There's so much discussion to be had over the multitude of playoff scenarios surrounding the Texans and frankly... I want no more of it. My head is still reeling from the fact that we beat the Rams by just three points and adding complex statistics to the fray doesn't help. With that I turn to a bit of an off-topic discussion, though one that is still relevant to the team's near future.

Steve Slaton.

No, I'm not going to put on my nonexistent analyst hat to try and dissect what the hell happened to him this year, because that's already been done by people much smarter than me. I'll only briefly recap the many theories for the sharp drop-off in production from a once rookie sensation to sophomore slumper. The problem isn't figuring out his problem(s); it's what to do with them/him.

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I am quite possibly one of the least creative people on the planet. "Day [insert number] Recap Ediiton" again?

I love me some training camp fights! Yes, if anyone was seriously injured I would not love them, but fights such as the one that broke out between DeMeco Ryans and Jeremy Shockey can be entertaining. Ryans put the b*tch in his place. For that alone he deserves a new contract.

One look at the picture accompanying this article, and you may begin to lick your chops at the thought of the defensive line this season. Frank Okam looks like he means some serious business. I don't know what it has been that has made him so commited this off-season. Even at Texas he had a reputation for being boom on one play and bust on the next. That certainly continued over into his first professional season (though there were never any booms). This year, though he still has his moments of inconsistency, he has lowered his weight and shown increased ability to disrupt the quarterback. Keep it up, big guy.

Amobi Okoye recently sat down for an interview with team reporters. I'll touch on the on the interesting material in the quotes section.

Richard Justice thinks the Texans will make the playoffs. We're doomed.

Here's yesterday's recap from the Chronicle and the team website. Drew Brees made his first appearance against the Texans yesterday. It's unfortunate the defense did not get to work against him more during the joint practice, as he truly is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Glover Quin and Brice McCain are still staging an intense battle for the nickel corner spot. There is no clear cut favorite at this point, both have been outstanding thus far.

And now the best quotes of the day:

"I thought we were a bit sluggish, to be honest with you. We need to pick up the tempo. And we will." - Gary Kubiak

"I thought we were sharp and crisp in what were doing. Guys were getting into it mentally." - Matt Schaub

It's probably not a good thing when your starting quarterback and head coach are on different ends of the spectrum regarding practice. Still, it's nothing to be concerned about. It's natural for a coach to expect the best out of his team and rarely be satisfied.

Texans offensive tackle Eric Winston watched his teammates get into six fights with the Saints in the morning practice. He compared it to a movie but not Fight Club.

 

"It was very Gangs of New York-esque," he said. - John McClain

Sorry, BFD. You were close.

Last year, I had a good, decent year for a second-year player. I just didn't have the expected year that I wanted, and so definitely there's always going to be pressures to be better." - Amobi Okoye

Wait a second? Amobi calls one sack and 24 tackles "decent" for a sophomore? Please, raise your expectations.

(on who will be playing on Saturday night) "We'll just up the ones. They'll basically play about a quarter-and-a-half of the game, then the twos will play about a quarter-and-a-half and then the threes will finish the game. Play count's probably going to be somewhere around 25 for the first group." - Gary Kubiak

Starters should be out there a little longer this game. Still, the backups are always the focus point of intense fans in the pre-season and they will continue to be.

(on if RB Arian Foster will play) "Well, I saw how he looked this morning, and he looked like he was OK. Obviously, he's missed a lot of time, so we'll see how he comes out of today and if he's fine, then I'd like to play him." - Kubiak

Foster needs to play in his first game on Saturday. It will be a huge step for him to be healthy enough to participate. It's time for him to prove why he believes he should be the backup running back. The way Chris Brown has looked so far, he's quickly running out of time.

(on LB Brian Cushing) "You know what, he's doing really well. He ran yesterday a little bit, I don't know if y'all have watched him. It's my understanding he ran a little bit today. He's on schedule; we don't have any doubts that he'll be ready to go opening week. Do we play him in the preseason next week or Tampa Bay? I think that's still up in the air. Our target date is to make sure he's ready to go against the Jets." - Kubiak

Given his injury history, I wouldn't want to jeaporadize his regular season by playing him too early. However, he's progressed quickly and could be back earlier than we expected.

