SB Nation - Jacques Reeves

Post-Game Breakdown: Colts 15, Texans 1

Tim — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:19 -0000

I don't have the slightest bit of positivity in this introduction to the PGB this week. How could I? Your Houston Texans were up 17-0, lost 35-27, and no Houston fan was even remotely surprised.

Think about it: Was there a single moment where you honestly thought the Texans had the game put away? Granted, some of that uneasiness is due to Peyton Manning being the guy on the other sideline, but a great deal of it is simple history. No matter what kind of lead the Texans have, it's never safe. Never. It can be 28 points; it can be 10 points; it can be a single point. No lead is too large for the Texans to blow.

If you're looking for silver linings, I suppose you can celebrate the fact that this latest affront had offenders on the offense, the defense, and the coaching staff. That's teamwork! Let's continue cutting ourselves so we can feel alive, shall we?

1. I wonder whether Rick Smith feels a perverted sense of satisfaction with every pass thrown at or tackle blown by Dunta Robinson. Dunta essentially negotiates against himself every snap. On the increasingly rare occasions Dunta does make a nice play, he still manages to hurt himself and the team. For proof of the accuracy of that last statement, scroll down to the bottom of this post by Lance Zierlein.

2. A text I never thought I'd send out during a Texans game, but one I sent out repeatedly yesterday: "Dunta Faggins."

3. Final Dunta-related blast, I promise. We've reached a point where you can basically call a completion to Dunta's man before it happens whenever a safety is not rolled over to his side. Virtually automatic.

4. I want to like John Busing. Really, I do. It's easy to root for the last guy to make the roster. It is not easy to root for players who seem to be so totally outclassed by no fault of their own. It's nauseating to think that Frank Bush and/or David Gibbs looked at their available safeties after Eugene Wilson went down and said, "Yup, Busing's the best of the lot."

5. Absurd pass interference penalty aside, Jacques Reeves played his worst game of the season yesterday. Back when Petey Faggins was turning me into a candidate for psychiatric confinement every Sunday from August to January, I used to have nightmares that the Texans featured a secondary comprised of nothing but Petey Faggins. Petey at CB, Petey at SS, Petey at FS. It was horrifying. Yesterday, it felt like that nightmare became reality. It truly was a Houston secondary full of Peteys.

6. I'll break up the depression with a positive. Kris Brown did not miss a field goal. Huzzah!

7. One more bit of happiness before I drain the fun out of the internet again. Brian Cushing continues to find new ways to make me look like an idiot. While his interception was awesome, I was even more impressed with his return after the pick.

8. Cushing's amazing return was, of course, negated by Antonio Smith's penalty for unnecessary roughness. There it is...the familiar stench of reality.

9. You knew Matt Schaub would have to atone for his turnover-less performance on Monday Night Football. And he did, in grand fashion. I'm not sure which was more horrid--the pick-six or the fumble. Oh, who can choose?

10. More words I never thought I'd be typing: Chris Brown played a really good football game. For the Texans, even.

11. Not sure if it was due more to the run-blocking or the cuts of Brown and Steve Slaton, but I think the Texans had, all things considered, their best rushing effort of the season.

12. In light of the aforementioned point, I will never understand why Kyle Shanahan called a pass on third and one from the IND 15 with slightly more than a minute to go in the first half. Why do you not run there? If the Colts stuff you, you're getting the same three points you would've had anyway, probably with the luxury of forcing the Colts to burn a timeout. If the Colts don't stuff you, you get a fresh set of downs and another couple of shots at the end zone. What's the rationale for passing there? Seems to me like a classic case of trying to outsmart the opposition when there's absolutely no need for it.

13. Despite leaving a potential four points on the board thanks to his playcalling, K. Shanahan should buy Brice McCain a bottle of Dom for bailing him out with that pick on the final Colts drive of the first half. That had potential to be a disaster. You know, like the second half.

14. Once the Colts took the lead 21-20 with more than eight minutes left, do you know how many running plays the Texans ran during the remainder of the game? ZERO. Not a one. Instead, the offense reeled off twenty-one (21!) consecutive passing plays. Balance, thy name is not Kyle Shanahan (or Gary Kubiak, because [clears throat] "it starts with [him]").

