DocBar
08-02-2011, 04:23 PM
HOUSTON -- It's only a 200-mile stretch of Texas highway that illustrates how one team's trash can be another team's treasure -- at least in the eyes of some.
Having spent two days in San Antonio with the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend, the big talk there was how much better the team, and especially the defense, would be without Wade Phillips.
In Houston, watching the Texans work, all anyone can talk about is how good the defense, and thus the team, can be because of Phillips.
So is Phillips bad or good? I guess it depends on what part of Texas you are in at the moment. I lean toward the good. Phillips was fired as Cowboys head coach, and the guy who ran the Dallas defense, six games into the 2010 season. His reputation as a top-notch defensive mind took a hit as last season's Cowboys gave up the most points in franchise history.
Cowboys fans lit him up. He was cooked like a nice Texas brisket by the media, who forgot that during his three-plus seasons with the team, the Cowboys had a top-10 defense. "We played some pretty good defense there," Phillips said. "We did some good things."
None of the bad talk about Phillips mattered to Texans coach Gary Kubiak when it came time to find the guy to fix his horrid defense -- and maybe save his job in Houston. Phillips had earned a reputation for being one of the league's best at various coaching stops -- including four different stints as a head coach -- and Kubiak loved the idea of going to Phillips' trademark 3-4.
"It was an easy choice from our standpoint," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's one of the best coaches -- period -- in this league. He's been successful as a defensive coordinator. He's been successful as a head coach. Sometimes you get knocked around a little bit. We understand that as coaches. I'm just glad we had the chance to get him." Phillips leads a Texans defense that finished last season ranked 30th in yards-per game, 31st in yards-per-play and 29th in scoring defense. The offense scored 20 or more points in 14 games, but the team finished 6-10. The Texans were fourth in scoring offense and scored 44 touchdowns to place near the top of the league. They gave up 52 touchdowns. Teams lit up the Houston secondary, which was last in passing defense. Watching open receivers catch passes for big plays was commonplace for the 2010 Texans.
"You don't want to go around all offseason and be the weak-link of the team, and that's the way it was for us," Texans outside linebacker Mario Williams said.
That's right: Outside linebacker Mario Williams. In this new 3-4 scheme, Williams is moving from down end, his position since coming into the league in 2005, to a stand-up outside linebacker. He will usually line up away from the tight end, meaning he will do a lot of rushing. The initial idea of taking one of the league's best pass rushers and training him to do something new was a little tough to gauge. But after talking with the principles and getting a better idea for the way Williams will be used, it makes a lot of sense.
Don't expect to see him going backwards too much. It isn't something he's comfortable doing, although he said he is working on it. Williams is down to 285, leaning up from 290 or so, to help with the transition. "It's an adjustment simply by standing up," Williams said. "But I will still be rushing the passer."
And dropping into coverage?
"It won't be that much, thank goodness," Williams said. "Everybody hears linebacker and thinks I'll be dropping 30 percent of the time. That's not true." Phillips said DeMarcus Ware, who filled the same role for him in Dallas, dropped maybe 15 times total last season. Shawne Merriman, who also played the spot for Phillips in San Diego, was rarely used in coverage, either. "It's really just an outside rush guy who rushes most of the time," Phillips said. "It should be a good thing for Mario. That's what he does well. They know he's going to be coming. We just have to move him around."
Williams had 8.5 sacks (lowest total since 4.5 in 2006, his rookie year) last season, but he missed the last three games because of a sports hernia. The reality is he played almost the entire season with that painful condition, but rarely said a word about it. He wasn't the only one on that defense missing time. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans missed 10 games because of a knee injury and projected outside rusher Conner Barwin went down in the preseason.
Add in a secondary that spent the year playing the role of spinning tops and it equaled a defense that couldn't get to the quarterback (30 sacks to rank 23rd) and couldn't cover. That's why the Texans went out and signed corner Johnathan Joseph and safety Daniel Manning in free agency. They will both be immediate starters and should help slow down the quarterback's release time.
"They will give us a better chance to get to the quarterback," Williams said.
The Texans also drafted defensive end J.J. Watt in the first round and he is already running with the first team at left end. Second-round pick Brooks Reed looks like a perfect 3-4 outside rusher to help spell Barwin and Williams. There is a chance all three could be on the field at times. The pedigree of the projected starting 11 on defense says they should be improved. Nine of the 11 were first- or second-round picks. The only ones who weren't are safety Glover Quinn (fourth) and defensive end Antonio Smith (seventh by Arizona). "I like what we have," Phillips said. "I think this is a good group and we will have a strong front seven to get after the quarterback. I know how to pressure the quarterback."
If the Texans can move to the middle of the defensive rankings, and the offense stays close to where it was a year ago, that first playoff berth in franchise history might be a reality.