(on what happened between he and Shockey) "Oh, he just got to pushing and shoving on a little pass play, and I told my defensive guys that we're not going to just let them come into our house and think they can take over when they come to Houston. This is our house, and we had to let them know that, and we get a chance to do that again on Saturday." - DeMeco Ryans

Where's his money?

We know the offense is going to be explosive this year. That's a fact. It's undeniable. The defense? There are unanswered question marks all around. Will Amobi Okoye bounce back? Will the cornerbacks hold up? Will the new defensive scheme pan out? Is Frank Bush ready to handle full time defensive duties? Who is this man and why is he hitting on my girlfriend? All valid concerns that haven't quite been solved. However, good reports are always nice and all we can hope for at this time of year.

Paul Kuharsky, who's currently in Houston visiting training camp, had some nice things to say about the defense and potential contributors. Connor Barwin is looking good, continuing his quick, explosive play from the Chiefs game. Amobi Okoye, unfortunately, was beat on two consecutive snaps by the Saints right guard, Jahri Evans. Concerning? A little bit. Recently, I've heard nothing but solid reviews on Okoye's play, so this might be just a minor setback. It's not like he should be expected to dominate on every play. Still, it's a little worrisome that he was beat "with ease."

The offense really bogged down in the afternoon and made some nice plays. Kuharsky expressed some concern that Ryan Moats was taking the majority of snaps away from backup Chris Brown. To that, I say the team does not want to risk Brown injuring himself. He's been durable thus far and played well in the Chiefs game, but he's still an injury risk on any given play, which surely concerns Kubiak. It's no surprise that Moats is being given some extra reps in place of Brown, especially given the team was practicing inside on turf.

Interesting read on the nature of many of the players jersey numbers. Mario Williams said he thought 90 would look "pretty."  Hey, if Mario believes it, I believe it.

Not enough credit from the success of the receiving corps goes to their coach, Larry Kirksey. The man has done an outstanding job improving an already amazing Andre Johnson, turning Andre Davis into a potential starter, and progressing David Anderson, among other many accomplishments.

Here's the day's recap from the Chronicle and the team website. The two teams are really going at it with each other, practicing in pads against each other for the first time yesterday. Today should be interesting, as there will be full contact drills as well as the return of Drew Brees. Brees' return will be a true measuring stick for how far the Texans defense has come, as Brees is easily in the discussion as to who the best quarterback in the league is right now.

Best quotes of the day:

The first time he took a handoff, Saints running back Reggie Bush burst through the Texans' defense as if he wanted to make a point. - John McClain

Make what point? That you've been injury prone the past two years and have regressed statistically each year you've been in the league? Or, that you're a glorified third down back? Which one of those points are you trying to reiterate again? OK, maybe I'm being too harsh. Not. Bush should be producing much more as the second overall pick.

On the Texans' second offensive play, running back Steve Slaton broke to the outside of the pack and burned linebacker Scott Fujita. Fujita showed much frustration after watching Slaton trail several yards up the field on what would likely have been a breakaway touchdown run. Texans fans in the stands cheered and probably took a sigh of relief after Slaton didn't show much against the Chiefs. - Jordan Godwin

Glad to see this. Though it was always more likely that Slaton just had an off day coupled with poor blocking, it's still a relief to see that he's back to tearing up opposing defenses.

Defensive end Mario Williams had one of the highlight reel plays of Wednesday's morning practice when he manhandled Saints left tackle Jamaal Brown in one-on-one pass rush drills. During his first rep, Williams got Brown off-balance and tossed him aside, knocking the former Oklahoma tackle to the ground as he reached the pocket. - Team website

I love that man. I'm not afraid to admit it.

Smith went against starting left guard Carl Nicks and didn't do much on his first try, then got around him off the right edge on his second try. - Paul Kuharsky

Smith was nonexistent in the opening pre-season game, so this is encouraging news. Smith played under a similar defensive scheme in Arizona, so it probably isn't a matter of familiarity. Hopefully we see something out of him in the game against the Saints.

