He was in on 59 hits last year, missing three games due to injury.  Sure, he's lost a step, but he personifies leadership and intensity on and off the field, from everything I've ever read.  He wouldn't be guaranteed a full-time gig here (which was his motivation for fleeing the Rockies), but I can't imagine he couldn't earn one by the end of camp.  I say - sign him.  Thoughts?

Alternate headline: Broncos continue gradual relocation to Houston.  The Texans have traded their sixth-round draft pick to the Broncos for center Chris Myers, a third year player who started all 16 games for Denver last year.  As The General reports in the linked article, this was essentially a sign-and-trade, as Denver just inked Myers to a four year, $11 million deal including three million dollars guaranteed.  McClain labels Myers as "ideal" for Alex Gibbs' zone blocking scheme, which makes sense, as the everyone knows that the Texans are simply a twin embryo of the Broncos that took an extra few decades to meander down the fallopian tubes of Mother Football.

Here is Myers' player page, indicating that he attended "The U" prior to playing in the NFL and that he is a former Punt, Pass and Kick champion.   Myers was a sixth-round pick of the Broncos in 2005. Sure looks good reflexively, but why would the Broncos agree to trade a young, cheap, starting offensive lineman for the equivalent of a roll of athletic tape? Kyle bead Dad in a game of H-O-R-S-E and this is compensation? Too good to be true?

UPDATE:The Rocky Mountain News clarifies that Myers started five games at guard and eleven at center, not sixteen at center. He apparently moved over after starting center Tom Nalen was injured. Also, apparently Nalen will be back next year...Lepsis is the 300 year old Denver OL that retired. I must have missed that in my in-depth offseason review of the AFC West's offensive line situation. So maybe that makes Myers more expendable, especially if the Broncos are trying to package picks to acquire [ex-UK sensation] Dewayne Robertson.

Initially it was the lure of forecasting Danny Clark's possible 2008 landing spot that got me to the site, but boy were there better fish to fry once I got there.  Imagine the possibilities:
(1) David Carr reunited with the QBwho made him <ahem> what he is today, QB guru Chris Palmer;
(2) David Carr in camp with the warm, fuzzy Tom Coughlin;
(3) David Carr playing in front of the forgiving New York Giants' fan base;
(4) David Carr displaying his Cali' dude attitude with the laissez faire New York press; or,
(5) my favorite, David Carr living in the same town as his sure-to-be best friend, this guy.

If there is truly an Almighty figure looking down on his, He/She will provide for a meeting of the minds between the NY Giants and D.C., if only for a year.

One reason that the NFL is constantly praised by the resident braintrusts at major media outlets nationwide is the league's enviable parity thanks to the salary cap, revenue sharing and other competitive checks and balances which afford teams the ability to build into a championship-level team quickly.  For example, the past six Super Bowls have involved ten different teams (with only the Patriots making multiple appearances - three).  [Note: if this trend continues, the Texans are virtually assured of a Super Bowl appearance no later than 2020.]  I did not really have a rooting interest in last night's game; my respect and admiration for the historical opportunity possessed by the Patriots was entirely offset by my intense hatred of all things Boston A.B. ("After Bird"), and my general attraction to the underdog failed to materialize thanks to my utter distaste for spoiled brats who turn the NFL Draft into their own birthday party where they sit in the corner and cry until they get to open all their presents, while the rest of the guests and invitees are left to watch the ice cream melt.  As such, I spent most of the game trying to rationalize why the Texans could be next year's Super Bowl Champ.  

