SB Nation - Owen Daniels

The Thief Of The 2009 Season: The Running Game

Jake — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:24:42 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

The 2009 season for the Houston Texans has been wildly inconsistent and disappointing. For the third straight year, they find themselves looking at a 6-7 record and possibly a third consecutive .500 season. Although the numbers in the W and L columns are the same, the way they got there is different.

Back in the offseason, many Texans fans speculated that even a slightly improved defense, combined with the impressive offense, would catapult this team directly into the playoffs. Since the record is the same, the casual observer would assume that the defense failed to make this minor improvement, but they'd be wrong. Frank Bush's defensive squad is currently ranked 13th in total defense thus far after finishing 22nd last year.

So what gives? Matt Schaub is having a career year and doing his best to shake to "injury prone" description commonly associated with him. Andre Johnson is again leading the league in receiving yards and has equaled his touchdown total from last year. There's only one possibility left--the run game.

Last year Steve Slaton was seriously considered for the title of Offensive Rookie of the Year. 1,659 all-purpose yards made General Manager Rick Smith look like a genius for drafting Slaton in the third round despite widespread belief that he was too small to be an every-down back. This week Slaton was placed on the injured reserve with 437 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per attempt, a full yard and a half down from his average of 2008.

Slaton's sophomore slump was mostly mental prior to his season-ending neck injury. Slaton didn't show the conviction to hit holes when they appeared and also lost 7 fumbles in just 11 games. To put it all on Slaton would be unfair though. As of last week, Slaton had 40 more receiving yards than last year, averaging 15 more yards through the air per game than he did last season. The increased involvement of Slaton in the passing game was an attempt to get Slaton out in space, a strategy made necessary because of a lack of holes to run through.

Alex Gibbs is widely considered one of the best positional coaches in all of the NFL. Wherever he has coached offensive lines throughout his career, the rushing attacks have been good to dominant, including the Texans last year. The entire Texans offensive line starting all 16 games last year was a phenomenon that was new to even him, however, and that continuity allowed those players to gel and produce fantastic results down the stretch.

The line has not been so lucky with injuries this year. Left guard Chester Pitts was placed on the injured reserve after Week 2, and right guard Mike Brisiel followed after Week 5. The team wasn't exactly dominating the line of scrimmage in those initial games of the season, but two of the four 100 yard rushing games came during that period. By way of comparison, the Texans rushed for 100 yards in all but five games in 2008.

Chester Pitts will be an unrestricted free agent following this year. As long as it is determined that he is healthy, he needs to be re-signed at all costs. His and Brisiel's absence has highlighted how substandard Chris Myers is at the center position. Myers continually loses at the point of attack while run blocking. If you want to see for yourself, watch him block throughout the Seattle game to see opposing defensive tackles push him aside. Then watch rookie Antoine Caldwell in the one play after Myers is hurt push his man five yards down the field.

That brings me to my next point. Why isn't Caldwell getting a shot at center? Myers not only loses regularly while run blocking, but he continues to have issues with larger defensive tackles while in pass protection. Myers is a great story, going from a practice squad to starting every game last year, but without good to great guards to help him, he is simply too small to be effective.

Another factor that has adversely affected the Texans in general this year, especially in the run game, is a lack of depth. Once Slaton started his mental problems, Gary Kubiak had Chris Brown, Arian Foster and Ryan Moats to rely on, which is woefully inadequate. Furthermore, Kasey Studdard and Chris White might not be terrible guards but when both are thrust into the lineup at the same time next to an inferior center, bad things will happen. All the same, an acquisition of a more quality interior lineman for next year couldn't hurt.

One last aspect that cannot be overlooked is the absence of Owen Daniels. Obviously Matt Schaub misses him as a target, but a tight end that can run routes and catch as well as run block is an enormous benefit for the run game. Daniels has deceiving blocking ability but his prolific talent as a receiver keeps a linebacker or a safety from attacking the line of scrimmage automatically. Both offensive tackles Duane Brown and Eric Winston have played well this year, but if OD clears out a linebacker, that frees one of them to get to the next level in order to block downfield.

