SB Nation - Jacoby Jones

Three And Out: Useless Predictions For Sunday's Game

Tim — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:47:27 -0000

I'm in a bit of a fantasy football fix this week. My opponent is starting the defense of your Houston Texans. Needless to say, I want the Texans defense to do well. Just not too well. Every sack or interception by Houston will result in me cheering, then realizing a split second later that the welfare of my fantasy squad was damaged by said sack or interception. Then I'll get angry over the fantasy setback, and then I'll get angry at myself for getting angry that the Texans' defense is playing well. Then I'll take a swig of beer and start the cycle over again.

And now I read that Steven Jackson sat out practice today with symptoms of Anthony Hillfluenza. I hate fantasy football.

Oh, and if Larry Fitzgerald doesn't play on Sunday? I'm bathing in gasoline and shampooing with a lighter.

On to the three (3) things that I solemnly pledge will happen on Sunday when your Houston Texans face the St. Louis Rams in Mizzourah:

1. The Rams are giving up 147.2 rushing yards per game this season. If this were 2008, I'd predict Steve Slaton was going to go absolutely bonkers. Alas, it's 2009, so I'm calling Arian Foster gets the majority of the carries and finishes with 69 yards and a TD.

2. St. Louis will be without both of their starting guards and could also be missing their aforementioned starting running back. I just don't know how they're going to move the ball, even against a defense that features Dunta Robinson. If I was Steve Spagnuolo, I'd tell my QB to throw deep at Dunta all day. You figure that's got to be good for nine or ten pass interference or holding penalties. My second prediction is that the Houston defense holds St. Louis to 250 total yards (excluding penalty yards).

3. Jacoby Jones returns a punt for a touchdown. Just feels like it's time.

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: I look for the Texans to get up big early via the passing game and then to take the foot off the gas for almost the entire second half. Sort of like last week against Seattle, only uglier. Texans 27, Rams 10.

Texans vs Rams coverage

The Continuing Misadventures of Aaron Curry

John Morgan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:59:25 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

Texans receiver David Anderson receives a pass from Matt Schaub.

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Aaron Curry was back in action before the Seahawks defense could even take the field. He was wracking up a fifteen-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for an unjustifiably late hit. Jacoby Jones was tackled by two Seahawks defenders, his elbow clearly down, seconds before Curry gave him the ol' Brian Russell. It didn't register as dirty to me, but frighteningly unaware.

He started the next series by backing away from his gap and taking himself out of a run play directed at him. It looked like Curry was held, but not flagrantly and not impactfully. The remaining series went:

2. Contain but did not factor.

3. Timed and blitzed perfectly off right end, but lands only an after the fact hit on Matt Schaub. Josh Wilson was burned badly on this play. Ron Pitts called it a nightmare play for a nickelback because the slot receiver has a two way go. Wilson was burned defending the outside route when David Anderson cut in on a post.

4. Stands up and sheds fullback Vonta Leach.

5. Dominates Joel Dreessen but is held and dragged right and out of the play. This would become a theme.

6. [Out] This looked like a 3-3 stack.

7. Stands up left tackle, sheds him with an inside move, closes to the ball carrier and joins David Hawthorne in a gang tackle.

Then Curry executed to perfection and still allowed Dreessen to squirt out for five on second and seven. He was subbed out and Hawthorne, keying Ryan Moats from before the snap, took a bad angle of pursuit, bubbling up and away from Moats to stay parallel, and whiffed so badly that Moats didn't break stride, didn't even slow as he ducked then drove into the end zone. Lofa Tatupu at least gets a shoulder tackle on Moats, and a shoulder tackle would have staggered the roster cut veteran and allowed Seattle's defense to swarm and stop him.

Three more plays before the quarter ended:

1. Bites hard on play action, does not factor.

2. [Out]

3. Can't separate from Dreessen and is unambiguously held.

Now, I'd rather a rookie that lacks awareness than a rookie that lacks tools, but this was a bad, bad start for Curry. He looked as clueless as he did unskilled, and all his size, strength and speed didn't help him when he was reading wrong, reacting wrong and rarely where the ball was.

Jacoby Jones Misses Team Charter, Kubiak Tells Him To Stay home

Mike Kerns — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:14:36 -0000

Every time I think JJ is finally maturing, he goes and does something like this. Get your head on straight, Jacoby...

