SB Nation - Chris Myers

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.

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

Tim — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:30:37 -0000

We've tackled the debate over who has been most outstanding member of the offense; time to look at the other end of the spectrum. Which offensive player on the Texans has disappointed you the most thus far? Vote in the poll below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the Comments.

Poll

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

Kevin Walter

30 votes

Chris Myers

50 votes

Kasey Studdard

6 votes

Chris White

9 votes

Chris Brown

46 votes

Steve Slaton

525 votes

Antoine Caldwell

2 votes

Dan Orlovsky

12 votes

680 votes | Poll has closed

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

Tim — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:38 -0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Texans vs Colts coverage
Texans vs Colts recap
Titans vs Texans coverage

San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:22 -0000

Hallelujah, we've made it through the bye week and we can finally bring you another edition of the "Prospector's Guide." The 49ers face one heck of a challenge coming out of the bye, heading down deep int he heart of Texas to take on the Houston Texans. It's been a rather eventful bye week for the 49ers as they've made multiple lineup changes, potentially culminating in the starting debut of Michael Crabtree. Even if Crabtree doesn't start the game, he'll still get to make his playing debut in his home state. The Texans on the other hand remain a bit of an enigma this season. They're coming off a bit win over the surprising Bengals, but up to this point, the Texans have alternated wins and losses.

The 49ers travel to Houston to face the Texans in what will be the second meeting between the two teams, dating back to 2005. In the only contest played in the series, the 49ers defetated the Texans 20-17 in overtime at Candlestick Park in the 2005 season finale. Prior to 2005, the last time the 49ers had played a regular season game in Houston was in 1996 against the Houston Oilers.

While Houston might not be a familiar place to many current 49ers, Mike Singletary knows the city very well. The 49ers head coach was born there and has a large contingent of family and friends in the area. The 49ers will look to make Singletary’s homecoming a special one after coming off a bye week. San Francisco went 3-0 in the division to start the season and maintains a 3-2 overall record. In each of the past two years, the 49ers have gone 2-2 against AFC opponents. San Francisco enters this week’s game with a current streak of seven consecutive games with at least one interception and has won 8 of its past 12 games, dating back to 2008.

49ers-Texans Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye coached alongside Texans assistant head coach/offense Alex Gibbs with the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons (1993-94).
• 49ers QB coach Mike Johnson coached Texans QB Matt Schaub for two seasons (2004-05) with the Atlanta Falcons.
• Texans head coach Gary Kubiak started his coaching in career in the NFL as a QB coach with the 49ers in 1994.
• Texans WR coach Larry Kirksey served in the same capacity with the 49ers from 1994 – 99.
• Texans TE coach Brian Pariani was a 49ers scouting assistant in 1990 and then a offensive coaches assistant from 1991-94.
• Texans senior defensive assistant Ray Rhodes was an assistant secondary coach with the 49ers from 1981-82 before being promoted DBs coach from 1983 - 91. Rhodes also served as defensive coordinator for the 49ers 1994 World Championship team.
• Texans Assistant OL Coach Frank Pollack was a 6th-round pick by the 49ers in 1990 and played for SF from 1990-91, 1994-98

Players
FORMER TEXANS - 49ers FB Moran Norris played with the Texans from 2002-05.

FORMER 49ERS - Texans Director of Pro Personnel Brian Gardner spent 10 seasons as a scout with the 49ers from 1995-05.

HOUSTON TIES – 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, S Michael Lewis and FB Moran Norris are originally from Houston, TX.

RE "U" NITED – 49ers RB Frank Gore ran behind lanes cleared by Texans T Rashad Butler, C Chris Myers, and T Eric Winston when they were all teammates at The University of Miami (Fla.) from 2002-04.

Series Highlights
The 49ers and Texans have only played once. The 49ers lead the series 1-0, with a recap below.

SAN FRANCISCO 20, ST. LOUIS 17 (OT)
At San Francisco, CA, January 1, 2006

The San Francisco 49ers rallied from a 10-0 1st quarter deficit for a 20-17 overtime victory over the Houston Texans to close out the 2005 campaign with two consecutive wins for a 4-12 record. The 49ers dominated the line of scrimmage, gaining 182 rushing yds. and controlling the clock for 44:03. The 49ers used a combination of RB Frank Gore (108 yds.) and RB Maurice Hicks (64 yds.) to take control on the ground.

