SB Nation - Matt Turk

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

Thoughts From The Game: Week Two

Jake — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:02:12 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Browse more photos »

NFL Replay is a great program. I watched most of the game live on Sunday, and then I watched it again that night (DVR is a beautiful thing), but seeing the big plays with NFL Films replays and player analysis from post-game conferences is amazing. Tim did an outstanding job reviewing the overall performance of the Texans against the Titans in Week Two, so I'll just write some thoughts about what I saw. This might come off as more of rant about random players, but again, after bfd and Tim, I don't think we need another intricately detailed wrap-up.

- Matt Schaub is amazing when he has time. He made big throw after big throw which is as much of a tribute to the pass blocking as it is to #8. In the first half alone, not only did he throw the three TD passes, but every single catch by the TEs was for a first down. That's a sign of him using all of the weapons at his disposal.

- Steve Slaton has had problems, but they can get better. Every time he got the ball with a little bit of room to run (i.e., screen pass), he ran with conviction. I don't know what the secret is to make him run that way on regular hand-offs, but the coaching staff needs to figure it out for this team to be able to take advantage of the opposing team's pass rush effectively.

- Andre Johnson is the best WR in the NFL. The tip to himself was an All-Pro catch. The wide open TD may have seen like just a blown coverage due to play action, but as Lance Zierlein pointed out, it was also because of Johnson selling the route by starting off at medium speed and then accelerating at the perfect time. Johnson also made a couple of tough catches in the second half, including the one when he went up for a ball even though he knew a hit by two defenders was coming.

- Jacoby Jones is too inconsistent to be a starter on this team. He shows flashes, like the TD catch, but he constantly regresses with drops both on punts and passes. It is frustrating, but I just don't think Jacoby will ever be a regular contributor the Texans can count on.

- You already know this, but this team has an abundance of talented tight ends. Owen Daniels is making a case that he is irreplaceable by making clutch "hands" catches, and Joel Dreessen might be a starter on several other teams, considering the key catches he makes (i.e., the fourth down conversion). Between the two of them and the up-and-comer James Casey (who is proving his worth on special teams), this is a great problem to have.

- The offensive line was feast or famine this week. Although they showed great ability to keep Schaub upright, they didn't do a good job at opening holes for Slaton or Chris Brown. Schaub did make the Titans pay for selling out against the run, but when we play defenses like the Jets who can defend both the pass and the run at the same time, that won't cut it. I did relish the clip of Eric Winston telling Kyle Vanden Bosch exactly what he thought of him though.

- As much as I love Connor Barwin, he has a little bit to go until he can be an every-down player. On the first long TD run by Chris Johnson, the Titans exploited Barwin's straight up the field rush by simply pushing him out of the way. He also committed a couple of costly offside penalties during the field goal drive to end the second half. I think Barwin will eventually be a great player; he just needs some seasoning.

- Mario Williams is a beast but he needs more help on the defensive line. He was getting a regular bull rush to get into the backfield. Amobi Okoye had a pretty good game penetrating, but until the Texans get better play out of the other DT, the D line will be susceptible to up-the-middle runs. Mario WIlliams' ability against the run is what makes him an elite DE, as opposed to players like Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, who got shredded by the run last night.

- The linebacker corps is as good at is have ever been in franchise history. One of the big reasons why is because of Brian Cushing. I have to admit that I very well may have been wrong about #56 (I can eat crow, too; Rip, kudos). I had two concerns about Cushing when he was drafted--(1) tackling ability and (2) durability. Only time staying healthy will tell about the second concern, but he certainly has shown big time ability at stopping the run. He did make some mistakes in coverage, but for just his second game of his pro career (including the preseason), he is playing much better than I expected. I am very glad to be wrong so far. Keep it up Cush.

- Eugene Wilson makes our secondary better. He is definitely not a great tackler, but he is the best Texans safety in coverage by FAR. The interception was a bad throw by Collins and Wilson was in the right place at the right time, but he made other good plays in coverage throughout the game, including the fourth down play when he forced Justin Gage toward the sideline to make the catch out of bounds.