1. The 2006 New York Giants finished 8-8.  The 2007 Houston Texans finished 8-8.  
2. Houston has better QB play and passing game.  Rarely do I advocate the use of QB rating as an evaluation tool for QB play, but as a general tool, it's not as misleading as, say, a pitcher's wins in baseball.  2007 team QB rating: Houston 86.1, New York Giants 73.0.  Interceptions (21 v. 20) and TDs (24 v. 23) are virtually identical as well.  Houston had a distinct advantage in yards per attempt (7.42 to 6.21) and took less sacks (22 to 28).  Don't forget that it was just earlier this fall that fans and media were calling for the demotion of Prince Eli.  Clearly, he improved his play considerably, but the Texans got equal or better production from Rosenschaub, and that with an injured Andre Johnson and impotent (at times) running game.  
3. Improving defense.  The Texans of the last quarter of 2007 were a totally different beast defensively, as either Richard Smith was removed of his play-calling duties or grew a pair of gonads in a miraculous (but timely) anatomical show of strength.  Add to that equation the fact that nearly 70% of the Texans' 31 sacks in 2007 came from the Terrific Trio of DeMeco, Mario and Amobi, each of whom practically has a limitless ceiling for his talents, oozes coachability and professionalism and is seemingly lacking only the benefits of playing experience.  If these three men progress at anywhere near the rate that they have thus far, the Texans will have one of the most feared defensive fronts in the game.  Teams that can rightfully claim that moniker are not long for mediocrity.
4. Easily fixable holes.  Tiki Barber was a great player; now he's fashioning wreaths with Ann Curry and Martha Stewart.  Enter Brandon Jacobs, who's unquestionably a beast, and Ahmad Bradshaw.  There is not a prerequisite to being a Super Bowl Champion that requires you to possess a Hall of Fame running back.  No one, aside from possibly Mike Shanahan, seems to understand that better than Gary Kubiak does.  The running game was effective in 2007 with a very shaky platoon of unproven rookies and achy, plodding veterans.  With an effective passing game and productive offensive line, one does not have to draft Adrian Peterson or Darren McFadden to get to the Super Bowl.  

Thoughts on similarities between NYG's #72 and #58 and Houston's #90 and #59?  The Giants D has really impressed me tonight.  Could Amobi become a Justin Tuck?  Clearly, I'm drunk...or am I?

Paper or plastic?  Chester Pitts?

...Commercials!  The Texans are finally beginning to round into a reputable football team in terms of their on-field performance, but those of us who have followed McNair's bunch since the inception of the franchise know that nearly without exception, they have collectively exhibited high class on and off the field, even if the scoreboards around the league do not track "Class Points" with the same consistency as they track touchdowns.  For those of us whose anti-East Coast bias has crystallized over the past year of Yankees, Red Sox, Patriots fever into a form harder than an overdosed Mike Ditka , Super Bowl XVII is not the most enticing matchup; but now I have a reason to watch.  And now understanding that Chester Pitts was not just "bagging groceries" but was a "courtesy clerk extraordinairre", I may have a new favorite Texans' player.  Congrats to both Salaam and Pitts for this honor of sorts, and thanks to both of them for representing our favorite NFL team in a way that makes us all proud to sport our Battle Red.

It's an extremely rare occasion (like brilliant-insights-by-Emmitt-Smith-rare) that I even read Bill Simmons any more.  Back in the early days of the Sports Guy, I found him a refreshing change from the mainstream media.  Today, I consider him a megalomaniac Boston-obsessed retread.  That said, a slow Friday afternoon led me to his recent column ranking NFL quarterbacks.  

Matt Schaub is listed as a "Mild Upsider", along with Jason Campbell and Phil Rivers.  Sage Rosenfels, the QB du jour, is [wrongly] classified as "Flashes of Upside, Floods of Downside".  Not that I am surprised, since Sage does not play for the Belichicks, but Simmons could not be more wrong in this assessment.  But the real name on the list that I was searching for was...you know who...#8.  And I could not have had a better Christmas present if Dre Claus dropped off six gallons of Woodford Reserve and the Texans cheerleaders clad in nothing but their reindeer bells.  OK - strike that...but this is definitely the second best item on my list.  David Carr - "The Proverbial F-Minus".  While Simmons' handful of explanatory sentences do not even begin to do justice to his categorization (an entire website is necessary for such endeavors), it's pretty satisfying to get recognition from a [immensely popular] ballsack like The Sports Guy that Vidalis Spittoon is the worst QB to ever suit up in the NFL...bar...none.

#3 in the AFC in INTs, #6 (from the bottom) in the NFL in QB rating.

#1 in the NFL in fumbles, #72 in the NFL in yards per carry.

#7 in the NFL in sacks, #19 among NFL d-linemen in tackles, #1 (tie) among NFL d-linemen in TDs scored

Paging James Smithson...the first-ever rationally-inspired, Houston Texans-centric AFC playoff breakdown.  Only one of the four divisional races in the AFC is no longer in doubt as we head into Week 12.  Any guesses, class?