S Mike Adams was the star of the game on defense after finishing with 2 INTs, one that was returned for a TD and the other that led to the game-winning FG in overtime. Adams, who made his first NFL start at cornerback, intercepted QB Tony Banks at the end of the 3rd quarter and returned it 40 yds. for a TD to tie the game at 17-17. Then in overtime, Banks went deep, but Adams intercepted the pass and lateraled to S Ben Emanuel, who ran 35 yds. to the Houston 21-yd. line. After two short runs, K Joe Nedney nailed a 33-yard FG to give the 49ers a 20-17 victory.

QB Alex Smith helped lead the 49ers to a TD at the end of the 1st half by converting a key 3rd-and-13 situation with a 14-yd. strike to WR Brandon Lloyd, and then three plays later ,threw his first NFL TD pass when he rolled to his right and found Lloyd in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard score. The 49ers took the 2nd half kick and went on a 14-play, 56-yd. drive that ended with a 42-yard FG by Nedney to tie the game at 10-10. Houston responded when Banks fired a 31-yd. pass to WR Corey Bradford to get into San Francisco territory followed by a 25-yd. TD pass to Bradford to retake the lead at 17-10. Houston took advantage of good field position in the 1st quarter to take the 10-0 lead. P Andy Lee struggled in the 30-mile per hour winds, shanking a punt that allowed Houston to start a drive at the San Francisco 21-yd. line to set up a FG. The 49ers next drive ended when Lee’s punt from his own 25-yd. line was blocked, allowing Houston to begin a drive at the 49ers 17-yd. line. Houston responded with a 3-yard TD run by RB Vernand Morency.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		TEXANS (rank)
3-2 (t-1st NFCW)	Record	3-3 (t-2nd AFCS)
22.4 (t-15th)	Points per game	23.8 (t-12th)
267.0 (29th)	Total Offense	369.5 (8th)
106.2 (16th)	Rushing Offense	77.3 (30th)
160.8 (28th)	Passing Offense	292.2 (3rd)
29:32 (18th)	Possession Avg	31:23 (8th)
19.6 (t-12th)	Points allowed/gm	22.8 (22nd)
322.6 (15th)	Total Defense	351.8 (20th)
88.6 (7th)	Rushing Defense	125.0 (24th)
234.0 (20th)	Passing Defense	226.8 (19th)
11 (t-21st)	Sacks	7 (t-29th)
47.5 (5th)	Punting Avg (Gross)	41.5 (28th)
+4 (t-8th)	Turnover Differential	+2 (t-11th)

Three And Out: Useless Predictions For Sunday's Game

Tim — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:47:04 -0000

No doubt about it--last week's "Three And Out" was likely as close as I'll ever get to credibility. You might think I'd quit while I was (relatively) ahead. But when has that philosophy ever worked? Besides in Vegas, I mean? Onward!

1. Your starting offensive line, barring another season-ending injury to someone while deplaning, will likely be Duane Brown, Kasey Studdard, Chris Myers, Antoine Caldwell, and Eric Winston. In other words, 40% of your starting OL is absent. What's more, the new 40% of your line flanks a center who's repeatedly been victimized. Methinks this bodes rather terribly for Steve Slaton and/or, God forbid, Chris "No Yards and a Cloud of Dust" Brown. Total rushing yards for your Houston Texans on Sunday: 79. And only because Kubes is going to insist upon 20+ carries.

2. Once upon a time, Kevin Walter was a Bengal. When K-Dub played his former team last year, he went off for 70 yards and 2 TDs. This year, I foresee more yards and less TDs. I'm calling 82 yards receiving and 1 TD.

3. If this one comes to pass, I'm on the next flight to Sin City: Tim Bulman strips Carson Palmer. Said fumble is recovered by Antonio Smith.

