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Is the Super Bowl window closing?

Is the SB Window Closing?


  • Total voters
    69

handswarmer

Rookie
Andre Johnson 32
Owen Daniels 30
Matt Schaub 32
Daniel Manning 31
Ed Reed 35

And Arian Foster is closing in on 27 with multiple injuries over the years.
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
If Kubiak is retained as the head coach after this season, the super bowl window will probably stay closed. It'll take some alternate universe scenario for the Texans to win a super bowl as long as Kubiak remains.
 

eriadoc

Texan-American
I voted yes, but I don't think it's closing; I think it closed back in 2011 when Schaub got injured. After the loss to BAL in the playoffs, everyone said the Texans were a healthy Schaub away from going all the way, and it sure felt like they had a real shot. Well, the 2012 Texans and now the 2013 Texans have a healthy Schaub (as healthy as he'll get). No chance. This team is not going to the Super Bowl, and may not win the division.
 

HOU-TEX

Ah, Football!
Andre Johnson 32
Owen Daniels 30
Matt Schaub 32
Daniel Manning 31
Ed Reed 35

And Arian Foster is closing in on 27 with multiple injuries over the years.
Foster's injuries have been muscle pulls. Nothing structural. He's fine. We just can't run him 400 times every year like season. Reed hasn't done anything for us to make me worry about him. Love OD, but we've got replacements. Manning has been a JAG for me. I (and the team) will miss AJ. I'll miss Schaub like I'd miss a severe case of crabs

No, we haven't lost to the Bills yet.
Careful! We have to play the Jags twice.
 

Exascor

Veteran
Andre Johnson 32
Owen Daniels 30
Matt Schaub 32
Daniel Manning 31
Ed Reed 35

And Arian Foster is closing in on 27 with multiple injuries over the years.
Of the players listed, only Andre Johnson is going to be tough to replace. Manning is a good but not great safety & Reed hasn't contributed at all. Daniels is good but I don't think we'd miss him too much. That leaves Schaub. In his best years he's been a top 10-12 qb. The last 10 games or so - not even a top 20.

The window closes when a few of your best players will be lost. Watt, Cushing, D Brown, Foster, Mercilus (and possibly Hopkins & Swearinger) are the young core of the team. Add an elite qb and this team will be in the hunt every year.
 
closing? With Matt Schaub at the QB position and Gary Kubiak calling the plays, can we truly say the window was ever really open to begin with?

Different coach and QB, the window is wide the hell open, but with THIS duo, it got cracked a little bit but just enough to get Texan fans hopes up...
 

rmartin65

Phil Kessel: Nice Guy. Tries Hard.
Why do we still have Ravens fans trolling here?
I would not call this trolling- it is a legitimate question.

As for the OP- yes and no. I think the near term (1-3 years) opportunity is closing, if not already closed. However, we have some young talent (Watt, Hopkins) who, with some good drafting, could have a another window open up.
 
I would not call this trolling- it is a legitimate question.

As for the OP- yes and no. I think the near term (1-3 years) opportunity is closing, if not already closed. However, we have some young talent (Watt, Hopkins) who, with some good drafting, could have a another window open up.

Should of happened last year, but our immediate window I believe has closed. Two to three years down the road, I can see it opening again. With a new coach and a healthy, promising quarterback, we can get there.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Andre Johnson 32
Owen Daniels 30
Matt Schaub 32
Daniel Manning 31
Ed Reed 35

And Arian Foster is closing in on 27 with multiple injuries over the years.
I don't think it's so much the age of our core players, but the fact that we've been good enough to win the Super Bowl for the last three years. You can only reasonably believe you're that good for so long. You can only reasonably expect an organization to believe it for a shorter period of time.

I'm sure a big factor in the Ravens' belief was that they "knew" it was now or never; their last real shot.

I'm afraid we're going to start seeing & hearing the company line than actual belief that we can get it done.
 
This isn't a trolling question if asked by a Texans fan but it is if asked by an opposing team's fan who has no reason to be here.