15. Seriously...21 straight passing plays, occurring as the deficit fluctuates between one point and fifteen points. If that's not calling a game with one's hands firmly around one's neck, I don't know what is.

Want to know the most disgusting part? I have every confidence that the Texans are going to do something ridiculous like reel off wins in their next four games, just to suck us all back in. Sure, we're all ready to drink antifreeze now, but it's nothing a few wins in a row can't cure. And then, after imbuing us with new hope, your Houston Texans will poke us in the eye, knee us in the groin, and leave us in a heap on the pavement. You can make book on it.

Colts vs Texans coverage
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Texans State of the Union: Defense

Jake — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:58:02 -0000

More photos » by Jose Yau - AP

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Three weeks ago the Texans were cruising. They were riding a three-game winning streak, and at 5-3 Houston was positioning themselves for a run at the post-season. Now after three divisional losses that were all squandered in the fourth quarter, the season seems lost for the Texans. Some have begun speculating that head coach Gary Kubiak will lose his job and the franchise will once again start over, while others have already started to focus on the pinnacle of the Texans' season (the draft), while another small contingent of fans cling to hope that the remaining soft schedule will allow the team to pull off a five game miracle finish to sneak into the playoffs.

The wide spectrum of feelings is understandable. The Texans have what is undoubtedly their best team ever, but despite that promise, they keep meandering around mediocrity. The game Sunday against the Colts is a perfect metaphor for the season. In the first half the Texans looked unstoppable on both sides of the ball, and then in the second half they didn't look like they belonged on the same field.

So what should we think of this colossally frustrating squad? I'm sure Tim will write a great breakdown on the train wreck for this weekend, so I want to cover what I think of the future, not just for the season but for next year as well. In an effort to break it up, I will start with the defense, then move on to the offense and finally look at the coaching staff.

Author's Note: Please don't consider this as me giving up on 2009. I will explain my opinion on what can and should be accomplished in the remaining five games, but I feel the near and far-term future go hand in hand so it's easier to explain it all at once.

The defense was the biggest focal point of the offseason. It didn't take a genius after 2008 to figure out that side of the ball needed more help. The vast majority of draft and free agent focus was spent on the defensive squad after Gary Kubiak went out on a limb to give longtime friend and colleague Fred Bush the defensive coordinator position despite having Bush no experience at that level.

- Defensive End:

- Antonio Smith has been worth the ransom we paid for him. He is one of the new additions that has created a mean streak that had been lacking last season. That emotion can be detrimental at times, but I think he is just one of those players who you have to take the occasional bone-headed play from along with his inspired ones. Smith has applied considerably more pressure than his 2 sacks suggest, and he also has been adept against the run.

- Mario Williams is seriously hurt, and his shoulder likely won't heal until the offseason. That's a shame too because he finally has a bookend supplying the kind of pressure Williams never had before when he was being singled out by protection schemes. One thing that still plagues Mario is his aggressiveness. Opponents continually allow him to rush straight into the backfield and then run the ball right by him. Williams is a gamer and will continue to give his best, but I don't think he will be back to regular form until next season, and there might even be a possibility of surgery following this year.

-Rookie Connor Barwin is just as raw as expected. His two sacks were the results of both speed and effort, which constitute the entirety of his pass rushing moves as of now. While some may argue that second round picks shouldn't be used on projects, the presence of Smith gives Barwin some time to learn his trade before he learns the tricks.

- Defensive Tackle:

- Amobi Okoye is not a bust, but he's not yet a Pro Bowler either. I'd like to think that he'll get to that level eventually, but at least he's showing that last year was more of a fluke than 2007 was. So far Amobi has been better against the run than I thought he'd be, but not as good at pressuring the quarterback as I'd expected.

- The Texans larger nose tackles have been decent to invisible, but out of Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina, DelJuan Robinson and Frank Okam, there isn't a single starting caliber player at the position.