Keep in mind how inconsistent this team has been this year. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde halves, the fourth quarter collapses...they can all be partially attributed to the lack of running success. The Texans have been successful converting 3rd or 4th and 2 yards or less 64% of the time running to the right, and a terrible 44% running up the middle. No matter how successful you are with the pass, if you continually live by the sword, you will eventually die by the sword. Take for example Matt Schaub's 13 interceptions. That sounds a little high until you take into account that equals one INT for every 36.4 attempts. That's still a little high, but when opposing defenses know that you have to pass to move the ball whether you have a lead or not, it stacks the deck against you.

Gary Kubiak has come under intense scrutiny because of game situations that have cost the Texans several games near the end. This season, Kubiak finally got a better defense, only to lose his running game. Last year's average of 115 yards per game would be the fourth best rushing output for this year's team. I'm trying to avoid the apologist angle, but if the running game was even close to last year's, I don't think that we would be discussing the jeopardy of Kubiak's future in Houston. Even yesterday's offensive outpouring included only 85 yards on the ground. In my opinion, Bob McNair should worry more about the replacement of a few offensive linemen and running backs, rather than a head coach.

Playing The Expectations Game

bigfatdrunk — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:04:24 -0000

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working for some of the most grossly inept and incompetent managers in known history. A couple of them would make the Pointy Haired Boss absolutely brilliant by comparison. Recent games have reminded me of a conversation I had with one of those rocket scienticians.

At the time, I was managing asset portfolios for wealthy investors. My portfolios were absolutely skyrocketing, but my boss' were doing horribly. Worst of all, he had most of the assets under his control, and he refused to change his strategy, relinquish control, or just do anything different. As a result, we were bleeding clients and money.

I had the audacity to lay out a concrete plan for him to follow in order to keep clients, but he erupted into one of his typical histrionic displays. I gave notice about an hour later.

When he tried to convince me to stay, he claimed he had done a poor job setting my expectations about his portfolios' performance. His argument was asinine. It wasn't *his* fault the portfolios were doing so poorly; it was the market's fault, and I had to stay and convince clients of this "fact." I was stunned by the lack of logic and the earnestness in which he avoided culpability. Needless to say, I left, and the company is out of business today.

By now you are probably asking yourself: What is your point? Great question! I'm so glad you asked.

I believe we, and by "we" I mean we as fans and the team, have failed the expectations game. Allow me to explain what I mean.

After back-to-back years of 8-8 ball, it's fair to have greater expectations and believe we'll be better year-in/year-out as fans. The reality is this isn't so easy to accomplish. Every fan base has this expectation (except for the Lions, of course) that their team is good enough to compete. So we get excited and hopeful. Gary Kubiak should also have these expectations, especially from a younger team.

Where we have failed is recognizing that our talent is still simply not there. Talent acquisition is, sadly, a prolonged process. The team Kubiak and Rick Smith inherited was almost completely devoid of NFL-quality talent. Not only do I believe we need time to build and diversify our talent base, I'm not convinced we are adequately addressing our weaknesses.

Now, this isn't to say we aren't trying, but it is clear we have serious holes throughout our starting 22 and depth problems everywhere except for TE and WLB (which needs a real quality starter).

Here's an example: Our offensive line has become a true weakness thanks in part to injuries, but also due to the lack of talent here. Duane Brown and Eric Winston have been decent but beatable. Our G and C play has been absolutely atrocious this year, even before injuries took down Chester Pitts and Mike Brisiel.

In other words, if we aren't winning the most basic, in-the-trenches battles, how can we possibly expect to win games?

Then, of course, are our expectations of FAIL. The team, at least. I had hoped the Miami game last year moved us beyond this. Or even the first BE-SF game this year. Especially in the second game against the Colts, you could see our body language change in the fourth quarter. We played down to our expectations, and it was depressing. If the Colts were in this position, there's no way they'd be hanging their heads in the same situation.

Obviously, part of the problem is Kubiak. I don't believe the team is under-prepared as much as poorly managed, both from a personnel and in-game perspective. But the lack of quality personnel is still the primary issue. However, Kubiak has got to do a better job in getting this team to play a full 60 minute game. The closest we've come to this was against the Bengals and somewhat versus the Bills. This is not acceptable.

Do I believe we need to fire Kubiak? I don't know. The offense especially is built around Kubiak's offensive style. The simple fact he believes Chris Brown is a legitimate goal-line back is an indictment of his ability to build a roster. Kubiak needs a more firm hand, and a better grip, of building his roster to meet his needs. At the same time, he has improved his in-game skills from last year (did somebody finally buy him Madden?).