Anyways:

Andre Johnson 32- Still has gas in the tank and a competent #2 who is already showing promise that he can be a #1

Owen Daniels 30- Never worried about TE with the Texans, Graham is his replacement and can do all OD does.

Matt Schaub 32- Can't win a Super Bowl with him anyway so we will need to get a new QB regardless.

Daniel Manning 31- Swearinger will be his replacement.

Ed Reed 35- Was a one-year rental who will retire after this year, don't think the Texans really thought he is our FS of the future obviously.

Foster- 27- See TE, we can get RB's anywhere, Cierre Wood is going to be a beast.

Joseph- 30 I think- you didn't include but this is the most concern because we aren't so great at finding CB's.

Every team has players who get older, the key as any Ravens fan should know is drafting. Which the Texans are pretty damn good at. Not as good as the Ravens but I do trust the FO to draft for the most part except mid round CB's.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Well, the 2012 Texans and now the 2013 Texans have a healthy Schaub (as healthy as he'll get). No chance. This team is not going to the Super Bowl, and may not win the division.
Schaub is healthier now than he was in 2011.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
handswarmer has shown himself to be a good citizen, not a troll. Besides the question is a good one.
Say that Flacco parts his hair wrong & let the troll out.

But overall, yeah. Not a bad guy.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
Maybe I should have prefaced that with, imo.
I don't care if you preface it with God, Anubis and Vishnu appeared to you and told you he is healthier now, there is not a single shred of objective evidence pointing to greater health now and there is a whole lot that points otherwise.
 

LEATHERHEAD

Waterboy
I vote Yes damn i hate to say it. 1 Bad thing Andrew Luck..Sorry but that dude has upside, and our QB is going backwards.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
As long as Watt and Cushing are here it remains open.

However as long as Gary/Matt are here the window will remain closed.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
I don't care if you preface it with God, Anubis and Vishnu appeared to you and told you he is healthier now, there is not a single shred of objective evidence pointing to greater health now and there is a whole lot that points otherwise.
What evidence? Bad decisions? Is his decision making organ being protected by his LisFranc?

He throws for 300 yards in the first half & 2 TDs, then his LisFranc starts throbbing so he throws a pic 6 in the second?

Or maybe he's choking under pressure like he always has.....

He's lighter, he appears to be moving much better than even 2011.


In my opinion, the evidence is out there but overshadowed by some bone headed decisions.
 

Come On Breh

Waterboy
window is not open.

its been boarded up and nailed shut ever since gary kubiak and matt schaub became members of the texan organization. bob mcnair gave them the board and nails.

it could open back up with a new qb but gary likes the window closed. he hates fresh air as much as QB audibles.
 

Textan

Waterboy
The two games the Texans won required them to make incredible comebacks. They could easily be 0-4.
Schaub, healthy or not, I have never believed could lead this team to a SB.
Apply a tiny bit of pressure and the guy becomes a catastrophic mistake waiting to happen.
Kubiak is aggressive and conservative at the wrong times.
But, overall I believe the biggest obstacle is Schaub.
 

eriadoc

Texan-American
What evidence? Bad decisions? Is his decision making organ being protected by his LisFranc?

He throws for 300 yards in the first half & 2 TDs, then his LisFranc starts throbbing so he throws a pic 6 in the second?

Or maybe he's choking under pressure like he always has.....

He's lighter, he appears to be moving much better than even 2011.


In my opinion, the evidence is out there but overshadowed by some bone headed decisions.
He's been throwing off his back foot since he came back. He's floating balls and not getting them in where he used to. He's never had a strong arm, but at least you never had to worry about the short stuff with him before. Now he's not planting properly. As far as decision making goes, I think he's making decisions on what he thinks his body can still do.

All just speculation, of course, but he's not as on target as he used to be, even when he completes the ball, and it's not like he was Troy Aikman accurate before.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
His being lighter is meaningless. He lost 5 lbs of a 240 lb frame. Heck half the MB members could do that by not drinking beer for 1 week. Mexican food and a discussion with a man about a horse would have the same swing.

