SB Nation - Morlon Greenwood

A Defensive Adventure in 4-3 Under Minor

bigfatdrunk — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:47:10 -0000

Bill Kollar and Frank Bush having a laugh...via www.gonemovies.com.

While the fan club for my previous squishy post was rather....small, it and Jake's post on Bill Kollar really helped me put some things together, so to speak. Let's start with the conclusion: I'm not ready to chug the new system Kool Aid, and I think our defense is still gonna suck ass...just not as much ass. HERESY!!!

(For the record, drawing with a touchpad is hard)

For this post, I'm going to talk a little about our assumed new defense, the 4-3 under, our base personnel and base assignments (expanding just a bit on Riott's fantastic tour de force), and how it compares to last year. I might also use stats. Beer will be drunk. And there was much rejoicing (yay!).

LDE: 2009 - Antonio Smith. 2008 - Whatever sacks of poop we just happened to have lying around (oh, Earl Cochran, why did thou forsake me?). In the base scheme, the LDE is assigned to the strong side 5 gap (outside of the RT), with primary responsibility as a run-stopper. Last year, Smith played in the Cards' chameleon-esque system of 4-3/3-4, and he was highly credited with helping strengthen the Cards D, especially on the run. However, the raw numbers don't bear this out. In fact, Football Outsiders ranks....*gulps*...Anthony Weaver as a better run-stopper than Smith. I still think there'll be a substantial upgrade at LDE thanks to signing Smith, but it's not like we signed Julius Peppers. I'm tempering my expectations for Smith's performance. (Yes, I actually watch the effin' games, not just look at stats. Stats are a handy, non-emotional measuring stick, though far from perfect in a game like football. But they are what they are in this case.).

NT: 2009 - Oh dear Jeebus. 2008 - Former 1st round pick and Rhodes scholar Travis Johnson. Look, Travis plays his little retarded ass off, but he's a horrible fit for this system...or any NFL system, for that matter. He neither has the quickness nor size. In the 4-3 under, the NT is expected to tie up multiple blockers, allowing (effectively) the MLB and WLB to make tackles. The only player on the roster with the potential to remotely fill this role is Frank "Evil Genius" Okam. According to a friend who went to practice yesterday (Saturday), Okam was working out with the first team and was getting quite a bit of feedback, though not necessarily positive reinforcement. Neither is DelJuan Robinson the answer here, though he would be a far better choice than Trent Green's nemesis.

For the record, the girl in the LBD has awesome boobies. (Late note: Wow, super-MILF just walked in. I might need a moment.)

DT: 2009 - Amobi Okoye. 2008 - Amobi Okoye. It's hard to label 2009 a make or break year for Okoye, but it's at least time for him to nut up and do something. Unlike Johnson, Okoye has the speed to become a premier interior pass rusher while still being able to handle the run, his responsibilities in this system. I believe that, if there is one player most likely to take a step forward under Bush, it's Okoye. Penetrate, disrupt, penetrate.

RDE: Mario. Maul quarterbacks. Make Reggie Bust piss his pants. Eat LTs. Teams may be able to exploit Mario's outside pass rush tendencies. He will need to play with more discipline as he is responsible for outside rushing containment, but his role his to kill QBs.

SLB: 2009 - Brian Cushing. 2008 - Zac Diles. Looking at the raw stats, Diles was amazingly efficient at being around the ball last year as he ranked 5th for being in on team plays. Of course, that's largely a function of being toastified by opposing offenses at every possible occasion as he could neither stop the run nor the pass. With the power of hindsight, the first game against the BE-SFs was a horrible harbinger for the rest of his year. Outsourcing to Riott:

The number one reason why more teams don't run a 4-3 Under is the difficulty in finding a player good enough to play the SAM. He needs to be big, strong, fast, and able to cover or rush the passer at any given time. He lines up on the outside edge of the TE at all times, and harasses him off the line, never allowing a free release, staying underneath on routes because you have your safety over the top. He also gets one-on-one matchups on the outside to pass rush. I'll take Brian Cushing versus Dallas Clark, Bo Scaife, or Marcedes Lewis any day of the week. He needs to be a great run defender as well, because he CANNOT be reached, or there is a huge running lane to the strong side.

Let's put it more bluntly: A large measure of our defensive success is reliant upon...a rookie SLB who often played more like a defensive end and had trouble in coverage in college?

Look, this isn't to say that Cushing won't be good. Hell, anything's going to be a massive improvement over Zac Diles. But if there's any defensive position where it's easy to cover pure incompetence, it's SLB. Diles, I believe, proved that last year (remember when his injury was a "big blow?"). Rookies are always a massive wild card, and Cushing is no exception. For our defense to play at at least a moderate level, thus for the Texans to have a decent chance at the playoffs, we are putting a helluva lot of hope on Cushing's allegedly 'roided shoulders.

MLB: 2009 and 2008: DeMeco Ryans. DeMeco's role is to be a traditional, instinctive MLB...which, you know, shouldn't be much of a stretch. Football Outsiders has him ranked as pretty mediocre, and there may be an unfortunate amount of credence to that analysis. Ryans' ankle has given him trouble the past couple of years, but when he's fully healthy, this should be an excellent role for him. With the ankle problems, he has been noticeably slower.