- The Texans CBs are the liability of the defense. Fred Bennett has been abused in coverage, but at least he made some good open field tackles. Dunta Robinson not only whiffed on a couple of key tackles, but he made a blatant late hit that wasn't called in the first quarter. Brice McCain may be okay in coverage (when he gets the assignment right), but Kenny Britt easily took him out of the play on the first long Chris Johnson TD. The rookies can improve, but I am very worried about Bennett and Robinson.

- Both Texans kickers are playing amazingly. Kris Brown is Mister Automatic which is to be expected, but Matt Turk is giving the defense great help by pinning the opposing teams as deep as possible on almost every play. Both are underrated and huge weapons for this team.

Offense: Despite the problems running the ball, it is hard to criticize the offense from this game. I would give Matt Schaub the offensive game ball because he remained poised despite the incredible physicality that both teams played with. It's been said several times already, but battling back from an early 21-7 deficit takes a lot of grit. You have to give a lot of that credit to Schaub, who is undoubtedly the most criticized offensive Texans player.

Defense: They tried their best to induce as many massive coronaries as possible in Houston by giving up those huge plays to Chris Johnson, but you can see the signs of improvement otherwise. We all expected an immediate change with the ousting of Richard Smith, but whole units don't change overnight. I'm not saying that they are the Steel Curtain reborn, but giving up only 7 second half points is an undeniable show of improvement. Defensive game ball goes to Cushing in my opinion. I know Mario played out of his mind, but Cushing played with a fire that was contagious. If he can find a way to stay on the field both on third downs and without injury, he could be special.

Bonus Thought: Cortland Finnegan has now made my list of "People I'd Pay To See Hit By a Mack Truck". Not only does he play cheap, but he gets abused by good receivers (see Santonio Holmes and Andre Johnson). Without the dominant pass rush from last year, he's in for a long season. Another insight that NFL Replay gave, however, was that the source of the sideline brawl was Andre Johnson and Finnegan getting into it. It takes a lot to get Andre heated, which makes me feel that my hate for Finnegan is that much more justified.

Decision Day: 53-Man Roster Speculation

bigfatdrunk — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:13:47 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

3 months ago: Houston Texans' David Anderson (89) congratulates James Casey (86) after Casey's 11-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Rex Grossman during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Browse more photos »

With cuts due by 3pm CDT (I believe, please correct me if I'm wrong), I wanted to pontifibate one last time on the 53-man roster. It's not going to be much different than my first take.

As a refresher, here's the composition of the Texans original 53-man roster last year:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

Again, there's substantial reason to believe the roster will be similarly composed. So here goes:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Arian Foster (over Ryan Moats)
1 FB: Vonta Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis, Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Again, that leaves us with 52 of the 53 spots. I think it's going to come down to:

Rex Grossman: He'll be tough to cut after last night's performance.
Glenn Martinez: Was a fiend on special teams all preseason.
Joel Dreessen: Your basic, but very good, utility TE.

After Anthony Hill's performance last night, I believe Dreessen takes the last spot. While Casey needs some time to mature into the position, Hill is definitely not ready. Dreessen will be the steady hand.

As far as Grossman, I believe there's a chance he still makes the team over Jeff Zgonina. Kubiak hasn't shown any indication he's going to take three QBs, and after last night's game, he seemed pretty non-committal about keeping Rex. Personally, I don't believe Rex makes the team.

I'll be out of town when the cuts are made, but I'll be back this afternoon.

bfd's First Take at the 53-Man Roster

bigfatdrunk — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:31:53 -0000

Great discussion last week on the possible composition of the 53-man roster started by Texans-Brocos. Here's my take with a little bit of background.

Last year, the Texans' opening roster consisted of:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

I think it's reasonable to believe the 2009 roster will be similarly composed. After last night's game, here's my guess as to how the 53-man is shaping up:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Ryan Moats (depending on his injury)
1 FB: Vonta "Human Coke Machine" Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones (almost by default)
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill (no Joel Dreessen, which is our loss)
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers (depending on his health, obviously)
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina (no Travis Johnson)
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis (depending on Cato June's health), Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden (no Dunta Robinson...just in case)
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Several differences from last year, though nothing crazy. Last year, we carried 6 DEs and 5 DTs, whereas I have us carrying 5 DEs this year. Sadly, I still have us carrying Jeff Zgonina as I just don't see anybody on the roster otherwise. There's the difference in OGs and OTs, and I have us keeping 5 CBs and 4 Ss, where that was swapped last year.