Here's what I would like to see from a purely coaching standpoint:

Replace Bill Kollar (defensive line coach), Frank Bush, or both. I'm not sure who thought either of these guys would be a solution, but they clearly are not. When a Bills fan is taunting you about Kollar, you damn well know something is wrong.
Joe Marciano, special teams coach, should clearly go away. Not only do we make copious amounts of penalties, but he's managed to turn Andre Davis into a tip-toer on returns.
And we give Kubiak one. More. Year. That's it. No mas.

Again, I simply do not think we have the talent, on a personnel basis, to compete today. When you throw in the tremendous number of injuries to key elements of the team (Chester Pitts, Mike Brisiel, Owen Daniels, Antwaun Molden, Steve Slaton, Glover Quin, Eugene Wilson), we are going to be in trouble. Injuries are exacerbated by our obvious lack of depth, a problem that cannot be fixed in just one, two, or even three years. This is about expectations, and thoughts that we were a 12-4 team were optimistic and obviously misplaced. With a few breaks, was this possible? Chris Brown says "yes." We are, however probably better than 5-7 as well.

At this point, I don't see firing Kubiak as the answer. We need to let our current crop of rookies age just one more year, and another year of drafting will be helpful. This team was a massive sack of shit when Smithiak took over, and we have seen improvement. We all hoped the consolidation phase was over, but it was not. I think they deserve one more year to prove themselves incapable.

The Ten Worst Draft Picks of the 2000's

ram_rod — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:04:44 -0000

With 2010 fast approaching, it was thought to be a good idea and take a look back at some of the things the Rams have and haven't done for us in this decade that has a mere 23 days left. What better way to kick it off then with a look at the ten worst picks the Rams have made in the last ten years. Obviously, this is subjective, but feel free to bash or praise the picks in the comments, or add your own!

I personally take no credit for these picks, that goes to Jay Zygmunt and John Shaw. Feel free to let them know how you feel! Onto the picks:

10: Dominique Byrd, 2006, 93rd Overall Selection

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

It was tough to put these in order and even though Dominique was barely on the team...well, that's the point. Selected at the bottom of the third round by the deposed fiefdom of Scott Linehan, Dominique went on to see action 14 games while he was here between 06 and 07, and notched a grand total of 6 receptions for 83 yards and a score. Not incredibly bad considering the fetish Scott Linehan had with tight ends, but considering that Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels (who was selected a mere 5 spots after Byrd) was available during the draft hurts.

9: Anthony Hargrove, 2004, 91st Overall Selection

Picture via content.clearchannel.com

This was a tough one for me. I remember being optimistic about Anthony after his promising 51 tackle, 6.5 sack season. But as with a slew of other picks, the Rams made huge gambles with players who had personal problems (why do you think 'four pillars' was implemented). While he wasn't a necessarily a bad player, his later substance abuse and personal problems made him a bust on the field. The irony is that another player with personal problems, one Jared Allen, could have been selected instead.

8: Joe Klopfenstein, 2006, 46th Overall Selection

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

What do ya' know? It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he's on here, or that most of the 2006 draft is on here as well. While he made more of an impact then Byrd did with 33 receptions, 469 yards and two scores (he made it an extra year) he never quite had the impact many (or few, depending on what you thought of him) expected him to make. It even harder to swallow knowing that Pro Bowl OT Marcus McNiell (someone who could replace another player that is on this list) was selected just four spots back. Scott Linehan, damn your tight end fetish!

7: Brian Leonard, 2007, 52nd Overall Selection

via images.tsn.ca

Yeah, spending a second round pick on a small running fullback never made sense to me either. Neither did letting Madison Hedgecock go, but hey, that's why the football executives make the big bucks, right? Leonard didn't last long as he never quite fit in, and his two year stay resulted in 88 rushes for 310 yards (that's about 3.5 a pop). Not exactly great numbers as a backup, but hey, was it him or Mr. Vanilla's playbook? No one will ever know. Instead of selected him, the Rams could have picked the one and only Laurent Robinson.