WLB: 2009 - Xavier Adibi or Zac Diles. 2008 - The bones formerly known as Morlon Greenwood. Again outsourced to Riott:

Your weakside linebacker in the 4-3 under needs to be your fastest and best coverage linebacker as he is protected by the defensive lineman in front of him and therefore must be able to get anywhere on the field pretty darn quick. He has control of the backside A (1) gap, and will either shoot the gap on inside runs or scrape over on outside runs. If the play is to his side, he is the primary pursuit to the outside as well. On coverage situations, he generally plays short middle and helps out where he needs to be. Adibi, due to his speed and coverage skills, is a great WLB for the 4-3 Under. He will be allowed to make more plays because he will be harassed significantly less by offensive lineman.

In limited action, Adibi wasn't bad. But after Diles' injury (broken leg), it's imperative Adibi win that battle, as Diles will lose a step or two. More importantly, Adibi has the speed to fly around the field. I've got a feeling about Adibi, but health is a skill, and it's one Adibi has not displayed well.

As for Morlon's collapse from not-badness? I blame Matt. For the record, I also blame Matt for my impotence. Can I use that word here?

CBs: 2009 - Fred Bennett, Jacques Reeves, Dunta Robinson. 2008 - Fred Bennett, Jacques Reeves, Dunta Robinson, Petey Faggins. We don't have a great idea about coverage schemes, but it's likely to be simple with a focus on man coverage. Frenchy was one of the most targeted CBs in football last year, which is understandable as he was the worst CB not named Petey I saw in 2007, but he was solidly average. Twas a nice surprise, to say the least, and if we can get that guy a swivel for his neck, dare I say he might become above-average?

Dunta will likely be in the classic CB1 spot, but I don't think he deserves it. Yes, I should give him a mulligan for last year, but he was simply horrible. Bennett wasn't any better, but something tells me coaching and scheme are also to blame. Aside from Okoye, if there's somebody I expect to jump ahead thanks to the new coaching and scheme, it's Bennett. Overall, CB coverage will be simple.

Ss: 2009 - Nick Ferguson and Eugene Wilson. 2008 - Nick Ferguson and Eugene Wilson (Smoooooooove Will, we hardly knew you). Part 2 of my major pain points on the D. The safeties need to be fairly interchangeable in order to adapt to offensive schemes. As "well" as Wilson played for us last year, it's not entirely fair to have similar expectations for 2009. In many ways, it was a career statistical outlier (see also: Rosenfels 2007), and he really wasn't all that great anyway. As for Nick Ferguson, he was simply horrible, one of the worst safeties in the league, especially against the pass.

In the 4-3 under, both safeties need to be versatile, capable of handling both the run and pass. I have absolutely no faith we have a *safety* on our roster capable of handling these types of assignments.

We do, however, have two CBs who are mighty interesting candidates to do so. On that old, bloodied blog, I fantasized often about sliding Dunta to S, allowing him to use his range. Yes, he is under-sized, and he most certainly wouldn't be worth $10MM/year there, but it's an interesting possibility. The other is Glover Quin. Yes yes, the team wants him at CB and blah blah blah. Whatev. Like Dunta, Glover may not have the ideal size, but I'd prefer to have a couple of ballhawks at S rather than hitters. Maybe it's the whiplash speaking, seeing how we have had such a tendency to give up huge gains at will.

Summary: I'll go into more detail on specific assignments in the next post, but I've been working on this one for over two hours and I need more beer. Anyway, here's how I see things:

No true NT
Relying on a rookie at SLB
Major question mark at WLB
Safeties not reliable in this scheme

This is little different than before the draft. We addressed the issue at SLB, whether I like the pick or not. But we still have major, gaping holes at DT, possibly WLB, and at one, if not both, S positions. On the whole, we are returning eight of 11 starters last year (hopefully just seven). It's realistically unfair to expect substantial changes to our all-around performance, especially seeing how we are returning some really not so good players.

Scheme change or not, our best case scenario is we have the 17th best defense in the league. Best case. Most probable is we are still a mid-20s defense, capable of bipolar performance depending on the competition. It took the first game of last year's pre-season to see exactly how poor the D was. We may not have such insight this year (I hope, above all, we disguise our schemes until Week 1), but we will have a good idea of our talent.

Edit: I meant to, but forgot to mention, that I believe we'll see a ton of rotation throughout the season, especially on the D-line. It's something called depth, a pretty foreign concept around these parts.

Breaking down Buffalo's likely free agency strategy

Brian Galliford — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:30:07 -0000

Might Bills pursue Houshmandzadeh? (US Presswire)

With the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine wrapping up today in Indianapolis, all eyes will be on the free agency spending spree that's about to commence. Black Friday isn't just the day after Thanksgiving, folks - there's another high-stakes shopping day to pay attention to, and it's coming up quickly.

The Buffalo Bills are in a tight spot. With a coaching staff sitting upon blazing thrones that make the term "hot seat" seem downright chilly, the Bills are in a win-now mode and are expected to be aggressive in finding players that can make an impact immediately. However, considering the current state of the economy, there is also a prevailing theory that the Bills will consider scaling back spending on veterans. It's a Catch 22, but for the staff and 90-year-old owner Ralph Wilson, winning is expected to trump penny-pinching.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, this year's free agent class is devoid of many difference makers. Considering the amount of statistical impact and leadership necessary for the Bills to make a serious playoff push in 2009, there's really only one logical way to go about attacking free agency. In terms of a plan for midnight Friday morning, here's how I think Buffalo's strategy could play out...

Step One: Make a run at offensive weapons
Outside of Tennessee DT Albert Haynesworth and Ravens LB Ray Lewis (both unlikely to be pursued by Buffalo), there aren't any defensive playmakers worth pursuing heavily out of the gate. There are good players, but none that will command the immediate attention of a Haynesworth or a Lewis. Offensively, however, there is one big name that the Bills very well could sniff around, and that's Bengals free agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Though he'll be 32 in September, Houshmandzadeh is currently on a three-season streak of at least 90 receptions and has 25 touchdowns in that time frame. By far the best receiver on the market, Houshmandzadeh is expected to garner interest from serious contenders like the Giants and Titans, but that won't stop the Bills from kicking the proverbial tires.