Also, and I doubt you noticed, but I have listed only 52 players for 2009. If Dunta signs, I do believe we'll keep 6 CBs on the roster as I believe the Texans, rightly so, would be afraid to release either McCain or Molden, who are the two I believe to be most on the bubble. I also believe that one of the CBs will be in line for a position change to S.

One guy who really intrigues me is Glenn Martinez, as he was the most "on" last night. He can return punts and kickoffs and looks like an excellent gunner on special teams. As I said in the game thread, he reminds me of Steve Tasker in the way he plays. There's a chance he overtakes Jones, but because we're carrying extra CBs, it'll make it tougher for Martinez to win a job.

What do y'all think?

The All-AFC South Roster

shake n bake — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:24:40 -0000

With the division "bloggers" over at ESPN.com digging into their bag of gimmicks, listing top 10 "building blocks" (players you'd choose if your goal was to contend for a title over the next 3 years) I set out to expand on their concept. Building an All-AFC South cast of starters, and now a 45 man gameday-roster that fits under the cap (with room to spare for the inactives).

QB: Still gotta have Peyton Manning (14mil), he's expensive, but the best QB in the league is worth it. On the principal that it's better to go out with a bang than a whimper my backup is the newly signed Rex Grossman (620k) In a league where Jim Sorgi, Cleo Lemon and Dan Orlosky make 1.3, 2.8 and 3.1 million a year, respectively, a QB who has had even short term success as a starter is a great deal for the league minimum.

RB: I chose MJD for the All-AFC South starters, but his new contract extension makes him 3 times more expensive than Chris Johnson or Joseph Addai, and the price of 5 Steve Slatons. MJD isn't THAT much better than the other 3, not by a longshot. So with MJD out in a cost cutting move, I'll pass up my former draft crush and the back I've fiercely defended for the last year, for Steve Slaton (552K). Slaton is the cheapest, was a better receiver than Johnson and weathered a workload that broke Addai down in 2007. The main hole is Slaton's game is as a pass blocker. Where could we find a tandem partner who can pass block? Joseph Addai (1.67mil), and I've got the cash, so let's grab all 3 starting backs still on their rookie deals, Chris Johnson (1.79mil)

WR: I was able to save on the backs, but there isn't cheap talent near the levels of Andre Johnson (7.2mil) and Reggie Wayne (6.96mil), Anthony Gonzalez is a great 3rd WR for relatively little (1.31mil), Kevin Walter (2mil) averaged 15 yards a catch while catchin 63% of his targets last year, both solidly above average.

TE: I'm all about the passing offense, meaning I'll lay down the nearly 10million for the two best TEs in the division. Dallas Clark (6.77mil), and Owen Daniels (2.79mil), A blocking TE and possible FB Gijon Robinson at the league minimum (385K) to fill out the TEs.

LT: 5.88mil isn't much to pay for my first choice of left tackles, Michael Roos. To backup I'll take a project tackle for 1.6mil, Duane Brown.

LG: My first choice of left guards comes pretty cheap at 1.2 million, Eugene Amano. Backing up will be a solid guard who can swing outside, Charlie Johnson (556K).

C: Jeff Saturday's new deal costs just 3.98mil this year. 396k for Jamey Richard, the only other center Peyton's taken real game snaps from in years.

RG: Jake Scott 4.5mil, I didn't really want to spend at guard but the cheaper options are either coming off major injuries or aren't proven. To get guard value out of this pool laying out the cash for Scott is the surest way. I'll back him up with a 16 game starter at guard last year for a vet minimum deal Mike Brisiel (460K).

RT: All four AFC South starting right tackles cost between 4 and 6 million, so I'm making a position change, Tony Ugoh (941K). Ugoh is a powerful run blocker, who would now have much less pressure on him in pass pro.

DEs: Pass Pressure is VITAL and Mario Williams comes remarkably cheap this year at 2.65million allowing for splurging on Dwight Freeney (11.2mil), and Robert Mathis (6.86mil), Dave Ball (620K) is a cheap combo of size and pass rushing ability.