- Linebacker:

- DeMeco Ryans is about as consistent as possible, which is key considering he plays a position which values that attribute above all others. Ryans isn't the type of player that will ever have an abundance of sexy stats like sacks or interceptions, but he can almost always be relied upon to know his assignments, lead the defense and plug the middle. Losing him would be an enormous blow because while he may not be the best defensive player, he is by far the defensive MVP.

- Brian Cushing has been just as good if not better than advertised. You can nitpick at his coverage technique but no player is perfect, especially a rookie. All bias aside, Cushing gets my early vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year because while Brian Orakpo has the sacks and Jairus Byrd has the interceptions; Cushing has shown the ability to do it all.

- Zac Diles has been decent at the WLB position but nothing earth shattering. Xavier Adibi has seen little of the field since his removal from the nickel package in favor of Cushing in Week Two. Both are serviceable, but added depth would be beneficial, although low, on the list of priorities.

Cornerback:

- Dunta Robinson is not a number one corner... period. I know he is still a fan favorite to some, but the tape doesn't lie--he is not good in coverage. Quick, without looking, how many pass interferences can you remember Dunta committing because he was burnt? Now how many touchdowns do remember getting thrown to his man? Now how many interceptions and pass breakups do you think he has? I will give it to him that he plays the run extremely well for a cornerback, but that's not why you pay $25 million dollars guaranteed. I would be shocked if he was re-franchised. Rick Smith won't pay him the kind of money he is looking for, so in all likelihood he has five games left in Houston.

- Glover Quin is the reason that Dunta is expendable. He plays the run just as well and in the same fashion that Dunta does. He would, however, be just as abused as Robinson if he was out in the position to cover number one wide receivers, as would Jacques Reeves. Both are pleasant surprises as a number two cornerback and nickel corner respectively, but that doesn't mean that they can move up the depth chart once Dunta leaves. A lack of a true good-to-elite cover corner is one the biggest problems for this team, and considering that they don't get to free agency very often, it will likely be a problem next year too. By the way, you might have been able to tell but I have written off both Fred Bennett and Antwaun Molden.

Safety:

- Bernard Pollard has changed this defense because of a mixture of good play on his part and complete lack thereof on all the other strong safeties prior to Pollard's assumption of the starting role. He is not a prototypical interchangeable safety that can cover deep just as well as he can play the run, but it is rare to find a safety so good at one discipline. I can understand Kansas City feeling that they didn't want to start him, but he has made them look terribly stupid for giving him an outright release. As long as he is paired with a good coverage free safety, Pollard is a huge asset against the run and I am just as in favor of re-signing him as Mike Kerns is.

- Eugene Wilson is a good coverage safety and plays well with Pollard. The problem is that Wilson has played all 16 games in just one of his 7 NFL seasons, which is probably the reason why the personnel savvy Patriots let him go. What amplifies this problem is that the depth at safety is probably the weakest throughout the entire team (offense and defense) as Dominique Barber and John Bushing are substandard.

Summation:

- After three games of sieve-like defense, Gary Kubiak was under fire for elevating Frank Bush to a position that he appeared to not be ready for. Since those first three games, however, the defense has outperformed the offense. During the four losses in the time period stated, the defense allowed an average of 12 second half points, which is counting the two pick-6 interceptions that Matt Schaub threw. These were all games that were winnable and while the defense is not without fault, the offense continually showed an inability to put games away.

- The defense's performance is admirable considering the lack of depth and talent at certain positions, and Frank Bush should be commended for it. Take for example the lack of talent at NT, which has allowed opposing quarterbacks to step up in the pocket even when pressure is being applied on the outside. To counter this, Bush has sent Cushing on blitzes, resulting in 1.5 sacks but also making the defense susceptible to outside runs as well as quarterback sneaks like what we saw against Tennessee. Another huge problem is the coverage. If zone coverage is called, tight ends like Dallas Clark and Vernon Davis eat the middle for lunch, but if you go with man coverage you either concede Dunta getting burnt or lose a player to continually helping him over the top. Both options allow for quarterbacks to know exactly where they can deliver the ball and thus avoid pressure with quick throws. It's a vicious cycle.