Beyond Houshmandzadeh, the pickings are slim. One productive name that has already been linked to the Bills is tight end Owen Daniels, a restricted free agent in Houston. In just three seasons, Daniels has quickly established himself as a bona fide receiving threat and is coming off of his first Pro Bowl invitation. Depending on the type of compensation necessary to acquire him, the Bills will seriously pursue adding Daniels to the roster. Buffalo is also expected to be players if Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin becomes available via trade. Regardless of the likelihood of these acquisitions, pursuing these names is smart - if the chips fall the right way, these players will be more beneficial to Buffalo's potential next season than any other player.

Step Two: Fortify two of four critical needs
When this community put together the team's extensive needs list, four positions received a grade of 'critical' - tight end, center, defensive end and linebacker.

At tight end, obviously the addition of Daniels would kill two birds with one stone. Beyond him, there are only project players (like Arizona's Leonard Pope, as an example) or lumbering vets available on the market. If the Bills miss on Daniels and aren't thrilled with the idea of a veteran project, this need will undoubtedly be addressed in the draft. Luckily for Buffalo, the draft is loaded with quality tight ends this year.

At center, there are several quality veterans that would instantly solidify a solid (on paper) offensive front in Buffalo. Baltimore's Jason Brown is the cream of the crop, and he's closely followed by veterans like Minnesota's Matt Birk (who may re-sign with the Vikings before Friday), Indianapolis' Jeff Saturday and Jacksonville's Brad Meester. Another option would be signing an unheralded reserve, such as Carolina's Geoff Hangartner, to start at center. However, considering the depth of this year's center class in the draft, it's not absolutely imperative that a center be added.

At defensive end, there's little impact to be found in the veteran pool. Kalimba Edwards has played under Dick Jauron before, but isn't exactly a spring chicken at age 29. Bertrand Berry is even older, though he's still considered a solid edge rusher. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has already made plain his desire for a speed rusher; if the decision-makers listen, that player will likely be a draft pick.

At linebacker, Buffalo is expected to pursue a veteran to start on the strong side - and it's not expected to be Angelo Crowell. Players such as Channing Crowder, Michael Boley and Morlon Greenwood are most often mentioned, but Indianapolis' Tyjuan Hagler should garner consideration as well. However, bringing in a veteran isn't a done deal, as the team also left the door open on potentially moving middle linebacker Paul Posluszny outside and adding a middle linebacker as well.

Ultimately, the Bills have options at each position, but they should look to address at least two of these areas via free agency. Leaving any more than two unchecked for the draft is extremely risky, as it's unlikely the Bills will be able to fill three or more critical needs with impact players in the draft unless they can find a way to trade down.

Step Three: Find a backup quarterback
Five-year veteran J.P. Losman's Bills career is finally (and mercifully) at an end. With starting quarterback Trent Edwards still developing and still frail, the Bills will look to add a veteran backup. Rex Grossman is likely on his way out of Chicago and has ties to Jauron, but he himself is an injury risk as well. Kyle Boller is believed to be a strong candidate. Other veterans like Jon Kitna (who is expected to be released by Detroit) are possibilities, and younger guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick and possibly Dan Orlovsky will be considered as well. There aren't many appealing options, but names like Boller, Grossman and Kitna have experience and can win games in a pinch. That's all we need out of this position.

Step Four: Add some spot contributors/depth players
These needs aren't critical, but the Bills should look to address them if they can.

Running back: Marshawn Lynch is facing a league suspension, and the Bills are in a tight spot and will likely address the running back position in some capacity. Fred Taylor is visiting the Bills today, but it's unclear how Taylor would fit into a rotation that includes Fred Jackson as well.

Wide Receiver: If the team misses on Houshmandzadeh, it's still highly likely that a receiver will be added simply because of James Hardy's knee injury. Luckily, there are several solid receiving depth options available this year, with Amani Toomer probably the most coveted. Possible releases such as Torry Holt will be intriguing as well, but this player is expected to be a veteran, not a rookie.

Offensive Line: Pending the re-signing of tackle Kirk Chambers, Buffalo's tackle depth is solid. The interior is another story. The team may wait until the draft to address this area, but a veteran like Adrian Jones might be appealing as well.

Defensive tackle: John McCargo can't be relied on as the fourth member of the rotation, so the Bills would be smart to look for an active player that competes well against the run. I've heard Mike Wright's name mentioned so many times it's ridiculous - the Patriot is an underrated name. This might be addressed via the draft as well.

***

Buffalo needs to be as flexible as possible with this plan, because having a rigid attack to free agency often leads to breakdowns and missing out on targets. There are a lot of players available, and there are a lot of under-the-radar talents that would really bolster Buffalo's depth. Ultimately, however, this strategy is the best way to go about adding true impact to the roster. Beyond that, Buffalo's main goal should be paring down its critical needs in such a fashion that they can enter draft preparations with only one or two major need areas. That will make their goal of drafting the best player available much more feasible.

Anthony Weaver To Be Cut Tomorrow?

Tim — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:17:48 -0000

Adam Schefter says it's a comin':

Just days after cutting RB Ahman Green and LB Morlon Greenwood, the Texans will release DE Anthony Weaver on Tuesday. His $6.2 million base salary will come off the Texans’ salary cap, but they still must deal with $5.4 million in acceleration on his contract — a total savings of $800,000.