DTs: A 3 man team of undersized pass rushing DTs comes pretty cheap. Tony Brown (1.4mil), Eric Foster (385k), Jason Jones (761K) For some size and massive upside I'll take Amobi Okoye to rebound for (3.12mil), and round out the DTs with Antonio Johnson for some safe league minimum (385k) beef.

LBs: Can't run a Tampa-2 without a top cover MLB, Gary Brackett (3.08mil), DeMeco Ryans is more than worth the 1.4mil price tag to slide to the strongside, on the weakside Clint Session comes dirt cheap at 552K, Xavier Adibi (498K) was a favorite prospect of mine and is working his way into the Texans lineup as a cover LB, I'll round out the LBs with some size and run D from Phillip Wheeler (546K) and Zach Diles (474K)

CB: Cortland Finnegan is an easy choice for just 3.65mil, Kelvin Hayden at 6.68mil is fine for a young talented corner. Marlin Jackson will hold down the slot for 2.76mil. For a backup Fred Bennett has great upside for only 460K

FS: Antoine Bethea or Michael Griffin? Bethea or Griffin? How about both since Bethea comes cheap (552K), Griffin isn't too expensive for a Pro Bowl safety (2.2mil) and both have played as nickel corners.

SS: Gotta have Bob. Sanders costs 6.13mil, but is an All Pro lock and DPOY threat when he makes it through a season healthy. I'll back him up with a starting caliber safety and dynamite special teamer making the slightest bit above the veteran minimum (462K) Melvin Bullitt

K: Kris Brown has nearly the leg of Bironas (my choice when money was no object), and makes half as much (1.35mil)

P: 1.25mil for Matt Turk isn't too much ... I guess.

RET: T.J. Rushing (535K) with Chris Carr out of the division, André Davis' price tag over 4 million and the Jags return games more than a TD below average with Brian Witherspoon having taken over returning from MJD, T.J. is the best bet, even with last year a lost season due to a knee injury.

Total Cap Cost: 124mil (09 cap is 128)

Thanks to Tim at BattleRedBlog for tips on a few cheap useful Texans.

AFC South "Building Block" Team

shake n bake — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:18:11 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

The top QB and C in the AFC South (and the league) (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

The division "bloggers" over at ESPN.com are digging into the bag of gimmicks, listing top 10 "building blocks" (players you'd choose if your goal was to contend for a title over the next 3 years). I don't hate Kuharsky's AFC South list so instead of re-doing it I'll do an expanded version. An entire team for the AFC South. Two versions even. An All-AFC South cast of starters, and this weekend a 53 man roster that fits under the cap.

I'll be running a Colts style offense and defense, because that's what I like and it should give plausible cover for any homer picks.

QB Peyton Manning (IND) Obvious choice here. The other QBs in the division are older and inferior, barely younger and inferior, and significantly younger but fragile and inferior.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC) 4 excellent backs in the AFC South. MJD wins out over Slaton and Chris Johnson via his outstanding receiving and blocking skills, and his health (though in a lesser workload) gives him the edge over Addai

WR Andre Johnson (HOU), Reggie Wayne (IND) An easy choice again. Two perennial Pro Bowlers

TE/WR Dallas Clark (IND) A TE/WR hybrid takes the place of fullback in a league that's phasing out the brusing lead blockers. Clark is the clear choice for a TE that can play the slot or even split out wide.

TE Owen Daniels (HOU) With Clark stashed away in the hybrid role, the Texans young star TE is the clear choice coming off a 70 catch, 862 yard season.

LT: Michael Roos (TEN) Finally a bit of love for the Titans. The only clearly estabished LT in the division with Ugoh and Duane Brown young inconsistent players and the Jags using a free agent stopgap until their rookie tackles are ready.

LG:Eugene Amano (TEN) The real stars of the Titans offense were the O linemen. What else could possibly explain LenDale White being able to run for positive yardage?

C: Jeff Saturday (IND) A pair of injuries prevented Saturday from a 4th straight Pro Bowl and very likely a 3rd All Pro in 4 years this past year. Saturday gets the nod over the other contender Kevin Mawae by virtue of being 4 years younger and having beaten Mawae out for a Pro Bowl spot each of the previous 3 years.