AFC East: New England (five game lead)
AFC North: Pittsburgh (leads Cleveland by one game)
AFC South: Indy (leads Jax by one game)
AFC West: Denver and San Diego (lead KC by one game)

Here's the wildcard situation through Week 11:

New England 10-0
Indy 8-2
Pittsburgh 7-3
Jacksonville 7-3
Cleveland 6-4
Tennessee 6-4
Denver 5-5
San Diego 5-5
Buffalo 5-5
Houston 5-5
Kansas City 4-6
Baltimore 4-6
Cincinnati 3-7

New England is in.  Indy has certainly struggled of late, but their only three remaining divisional games are all at home (Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee), and non-divisional games include Atlanta, Baltimore and Oakland, so I'm also comfortable naming them as the AFC South champ, though their injury situation may prove as damaging to them as the Texans' did for a handful of weeks, so who knows.  Pittsburgh already swept the season series against Cleveland, so I'm comfortable slotting them in as the AFC North champ.  Out west, it is possibly irrelevant which of San Diego, Denver or KC wins the division, as this certainly looks like a division where only the champ makes the postseason.  San Diego has the friendliest remaining schedule and is the only one of the three teams to have outscored its collective opponents year-to-date.  Reluctantly, I'm going to go with the Chargers to hold off the other two teams, despite the fact that Philip Rivers' recent play is making the decision to cut Ryan Leaf look short-sighted. I do not see either Denver or Kansas City getting to nine wins, so most likely they are out of the wildcard hunt anyway.  Taking these predictions into account, here's the remaining AFC Wildcard picture:

Jacksonville 7-3
Cleveland 6-4
Tennessee 6-4
Denver 5-5
Buffalo 5-5
Houston 5-5
Kansas City 4-6
Baltimore 4-6
Cincinnati 3-7

I think nine wins is a magic number. Realistically, ten wins will probably be necessary (detailed below), but less than nine will definitely lead directly to the golf course in January.  Get nine wins, and you've got a fighting chance at a playoff spot, right?  So let's take a look at who can realistically get there.

Start at the bottom: Cincy's schedule is relatively friendly, with only a roadie to Pittsburgh looking like a no-chance game.  That said, they have played consistently subpar all season long, and I see no way they win out to get to nine wins.  Strike them from the list.

Baltimore has been outscored by its opponents 211-168 and still has games against New England and Indy on its slate.  No chance here either.  Two down.

KC would need to win five of its last six to get to nine wins.  Sans LJ and with Brodie Croyle at the helm, that seems like a pipe dream.  They'll be lucky to finish 7-9.  Three up, three down.

The Bills have managed to get to .500 despite being outscored by their opponents by an average of eight points a week (no thanks to playing the Patriots twice, of course).  Other than a home date against the hapless Dolphins, the Bills' schedule is absolutely brutal.  No way they can go 4-2 down the stretch against the likes of the Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Jags and Browns.  Another team out of the Texans' way.

Denver's schedule is more manageable, with road games to Chicago, Houston, Oakland and San Diego and home dates with Minnesota and KC.  Manageable, yes.  Likely to win four of those six?  Nope.  8-8 is as good as they can do with that slate.  

After reeling off three straight wins, the Titans have stubbed their toes in back-to-back weeks.  With a visit to Indy remaining, this week's visit to Paul Brown Stadium is nearly a must-win for them.  Home games remaining include Houston, San Diego and the Jets.  9-7 looks very possible, and 10-6 is by no means out of the question.  Without a doubt, a healthy Albert Haynesworth is a key, but I like the Titans' chances to get to nine wins.  

The Cleveland Browns have been the most surprising story in the NFL this season, with Derek Anderson emerging as a solid, if not special, quarterback for Romeo's bunch.  Who would have thought back in July that their home date against the Texans in Week 12 would have serious playoff implications?  The Browns closing run is about as friendly as it could be, with home games against Houston, Buffalo and San Fran and visits to Arizona, the Jets and the Bungles.  The Texans MUST beat the Browns this week, not just for their own win, but also because with this weak closing schedule, the Browns have a real shot at going 10-6.  The Texans definitely need to hand the Browns a loss to help themselves and hurt the Browns.  

The Jags' closing schedule is a mixed bag.  Home dates with Buffalo, Carolina and Oakland look like sure wins, but visits to Indy, Pittsburgh and Houston are coin flips at best.  Still, if Jacksonville can win those three home dates and steal one road game coming in, that would get them 11 wins and secure a wildcard berth for sure.  

