Do we have a Super Bowl team or not?

[dream_team]

Originally Posted by eriadoc

When your team loses a meaningful game and you just sort of shrug it off, then you probably aren't emotionally invested enough to be on any bandwagon to begin with. If you criticize the fans that are passionate enough to demand perfection and ***** when they don't get it, then you just don't know WTF you're talking about. But at least maybe you care.

Was this game really all that meaningful? We are still the #1 seed.

[dream_team]

We still have the best record in the league. We only lost two games to two very good teams. We just lost to a team that hasn't lost, at home, in December, for something like 11-12 years. OF COURSE we're still a Super Bowl team!

[midway]

We're not a super bowl team because we have no chance in hell of beating Peyton or Brady in the playoffs with our current LB corps and DB corps. We're simply too undermanned now.

[TheMatrix31]

Atlanta lost too. And to a much worse team.

[HJam72]

All I know is that Kubiak, Schaub, and Phillips better figure it out, because right now we have no clue how to win against elite QBs. Schaub cannot outscore them. He's a system QB that can't MAKE things happen when we must score and receivers are covered. Most QBs can't do that either, but elite QBs can, especially when Wade uses man coverage all day long. I know, he always does that. It works against most QBs, but the elite ones eat it alive. Their receivers were getting open so fast, sometimes they didn't need pass protection at all. Correction, Brady was putting the ball in their hands so fast, whether they were covered or not, that he didn't need protection at all. Only answer I see is we might need an elite QB (since those are so easy to come by), so that we can go into OT tied at 42-42. I would say that Brady just had an exceptional day, but Rogers tore us a bigger one earlier this year.

[Norg]

Going man is a way to beat the pats tho Pittsburg did that like a year ago and beat the pats

same with the giants i think rush four drop everyone else meaning the linebackers can double team there TE and one on there RB then the seconday doubles the Wr's or triples the TE

[GuerillaBlack]

This teams just seems to always mess up in the biggest moments. I gave them a pass for the Packers game. They were not focused and Rodgers was. The Packers had just gotten beaten by the Colts and the week before the Seahawks "beat them". They needed that game and some of the throws that Rodgers was making was just spectacular. He was getting the ball into the smallest of spaces.

This game? Holy ****. They just wet the bed. Kareem tries to be the hero and scoop the ball up one handed instead of falling on it. I had a bad feeling after that and what do you know...TD Patriots on the next play. Schaub getting too greedy and trying to force it to Walter in the endzone, when Arian was open with no one within a five yard radius of him. Schaub's inability to even get a couple of yards by scrambling (like Brady did) just hurt too because he had some openings. The defense was finally holding the Patriots down a bit, but Gary kept calling run plays with 8 in the box. If they could have just made it a 14 point game before the 4th quarters, then they would have had enough spark to maybe pull it out.

The offense just could never get going and the defense checked out. Plus, anytime they did have a stop, the refs gifted the Patriots with a call. The PI on the throw to Welker and the other to Lloyd, IIRC, just did not make any sense.

[digitalswim]

When I was scanning the forum topics, I thought the title of this thread read "Do we have a SUGAR BOWL team or not?" We definitely have a Sugar Bowl team. Super bowl...not so much.

[TexanBacker93]

We're not a Super Bowl team until we actually get there.

I think we can get there.

I think we will get there.

We can beat any other team. We might have to play better than last night; unless we plan on getting the Chiefs in the divisional round that is.


The Pats blasted the Jets in the regular season 44-6 or something like that and lost to them in the playoffs. Any. Given. Sunday.

[eriadoc]

Originally Posted by dream_team

Was this game really all that meaningful? We are still the #1 seed.

Yes, this game was meaningful. Coupled with the Packers game earlier, it pretty well demonstrates that this team can't win a game (hell, even COMPETE) against the truly elite QBs. When you look at what the good but not quite elite QBs have done to to this defense, it reinforces that. When you look at what the really great QBs like Chad Henne and Jake Locker have done to this defense, you start to realize that this team is going to have to rely on its offense.

Oh yeah ... the offense. We saw what they did against the Packers and Pats. They've been fool's gold all year. The OL is a big, big problem and they simply don't have an answer.

Football is won and lost in the trenches. On defense, you have to get after the QB and RB these days more than ever. Our team's front 7 has JJ Watt and 6 guys that rate somewhere between stiffs and Just A Guy. On offense, you have to stop the defense from getting into your backfield. Our team's OL has two guys that are good, one of whom has always had issues with large, athletic DTs. They've averaged less than 4YPC on the season, and that's with one of the best backs in football running behind them.

So yeah, this game matters because it's a real indicator. Seeding just determines where you'll get your ass kicked by the Pats (maybe Broncos) in January.

[HJam72]

I would give Antonio Smith a little more credit than that, although he didn't actually earn it today.

[fiasco west]

We can win against Elite QBs.

But we NEED our Running game. Our defense wasn't completely lost, they got a few stops... Lets hope Foster goes nutzo in the playoffs again.