6: Tye Hill, 2006, 15th Overall Selection

Picture via www.sawf.org

Oh how I begged the Rams to pick Antonie Cromartie. They obviously couldn't hear me, and they went on to select their first (among many) busts of the 2006 draft. He started out playing well for a rookie, but he started to succumb to injuries and could never quite regain his mojo. The new coaching staff thought so much of him that they traded him for a 7th round pick this last offseason (probably because they thought so much of Bradley Fletcher). In typical "defensive-players-the-Rams-let-go" fashion, he had a pick six against the Redskins this year. That doesn't excuse his erratic play and frequent injuries. Here's hoping Fletch doesn't go down the same road.

Hit the jump to see the top 5 busts.

5: Robert Thomas, 2002, 31st Overall Selection

Picture via www.seattlepi.com

Yet another failed first round pick. Thomas, like quite a few other first round draft picks the Rams have made this decade, only lasted on the team for a few seasons. His best season came in 2003, when he notched 62 solo tackles and 2 sacks- not exactly noteworthy. The Rams dumped him the next year and he never quite produced anything near that peak. Too bad the Rams didn't scout out some players a bit more; both James Harrison and Bart Scott went drafted. They could have also selected Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode, who selected six spots below.

4: Adam Carriker, 2007, 13th overall selection

Picture via images.stltoday.com

The image above pretty much sums up Adam Carriker's time with the Rams. He played well for a rookie, snagging 2 sacks and 30 tackles and then notched another 23 tackles the next year, with no sacks. He's oft injured, and never even saw time this year as he was put on the IR before the season started. Whether it be because he never quite adjusted to the DT position, or he never quite had enough time since they kept changing how they wanted him to line up, the result is obvious; he has not lived up to expectations. The Rams could have selected Darrelle Revis, Robert Meachem, Dwayne Bowe or Brandon Meriweather instead.

3: Trung Candidate, 2000, 31st Overall Selection

Picture via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Oh Trung, we barely knew you. After being picked with the Rams first round pick (a mere year after signing Marshall Faulk, mind you), he had a no-show for a rookie campaign. Quite a high pick for a backup RB if you ask me, as the Rams had some defensive trouble that year. He had a good sophomore campaign, but was traded for a fourth round selection not long after. First rounder for a fourth a mere two years later, well, you can do the math. While plenty of players were available at that time during the draft, the real kicker is that the Rams were the last time to pass on the QB that eventually beat them in the Superbowl one year later.

2: Alex Barron, 2005, 19th Overall Selection

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

First round draft pick? Check. High probability of drive killing penalties while on the field? Check. Questionable dedication to the game? Check. Bust? You bet. Why the Rams have kept this drive-killing enigma on the team is probably because they drafted so bad in the previous years. They had no one to move up on the depth chart at OT and the Saints clearly made the better pick with Jammal Brown. The Rams whiffed when they had a second chance to get Brown, only to shun a trade because of their apparent man-love for Chris Long. Say what you want about Barron, he hasn't lived up to what he was supposed to be. What happens when an unstoppable force meets Alex Barron? Holding.

1: Jimmy Kennedy

Picture via www.stlouisrams.com

How could I forget you Jimmy? You know you're a bust when you singlehandedly scare the entire Rams fan base into freaking every time the Rams draft a defensive tackle. Jimmy had a total of 4 sacks, 90 solo tackles and one forced fumble in the four years he played with the Rams. He never quite made expectations and like Tye Hill, the Rams thought so much of their former first rounder that they dumped him off to the Redskins for a 6th round pick. They then dumped him onto the street before the season even started. The Bears picked him up at the end of that season, only to decide he wasn't worth it when the Jaguars snagged him from the Bears. He didn't last a season in Jacksonville and ended up riding the pine in Minnesota ever since.

So there you have it. 10 picks, including six first rounders. Do you still wonder why the Rams have issues?

Rams have big decision to make with Atogwe

VanRam — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:56:26 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Will Atogwe be a Ram in 2010?

Browse more photos »

Don't overlook the impact of St. Louis Rams FS Oshiomogho Atogwe's shoulder injury might have on his future with the team. From ESPN's Mike Sando today:

The potentially season-ending shoulder injury Atogwe suffered against the Bears makes this a good time to revisit his long-term future with the team. The Rams will have paid more than $6 million to Atogwe this season after naming him their franchise player. As much as the Rams appreciate Atogwe's approach and production, it's tough to envision a team with limited resources investing top dollar in a long-term deal for a good-but-not-great safety. The shoulder injury could make it tougher for Atogwe to command what he's worth even if he hits the market during the offseason.