The Texans have a tough, tough road to hoe ahead of them, but with Schaub and Johnson healthy, anything seems possible.  They are an entirely different team with #80 in the lineup - when he has played this year, they are 3-0 and have looked a contender.  Without him, the offense has sputtered and the team is 2-5.  Candidly, the odds of winning in Indy have to be labeled as "slim".  That puts the Texans in the position of needing to win four of their other five games to get to nine wins, a number that Jacksonville, Tennessee and Cleveland definitely appear capable of achieving.  Home games against Tampa Bay and Denver are certainly winnable, and a visit from the hated Jags is always going to come down to the wire.  The Texans' season rests on the next two weeks, visits to Cleveland and Tennessee, two of those three teams that the Texans hope to be chasing down the stretch.  To have a legit chance at a wildcard berth, the Texans must win both games.  Possible?  Absolutely.  The Browns have stopped no one all season long on defense, and no reason to think that they'll start this week.  If the Texans can get after Anderson like they did Brees last week, they have a very good chance at coming home with a "W".  If they want to break their playoff maiden this season, that's something that they're going to have to figure out how to do.  

Panthers to start 43 year old Testaverde over Carr.  Must be that offensive line in Carolina not giving DC enough time.  Or maybe it's that he does not have enough weapons (besides Steve Smith).  Every QB needs at least three Pro Bowl receivers to be successful.  Looks like it took John Fox and his ownership approximately four years and thirteen game weeks less time to figure out what stumped McNair, Capers and Kubes for half of a decade.

There's a new leader in the clubhouse!

The Chronicle's report is here.  McKinney had been playing extremely well thus far, so this certainly hurts, but having Mike Flanagan behind him on the depth chart should help ease that pain, at least a little bit.  You certainly have to feel for Steve, who is quoted in the article as saying, "This is the worst possible thing that could happen.  Right when we've turned this thing around and we're starting to win, this happens. I can't tell you how bad this makes me feel."  For guys like McKinney (and Chester Pitts) who have been part of the most-maligned portion of a laughingstock franchise for years, but one that is now turning the corner to respectability and possibly even a playoff run, you know that they must be enjoying this early run of success even more than the newer Texans.  It's too bad Steve will not be able to help out on the field from here on out.  And if you are not sure how tough McKinney is, read the article.  He played on at least a partially torn ACL trying to help the Texans rally late in the fourth quarter.

There's no question in the mind of any non-comatose Texans' fan that Matt Schaub's QB play has been significantly better than David Carr's QB play was.  Unfortunately, many of Schaub's positive traits seem to be either of the intangible variety or easy to discern but difficult to translate to others, such that often we as Texans' fans are left simply explaining to others that, "All I know is that Schuab just has IT and Carr did not".  What is that "IT"?  I think KC Joyner over at ESPN Insider has quantified it and deserves a Nobel Prize, or at least an ESPY, for his fine work.

Note that a subscription is required to view Joyner's analysis in full, but here are some summary points that KC makes:

1. Joyner has broken down the depth of the passes thrown in Carr's first two games last season and Schaub's first two games this season and discovered the following:

• "Schaub has a higher yards-per-attempt average at both the short and medium depth levels. Carr has a higher YPA average at the deep and bomb levels, but Schaub has thrown twice as many of those passes and is threatening defenses vertically in a way Carr never did."   Carr averaged about 6 YPA on his short attempts, while while Schaub averages 7.5, and Carr averaged 13 YPA on his medium attempts, while Schaub averages 16.6.  
• We all know far to well how DC reacted under pressure - much like the French in the WWII Battle of France.  According to Joyner, Schaub thrives under pressure, which is something that we at BRB have certainly observed and appreciated intensely, but KC broke it down by numbers for the benefit of all of us.  Against the blitz, Schaub is 12-17 for 196 yards and 2 TD, while taking only two sacks.  Joyner also submits that a QB who averages 9 yards per attempt against the blitz will typically lead the league.  Schaub's YPA against the blitz thus far: 11.5.

All right boys and girls, no more Turk v. Stanley talk and no more wondering who the Big 53 are going to be.  It's Go Time at Reliant Stadium this afternoon, and here's the thread for your enjoyment before, during and after today's game.  

PREDICTION: Texans 23, Chiefs 16

Battle Red Blog is proudly a community of Texans' fans with a unique (read: disturbed) perspective on life.  Need an example?  Our reaction to this story being reported by the Chronicle.

