SB Nation - Will Demps

Bernard Pollard: One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure

Mike Kerns — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:05:18 -0000

Safety has been a position of need pretty much since the Texans inception in 2002. Eric Brown, Glenn Earl, Jason Simmons, C.C. Brown, Nick Ferguson, Dominique Barber and John Busing are just some of the names who came and didn't work out at the spot. But something odd has happened this season. Houston seems to have finally found someone who has shored up the Strong Safety position well. Extremely well.

I remember watching NFL Network right near the end of preseason for the names of all the final roster cuts for every team. There were obviously several names that I immediately put on my "Texans Wish List." One of those names was former Kansas City Chief, Bernard Pollard.

By the end of Week 1 of the 2008 season, almost everyone knew who Bernard Pollard was. While it wasn’t necessarily for his play on the field. It was more for being known as the man who ended the season of Patriots QB Tom Brady. Not that his play on the field was lackluster.

I have several co-workers at my office who are Purdue alumni, and I remember one of them mentioning Bernard Pollard while he was still playing for the Boilermakers. He was referred to as "The Bonecrusher" for his really physical play and devastating hits in college. Something that earned him honors as a first day draft pick, going in the 2^ndround and #54 overall to Kansas City.

After starting every game and leading The Chiefs with 98 tackles in 2008, I think it surprised almost everyone when his name was on the final cuts list at the end of camp this year. Especially Chiefs fans.

With us staring a year of Dominique Barber and John Busing at safety in the face, I hoped Houston would take a flyer on him. And that they did. So far, it seems to have been one of the smartest in-season pickups the Smithiak regime has ever had. Since being inserted as a starter, Houston is No. 1 in the league against the rush.

By this point, everyone is scratching their heads and wondering why Kansas City let him go. When asked about it, Pollard simply says that he was just as confused and surprised as everyone else:

"It was very difficult," he said. "You don't know what's going on. You don't know who said what about you. You don't know how they labeled you. When you don't know, that's the worst thing."

When credited for Houston’s defensive revival, Pollard is humble and gives his teammates credit by saying that he is just another piece to an already great defense.

Another Purdue alum, Jacques Reeves, says that he isn’t at all surprised about Pollard’s huge impact on the defense:

"I knew what kind of player he was and I figured he would come in here and make an impact," Reeves said. "I don't know what else went along with him being cut, but I do know he is a good player and he's playing good for us."

A month ago this guy was looking for a job. Someone to give him a shot. Most agree that he is making the most of the opportunity.

"I just want to play football," he said. "I want to be able to show management or teammates what I'm able to do. You know what they say; one man's trash is another man's treasure. I'm thankful for where I'm at."

And most Texans fans are thankful to have him here.

However, as always, there are detractors. There are some who say he will give up the big play to try to make a big hit. In fact, I even remember him on 790 AM here in Houston saying:

"You just got to establish yourself....let them know that I'm going to hit the ever-loving **** out of them. Sorry to say that, but that's how I feel, that’s how I play."

Sorry, but what fan isn’t going to like hearing a player for their team say that? Along with Brian Cushing, Pollard has given the Texans defense a swagger and a mean streak that we have never seen out of this team before.

I say lock the guy up. He is only 24 (25 in about a month and a half) and in his prime. I know there are many who are worried he is just another Will Demps. And that could be true. But you don’t want to have the fix in your hands and let him walk next season. Pollard talks about how much he likes it here and the direction the team is headed. Unfortunately, there are going to be many other contract renewals and extensions to worry about this offseason. But let Rick Smith worry about that. It’s his job, not ours. Just like Pollard’s is to keep knocking the ever-loving **** out of ‘em, and the contract will take care of itself.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels salutes the crowd after the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 20-17 in overtime in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Is anybody else feeling like they could get used to feeling like this on a Tuesday? It's great to be 5-0, isn't it? Maybe Mark Kiszla is right, and we should all join him in welcoming Kyle Orton to Denver, since MHR is clearly bringing up the rear, there. Y'all know how skeptical I have been. Despite our ongoing skepticism, and community-wide propensity for all things negative, we press on. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. Speaking of my skepticism, I was pretty high on this team, heading into the first game.

This is an 11-5 football team, and it's one that is only going to improve as it adds more quality talent in the next few years. I put my money where my mouth is too, donating $11 to the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, on John Bena's wife's behalf. Please do the same thing, if you can, by donating $1 for every win you think the Broncos will get this season. Things have to break right for that to happen, sure, but I think they will. Forget last season, this is a totally different thing.

Well, that caused a stir. John Bena took a beating on Twitter about it, and even my brother Chris thought I was about 4 games too generous. At this point, I am frankly wondering if I shorted the Susan G Komen outfit by a buck or two. One mea culpa though.

By the way, the Broncos five losses are to the Patriots, Giants, and Raiders at home, and the Chargers and Eagles on the road. I know a lot of people will groan at the thought of losing to Oakland at home, but let's face it, the Broncos annually lose a game they have no business losing, and I had a feeling that that would be the one. I think they can beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh, because they protect the QB, and will be strong defensively against the run. It's about matchups, in those cases. Really, I believe that the Broncos can beat any team on their schedule if they execute, and consistently do the things you need to do to win football games.

I had the Broncos going to 4-0, (in case anybody claims nobody did), before losing both (Sunday) to the Patriots and next Monday night to the Chargers. They beat the Patriots, and I am pretty sure they'll beat the Chargers too, to move to 6-0. I also don't think there is any way they lose to the Raiders, with the consistent preparation and focus they've shown, and Oakland's extreme awfulness. So, even the most optimistic reasonable guy you know may have been underselling this team.

I am not much of a stats guy, but are you ready for an unbelievable one? In five weeks, the Broncos have made zero personnel moves. For all you hear about how much "turmoil" surrounded this team in the offseason, there has been absolutely none in the regular season. Of course, having had no major injuries helps, but it's really indicative of the quality of the team's personnel plan. There was no area where the staff thought incorrectly that the personnel would be good enough. It's good enough everywhere.

There is a lot of reason to really like this team. When the score was 10-0 in the first quarter, my father (Ed) called me, like he does when things aren't going that well for the Broncos. This is the conversation, practically word-for-word.

Ed: What's going on with your boys?

Ted: (A little annoyed.) Nothing, they had a good drive, but missed a field goal, and then they fumbled. Then they held the Patriots to a field goal despite really favorable field position. I'm not worried about it yet. These things happen.

Ed: I don't know...

Ted: This team has shown an ability to be resilient, and make adjustments. I think they'll hang in there, and be okay. (More annoyed, because the commercial was ending, and the game was restarting.) They just (bleeped) up a couple times, it's not the end of the world.

Ed: We'll see....

Ted: Yes, we will. I have to go, so I can pay attention.

Ed: Okay, when you write your analysis, you should mention that your expert father thinks they played like (bleep) because of those ugly uniforms.

Like me, my father is a former United States sailor (a Chief Nuke Machinist Mate), and we tend to employ some sailors' vocabulary when we speak. (In the interest of authenticity, I thought everybody should know that.)

I think back to the last few years, and there is a striking difference with this team. I think of 2005, and the Broncos hardly ever trailed in that season. Jake Plummer was made to play low-risk football, the defense was solid, and the Broncos ran the ball very well. If the plan was executed, the Broncos were going to win. Once it wasn't, in the AFC Championship Game, there was no coming back.

Between 2006-2008, the team was very mistake-prone, on both offense and defense (after the first 6 games of 2006). Generally, you'd have the feeling that if a player or unit made a mistake, that a long day of repeat mistakes would be sure to follow. Think of all the times Jay Cutler played the team out of games, or the defense took a holiday from tackling (or both happened in the same game, like the early season Chiefs game last season). There was always a puncher's chance, but you felt like every mistake was the killer.

I have a tremendous amount of faith in this team's ability to overcome mistakes. In the short amount of time they've been together, I've seen them do it a lot of times. It's not like they're making a lot of mistakes, but they show the ability to settle down and re-focus, no matter what happens. The 2008 Broncos would have gotten blown out today, no question about it. This team hangs in there, gets back to playing solid football, and gets in position to win in the end. It happened against Cincinnati, it happened against Dallas, and it happened again today. (Of course, there never was one second where the Browns or Raiders had an apparent chance, so there was no particular need to hang in there in those games.)