That's tough to hear, given that Atogwe has been one of the few bright spots for the Rams defense since 2006, but as soon as news spread yesterday about Atogwe potentially being done for the season you had to know that this could impact his contract situation and status with the team.

Barring some major accord being reached between the league and the players union, the 2010 season will be uncapped. That means players with less than six seasons of experience who would otherwise qualify as unrestricted free agents at the end of their contracts - the rule is four seasons with the cap in place - will be restricted free agents. Atogwe reached the end of his rookie deal with the Rams last year, and the team used the franchise tag to keep him for 2009. Normally, he'd be an unrestricted free agent, but this year he'll be restricted, meaning that the Rams can tender him an offer and other teams would have to dole out draft picks should they sign him as a RFA. Or, the team could not tender him (or any RFA) an offer, but that would be kind of foolish except for players teams do not want back next season. An RFA offer would pay Atogwe considerably less than what he could earn as a free agent, hence his desire to get a long term deal with the Rams.

Will the Rams bring him back? Who knows. If the Rams go the RFA route with Atogwe, they risk a very unhappy player who won't have any leverage to holdout in that situation as he plays one more year to re-establish himself in the wake of this injury before the opportunity for a big pay day in 2011, when the threat of a lockout looms. Texans TE Owen Daniels ended up in a very similar situation this year.

The Rams have the first right of refusal if another team does make a contract offer to Atogwe. The player can refuse the offer outright, but can't play that season. Holding out isn't an option if they do sign such an offer because they risk being sued. What they can do is trade that player, or that player can demand to be traded, and let the new team figure out his contract.

The uncapped year and the RFA rules mean that the free agent market will be virtually nonexistent next season. Certainly not the free for all it usually is. Add to that the other restrictions imposed upon teams because of the lapsed CBA (such as the final four playoff teams not being allowed to sign free agents) and I think it sets up a much more active trade market than the NFL is used to seeing. Something to remember as we consider what free agent moves the Rams could/should make to rebuild the team.

As for Atogwe, the Rams can keep him on the cheap via the RFA route and try to work out a new contract or they can trade him. A favorable position for the front office to be in with Atogwe, but one that might lead to some bad blood. His injury will likely figure into the equation for what course the Rams pursue with their ballhawking free safety as teams weigh that in any trade offers and the Rams consider that when deciding at what RFA level they'll tender him an offer. Remember though, even the highest RFA level last season paid a player just $2.35 million.

When you think about the very limited possibilities via free agency this season, it makes the draft even more important for teams, especially rebuilding teams like the Rams. And in this year when he who has the most draft picks wins, trades to secure even more draft picks must be considered.

Should be one hell of an offseason.

Post-Game Breakdown: Texans Lose To Jaguars...Again

Tim — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:05:04 -0000

Four losses in a row. To Indianapolis. To Tennessee. To Indianapolis. And yesterday afternoon, to Jacksonville. From a 5-3 start and talk of playoff contention to a 5-7 record and virtual elimination from relevance. Your Houston Texans finish their 2009 campaign with a 1-5 record in the AFC South. That's failure.

On to the details of the latest crime against the Texans fan base:

1. The single good thing to come out of yesterday's disaster was Matt Schaub refusing to let a little thing like a dislocated shoulder keep him out of the game. Had Brett Favre been the guy who was driven into the ground, we'd be treated to a full week of praise for Favre about his grit, toughness, commitment to his teammates, excellence, and leadership. Since it's Schaub, it won't merit much talk outside of Houston and/or fantasy owners. Thus, allow me to pick up the slack on this one.

After Schaub went down on the first play from scrimmage, I never thought for a second he'd be back and was resigning myself to the remainder of the 2009 season playing out with Rex Grossman under center, followed by a stint in rehab for me come January. But then...with about seven minutes left in the first half, there was Schaub, warming up on the sideline. I couldn't believe it. From the second he went down, judging from the way he went down and then the way he was holding his arm as he left the field, I thought Schaub separated his shoulder. Remember--Schaub missed the last few weeks of the 2007 season with an identical injury. Not this time. Schaub re-entered the game and very nearly brought the Texans back. It showed a resolve we hadn't ever seen from him, and it should put to rest any questions about his resilience. If Schaub can play, he will play. People can criticize him, but not for being soft. The guy's a gamer.