Texans' CB Dunta Robinson may have been the direct victim in an invasion/robbery at his home in Sienna Plantation.  Sounds scary, right?  Probably was.  But since the article thankfully contains no indication that either Dunta or his family and friends were injured, we feel that it is our duty at BRB to delve deeper into this story on a pair of important fronts.

One: When in God's name will David Carr stop haunting the Texans and their fans?  For years, Fresno's Fanciest taunted the citizens of Houston and Fort Bend County by serving as the face of the "gated" Sienna Plantation on billboards and advertisements plastered throughout the city, which was somewhat intriguing considering that his family's estate was in Sweetwater, not Sienna Plantation.  Apparently the deparature of Hair from our fair city has led to the demise of this once pristine, tight-knit community, just the latest in a long line of ways that Fancy Pants scarred our great city for years to come.  

Two:  A situation such as this involving a member of the Texans' much-maligned secondary reeks of ironic comedy.  Such as, "The robbers were cornered by Robinson in his home until one of them gave Robinson a quick double-move to the inside and blazed past him on a post pattern out the front door, never to be seen again", "BRB has yet to obtain confirmation to the rumor that Seth Wand was working as a security officer at the front gate of Sienna Plantation at the time of the incident and was left standing flat in his tracks by the robbers, who ran a stunt move that left Seth helplessly praying that Domanick Williams could save the residents of Sienna by chipping at the invaders' kneecaps" or "C.C. Brown was a dinner guest at Robinson's house at the time and was supposed to be serving as backup by the front door while Robinson kept the suspects cornered in the basement, but when one of the obese, limping robbers slipped past Robinson using a headfake move, Brown was snacking on a Moon Pie on Robinson's leather couch, allowing the perpetrator to get behind Brown and out the front door to freedom".

We think our readers may have an idea or two on this story.  Spin it your way in the comments section below.

Nice piece in today's Washington Post by Les Carpenter about The Schaub.  Not much breaking news in there, though Schaub does go into detail about the lessons that he's learned backing up Mike Vick.  Carpenter could not have been more right when he wrote:

John McClain has a nice preview of the game within the game tonight in Tampa, and no, I'm not talking about Bucs QB Bruce Gradkowski.  I'm talking about positional battles that will be decided tonight.  For the record, The General's taking McKinney at center, Danny the Assassin at LB, Tr. Johnson at DT and The Turk at Punter.  Given Kubes' blunt emphasis on special teams' contributions from his backups, I'm going to make a darkhorse prediction and change my previous predictions - look for David Anderson to make the squad at WR, with Apostrophe Davis being the sixth WR, if one is kept.  Also, Jared Z is going to play three quarters plus tonight at QB.

Drew  Henson has been asked to leave Vikings' training camp.  Makes the old sage C. Casserly look all the wiser, eh?

In a shocker...Patrick Pass.  In other news, Charles Spencer was placed on the PUP list, rendering him ineligible to play for the first six weeks of the regular season.  This is really a non-story, since there seemed to be zero chance that The Big Nasty would be game ready during the first part of the season.  

With Patrick Pass out of the picture, one must assume that either Abbate or Cook makes the team to back up Vonta Leach, although, another possibility would be that one of the four tailbacks (Sam Gado?) could fill in behind Leach as needed.  

Here's my best guess:

QB:
Schaub
Rosenfels

FB:
Leach
Pass

RB:
Dayne
Gado
Green
Lundy

TE:
Bruener
Daniels
Putzier

WR:
Davis
A. Johnson
J. Jones
Mathis
Walter

OL:
Studdard
Weary
Pitts
Flanagan
Hodgdon
McKinney
Black
Salaam
Winston

DL:
Babin
Kalu
Weaver
Williams
Tr. Johnson
Maddox
Okoye
Zgonina

LB:
Anderson
Barber
Clark
Diles
Greenwood
Orr
Ryans

DB:
Bennett
Faggins
Fletcher
McCleon
Robinson
Hutchins
Wynn
Brown
Harrison
Simmons

K: Brown

P: Turk

LS: Pittman

OK - There's my Week One roster, barring injuries.  Where am I wrong, BRB?  Notable cuts, under my scenario, include Ty Poole, Jameel Cook, Chad Stanley, Jared Zabransky, Bethel Johnson and Keenan McCardell.

