Texans 2004 Evaluation

Originally Posted by hou059

and you seem to believe that "the team" didn't accomplish much! That's your view on the matter and I respect it but stop saying the Browns exposed weakneses...they didn't do anything different than any other team we have played this year. The Browns magnified weakneses? Why, because they are the worst team in the AFC? They are still a pro team, it's not like their roster is filled with highschool kids and college rejects. They do have talented people on that team, they just aren't a good "team". But anywho, lets take a vote, everyone please respond to this. Before the Browns game, who here didn't realize the Texans had problems protecting the QB and rushing the passer...

No, the Browns as a weak team did much, much more to expose the weaknesses of "The Team" than anyone else did. The Browns were a weak, weak team and beat us from the opening kickoff to the failed onside kick and in the process sacked us six times when they only had 26 sacks in their previous 15 games. They had a nine-game losing streak and were so bad that Jim Rome said they shouldn't even be paid since they weren't even trying and were just mailing it in. It's one thing for Indy to come in here and beat us like the Browns did. After all, they are better than us and that would have been a logical explanation. But for a poor, poor team like the Browns to come in to our own crypt and whip us like they did shows that we simply weren't as good as we thought we were. The fact is, before the Browns game we thought we could "get by" without great pass protection and not pressuring the opposing QB. After all, we beat Chicago on the road pretty soundly and shut out a playoff contender the next week despite those weaknesses. But the Cleveland game brought us back to reality and we realized that we can't reach the next level (.500) without addressing these questions.

[Vinny]

The Browns are an NFL team. There are no off-weeks in the NFL. Using your logic we should have never won one game our first year and every team we beat the first two years should have been rebuilt or their own franchise growth stunted since we were one of the worst teams in the NFL then.

[STEEL BLUE TEXANS]

9-7 or bust next season. 8-8 would be a disappointment

Originally Posted by Vinny

The Browns are an NFL team. There are no off-weeks in the NFL. Using your logic we should have never won one game our first year and every team we beat the first two years should have been rebuilt or their own franchise growth stunted since we were one of the worst teams in the NFL then.

The Browns are a poor, poor NFL team that came here with a nine-game losing streak and were mailing it. They had given it up to such an extent that one commentator asked if there was ever a case where the interim head coach was fired before the season ended. That team was so poor in fact that some were even questioning if they should be paid since they weren't even trying. It was this team that came in here and trounced the Texans. To downplay this loss would be folly.

[Vinny]

The Browns started 3-3 and have NFL talent. Any team can beat any other team in the NFL. There are no Rice Universities or Vanderbilts in the NFL despite what you think. The team mailing it in on the last week of the season was the Texans. Perhaps you didn't watch that game.

[hou059]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

The Browns are a poor, poor NFL team that came here with a nine-game losing streak and were mailing it. They had given it up to such an extent that one commentator asked if there was ever a case where the interim head coach was fired before the season ended. That team was so poor in fact that some were even questioning if they should be paid since they weren't even trying. It was this team that came in here and trounced the Texans. To downplay this loss would be folly.

Man your folly! Geeze, that team was so poor it beat Baltimore in the first game. Your in a little shell man, get out of it! If you don't beleive that any team can beat any team on any given Sunday then what are you doing watching the sport. Were they mailing it in? Really? Then why did they beat the Texans? Why? Could it be that they were just the better team that day? Did Terry Robyski call and say to you "hey, we are mailing it in?" Please shed some light on this cause no team mails it in. Every team plays the game and try's to win.

[SBTexans08]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

Rather, the goal is, and always has been, slow, steady progression. Capers made that clear when he first came in. The next step is .500 -- not the playoffs or the Super Bowl. Hope that doesn't disappoint you.

Boy I would love to hear you comment that to Mr. Dom Capers on the Dom Capers Show on 610 radio. He'd drop the phone and do that little number in the beginning of my post....

The Texans will take the 7-9 season with all the progression they did make even if they didn't make the playoffs but that doesn't mean they weren't setting their eyes on division champs/AFC champs/SB champs! In that case why try to rally the group when they were down 21-0 in the first 40 minutes of play against the Vikings to tie and take the win? Why'd they do it and succeed when they went against the Titans after going into half-time down by 21-0? Why try to take the nail biting win against the Chiefs in one of the most hostile home crowds in the league at their place? Why practice if they're not trying to win against good teams with the intent at shattering their hopes to the same destination?

I can see the team now praciticing only for the winnable games cause all they want to do is go 8-8.....lol. They go in there trying to win every single one, trying to make 16-0 if possible. Sure that isn't easily achievable but every game they go in with a "lets win" plan. Not a "we really don't need this win since we're trying to make 8-8, after all it is our next step and we already have 6 wins with 8 games to go" plan. Are you insane?

Originally Posted by SBTexans08

Boy I would love to hear you comment that to Mr. Dom Capers on the Dom Capers Show on 610 radio. He'd drop the phone and do that little number in the beginning of my post....

The Texans will take the 7-9 season with all the progression they did make even if they didn't make the playoffs but that doesn't mean they weren't setting their eyes on division champs/AFC champs/SB champs! In that case why try to rally the group when they were down 21-0 in the first 40 minutes of play against the Vikings to tie and take the win? Why'd they do it and succeed when they went against the Titans after going into half-time down by 21-0? Why try to take the nail biting win against the Chiefs in one of the most hostile home crowds in the league at their place? Why practice if they're not trying to win against good teams with the intent at shattering their hopes to the same destination?