(on if the University of Texas or USC is going to win the NCAA national championship) "This year? I think we (USC) got you guys, man. If our quarterback gets right, I think we got you. Vince Young's (former Texas QB) gone, that's when you guys got it, with Vince Young." - Shaun Cody

Oh man, is he trying to start something here involving beefy, BFD, and Tim? Any USC fans reading that feel like sparking an argument?

"I picked 89 because it's a really popular receiver number," David Anderson said. "(It's) not because I want to look cool or anything but just in case some big-time receiver comes here wanting his No. 89. Like if Steve Smith ever comes here, I'll get a pretty big buyout." - David Anderson

Gotta love the man.

While reading James Casey's latest (and as usual, extremely interesting) rookie diary entry, I noticed a shocking connection. On James Casey's first play as a Texan in a pre-season game, he made the tackle for his team. Similarly, in DeMeco Ryan's first pre-season play, he managed the first tackle. Just sayin'.

Kasey Studdard has performed admirably in camp and throughout the pre-season filling in for Chester Pitts. I'm really excited to see Studdard continue to progress throughout the year, as Pitts' contract has reached its last year. Though Pitts hasn't missed a game in franchise history and had an extremely good season last year, he will be 31 at season's end and you have to be skeptical about giving in to what is sure to be hefty demands by his agent. We've been over the situations with DeMeco and Owen Daniels, so adding Pitts to the list just makes my head hurt. Studdard's solid play makes me believe the likely loss of Pitts may not be as harsh as it might have seemed earlier.

Here's the day's recap from the Chronicle and the team website. Former Baylor fullback Jonathan Evans was signed as a camp body to take away a few reps from Vonta Leach. As expected, Antwuan Molden isn't quite up to full speed yet and still isn't participating fully in all team drills. Luckily, there were no signs of pain for the returning cornerback. John Busing continues to make plays. He added another interception to his list yesterday. He didn't particularly stand out in the Chiefs game, but he could see more playing time against the Saints.

And now the best quotes of the day:

It was a tough morning practice for fourth-round pick Anthony Hill, a tight end known primarily for his blocking ability. The Texans ran several pass plays to Hill, and he missed multiple passes thrown by quarterback Matt Schaub. One time, coach Gary Kubiak said, "Come on, 87, make the play!" On a similar pass play about 15 yards up the middle, Hill caught a pass but was stripped by free safety Brandon Harrison. Later, Hill caught a touchdown pass in the red zone and got a lot of encouragement from his teammates. He has to catch the ball in practice and continue to prove his ability to block. - Jordan Godwin

Hill will see playing time regardless if he blocks as well as he was said to in college, especially in the red zone. That being said, he needs to become a better pass catcher to see consistent playing time and become a regular contributor with the team. Is it a lack of focus or a lack of soft hands in general? Either way, Hill has to sort the issue out.

After a huge game on Saturday against the Chiefs, defensive tackle Frank Okam deflected a pass thrown by backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky. Okam made a leaping effort and deflected the pass with his mammoth right hand. The pass ricocheted into the air and strong safety Nick Ferguson made a diving catch for the interception. If Okam can continue to play up to his potential, the injured Travis Johnson may have some competition when he returns. - Godwin

Hahaha. Some competition? Hilarious.

(on why he was running with his team after practice) "I was late to the Bowling Derby (on Monday night). A bunch of coaches working, a few minutes late, so we hold ourselves to the same standard." - Gary Kubiak

Good man.

(on the team working on the Wildcat offense in practice) "We've got to work against it. We're going to see it during the season, so our defense needs to see it. We've got a few guys capable of doing it, but that's not how we make our living. Like I said, we've got to work on our cat, and work on the wildcat later." - Kubiak

Wait, something about a cat? I'm lost. If I had to place a bet, I'd say James Casey, Jacoby Jones (due to the one, albeit miserable, play they ran with him at quarterback last year), and Andre Davis (he's an explosive athlete) all tried their hand at the Wildcat.

(on the Minnesota preseason game suddenly becoming bigger with Brett Favre joining the Vikings) "I'm worried about New Orleans. One week at a time. I didn't even know until I came over here and heard some guys talking. For sure, that will add some spice to the story next week when we get together, but we've got a lot of work to do between now and then." - Kubiak

Please. No. Brett. F*cking. Favre.