John McClain reports that the Texans cut their roster down to 76 players on Sunday and will need to make one additional cut by Tuesday.  McClain also writes that the last decision is possibly related to a decision on Charles Spencer, who may be placed on the physically unable to perform list, which would keep him out of game action for the first six weeks of the regular season.  No surprises here, though I'd like to see Adams kept on the practice squad, if possible.  As for Spencer, Kubiak told McClain that he is positive that Spencer will play again, though not positive that it will be in 2007.  As much as I want to see the Big Nasty back at LT Week One of 2007, if his long-term health prospects were greatly improved by sitting out '07, it would clearly be the right decision to make.

Today's cuts:

Quinton Porter (QB)
Bradlee Van Pelt (QB)
Charlie Adams (WR)
Harry Williams (WR)
Thomas Johnson (DT)
Thomas Smith (DT)
Ben Steele (TE)
Derrick Roberson (CB)

Much to Tim's chagrin, the highly-publicized (at least here at BRB) punt-off between Matt Turk and Chad Stanley drags on another day, as coaches are not able to make a call as of yet.  As much as Stanley killed me last season, he was pretty good for a few years before that, and I hereby go on the record in support of Stanley, if only because it may be the final straw required to send my co-blogger off to Cypress Creek, if only for a weekend.

NFL Notes: RB Jones may not be fully ready for Texans"...in the context of the article itself.

"Kevin is our two. I think number 12 (Jones) is 2 1/2," Kubiak said. "He's been playing pretty dang good. We're going to get him on the field somehow, some way. When we play three wides, he's the first one going out there."  The preceding quote was brought to you by AOL Fanhouse.  Kubiak went on to say that Andre Davis is "well on his way" to making the team.

Assuming that Andre, Walter, Jacoby and Keenan McCardell appear to be locks to make the team, the burning question is whether Kubiak chooses to keep five or six receivers.  This will determine, barring injuries, whether one or both of Jerome Mathis and Andre Davis make the opening week roster.  

My guess is that ultimately six receivers will make the team.  Mathis has looked much improved, in my opinion, as a WR, and his absolutely sensational talents as a return man are enough to warrant a spot for him on their own accord.  Davis is another talented player with size and speed, and it makes sense to keep a low-risk, high-potential guy like him as insurance for the fragile Mathis.  If I had to cut one, it would be McCardell, who was a great player in his prime, but is absolutely more expendable than any of his five fellow receivers.  If you were selecting the roster, which receivers would make the team and which ones would be left out?  In the end, whether five or six receivers make the team, this decision surely is a more pleasant one than ones like, "Who will line up across from Andre: Jabar Gaffney or Corey Bradford?"

• Matt Schaub held the ball longer on the first play from scrimmage, looking downfield for an open receiver, than David Carr did all of last season.  I can't prove that, but I believe it to be true.
• Either Ed Hochule has gotten off the juice or he is wearing a larger jersey this season.
• There are obviously two more games after this, but at this point, I think Zach Diles is going to be around for a while.
• I don't know what you prove by running a WR pass on the first play from scrimmage...in a preseason game.  All you've done is put regular season opponents on notice that you've got that one in your playbook.  Seems like a waste to me.  
• Remind me why I have Dish Network again?  I lost nearly the entire first quarter due to a bad signal.  Went from the Cardinals' second play from scrimmage to the Schaub TD run.  This analysis is going to be a lot shorter than I had anticipated.  Kubes must have listened to Spencer T last week, who specifically called for the naked boot at the goal line.  
• It's still early, but after giving up only 57 yards on 21 carries to Chicago last week, and getting off to a good start today, I'm pretty optimistic about the run defense.  Of course with Petey Faggins as a starting corner, I'm not sure why you'd bother running the ball against us.  And the pass rush?  From what I've seen, non-existent...and remember what I mentioned earlier about AZ's banged-up offensive line?
• How high is too high to draft Adrian Peterson in my fantasy draft?
• Antrell Rolle is a BIG corner.  But he doesn't have the chemistry with Dunta that Petey has, and that's 90% of the battle.
• We will obviously have to limit mentions of this at some point, but while it's still the preseason: David Carr looked like an NFLQB, but Matt Schaub plays like an NFL QB.
• Congress getting nothing done.  Tiger winning majors.  Kurt Warner fumbling.  Some things never change.
• Couldn't agree more with the comments regarding Danny Clark.  He's playing like his jock's on fire.  Petey Faggins, on the other hand, is just getting burned.
• Couldn't agree more with the comments regarding the no-calls on holding.  The tackles are holding on nearly every play.
• The Scott Player lookalike moustaches in the crowd are priceless.  How could Texans' fans similarly honor our own Chad Stanley?  Our commenters should have a field day with that one.
• Something tells me Kubes is going to enjoy watching the playaction completion from Sage to Jacoby over and over and over...that's how this offense is supposed to operate.
• I'm going to ProTrade right now and mortgaging my house on Second Life to buy stock in Jacoby Jones.  Hopefully I have some money left over from buying put contracts on Petey Faggins.
• That concludes the first half.  Not sure if I'll make it through the second half...Richard Scarry is calling.