Schaub was getting the ball down the field dramatically better pre-lisfranc. His ypa was almost 2 yards or about 30% higher than this year. He was on pace for 62 20+ and 16 40+ passing plays. Now it is 56 20 + and 0 40+. Pre-injury he was going for 34 attempts thrown over 30 yards. This season 0. It isn't just decision making.
 

Texan_Bill

Hall of Fame
All just speculation, of course, but he's not as on target as he used to be, even when he completes the ball, and it's not like he was Troy Aikman accurate before.

Not that it ultimately matters to this conversation, but that's kind of revisionist history there because Matt Schaub has a higher completion percentage and a lower interception percentage than Aikman.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
He's been throwing off his back foot since he came back.

He's floating balls and not getting them in where he used to.

All just speculation, of course, but he's not as on target as he used to be, even when he completes the ball, and it's not like he was Troy Aikman accurate before.
None of this is true. last game in particular he was rotating his hips transferring his weight to his front foot well into OT. A few were thrown off his back foot, but that's football. Lisfranc or no, a QB is going to do what he's been told never to do since pony & throw off his back foot because things rarely go the way you plan it once you snap the ball.

The first INT had plenty of zip, demonstrated by the bounce it took off the defenders hand.

He threw one high to OD (Owen had to jump & turn in the air to catch the ball when no one was around him) but Matt had to throw the ball over a 6 foot DLman with his arm outstretched.

You're not going to inaccurately float a bunch of balls against the "Legion of Boom" for 300 yards & 2 TDs in a half.

Schaub was getting the ball down the field dramatically better pre-lisfranc. His ypa was almost 2 yards or about 30% higher than this year. He was on pace for 62 20+ and 16 40+ passing plays. Now it is 56 20 + and 0 40+. Pre-injury he was going for 34 attempts thrown over 30 yards. This season 0. It isn't just decision making.

All these stats, are they from the first 4 games of every season? If not, they're irrelevant.

Teams are playing us a certain way now. Seattle wasn't going to let us cut back on them or run a bootleg. That's going to change if Tate & Arian keeps gashing them on the front side.

Baltimore was staying on top, not just over Aj, but keeping our offense in front of them. Unless we get desperate, we're not going to challenge them. There is no reason to if we continue to move the chains. That's going to change once teams realize that's not working either (so far it's working because we're shooting ourselves in the foot). We're still top 10 in offense, just need to work on the scoring.

Schaub takes what the defense gives him. If they're giving him 30+ yard passes, he'll take them.
 

eriadoc

Texan-American
Not that it ultimately matters to this conversation, but that's kind of revisionist history there because Matt Schaub has a higher completion percentage and a lower interception percentage than Aikman.
I'm talking about accuracy, not stats. When Schaub throws the ball to a wide open AJ, but AJ has to jump in the air to grab it, that's a completion. When AJ has to slow up for a long pass and gets tackled because of it, that's a completion. Those get marked down at 100% completion rate. That's not accurate. There's a distinction. Wasn't blasting the guy, but just saying he's never been the QB that can knock the wings off a gnat at 30 yards. Aikman was.
 

ObsiWan

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Andre Johnson 32
Owen Daniels 30
Matt Schaub 32
Daniel Manning 31
Ed Reed 35

And Arian Foster is closing in on 27 with multiple injuries over the years.
Interesting that you would be the one to ask this question since your team went a decade+ between SB appearances.

The Ravens' SB win, both of Eli's SB wins, Roethelisberger's first SB win and the AZ Cardinals' SB appearance are all proof that all you need is to get hot at the right time to win a SB ring.

Unless Uncle Bob does a Bud Adams and blows up a perfectly good team (because he got the red@55) then we'll have a shot.

What you're really asking - so you can snicker at us to your self - is have we given up on our team?

No.


And yeah, that's a Troll question.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
All these stats, are they from the first 4 games of every season? If not, they're irrelevant.
Just because you say it doesn't make them irrelevant and it makes no sense to assert they are.

Teams are playing us a certain way now. Seattle wasn't going to let us cut back on them or run a bootleg. That's going to change if Tate & Arian keeps gashing them on the front side.