Check out this tweet from Darrell Reid, from Sunday night:

@Footz95: Bronco Fans Please 4Give Me 4 My Penalty That Almost Cost Us The Game. Luckily Its A Team Sport And My Teammates Overcame That Play. Thank U

That's pure class and accountability, and it's emblematic of this team. There was nothing about how the penalty was kind of ticky-tack, even if it was. He knows the rules, he ran into the guy's leg, and he is accountable for his mistake.

It's a gift to be able to feel like this, and I think only probably Patriots, Steelers, and Colts fans have been able to do so consistently, in recent memory. I think Giants and Saints fans probably can right now. Somehow, our team is going to keep focused, and find a way to be in the game until the final gun. What a great new Broncos fan reality.

2. Information From My Eyes, Patriots at Broncos:

a. The WRs for the Broncos did great work all game on Sunday. They ran a ton of hitches, and really got out of their breaks well on them. They also really caught the ball.

b. Andra Davis and D.J. Williams both missed clean sacks on Tom Brady, on delayed blitzes. It sure would have been nice to have those sacks, at the time.

c. I thought the use of Russ Hochstein as a FB was a nice touch a few times. It's been hit or miss this season, and it hit Sunday.

d. Both Brandon Marshall TDs were emblematic of his improvement as an all-around player. He made plays with his physicality, which he hadn't ever fully harnessed in past years. There was no sideways running Sunday, just good routes and power.

e. That Ben Watson TD was evidently a mistake by D.J. Williams, who from the looks of the rest of the scheme, and Wesley Woodyard's reaction, should have stayed in zone coverage, instead of following the underneath crosser.

f. Maybe Kyle Orton was so fantastic because he read Mark Kiszla's column before the game. Feeling like "one of us" has to go a long way, right?

g. That was a joke, of course, but Orton really did look as good as I have ever seen him. His feet were calm, active, and precise, his decisions were quick and correct, and his throws were consistently on the money. He looked like Tom Brady looks on a good day, and that's no overstatement.

h. I want to see a QB sneak on a short-yardage play one of these days. I am tired of seeing these handoff plays get blown up by quick penetration, usually over Ben Hamilton.

i. WOW, did Josh McDaniels ever flame-spray Mike Priefer and Keith Burns over that Darrell Reid penalty. He had a point. There was no particular need to be halfway rushing that punt, in that situation. Honestly, I am a believer in not trying to block a punt at all, unless there's 6 or more yards to go. That mitigates the risk of running into the kicker.

j. If you remember the second-down play in the 4th quarter, with about 10 minutes to go, where Brady threw deep and the ball was broken up by Brian Dawkins, the real play was made by D.J.Williams, in covering Wes Welker one-on-one. Brady clearly wanted to go there, and it was blanketed. On the next play, Brady did throw to Welker, and Champ Bailey had great coverage. The Broncos did a great job taking Welker away in the second half.

k. Everybody knows I wasn't that high on the Knowshon Moreno pick when it was made, but I have come to really love this player. He is going to be a superstar for years to come. I especially appreciate his skill at picking up the blitz, which is rare for a rookie.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games:

a. I had the Bengals-Ravens game on my fixed screen Sunday, for the duration. The key observation from that game is that I had it slightly wrong a couple weeks ago, when I said that the Ravens were without any glaring weaknesses. Their cornerbacks are below average, and they can be killed outside the numbers. Old friend Domonique Foxworth is a good guy, but an average-at-best player. Fabian Washington isn't even as good as that. Particularly if you can block the Ravens' pressure packages, there is a lot of opportunity for success.

b. It is, however, best to stay out of the middle of the field, with any kind of risky throws. Ed Reed is as great as ever, and we all know about Ray Lewis. Reed made a couple big plays Sunday, stripping Chad Ochocinco on a long gainer before the first half ended, and then also returning an interception for a TD later. The Bengals dominated this game, and Reed and Ray Rice were the Ravens' only real positives, and managed to keep the Ravens in it.

c. Matt Cassel says he wants to find the right "anecdote" to losing. The Chiefs ought to start by drafting a lot more speed, because they're the slowest team in the NFL, ahead of their opponent Sunday, Dallas. The Chiefs are going to have another very high draft pick this year, because they are really horrible. If I were Scott Pioli, I would do everything possible to get below the Top 10, because a third straight very high pick, along with Cassel's contract, is going to really mess up their salary structure, a la Oakland. I would give a top pick away, straight-up, for the 12th pick, in their situation. Bill Polian had it right when he said that you don't get good by picking high in the draft every year. Unless you're taking a can't-miss QB, like Peyton Manning, nobody is worth the money you have to pay out.

d. Speaking of the Chiefs, this has gone mostly under the radar, but they're not playing Derrick Johnson, their best linebacker. He was their best defensive player in 2008, and now he's frozen out for some undisclosed reason. If I were a 40-front team, I'd be calling the Chiefs before the trade deadline next week. I bet he could be had for a 5th-rounder.

e. Have you ever seen that show, Intervention, on A&E? I know I have a pretty male-heavy readership, and it's mostly targeted toward a female demographic, so I ask, rather than assume. Anyway, it's not what I would call uplifting television. There's always some really troubled person, with drugs, or gambling, or compulsive shopping, or whatever. Their family loves them, and wants to help get them on the straight and narrow, but addiction is really hard (my 3-year anniversary of quitting smoking is next Monday, so trust me, I have an idea about addiction).

Anyway, the Jaguars remind me of an addict who is trying to get clean, and tries hard, and does well for a while, and then has a staggering, messy relapse. Jacksonville's addiction is to playing undisciplined and stupid football. The last two weeks, against Houston and Tennessee, the Jags had their act together. Sunday, against Seattle, they relapsed, and got completely embarassed. Rashean Mathis, a good CB, had a horrid game, and got out of position repeatedly. I think Jack Del Rio's days have to be numbered, because his program just isn't getting the team to where they need to be. I'm not picking them in any more games this year, either, unless it's against an obviously terrible team. Sometimes, even though you may love the addict, they won't let themselves be helped, and you have to cut them off.

f. The 49ers are not addicted to undisciplined football, but they sure played like the Jaguars West on Sunday. Watching the Short Cut, I really feel like they lost their composure after Roddy White's 90-yard TD in the second quarter. Nate Clements got beat on that play, and had a tough game overall. The defense was physical, and maintained their run lanes, but didn't tackle well, at all. I expect that Mike Singletary will re-focus his team, and they'll show better in their next game, after their bye. Since they're clearly not built to play from behind, they need to establish early leads.

g. A lot was made of Dre' Bly's idiotic celebration Sunday, but Donnie Avery deserves some scorn too, for dancing after a TD catch, when it made the score 31-10 Vikings, with 6 minutes to go. That's just clown-like. Hand the ball to the Field Judge, and get back to your sideline.

h. Matt Schaub threw a noodle-armed out route Sunday, which Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie took back for the game-winning TD. Even after that, Schaub drove the team the length of the field, before the Cardinals held them on 4th and goal from the 1. The problem with being a zone-blocking team, as we've seen, is that you tend to struggle in short yardage situations, and the Texans really struggle with them.

i. I got called "ignorant" once by our dear friend/Colts blogger BigBlueShoe for saying that Anthony Gonzalez was a below-average starter. I considered it an honor, because I am happy to disagree with anybody. (Evaluation is a function of what I see, not what anybody thinks they know, and by extension, that they think I should "know.") In any case, Gonzalez, who is from 3 towns west of where I live, is going to stuggle to get on the field when he gets healthy. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon have done fantastic work this season, and they're both better players than Gonzalez. Collie is smooth in his routes, and fundamentally sound, and Garcon is fast and fluid. Gonzalez struggles to get off press coverage, and as Mike Shanahan once said, if you can't get off press coverage, you'll be selling cars before too long.

j. The Steelers defense looks extremely beatable lately, especially if you can pass protect. The Lions did a lot of good stuff offensively Sunday, and lost only because they couldn't contain James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Trust me, they're not a terrible team team this season.

k. Josh Johnson looked like an NFL starting QB on Sunday, which is an accomplishment, for your second career start, against a defense like Philadelphia's. His stats were pedestrian (26-50, 240 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT with 5 carries for 40 yards), but he passed the eye test. His throws were mostly accurate and decisive, and he was victimized by quite a few drops, at least 6 or 7.