Not much cap savings, but there's no doubt that this move is long overdue. I have few rules in life. Here's one of them: "Whenever an athlete's name can be prefaced with 'The Corpse Formerly Known As,' it's high time for him to not play for my favorite team anymore." Don't confuse that rule with another of my eerily similar maxims; namely, the one that goes "If a DE has one (1) more sack than a dead man in three (3) years, he earns the qualifier 'The Corpse Formerly Known As (Insert Name).'"

Now that Weaver's about to be gone, the real question begins. That is, where does he rank among the all-time worst free agent signings by your Houston Texans?

BREAKING NEWS: Ahman Green And Morlon Greenwood Waived!

Tim — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:50:17 -0000

According to the Chronicle, your Houston Texans cut ties with Ahman Green and Morlon Greenwood this afternoon. While this was certainly a likely scenario given the performances of Steve Slaton and Xavier Adibi, I can't shake the feeling of sweeping relief.

Under any analysis, the Ahman Green Era in H-Town has to be considered a spectactular failure. He was here less than two (2) years and contributed a whopping 709 total yards and 5 TD during his time in Houston. The only thing that makes the bitter pill of abject failure slightly more tolerable is the knowledge that Smithiak wised up and forced him to renegotiate his contract prior to this past season, so the damage was somewhat mitigated. Still, Ahman Green joins such luminaries as Todd Wade and The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver on the Council of Freaking Terrible Free Agent Contracts Bestowed by Texans Management.

Morlon Greenwood, on the other hand, inexplicably went from tremendously underrated to tremendously bad, all seemingly overnight/in one season. What happened? Age? Injury? I sobered up? In any event, Adibi's emergence made Greenwood's departure a foregone conclusion. God speed, Morlon. May your future away from Houston be jiggy, dope, or whatever the kids are saying these days.

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.

Now, If You Just Cut Out The Rotten Part...

Riott — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:26:43 -0000

...the good part might have a chance to get paid.

As I wake up in this new, wonderful 2009, I felt this sudden urge to take a gander at the cap and sees what happens when we cut all the dead players. I mean TJ, Weaver, Greenwood, and Ahman. I may or may not have not thought of the idea at all, but rather been nudged by Tim, Shake, and OTD.

Either way, lets take a look at what it would cost us to carve out some of the "lazy" and "bad" that permeates Mr. McNair's pocketbook, and what the final cap space may look like after we sign rookies, re-sign OD, and re-sign Dunta. Numbers and stuff after the break.

Taking information provided by Oiler-Texan Diehard in the comments section, I went and took a gander at In The Bullseye.com Cap Figures for your Houston Texans, along with some fact-checking over at Rotoworld, and here's what it looks like.

In 2009, the cap for the team is an estimated $124,000,000.00. The Texans, at the moment, have an estimated $29,695,000.00 available under the cap.

First, let's give Salary Cap 101 -

The salary cap was created by the NFL to allow salaries to remain relatively constant and to allow smaller market teams to compete. However, as star players started getting paid more, their cost against the cap started to rise, and the difficulty of fielding a full team rose. This facilitated the creation of the signing bonus. A signing bonus is guaranteed money that the player physically receives up front, BUT the cap cost is distributed across the length of the contract.

For example, say we sign Player X to a 4 year, $8 million dollar contract, with a $4 million dollar signing bonus.

Player X gets paid the entire $4 million dollar signing bonus up front, but the cost of the bonus gets evenly distributed throughout the contract even though it has already been paid. Say we cut this player immediately after his second season. His normal salary in no way affects us, but his signing bonus does. His total signing bonus of $4 million has already been physically paid, and as 2 years have passed, 2 years of the bonus have been cleared out of the cap. When he gets cut, the final 2 years of signing bonus that are still owed to the salary cap all get bundled up and added to the current year's salary cap. So after we cut Player X, we owe him no money, but our cap takes a $2 million dollar hit (the final 2 years of the signing bonus that would have counted against the cap).

So, Texans that we have an interest in getting rid of may or may not include Ahman Green, Anthony Weaver, ~~Dick Smith~~, Travis Johnson, and/or Morlon Greenwood. What would that cost us?

Travis Johnson's contract is through 2011, and for the next 3 years his signing bonus against the cap counts $1,190,500.00 per year, or a total hit of $3,571,500.00 against the 2009 cap.

Anthony Weaver's contract is through 2010, and for the next 2 years his signing bonus' value against the cap is $2,700,000,00 or a total hit of $5,400,000.00 against the 2009 cap.

Morlon Greenwood's contract is through 2009, so we would take his final year of cap damage, which is $1,500,000.00.

Ahman Green, after his new contract , is owed $500,000.00 in bonus money for 2009 and 2010, totaling $1,000,000.00 in cap penalties if the team parted ways with him.

So, if we cut all 4 of these players, we are looking at a cap penalty totaling $14,546,500.00.

That's about half of our cap space. However, we will save just as much when we don't have to pay their salaries as well (detailed a little later on). With re-signings to OD and Dunta, and the possible holdout of Steve Slaton, plus the cost of new rookies and free agents - it will be interesting. That's definitely testing the financial acumen of Rick Smith. Now, if any of these players are cut after June 1, 2009, we pay their 2009 bonus on this cap, but all of their other penalties count toward the 2010 cap, and we do not pay the salary. This really only makes a difference in TJ's contract, because all other contracts mentioned finish in 2010.