For the second consecutive day of practice, linebacker DeMeco Ryans randomly yelled out at the top of his lungs, "GREAT DAY TO BE ALIIIIIIVE!!!" Maybe it's after the Texans' preseason victory over the Chiefs, or maybe Ryans is just genuinely happy to be alive. - Godwin

GREAT DAY TO BE ALIIIIIIVE!!!

The wait is over! Eric Winston has a new video blog out. In it, he discusses the botched play that led to a sack of Matt Schaub in the first pre-season game. He chalks the play up to a good play by the defense. He also had some praise to dish out to the running game as well as some of the young rookies on the defensive side of the ball.

With the loss of Boomer Grigsby, the Texans have turned to James Casey to fill in as the backup fullback. Ideally, Casey would be entrenched in one position (tight end), but we all know just how versatile Casey is when it comes to positions on the field. The man will do whatever is asked to him. Replacement for Dunta Robinson, anyone? No? OK. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see how Casey performs in the backfield and what type of blocking ability he provides from that area. It's just one more aspect of the game to focus on come Saturday against the Saints.

Antwuan Molden is finally back. After a rookie season that was derailed early due to an ankle injury and a nine month rehab process, Molden is finally back on the field participating in drills. His return cannot be understated. He may be behind both Brice McCain and Glover Quin on the depth chart as of now, but he flashed serious potential his rookie year and was a special teams star. If he progresses at all from his play last year he could make a late push for the nickel corner job. The race could turn out much more interesting than it already was between just McCain and GQ. The team plans to ease Molden into the lineup slowly, but he is certainly someone to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Khary Campbell, formerly of the Washington Redskins, is your newest Houston Texan. With Brian Cushing, Xavier Adibi, Zac Diles, and Cato June all slowed by injuries, Campbell should fill in as a camp body. Though the player  was unknown at the time, you had to expect this one to be coming given the injury situation.

The uniform combinations for 2009 have been released! Battle Red Day is much earlier this year than last, coming in the third game of the season against Jacksonville. Also, as Chris noted, that day will no longer consist of red on white, but rather red on red. I'd prefer we save the red on red for night games on national television. Other than that small quip, the combinations seem solid. Another great season of... uniforms.

Here's the day's recap from the Chronicle and the Texans' website. Nothing too special or extraordinary happened, but there were some good jokes dished out by Frank Okam and Gary Kubiak, which we'll get to in a second.

And now for the best quotes of the day:

(on the plan for the starters' reps for the coming week) "We'll up the reps. We came out of the game with our first-team offense playing 18 snaps. Our first-team defense only played 10, so they got a little bit out of whack. But we'll definitely pick it up, probably start with the idea of a quarter-and-a-half for the first group and go from there." - Gary Kubiak

We'll get to see Schaub and the first team offense pick up from where they left of last week - a perfect 7-7 throwing the ball. Also, this could be an opportunity for a bounce-back game from Steve Slaton.

(on DT Frank Okam's approval that his comment came from an Aggie to a Longhorn) "That's what I told him. I don't give out those attaboys very often, especially to a Longhorn, but he and (G) Kasey (Studdard) earned a couple of them. I told him that those last about as long as a butt chewing, not long, so get back out there and keep doing it." - Kubes

Bye, Travis Johnson.

(on DT Frank Okam's recent performance) "Frank was impressive in the game. Played a lot of plays. I told the team this morning, you're starting to see young veteran backup players starting to play like they belong on the field a lot. We're talking about a (G Kasey) Studdard or a (C) Chris (White) or a Frank or a (DT) DelJuan (Robinson), and that's important for our team. So it's a big step forward for Frank." - Kubes

No, seriously, pack up TJ.

(on the status of DT Travis Johnson) "He's upping his work this week. He's working with (defensive line coach) Bill (Kollar) after practice, doing more, so that'll be our schedule with him this week, and we'll see."

Don't even attempt a comeback. You're done, man.