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: Say what you will about Kubiak, but he's shown a knack for getting his charges ready to play the week after a loss. And aren't the Bengals primed for a letdown after the emotional intradivision wins they've had the past few weeks? It's very easy to talk yourself into predicting a Texans upset on Sunday. Too easy, I think. Cincinnati's defense is salty, and unlike the Texans, their offense boasts a running game that complements the passing game. In other words, the Bengals are a pretty balanced team. The Texans, of course, are not. Give me the balanced team playing at home over the unbalanced team playing on the road, letdown potential be damned. Texans 23, Bengals 27.

Texans vs Bengals coverage

Post-Game Breakdown: Cardinals Hold When It Counts

Tim — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:21:59 -0000

I thought letting an extra day pass would make Sunday's loss a bit easier to digest. It hasn't.

What we witnessed on Sunday was a microcosm of the alternately thrilling and nauseating roller coaster that has been your 2009 Houston Texans. The first half featured a defense that couldn't stop anyone (if not for Eugene Wilson's hit and DeMeco Ryans' recovery on the goal line, the score would've been 28-0 at half) and an offense that couldn't move the ball against anyone. The second half featured a stifling defense and an offense that was as nasty as any team's in the league (excepting Schaub's INT, which was pretty bad, and the infamous goal line stand by the Cardinals). Watching this team is like furiously pounding beers in between hits of meth--highs and lows, crushing agony and glorious ecstasy. Part of me would actually prefer getting blown out to experiencing the emotional floor going out from underneath me at various points each Sunday. At least then I wouldn't be the completely manic lunatic that is increasingly leaning toward watching all Texans games by himself to avoid subjecting others to his wild mood swings. If this keeps up, I'm checking myself into a sanitarium.

Thoughts from the game:

1. In looking at the offense thus far this season, we've got (1) a poor two halves against the Jets; (2) two pretty strong halves against the Titans; (3) two salty halves against the Jaguars; (4) a somewhat strong first half, followed by a just-protect-the-lead second half against the Raiders; and (5) a horrific first half, followed by a furious-why-can't-they-do-this-every-week half against the Cardinals. In other words, the offense has played about 1.5 games of below-average football through five games. With a defense that could be labeled as "reprehensible" for every bit of three full games (entire Jets game, half of the Titans game, entire Jaguars game, and half of the Cardinals game) thus far, the offense doesn't have the luxury of misfiring for an entire half.

2. What I've really seen is that the offense goes completely as Matt Schaub goes. This might seem somewhat obvious, what with him being the QB and all, but I think it bears noting because...

3. The running game is almost completely useless. Steve Slaton has shown a few brief flashes of what he was last year. That's it. And the offensive line...well, they've been close to exceptional in the passing game. The running game? I honestly don't know if Slaton is the problem, or if it's more a function of his line. What I do know is that the OL seems to get thrown backward far more often than I remember last year. I don't see it getting any better, either. Early returns indicate that the drop off from Chester Pitts to Kasey Studdard is substantial, and there's no reason to feel good about a switch from Mike Brisiel to Chris White or Antoine Caldwell. Now you've got Chris Myers flanked by Studdard and White or Caldwell. Running between the tackles could prove to be totally futile, and as neat as it's been to see some success running wide, it's extraordinarily rare for a running attack to succeed in the NFL with its running backs trying to make a living by running for the sideline. The defenses are simply too fast.

4. All of this is to say, I guess, that Kubes' attempts to force a running game are going to get even more frustrating. What we've seen so far isn't working, but we haven't seen any inclination that there'll be any changes.

5. We can complain about Chris Brown not being a goal line back all we want, but I don't know who could have broken the plane with the way the middle of the offensive line got lit up on that last series. It was doomed from the start, which is why...

6. I don't understand for the life of me why Kubes or Kyle Shanahan would try to run the ball, straight up the gut, on fourth down, with the game on the line. They should know their offensive line can't get a push, and they should know that trying to run the ball up the middle won't work. It hasn't worked all year. Ideally, your offensive line and running back should be able to pick up half of a yard. Unfortunately, this is reality, and we have not seen any evidence that the interior of the Houston OL and/or Chris Brown can consistently pick up half a yard. You know that. I know that. How can the coaching staff not know that? The Texans' greatest asset is their receiving corps. Why not spread the field out to make the defense account for those weapons? More importantly...