Baltimore was staying on top, not just over Aj, but keeping our offense in front of them. Unless we get desperate, we're not going to challenge them. There is no reason to if we continue to move the chains. That's going to change once teams realize that's not working either (so far it's working because we're shooting ourselves in the foot). We're still top 10 in offense, just need to work on the scoring.

Schaub takes what the defense gives him. If they're giving him 30+ yard passes, he'll take them.
Teams didn't set out to play us differently this year although they certainly will as they see the things which are not working as well. But even there, no rushing game or league leading rushing game the Texans used to throw deeper.
 

Scooter

Funky
Andre Johnson 32
Owen Daniels 30
Matt Schaub 32
Daniel Manning 31
Ed Reed 35

And Arian Foster is closing in on 27 with multiple injuries over the years.
JJ Watt - 24
Deandre Hopkins - 21
Kareem Jackson - 25
Brian Cushing - 26
Garrett Graham - 27
Whitney Mercilus - 23
Duane Brown - 28
Brandon Brooks - 24
DJ Swearinger - 22

our window is getting bigger, not smaller.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Just because you say it doesn't make them irrelevant and it makes no sense to assert they are.
Yes it does.

Now you are in la la land. Teams didn't set out to play us differently this year although they certainly will as they see the things which are not working as well. But even there, no rushing game or league leading rushing game the Texans used to throw deeper.
See, I can be a total dck & ask you for your evidence when you spout out your opinion, but I'm not like you.

However, if you watched Baltimore who I presented as an example, you'll see they did exactly what I said they did. If you watch Seattle, you'll see they did exactly what I said they did.

To prove your point, you would need evidence of a reciever wide open 30+ yards down the field & Matt totally ignore him.

We've yet to see one bootleg work to perfection because of the way teams are playing us.... they expect it. & if we've seen it, it's been rare that Matt has been able to take a 7 step drop or sit around & wait for a 30+ yard route to develop.

We have seen him scramble & get out of the pocket much better than he had at the end of last season & though it's been 2 years ago, I believe he's moving as well as he did before the injury.
 

handswarmer

Rookie
Interesting that you would be the one to ask this question since your team went a decade+ between SB appearances.
In between that decade, my team appeared in the Playoffs 7 other times with 2 appearances in the AFC Championship game- not sure what your point is.

The Ravens' SB win, both of Eli's SB wins, Roethelisberger's first SB win and the AZ Cardinals' SB appearance are all proof that all you need is to get hot at the right time to win a SB ring.
I have yet to find in the list of Super Bowl Champions which team that got cold yet still won? That's an over used cliché.


What you're really asking - so you can snicker at us to your self - is have we given up on our team?

No.


And yeah, that's a Troll question.
I asked for peoples opinions. No snickering here but you can be obsessed with the word "troll".....1997 called- they want their Interweb terminology back.
 

handswarmer

Rookie
JJ Watt - 24
Deandre Hopkins - 21
Kareem Jackson - 25
Brian Cushing - 26
Garrett Graham - 27
Whitney Mercilus - 23
Duane Brown - 28
Brandon Brooks - 24
DJ Swearinger - 22

our window is getting bigger, not smaller.
My question would be, who do you value more on both lists?
 

Scooter

Funky
My question would be, who do you value more on both lists?
the only irreplaceable player on your list is andre johnson, but we just took hopkins in the first round. we want matt gone. tate's outperforming foster. graham and daniels are the same person. ed reed's just here for a year or two and training swearinger. the only missing player from your list that doesnt have someone behind him already is daniel manning.
 

handswarmer

Rookie
the only irreplaceable player on your list is andre johnson, but we just took hopkins in the first round. we want matt gone. tate's outperforming foster. graham and daniels are the same person. ed reed's just here for a year or two and training swearinger. the only missing player from your list that doesnt have someone behind him already is daniel manning.
Is Tate an adequate replacement for Foster?
 