Now, Nnamdi Asomugha was franchised by the Raiders and was paid $9,765,000.00. If we franchise Dunta, we would have to pay somewhere around that. I very, very seriously doubt we are going to front $10 million bucks for an (I'm sorry Dunta) above-average corner coming off an absolutely grotesque leg injury.

Owen Daniels is probably going to want to be paid like a top ten, or maybe top 5, tight end. Well, the contracts of Dallas Clark , Antonio Gates , Tony Gonzalez , Todd Heap, and Vernon Davis averaged somewhere around 5 years, $25 million. That probably what we can expect to be desired from O.D's agent (hopefully less).

Also, we have to think out the cost of our first round pick as well. Last year's #15 pick, Branden Albert, did not have his contract released, so we will look at cost of #14 Chris Williams, and #16 Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. Chris Williams received a 5 year, $12.73 million contract with a ton of escalators (play time, Pro Bowl appearances, etc). DRC received a 6 year, $16 million contract, with $9 million guaranteed. I believe I read somewhere that rookie contracts increase, on average, between 6 and 10 percent per year. That implies we might be looking at a 5 year, $14 millionish contract for ~~Taylor Mays~~ whatever rookie Rick Smith happen to choose. I'm sure I'll be happy with ~~Taylor Mays~~ Rick Smith's decision.

These are all estimates and options that our relatively savvy GM has available to him. This doesn't include any free agent contracts we might sign, which would get very expensive very quickly.

To sum up this makeshift set of calculations, if we cut all 4 waste-of-oxygen players, our 2009 estimated cap space goes down to $15,150,000.00. We also don't have to pay their salaries, which reduced the "total cost" on the In The Bullseye lists by $14,098,000.00. What that means, <pushes glasses up) if my calculations are correct, is that we get our cap penalized by $14,564,500.00 but also save $14,098,000.00 if we cut them, netting essentially a wash, taking us back to roughly $30 million under the cap.

We now have space for $30 million dollars worth of players, plus the benefit of having our cap expand by $15 million in 2010 due to clearing the cap penalties we got by cutting the four previously mentioned players.

Now, if we re-sign OD to a 5 year, $25 million contract, he probably takes up $3 millionish worth of cap space in 2009 (I'm guessing a scaling base salary and a $5 million signing bonus).

If we re-sign Dunta for something similar, its another $3 million into the 2009 cap. If we franchise him, it's $10 million right out of the cap, as that would roughly be his one year base salary for the 2009 season.

That leaves us either $24 or $17 million available to sign all of our rookies and whatever free agents we can manage. It cost us about $4.1 million against the 2008 cap to sign our 2008 rookies, so if we account for a little inflation, we will probably have $5 million in rookie signings against the 2009 cap. That leaves us at either $19 or $12 million under the cap, depending on the Dunta franchising, available for free agent pick-up.

Who could we sign for $12 million bucks? It could be a corner, a defensive end, or perhaps a certain wonderfully mean-spirited strong side linebacker.

Well guys, I hope you enjoyed that. First, I want to disclaim that this is my first attempt at cap analysis. Second, if I screwed up, please let me know - I want to be able to do this right in the future. So read up, heckle and cajole, and get hyped up for 2009!

Post-Game Breakdown: And The Bandwagon Empties

Tim — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:28:50 -0000

Drat. That tasted like failure. For all the positive press your Houston Texans received after knocking out the top team in the conference, there's been an equal amount of teeth grinding over yesterday's horrendous loss to Oakland. While one game does not a season make and shouldn't erase the many positives we've witnessed over the last month, there's nothing wrong with legitimately lambasting an egg laid. And that's what yesterday was. A fat, colossal egg.

Frankly, Sunday's season-ending home game against Da Bears can't come quickly enough; both the organization and the fans are eager to wash the taste of garbage out of our collective mouth. The first winning season in franchise history won't be happening, but Texans fans have been treated to chronic failure in sufficient doses that we shouldn't really dismiss the progress evident in consecutive non-losing seasons, right? While I'm incredibly disappointed at what we witnessed yesterday, I'm going to leave the pathetic display we saw in California yesterday where it belongs--the rearview mirror. Before I do, however, some observations:

1. Now THAT was the Houston defense we've come to despise during the Richard Smith Era! Eight (8) yard cushions to receivers, regardless of down and distance? Check. No blitzing? Check. Wholly insane decisions (e.g., dropping Jesse Nading into coverage on Darren McFadden) that make us wonder whether the man at the controls is calling formations in between huffs of paint thinner? Check. A complete lack of pressure that allows the opposing QB to look like a Pro Bowler, regardless of whether he actually is one? Check. It was like Richard Smith brought our long nightmare home for the holidays.

2. What does it say about your defense that the reaction of several fans after seeing that sort of incompetence is relief? As in, "Whew. No way they can bring Richard Smith back now."

3. Last Richard Smith point, I swear. If Smithiak brings him back for another season, there could be more outrage within the fan base than anything that's happened this side of drafting Super Mario.

4. The secondary, to a man, was awful in its entirety. I'll give a slight break to Nick Ferguson for bringing the wood in run support, but every other facet of their play was horrendous. And I fully admit my bias, so disregard this to whatever extent you want to: Jacques Reeves may have had his worst game of the season, and that's saying something.

5. Wherefore art thou, Mario?

6. Amobi Okoye: One sack, as predicted, and a forced fumble to boot. Editor's Note: Please ignore all other predictions. Though I did manage to get the final score right, albeit with the teams reversed. Crap.

7. It's frightening to see how much better Xavier Adibi is than Morlon Greenwood this season. If you ever had any questions about whether Greenwood should still be getting snaps, they should have been answered yesterday.