Really it's not about Schaub, it's about our other elite players stepping up. Remember Foster carried this offense on his back in the playoffs again and made his name. Running over the Ravens defense that was all healthy...I think we get these guys at home it's going to be a different story. Get a few stops and make Brady watch Foster-Tate grind it out. Kubiak should know the formula, we've had Peyton in our division how long now?

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

As of right now....no

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

IMO, last years team was better. I think last year was our best chance at reaching the SB. Injuries ruined that season

My feelings remain unchanged

[Double Barrel]

Do we have a Super Bowl team or not?

Nope.

Our regular season will just determine where we will lose to either Brady or Manning.

[Tailgate]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

Nope.

Our regular season will just determine where we will lose to either Brady or Manning.

If we get them at home we have at least a chance.

[dream_team]

Originally Posted by eriadoc

Yes, this game was meaningful. Coupled with the Packers game earlier, it pretty well demonstrates that this team can't win a game (hell, even COMPETE) against the truly elite QBs. When you look at what the good but not quite elite QBs have done to to this defense, it reinforces that. When you look at what the really great QBs like Chad Henne and Jake Locker have done to this defense, you start to realize that this team is going to have to rely on its offense.

Didn't we beat Manning? Unless Manning isn't considered elite anymore. We can beat elite QBs, we just need the offense to give more help than they've been giving in these games.

[TexanBacker93]

The biggest obstacle/hurdle we have to win the whole thing is at QB. I like Schaub. I still think he's better than most in the league. In another thread I've listed only 12 that I like better and there's a couple others that you could argue that would be above them. Some have much higher ceilings because of their age and others are already ahead of him.

However, if you look back at the past 20 Super Bowls you have 40 starting QBs. I count only 13 that I wouldn't put as elite/HoF. You could argue for McNabb and McNair to be added to the elite list if you want.

Grossman for Chicago in 2006
Hasselbeck for Seattle in 2005
McNabb for Philadelphia in 2004
Delhomme for Carolina in 2003
Johnson for Tampa Bay in 2002
Gannon for Oakland in 2002
Dilfer for Baltimore in 2000
Collins for New York in 2000
McNair for Tennessee in 1999
Chandler for Atlanta in 1998
Bledsoe for New England in 1996
O'Donnell for Pittsburgh in 1995
Humphries for San Diego in 1994

Of those only Johnson and Dilfer won their games. Both times they were going against other non-elite QBs.

So..in the last 20 years the team that won the Super Bowl had a QB that is probably going to Canton 18 out of those 20 times.

Getting there isn't as hard as I originally thought. 33% of the QBs in the last 20 years weren't elite. For the Texans to win the Super Bowl, though, we need to hope SF or Atlanta goes. I don't like the odds if they don't.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by TexanBacker93

The biggest obstacle/hurdle we have to win the whole thing is at QB. I like Schaub. I still think he's better than most in the league. In another thread I've listed only 12 that I like better and there's a couple others that you could argue that would be above them. Some have much higher ceilings because of their age and others are already ahead of him.

However, if you look back at the past 20 Super Bowls you have 40 starting QBs. I count only 13 that I wouldn't put as elite/HoF. You could argue for McNabb and McNair to be added to the elite list if you want.

Grossman for Chicago in 2006
Hasselbeck for Seattle in 2005
McNabb for Philadelphia in 2004
Delhomme for Carolina in 2003
Johnson for Tampa Bay in 2002
Gannon for Oakland in 2002
Dilfer for Baltimore in 2000
Collins for New York in 2000
McNair for Tennessee in 1999
Chandler for Atlanta in 1998
Bledsoe for New England in 1996
O'Donnell for Pittsburgh in 1995
Humphries for San Diego in 1994

Of those only Johnson and Dilfer won their games. Both times they were going against other non-elite QBs.

So..in the last 20 years the team that won the Super Bowl had a QB that is probably going to Canton 18 out of those 20 times.

Getting there isn't as hard as I originally thought. 33% of the QBs in the last 20 years weren't elite. For the Texans to win the Super Bowl, though, we need to hope SF or Atlanta goes. I don't like the odds if they don't.

McMair won an MVP award, so I don't think he belongs with the rest of those guys.

But that aside, you should probably compare them to Schaub...

And honestly I'd take Schaub over most of the guys on that list.

[thunderkyss]

Reading this board all day & all night I have no doubt in my mind that everyone here thinks we have a Super Bowl team.

You wouldn't be so mad, so disgusted, so embarrassed with an 11-2 team if you didn't think this was a Super Bowl team. There's a couple of guys out there who aren't upset about where our team is right now. They knew we weren't winning a Super Bowl anyway. We're going to the play-offs, most likely as division champs.

You're mad, because you think Kubiak or our defense or a letterman's jacket is holding our Super Bowl team back. Think about it.

[eriadoc]

Originally Posted by Fiddler

You're mad, because you think Kubiak or our defense or a letterman's jacket is holding our Super Bowl team back. Think about it.

Or, like I said upthread, the OL will prevent this team from winning the big games. Of course, the head coach had a lot to do with the current OL debacle, but I wasn't really going there.