7. WHY IS THE BEST WIDE RECEIVER ON THE PLANET STANDING ON THE SIDELINES DURING THE BIGGEST PLAY OF THE GAME? HE'S ANDRE FREAKING JOHNSON! HE'S ALREADY NOTCHED TWO TOUCHDOWNS, ONE OF WHICH FEATURED HIM HANDLING CONTACT BETTER THAN ANY RUNNING BACK ON THE ROSTER! LOUD NOISES!

8. One more note about Schaub...we need to accept that he's good for at least one turnover a game. Yes, this hurts. The good news is that Schaub seems to be good for 2-3 TDs a game. Give me that TD/TO ratio any day of the week.

9. Soooooo...how 'bout that Houston defense? For the record, I disagree with BFD about whether the defense looked better in the second half, versus the notion that we simply benefited from Arizona playing not to lose when they had the ball. While there's little doubt Arizona got conservative, they did try to open it back up as the half progressed and the Texans cut into the lead. And instead of reverting to first-half form, the Texans' defense responded and held the line. Jacques Reeves was a clear upgrade in the secondary, and I remain encouraged by what Bernard Pollard and Glover Quin bring to the table (that is, they actually tackle). If Frank Bush learns nothing else from the game, I hope that it's the idea that he can and should get creative with bringing pressure from the linebackers. Bush has increasingly turned Cushing loose after the QB, but Sunday was the first time I remember seeing Captain 'Meco hounding the QB more than once or twice. It was a welcome sign.

10. I'd write something positive about the return game here, but I don't want to jinx it.

11. Bottom line is that the Texans once again failed to show up when the game started. They were a different team after halftime, and that does speak to the fact that they responded to adversity. The issue is, of course, that they had a huge handle in creating that adversity with the way they played in the first half. No matter how big of a Kubes fan you are, you have to admit that it does not bode well that he and/or his staff have failed to have the Texans ready to play at the start of 40% of their games this young season.

On to Cincinnati to play a suprising Bengals squad, albeit one that could well be primed for a letdown after all the tight division wins they've pulled out. If the Texans are truly going to break the mold of inconsistency and mediocrity, they must win on Sunday. First step toward achieving that goal is actually showing up ready to play.

Chris Brown: Goal-Line Specialist, And Other Cardinal Sins And Follies

bigfatdrunk — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:25:44 -0000

Good morning, Texans fans! Or have we devolved into the football equivalent of Chicago Cubs fans? You know, the Cubs, those lovable losers whom, despite their talent and expectations, still manage to fail consistently and spectacularly?

I'm going to post about some of the themes I've seen since yesterday that I agree with:

#1 and #2: The play-calling sucked. More than just a yes. Gary Kubiak seems to have no idea who he has on his roster and how their skill-sets best fit in the broad scheme.

Last year, Ahman Green did a decent job spelling Steve Slaton as the goal-line back. Green isn't a great goal-line option, but he runs with a low center, so there's at least a partial fit. Chris Brown is the antithesis of a goal-line back, a high runner who does not finish well. If we are going to use him in a goal-line set, let's at least jump him over the line or anything other than plowing straight up and straight ahead.

Because there's one more problem here. Do we not remember Ragdoll Chris Myers and how Kris Jenkins man-handled him all game? As MDC mentioned in an email, Gabe Watson has 50 pounds on Myers. In fact, our entire offensive line is predicated on zone blocking, opting for less physical linemen who are quick and active.

And Kubiak really thinks we can power it in? Does he not understand his personnel? His roster composition? The answer is, very obviously, no. If Kubiak had a clue, we would have interlocking pieces. Instead, it's a clusterfuck of personnel that really can't support what he wants to do, which isn't coordinated, anyway.

#3: Not just in this situation, but throughout the game, play-calling sucked, and this is on Kyle Sham-aham. Enough is enough. The problem with our rushing offense isn't our personnel, it's our play-calling. We distinguish between our passes and runs by the way we lineup and the way our o-line blocks. Yes, there are differences between run and pass blocking, but we never mix things up to keep defenses honest. We telegraph every run. That's why our run game sucks.