Scooter

Funky
to add to my previous post, this is what we've waited for though. being an expansion team it takes a long time to get your home grown talent into their late stages. you should know that first hand watching ray and ed leading suggs, ngata, and webb. you need the older players on the field to add balance, wisdom, and experience. it's definitely a bonus to have guys like reed and andre and myers sprinkled through the lineup to direct and influence the younger talent.

we're BETTER for finally having players on the wrong side of 30. of course you dont want the whole team getting old, but you definitely want players on the roster who have been there and done that. and you especially want players who have spent most of their careers on the team, like andre.
 

ObsiWan

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
In between that decade, my team appeared in the Playoffs 7 other times with 2 appearances in the AFC Championship game- not sure what your point is.
We're just starting our decade. We are now, what you guys were in 2000. Solid running game? check.
Stout, often imposing defense? Check.
Solid play at the TE position? Check.
Suspect QB play...? Unfortunately, check here too.
Sound familiar?


I have yet to find in the list of Super Bowl Champions which team that got cold yet still won? That's an over used cliché.
Point taken on the over-used thing. But does that make it less true?

I asked for peoples opinions. No snickering here but you can be obsessed with the word "troll".....1997 called- they want their Interweb terminology back.
I just wonder why a Ravens' fan would care if the Texans' fan base thought "the window was closing" (speaking of overused cliches').
So why do you care?
 

Scooter

Funky
Is Tate an adequate replacement for Foster?
if healthy, tate is as capable - especially now. similar to johnson in kansas city or alexander in seattle, foster has the look of a runningback that got too many carries and is out of gas. right now tate is the better player, and will probably continue to be.
 
closing? With Matt Schaub at the QB position and Gary Kubiak calling the plays, can we truly say the window was ever really open to begin with?

Different coach and QB, the window is wide the hell open, but with THIS duo, it got cracked a little bit but just enough to get Texan fans hopes up...
I have to agree with this.

However, in today's NFL where parity reigns and teams go from the 1st pick in the draft to playoff challengers no team (well, maybe one) has a closed window. You might see a couple of divisions this year with 8-8 teams winning. The difference between a bad team and a good team comes down to a couple of key plays in each game. You could argue that without the pick 6 against the Ravens and the pick 6 against the Seahawks we could be 4-0. Or without Cushing's pick 6 or the safety against the Titans we could be 0-4.

We have a great core right now. We are a head coach away from being a great team as well. We're still in the playoff mix, but to be serious challengers Kubiak can't be our leader.
 

handswarmer

Rookie
We're just starting our decade. We are now, what you guys were in 2000. Solid running game? check.
Stout, often imposing defense? Check.
Solid play at the TE position? Check.
Suspect QB play...? Unfortunately, check here too.
Sound familiar?
You are a few years late. The ravens defense WON games and is considered one of the two best ever- especially hard to do since the advent of FA and rules changes.

Texans as team are much better offensively than the ravens were.



Point taken on the over-used thing. But does that make it less true?
Yes, because I could go back and look at all last 10 SB winners and find teams the played well all year long also.

I just wonder why a Ravens' fan would care if the Texans' fan base thought "the window was closing" (speaking of overused cliches').
So why do you care?
I enjoy talking about all aspects of football- except Fantasy Football- I loathe FF....I got a little bile in my throat typing that....
 

ObsiWan

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
I enjoy talking about all aspects of football- except Fantasy Football- I loathe FF....I got a little bile in my throat typing that....
I never said, nor am I attempting to imply that getting hot at the right time is always the answer. Obviously it's much better to play solid football throughout the year. My point is that playing solid football for the whole season isn't the be-all/end-all. Heck you should know this, if year-long, solid football always guaranteed a championship, then the Pats would have ended up 19-0. Or Peyton would have run you guys out of Mile High Stadium last winter.
 

fiasco west

All Pro
Is Tate an adequate replacement for Foster?
Some would argue now that Tate is the better RB.

Although I think Foster is still the better more complete back, the Texans for WHATEVER reason don't use him in the pass game as much as they used to. They did this previous game and he had glimmers of what he used to be.
 
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