l. I haven't gotten a great look at Jason Peters yet this regular season, and I have been wanting to. Sunday's game didn't show me much, because Gaines Adams just looks clueless on the field. LDE Jimmy Wilkerson got 3 sacks for the Buccaneers, and lazy analysis would lead me to criticize RT Winston Justice, who I am typically not a big fan of. Thing is, I looked at the plays, and none were particularly bad plays by Justice. One was an overload, where the RG picked up Wilkerson, and on the other two, Donovan McNabb rolled into a decently-blocked Wilkerson.

m. ST&NO favorite Channing Crowder had a fantastic game on Monday Night, and really backed up his smack talk from the spring with Rex Ryan. Another ST&NO favorite, Sean Smith, did not have a particularly great game. He struggled a little with Braylon Edwards, and while he didn't embarass himself, he has looked a lot better in other games. He was still the best CB the Dolphins had, as Vontae Davis and Will Allen both struggled worse.

n. I called this just last Tuesday with Edwards. He got out of Cleveland, and he's going to flourish in New York. He always thought of Cleveland as a non-cosmopolitan place, even to a greater extent than what is really true. (It's medium in its cosmopolitan-ness; well behind the major cities, but well ahead of a place like Jacksonville.) Edwards also felt like Ohio fans secretly hated him because he is a Michigan guy. The enmity between OSU and Michigan people is pretty real, for Big 10 country anyway, but Clevelanders are almost universally Browns fans before they're OSU fans. It's an NFL town, first, no question about it. If Edwards did well for the Browns, he'd have gotten plenty of love here.

My read on Edwards' personality, from living in the same town, is that the fact that he comes from a fairly affluent, two-parent, suburban background works against his ability to be a great player. He knows he has options outside of football. Poor kids need football, and many dedicate themselves fully to it, but I don't think Edwards has ever felt like he needs it. (For an example, there's the famous story of him asking Will Demps how to get into modeling and acting, between plays, during a game with the Texans).

I expect that Edwards will be very good for the Jets, and get himself a good contract extension after this season. New York is the town he wants to be in, and at his best, he can be like Tiki Barber, a guy who is interested in a lot of other stuff, but finally focuses pretty well on football, and has some good years under some tough coaching. Just don't be the person who believes the nonsense about him being a bad player, because he is not one.

n. The Dolphins offensive line is really one-dimensional, because their Tackles, Jake Long and Vernon Carey, severely lack foot quickness. Both guys can really move defenders off the ball in the running game, though. I am a big fan of Justin Smiley at LG; he's a mauler. The Dolphins do well in their wildcat stuff, but I think they should play more with their QB under center, to generate opportunities in the play-action game. It's the only way their QB will ever be able to consistently take a very deep dropback, unless they want to max-protect with a limited pattern.

o. Wow.... two successful fake punts in one first half by the Jets. I don't know if I have ever seen that before. Brad Smith was almost stopped on the second one, but he managed to get away from the tackle.

p. Chad Henne has looked much better than I thought he could play the last two weeks, but I am not sold on some things. For one thing, since when do QBs have lousy, jail-house looking tattoos, or any tattoos at all? It's like when an enlisted guy in the military becomes an officer, and suddenly looks a little different, sporting a bunch of ink. (My buddy who is getting married in Dallas in about 2 weeks is actually one of these.) Anyway, it's weird to see a QB with that going on. As a player, he looked really good, though.

q. Ted Ginn put a pretty humbling move on Darrelle Revis in the 4th quarter Monday Night. When you hear scouts talk about suddenness, Ginn is not a guy who really has it, as opposed to somebody like Percy Harvin, who does. Ginn does, however, have world-class speed once he gets going, and he ran by the outstanding Revis for a go-ahead TD.

r. I usually ignore MNF while I write the bulk of ST&NO on Monday nights, but this Dolphins-Jets game was terrific. Both of these teams are playoff-caliber teams, and only one of them will probably make it.

s. The Packers had a bye week, and signed Mark Tauscher, which was smart. I think he is below-average, (and so is Chad Clifton), but they are a damnsight better than Daryn Colledge and Allen Barbre. If Aaron Rodgers can get sacked only 3-4 times per game, as opposed to 8-9, the Packers would have a better chance to beat good teams. Rodgers does tend to hold the ball too long at times, and I am sure the Packers are working with him on that, as well.

t. There were a lot of lousy games this weekend, which weren't particularly relevant to anything. I didn't bother with them. (That means you, Buffalo-Cleveland and Washington-Carolina.)

4. Between The Lines - Patriots at Broncos

a. The Patriots pass-protected very well in this game, much better than I expected them to. Matt Light and Nick Kaczur really held their own against Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, and others. The Broncos mostly tried to play coverage, and generally didn't blitz a lot, but the Patriots handled their 3- and 4-man rushes virtually every time. Once Light was injured, and replaced by Sebastian Vollmer, I felt like the Patriots expressly didn't want to have him singled up on anybody, and they got more conservative with their protection calls. Of course, on the key play where Vonnie Holliday sacked and stripped Brady, and Dumervil recovered, that was only a 4-man rush, and Vollmer was the victim. The Patriots won this battle on volume, but he Broncos got the biggest play.

b. The Broncos also were outstanding in protection. Orton was never significantly pressured during the game, and the two sacks he took were both coverage sacks, delivered by LBs Rob Ninkovich and Tully Banta-Cain. Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris were outstanding as usual. Although Clady did have Banta-Cain on his sack, it's hard to call the play Ryan's fault. Pressure up the middle forced Orton to step backwards, into the area where Clady had ridden Banta-Cain. Sometimes you take a hit for doing your job right. The interior was strong in protection too, especially Chris Kuper. He does a great job anchoring against power rushers. The Broncos were terrific in this area, and won it going away.

c. The Patriots seemed to want to run the ball at Ryan McBean and Mario Haggan, and had a bit of success at it early with Sammy Morris. After that, they seemed to get away from that plan, only running much from shotgun looks. The Broncos defensive line was up to the task, consistently holding the line of scrimmage, as they have in all five games. Noteworthy performances were turned in by Ronald Fields, Le Kevin Smith, and Kenny Peterson, in addition to McBean. These big guys just continue to hold up. Logan Mankins was tough for the Patriots, and Dan Koppen was steady and crafty. Kaczur had a couple nice early blocks on the opening possession too. This battle was pretty even, in the final analysis.

d. Vince Wilfork was the best all-around player on the field on Sunday, and he couldn't be blocked. If the Patriots don't pay him, I'll be shocked, but there are actually rumblings that they may not. The rest of the Patriots defensive line got pushed around in the running game. The Broncos blockers were terrific in opening up holes for Knowshon Moreno and LaMont Jordan. Clady, Harris, and Kuper were especially noteworthy for their efforts in the running game. Wilfork did make a key stop on third-and-short, and blew up Hamilton on the play. Moreno's 4.2 yard average was a lot better than teams usually get from the Patriots. This is a win for the Broncos.

e. Remember a year ago, when the Patriots physically dominated the Broncos on both lines? That did not happen Sunday. The matchup was pretty even, with a slight edge going to the Broncos. This was very important to the final outcome of the game, as always.

(I am scrapping the BTL feature for another game. I am pretty overloaded lately, and I need to save the 90 minutes per week. It seemed like the best place to cut from. Sorry for anybody who will miss it.)

5. Weird comment from Pat Kirwan on NFL.com:

5. Things I didn't like

When the visiting Patriots lost the coin toss in overtime and the Broncos drove the field and kicked a winning field goal, it left me wanting more than that to decide a winner. Wouldn't it have been great if, after Denver's field goal, Tom Brady had one drive to score a touchdown?

Is Kirwan saying that Brady should get even more special treatment, because he's Brady, or is he saying that the NFL should allow both teams to get the ball at least once in overtime, as a rule for all teams? I typically like Kirwan's work, but this has me pretty confused.

And for the record, I don't think it would have been great if Brady had one drive to score a touchdown. To me, moving down the field after winning the toss, and kicking a winning FG is legitimate. I also think the Broncos play-calling would have been a bit different, once Knowshon Moreno got them inside the 30, if they felt like they really needed to play for a TD.

6. Big up Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, for reminding us, via Twitter, of somebody who hasn't come forth with their mea culpa yet. I'm looking at you, Rick Reilly, purveyor of puff pieces.