Things with which I disagree:

#1: The defense looked better/great in the 2nd half. Wrong, and grossly incorrect. The Cardinals offense folded up and quit in the second half, not unlike ours in the 2nd half against the Raiders. The difference is that our offense has the potential and talent to come back, but the Raiders' offense doesn't. It's really no deeper than this. The Cardinals shot themselves in the foot with several penalties, and their move from pushing the ball downfield to a ball control offense was an incredibly poor adjustment. Aside a couple of outstanding deflections from Frenchy Reeves, the Cards lack of offense in the second half was largely self-inflicted. Kurt Warner still had all day to throw, and that one sack really didn't put the fear in him.

The one way we did adjust wouldn't be possible against a team with a better run game. Brian Cushing blitzed about 75% of the time, and we started sending DeMeco Ryans in quite a bit as well. We knowingly gave up gap responsibilities as the Cards were going to a dumping pass game. I believe they only rushed the ball four times in the second half. Again, this is a matter of poor play-calling. Plus, we'd already been torched for 300 yards in the first half.

For the season, our defense is execrable. Six sacks. Two interceptions. If you take out the Raiders game, we are still the worst defense in the league. We do not pressure the QB, we do not create turnovers, and we cannot stop opposing offenses. Our defense is a giant pile of suck.

#2: It's Matt Schaub's fault. Well, no. I've seen a couple of refutations of this by commenters, so I won't re-hash too much, but it's an illogical conclusion. What DOES worry me is Schaub had nothing on his throws yesterday, and his pick was a horrible floater. I don't know if he's going through a dead-arm phase or something similar, but this is terribly worrisome to me. The difference between Schaub and The Sex Cannon is the difference between a Mercedes and a Ford Pinto. One will get you all blowed up.

"The Texans are ridiculously close to being a really good NFL team." And herein lies an extremely rare occasion where I agree with Little Dickie Justice, age 12, but with a monstrous caveat.

If there is one overwhelming theme I now see from commenters, it's that this team is a tease of the highest caliber. We have an offense that should consistently drop 35 points a game, and we do have some talent defensively. The problem is, we don't know what to do with it, and the blame lies directly on Gary Kubiak's shoulders, with an assist from Rick Smith.

If we still can't align our talent to fit our playbook, or vice versa, three years into Kubiak's reign, there's a problem. Frankly, somebody has to pay for hiring Frank Bush. Richard Smith + MORE AGGRESSIVE just doesn't seem to work. Who knew? And merely the fact we've come out completely flat in almost every game this year is an indictment of our preparedness. More often than not, we seem completely unprepared and surprised at what our opponent is throwing at us. Maybe hanging around BRB (or the rest of the Texans' blogosphere) more often would help with that since it seems obvious to the rest of us.

Gary Kubiak is a great offensive mind, but I have now lost faith in him as a head coach. We know Uncle Bob isn't going to make a change during the season, so I figure Kubiak has 11 more games to get his shit together. If we were making different mistakes, that would be one thing. But we keep doing the same stupid things week-in/week-out. It's time for this to stop.

To at least leave on a positive note: At least we don't root for the BE-SFs.

Thursday Thoughts: On Fines, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, And The Like

Tim — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:04:48 -0000

First off...whew. As great as it's been basking in that victory over Tennessee, a small part of me was just waiting for the other shoe, in the form of suspensions, to drop. Freaking fantastic to see that your Houston Texans will not be without the services of the best wide receiver on the planet. In a related story, freaking terrifying to see that your Houston Texans will not be without the services of quite possibly the shakiest return man in the NFL.

I've given some more thought to the idea of an offensive line without Chester Pitts, and I'm getting increasingly concerned about it. First and foremost, you have to feel for Pitts. Dude has never missed a start and now, on the cusp of free agency, he goes down and undergoes a procedure that isn't exactly conducive to bouncing back, much less bouncing back and getting big dollars on the free agent market. We've seen a version of this song before; remember Fred Weary and his broken leg? While Chester Pitts may not ever take the field as a Texan again, I'm going to be rooting for him to make it back from this injury somewhere.