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Thirteen

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:35:35 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

24 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Chad Simpson (35) breaks away from Houston Texans linebacker Zac Diles (54) on a 23-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Houston. The Colts won 35-27. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

After giving up 27 points to the Texans last Sunday, the Colts dropped from the #1 overall scoring defense to the #3 scoring defense, surrendering a still impressive 16.7 ppg. Compare this with the Patriots, who after getting destroyed by the Saints on Monday Night Football dropped from #2 to #7. What's interesting is that if the Colts had shut out the Texans in the second half, which they almost did until Matt Schaub found Jacoby Jones in the endzone with 18 seconds left, they would have only dropped to #2 on the defensive scoring list, surrendering 16.08 ppg, just a hair behind the Bengals (the new #1 ranked scoring defense) at 15:8 ppg.

Switching to offense, we discussed last week how the running game has improved statistically since the benching of Mike Pollak and the promotion of Kyle DeVan at the starting right guard spot. The last four games, which have featured good opponent defenses from the Ravens, Patriots, and Texans, the Colts have averaged 4.3 yards a carry. Much of this has gotten done without the fulltime services of rookie Donald Brown, who has shown an annoying "always hurt" trait of late.

The workhorse behind the Colts improved running game is Joseph Addai, who has averaged 4.2 yards a carry these last four games.

BRB's Comcastic Red Zone Review: Colts v. Texans

Tim — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:15:52 -0000

Brought to you by Comcast's Red Zone Channel, a quick look at how your Houston Texans fared in the red zone last Sunday in the latest loss to the Colts:

Trips to Red Zone: 5
Scores in Red Zone: 5 (TD by Vonta Leach, TD by Chris Brown, 2 FGs by Kris Brown, TD by Jacoby Jones)
Red Zone Efficiency: 100%

The good news is that there doesn't seem to be much of a problem producing in the red zone. The bad news is that the Texans are allergic to the red zone after halftime.

Colts vs Texans coverage

Take The Half-Season Poll: Most Outstanding Offensive Player For Your Houston Texans?

Tim — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:33:50 -0000

Let's turn our attention to the other side of the ball. Through nine games, who has been the most outstanding offensive player for your Houston Texans? Once again, note that I said "most outstanding" as opposed to "most valuable." In other words, who's been the absolute best on that side of the ball so far? The "Brian Cushing of the Offense," if you will? 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 Outstanding Player on the Texans' Offense Through Nine Games?

Matt Schaub

386 votes

Andre Johnson

121 votes

Owen Daniels

119 votes

Duane Brown

2 votes

Eric Winston

0 votes

Apostrophe Davis

0 votes

Jacoby Jones

8 votes

Steve Slaton

5 votes

Ryan Moats

9 votes

David Anderson (feel free to factor in the hilarity that is his presence on 1560 The Game)

2 votes

652 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
Titans vs Texans coverage

Texans Lose To The Colts--What Else Is New?

Jake — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:36:05 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

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The Indianapolis Colts pushed their series record against the Houston Texans to 14-1 on Sunday. As that record indicates, the Colts have regularly dismembered the eight year old franchise en route to multiple AFC South championships. Even though the result was the same, this didn't feel like the normal Colts vs. Texans matchup. This may still be a little raw for many Texans fans who saw Kris Brown's 42 yard field goal sail just wide left, but here is what I saw of note from Sunday.

I was worried that we would lose this game, but if you told me Saturday that the defense would outplay Gary Kubiak's offense, "disbelief" is an understatement of what I would have felt. To say that a game in which the opposing quarterback threw 50 times for 38 completions and 318 yards is successful is bold, especially since the tight end set a franchise record for 14 catches and 119 yards, but I believe that was the case. In a pre-game post, I wrote that the defense would have to adopt a "bend don't break" philosophy against the Colts, and that's exactly what they did. It was FAR from a perfect effort, but they gave the offense a few chances to win that game.

Antonio Smith - I feel that everyone maligning Smith as an overpaid free agent are watching different Texans games than I am. Smith added one sack to his tally, but his regular pressure forced many early throws from Peyton Manning and set up Mario Williams for a sack of his own. He seems to be getting better as the season progresses.

Connor Barwin - I've been huge on this guy since he was drafted, and I still feel that he will be a valuable contributor once he learns more than a speed rush, but those two penalties were unacceptable. Barwin is a smart guy, so for him to put the team in those situations, especially the infraction that gave the Colts field position at around the 50 in the fourth quarter, is frustrating.