The AFC South's best rivalry just got even better.  I hate the Jags and love Seth Payne.  I'm torn.

Leinart v. Schaub.  Green v. James.  Branch v. Okoye.  Pittman v. Hodel.  It all goes down here at 3:00 Houston time.  

Injuries abound for Arizona: LB Chike Okeafor is out for the year a torn biceps tendon (which is precisely why I abstain from using my biceps); RT Oliver Ross tore his triceps tendon and C Nick Leckey is out with a sprained knee.  For the Texans, there will be no Jameel Cook, Anthony Weaver or Charles Spencer, but according to NFL.com, there will be Jared Zabransky, who will QB the club in the fourth quarter, coincidentally in the same locale as his last college game took place (and the best college football finish I've ever seen).   What will I be watching? Primarily, how Dunta and Petey match up with Bolden and Fitzgerald. Secondarily, how Henry Clay Blue Devil and Kentucky Wildcat Shane Boyd plays at QB for the Cards.

The Chronicle reports that the Texans are interested in signing ex-Green Bay (and former Aggie) WR Robert Ferguson, who was cut by the Packers earlier this week.  

Ferguson is an interesting case.  Clearly, WR is a "need" position for the club, and Ferguson has a lot of talent and potential - always has - but he has never put it together in the NFL due to a proclivity for injury.  He only made it to Week 4 in 2006 due to a foot injury, blew out a knee in late 2005 and missed much of 2004 due to a frightening collision with Donovan Darius which led to head and neck injuries for Ferguson.  Personally, in my absolutely amateur medical opinion, Ferguson's case seems like one of freak injuries or injuries that come with the territory if you are a fearless, aggressive WR (playing for the studliest of all QBs, Brett Favre).  Really, that only fits one of these three injuries, but Ferguson's a guy that I would like to see the Texans take a chance on.  The more guys that the Texans bring in to compete, the more seriously guys like Jerome Mathis will take this competition, and the end result should be guys making the club who truly deserve it and who may prove to be a legitimate threat downfield for a team in desperate need of one.

Update [2007-8-18 8:41:57 by Scott]:Here's what our friends over at Acme Packing Company think about Ferguson's departure from Green Bay. The general consensus is disappointment that it didn't work out for a good guy like Ferguson who was willing to sacrifice his body for the team.

Any interest in Gerard Warren?  ESPN Rumor Central reports that the Broncos are looking to possibly trade the big DT.  He's never lived up to the hype, but if that disappointment diminishes the cost of acquiring him, he's a guy I'd like to take a chance on.  Put him next to Amobi with Mario and ND/Babin on the ends, and I'd feel pretty damn good about our front four.

Tom Kirkendall is one of my favorite bloggers.  His baseball analysis, football analysis, Houston-related insight and political and legal commentary are all outstanding.  As is his distaste for crappy journalism.  Enjoy.

According to Len P., Shaun Williams, a nine-year veteran free agent who started twelve games for Carolina last season, is coming in for a workout in light of Glenn Earl's season-ending injury.  I'm personally unfamiliar with Shaun, but any player who is not in a camp at this point (unrelated to a contract holdout) is likely nothing to get too excited about, right?  

According to Scouts, Inc. [subscription required], Williams is a big boy (6'2", 218 lbs.) who went on IR last December for Carolina.  Making him "Texans ready", he performs better against the run than against the pass.  He is described as being "reckless" and a "strong tackler".  Hopefully the Texans' front seven is more proficient at clogging the run this year so that a big hitting safety is not as necessary against the run.  Regardless, Williams does not appear to be our saving grace, but nothing wrong with bringing in another body for the sake of competition.  Feel free to educate me about Shaun in the Comments.