Actually, Reilly's words were more mean-spirited than anybody's, so he really owes Josh McDaniels an apology.

@DenverBroncos : Deadspin compiles all the not-so-nice things Rick Reilly wrote about McDaniels last spring. Pretty interesting. http://deadspin.com/5379838/delighting-in-rick-reillys-massively-wrong-broncos-predictions

I don't normally read Deadspin, but nice work by Tommy Creggs here. Some interesting reminders:

Reilly on April 3rd: "And none of it would've happened without McDaniels' ham-handed style and his Macy's-balloon ego. I have a buddy who honestly believes McDaniels thinks this is fantasy football; that Pat Bowlen gave him a whole team to play with and screw over in his own image and what the hell, if his moves don't work out, his league has a special "mulligan" rule and he can start over. Only there's no "oops" rule in the NFL. Years from now, the Cutler Catastrophe will go down as the dumbest thing in Boy Blunder's very short coaching career. By then, perhaps he will be your waiter at Olive Garden."

That was right after the Cutler trade. Nice, huh? Try this one out:

Reilly on April 29th: "To repeat: Boy Blunder used a [first-round pick] to take a second. And if the Broncos are going to be as lame as I think they're going to be-4-12 perhaps-that first-round pick will be very high. McDaniels is the worst combination of things: Terribly naïve and doubly confident. Bronco fans, you're screwed."

And one more pearl;

Reilly on September 29th: "You can't just bolt your team because you think it's going to suck. (Which the Broncos are. There is no debating that. They are going to lose more than France. Just because you worked under Bill Belichick and you wear your sweatshirt like Bill Belichick does not mean you are Bill Belichick.)"

I would have been glad to debate Reilly on September 29th, or any other day. And if Josh McDaniels was my waiter at Olive Garden, I'd tip him pretty well, because I tip well, and because I bet the service would be outstanding.

I mean, like they say on ESPN, C'mon Man! This drivel was worse than what came from any of the serious-ish reporters, right? Your garden-variety John Clayton, Peter King, or Don Banks were smug and disconnected from reality, but it wasn't personal. With Reilly, this was clearly PERSONAL. Where are you at, Rick? Being a Denver guy, I suspect you'll see this, or at least hear about it, from somebody who does. Ted Bartlett from MileHighReport.com wants to know where you're at with this today, and is directly, publicly asking, on behalf of the thousands who realize how wrong you were, and think we have a great Head Coach.

Hell, if I find out that Chad Henne's tattoo is actually beautifully and tastefully done, and I had it all wrong, you can bet that I'll man up to it publicly. Same goes for anything I ever say, in all seriousness. Maybe accountability to readers is a blogger thing, I don't know.

7. Retired for John Elway

8. So, there's a hellaciously stupid line of thought that's circulating throughout the punditry (as always, meant negatively.) It seems that there are two kinds of people: those who dichotomize, and those who don't. The punditry tends to dichotomize, and there are two kinds of coaches right now. Hot Coordinators (including some retreads like Mike Nolan, Gregg Williams, and Mike Mularkey), and Super Bowl Winning Retreads. And lemme tell you, nobody wants a Retread. Why not? Because they're Retreads, stupid!

My favorite contrarian Andrew Perloff tells us so in his crack column Against The Grain: ("A weekly NFL column that heads in the opposite direction of your average pro football analysis." Just in case you were wondering....)

3. The NFL information men are hot on the trail of finding out where former Super Bowl-winning coaches like Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren and Bill Cowher will end up. But shouldn't we be asking ourselves if those coaches are the right hires for franchises like Washington, Dallas and Carolina? A retread coach with a ring is still just a retread. Duplicating that kind of success is still a longshot in the NFL. Some of the organization problems within those teams would cause just as big a headache for a proven winner.

Perloff has a point about the organization problems, but calling somebody a retread, and assuming that they suddenly can't coach is asinine. Analysts who don't know how to analyze always look for correlation, and assume causation, where there often is none.

Some teams, like the Redskins and Cowboys, will almost certainly make big-splash hires. Some, like the Bills and Jaguars, will be cost conscious, and probably hire a coordinator. Some, like the Panthers, could go either way. You can believe that whatever is deemed to be the trend du jour, (probably hiring coordinators), the other path will be criticized. Such is life with the dichotomizing punditry.

9. Another fun Ted Bartlett prognostication from the preseason:

The Broncos are going to have the best defense in the AFC West.

I guess I am just hot this year. :)

That's all I have for this week. Have a great Tuesday, and beyond, and we'll see you Saturday for Lighting Up The Scoreboard, even as I will be at Notre Dame this weekend for their game against USC. It will be my first time seeing Touchdown Jesus, so we'll see what that does for me as a guy who grew up Catholic. Maybe I will tweet from the game. Follow me at @TedBartlett905. Thanks for reading, and go Broncos!!!

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 1

Andrew602 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:00:17 -0000

With the start of the 2009 preseason only less then a week away, now's a good time to break down the regular season and predict a record for 2009. Last year, many of us figured a realistic record would be 9-7 or 10-6, and their actual record fell along those lines. This year, the schedule becomes more difficult, coaching changes are made, and different personnel and schemes are brought in that can make predicting a valid schedule very frustrating. This season is sure to feature its ups and downs, upsets and surprising, and many more unknown scenarios. Let's break down the schedule and attempt to bolster a reasonable prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record. We'll do 4 weeks at a time until we have the complete 16 game record complete.

Week 1 - San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, WR Michael Crabtree

Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Bryant Johnson, CB Donald Strickland, QB J.T. O'Sullivan

Analysis: When Mike Singletary took over the 49ers last year, it took a couple of games, but Singletary was able to spark a fire under the 49ers and make them one of the most competitive teams towards the end of last year. That fire is sure to continue on this season, and should create a great season opener as the Cardinals and 49ers have opened the season together the last 3 years together.

What to watch for: The most obvious things to watch for would be how Beanie Wells handles his first regular season game, as he should get a good amount of carries against a physical defense in the 49ers. We should also watch out to see if Larry Fitzgerald's momentum from the playoffs continues into this season.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs. Michael Crabtree

Prediction: Win - Cardinals coming off a Super Bowl run, at home, should be too much for the 49ers.

Week 2 - At Jacksonville Jaguars

Key Additions: WR Torry Holt, S Marlon McCree, OT Tra Thomas, OT Eugene Monroe

Key Losses: LB Mike Peterson, RB Fred Taylor, DE Paul Spicer, CB Drayton Florence, WR Matt Jones, WR Jerry Porter

Analysis: The Jaguars had high hopes last year after coming very close to the Super Bowl in 2007. They were also one of the very dominant rushing teams that year. Things changed last year when injury, and inconsistency at the quarterback position hit them. They lost Fred Taylor but Maurice Jones-Drew looks to lead the team in the running game. The Jaguars are still a very dangerous team and have the right tools to make week 2 a very competitive one for the Cardinals.

What to watch for: This will be the first game on the road in 2009 and as we all know, the Cardinals have never played well on the road in the past. Although they surprised us against Carolina in the playoffs, winning on the road week 2 should be a challenge. If they can overcome the road games early, it should be a good sign for the 2009 season.

Key match up: Maurice Jones-Drew vs Karlos Dansby

Prediction: Win - Too many holes on the Jaguars and virtually no chemistry will give the Cardinals the edge.

Week 3 - Indianapolis Colts

Key Additions: DT Ed Johnson, RB Donald Brown

Key Losses: WR Marvin Harrison, RB Dominic Rhodes, Tony Dungy

Analysis: The Colts took 5 games last year to get back to playoff football. Things won't be the same this year as Peyton Manning is healthy heading into the season. The loss of Harrison shouldn't have too much of an effect on the offense as the Colts have virtually been without him the last couple years. The main factor that could give the Colts problems is the loss of long time head coach, Tony Dungy. There will be an adjustment but expect their top offense and quick defense to show up when they come to University of Phoenix Stadium.

What to watch for: Peyton Manning. The entire Cardinals defense will need to be watching Manning if they have a chance at winning the game. Manning can pick any defense apart with his superb quarterback skills. If the Cardinals can stay focused and not commit any mistakes, look for the upset.

Key match up: Dwight Freeney vs Mike Gandy

Prediction: Loss - Unfortunately, banking on not committing mistakes is not smart, and the fantastic offense of the Colts will be too much for the Cardinals.

