AFC South Roundtable: The Houston Texans and their re-built defense

[Double Barrel]

AFC South Roundtable: The Houston Texans and their re-built defense

So, after my first AFC South Roundtable write-up was such a rousing success, especially among Houston Texans fans, I now present part two of State of the Texans:

Why have the Texans invested so much in their defense?

Simple question, simple answer: Because of Peyton Manning. In the AFC South, if you are a team other than the Colts and want to win the division, you must stop the Colts offense. You can't outscore it. Don't even try. New England is employing this philosophy in 2007, spending a lot of time acquiring numerous WRs while not overhauling their old linebacking corps and their pathetic secondary. It ain't gonna work.

You. Must. Stop. Peyton. Manning. And spell his name right, too.

For this reason, the Texans decided to shift their focus from building through offense to building through defense. For all the crap I've given the Texans and their often paranoid fans, I have to say the I agree with their decision to build through defense. I am also one of those crazy, zany, moonbat nutcases that thinks the Texans made the right decision passing on RB Reggie Bush and drafting DE Mario Williams in 2006.

Yes, I know. First I bash Matt Schaub and Texans fans for running David Carr out of Houston. Now, I'm saying Reggie Bush was not worth the #1 overall pick. Hey, since I've already got bounty hunters looking for me, I might as well go out guns blazin'.

I've made my opinions about Reggie Bush well known. Many Colts fans, including Stampede Blue's own sometime co-writer, MasterRWayne, strongly disagree with me re: Reggie Bush. Like I always say, disagreement and dissent are welcome and encouraged. If or when I'm wrong about something, I will admit it. I have no problem being wrong, unlike guys like ESPN's Bill Simmons, who are often so pathetically wrong and completely unapologetic about it I wonder how they stay employed. Simmons has pictures of some ABC Exec naked with a donkey, or something.

Anyway, passing on Bush and drafting Williams was indeed a smart move for the Texans. Reggie Bush is not a #1 primary back worth #1 overall pick primary back money. He is not even the primary back in New Orleans now. Deuce McAllister is. Bush might give you a highlight play, but the guy who carries the running game in New Orleans is McAllister. Only someone like LaDanian Thomlinson or Larry Johnson is worth the #1 overall pick. They carry their teams' running games. If you are going to rebuild your team, doing so with a part-time RB that is splitting carries is not the best idea. Also, Reggie Bush lied to Houston management about his involvement with some sketchy dealings while he was at USC, but that's another story.

Source / Rest of story

[Texans Horror]

Building through defense is the smart way to go IF the Texans have the right coaching in place. I know Kubes is big on Frank Bush, but I'm not sure having him and Richard Smith will work out. Just one of those too many cooks in the kitchen things, IMO.

[Silver Oak]

really good reading...thanks for posting.

[TexansSeminole]

Gotta love this read. Gotta love this defense we are building too. The one guy that I think is the hardest to find for a defense is that fast DT. The one that can grab you some sacks every year. I think Amobi will do more than alot of people think. The middle of our defense is quite strong now. Maddox has been playing his part very well and of course we have DeMeco there.

[Wolf]

well I looked up the run that VY did (I am looking at our defense and not at VY to see what we did and how our DL collapsed inside.)

so please don't make this a VY thing, 1:00 minute in it looking at the DL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7E6Q6g6H00

looked like 92 collapsed inside(weaver), I can't see who got buried down and made the hole that ryans had to choose to the left and vince

talking about the DL just got me wondering about that play and how our DL couldn't get pressure and wondered who that was on the DL and how (interesting on the clip "phenom" is used and I thought of okoye for nickname in college.


I was looking at it to see how Okoye might have made a difference (basically because of what we hear about him being able to penetrate from the inside position
I hope that is foreshadowing

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by Wolf

well I looked up the run that VY did (I am looking at our defense and not at VY to see what we did and how our DL collapsed inside.)

so please don't make this a VY thing, 1:00 minute in it looking at the DL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7E6Q6g6H00

looked like 92 collapsed inside(weaver), I can't see who got buried down and made the hole that ryans had to choose to the left and vince

I'm pretty sure that was Greenwood that went down.

[vtech9]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

I'm pretty sure that was Greenwood that went down.

#94 ND Kalu was the DT that made an inside move only to be sealed off by the OG. Mario had contain on the outside. Greenwood and Ryans were on a LB stunt blitz. Greenwood was supposed to go through the gap left by Kalu, and Ryans was supposed to come in off of Greenwoods outside shoulder. When Greenwood got cut, he wasn't able to close the hole and VY was able to run right through where Greenwood was supposed to be. With DeMeco on the stunt blitz, it took him out of position to make a play. If Greenwood would have been able to keep his feet, VY would have had nowhere to go except down when DeMeco came around. Of course, if Kalu hadn't been overpowered by the OG, there wouldn't have been that big of a hole for Greenwood to try and fill.

[Historyhorn]

The issue is that Defense alone is not enough to beat the Colts and win the division. If it were, then Jacksonville would be the division champs. Say what you will about the Hags, if defense alone were the key, then they should mop the rest of the division up.

It is an important component, but D alone won't do it.

I think you've got to have three things in order to compete for a championship:

1) Defense

2) O-line

3) Quarterback


We're working on number one. Let's see how it looks next year. We've got a possibility for number three, but again....it's a wait and see. We don't have number 2 yet, and it looks like we're still a year or two away there.

Go Texans

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by Historyhorn

The issue is that Defense alone is not enough to beat the Colts and win the division. If it were, then Jacksonville would be the division champs. Say what you will about the Hags, if defense alone were the key, then they should mop the rest of the division up.

It is an important component, but D alone won't do it.