Future:

- This season looks good for the defense considering they face the 24th, 22nd, 21st, 12th, and 2nd (in a game that may not feature starters for too long) offenses in the remainder of the season. Not only are they unproductive, but many are one-dimensionally favored toward running, which is something the Texans have stopped lately, even if marginally so in a loss against a Titans squad that scored 20 points. I believe that DeMeco will go to another Pro Bowl, and Brian Cushing will be defensive ROY.

- The future looks bright for the Texans' D despite the current holes. Pollard, Okoye, Williams, Ryans and Cushing have all yet to play their fifth season, making the corps of the unit extremely young. Cornerback would be my first priority for the draft as it is not only the most glaring weakness but the position also typically takes at least a year or two before a player can rise to a great or even good status. Defensive Tackle and Safety are close behind with both being slightly less crucial because serviceable players currently fill those spots.

Chris Johnson: What To Do?

Tim — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:58:16 -0000

For all the wringing of hands over Vince Young's return to Reliant on Monday night, it's understood that Chris Johnson has likely earned the focus of Frank Bush & Company. 1,091 rushing yards, an average of 6.42 yards per carry, 262 receiving yards, an average of 8.73 yards per reception, 9 TDs, and quite possibly the greatest speed in the NFL tend to take the spotlight off even VY.

For all his otherworldly talents, however, Chris Johnson has been contained at times this year. Against Pittsburgh, he was limited to 68 total yards. The Jets held him to 105 total yards in Week Three. The Jags cut him off at 94 yards in Week Four, and Week Five saw CJ post a paltry 43 total yards. Keeping Chris Johnson in check is possible, if not probable.

In their prior matchup with the Titans, your Houston Texans saw Johnson trample them for an insane 284 total yards (197 rushing/87 receiving) and 3 TDs. In other words, that Week Two loss to the Texans accounted for 18% of his rushing yards, 33% of his receiving yards, and 33% of the touchdowns he's tallied on the season. He has to be licking his chops for Monday night.

In all the Chris-Johnson-For-Jebus and Vince-Young-For-Pope hoopla, the point that might not be getting as much run is that, despite Chris Johnson having his way with the Texans in Week Two (included but not limited to lining up wide with no one within 15 yards of him pre-snap), the Texans still managed to beat the Titans in Nashville. What's more, that Texans' defense did not feature Bernard Pollard or Jacques Reeves. That defense did prominently feature Fred Bennett, Nick Ferguson, and Dominique Barber, none of whom are likely to see the field on anything but special teams (at best) come Monday night. Just as VY makes the Titans' offense a different animal, the Texans' defense has evolved into something entirely different.

My question is simple: If you're Frank Bush, what do you do to contain Chris Johnson? My initial thought is that you have to spy him, but with who? Pollard? Brian Cushing? DeMeco Ryans? For those of you who saw any of the games where CJ was held in check, what did those defenses do?

We've all heard and read how teams want to shift the burden to Vince Young and the rest of the offense. Implicit in that assertion is containing Chris Johnson. How do you do it?

Titans vs Texans coverage

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: What Will The Texans' Record Be At The End Of The Regular Season?

Tim — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:19:03 -0000

TexansForever raised the same question in this FanPost, so I figured it was a fine time to check in on my preseason prediction regarding the regular season record of your Houston Texans. Back in early September, I reluctantly concluded the Texans would finish 10-6. Specifically, I said the Texans would fare as follows through the first nine (9) games:

