"Are we REALLY playoff material yet?!"

[GuerillaBlack]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Don't forget Demeco & Dunta(though I'm not a Dunta Fan, I do agree he is one of the true leaders on this team)

Our Defense is going to be exciting to watch this year.

I've got my fingers crossed on Okam. If he can be what we think he can be, and Xavier Adibi tries to keep up with 'Meco, we're going to have a defense that will be talked about around the league.

Now, wheter we're "play-off material" or not.... it never stopped Tennessee, so why should we worry about it?

Why aren't you a Dunta fan? He's pretty damn good.

[Corrosion]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

I was ***** girl. My brain said 30th ranked DEFENSE.

Defense.

The defense stunk.

Read my mind.

The Defense was 24th overall 344.2 ypg

Pass defense 25th 230.1 ypg

Rushing Defense was 19th 114.1 ypg


Being in the bottom half in both rushing and passing didnt help . When they absolutely had to stop someone they usually didnt get it done . I dont know how much of this you can attribute to injury .The pass defense took a big hit when Dunta went down . I sure didnt expect that at the begining of the season , especially against the run .

I look for them to look for another OLB next season either early in the draft or in FA as M.Greenwood reminds me too much of J.Foreman .... Lotsa tackles .... after the guy gained 5-6 yards .

They still lack a good FS as well and in the AFC South its a position of need when you see Pey-Me-A-Ton at least twice a year .

[BigBull17]

Originally Posted by Silver Oak

a lot have mentioned keeping our injuries to a minimum, but with a key injury to another divisional opponent player (Manning, vy, Garrard), that could be enough to make a wild card possible.

I think we are better off if he plays. he is an awful QB...

[jppaul]

Honestly, I want to say that we are playoff material but I am actually thinking that we are probs 9-7. We are primed for a run next year. Not to say that we cant do it this year but I have my doubts in this division unless the Jags defense takes a dive without Stroud, or the Titans regress to the actual pile of **** that they are.

[Corrosion]

Originally Posted by BigBull17

I think we are better off if he plays. he is an awful QB...

As much as the numbers support your statement ..... the guy always seems to make a play when it matters most ....

[Carr Bombed]

Originally Posted by D-ReK

In the immortal words of Steve Smith last season, "These guys ain't that good. We should run over their asses like it's high school". Let's hope more players take that attitude towards us.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80287ea5

Just wanted to add the video reference for the posters that missed out on the wise words of Steve Smith.........to his credit though, Steve Smith DID run over us like it was high school (the dude's a beast), however the rest of the Panthers did not.

[HoustonFrog]

I'll say what I said the beginning of the off-season. We HAVE to be playoff material. There is no more..."oh they are an expansion team." There is no more "oh, they have a new system with coaches." There should be a different attitude and it should not include a quick pat on the ass and a "good try kid" mentality. I expect to be alot more crisp this year. I expect to see a running game with some dash. I expect a little trouble on D in the secondary because of Dunta being out but I still expect to see aggressive ball. Everyone "assumes" our division will always be status quo but there are alot of teams like Carolina and Philly that go from the penthouse to the outhouse and many that jump from 5 wins to playoff bound. I'd really like to see a consistent team on the field with no excuses.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

I know you qualified about the background, but I really don't see treating or expecting Matt to perform as a 2nd year player this year. In other words, I am holding to a higher standard than that.



In what?

Total offense--14th
Passing--11th
Rushing--22nd
Points--12th

Did you mean defense?

Thanks for reading my mind on the 30th in DEFENSE stat. (Though it is nice to revisit the offensive stats).

When Shanahan Sr. talked about this, he wasn't talk about years in the league. He was talking about it takes 3 years for an experienced quarterback to get nuances of his system. It's a quote I found a while back when Shanahan talked about Jake Plummer coming to Denver.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

When Shanahan Sr. talked about this, he wasn't talk about years in the league. He was talking about it takes 3 years for an experienced quarterback to get nuances of his system. It's a quote I found a while back when Shanahan talked about Jake Plummer coming to Denver.