Brian Cushing - For the first time since the beginning of the season, Cushing looked like a rookie. Frank Bush kept Cushing on the field for all downs, despite Dallas Clark shattering his career record for receptions in a single game. It seemed that Bush was willing to concede the soft underneath throws to ensure the defense continued to stymie the run by selling out against it. The Texans played the run well again, holding Joseph Addai to only 63 rushing yards, although he did get a touchdown and 49 receiving yards that were part of the previously mentioned underneath routes.

DeMeco Ryans - I guess Rick Smith will not negotiate with Ryans for a new contract until after the season, even though Ryans increases his value every game.

Bernard Pollard - By far the best game he's played in a Texans uniform, and he was the most valuable player on defense. The dig on Pollard coming out of Kansas City was that he was a liability in coverage, but he helped disspell that notion with two interceptions, three pass deflections and nine tackles. Granted, one of the interceptions came off a terrible playcall involving a lame duck pass from Reggie Wayne. All the same, how silly do the Chiefs look for cutting this guy?

Glover Quin - Quin is playing extremely well, especially for a rookie. He is physical, which can get him into trouble sometimes, but I love the reckless abandon he plays with. Several of his 4 pass breakups were on pivotal plays which allowed the Texans defense to get off the field. Call me crazy, but I think that he's the best cornerback we have on the roster right now, followed by Jacques Reeves and then Dunta Robinson. Whether you agree with my order or not, I think it's hard to argue that Dunta deserves to make $10 million dollars this season.

Matt Schaub - Schaub seems to be developing a tendency to start games slowly. Not many people would have thought he was in for a 75% completion, 311 yard day after the first quarter. The second interception was caused by a hit, but the first was because Matt locked onto his receiver and then threw into triple coverage. The Texans have now been outscored 47 to 31 in the first quarter, which is partially because of Schaub's performance.

Andre Johnson - 10 catches for 103 yards on paper won't blow anyone's skirt up, but those catches were amazingly clutch. Johnson gets better when more is on the line. 4 of his 6 receptions in the second half were on third down and all of those produced first downs. Also, it speaks volumes that Schaub and Kubiak had the confidence in Johnson to throw to him on fourth and 1.

Jacoby Jones - Don't look now, but someone is becoming a wide receiver. I probably just jinxed him.

Duane Brown - Brown is much better than his rookie season, but Dwight Freeney showed him and us that he still has progress to be made.

Ryan Moats/Steve Slaton - Many of the offense's inabilities to sustain drives were due to lack of production in the running game. This wasn't completely Moats or Slaton's fault, although seeing both on the field in the same game made Moats appear as more of the one-cut back at this point. Slaton is more explosive in the open field and probably a better receiver, but the fumbles need to stop for more than one game where Slaton's splitting time before his starting role is given back.

Lastly, I have a huge bone to pick with the coaching staff. Without even seeing the replay, I was scared that Moats fumbled the ball before being down/going out of bounds and was screaming for Schaub to snap the ball. Watching him run out the clock until the two minute warning was like watching a scene in a bad horror movie when you know exactly what is coming and are powerless to stop it. I just don't understand how if a majority of fans watching in their living rooms can tell it might be a fumble, no one on the entire Texans coaching staff couldn't determine the same thing and made sure the next play was executed with haste. Although there are employees of the team charged with watching for the booth for challangeable plays, this ultimately falls on Kubiak's shoulders.

Moats vs. Slaton: Let’s Take an Unbiased Look

Mike Kerns — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:25:53 -0000

More photos » by Dean Duprey - AP

Ryan Moats has made a good case to get more opportunities from out of the Houston backfield.

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It is no big secret that Steve Slaton has had a rough go at his sophomore season in the NFL. You can blame the offensive line for not giving him any lanes to run through. You can blame him for adding bulk in the offseason. You can even blame the playcalling for making running plays too predictable. All of that is fine and good. But the bottom line remains that he has endured the fabled "Sophomore Slump." Half of an NFL season is a good measuring stick to make that assumption.

And this isn’t even taking into account his fumbling problem, which isn’t as surprising to me as it has been for many of my fellow Texans fans. One of his negatives before the draft was that he had a hard time hanging onto the ball while at West Virginia at times.