8. Kris Brown gets major props for knuckling that fifty-three (53) yarder through on a sloppy field. That was ridiculous.

9. Jacoby Jones is done fooling me. I've now reached the point where the otherworldly talent he's flashed at points throughout the last two (2) years will no longer hold me hostage. He's simply too large a liability, as witnessed by him putting the ball on the ground yet another time yesterday.

10. Speaking of special teams...I hit on it in the Comments here, and I want to open it up to discussion. Why does Joe Marciano always seem to avert blame for the poor performance of his unit? Special teams play has vacillated between decent and awful this year. It's never approached "consistently good" in 2008, has it? I'm not saying that Marciano is in Richard Smith territory; he's done a solid job throughout his time in Houston and deserves the benefit of the doubt. I simply question why there doesn't seem to be any accountability for his unit's failings when we have no problem blasting Kubes/Shanahan and R. Smith.

11. There is no excuse, not even Nnamdi Asomugha's brilliance, for not getting the ball to Andre Johnson. He's the best wide receiver in the NFL, yet he doesn't even have a pass thrown his way until the fourth quarter? No excuse for that, Schaub.

12. Nice to see Owen Daniels do what Owen Daniels can do. He really was the lone bright spot on that side of the ball.

13. That was as quiet a 102 total yard day as you'll ever see from Steve Slaton. He was never really a factor.

14. The offensive line got taken to the woodshed by Derrick Burgess & Co. Burgess in particular had his way with Eric Winston, in much the same fashion that Jevon Kearse did the previous Sunday. That's worrisome.

15. While Chester Pitts' unsportsmanlike conduct penalty didn't cost his team the game, having to settle for a FG after said penalty hurt. Badly. Sort of what I imagine getting shot in the stomach would feel like.

16. The Schaub had the pocket shrunk around him far more than it should have been, but he's got to step up and make plays. He didn't, and that INT was nothing short of horrendous. Until Schaub shows he can take care of the ball when it matters most, it's going to be tough imagining him ever reaching anything approaching "elite" status.

17. Trailing by eleven (11) points, Kubes and/or Shanahan's play call on 4th and Inches was gutsy. And odd. And poorly conceived to my admittedly amateur eye. Granted, it's easy to say that after the fact, but I think every Texans fan watching that play develop was screaming, "Take the points!" or at the very least, wondering why Kubes, who loves to roll his QBs out of the pocket, didn't incorporate that into the call. Kubes guessed wrong, and that was all she wrote.

18. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Owen Daniels; Defense--Amobi Okoye; Special Teams--Kris Brown.

Striving for .500 to close the season isn't sexy by any means. Still, remember that your Houston Texans have rallied back from an 0-4 start. That means they've got a shot to have played 8-4 football after the first month of the season. That's something to build on. Again, it's not what we want, but it's a heckuva lot better than 2-14, 4-12, 5-11, and/or 6-10 (twice). Rejoice in the opportunity for consistent mediocrity, people!

Post-Game Breakdown: Choke On It, Bud Adams

Tim — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:28:16 -0000

That was a ball, was it not? Not a pretty game aesthetically, but you won't see me even beginning to turn my nose up at the first four (4) game winning streak in franchise history. It could have been 2-0 and I'd still be ecstatic. Tons to talk about, so let's dive in:

1. I love that all it took for Andre Johnson to get some love from places outside H-Town was an 11 reception, 207 yard, 1 TD game. I'm not going to play the "no respect" card, yet it's laughable that 'Dre is the best WR in the league and 90% of NFL fans don't know it. All the guy does is make big play after big play on the field while keeping a ridiculously low profile off it. The only non-statistical headlines you ever see his name in are the ones you'd pray to see every player's name in. We should thank our lucky stars every day that we've got 'Dre. In a related story, Cortland Finnegan should thank his lucky stars every day that he only has to see Andre Johnson twice a year.

2. Although he made a few curious throws that appeared to be aimed at the dirt, I was incredibly impressed with Matt Schaub's performance yesterday. He was under a good amount of pressure all day and took some hard shots, yet he stood tall and made some huge throws. Some of those needles he threaded to 'Dre and Kevin Walter were simply ridiculous. His failure to feel pressure from Jevon Kearse and subsequent fumble aside, it was awesome to see him hang in there and move the ball against a great defense.

3. Speaking of Kearse...Eric Winston was used and abused all day. That said, I clearly remember one third down run by Steve Slaton that was essentially stopped a couple yards short of the marker until Winston single-handedly dragged Slaton to a first down. I actually jumped out of my chair and was ready to make Winston the player of the game on that play alone.

4. I thought the middle troika of Brisiel, Myers, and Pitts did yeoman work all afternoon long. They lost a few battles, but they were approximately ninety-seven (97) times better than they were in the first match-up with the Titans.

5. I remain puzzled as to why Ephraim Salaam continues to take snaps from Duane Brown. Brown ain't Orlando Pace (yet), but he's the future at LT, and he sure as heck looks better than Salaam, including but not limited to Salaam's sudden penchant for being penalized on what seems like every third snap.

6. Really, really surprised how quiet K-Dub and Owen Daniels were yesterday. I'm going to chalk that up to 'Dre imposing his will on the Titans and The Schaub exploiting that mismatch. Know this, though: We'll need big games from both of those guys on Sunday at Oakland, because Nnamdi Asomugha's going to be in 'Dre's hip pocket all day long.