1. Jets--WIN. Having seen our defense in the preseason, this makes me awfully nervous, but I'll give the edge to the team playing at home and not starting a rookie at QB.
2. @ Titans--LOSS. I'd love to pick the Texans to win in Nashville, but, to paraphrase Sean Connery in "The Rock," that's sheer lunacy until further notice.
3. Jaguars--WIN. I still don't buy David Garrard, and it seems like he actually has LESS options in the passing game this year.
4. Raiders--WIN. Immediately after the game, Al Davis announces that he's sent first-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013 to Houston for The Corpse Formerly Known As Anthony Weaver. Davis is not the least bit discouraged by the fact that the Texans no longer own Weaver's rights.
5. @ Cardinals--LOSS. I'd be scared of Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin. But both? Against a secondary that may have Jacques Reeves returning from a broken leg this week? No, thank you.
6. @ Bengals--WIN. But the Bengals get a far more important victory...the moral kind, courtesy of Andre Smith getting the first glimpse of his toes in four years after the game.
7. 49ers--LOSS. Trap game.
8. @ Bills--WIN. No joke here. I feel really bad for Buffalo fans.
9. @ Colts--LOSS. No Rosencopter this time. Say hello to the Grossburg! Seriously, though...may the all-knowing deity of your choice help us all if Schaub misses any appreciable amount of time this season. If Vegas set the line on the number of games Matt Schaub would finish this season at 14, logic says you'd have to take the under, wouldn't you? Thinking about this depresses me greatly. Thank goodness we've reached the bye week.

Thus, I had the Texans at 5-4, precisely where they are now, albeit with several incorrect individual game predictions. In other words, I was right, but not really. I said the second half would unfold as follows:

11. Titans--WIN. It's football, played at night, in front of a national audience, during the work week. Recent history suggests the Texans will show well here. NOTE: Preseason games don't count. Move along. Nothing to see here.
12. Colts--WIN. Because it has to happen again during my lifetime.
13. @ Jaguars--LOSS. Felt pretty good until this, didn't you? What with the seven wins and all? Reality check.
14. Seahawks--WIN. Only because it's at Reliant. Not sure why, but this game really scares me.
15. @ Rams--WIN. Be it Marc Bulger or Kyle Boller, it's gonna be a rough year in St. Louis.
16. @ Dolphins--LOSS. Like most everyone else, I think Miami's going to fall back to the pack a bit this year, but they'll still be good enough to bite the Texans here.
17. Patriots--WIN. Only because the Patriots will be resting Al Davis' future employees.

Given the opportunity to revise that prediction now, I'm going to say:

11. Titans--WIN. Yes, even with Vince Young under center.
12. Colts--LOSS. Peyton Manning makes me sad.
13. @ Jaguars--WIN. I would like to think the Texans learned from their first experience against the Jags this season.
14. Seahawks--WIN. I have nothing insightful to say here.
15. @ Rams--WIN. May Durga have mercy on us all if the Rams sneak up on Kubes & Co.
16. @ Dolphins--LOSS. Miami's not going to the playoffs, but they're going to have the chance to spoil postseasons for other teams.
17. Patriots--WIN. After last night's debacle, however, I don't feel nearly as confident about Belichick resting his starters here. If the Patriots have something to play for here (and absent a collapse by the Colts, it won't be homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs), I may be forced to revisit this call.

Looking at the remaining schedule, in conjunction with what we've seen through nine games, what's your feeling? Sound off in the Comments.

Titans vs Texans coverage

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

Tim — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:34 -0000

Two sides to every coin; we've already taken a look at the best, so now let's turn our attention to the other extreme. Which defensive 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' Defense Through Nine Games?

Mario Williams

101 votes

Antonio Smith

58 votes

Frank Okam

45 votes

Amobi Okoye

37 votes

Xavier Adibi

27 votes

Fred Bennett

135 votes

Jacques Reeves

6 votes

Dunta Robinson

155 votes

Connor Barwin

28 votes

DelJuan Robinson

7 votes

Dominique Barber

14 votes

Nick Ferguson

9 votes

622 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
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Titans vs Texans coverage

Texans Lose To The Colts--What Else Is New?

Jake — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:36:05 -0000

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The Indianapolis Colts pushed their series record against the Houston Texans to 14-1 on Sunday. As that record indicates, the Colts have regularly dismembered the eight year old franchise en route to multiple AFC South championships. Even though the result was the same, this didn't feel like the normal Colts vs. Texans matchup. This may still be a little raw for many Texans fans who saw Kris Brown's 42 yard field goal sail just wide left, but here is what I saw of note from Sunday.