RG: Jake Scott (TEN) Not a lot of competition with the Titans OL since the Colts and Jaguars interior linemen couldn't stay healthy.

RT: Tony Pashos (JAX) The Jags were among the best in the league running behind right tackle. I've seen Texans RT Eric Winston getting some love, but the Texans were just mediocre running behind him and FO's game charters tagged him with 7 sacks last year, 2nd worst among RTs.

LE: Mario Williams (HOU) No surprises on the DEs as the AFC South took all 3 of the conferences DE Pro Bowl bids.

DT: Tony Brown (TEN) Suddenly the AFC South isn't looking so strong at DT with Albert Haynesworth lured to Washington by the scent of fresh cash, youth sensation Amobi Okoye hitting a major sophomore slump and John Henderson a very large man on the wrong side of 30, injured and feuding with the coaching staff.

DT: Eric Foster (IND) As a 265lb undrafted rookie Foster stepped in and because Indy's starting nosetackle. Despite being hopelessly outsized at NT with an even smaller tackle beside him, Foster made plays and helped hold together an Indy run D, that as we've seen in 2006, could be much much worse.

RE: Dwight Freeney (IND) Still the top pass rusher in the league, he's full recovered from the season ending foot injury, though it will prevent him from playing on offense.

SLB: DeMeco Ryans (HOU) A prolific young tackler moved out to hold down the strong side.

MLB: Gary Brackett (IND) You would struggle to find a LB in the entire league, let alone the division to cover the gap down the middle of the Cover-2 better than Brackett.

WLB: Daryl Smith (JAC) The only starting OLB in the division under 30, with more than 1 year of starting experience.

CB: Cortland Finnegan (TEN), Kelvin Hayden (IND), The #1 CBs on the two best Pass Ds in the division.

SS: Bob Sanders (IND), Last year was an injured year, so now I can expect a healthy Sanders for my franchise's 1st and 3rd season.

FS: Antoine Bethea (IND), 3 talented young free safeties in the division. All three started their rookie years, the difference, Bethea made the Pro Bowl in his first two years, while Nelson and Griffen are going into year 3 without a Hawaiian vacation on the resume.

Update: Michael Griffin made the Pro Bowl last year, but it wasn't listed on PFR. I will consider arguments for him replacing Bethea.

K: Rob Bironas (TEN), My view of kickers is probably unusual (and mostly confined to FO readers). There is no clutch, and further, for NFL caliber kickers, accuracy is pretty much even across the board, with the variation in FG% mostly due to chance and different proportions of long vs short FG attempts. So with this view of kickers, the obvious choice is the biggest leg who has proven to have NFL quality accuracy. Bironas was tops in the AFC in kickoff distance the last two years, and only the legendary Seabass topped him in touchbacks over the last two seasons.

P: Matt Turk (HOU), Had a dip in his usually outstanding net average, but still doing an excellent job of pinning teams deep with a high ratio of inside20's to touchbacks.

A full roster with Salary cap in effect coming this weekend.

Greatest Dolphins of All-Time, By The Numbers: 1-10

Matty I — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:15:09 -0000

During the offseason, it's always good to go back and revisit some Miami Dolphins history. After all, there are only so many times we can sit here and debate the same old debates ("Pennington vs Henne" for example). We could break down the roster battles, but I plan on getting into that as training camp approaches in July as part of our in-depth "training camp primers."

So I thought that it might be fun to go through Miami's entire history and pick out the great Dolphins to ever put on a particular uniform number. I'll give you my picks and attempt to explain why I selected each player. Then I will open the floor up to you all to tell me if you agree or disagree. We will kick things off with the numbers 1 to 10 - meaning we'll see mostly kickers, punters, and quarterbacks here.