But the reaction to his benching against Buffalo last Sunday has been met with mixed feelings from many. Some feel that it was about time and others were criticizing head coach Gary Kubiak for not having patience with a young player going through a hard time. I have to disagree. Kubiak has been more than patient with Steve and has handled it the best way imaginable. By benching him for an entire game, and watching another guy have a career day in his place, had to be an eye-opening experience for Steve. The axiom that "The NFL stands for Not For Long" isn’t just a clever catch phrase.

Then we have his backup, Ryan Moats. A guy who before Sunday was known more for his offseason issues with a Dallas police officer than he was for his play on the field. A guy who has waited patiently for his opportunity and kept his mouth shut and capitalized when his number was called. And when asked after the game if he thought that he should be the starter, he remained humble when he had every reason to brag a little bit.

A third round pick out of Louisiana Tech in 2005, Moats was stuck behind Philadelphia Eagles standout Brian Westbrook for most of his time there. He broke his ankle in the Eagles first preseason game in 2007 and missed the entire season. It would be the last time he played for them, as he was released in the final round of cuts the next season. He stuck around on Arizona’s practice squad for about three weeks before he was released again. Houston quickly snatched him up a week later to their own practice squad. After cutting Darius Walker and multiple injuries to Ahman Green, Moats was promoted to the active roster and quickly rose to second on the depth chart behind Steve Slaton.

Now that you know a little more about the guy, we can move towards the debate. Many are calling for Moats to get the start at Indianapolis this Sunday over Slaton. Yet, others are saying Buffalo’s awful run defense was the only reason he had the breakout performance. Me? I don’t care. I want whoever gives us the best chance to win. I am completely unbiased on the issue.

Of course, I feel that Steve is the more talented player. I mean, the guy is electric and can score almost any time he touches the ball. But, much like Jacoby Jones, you start to hold your breath every time he has the ball now. Seven fumbles in eight games doesn’t even happen in a video game. That is a hell of a bad run. And it isn’t anything that can be corrected without getting the opportunity on the field. But could you imagine the fallout if we are right there about to beat The Colts on Sunday and Steve puts it on the ground, and it turns out to be the play that costs us the game? That would be Sage Rosenfels all over again. And I wouldn’t wish that on any player.

I am all for starting whoever Coach Kubiak chooses and then having them split carries evenly. Let’s see how Ryan Moats runs against someone that isn’t Buffalo. Not that Indy is world-beaters against the run or anything, but at 8-0 they surely aren’t awful.

So, let’s hear it, BRB nation. Who you got starting this Sunday, and why?

Poll

Ryan Moats or Steve Slaton. Who would you prefer to see start on Sunday?

Steve Slaton

626 votes

Ryan Moats

673 votes

Chris Brown...You know you love him...

39 votes

1338 votes | Poll has closed

Post-Game Breakdown: Texans Beat Bills To Improve To 5-3

Tim — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:14:46 -0000

That was, well, uh, unique. Come the offseason, what will we remember yesterday's win for? That Owen Daniels' otherworldy season was cruelly cut short? That Steve Slaton's inability to hold onto the football finally had lasting consequences? That Ryan Moats somehow laid claim to a job that none of us ever thought would be in play? Possibilities all.

Personally, I believe I'm going to remember it for a different reason. Namely, that it was the first game I can readily recall in the Gary Kubiak Era that the defense won. Yes, the offense put up 31 points, highlighted by Moats' three (3) fourth quarter TD runs. The offense also turned the ball over three (3) times in the first quarter, thanks to two (2) picks by Matt Schaub and yet another inexcusable fumble by Slaton. In years past, those three turnovers would have been fatal. Each would have likely led to points, and the snowball effect of it all would have been insurmountable. Not this time, though.

This time, the defense refused to budge. This time, the three miscues resulted in a yield of only seven, not twenty-one, points. This time, the defense picked the offense up. For a team that's generally seen the offense compensating for the defense's shortcomings, that's simply huge. 31 points scored or not, any Texans fan who watched yesterday's game knows the victory belonged to the defense. I don't know about you, but I can't remember the last time a Houston win was due more to defense than offense. Pittsburgh in 2002 comes to mind, and that's it.

Has the defense arrived? Depends on what your definition of "arrived" is. No one's going to confuse this Texans' D with the Steel Curtain. But has it progressed to a point where you'd deem it average, with the capability of being flat out good on some afternoons? I think so. Given how good the offense has been on balance this season, this team just might be complete enough to make some noise when it counts. We'll find out much, much more in Indianapolis on Sunday.