2. Good thing that Schaub's a gamer, too, because Rex Grossman looked awful. I don't even want to talk about it anymore.

3. Once again, Ryan Moats shows a burst that we haven't seen from a running back all year long. And once again, I'm sure he'll be banished to the bottom of the depth chart for reasons that elude me. Can anyone explain why Moats doesn't get more carries? Anyone?

4. Of all the things that puzzled/enraged me about yesterday's game, the most puzzling/infuriating was Chris Brown being in the game on the very next series after he tried to shot-put the ball in Joel Dreessen's general direction. How is it that Kubes can bench Steve Slaton and/or Ryan Moats for turning the ball over but not apply the same zero tolerance policy on C. Brown?

5. I appreciate those of you who think the halfback pass was a good call at the time. I vehemently disagree, and I think it's just the latest example of Kyle Shanahan and/or Gary Kubiak trying to get cute. Just as I had no clue why the Texans called a pass on third down at the IND 15 with slightly more than a minute to go in the first half last week, I'll never understand why the Texans would ask Chris Brown to make that play at that point in the game. It was a truly awful decision, trumped only by even more awful execution.

6. Although he coughed one ball up that turned into an interception, I continue to be impressed by David Anderson. Seems like he very quietly is good for a big third down conversion every week.

7. The absence of Owen Daniels makes Andre Johnson's consistency that much more unfathomable.

8. I never had anything against Chris White. Until yesterday. His false start, late in the third quarter, as the Texans prepared to go for it on 4th and 2 from the JAC 9, was as back-breaking a penalty as I've seen in some time.

9. I mentioned this a few weeks back in the PGB, and I'll reiterate it now: Is anyone else amazed at how no one has taken Alex Gibbs to task this season for the performance of the offensive line? They haven't been able to run block all year, and false starts seem to occur at an alarming rate, especially during this four-game swoon.

10. Why does Frank Bush EVER put the Texans into a zone? It never works. Ever. It's the schematic equivalent of raising a white flag.

11. Judging from the way Gus Johnson was lavishing praise on Dunta Robinson, I'm firmly of the belief that (1) Gus is on Dunta's payroll and/or (2) Gus hasn't watched the Texans play at all this year. The latter possibility is particularly troubling, considering that Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker have called several Texans games this year.

12. Theory: There is not a single member of the Texans secondary who would start for a playoff team except perhaps Bernard Pollard. Agree or disagree?

13. There aren't a whole lot more depressing things as a fan than to watch your defense get gashed via the run when everyone watching knows exactly what's coming, who's getting the ball, and a stop is absolutely crucial to avoid losing the game. It's demoralizing to watch. I can't even imagine what it has to be like for DeMeco Ryans & Co. The odd part is that the Texans did a fine job keeping Maurice Jones-Drew in check all the way up until that last drive. When they absolutely needed it the most, they couldn't do it.

14. Even though the Texans managed to sack David Garrard on four (4) occasions, I never really felt like they got to him. Just like last time, Garrard made the plays when he needed to, regardless of what the numbers say.

15. The Jaguars did everything they possibly could to give this game to the Texans, and the Texans refused to do anything about it. This was the sloppiest game I've seen two teams play in a good long while.

16. The calls for Kubiak's head are getting louder and louder. Not coincidentally, each loss and absurd playcall makes defending him harder and harder. JMay wrote a great FanPost on the topic, and I'll be writing a longer piece myself in the coming days on the subject. For now, I'll leave you with this thought...if you can't get a proven Super Bowl winning coach, are you content with replacing Kubes with someone who has no head coaching experience?

The Seahawks are next on the schedule. Here's hoping that Reliant doesn't look like Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Sunday.

Texans vs Jaguars coverage

Game Preview Week 13: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Jonathan Loesche — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:01:50 -0000

Houston Texans(5-6)	Week #13	Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5)
	VS.