Week 5 - Houston Texans

Key Additions: DE Antonio Smith, DT Shaun Cody, LB Cato June, LB Brian Cushing

Key Losses: QB Sage Rosenfels, S Will Demps, CB DeMarcus Faggins, RB Ahman Green

Analysis: After another average season, the Texans hopes are high heading into 2009. They have continued to fit the right pieces into place for the last few years, and seem to finally have most of the puzzle complete. They've built a solid line and built everything around it. They found a steal in last years draft in Slaton, have one of the best wide receivers in the game in Andre Johnson, and if Shaub is consistent, they're offense is set. If they're defense can adapt and improve off of last year, this team will be a contender.

What to watch for: This is surely going to be a hyped match up as the top two wide receivers in the NFL meet up. Expect many breakdowns and predictions for who will have a better performance, along with who the best receiver is during the post game news.

Key match up: No brainer...Larry Fitzgerald vs Andre Johnson

Prediction: Win - The Texans are still too inexperienced and will have trouble facing the Cardinals on their home field.

------------------------------------------------

Cardinals record through Week 5 - 3-1

It's not a bad start to the season and if the Cardinals are able to pull it off, this should surely jump start them to a lead in the NFC West. The only problem with that is keeping their number one spot as the other three teams will be gunning for them. We'll break down weeks 6-9 next week but what would you think of their record so far? Could you see it going any other way?

Know Thy Enemy 2009: Houston Texans - Sunday October 25

Fooch — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:24 -0000

So much for posting these every Wednesday. Well, I think you guys will survive with getting it a day late. This week we look at an intriguing opponent, at an intriguing time of the season for the 49ers - @ Houston, coming off the bye week. More importantly, it's the start of a 3-game jaunt versus the AFC South: @ Houston, @ Indianapolis, vs. Tennessee. Arguably the toughest 3-game stretch all season.

The Houston Texans are represented at SB Nation by Tim over at Battle Red Blog. Head on over and enjoy the constant stream of Dunta Robinson contract updates.

Overview
I have to admit, Matt Schaub is one of my favorite non-49ers in the league. A college buddy of mine was a huge Virginia fan and he turned me on to Schaub back in his Wahoo days. Schaub took a very solid step forward last season, but early season struggles for the team, yet again, sumbarined any playoff chances. They finished 8-8 for the second straight year, but once again they fell short of the playoffs in the always tough AFC South.

The Texans were in excellent shape on offense. Their offense finished the season ~~11th~~ 14th in the league thanks to a career year from Andre Johnson and a huge rookie season for 3rd round pick Steve Slaton. That seems like a recipe for success. Unfortunately, their defense finished a robust 29th in the league overall, equally abysmal against the run and the pass.

Additions
In the draft, the Texans added some defensive talent early on in OLB Brian Cushing and DE Connor Barwin. To say Battle Red Blog was not pleased with the Cushing pick is putting it mildly. On the other hand, they seem to be excited about Connor Barwin bringing a pass rushing presence to join the formerly panned Mario Williams. On offense, the team drafted Antoine Caldwell in the hopes that he'll unseat Chris Myers at center.

Elsewhere, the biggest offseason addition has to be the duo of Dan Orlovsky and Rex Grossman........ok, maybe not. The Texans were fairly active in free agency, adding a lot of depth guys like Cato June and hoping to find some defensive line answers in Shaun Cody and Antonio Smith. Cody has yet to reach his potential, so we'll see if he's able to provide some answers in Houston. We'll see if Smith can build off his solid playoff performance for the Cardinals.

Subtractions
The Texans didn't do too bad in the minus department. Most of their losses came from releases that were just as much to do with ineffective performance as anything else. The notables include Ahman Green, Will Demps, Ephraim Salaam and Anthony Weaver among many others. As you'll see in the Q&A below, the question becomes who will be a sufficient backup to Steve Slaton now?

2009 Questions & Answers
Personally, I'm most curious to see how the running back unit plays out for the Texans. Steve Slaton blew up in his rookie season without much of anything in the way of help (294 yards from Ahman Green). There is of course the worry of a sophomore slump. However, beyond that is who will help out in the backfield? Ryan Moats? The team did not add any running backs of significance so at this point Slaton will have to carry the load.

The offense seems well put together otherwise. The question then becomes whether the defense will show some improvement. They've added some talented football players, but it's tough to tell if they've really sufficiently solved the problems they had last year. As great as that offense can look, it won't matter much if they can't stop the other team.

vs. San Francisco
In our schedule discussion, ProfessorBigelow and I both predicted a 49ers win. As I said in the discussion, if the 49ers are going to take that proverbial step forward as a team, this is a must-win game for them. At the same time, I think this ends up a battle down to the wire. While the teams are built in very different ways, I think they're similar in the sense that they're both on the verge of taking that step into the playoff promise land. A loss here could send the Texans to yet another .500 season and home for the playoffs. Either way, I think this has the potential to be the most entertaining game of the season for 49ers fans.

Nick Ferguson Re-Signs With Texans

Tim — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:16:49 -0000

Approximately one year after coming to H-Town, Nick Ferguson has decided to stick around. Ferguson, like every other Texans safety, won't be confused with Ed Reed, but he proved his worth last season stepping into a starting role after Will Demps went MIA. His return should not in any way diminish the importance of adding talent to the secondary; it does, however, give Smithiak a bit more leeway in terms of where they might target safety help in the draft.

Terms of Ferguson's contract have yet to be disclosed, but I cannot imagine it's anything that would approach breaking the bank. As such, I like the move. Ferguson is fairly stout in run support and should be able to push Dominique Barber and/or whoever else is brought onboard for playing time.

Eugene Wilson Signs Three-Year Deal With Texans?

Tim — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:49:00 -0000

No details yet, but John McClain's latest blog entry has this bit of information:

The Texans released defensive end Anthony Weaver, offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam and safety Will Demps today. They also reached an agreement on a three-year contract with starting free safety Eugene Wilson.

I'm VERY interested to see what kind of money Wilson received from Smithiak. The fact that a deal was reached this quickly makes me believe/hope that both sides were reasonable, and that Wilson didn't attempt to price himself out of what should have been a pretty defined market for the Texans. More to follow as information become available.

BREAKING NEWS: Anthony Weaver Joined On Waivers By Ephraim Salaam And Will Demps

Tim — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:18:46 -0000

Adam Schefter told us Anthony Weaver was not long for Reliant Park, and that became official today. What we did not know, and thus what qualifies as news, is that your Houston Texans also cut ties with Ephraim Salaam and Will Demps this afternoon.

Examined critically, none of these moves should surprise us. We've already gone on at length about The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver, so no need to pile on any more there. Ephraim Salaam was originally signed as a reserve swing tackle a few years ago, but was thrust into the starting left tackle spot after Charles Spencer went down. I always thought Salaam performed admirably in '06 and '07; he wasn't an impenetrable wall, but I thought he generally acquitted himself well. Once Duane Brown arrived last year, the clock was officially ticking on Salaam's career here, and Kubes' decision to name the rookie as his starter at LT from Day One virtually cemented a long goodbye for the veteran. Even when Salaam did get on the field this past season to spell Brown, he looked as if he'd lost a step. Thus, I'm not really shocked that the team decided to go with a younger, cheaper Rashad Butler as Brown's backup instead of Salaam. Nevertheless, best of luck to Ephraim in whatever he does next.

Will Demps is a fine example of the old adage that "NFL" stands for "Not For Long." Signed off the street as a free agent in September of 2007, Demps came in and fashioned a Pro Bowl (alternate) season. A free agent after the 2007 season, Demps parlayed that success into a two-year deal with the Texans and entered camp as the starting free safety. Then, it all fell apart. Demps didn't really look like the diamond in the rough Smithiak discovered in 2007, thus giving Nick Ferguson and/or Eugene Wilson an opening to take his job. Soon enough, Demps found himself inactive or special teams fodder, and it was all but impossible to envision a future for him in Houston. Disappointing '08 season aside, I wish nothing but the best for one of the smoovest cats around.

2009 Free Agent Hunt

Riott — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:10:18 -0000

Sorry folks - I've been wrapped up with resuming school and having a lovely $3,000 surprise bill dropped on my doorstep.

Enough about me. Let's move on to potential 2009 Free Agents for our Houston Texans!