In terms of how Pitts' absence affects the Texans on the field, I'm perturbed. Kasey Studdard has shown flashes of competence in the limited time he's seen the field, but you have to wonder if he's ready for the increased responsibility and wearing a bullseye for opposing defenses. And I say that as someone who absolutely loved the Studdard pick back in '07. I'm hopeful he steps in and the OL doesn't miss a beat, but Pitts is leaving fairly big shoes to fill. Pitts made it that much harder for defenses to blow up the left side of the line, and that's HUGE, considering Duane Brown isn't exactly a ten-year starter. It's going to be on Eric Winston, Chris Myers, Mike Brisiel and, most importantly, Alex Gibbs, to cover for Studdard during the transition. If Studdard can't get the job done, Antoine Caldwell or Chris White had better be ready to go.

From a long-term standpoint, Pitts' injury could feasibly benefit the Texans. The Texans get to see if Studdard can be a viable solution at guard, and presumably Caldwell should get some more work as well. The stars were aligning for the Texans to have a very hard decision to make about Pitts at the end of the season. Now, the decision, at least football-wise, would appear to be much easier. For the purpose of putting the best team out there this year, though? Little doubt the Texans suffered a sizable blow in Nashville a few days ago.

Before You Jump

Jake — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:52:42 -0000

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Ok. This place has been a sea of negativity for the last two days and understandably so. The team that everyone has invested a great deal of time into completely laid an egg on Sunday. This season is supposed to be the Texans coming out party and everyone involved in the debacle feels embarrassed, especially the fans. Notice though that I used "is" instead of "was" in the previous sentence, because the Texans’ season is not over.

This isn’t going to be a ridiculously overdone blind faith post; I’m still seething from the loss. I also don’t want to sound in any way that I am criticizing anyone who vented their frustrations because they more than deserved to in my book. Having said that though, continuously dwelling on only the negatives won’t help anyone. This is an attempt to put things into perspective and make an honest assessment of what happened Sunday, where the team is now and what needs to be done to improve, in my amateur opinion.

Let me get the one thing that is closest to an excuse off of my chest: The Jets defense looks amazing. In fact, I honestly believe that is the toughest defense we will play all year. That’s a bold claim but who will be better, the Titans? I agree with beef’s assessment that they were only able to produce pressure on a sub-par Steeler offensive line when they blitzed as opposed to last year when four rushers would do the trick. Who else will be better out of the Jaguars, Colts, Raiders, 49ers, Bengals, Cardinals, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, Dolphins or Patriots? I’m not saying they’re all pushovers, several of their defenses in fact looked decent to good this week, but none of them showed the absolute dominance that the Jets did. Part of that dominant perception was the Texans doing, but before I get into that I needed to tip my hat to Rex Ryan and company.

Author’s Note: I still need to go back and watch the recording of the game for a better evaluation, but not surprisingly I keep coming up with excuses not to. I bring that up to emphasize that I am recalling all of this from a memory diluted by uncontrollable rage and liquid stress reliever.

- Matt Schaub is a good quarterback but does not react well to pressure defenses. That pressure is sometimes the result of poor protection, but it is sometimes due to holding the ball too long. This Sunday it didn’t help that Kris Jenkins was running through Chris Myers like a banner a high school football team tears through before a game. Schaub's gimpy ankle didn't make things better either. Despite that, there were a couple of plays including at least one sack that Matt simply needed to get rid of the football. As much as I like Schaub, this is his third year as a starter and he is due to make about 10 million in a roster bonus after the season, so if he doesn’t get it this year I think he might be done. I really think he already gets it and he simply took a step back with the rest of the team, but he’ll be judged by the entire season.

- Kyle Shanahan’s inexperience showed through this week, which was partly to blame for Schaub’s performance. When the majority of your experience and formative years are spent with a team like the Broncos who seemed to always have outstanding offensive lines, you don’t account for constant pressure in your game plan. He needs to learn how to roll with the punches and find ways to make teams pay for blitzing too much. Others have already pointed this out, but I brought it up to say that Gary Kubiak needs to keep a more active role in the play calling. I know he has stated a desire to give Shanahan more autonomy, but it needs to be a gradual process.