I was worried that we would lose this game, but if you told me Saturday that the defense would outplay Gary Kubiak's offense, "disbelief" is an understatement of what I would have felt. To say that a game in which the opposing quarterback threw 50 times for 38 completions and 318 yards is successful is bold, especially since the tight end set a franchise record for 14 catches and 119 yards, but I believe that was the case. In a pre-game post, I wrote that the defense would have to adopt a "bend don't break" philosophy against the Colts, and that's exactly what they did. It was FAR from a perfect effort, but they gave the offense a few chances to win that game.

Antonio Smith - I feel that everyone maligning Smith as an overpaid free agent are watching different Texans games than I am. Smith added one sack to his tally, but his regular pressure forced many early throws from Peyton Manning and set up Mario Williams for a sack of his own. He seems to be getting better as the season progresses.

Connor Barwin - I've been huge on this guy since he was drafted, and I still feel that he will be a valuable contributor once he learns more than a speed rush, but those two penalties were unacceptable. Barwin is a smart guy, so for him to put the team in those situations, especially the infraction that gave the Colts field position at around the 50 in the fourth quarter, is frustrating.

Brian Cushing - For the first time since the beginning of the season, Cushing looked like a rookie. Frank Bush kept Cushing on the field for all downs, despite Dallas Clark shattering his career record for receptions in a single game. It seemed that Bush was willing to concede the soft underneath throws to ensure the defense continued to stymie the run by selling out against it. The Texans played the run well again, holding Joseph Addai to only 63 rushing yards, although he did get a touchdown and 49 receiving yards that were part of the previously mentioned underneath routes.

DeMeco Ryans - I guess Rick Smith will not negotiate with Ryans for a new contract until after the season, even though Ryans increases his value every game.

Bernard Pollard - By far the best game he's played in a Texans uniform, and he was the most valuable player on defense. The dig on Pollard coming out of Kansas City was that he was a liability in coverage, but he helped disspell that notion with two interceptions, three pass deflections and nine tackles. Granted, one of the interceptions came off a terrible playcall involving a lame duck pass from Reggie Wayne. All the same, how silly do the Chiefs look for cutting this guy?

Glover Quin - Quin is playing extremely well, especially for a rookie. He is physical, which can get him into trouble sometimes, but I love the reckless abandon he plays with. Several of his 4 pass breakups were on pivotal plays which allowed the Texans defense to get off the field. Call me crazy, but I think that he's the best cornerback we have on the roster right now, followed by Jacques Reeves and then Dunta Robinson. Whether you agree with my order or not, I think it's hard to argue that Dunta deserves to make $10 million dollars this season.

Matt Schaub - Schaub seems to be developing a tendency to start games slowly. Not many people would have thought he was in for a 75% completion, 311 yard day after the first quarter. The second interception was caused by a hit, but the first was because Matt locked onto his receiver and then threw into triple coverage. The Texans have now been outscored 47 to 31 in the first quarter, which is partially because of Schaub's performance.

Andre Johnson - 10 catches for 103 yards on paper won't blow anyone's skirt up, but those catches were amazingly clutch. Johnson gets better when more is on the line. 4 of his 6 receptions in the second half were on third down and all of those produced first downs. Also, it speaks volumes that Schaub and Kubiak had the confidence in Johnson to throw to him on fourth and 1.

Jacoby Jones - Don't look now, but someone is becoming a wide receiver. I probably just jinxed him.

Duane Brown - Brown is much better than his rookie season, but Dwight Freeney showed him and us that he still has progress to be made.

Ryan Moats/Steve Slaton - Many of the offense's inabilities to sustain drives were due to lack of production in the running game. This wasn't completely Moats or Slaton's fault, although seeing both on the field in the same game made Moats appear as more of the one-cut back at this point. Slaton is more explosive in the open field and probably a better receiver, but the fumbles need to stop for more than one game where Slaton's splitting time before his starting role is given back.