7. Tell me another RB you'd rather have for the next three (3) years instead of Steve Slaton. If that list is more than five (5) players (maximum) long, I call shenanigans. I continue to be amazed with Slaton's toughness each week. He keeps his legs moving and seems to pick up tough yards you wouldn't expect from a back his size. And then he breaks one off, and there are no words to describe it, so I'm forced to make one up. And I'm going to do so right now. Scrumtrilescent.

8. It was said a couple of times in the second-half live game thread, but it bears repeating: Only one (1) player has rushed for 100 yards against the vaunted Tennessee defense all season, and said player did it both times he played 'em. Steve. Effing. Slaton.

9. Despite missing a chip shot, Kris Brown gets a free pass. He's banked more than enough capital to warrant that, and he did rebound to kick the FG that proved to be the difference.

10. It was negated by K. Brown's shank, but Apostrophe Davis had a big-time return in the third quarter to set that drive up, and he downed one of Turk's punts awfully close to the goal line. The best part about Apostrophe? Unlike Jacoby Jones, my heart doesn't drop into my stomach every time he touches the ball.

11. If you didn't watch the game, you might think that the Houston secondary had a very good day. And yes, Fred Bennett did pick Kerry Collins off, albeit on what was the equivalent of a punt by Collins; it was that bad of a throw. To my eye, the lack of success in the Titan passing game was far more about Collins' inaccuracy than the secondary's coverage. Collins was off all afternoon, and his receivers were dropping many of the balls he did put in their breadbaskets. Even on the much ballyhooed 4th and 3 play that clinched the game for the Texans (more on that in a bit), Justin McCareins had Jacques Reeves beat. The throw was juuuuuust out of McCareins' reach. Consequently, I do not see Tennessee's paltry passing stats as some sort of a breakthrough for our secondary. Kerry Collins had a greater responsibility for his team's struggles than Richard Smith's secondary did.

12. Speaking of Richard Smith...don't look now. It's happening. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

13. DelJuan Robinson was a freaking animal yesterday, getting in the backfield and making plays seemingly every time he was in there. By my count, it's now official: Every DT on the Houston roster should be playing before Travis Johnson. Yet none does. That in and of itself should be a fireable offense.

14. Two (2) season-ending injuries of note for the good guys: Both Xavier Adibi and Antwaun Molden are done for the year. The silver lining with Adibi is that we have a pretty good idea what we've got with him, and it's much better than Morlon Greenwood. I'm still bent we didn't see more of Molden at CB this season.

15. Welcome back to the land of the living, Amobi. That stop of LenDale White in the early fourth quarter was HUGE.

16. While I think DeMeco could have done better in mocking the White-Johnson tandem, the message is accurate. The Titan running game was a non-factor when it mattered the most, though we should thank the Tennessee coaches for not continuing to give the ball to Chris Johnson. Seemed like he was good for ten (10) yards every time he touched the ball, especially in the first half.

17. I miss Zac Diles, but Kevin Bentley has done a great job filling in for him. Bentley has shown a knack for making plays in the backfield that we didn't really see with Diles, though that may be entirely due to Richard Smith finally allowing his linebackers to cross the line of scrimmage.

18. Thank you, Jeff Fisher. Thank you for not using Bironas to try to win the game, even though he'd hit from 51 in the first half. Yeah, yeah...the wind. Whatever. You can't fool me. My Christmas gift to you is in the mail.

19. Not to spoil the surprise, Coach, but it's a Vince Young jersey.

20. Some of the quotes from various Titans after the game simultaneously baffled and enraged me. To wit:

"Slaton didn’t do anything," Titans outside linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "Slaton busted that run (34 yards) at the end of the game, and we pretty much had him in check. To tell you the truth, I don’t think their running game hurt us at all today."

"We know this team isn’t better than us," Titans tight end Bo Scaife said. "This team isn’t going to the playoffs, and we played down to their caliber today.’’

[LenDale White said] "This game means nothing anymore. We will not be playing this team anymore. It’s a big win for them as an organization I guess or supposedly. No matter what they do they’ll still go home on playoffs. We have a lot to look forward to."

[Cortland Finnegan, on his helmet-to-helmet cheapshot on The Schaub] "If I did I was just giving him a quick, you know - kiss, welcoming him back to Houston you know from the Oilers. So that is about all that is."

Why can't these guys just say the classy thing? Something to the effect of, "Give the Texans credit; they were the better team today." Why demean the accomplishment of your opponent? What good does that do? All it does is make Houston fans hate Bud Adams' troops even more than we already do.

21. Since we're on the subject of hate, you know I couldn't let a Texans-Titans game pass without checking in with my buddy Jay. As longtime readers will recall, Jay became a bit of a legend around here after his showdown with Bud Adams in Nashville last year. As expected, Jay had a few choice words for Albert Haynesworth when he went down with an injury that will keep him sidelined until at least the postseason. Haynesworth's run his mouth and been an absolutely classless piece of garbage to Matt Schaub and the Texans, so I don't think there were many Houston fans broken up to see him go down. As you'd figure, Jay was not in the "awwwww, I hope he's okay" camp. Quotes from the man who may hate the Titans more than anyone in the world:

"You're killing the grass, Albert! Get up!"

"I hope it's broken."

"Where's your contract now, Albert?"

Classy? Perhaps not. But if anyone deserved a dose of what he's dished out over the years, it's Haynesworth.

22. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Andre Johnson; Defense--DelJuan Robinson; Special Teams--Apostrophe Davis.

On to the Black Hole, and a shot at the first .500 plus record of the season!

Post-Game Breakdown: It's Broke, So Why Aren't They Trying To Fix It?