I can see the team now praciticing only for the winnable games cause all they want to do is go 8-8.....lol. They go in there trying to win every single one, trying to make 16-0 if possible. Sure that isn't easily achievable but every game they go in with a "lets win" plan. Not a "we really don't need this win since we're trying to make 8-8, after all it is our next step and we already have 6 wins with 8 games to go" plan. Are you insane?

Um, you must be insane if you ever thought I said the team wasn't trying to achieve as much as they possibly could. But I'm sure their goal and expectation was NOT to win the Super Bowl this year. If you believe it was, then you are living in fantasy land. I never head one player come out this year with the statement, "We're a Super Bowl contender this year!" Nor did I hear any of them declare, "I think we can win the divisional title!" Did you hear that? And I'm sure Capers said something like, "Well, we try to win every game and try to go to the Super Bowl. But realistically are goals are ..."

[TexansTrueFan]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

If you think Capers or the players think the next step is .500 you have fallen off your stool and need to call a taxi to the internet bar.

I agree with YOU !!! and what do you think trijcomm that if we're 8-4 that we are just gonna give up ? Get Real they play every year and try to achieve the big goal of bringing a championship to Houston !

[HJam72]

Um, I think Trijcomm is saying that the team wasn't trying to achieve as much as they possibly could.

I think he also said that a 2 game improvement is actually regression and something about wanting to make the cheerleading squad.

[BornOrange]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

Um, you must be insane if you ever thought I said the team wasn't trying to achieve as much as they possibly could. But I'm sure their goal and expectation was NOT to win the Super Bowl this year. If you believe it was, then you are living in fantasy land. I never head one player come out this year with the statement, "We're a Super Bowl contender this year!" Nor did I hear any of them declare, "I think we can win the divisional title!" Did you hear that? And I'm sure Capers said something like, "Well, we try to win every game and try to go to the Super Bowl. But realistically are goals are ..."

By your own standard, you must be insane or delusional if you are sure that Capers said anything like "...but realistically our goals are..." Capers has repeatedly said that the team's goal is to win one game at a time and any other goal is a distraction from that.

Originally Posted by BornOrange

By your own standard, you must be insane or delusional if you are sure that Capers said anything like "...but realistically our goals are..." Capers has repeatedly said that the team's goal is to win one game at a time and any other goal is a distraction from that.

Thank you. I've said this all along. Thanks for proving my point.

[JacksonvilleJaguar4]

Originally Posted by fresno8

Good post, we're making progress, but have lost consistency. Next year we have to improve our consistency and keep making progress or else we'll be 7-9 or 8-8. I think improved play on both lines will help stabilize the team and have us be consistent every week. With good line play we can run the offense and defense we want. I hope we make good personel upgrades on both lines and that our lineman work out hard and come back w/ a chip on their shoulder for '05, they should, they were bad. Things will get going this year.

Yup, I agree, All starts down in the trenches if you can't win there then the scoreboard isn't gonna show numbers in your favor.

Again, 8-8 next year will be just fine.

[Lucky]

OK guys, let's stop the "You're insane & delusional if..." stuff. That won't go anywhere that's good.

10-6 would be even finer.

[Wolf]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

No, the Browns as a weak team did much, much more to expose the weaknesses of "The Team" than anyone else did. The Browns were a weak, weak team and beat us from the opening kickoff to the failed onside kick and in the process sacked us six times when they only had 26 sacks in their previous 15 games. They had a nine-game losing streak and were so bad that Jim Rome said they shouldn't even be paid since they weren't even trying and were just mailing it in. It's one thing for Indy to come in here and beat us like the Browns did. After all, they are better than us and that would have been a logical explanation. But for a poor, poor team like the Browns to come in to our own crypt and whip us like they did shows that we simply weren't as good as we thought we were. The fact is, before the Browns game we thought we could "get by" without great pass protection and not pressuring the opposing QB. After all, we beat Chicago on the road pretty soundly and shut out a playoff contender the next week despite those weaknesses. But the Cleveland game brought us back to reality and we realized that we can't reach the next level (.500) without addressing these questions.

please,it wasn't the browns that "brought us back to reality" . anyone should have known with our game with denver,indy, or even the JETS. Good teams espose the weaknesses of the inferior teams'

[aj.]

But the Cleveland game brought us back to reality and we realized that we can't reach the next level (.500) without addressing these questions

If not for turning the ball over 4 times the Texans would have beaten a San Diego team that's now 12-4 to finish 8-8. Would that put them at the "next level?" No. They would still be the same old Texans, watching the playoffs at home with one more win and the same old problems (with a few less turnovers).

Depending on how the ball bounces (see the San Diego game) during the year, you may finish +- a game or two off target. In hindsight, I could see the 2004 version of the Texans anywhere in the 6-9 win area. Given the same number of injuries, six wins would have been underachieving and nine would have been underachieving for this team. Seven or eight wins is right in the window of expectations (for most sane prognosticators at least).

If they beat Cleveland to finish 8-8 are they a markedly better team? No. If they beat San Diego and Cleveland to finish 9-7 are they a markedly better team. Yeah, now your getting to that point because that would put them at the top end of the expectation window. And that 9-7 record would have had them in the wild card running (the real next level for the Texans) until the last week of the season.

8-8 this year was entirely possible for this team and that's why saying 8-8 is the "next level" for this team is just silly. They are already at that level. I know it's difficult to do but look at the entire body of work - all 16 games - and not focus so much on the Browns game.

And I don't think 9-7 or bust is the way I'd look at it either. There are many things that could happen, most notably injuries, that would make 8-8 a successful campaign.

[HJam72]

I think we're all delusionally insane.