Okay...we are going to talk about what's available, what we might try, and what is downright impossible and/or ludicrous.

As we talked about in a previous post , we have probably $24-27 million available under the cap after re-signings if we cut TJ, Weaver, Green, and Greenwood. We free up an additional $2 million with cutting Demps, so let's throw him in there as well. That leaves your Houston Texans with somewhere between $26-29ish million under the cap to play with. With these numbers in mind, let's look at what we may pursue.

First, defensive line.

Let me get this out of the way. The Face Stomper is available, but no chance in hell we go after him. Not only because he is going to demand (and receive) the biggest defensive contract in the history of the NFL, but also because he is a jerk.

Julius Peppers - Ahh, we've all had little fantasies about this one, we've replicated it in Madden, and the thought of Peppers and Mario on a D-Line just gave Trent Green another concussion. However, I don't see it happening.

As pointed out by Tim the other day, Peppers is going to want a Jared Allen-esque deal. I don't think Rick Smith is going to hand Peppers a $72.36 million dollar deal, with $31 million guaranteed. We won't spend that much money on a player who won't "put us over the top." We have too many needs to do that.

Peppers <would also be a bad fit. He has been whining recently, saying he would be better in a 3-4 (No, Julius, you wouldn't. You don't like to play the run.) and wants to sign with a 3-4 team.

If he came to the Texans, he would also want to play right end. We happen to have a relatively talented RE, if you haven't heard. Julius sucks at LE (at least he did in the Panthers' scheme) and simply could not produce. I think Mario could do it, but I'd rather keep him in his comfort zone--you know, the place where he keeps dominating people.

Verdict: Fun to entertain. Likely? No.

Bertrand Berry--Coming off a Super Bowl appearance (and possible victory), Berry might be looking to jump ship for a payday. He's getting up into that age where teams start to move on. At 33 years of age, he's a bit old to rejuvenate a D-Line, but he could be a role player. Heck, this regular season he had 3 more sacks than Travis Johnson's career total (this doesn't fully apply - he's a DE, but still). If he didn't ask for too much money (which he probably will), I think he could play a role at LE for 1-3 seasons while we help solidify it with young talent.

Verdict: Possible, under the right circumstances.

Shaun Cody--Coming off literally the worst season ever, this Lion is probably down. Considered a bit of a bust by Lions fans, he hasn't recorded a sack since 2005. However, at 6'4", 310, he could try and be a fit at NT. He is only 25 years old and has a lot of life left in him, and I think a change of scenery out of the lifeless hell that is Detroit could elicit a change in him. There were times this year in Detroit when I watched him and he looked pretty stout against the run.

The best news? He will probably come on the cheap. Coming from Detroit, he may be viewed as damaged goods.

Verdict: Cheap, and could possibly replace TJ at NT? Go for it.

Chris Canty--I know, I know, hes a 3-4 end. But I think he could work. At 6'7", 305, he's a pretty big dude, and has managed about 3 sacks a season playing in the 3-4. 3 sacks is pretty difficult when you have DeMarcus Ware on a dead sprint into the backfield every play. Canty is also just a scant 26 years of age, so he is not on the way out. He could for sure play the run well, but I also think he would be able to create pressure on the left side as well, considering he would be one on one often with right tackles, and he's just as big as them.

Considering the cancerous locker room he is in, Canty may be looking for a way out. If he comes at a reasonable price, I would consider him as well.

Verdict: New scheme for him, not ideal fit, but hell, the man generated 3 sacks competing with DeMarcus Ware. I think anything is better than The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver. If he comes at a reasonable price, bring him in.

Marcus Tubbs--This large man excites and scares me all at the same time. At 6'3", 320, he would fit very well at NT for us. He has even been dominant at times for the Seahawks. The problem? He is coming off microfracture surgery in his knee in 2006, was on IR all of 2007, and was released in 2008 for not progressing with rehab. Sounds like a Charles Spencer case to me. If we could bring him in for no or little guaranteed money...do it. He was dominant when he was healthy, but him being healthy was rare.

Verdict: His knee is a huge question, but if we can get him up to 75% of peak performance, we have a much better NT than we did previously.

Terrell Suggs--Suggs is an interesting prospect for us, because he could probably play DE or SLB. Personally, I would rather have him with his hand down. After all, that was his whole argument during his franchise year, right? He is a ferocious pass rusher, and I feel would be a magnificent compliment across from Mario. I just don't know if he would be willing to convert to a full-time DE. There is also a very strong possibility that he is franchised by Baltimore, as they can probably work something out for Ray Lewis and Bart Scott probably isn't in as much demand.

Suggs will probably command a pretty big contract, but not along the lines of Allen or Peppers. He would add a great, young, proven player for our DL, but it would lock up a lot of our cap wiggle room.

Verdict: I would love it, but don't think it will happen. I think Suggs is going to be Baltimore's priority this offseason, and that leads us to..

Linebackers

Bart Scott--Bart Scott seems to be much more attainable than Suggs. Bart Scott, as Diehard Chris pointed out ,would be a pretty awesome force at SLB. Not only are we bringing in a proven, quality SLB, but he's also an awesome presence in the locker room. He's 28 years old and definitely has some life left in him. Bart Scott loves to hate, brings the pain, and I think our defense could use a badass veteran presence. Also, I just caught on SportsCenter that it is going to cost Baltimore about $19 million to keep Suggs and Lewis (purportedly the Cowboys are going to offer $8 million a year for Lewis, so they would probably have to up it). I think Scott is the odd man out, and to see Adibi, DeMeco, and Scott as a linebacking corps would excite me.

Verdict: Do it. It would probably cost us $15 million ($7 million guaranteed) over 3 or 4 years to land Scott. I think it would be worth it.

Karlos Dansby-- Dansby has been awesome for the Cards this year, racking up 119 tackles in '08 regular season. He's young at only 27 years old, and he probably isn't the biggest concern for Arizona, as they have to worry about Kurt Warner leaving in free agency as well. Dansby will probably be asking for around the same money at Bart Scott, but would probably be a better fit due to his play in a 4-3 at the moment. The only thing is that in all likelihood he will be locked up quickly in the offseason, as Arizona has $41 millionish in cap space for the 2009 free agency run. I think he could do well as the SLB for the Houston Texans, though unless he has a problem with Arizona, I think he will be going back.

Verdict: Would be a good fit, but unlikely due to Arizona's huge amount of cap space.

Johnathan Vilma--I was going to do a write up on Vilma, but I don't think he's a likely target. He's been arrested and he wants to go back to New Orleans and the Saints have said their priority is to re-sign him. I don't think he would be too good a fit on the field and/or in the locker room.

Michael Boley-- Boley was Atlanta's SLB this year, and he was a difference maker. He is a little small at 225, but he played all out and played well. He had no sacks this year (and one INT), so his ability to get to the QB is in question, but he is only 26 years old and pretty good in coverage. I don't think he would be an ideal fit by any means, but he would be a capable starter that could be had at an affordable price.

Verdict: Reasonable if we can't find anything better and we don't project we are going to take a true starting SLB in the draft.

Angelo Crowell--Angelo Crowell is an interesting prospect. Coming off season ending knee surgery for chrondromalacia , his rehab is progressing ahead of schedule. Before his surgery, he was an impact SLB for the Bills, amassing 119/83/126 tackles from 05-07, with 16 batted passes, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 5 INT over that three year period.

Bad news? He's coming off season ending knee surgery.

Good news? He could be a true starting-caliber, impact SLB for the cheap... if he comes back to full form.

Verdict: If Crowell passes all the physicals, and looks like he can move well, sign him to a decent contract with low guarantees and a lot of escalators for performance. If he plays up to them, I'll be more than happy to give him good money.

Defensive Backs

Nnamdi Asomugha--The other potential signing that give Texans fans warm fuzzies. Nmamdi would look very good in Battle Red, but the likelihood that he comes here is low. First and foremost, he is a true team player... which boggles my mind. He actually WANTS to stay in Oakland to help his team. Why, Scrabble, why do you do this to me? Toss your camaraderie out the window for a moment and come to us.

Secondly, Al Davis the Zombie Lord will probably franchise him. Honestly, who else are they going to franchise? The punter? They really have no one else to use the tag on, and there have already been rumors that they are negotiating long term to lock him up. I love the Raiders' tradition, but I hate Al Davis so much. I want him to get an air bubble in his IV tube and just not wake up one morning.