Date:	December 6th, 2009	Location:	Jacksonville, FL
Time:	4:15 PM EST	Stadium:	The Jack
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	Pick Em
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	46.5
Weather:	High 50's with a slight chance of rain	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Battle Red Blog	Coverage Map	Click Here

Sorry for not getting this up earlier, and sorry for the lack of front page stuff in general over the last few days. Anyway, the Jaguars come back limping from San Francisco to take on a Houston team playing for it's season. It's no secret the Texans have been a disappointment this season. Expected to go to the playoffs and starting 5-3, the Texans have dropped three straight divisional games and virtually sunk their season.

The Jaguars are still in the thick of the playoff race, and despite all of the negativity surrounding the debacle in SF, would still be in the playoffs as a sixth seed if the playoffs started today. With games against the Colts and Patriots still to come, the Jaguars need to capitalize on all of their remaining games.

Jaguars Offense vs Texans Defense

First and foremost, the Jaguars offensive line has to rebound from easily it's worst showing in weeks. Eugene Monroe turned his season around with a solid performance against Mario Williams back in Week 3, and not having to deal with Super Mario would be great for David.

Former All-Pro CB Duanta Robinson has been woefully under performing for the Texans. Going up against Mike Sims-Walker and Torry Holt, I would expect the Jaguars to actively target Robinson's side as much as they can.

The Texans do feature one of the best up and coming players in the league with LB Brian Cushing. The last two weeks the Jaguars have struggled with linebackers keying in on Maurice Joens-Drew, and I would expect to see much of the same from Cushing.

Speaking of Maurice Jones-Drew, it would be nice to see him get back to his old self. He has been held to just 141 yards and 1 touchdown over the last two weeks. He still needs two touchdowns to break Fred Taylor's franchise record, and is still a manageable distance from setting the franchise's single season rushing record.

Texans Offense vs Jaguars Defense

I'm not going to really bother much with the Jags run defense and Texans run offense because we all expect to see Matt Schaub throw it 40+ times on Sunday.

It is very simple for the Jaguars defense, they don't have a pass rush and they lack Rashean Mathis, one of the only corners who could effectively cover Andre Johnson. Derrick Harvey has been showing some signs of life recently, but he needs to actually get to the quarterback occasionally.

The Jaguars are still sitting at 10 sacks and are running out of chances for setting the record for futility in that department. Good thing we still have Cleveland on our schedule.

Offensively, the Texans rank 3rd in the NFL in throwing the ball. Matt Schaub has finally been healthy for an entire year and it has shown. The Texans sport one of the best WRs in the NFL in Andre Johnson, and covering him is going to be the top priority for the Jaguars.

Expect to see alot of double or even triple coverage on Johnson to make up for the lack of pass rush on Schaub. The Jaguars do catch a break by not having to deal with All-Pro TE Owen Daniels, who would've perhaps been one weapon too many for the Jags to handle.

Player On The Hot Seat

The Jaguars Offensive Line

After a disasterous performance in San Francisco, the big boys up front need to get their heads screwed on straight and give David time to throw the ball. The Texans are going to put up points, and we'll need to as well.

Prediction

Jaguars 31
Texans 27

The Texans race out to a 17-3 lead before a series of events only the Texans can manage to pull off transpire. MJD scores his first TD, the Texans fumble the ensuing kick off, taken in one play later by MJD from 23 yards out. After some back and forth, Torry Holt finally gets his first TD as a Jaguar with 2:33 to play. Gary Kubiak decided to challenge, but the play is upheld. The lost time out costs the Texans as Andre Johnson catches the ball at the 8 yard line only to be tackled in bounds as the clock runs out.

Three And Out: Useless Predictions For Sunday's Game

Tim — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:41:09 -0000

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. While the wounds from Monday night's disaster are still fresh, we don't have the luxury of sulking; the undefeated Colts come to town tomorrow afternoon, and your Houston Texans have to win to maintain a realistic shot of staying in the hunt for a wild card spot. Without further ado, three (3) things that will go down at Reliant in a little more than twenty-four hours:

1. Very quietly, Kevin Walter has become more and more of a focal point in the offense since Owen Daniels went down. On Sunday, he catches his second TD pass of the season and finishes with 81 receiving yards.

2. Despite his two (2) picks of ~~Peyton Manning~~ Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne the last time the Colts and Texans matched up, Bernard Pollard will not have any interceptions tomorrow. He will, however, force a fumble from Joseph Addai.

3. This time around, Brian Cushing will actually jam Dallas Clark at the line. If he doesn't, I predict I will have an aneurysm.