(on having three quarterbacks on the roster during the season) "Well, it's like I told ya'll, from what I've been through the last two years, I would like to, but I'm not going to keep three guys just to have three bodies. Whoever that guy is, I'm going to have to feel good about (him) playing. We have a long way to go. We'll see how that pans out here in the next few weeks, but I'm not just going to keep three guys to keep bodies around." - Kubes

I think it's safe to say Kubiak is on the verge of trashing the three quarterback experiment after Sexy Rexy's bomb on his first play in the Chiefs game.

(on getting K Kris Brown and RB Chris Brown's names mixed up) "Between he and Kris? Oh, it's very difficult. Many times, someone says ‘Chris Brown came up to your office' and I'll get the wrong Chris Brown. So just tell me kicker or back and you can usually find them." - Kubes, again

Hah.

(on his weight compared to last year) "It's close to the same. It's about 335 pounds, just put in better places. I'm a little quicker and a little more solid. I'm stronger and I'm faster, so I think that'll pay dividends this year." - Frank Okam

I think BFD might have just passed out laughing.

You know, there's something cool about Andre Johnson's demeanor. Yeah, he's quiet, but it's a cool quiet. I can't quite point out what exactly it is.  I can't imagine him being the guy to entertain a group of friends for hours upon end, but I do think hanging out with him would be a cool experience. What am I saying? No idea. Check out his all access video.

Not many links today, unfortunately, aside from the usual practice recaps. Speaking of, here's the Chronicle's as well as the team website's. It's good to hear that Eugene Wilson is backing up a solid end to last season with an impressive training camp. You had to question how much of an impact he could make when he came to the Texans, but he's really solidified himself as the starting free safety of the team since his arrival. The real big news from the day came from the announcement that Brice McCain, a sixth round pick, would start opposite Fred Bennett for the pre-season opener against the Chiefs. McCain has been the most impressive corner at camp so far, even holding his own (if that's even possible) with Andre Johnson on some occassions. He's one of the, if not the, fastest players on the team and some thought his immediate contributions would be in the return game. Few could have foreseen this from the speedy corner out of Utah.

Here are the best quotes of day 13:

Second-year cornerback Antwaun Molden, who is on the physically unable to perform list while he recovers from foot surgery in December, improves every day. He could come off PUP as early as next week, or the Texans could wait until the week after. He stays after practice every day to work by himself. It’s against the rules for him to practice with his teammates. - John McClain

It's good to see Molden on his way back to practices. He flashed some noteworthy skills last year around this time and was a force to be reckoned with on special teams before he injured his foot and ended up missing the last two games of the season. He could provide a boost to what is an otherwise depleted secondary with no Dunta Robinson and an injured Jacques Reeves.

(on the playing time schedule for Kansas City) "Our first group will probably play 12 to 15 snaps in the game. There are some guys in our first group, very young players, who will play more than that. They will play probably 20 to 25 snaps. Our twos will basically play the second and third quarters, then our threes will play the fourth quarter, so that's the way we go about it. There'll be an adjustment here or there." - Gary Kubiak

I know I'll be most looking forward to how the backups play. I'll be paying attention to the starters the most when the third game rolls around and they play for three quarters or so. Until then, young players such as Glover Quin or Dominique Barber will have my eye most of the time.

I'm excited to see how (DT) Amobi (Okoye) plays. I think he's had a great camp. I want to see how he plays those 15 snaps." - Kubes

Kubes seems genuinely excited about Amobi's progress thus far. It looks like he's really moved on from last season's troubles and evolved into the playmaker he was his rookie year. Let's hope he continues to improve, as he is an integral part of the upcoming season.

Also, check out Chris' analysis of Kubiak's quotes. He's much better at this gig than I am. Have a good Friday all and be sure to be a part of the gamethread here tomorrow.