I understand it isn't years in the league, but in this particular instance Schaub was already in this system for his prior years in the league and while there is no substitute for starting, having practiced and being coached on the system for three years has to be a leg up over starting cold.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by corrosion

The Defense was 24th overall 344.2 ypg

Pass defense 25th 230.1 ypg

Rushing Defense was 19th 114.1 ypg


Being in the bottom half in both rushing and passing didnt help . When they absolutely had to stop someone they usually didnt get it done . I dont know how much of this you can attribute to injury .The pass defense took a big hit when Dunta went down . I sure didnt expect that at the begining of the season , especially against the run .

I look for them to look for another OLB next season either early in the draft or in FA as M.Greenwood reminds me too much of J.Foreman .... Lotsa tackles .... after the guy gained 5-6 yards .

They still lack a good FS as well and in the AFC South its a position of need when you see Pey-Me-A-Ton at least twice a year .

As I said, depending on what stats you look at. Check out the Football Outsiders stats:

30th overall on defense
27th against the pass
29th against the rush
And it shows that the defense was consistent, consistently bad.

These are defensive efficiency ranks. I am guessing they are so bad because the Texans were bad about giving up the big play and getting turnovers.

Of course, it didn't help that the offense kept turning the ball over themselves and keeping the defense on the field.

But just with my eyeball viewing of the team, what feeling should you get when your team is on defense?

You should have that feeling that your team is going to crush the other team.

That's the feeling you have when you are watching a good defensive team.

It is dispiriting to be yelling your * off for the defense, and watch them not get off the field on third down. Or cringe every time the ball is thrown. I want this team to get to the point where I really enjoy watching the defense. The Denver game was fun watching the defense.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

I understand it isn't years in the league, but in this particular instance Schaub was already in this system for his prior years in the league and while there is no substitute for starting, having practiced and being coached on the system for three years has to be a leg up over starting cold.

I see where you are coming from.

I was just trying to make the point that the longer the quarterbacks are in the system, the easier it will be on them. The less you have to think, the more athletic you can be.

Which should just be a no-duh sort of statement, but I brought up the Shanahan Sr. thing because he was so emphatic that the Denver-style system really takes 3 years for a quarterback to master its nuances.

In sum, more time with system = better.

But as to the subject of this thread, no team knows from year to year if they are playoff able. Hence offseason hope.

[Specnatz]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

As I said, depending on what stats you look at. Check out the Football Outsiders stats:

30th overall on defense
27th against the pass
29th against the rush
And it shows that the defense was consistent, consistently bad.

These are defensive efficiency ranks. I am guessing they are so bad because the Texans were bad about giving up the big play and getting turnovers.

Of course, it didn't help that the offense kept turning the ball over themselves and keeping the defense on the field.

But just with my eyeball viewing of the team, what feeling should you get when your team is on defense?

You should have that feeling that your team is going to crush the other team.

That's the feeling you have when you are watching a good defensive team.

It is dispiriting to be yelling your * off for the defense, and watch them not get off the field on third down. Or cringe every time the ball is thrown. I want this team to get to the point where I really enjoy watching the defense. The Denver game was fun watching the defense.

This is why I do not understand people blasting this draft at all. Now granted I think this draft will not show a whole lot this year as some drafts might but I honestly believe drafts are for the continued success or the reaching of success of a franchise.

With how bad the Texans were against the run we need the big fat boy in the middle and most of us think that has been accomplished. Big play up top has been an issue because of Petey "Wait For Me" Faggins. So drafting a CB that has size, speed and is not affraid to hit but needs some technique is not a bad thing. He should be the nickle by week 9 versus the Vickings at the very least. LB is very hard for me to figure out honestly and evaluate so I will leave that to others. I will say we need more sacks and pressures from there and we should be able to do more than just wait to make the tackle with them. The defense has been so bland and so WTF I understand fully of needing more players on the side of the ball, but it has to be balanced drafts or you wind up like Chicago has for years with nothing to show for it. Granted the ravens did win a Super Bowl, but with that defense and if they had just any type of passing game they should have been able to win at the very least two SB. The bend but don't break defense is emloyed by several teams and it is heart wrenching to watch. Hopefully as we get more athletic they play calling will reflect that.