Of course, we'll have a better idea about that on opening day. That's the day Peyton Manning, this team's nemesis, and the Indianapolis Colts come to town. LINK (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15388133/wades-move-south-becomes-d-key-for-the-texans)
Having spent two days in San Antonio with the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend, the big talk there was how much better the team, and especially the defense, would be without Wade Phillips.
In Houston, watching the Texans work, all anyone can talk about is how good the defense, and thus the team, can be because of Phillips.
So is Phillips bad or good? I guess it depends on what part of Texas you are in at the moment. I lean toward the good. Phillips was fired as Cowboys head coach, and the guy who ran the Dallas defense, six games into the 2010 season. His reputation as a top-notch defensive mind took a hit as last season's Cowboys gave up the most points in franchise history.
Cowboys fans lit him up. He was cooked like a nice Texas brisket by the media, who forgot that during his three-plus seasons with the team, the Cowboys had a top-10 defense. "We played some pretty good defense there," Phillips said. "We did some good things."
None of the bad talk about Phillips mattered to Texans coach Gary Kubiak when it came time to find the guy to fix his horrid defense -- and maybe save his job in Houston. Phillips had earned a reputation for being one of the league's best at various coaching stops -- including four different stints as a head coach -- and Kubiak loved the idea of going to Phillips' trademark 3-4.
"It was an easy choice from our standpoint," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's one of the best coaches -- period -- in this league. He's been successful as a defensive coordinator. He's been successful as a head coach. Sometimes you get knocked around a little bit. We understand that as coaches. I'm just glad we had the chance to get him." Phillips leads a Texans defense that finished last season ranked 30th in yards-per game, 31st in yards-per-play and 29th in scoring defense. The offense scored 20 or more points in 14 games, but the team finished 6-10. The Texans were fourth in scoring offense and scored 44 touchdowns to place near the top of the league. They gave up 52 touchdowns. Teams lit up the Houston secondary, which was last in passing defense. Watching open receivers catch passes for big plays was commonplace for the 2010 Texans.
"You don't want to go around all offseason and be the weak-link of the team, and that's the way it was for us," Texans outside linebacker Mario Williams said.
That's right: Outside linebacker Mario Williams. In this new 3-4 scheme, Williams is moving from down end, his position since coming into the league in 2005, to a stand-up outside linebacker. He will usually line up away from the tight end, meaning he will do a lot of rushing. The initial idea of taking one of the league's best pass rushers and training him to do something new was a little tough to gauge. But after talking with the principles and getting a better idea for the way Williams will be used, it makes a lot of sense.
Don't expect to see him going backwards too much. It isn't something he's comfortable doing, although he said he is working on it. Williams is down to 285, leaning up from 290 or so, to help with the transition. "It's an adjustment simply by standing up," Williams said. "But I will still be rushing the passer."
And dropping into coverage?
"It won't be that much, thank goodness," Williams said. "Everybody hears linebacker and thinks I'll be dropping 30 percent of the time. That's not true." Phillips said DeMarcus Ware, who filled the same role for him in Dallas, dropped maybe 15 times total last season. Shawne Merriman, who also played the spot for Phillips in San Diego, was rarely used in coverage, either. "It's really just an outside rush guy who rushes most of the time," Phillips said. "It should be a good thing for Mario. That's what he does well. They know he's going to be coming. We just have to move him around."
Williams had 8.5 sacks (lowest total since 4.5 in 2006, his rookie year) last season, but he missed the last three games because of a sports hernia. The reality is he played almost the entire season with that painful condition, but rarely said a word about it. He wasn't the only one on that defense missing time. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans missed 10 games because of a knee injury and projected outside rusher Conner Barwin went down in the preseason.
Add in a secondary that spent the year playing the role of spinning tops and it equaled a defense that couldn't get to the quarterback (30 sacks to rank 23rd) and couldn't cover. That's why the Texans went out and signed corner Johnathan Joseph and safety Daniel Manning in free agency. They will both be immediate starters and should help slow down the quarterback's release time.
"They will give us a better chance to get to the quarterback," Williams said.
The Texans also drafted defensive end J.J. Watt in the first round and he is already running with the first team at left end. Second-round pick Brooks Reed looks like a perfect 3-4 outside rusher to help spell Barwin and Williams. There is a chance all three could be on the field at times. The pedigree of the projected starting 11 on defense says they should be improved. Nine of the 11 were first- or second-round picks. The only ones who weren't are safety Glover Quinn (fourth) and defensive end Antonio Smith (seventh by Arizona). "I like what we have," Phillips said. "I think this is a good group and we will have a strong front seven to get after the quarterback. I know how to pressure the quarterback."
If the Texans can move to the middle of the defensive rankings, and the offense stays close to where it was a year ago, that first playoff berth in franchise history might be a reality.
Of course, we'll have a better idea about that on opening day. That's the day Peyton Manning, this team's nemesis, and the Indianapolis Colts come to town. LINK (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15388133/wades-move-south-becomes-d-key-for-the-texans)