But I digress.

Verdict: Even though it would be ridiculously expensive, I would be so happy to see it done. But I don't think Davis will let him out of his cold, evil clutches.

Dawan Landry--Dawan Landry is a good young safety, albeit one coming off of a spinal cord concussion. He ran head-to-knee into Jamal Lewis and was carted off the field in the beginning of the '08 season and is now a free agent. His job got taken over by Jim Leonhard, and it is projected that Leonhard will keep his job even if Dawan returns. Landry is a starting quality safety who plays the run very well and does a decent job against the pass. Since he is coming off an injury and lost his starting role, I think he will be cheap. I also think he will be better than most safeties available in the draft (Louis Delmas, Patrick Chung, and Rashad Johnson are the only safeties I think could step in and perform; William Moore is showing he is a liability in coverage at the Senior Bowl).

Verdict: Same as with Crowell--if he returns from injury and comes at a reasonable price (don't low ball him, but don't throw the bank at him either), I believe he could be a capable starter for quite awhile.

Oshiomogho Atogwe - I would join Al Davis in the sacrifice of virgins to get Atogwe here. He is basically the lone bright spot for the Rams' defense the last 3 seasons, totaling 16 INT (and 6 forced fumbles in 2008 alone). He is a game-changer at free safety and not afraid to lay the wood. He is also only 27 years old and might want to move to a team looking to take the next step. The only problem is that he looks like a guaranteed lock for the Rams to franchise this offseason due to the fact the he was the team's defensive MVP and is a great locker room leader.

If he managed to sneak away un-franchised, he would want a big payday. If we are smart, we'd give it to him.

Verdict: I want him. He is a game-changing free safety and young to boot. He would cost us quite a bit, but it would be worth every penny, and there is NO safety available in this draft I think is up to his caliber, at least as a starter in 2009.

Brian Dawkins--Now, Dawkins is a playmaker...that can't be denied. However, he is old. Like, ancient old. At 35, he is definitely on his last legs and won't be in the league for more than 2-3 years. But he would be a definite upgrade to our defense, and would be an amazing veteran leader to a relatively young secondary, especially if we draft a corner/safety that we expect to start. By no means is Dawkins a long-term solution, but I think he knows how old he is, and I think we can get him for a good price if the Eagles are willing to let him go. Yet he probably wants to end his career with the Eagles and would sign back with them for a discount, simply out of loyalty.

Verdict: He would be an improvement for a season or two, and a great leader for an up-and-coming secondary. He would probably come cheap due to his age.

Okay guys, I'm glad you made it this far. These were players I thought could step in and start, not necessarily back-ups or camp bodies. I'm sure I missed some, so jump into the Comments and let me know. I also did not go into offensive linemen, but Jeff Saturday, Matt Birk, Jahri Evans, and Jason Brown would all upgrade the center or right guard spot. They might be deserving of a further post, but for the time being, we will look at throwing cash at defensive players.

If we could pick up Suggs, Scott, Nnamdi, or Atogwe, I would be ludicrously excited. The others, I think, have a lot of boom or bust potential, but would be good shots for the right money.

What do y'all think?

Post-Game Breakdown: I Prefer To Focus On 8-4 (Part II)

Tim — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:11:16 -0000

Apologies for the delay in posting the second part of the final PGB of the season (Part I here). Work, prayers getting answered and Riott's arrival (not to mention his subsequent badarsery) kept my plate full last week. We already checked out the offense's performance against Da Bears, with an eye toward output over the 2008 season; now I turn our attention to the defense and special teams:

1. DE--Pretty simple analysis here. Super Mario is a demigod. Potential wrath of the Almighty aside, I think we should all construct statues in Mario's honor.

I'm also bullish on Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading, and Earl Cochran. All of those guys, especially Bulman, looked like they have the ability to be in a rotation at DE in '09. While none of them may be an ideal long-term solution opposite Mario, I hope that at least one, hopefully two, and perhaps all three, is/are brought back next season. If I have to choose between them, give me Bulman, who has the benefit of not coming off an injury and the flexibility to play DT.

Finally, we come to Anthony Weaver. Anthony Weaver, who signed a five (5) year, $26,500,000.00 contract ($12,500,000.00 guaranteed) in March of 2006. Anthony Weaver, who has posted one more sack than a dead man during his three (3) seasons (none since 2006!) in H-Town. I'll leave the cap implications of parting ways with him to Riott. I'll just say this: If Anthony Weaver is a Texan in 2009, it had better be the result of a drastic, Ahman Green-esque restructuring of his contract (suggestion...$200,000.00 for every sack or tackle for loss?). Further, if Weaver starts another game at DE, I'm giving myself a gasoline shampoo/lit match conditioner job. I can't take it anymore.

2. DT--Tim Bulman and/or DelJuan Robinson were your best DTs last week, as well as the entire season. Considering your Houston Texans "boast" two (2) recent first-round picks that "play" defensive tackle, that's rather troubling.

Staying on DelJuan Robinson...he even stepped in and looked solid at DE when Mario went down in the second half against the Bears. Considering his relatively low salary demands, you'd think the Texans would be interested in bringing him back in 2009.

There's no denying that Amobi regressed in his second season of professional football. He showed flashes of promise as the 2008 season wound down, but flashes ain't enough for the tenth overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has to get markedly better in '09, or the bust talk will get increasingly loud.

That said, Amobi needs a planetoid DT lining up next to him to be able to do the things Amobi can do. I thought Frank Okam could be that guy, but the coaches, via the fact that Okam was not even active for most of 2008, clearly disagree with me. Whose call was that, I wonder? Kubes? Richard Smith? Jethro Franklin? Two of those guys don't have a say anymore, so it'll be interesting to see if Okam sees more action in 2009 (though I think it's far from certain that Okam makes the team next year). If Okam's not the guy to line up next to Amobi, bringing in a mammoth DT, likely via the draft, has to be one of the top priorities of the offseason.

Remember what I wrote above about Anthony Weaver? Plug in "Travis Johnson," and re-read it. Same thing. Self-immolation all around!

3. Quick anecdote about Jethro Franklin from the final game of the 2008 season...one of my buddies procured seats that were a few rows off the field, right behind the Texans' sideline. As such, I had a vantage point I typically don't have last week. What did I see? I saw Tim Bulman and Super Mario yelling at Jethro at various points throughout the game. Bulman in particular looked pretty hacked off. Of course, this could just be heat of the game interaction between a coach and his players, but I found it to be interesting, as players typically don't shout down their coaches. For his part, Franklin looked completely unfazed; he didn't give off the impression that it was a big deal at all. In fact, maybe that's the relationship he had with his players; I don't know. Still, I remembered those exchanges when the slightly surprising decision to jettison Franklin (who Super Mario had praised at length on several prior occasions) came down on the Eve of New Year's Eve.

4. LB--This is easily the strongest unit of the defense. DeMeco is one of the best in the business. Zac Diles, though undersized, was a tackling machine until he managed to kick himself to the injured reserve in early November. Xaiver Adibi looked fast and sure when he finally stepped in for Morlon Greenwood. Greenwood, meanwhile, looked nothing like the criminally underrated Morlon Greenwood we saw in 2007. If Morlon was a pitcher, we'd say he lost his fastball. If he was a horse, we'd shoot him. While Greenwood may still be capable of contributing in a rotation at LB, I'd be surprised if he was plying his trade in Houston come September 2009.

I'm intrigued about how Smithiak will handle LB in the 2009 NFL Draft. Assuming Diles can come back from his injury, I think a starting troika of him, DeMeco, and Adibi has real potential. I like Kevin Bentley a ton, but there's not a lot of depth after him. If you can get a stud linebacker in the first few rounds, do you take him? It's not nearly the area of need that DL or secondary is, so perhaps not. Then again, we shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking the Texans are so stacked at LB that they should pass on the best player available simply because of the position he plays.

5. CB--I am positively terrified at watching the Dunta Robinson negotiations play out, because there's a very real possibility that Smithiak has a totally different take on what should comprise a long-term contract for Dunta Robinson than Dunta and/or his agent does/do. If not for the injury, Dunta would be getting paid top corner money. Nor should we underestimate the fact that Dunta is the emotional leader of the Houston defense; in that respect, he'd be awfully difficult to replace. Plus, even coming off the injury, Dunta's the best CB on the roster. I think he's going to get his long-term deal. I hope he gets his long-term deal. I'm still scared.