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: Lost in their awfully impressive 10-0 start is that the Colts' last four (4) victories have been by a combined ten (10) points. Looking at it from a purely Texans-based point of view, Indianapolis has won the last three (3) meetings with Houston by three, six, and four points. Since the franchise's inception, the Texans have defeated the Colts just once in fifteen (15) tries. Over and over again, the Colts have done what championship-caliber teams do: Whatever it takes. Still, the law of averages says that Indianapolis, even with quite possibly the best QB we'll ever see play live, is due to be on the short end of the stick once. Or twice, as it may be, considering their opponent this week. Given the Texans' dire need for this game and my firm belief that Indianapolis is due for a hiccup, I silence my doubts this week. Colts 23, Texans 24.

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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.

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Week 9 Statistical Preview: Colts vs. Texans

mgrex03 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:07:02 -0000

The 2nd of 3 straight home games brings in the Houston Texans to face our Colts. This is arguably the biggest game of the year so far for the Colts, as they could put a huge stranglehold on the division, going up 4 games in the division.

Both teams have had to wade through season-ending injuries this week. We all know about the Colts injury problems, but the Matt Schaub has lost his security blanket, Owen Daniels, for the season as well. The media, of course, thinks then that Andre Johnson will have a huge day without Daniels, and with the Colts starting two rookie corners. Like the Colts have done several other times this year. More on this a little later.

Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 1st Offensively, 12th Defensively, and 3rd Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings. The Texans are 14th, 9th, and 12th respectively. The Texans defense has been playing better than the offense, although the Texans have played the easiest defensive schedule so far this year. That's changing today.

Stats after the jump...

Here are the numbers:

	Colts				Texans
Statistic	Offense	Rank	Defense	Rank	Offense	Rank	Defense	Rank
DSR	78.4%	1	66.3%	9	71.7%	14	67.3%	11
ANPY/A	8.751	1	3.685	4	7.599	6	6.098	19
Turnovers / Game	0.86	2	1.71	12	1.63	14	1.88	7
Yds/Drive	40.36	1	27.64	12	31.83	14	27.78	13
ToP/Drive	2:57.7	4	2:52.5	25	2:44.6	16	2:21.8	4
Yds/Play	6.509	2	4.565	4	5.743	10	5.701	25
First Downs/Drive	2.11	3	1.65	21	1.70	16	1.40	4
3rd/4th Down	51.0%	2	41.4%	26	38.4%	21	36.8%	12
Avg Start Pos	28.3	21	26.4	3	31.5	10	25.9	1
3 and Outs / Game	2.43	2	3.57	22	3.75	15	5.63	1
RZ Eff	68.0%	12	59.2%	9	63.3%	18	80.6%	31
Plays/Drive	6.200	3	6.054	28	5.543	17	4.872	2
Penalty Yds / Play	0.671	4	0.750	19	0.724	10	0.939	7
RB Success	47.6%	13	48.8%	22	42.0%	22	38.4%	4
Yds/Carry	3.70	26	4.48	23	3.30	30	4.69	28
Net Punts Yds	41.58	8	42.29	28	39.46	18	40.51	20
Overall	1		12		14		9

Keys to the Game:

Colts ANPY/A Defense vs. Texans ANPY/A Offense will be the key to the game. The Colts have consistenly shown how good they are on defense in this category, no matter the opponent (Remember Warner/Fitzgerald/Boldin? Shut them down too). The Texans are very good throwing the ball. If the Colts play like they have all year, they'll win.
Flip the stat around to the other side of the ball. Manning has only struggled against the teams in the top half of ANPY/A on defense. The Texans are not in the top half, so expect a big day from #18.
Looking at these stats, the Texans seem to get opposing offenses off the field quickly (4th in TOP/Drive, 2nd in Plays/Drive, 1st in Three & Outs). However, look at Yards / Play. 25th in the league. That means lots of big plays. Manning missed on quite a few long passes last week. Expect them to keep trying that, and hopefully converting them.
The Texans haven't been good running the ball this year. Let's hope this continues this year.
The Texans also aren't that good at converting 3rd/4th down plays. Time to make that continue as well.

One other thing...Texans owner Bob McNair is a horse owner, and one of his horses, Cowboy Cal, ran in the Breeders Cup Mile yesterday. He finished 10th of 11.

Go Colts!