Lastly, I have a huge bone to pick with the coaching staff. Without even seeing the replay, I was scared that Moats fumbled the ball before being down/going out of bounds and was screaming for Schaub to snap the ball. Watching him run out the clock until the two minute warning was like watching a scene in a bad horror movie when you know exactly what is coming and are powerless to stop it. I just don't understand how if a majority of fans watching in their living rooms can tell it might be a fumble, no one on the entire Texans coaching staff couldn't determine the same thing and made sure the next play was executed with haste. Although there are employees of the team charged with watching for the booth for challangeable plays, this ultimately falls on Kubiak's shoulders.

Three And Out: Useless Predictions For Sunday's Game

Tim — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:35:45 -0000

Last week, yours truly correctly predicted that (1) Jacques Reeves would have an interception and (2) Matt Schaub's streak of turnover-less football would end. Pretty good, right? Kindly ignore the misplaced faith in Steve Slaton's hands, Owen Daniels' health, Schaub's ability to limit his turnovers to one, and/or Kevin Walter's reincorporation into the offense. Nothing to see there, friends. Don't let the misfirings get in the way of admiring my brilliance.

My crystal ball (which may or may not be an empty can of Coors Light) reveals that the following shall come to pass on Sunday in Indianapolis:

1. Ryan Moats will get the start and finish with 13 carries for 57 yards, as well as 3 receptions for 27 yards. Steve Slaton will finish with 9 carries for 64 yards and 4 receptions for 36 yards. Slaton will find the end zone, but he will also put the ball on the carpet again. And then we will be treated to two (2) weeks of chatter about whether Slaton should start on Monday Night Football against Bud Adams' Army of Darkness. Yippee.

2. If the Colts get the ball to start the game, I can't shake the feeling that Peyton Manning's going to have them up 14-0 before we know what happened. If the Texans get the ball to start the game, there will not be a two TD lead at any point all afternoon by either team. Needless to say, I'm going to be paying close attention to the coin toss. Personally, I'd go with tails.

3. The Colts are ravaged with injuries to their secondary, and Matt Schaub's going to take full advantage of it when Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis aren't in his grill. Schaub finishes with 284 yards passing, complete with 3 TDs and 1 INT. He'll also be dropped a total of three (3) times by the Indy defense. Owen Daniels is gone, but Joel Dreessen and Kevin Walter will pick up his slack. Between the two of them, they will account for 122 receiving yards and a TD.

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: All hyperbole about this being the biggest game in franchise history aside, your Houston Texans are playing with house money on Sunday. No one expects them to beat the mighty Colts on the road. And with good reason--the Texans have never done it before. Unfortunately, I think this is the week that the Texans secondary gets exposed. I mean, it's Peyton Manning; he's the best QB in the league, and the Texans have yet to face a QB in the same zip code of excellence as the one in which Peyton resides. He's going to be the difference, though I think the Texans are going to make it tough on him, particularly in shutting down the Colts' running attack. Texans 24, Colts 30.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And most Texans fans are thankful to have him here.

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

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

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

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

Is The Texans Defense Actually Good?

Jake — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:15:13 -0000

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As Tim alluded to in his postgame writeup, the defense came to play last Sunday. Matt Schaub and Steve Slaton owe the defensive squad a few baskets of muffins for giving up only 7 points on three first quarter turnovers. While the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Bills are not exactly an offensive juggernaut, allowing zero second half points is impressive against any NFL team.

Speaking of playing a sub-standard offensive team, the issue of nitpicking because of the competition came up after a strong showing by the defense against the Oakland Raiders. Since that game though, the defense has played what in my estimation is likely the best five consecutive games in Texans franchise history.

In the offseason, there was a general consensus among the commenters on this site. The defense obviously needed to improve the abysmal play under Richard Smith, but several areas were specifically identified. The defense was shredded regularly in the preseason and after the first three games of the season, and for good reason--the improvements were nowhere to be found. What areas have the Texans improved, and which ones still haven't appeared yet?