I think you've got to have three things in order to compete for a championship:

1) Defense

2) O-line

3) Quarterback


We're working on number one. Let's see how it looks next year. We've got a possibility for number three, but again....it's a wait and see. We don't have number 2 yet, and it looks like we're still a year or two away there.

Go Texans

I'd say that there is a pretty strong argument to be made that we have the
2nd best defense in the division and the 2nd best offense in the division, going into the season... Now, neither claim is overly impressive, but I think it does put into some perspective our playoff/ winning record hopes this year.

[maddogmrb]

Originally Posted by Historyhorn

The issue is that Defense alone is not enough to beat the Colts and win the division. If it were, then Jacksonville would be the division champs. Say what you will about the Hags, if defense alone were the key, then they should mop the rest of the division up.

It is an important component, but D alone won't do it.

I think you've got to have three things in order to compete for a championship:

1) Defense

2) O-line

3) Quarterback


We're working on number one. Let's see how it looks next year. We've got a possibility for number three, but again....it's a wait and see. We don't have number 2 yet, and it looks like we're still a year or two away there.

Go Texans

I agree with you for as far as you went. However, I believe you have to be solid in EVERY aspect of your team from coaching to special teams and then EXCELLENT in AT LEAST one position on both sides of the ball to compete for a championship.

So, looking at our team last year and our potential this year I see it as follows:

Coaching: Suspect last year, potentially solid this year.
QB: Suspect last year, potentially solid this year.
WR: Suspect last year, suspect this year.
TE: Solid last year, potentially excellent this year.
RB: Suspect last year, solid this year.
FB: Solid at end of last year, potentially excellent this year.
OLine: Weak spot last year, suspect this year.
DLine: Solid at end of last year, potentially excellent this year.
MLB: Excellent.
OLB: Weak spot last year, potentially solid this year.
Secondary: Weak last year, weak this year.
Special Teams: Weak last year, weak this year.

We still have alot of question marks, including coaching and QB. I think we still need a year or 2 of building before we will be in position to compete for a championship and only then if we REALLY get alot of things to fall into place.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by maddogmrb

I agree with you for as far as you went. However, I believe you have to be solid in EVERY aspect of your team from coaching to special teams and then EXCELLENT in AT LEAST one position on both sides of the ball to compete for a championship.

<snip>

We still have alot of question marks, including coaching and QB. I think we still need a year or 2 of building before we will be in position to compete for a championship and only then if we REALLY get alot of things to fall into place.

First off, you don't have to be solid in every aspect of your team to compete for a championship. If you go through and look at Super Bowl contenders, there have been lots of teams with questions and problems that have made it there and teams with questionable positions have won it. The Rams with their bad defense. The Ravens with their bad QB. The Colts with their bad run defense. The Bears with their questionable QB play. It's nice to be perfect but even the Patriots, as good as they've been, have had weaknesses.

Second off, who's talking about championships? Let's have a non-losing season first. Very flawed teams can make the playoffs and be winning teams. Our defense should be strong this year and our offense will at least be better.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Historyhorn

The issue is that Defense alone is not enough to beat the Colts and win the division. If it were, then Jacksonville would be the division champs. Say what you will about the Hags, if defense alone were the key, then they should mop the rest of the division up.

It is an important component, but D alone won't do it.

I agree to a certain extent. I'm stoked about the direction our defense is headed. I look forward to our D being in the top half of the league this year and being even better next year.

Having said that, I agree with HH in saying our defense did not win the Colts game for us. It was our running game that kept P. Manning off the field long enough to get us the win. IIRC, the Colts scored practically every time they had the ball. If we can accomplished the run with Dayne, we dang sure with Green. I'm counting on a very strong running game this season accompanied with some nice PA passing.

[brakos82]

Originally Posted by Wolf

I hope that is foreshadowing

Warren Moon did the same thing to me on Madden that VY did to us. If that isn't foreshadowing, I don't know what is.

[Hagar]

It seems to me the only way to beat the Colts is to not let their offense on the field. That’s basically what we did last year. Yes, the defense was a major part of the game, I don’t want to take anything away from them. But, if Dayne and the offensive line don’t have a monster game, we don’t win.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by Hagar

It seems to me the only way to beat the Colts is to not let their offense on the field. That’s basically what we did last year. Yes, the defense was a major part of the game, I don’t want to take anything away from them. But, if Dayne and the offensive line don’t have a monster game, we don’t win.

Agreed with one footnote, we won the turnover battle 1-0. Which was created by the Texans Defense, specifically Mario.

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by Kaiser Toro

Agreed with one footnote, we won the turnover battle 1-0. Which was created by the Texans Defense, specifically Mario.

yep. The chance to go up 14-0 early in the game was a huge factor in that victory, and that chance was given to us by the forced fumble that Mario created.

People can dog him all they want, but McNair said he was brought here to help us create a defense that could compete with the Colts. Lo and behold, we are finally 1-1 against Indy for a season.

I hope him and Okoye are a force to be reckoned with. It'll probably be a couple of years before they truly come into their own, but we should be seeing flashes of greatness this season.

[Wolf]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

yep. The chance to go up 14-0 early in the game was a huge factor in that victory, and that chance was given to us by the forced fumble that Mario created.

People can dog him all they want, but McNair said he was brought here to help us create a defense that could compete with the Colts. Lo and behold, we are finally 1-1 against Indy for a season.

I hope him and Okoye are a force to be reckoned with. It'll probably be a couple of years before they truly come into their own, but we should be seeing flashes of greatness this season.

I hope Fred Bennett can be an upgrade over Faggins.. I like Faggins and he is good at nickel coverage, but we do need and upgrade to compete with the Colts WR's