Number 1 - Garo Yepremian, K, 1970-1978
Sure, Garo made the bonehead play that ruined the shutout the Dolphins had going in Super Bowl VII against the Redskins. But Yepremian was a very solid kicker for his time. You look at his FG percentage during his time in Miami and you see he made just 68% of his kicks. But it was a different time then. And Garo was a two time Pro Bowler and voted a 1st team All Pro two times. That's enough for him to be the greatest Dolphin to ever wear #1.
Other candidates: Matt Turk

Number 2 - Cookie Gilchrist, FB, 1966
Gilchrist came to Miami in 1966 for the Dolphins inaugural season following 4 Pro Bowl seasons combined with Buffalo and Denver. He was also the AFL's Player of the Year in 1962. But Cookie played in just 8 games for the Dolphins in '66, rushing for 262 yards on 72 carries. But he's the only player wear #2 for the Dolphins to score a touchdown - catching a TD pass in his one season in Miami. So he gets the nod over Brandon Fields - though Brandon could leapfrog Cookie with a couple good seasons beginning here in 2009.
Other candidates: Brandon Fields

Number 3 - Joey Harrington, QB, 2006
As hard as it is to put Harrington on a "greatest anything" list, Joey's play in '06 was better than any other player to wear the #3 in Miami. Joey was 5-6 as a starter that year when he took over for Daunte Culpepper. He threw for 203 yards per game and had 12 touchdowns to go with his 15 interceptions. He was a contributer to some of the Dolphins surprising wins that year, including his 3 touchdown performance against the then-unbeated Bears and his 250 yard passing performance against the Vikings. He also played well, completing 60% of his passes, in Miami's 21-0 upset over New England. So "Joey Sunshine" is my pick here.
Other candidates: Jay Feely, Tom Orosz

Number 4 - Reggie Roby, P, 1983-1992
This one was easy. Roby is probably the best punter to ever put on a Dolphins' uniform. He was a 3 time Pro Bowler and was 1st team All Pro twice. He led the NFL in yards per punt one time (1991) and finished in the top five 8 times in his career.
Other candidates: George Roberts

Number 5 - John Stofa, QB, 1966-1967, 1969-1970
Not much to choose from here so I went with the player who has a 2-0 record as a starting QB for the Dolphins. Stofa started the final game of Miami's inaugural season and won 29-28 on the heels of two 4th quarter touchdowns passes from Stofa. That game saw Stofa go 22 of 38 for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns. Stofa then opened the 1967 season as the Dolphins starting quarterback, completed all two of his pass attempts in week one against Denver for 51 yards, scored a touchdown on the ground, and then got hurt and was replaced by some guy named Bob Griese. We all know how he turned out. If not for Stofa's injury, Dolphins' history could be a bit different.
Other candidates: Donnie Jones, Dan Carpenter

Number 6 - Joe Nedney, K, 1996
Nedney only played one season for the Dolphins and made just 62% of his field goals during his time here. But he gets the nod simply because I refuse to add Ray Lucas to any list like this. Lucas cost the Dolphins the season in 2002. The Fins started off 5-1 but Lucas was forced to take over at QB due to injury. He went on to lose 4 of the 6 games he started, including a four interception game against the Bills. So thanks to you, Ray, Joe Nedney makes this list.
Other candidates: Jim Arnold

Number 7 - Fuad Reveiz, K, 1985-1988
Reveiz spent the first four years of his NFL career in Miami. He had two solid years, making over 80% of his field goals, and two poor years, making under 70%. But his four years in Miami saw Fuad make 74% of his FGs and he finished 7th in point scored in his rookie year. His only competition is from A.J. Feeley for this spot and Feeley cost the Dolphins too much to be on this list. However, Reveiz shouldn't get too comfy being listed here - as a certain player wearing #7 is just awaiting his chance to prove himself.
Other candidates: A.J. Feeley, Craig Erikson

Number 8 - Daunte Culpepper, QB, 2006
Only two players have ever worn the #8 for the Dolphins. And lucky for Culpepper, the other guy was a punter who played one year in Miami. Daunte, for all his faults, was probably rushed into action to quickly by Nick Saban and company. He did win one of his four starts as a Dolphin and averaged over 230 yards passing in those 4 games. I suppose that's enough to be listed here. Well - that and the fact that I own his jersey (and learned a valuable lesson: don't buy any jersey too quickly.)
Other candidate: Klaus Wilmsmeyer

