even more down on him if not for this FanPost making such a convincing case that Bennett is merely the unfortunate whipping boy of a doomed scheme. Right or wrong, however, watching him get attacked did bring back memories of how Petey Faggins virtually sported a neon flashing "THROW HERE!" in place of a number during his tenure with the Texans.

10. The safety play simply cannot get any worse. I now wonder whether Eugene Wilson and his appallingly deficient counterpart should just line up a few steps inside the pylons before every snap.

11. Dunta Robinson made two (2) big-time plays on Sunday--he had a great deflection, and he had that strip of Sims-Walker late in the fourth. He still prefers diving at ankles to wrapping up, and his overall play continues to make me think that he'll never get anywhere close to the deal he turned down from the Texans from any other team this off-season. In that regard: Good news, Dunta. Keep it up and there's no way the Texans will franchise you again.

12. Brian Cushing continues to show he has a real nose for the ball. Unless David Garrard has the ball, in which case he freezes and lets Garrard waltz into the end zone untouched. Lest anyone think I'm being unfair in that assessment, I'll readily admit that Garrard was almost certainly in regardless of how Cushing reacted, due to the wide swath of open field and the complete absence of any help on that side of the field. But Cushing did freeze, and he didn't lay a finger on Garrard as he crossed the goal line despite appearing to be in position to pop him.

13. Staying on Garrard--his stats were totally pedestrian, but watching the game, I would've sworn he had much better numbers. It seemed like he made a play every time one needed to be made.

14. The numbers make a pretty damning case for Frank Bush being a bad defensive coordinator with a bad scheme. After being subjected to Richard Smith's virulent opposition to the concept of blitzing for three (3) years, I love that Bush seems committed to sending more than his four linemen after the QB. What I don't love is that bringing that additional pressure leaves the middle of the field wide open and further exploits a terrible secondary. Whereas I once thought that blitzing would buttress a crappy secondary (e.g., the QB has less time to throw and thus the DBs don't have to cover as long), I'm now forced to question that stance. Then again, if you don't blitz, you're asking a pathetic secondary to cover their assignments even longer, and you know that isn't going to work. Bush seems damned if he does and damned if he doesn't in that respect, doesn't he?

15. No matter how much you might blame Frank Bush for the atrocities his defense has visited upon us the last three weeks, you cannot blame him for the lack of talent, especially in the secondary. There's not a DB on the roster who would start for a good NFL team.

16. There will be a separate post concerning what happened during the last four minutes and twenty-five seconds of the game, and I should have it up sometime tomorrow (Tuesday). Here's a teaser: I found Gary Kubiak's strategy so amazingly poor that I lost my mind during the end and immediately after the game. Now, more than 24 hours later, that emotion has crystallized into the first real, sustaining doubt I've ever had about whether Gary Kubiak should be coaching your Houston Texans.