1. Stop the run - The turn around in the defense's ability to stymie the run is remarkable. After the first three games of the year, the Texans were dead last in rush defense, averaging 205 yards allowed. Since that time, the defense has given up a paltry 291 total in five games. That's only 52 yards per opponent. Before anyone criticizes those opponents, four of those teams have averaged over 100 yards rushing a game when not playing the Texans (Cincinnati 141, Buffalo 112, San Francisco 107, Oakland 101).

It's been a team effort to create this change. The defensive linemen have all improved at the point of attack, especially Amobi Okoye and Antonio Smith. Neither has crazy statistics, but both are having success penetrating into opposing backfields. While the Jacques Reeves interception was namely due to miscommunication between Fitzpatrick and Terrell Owens, Amobi Okoye forced the early errant throw. The combination of Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans at the second level has been incredible because not only do both have a nose for the ball but they have rarely missed tackles (in the last five games). Lastly, the Texans have three defensive backs that are extremely good at defending the run and screen passes--Bernard Pollard, Glover Quin and despite all criticism, Dunta Robinson.

That's only half the answer though. The other half is that Frank Bush has been selling out against the run. It is very common to see Pollard creep into the box leaving only three defensive backs in coverage positions. This is one reason why two halves of these five games were marred by aerial attacks that garnered 21 points each (Cardinals and 49ers). While this has been working, someone will burn the Texans beyond anything the offense can repair in one game because of the next point.

2. Create Pressure/Sacks - I put both for a reason. The Texans have created a decent amount of pressure, but not nearly enough sacks. Only the Jaguars and the Chiefs have produced less sacks than the Texans, although quarterbacks are often hurried by a mixture of natural pass rush from the front four and a myriad of blitzes called by Frank Bush.

There are two problems with this phenomenon. First of all, supplying pressure without the sack works well against inexperienced/bad quarterbacks, but good/great quarterbacks deliver the ball whether they're going to get hit or not. The other problem is that the Texans secondary, while very good at supporting the run and short passes, is not great in coverage. Pollard is a true strong safety, Quin is learning, and Dunta just hasn't shown the ability to cover No. 1 receivers anymore. Eugene Wilson is good, but you need more than just one good coverage safety.

Antonio Smith was brought in to create disruption that opposing teams would have to focus on and therefore not double-team Mario Williams all of the time. Sometimes it works the other way around; both sacks against Buffalo were caused by Williams' pressure. In fact, despite a lingering shoulder injury, Wlliams often makes opposing quarterbacks to change their position in the pocket. If Bush can figure out a way to capitalize on this more regularly, like he did with Brian Cushing on his blitz on Sunday, we could start to see more sacks. Pressure also leads to one more thing...

3. Turnovers - The Texans had created 9 defensive turnovers at the halfway mark last year and had 22 at the end of the season. They have 15 this season, 11 of which have come in this particular five-game swing. Of those 16, only 6 are interceptions, going back to the point that the Texans do not employ a coverage-oriented secondary. The turnover numbers aren't record setting, but a 66% improvement is substantial.

The biggest catalyst of turnovers?... Brian Cushing. We've kicked the "I was wrong and I am so glad" horse beyond death, but criticism of Cushing remains. He's not an All Pro, maybe not even a Pro Bowler, but what would you have done for a SLB with a statline of 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 7 pass deflections, 1 safety and 66 tackles halfway through last season?

Who is responsible for these changes? Is it the new defensive coordinator? Is it the free agent pickups (Smith, Cody, Pollard)? Maybe the rookies (Cushing, Quin)? Probably a little of all of the above. That creates one more interesting and possibly detrimental aspect though; this is a young defense that is still learing how to play together. There are five current starters who didn't play in Houston last year, and that number goes up to seven if you count Dunta Robinson and Zac Diles, who both missed at least half of last season due to injury.

The defense will continue to have lapses of inconsistency because of youth and inexperience. In the offseason though, we were hoping for marginal improvement. After all, the confidence in the offense is as high as ever, so the theory of "a mediocre defense makes this team good" remains valid. There will be highs and lows, but if the defense plays close to the level that they've shown in the last five games, they can be much better than mediocre.