- The faster that Antoine Caldwell can get ready for a starting role, the better. I have nothing against Chris Myers, but he can simply not stop bigger defensive tackles even though he added more weight this offseason for precisely that reason. Until Caldwell is ready, Alex Gibbs needs to plan for almost constant double teams in the middle in his scheme.

- Everyone scoffed when I asked if Steve Slaton didn’t look good after the first game in the preseason, but he still isn’t playing up to the level of last year. I don’t know if it’s the weight, or a head issue that’s keeping him from hitting the holes, but someone needs to fix the problem and fix it quick. The offense enjoyed its success from last year because of play action. No one will fear the run when you’re averaging below two yards a clip.

- Everyone was worried about the run defense more than anything, including me. Well, the front seven showed up to play in that department. Granted, an average of 5.22 yards per carry for the Jets looks terrible, but after three quarters it was 3.83. You can call me an idiot, but after a 38:46/21:14 time of possession split, I think it’s relevant to say that the defense got worn out.

- The front seven did a good job with combating the run, but it did not get sufficient pressure on a rookie quarterback. I can’t remember the Jets third down numbers and if it’s alright with you I’d just as soon not look them up because it was embarrassing. Frank Bush’s new scheme produced as many sacks as Anthony Weaver had all of last year; 0. Have to do better.

- The secondary usually got a partial pass from Texans fans because of lack of pressure, but many of the completions were on Dunta Robinson and friends Sunday. It has been reported that Jacques Reeves will return this week, and I never thought I’d be so happy to see him. Glover Quin and Brice McCain were made to look like rookies during the game, especially the wide open touchdown pass to Chancey Stuckey. It would be nice if they could learn from veterans, but Dunta is too worried about pissing everyone off to teach. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pro athlete in Houston pull a complete 180 as drastically as him in terms of fan support.

This is a long list of problems that must be overcome, but I don’t think the Texans are as bad off as people are afraid of. The Jets are a tough opponent and we played poorly. Moreover, Texans fans are gun shy because of past seasons. Am I giving a pass to the Texans? Absolutely not. By playing so poorly in Week One they upped the stake of an already difficult Week 2 road game against a division rival coming off a tough loss. If the Texans lose that game as well it will seem like the beginning of every other Kubiak led season. Don’t forget though, that they are capable of winning this game. We did it last year with Albert Haynesworth in the lineup. What I’m trying to say is hesitant skepticism is one thing, but let’s not give up on the season because of one game.

Post-Game Breakdown: Jets v. Texans (Part I)

Tim — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:15:00 -0000

This. I killed myself for this? That thought, along with my buddy Mark's repeated mutterings of "Useless *@#&s," played on a constant loop in my head throughout the second half of yesterday's game.

The back story: More than a year ago, my cousin got engaged. She selected September 12, 2009 as her wedding date. My immediate response, of course, was incredulity. Who gets married during football season? Is that even legal? To make matters even worse, a quick check of the calendar revealed that her wedding date fell during the opening weekend of the 2009 NFL season. Sweating profusely, I attempted to rationalize. The schedule hadn't come out yet; perhaps the Texans would be on the road for their season opener. If that was the case, I could simply hole up in a sports bar, watch the game, and catch a later flight home. That'd be doable.

The schedule is released, and of course, the Texans are at home. What's more, it's a noon start, and my cousin's reception doesn't start until 5 p.m. the day before the game. In Poughkeepsie, New York. At that point, I had a choice to make: Blow off attending the opener of what looked to be the most promising season in franchise history, or figure out a way to get my happy arse back to Houston in time for kickoff. Sicko that I am, I opted for the latter, which required the following:

1. Fly into Newark, New Jersey on Friday afternoon.
2. Attend rehearsal dinner in Cornwall, New York on Friday night.
3. Attend wedding in Cornwall, New York on Saturday afternoon.
4. Attend reception in Poughkeepsie, New York on Saturday evening. Endure barbs from relatives who are Jets fans about what a moron I am.
5. Leave Poughkeepsie at 10:30 p.m. EST to return to Newark, which is about two (2) hours away.
6. Grab two and a half hours of sleep at hotel next to Newark Airport.
7. 3:30 a.m. wakeup call.
8. Ditch wife and stumble downstairs to catch 4 a.m. shuttle to airport.
9. Catch 5:45 a.m. flight from Newark to IAH to ensure attendance for first play of 2009 Houston Texans campaign.