Tim — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:37:19 -0000

I'd really love the opportunity to gush over your Houston Texans in a PGB. Truly, I would. It's infinitely better than having to make chicken salad out of chicken fecal matter. The Texans, however, apparently do not see fit to give their fans something to cheer about. Instead, we're treated to another week of coach-speak about "going to work," "finding ways to be effective," "playing clean," and the like. At this point, that garbage is simply nauseating muzak in the proverbial Texan fan's elevator. We've heard it too many times for it to be anything but background noise.

Be honest with us, Smithiak. Your charges have won thirty percent (30%) of their games this season. That means they're actually running behind the franchise's abysmal lifetime winning pace. That's like losing a footrace to a blind man with no legs. Your team looks to be a virtual lock to go winless on the road. The offense is capable of putting together very solid efforts that will inevitably collapse when it matters most, primarily due to quarterbacks who have an innate ability to give the opposition the ball at the absolute worst possible time. Thanks to a breathtaking combination of mind-boggling coaching decisions and a secondary that should be accompanied by a Surgeon General's Warning, the defense is a complete and utter joke. If not for Super Mario and DeMeco, the Houston defense wouldn't be good enough to stop a Division III offense. Your best defensive back and team leader is coming off a horrific injury and, while gamely trying to shake the rust off, is still another offseason away from making a tangible difference in the weakest area of your team.

In short, this is a bad football team. We know it. You know it. Let's stop the charade.

That's not to say that all is lost; there's most assuredly a healthy amount of talent on this team in addition to Mario, DeMeco, and Dunta. Andre Johnson is the best wide receiver in football. Owen Daniels is one of the best tight ends in football. Kevin Walter is a fine WR2. Steve Slaton is the kind of explosive threat at RB this team has never had. Jacoby Jones is a weapon in the return game (though hanging onto the ball is still a concern). The offensive line shows flashes of dominance and has improved throughout the season. And Jebus help him, Matt Schaub could be the answer at QB if he (1) is able to stay on the field for more than three consecutive weeks at a time and (2) realizes that the terms of his contract do not require one to two turnovers per game. The cupboard is not bare. There's plenty of work to be done and plenty of talent to be upgraded, but there's enough here to form a foundation from which success can be built.

We know Rome wasn't built in a day, and you did inherit a 2-14 mess. We know that. Yet the same old platitudes do nothing for us. They're grating. They don't show anywhere near the frustration that we're feeling. The frustration you should be feeling. Shake things up, for crying out loud. You know who's not performing. If you don't, go ahead and search BRB, DGDB&D, Houston Diehards, Stephanie Stradley, and/or any other Texans message board or fan site for the following phrases:

"Anthony Weaver"
"Travis Johnson"
"Jacques Reeves"
"Petey Faggins"

You could add Morlon Greenwood to that list, but an injury has made him a non-issue for now. I'd love nothing more than to add any Houston safety to the list as well, but I think the Wilson-Ferguson tandem may be the best option in a bad lot right now.

Play Frank Okam. Play Antwaun Molden. Play Tim Bulman. Play Earl Cochran. Play Fred Bennett (who looked like arse yesterday, but remains a youngster with promise). Keep Xavier Adibi out there, even if Greenwood gets healthy. None of those guys may prove to be the answer at their respective positions. Maybe one of them will, though. Maybe two. Maybe all of them. Try 'em and see. You are a 3-7 football team. Find out which areas need to be targeted with the greatest intensity in the draft (and to a lesser extent, free agency). You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Do it.

Limited chestnuts from the latest loss to Peyton Manning & Co.:

1. See what happens when Steve Slaton gets the ball? As good as he was (and he was awesome), kudos to the OL for run-blocking at the highest level we've seen all year. They were dynamite.

2. Special props to Ahman Green. That second TD was due to a tremendous second effort. I fully expected him to tear an ACL celebrating.

3. If Duane Brown can't figure out how to stop speed rushers off the end, we are in deep trouble. Alex Gibbs, you're our only hope.

4. I get that the plan was to keep Peyton Manning off the field by running the ball. That's a good plan. But something's still wrong when Owen Daniels only has one catch and Andre Johnson only has five (5); I don't think the latter even got a pass thrown his way in the second or third quarters. You have to figure out a way to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers.

5. As echoed by Matt here, there wasn't a single Texans fan whose surname is not "Rosenfels" who did not call that game-ending interception well before it happened. I couldn't even muster any anger about it. Just bleak resignation. Crippler of my soul, thy name is Sage.

6. Super Mario didn't register a sack, but he was thisfreakingclose to sacking Peyton on at least a half-dozen plays that I saw. Yes, Peyton Manning is that good, though you have to give Richard Smith credit for totally disregarding a blatant mismatch.

7. It's 10:17 p.m., and Richard Smith is still gainfully employed as the defensive coordinator of your Houston Texans. What he did in a previous life to deserve this kind of invincibility, I'll never know.

8. The secondary still drains me of my will to live. Nothing new there.

9. What is new, however, is The X-Factor. I've made no bones about the man-crush I have on Adibi; I feel like a proud father right now. Or I would. If I had kids, and one of them was Xavier Adibi. I'm getting light-headed.

10. Another Texans loss, another case of questionable timeout management by the coaching staff. Really would've been nice to have one or two extra timeouts on that last drive, huh? Especially when one of them was burned due to having thirteen (13!) players on the field and therefore avoidable under every circumstance? Oh, Richard Smith...you are evil. What dark force injected you into this earthly plane?

11. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Steve Slaton; Defense--Xavier Adibi; Special Teams--Kris Brown.

Your Houston Texans travel to the Dawg Pound on Sunday. Yup, it's a road game. Yup, we're dead in the water.