Now I did not forget about Slaton. We still need playmakers on offense. Slaton is a change of pace back, a threat to catch out of the backfield. He should have the speed and the moves to really do some damage. I am not looking for a single back to get the 1500 + yards or be the 300 carry guy because that speels disasster and a career to go as Shaun Alexanders did falls off quickly. Now granted Tomlinson has ben doing it since he got in the league but it is very evident that it has become a two back league as to substain players for the long haul versus the short term.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by Specnatz

Now I did not forget about Slaton. We still need playmakers on offense. Slaton is a change of pace back, a threat to catch out of the backfield. He should have the speed and the moves to really do some damage. I am not looking for a single back to get the 1500 + yards or be the 300 carry guy because that speels disasster and a career to go as Shaun Alexanders did falls off quickly. Now granted Tomlinson has ben doing it since he got in the league but it is very evident that it has become a two back league as to substain players for the long haul versus the short term.

Just curious... Why do you assume he is a 3rd down back guy and not an every down back - occasionally spelled by someone else??

He averaged a hair under 20 rushes per game at WVU?

300 rushes in the NFL equates to 18.75 carries per game.. (20>18.75)

(as someone has mentioned before) His height is comparable to that of Emmit Smith's or Marshall Faulk's. ( He may need to add a little weight but he's only about 15 pounds lighter than Faulk).

[BigBull17]

Originally Posted by corrosion

As much as the numbers support your statement ..... the guy always seems to make a play when it matters most ....

Collins made the huge throw, and we fumbled away any chance in Tenn. We are truly better off if he plays than if he sits. The run he made was great, but not wholly legit. Carr stunk the field up there, and last year was more about his people than him. I just think if he goes out, they have a better chance. Just my .02

[Specnatz]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

Just curious... Why do you assume he is a 3rd down back guy and not an every down back - occasionally spelled by someone else??

He averaged a hair under 20 rushes per game at WVU?

300 rushes in the NFL equates to 18.75 carries per game.. (20>18.75)

(as someone has mentioned before) His height is comparable to that of Emmit Smith's or Marshall Faulk's. ( He may need to add a little weight but he's only about 15 pounds lighter than Faulk).

For this upcoming year it is no assumption, it is an educated guess, based on whom we have on the roster plus his size and speed, and the abilities he can contribute in certain areas.

As far as what they did in college translating into the NFL ..... I give you Reggie Bust and Mike Vick redux.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by Specnatz

For this upcoming year it is no assumption, it is an educated guess, based on whom we have on the roster plus his size and speed, and the abilities he can contribute in certain areas.

As far as what they did in college translating into the NFL ..... I give you Reggie Bust and Mike Vick redux.

Okay, so you were referring to his rookie year and not necessarily beyond that? I can accept that....

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

Okay, so you were referring to his rookie year and not necessarily beyond that? I can accept that....

That's the way I see it playing out. IMO, we need to get him on the field this year because of his speed and agility. Which is something we've severely lacked at the position. I do think it'll be on a limited basis his rookie season, but not only on 3rd down situations. I think he'd be exceptional in the running plays that Walter ran last season. I think one was a mis-direction pitch to get Walter outside in the open which Slaton should be better at.

I think Slaton needs to add a few lbs before he's given the full time job, if ever.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

That's the way I see it playing out. IMO, we need to get him on the field this year because of his speed and agility. Which is something we've severely lacked at the position. I do think it'll be on a limited basis his rookie season, but not only on 3rd down situations. I think he'd be exceptional in the running plays that Walter ran last season. I think one was a mis-direction pitch to get Walter outside in the open which Slaton should be better at.

I think Slaton needs to add a few lbs before he's given the full time job, if ever.

If the history of the Shanahan Broncos in any indication, there is really no predicting who will eventually be the primary back in their system.

Basically, it ended up being who was the healthiest best guy going.

Certainly, his history in college suggests that he can be a productive back when given opportunties.