In retrospect, I chose poorly. Oh, and for my Uncle Charlie, who doubted that I'd concede my idiocy "when your little Texans get their butts kicked" in a post for everyone to read...I concede.

There's a ton to talk about, so consider this Part I of the PGB. Part II will be up tomorrow.

1. Given the short lifespan of your Houston Texans, a disaster like yesterday leaves me searching to put things into historical context. Worst loss ever? I don't think so, but it's in the conversation. Personally, I'd label it "Most Disappointing Loss Ever." Our expectations were so far out of whack with what we saw that it's not even slightly funny. Thus, the crush of reality was far worse to me than, say, the horrific garbage we were repeatedly subjected to in 2005. Somehow, I'd say "Most Disappointing Loss Ever" is a sadder fate than "Worst Loss Ever."

2. Without question, the story of the game is how totally unprepared your Houston Texans looked throughout the contest. That falls squarely on the coaching staff. If you didn't know better, you'd think the Texans had never seen a 3-4 defense before yesterday. As others have noted, I will never understand why the team didn't employ more screens and quick slants to counter the pressure the Jets brought. Speaking of...

3. Anytime Andre Johnson goes entire quarters without so much as a throw in his direction, your offensive scheme is crap. Not to take anything away from Darrelle Revis (who did an outstanding job covering 'Dre), but there is not a corner in the NFL who can consistently stop Andre Johnson. There just isn't. Couple that with the indisputable fact that 'Dre is your deadliest offensive weapon, and there's no excuse for Kyle Shanahan not figuring out ways to get the ball in Andre Johnson's hands. None.

4. Owen Daniels was the Texans' leading receiver yesterday, but it sure didn't feel like it. Of course, that may be more of an indictment of the passing game itself.

5. If Alex Gibbs does not beat the entire offensive line with socks full of nickels throughout practice this week, he has failed us all.

6. A ton has been made, and rightfully so, about how Chris Myers was repeatedly destroyed by Kris Jenkins. Thing is, all of us knew that was a near certainty. Myers has a track record of getting run over by big defensive tackles. So if amateurs like us knew it was virtually a foregone conclusion, why didn't the coaching staff do anything about it at the first sign of trouble? That brings me to my next point...

7. Your Houston Texans may well feature the worst staff in all of football when it comes to making in-game adjustments. Perhaps I'm guilty of a short memory here, but can anyone point to a single game during the Kubiak Era where you felt like the coaches actually made halftime (or any) adjustments? Anyone? Anyone?

8. Staying on the topic of gripes about the coaching staff, I have always been a fan of Gary Kubiak. Even after yesterday, I remain a fan of Gary Kubiak. I love the fact that he tries to deflect blame from his players, and onto himself, when things go south. I have to believe that players respect that, as it saves them (to some degree) from getting further savaged by the media and fans. But you know what? I'm fed up with Kubes' "It starts with me" post-game routine after every loss. If it does indeed start with Kubes, then it's going to end with Kubes. If his team turns in another performance like they did yesterday in Nashville on Sunday, where the Texans look completely unprepared for what their opponents are doing, then it becomes fair to ask why his players continue to look so overwhelmed. Is it because they're not being provided with the coaching they need? Or is it because they're ignoring the coaching they are receiving? If the answer to either of those questions is anything other than an unqualified "No, that's not it," we've got a big problem.

9. When did Steve Slaton become Stacey Mack?

10. Of all the things I've ever written here at BRB, what I'm about to type may well be the most shocking: Why wasn't Chris Brown used more?

11. More David Anderson, please. He's not Kevin Walter, but he's the most reasonable facsimile we have on the roster. When Walter's not in the game, Anderson should be working the middle of the field.

It's getting late, so that's all for now. Tomorrow I'll address Matt Schaub, Frank Bush's regular season debut, and what I'm going to write on the back of my sneakers this Sunday. That last bit isn't a joke, but the way. I have every intention of doing it.