Number 9 - Jay Fiedler, QB, 2000-2004
Fiedler is a guy who doesn't get the recognition he deserves. He may not have been the most talented quarterback in the league, but he was one of the gutsiest and played well for the Dolphins. He has a 36-23 record as a starting QB for the Dolphins, throwing for over 11,000 yards and 66 touchdowns. He also left in Miami some terrific memories - such as his dive into the endzone against the Raiders with just seconds left on the clock and his 2003 Thanksgiving Day performance against the Cowboys, throwing for 239 yards and 3 touchdowns. I never understood why Dolphin fans got on Jay's case so much, to be honest. I guess it was part of the "post-Marino effect."
Other candidate: Scott Secules

Number 10 - Chad Pennington, QB, 2008-
This was the toughest one I've had to do so far. But when you win the Comeback Player of the Year award, come in 2nd in the NFL MVP voting, and lead your team to a division title, you deserve this recognition. Pennington was outstanding last year for the Dolphins. He was exactly what this franchise needed in every way and the Dolphins lucked out big time that the Jets are as dumb as they are. He led the NFL in completion percentage, was 2nd in passer rating, and 9th in passing yards. So Chad slightly edges out two former kickers for this spot - mainly because quarterbacks are far more valuable than kickers. And Chad is not only valuable on the field, but also as a mentor for Chad Henne off the field.
Other candidates: Pete Stoyanovich, Olindo Mare

So that's all for the first installment of this feature. Get at it with your thoughts below...

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

Tim — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:11:16 -0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tim — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:19:38 -0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post-Game Breakdown: Undefeated On Monday Night

Tim — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:10:50 -0000

Have to admit, people...Monday Night games are rather fun. Not that I have anything more than a single game point of reference, but I had a heckuva time last night at Reliant. Tailgating was top-notch (many thanks to GlassJoe and the Bellville crew for their hospitality), and the atmosphere was as good as it's ever been at Reliant, which is to say that it was on par with last year's Thursday night game against Denver and/or the inaugural win over Dallas. I had a blast. And the football wasn't too shabby either.

Just when we think the season's become a foregone conclusion, your Houston Texans go on a two (2) game winning streak, complete with a road victory over a team that won ten (10) games in 2007 and a prime time win over a division rival that many pundits had tabbed as a Super Bowl contender in 2008. While it goes without saying that things haven't worked out for those two (2) teams as they had hoped this season, winning streaks in the NFL are a rarity and should be enjoyed accordingly.

That said, we should remain realistic. The Texans aren't going to the playoffs, which means they won't be winning the Super Bowl this year. In the final analysis, that's what matters. We should celebrate the positives along the way, and we should study why other facets aren't working. Lest there by any confusion, there are still several things that should continue to raise the collective eyebrow of the Battle Red community, even after a big-time win. Fortunately, that's what we have the PGB for. Away we go:

1. One guy that doesn't concern me in any way, shape, or form is this dude. Five (5) tackles, three (3) sacks, and a forced fumble. I'm beginning to think the Texans' lack of prime time games is chiefly due to a conspiracy by Goodell, the Free Masons, and Opus Dei centered around keeping Super Mario from breaking the single-season sack record. Gushing aside, we need to start a serious discussion about whether Mario Williams is the best DE in the league. If not him, then who? At minimum, if Super Mario isn't considered one of the best five (5) DEs in the league, I'd like to know who you'd rank higher.

2. You're not fooling me, Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver. Two (2) good games does not justify $6,206,720.00 this season.

3. Pedestrian stats aside, last night may have been as good as Amobi Okoye played all season. Not tenth-player-taken-overall-in-2007 good enough, but improvement nonetheless. I'm intrigued by Matt's suggestion of temporarily moving him to DE, though I'm considerably less bullish about Okoye's ability to stop the run at the edge.

4. Another week of Frank Okam not even suiting up. Yet Travis Johnson continues to start. What is it we're missing here? In related news, DelJuan Robinson's forced fumble makes him a more productive Texan than Travis Johnson has been or ever will be.

5. Don't look now, but DeMeco Ryans has returned to form. That's too bad for the teams left on the Texans' schedule.

6. Xavier Adibi continues to excite me. His speed and nose for the ball make him the perfect complement for DeMeco. I said it last week, and I'll say it again: The potential LB triumvirate of Diles, Ryans, and Adibi in 2009 should be a joy to watch.