On to the specifics from the Bills game:

1. Condolences to Owen Daniels, who was playing like one of the, if not the, best TE in the NFL. OD may have become Schaub's favorite target, even moreso than Andre Johnson. It's impossible to quantify how big OD's absence will loom until we see how the offense evolves, but I will say this: Schaub spreads the ball around, as evidenced by the fact that ten (10!) different Texans had receptions yesterday. If there was ever a system that could withstand the loss of a star, it may be this one.

2. Joel Dreessen figures to be the new starter at TE, but James Casey was the guy catching passes once OD went down. There's little doubt that Casey can be a helluva receiver; unfortunately, that's only half the gig. It's going to be his blocking skills that limit his snaps, at least for a little while. Dreessen is the more complete option at TE for now, though I expect Casey to see more and more time as the season progresses.

3. Going to be very, very, very, VERY interesting to see how the organization proceeds with Daniels in contract talks. Everything OD has done this season up to the point of injury says he deserves big dollars. Now what? Although the situations aren't identical, they're similar enough that the way the Texans handled Dunta Robinson is probably instructive. I'd be surprised if Daniels doesn't get the franchise tag in a few months; he's going to (rightfully) want more than the Texans are likely to offer, and the Texans are going to want to see him produce on that surgically repaired knee before they commit to the kind of dollars OD wants.

4. There's been a lot of back and forth on what Kubes should do about his newfound Steve Slaton/Ryan Moats conundrum. My take is rather simple, echoes the view of several others, and pains me considerably, seeing as how Slaton is on my fantasy squad. Start Moats against the Colts. He earned it with what he did yesterday, and Slaton earned it with what he's done all season. That's not to say that Slaton should be tethered to the bench. He's the most talented RB on the roster, and he should remain a big part of the gameplan on Sunday. Until Slaton shows he can avoid putting the ball on the turf, however, he cannot be consistenly counted upon. Although the sample size is skewed, the data we have this season shows that Moats is the more surehanded option. As such, give him the start.

5. It's a fine line Kubes has to walk; he can't bury Slaton, and he has to be careful not to exacerbate what I imagine is an increasingly mental problem for Slaton. At the same time, he can't keep trotting Slaton out there as though nothing's wrong when the early returns show that Slaton's good for a fumble or two each game. Turnovers kill, and Slaton's been skirting first-degree murder charges all season.

6. One more word about Casey, before I forget. Prior to OD's injury (I think), Casey had an absolutely monstrous special teams tackle. Merits a mention.

7. As LoneSpot noted in the Comments, Super Mario managed to completely avoid mention in the box score. Odd, though I seem to recall him being directly responsible for one sack by making Ryan Fitzpatrick step up into the pocket and into someone's grasp. I plan on writing a longer post about Mario in the coming days.

8. Antonio Smith finally posted some stats yesterday. Again, I think he's been solid for most of the year; it just hasn't shown up statistically. Now it has.

9. Amobi Okoye is not a bust.

10. Is Brian Cushing already the second-best linebacker in franchise history? Depends on what you think about Jamie Sharper.

11. Bernard Pollard is too good in run support to have been on the street when the season started. Smithiak really got lucky there.

12. Terrell Owens got his first TD of the season because Dunta Robinson did not do his job. -Jay saw it immediately and pointed it out to me; I caught it on the replay. Dunta had contain and should have forced Owens inside on that TD run. Instead, Dunta gave up the sideline, and that was all she wrote.

13. Has anyone gotten further explanation why Jacques Reeves was demoted to the nickel corner job? I like Glover Quin and all, but I don't get it.

14. Sign No. 79 This May Not Be Your Grandmother's Texans Defense: Jacques Reeves put his hands up and made a fine play in the end zone in coverage on Terrell Owens.

15. This would be where I lavished praise on Jacoby Jones if I wasn't terrified of jinxing Jacoby Jones.

16. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Ryan Moats; Defense--Brian Cushing; Special Teams--Rhymes with "Macoby Mones."

Off to Indy before the bye week. Peyton Manning & Co. may well be playing the best football in the entire league right now, and the Texans have had as many wins at the RCA Dome as Kerry Collins does this season. The Colts are prohibitive favorites, as they should be. It's going to take a near-perfect effort from the Texans to pull this one out. A month ago, that wouldn't have seemed possible. Now? Who knows?

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