Yesterday, I briefly mentioned that I believed Dwayne Bowe was the "best receiver not known" in the NFL. Without a doubt, I'd place Kevin Walter second on that short list. Though it certainly helps playing alongside the most talented (OK, OK, maybe Calvin Johnson is better on a pure talent base), hard working receiver in all of football, Walter has really come into his own as a receiver. When 'Dre missed seven games in 2007, Walter quietly put up 41 catches for 528, including a 12 catch, 160 yard performance against Jacksonville on the road. Sure, not the receiving numbers you'd expect out of a number one receiver in that situation, but for a number two thrown into the fray, it was an outstanding effort. Last year, "the unknown" compiled 60 receptions for 899 yards and eight touchdown catches. That, my friends, is what you call quality numbers from your second receiver. Unfortunately, as Tim alluded to, another spectacular year from Walter and he's probably gone. The team won't be able to support DeMeco Ryans, Owen Daniels, and Steve Slaton (if you think he's going a third year with his current contract, you're delusional) among others along with Walter. As much as I love Walter, one thing I'm going to have to question him about is his use of leg stockings. What sane man wears stockings in 90 degree heat?

James Casey put out another rookie diary. As usual, it's definitely worth your time to read. I'm curious to see the powerpoint that he and Anthony Hill put together.

Here's yesterday's practice recap from the Chronicle. John Busing has really made a name for himself this camp. According to reports, he's a big hitter who's beginning to show some coverage skills. I'm excited to see this guy play in the pre-season. Brice McCain has looked like the real deal so far. He's doing everything from covering Andre Johnson to making interceptions and batting down close passes. If he continues this, he could be much higher on the depth chart than anyone imagined.

And we move on to the most interesting quotes of the day:

(on why LB Kevin Bentley will move to Will instead of LBs Cato June or Xavier Adibi) "Well, Cato is hurt, too. Cato hasn't practiced in two days. His knee has been swelling up on him. We knew we were in a one-a-day mode with him, so that's the biggest reason right now." - Gary Kubiak

Still not sure of Kubiak's reasoning behind this one. Throughout camp we've heard about the battle that was taking place between Adibi and Diles for the WLB spot, and now Bentley is being moved ahead of Adibi as Diles is moved over to SAM? It doesn't make much sense.

Anthony is a great guy and he's a really good friend of mine, but it's a strange deal staying in a hotel with a guy and at the same time having a wife that's literally a mile-and-a-half or two miles away. But she still comes by, so when I have a little time off, I get to see her here and there. Like I said, it's a little strange, but you just have to go with the flow. - James Casey

Yeah, can't argue with Casey on that one. Anthony Hill = replacement wife? I don't think so.

We spent some time looking on the Internet, Googling images and putting together Houston Texans look-alikes as far as players, coaches and anybody we could think of. We got about 12 guys and put it on the slideshow. It went over really well. Everybody was clapping really hard, and we didn't get booed off the stage, thrown in a cold tub or taped to the field goal post or anything like that, so that was good - Thor

Any suggestions on who the pairs might have been?

The hardest hit of the day was turned in by 220-pound safety Brandon Harrison. When running back Ryan Moats came through the middle, Harrison was waiting for him. Even though they’re not supposed to tackle, Harrison took down Moats like it was regular season. - Anna-Megan Raley

Two more days. Two more days, damnit.

Better now than later? That's my first reaction to this predicament. Cushing's numerous injuries throughout college are well documented and that was certainly a major concern attributed to him heading into the draft. His senior year of high school, Cushing missed three games due to a similar ankle sprain. In both his freshman and junior campaigns in college, he managed to miss five games due to injury. It's been a recurring theme throughout his career and part of the reason why Tim hates him so dearly (though, that's only a minor factor).

So what exactly does this mean? In the immediate, obvious sense of things, Cushing will miss the first pre-season game and some valuable practice time. Kubiak's exact words on the subject were that he "will be out awhile". Kubes probably isn't up to date on the extent of the injury, as Cushing just recently took the MRI.

Long term, if this is the same type of injury that forced Cushing to miss three games in highschool, things could turn out a little more troublesome than expected. As much as Cushing has been praised throughout camp, he won't get much better by watching Zac Diles from the sidelines. It's essential that he's out there exercising the playbook and refining his technique. That being said, I have no doubt in my mind that he will do all in his power to get better even without playing... whatever that means.

We'll probably know more about the length of his abscense as the day progresses, so stay tuned. More likely than not given Cushing's injury riddled past, this could linger on into much of training camp.