7. Speaking of last week, I said this about Jacques Reeves:

8. The stats indicate that Jacques Reeves played very well yesterday. And yes, he actually did make a nice play (with his hands!) in knocking away what could have been a TD pass to Braylon Edwards. And yes, he did show some nice awareness picking off a deflected ball. And yes, he did force a fumble. If he can replicate that effort in every game for the rest of the season, I will consider backing off my assertion that he is one of the, if not the, worst CB(s) in the NFL. Not until then.

I stand by that, even in the face of recent praise of his play. His pick last night was a thing of beauty, though, and the best read I've seen him make all season.

8. I'm still amazed every time I see Dunta Robinson on the field. I'm even more amazed that he looks significantly better with each passing week.

9. Fred Bennett, however, does not look good. At all. At one point last night, he got completely turned around and managed to lose both his assignment and the ball at the sideline. What happened to him? Do opposing teams have enough tape on him now to exploit his tendencies?

10. I continue to be impressed with Nick Ferguson and Eugene Wilson, especially in run support. Both of them, especially Ferguson, sure can hit. Neither guy is a long-term solution at safety, but they've stepped in and shored up what was a complete disaster of a secondary.

11. I'm going to flesh this out in a separate post, but I'll tease it here: Should we be worried that the defense may be looking too good and thus enables Richard Smith to remain as DC in 2009?

12. Bryan Pittman is the Travis Johnson of the special teams unit. He underwhelms every week, yet manages to hold onto his job. Why? I can't imagine that finding a decent long snapper who hasn't (allegedly) run afoul of the league's substance abuse policy is that tough to do.

13. Three (3) punts by Matt Turk, all of them inside the twenty, and one of them was on the JAC 1. Nice work.

14. Kris Brown has been the most consistently excellent Texan throughout the franchise's history. Andre Johnson's been the best, but you can set your watch to Kris Brown. Which is why I do not understand Kubes' refusal to let Brown tee it up from 54 yards toward the end of the first quarter. It worked out, as Turk boxed 'em in at the JAC 1, but still...let Brown boot that and take the points.

15. That last point underscores a very distinct feeling I got from Kubes once your Houston Texans went up ten (10) points: That we were playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Steve Slaton rendered that feeling obsolete with his fourth quarter heroics, but the calls still struck me as too conservative.

16. That previous point begs the question as to why Kubes played it so close to the vest. The answer, I'd bet, is that he doesn't trust Sage Rosenfels. That's well and good; I can understand that. If Kubes really doesn't trust Sage, then why wasn't Matt Schaub starting?

17. The most unfortunate byproduct of Kubes/Shanahan not opening things up was that they implicitly reduced Andre Johnson's impact, which should have been much greater, especially when Rashean Mathis left the game. And that's not even playing up the fact that Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter were afterthoughts in the offensive scheme as well.

18. This is all palatable, of course, because of the singular brilliance of Steve Slaton. 182 total yards? Two (2) TDs? Are you kidding me? Now the rest of the country knows what we've known for months: Steve Slaton was the steal of the 2008 draft. If Smithiak brings in an effective short-yardage RB to shoulder some of the load next season, the running game will have been completely transformed in one year's time.

19. A big part of that transformation has been the development of the OL. They were brilliant again last night, opening up holes and not yielding a single sack. I don't know what Bob McNair is paying Alex Gibbs, but it's not enough.

20. Fake Game Balls: Offense--Steve Slaton; Defense--Mario Williams; Special Teams--Matt Turk.

21. One final point: Last night's open game threads (here and here) were the best we've ever had at BRB, both in terms of number of participants and quality of comments. Thanks to all of you; you make BRB what it is. Special thanks to HuskerDolphin and Mike Clark for being tremendously classy fans on a foreign site. Hope to see all of you back here.

Your Houston Texans have a short week before they travel to the Frozen Tundra to take on the Packers of Green Bay on Sunday. That's a tall order for any team, and it's an especially tall order for a young team that's trying to handle an unfamiliar bout with success. I don't love our chances, but we'll worry about that in another day or so. Until then, let's just savor the first Monday Night game, and the first Monday Night victory, in franchise history.