Jacques Reeves is who I thought he was, though I'll admit that his speed is top-notch. Here's hoping that our as-yet-unknown new secondary coach threatens him with bodily injury throughout the offseason in an attempt to get him to turn his freaking head to locate the ball and/or to get his effing hands up. That, or cut him. I'd be good either way.

I have no idea what happened to Fred Bennett this year. I know he's not as bad as he appeared to be. I also know he's nowhere near as bad as Reeves and/or Petey Faggins, both of whom took snaps away from him. How does somebody go from young stalwart to barely getting on the field? Was it entirely Richard Smith's diabolical work? Jon Hoke's? We may never know.

6. S--A true FS is still nowhere to be found on the Houston roster. Generally speaking, I thought Nick Ferguson and Eugene Wilson did yeoman work in '08. Neither's going to Honolulu anytime soon, but they were tremendous in run support and definite upgrades over Will Demps, C.C. Brown, and Brandon Harrison in coverage. I hope both Ferguson and Wilson return to Reliant Park in '09, though I'm equally hopeful that a young safety acquired in the draft pushes one of them to a backup role.

Demps, Brown, and Harrison? Maybe C.C. returns. Maybe. Demps and Harrison seem like surefire goners.

7. K/P--Kris Brown and Matt Turk go nowhere. Might be a good idea to bring in a young punter to push Turk in training camp, but I'd be surprised if someone besides Turk is punting for your Houston Texans in 2009. What can you say about Brown? A golden leg, plus recovering a fumble against Chicago. What else do you want from a kicker?

8. LS--Welcome to the big leagues, Clark Harris. You were better than Bryan Pittman, and you haven't been suspended for violating the league's banned substance policy. No reason Harris shouldn't be the guy snapping to Turk and Brown in '09.

9. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Matt Schaub; Defense--DeMeco Ryans; Special Teams--Kris Brown.

So there you have it. 8-8 doesn't get you to the playoffs (unless you're the Chargers, that is, who surely showed they deserve to be there last night). Time for us to avert our glances to the majesty that is free agency and the draft. One of these years (e.g., 2009), we'll still be talking about Texans football in January. For now, we have to make due with more of the same wait-'til-next-year we know all too well.

Post-Game Breakdown: Yes, Kubiak, There Is a Santa Claus

Tim — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:19:38 -0000

It is with glee that I come to you with the latest PGB tonight. After yesterday's dramatic win...on the road...at the most hallowed site in all of football...your Houston Texans are a game under .500 after starting out 0-4. In other words, the good guys are 6-3 since this, a moment that could have cratered a team of weaker men and served as the signature moment of a crushing 2008 season, happened.

Instead of crumbling, the Texans rallied. The naysayers can point to the ongoing disasters that are the Lions and Bengals as the perfect tonic for what was ailing a reeling team, and I'll readily admit that Houston was fortunate to play those squads (at home, no less) instead of the Giants and/or Patriots in October. And yes, the Jags and Browns have appeared to be unwilling or unable to shoulder the burden of greatness that many predicted for them in '08.

All of that is true. I don't care.

Say what you will, but don't doubt that these Texans refuse to quit. I can't say enough about the heart this team has shown in battling back from a winless first quarter of the season. The sad truth is that the players get paid win or lose. While it's despicable to see professionals roll over, it happens. The check clears regardless of the team's record, so the only thing(s) keeping guys on a losing team striving for excellence is (1) pride and/or (2) respect. From what we've seen, it's clear to me that these players have an ample supply of each, both for each other and Kubes.

I have no idea what's going to happen during the remaining three (3) weeks of the season. I only know that we can be proud to support a team like the one we saw in Green Bay yesterday. While I'm sure a great portion of this goodwill will dissipate if the Texans lay eggs against Tennessee, Oakland, and Chicago, I'm going to focus on the fact that our squad has put together two (2) three-game winning streaks this season when a single such streak had never been achieved in the previous six (6) seasons of the franchise's life. After a game like yesterday's, we should revel in the positive. On to the specifics:

1. Despite the moronic ramblings of a pathetic wannabe psychic, The Schaub did not look like a dude who'd missed the last month with a knee injury. 414 yards (a franchise record, but you knew that), 2 TD (the scoring pass to 'Dre was as good a throw as a QB can make), and a game-winning drive is all I need to say about his excellence.

2. I will vote Vonta Leach to the Pro Bowl on the basis of that fourth quarter grab alone. Unbelievable catch that completely changed the complexion of Kubes' strategy; if Vonta doesn't make that catch, Kubes starts running Slaton into the pile and takes his chances in OT. Instead, the Texans win in regulation.

3. Speaking of big catches on that last drive...Owen Daniels, huh? Yes, he was sort of by himself. And yes, that fumble at the goal line was wretched. We won't remember either of those things in a year. Quite the homecoming for the former Badger.

4. Ignore Kevin Walter at your peril, NFL. After yesterday's 6 catch/146 yard/1 TD performance, K-Dub is very quietly averaging 15.5 YPC with 8 TD this season. Not bad for a seventh round draft pick from Eastern Michigan.

5. The offensive line, in particular Eric Winston and to a lesser degree Chris Myers, dealt with some adversity yesterday. On balance, however, the OL was nails. That unit has gone from mediocre to very good. Alex Gibbs is a witch.

6. I am MAYBE one week away from composing an original love song about Steve Slaton.

7. Matt Turk could walk up to me on the street, slap me in the face, and call me a nancy boy, and I could not get angry at him after he turned a sure blocked punt into a momentum-stealing first down.

8. When do we all officially decide the Jacoby Jones is too much of a liability to trust him in the return game? When he's right, he's brilliant. But those flashes of brilliance seem like they're canceled out all too often by flubs. His muffed catch of that punt was as ugly as it gets.

9. On the other hand, did anyone doubt that Kris Brown was going to nail that game-winning FG? Even after the earlier miss? Brown's as clutch as it gets.

10. A special tip o' the cap to Clark Harris, who made his first start on the road while making Bryan Pittman's struggles earlier this season even more inexplicable.

11. I think the Houston DBs made more plays on the ball yesterday than they have in a single game all year. Dunta's pick was monstrous, but Fred Bennett and even Jacques Reeves managed to knock a couple of balls away while looking like somewhat credible cornerbacks.

12. I said "somewhat." I'm still not sold on Reeves, and I remain perturbed that the Fred Bennett looked infinitely better as a rookie than he has this season.

13. The secondary really, really missed Nick Ferguson. Brandon Harrison is not anywhere close to being in Ferguson's league, and Ferguson is not exactly Ed Reed.

14. 2008 Eugene Wilson is 2007 Will Demps. Pulled off the street in early September and making big plays after being inserted into the starting lineup, Wilson's been a real find. Let's hope that 2009 Eugene Wilson is more 2008 Eugene Wilson than 2008 Will Demps.

15. Tim Bulman's timely sack on third down in the second quarter gives him four (4) sacks on the season, which places him second on the team behind a certain demigod that played collegiately at North Carolina State. If Richard Smith continues to refuse to start Frank Okam, why not use Bulman at DT? Or better yet, put Bulman at DE and let him be the bookend to Super Mario?

16. If I was Aaron Rodgers, I'd still be hearing Mario's footsteps today. No sacks for the franchise DE, but man...he was so close so many times that it had to have taken a toll on Rodgers.

17. DeMeco's sack of Rodgers late in the fourth took the Packers out of field goal range and provided the opportunity for the offense to win that game. That sack was right up there with Turk's sprint to freedom as the play of the game.

18. Blitzing? Aggressive scheming? Holding the opposition to a 10% success rate on third down? I'm now officially scared.

19. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Matt Schaub; Defense--DeMeco Ryans; Special Teams--Matt Turk. That's right, people. I thought Turk's scramble was more impressive than Kris Brown's game-winning FG as time expired. That's how spoiled we are by Kris Brown.

Now that three (3) game winning streaks are old hat, your Houston Texans have a chance to again venture into uncharted territory when Bud Adams' minions come to town on Sunday. By virtue of what I imagine is some sort of unholy alliance with the forces of evil, they've only lost once this season, and they're indisputably nasty. Can the Texans shock the world?