For all the Doubters

[TexansFan#80]

It has finally bothered me to the point where I feel like this needs to be said. Just because we lose to Cleveland doesn't mean the Texans have lost all progression and will start off next season as an expansion team. If the sucky teams were supposed to lose all the time, then why did the Titans whoop up on the Packers? Why did Miami beat SB champs New England? Any given Sunday. On any given Sunday, any team can beat any team in the NFL.

[hou059]

Originally Posted by TexansFan#80

It has finally bothered me to the point where I feel like this needs to be said. Just because we lose to Cleveland doesn't mean the Texans have lost all progression and will start off next season as an expansion team. If the sucky teams were supposed to lose all the time, then why did the Titans whoop up on the Packers? Why did Miami beat SB champs New England? Any given Sunday. On any given Sunday, any team can beat any team in the NFL.

God Damn it! Thank You so much for posting this dude! You're absolutley right, On any Given Sunday any team can beat any team! That's why we play the games! Oh **** I guess the Patriots are set back a year for losing to the Dolphins...hell according to some folks here, why should the Texans even show up next season...afterall we lost to the Browns! How do you think the Jag's feel or Titans feel losing to us, think their fans are saying **** like our's are? Heck no! I bet they don't think they lost progression because they lost to a third year team!

Originally Posted by TexansFan#80

It has finally bothered me to the point where I feel like this needs to be said. Just because we lose to Cleveland doesn't mean the Texans have lost all progression and will start off next season as an expansion team. If the sucky teams were supposed to lose all the time, then why did the Titans whoop up on the Packers? Why did Miami beat SB champs New England? Any given Sunday. On any given Sunday, any team can beat any team in the NFL.

The loss to Cleveland should bring us back to reality. What it shows is that we can't get by without addressing our weaknesses. I believe we felt that "The Team" could make the playoffs next year despite our weak offense and bad rushing defense after it beat Chicago and Jax on the road. The Cleveland game proved otherwise. It's that simple. Because of that, we must knock our expectations down a level because, now that we realize we can't get by without making some changes, there is no way of knowing if those changes will actually be made -- not to mention if they will be successful even if the changes do come to pass. Thus, expectations based on the Browns game must drop back to where they were this year going into Game 16. The fact is that "The Team" failed to reach the expectations we had going into the final game and we can't expect to reach the next level until we reach the goal -- which is a step below playoff contention. Let us also remember that some of the players this year were actually talking about making the playoffs. Does that mean that, since "The Team" failed to reach that goal, that this season is a failure? Realistic goals and realistic expectations are important when rating a team's success. They cannot be too lofty or else we will rush to judgment without exercising patience and yank the cake out of the oven before it's baked.

[hou059]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

The loss to Cleveland should bring us back to reality. What it shows is that we can't get by without addressing our weaknesses. I believe we felt that "The Team" could make the playoffs next year despite our weak offense and bad rushing defense after it beat Chicago and Jax on the road. The Cleveland game proved otherwise. It's that simple. Because of that, we must knock our expectations down a level because, now that we realize we can't get by without making some changes, there is no way of knowing if those changes will actually be made -- not to mention if they will be successful even if the changes do come to pass. Thus, expectations based on the Browns game must drop back to where they were this year going into Game 16. The fact is that "The Team" failed to reach the expectations we had going into the final game and we can't expect to reach the next level until we reach the goal -- which is a step below playoff contention. Let us also remember that some of the players this year were actually talking about making the playoffs. Does that mean that, since "The Team" failed to reach that goal, that this season is a failure? Realistic goals and realistic expectations are important when rating a team's success. They cannot be too lofty or else we will rush to judgment without exercising patience and yank the cake out of the oven before it's baked.

Man you have a conservative way of thinking....who are you? Is this Dom Capers? Geeze!

[MichaelMC]

I only expected them to go 7-9 this season (now they did loose some that I thought the would when *cough*last week*cough*, but they also won some I thought they would loose) so I guess they met my goals and I thought after their 7-9 season this year next year would be playoff contenders next year, and since they met my expectations this year I don't have to lower my expectations in 05.

P.S. players saying they are not eliminated from the playoffs is a lot different that saying they expected to make the playoff or setting that goal for the 05 season.

Guess I'm just stealing your water cause mine is half full and yours is half empty.

[hou059]

ROCK ON!

Originally Posted by MichaelMC

I only expected them to go 7-9 this season (now they did loose some that I thought the would when *cough*last week*cough*, but they also won some I thought they would loose) so I guess they met my goals and I thought after their 7-9 season this year next year would be playoff contenders next year, and since they met my expectations this year I don't have to lower my expectations in 05.

P.S. players saying they are not eliminated from the playoffs is a lot different that saying they expected to make the playoff or setting that goal for the 05 season.

Guess I'm just stealing your water cause mine is half full and yours is half empty.

My expectations were 7-9 as well going into the season but by week 16 I had adjusted them up a notch after they beat Chicago and Jax on the road. I felt that they were on a roll and were better than I thought they were. I was brought back to reality in week 17. But to think that a 7-9 team will make the jump to playoff contention is unrealistic. Heck, they've never even reached 8-8! There are tons of teams that get stuck at 8-8 for years! Not to mention that "The Team" has never had a winning season and you expect playoffs next year? Sure, some teams like the Steelers made the jump. But the Steelers have been around a lot, lot longer than the Texans -- heck, the Steelers coach has been around longer than the Texans franchise! SD made the big jump this year, but remember they've been around a lot longer than the Texans -- including a visit to the Super Bowl. For someone to say that SD and Pitt made the jump in just one year is a huge misnomer. And SD had a heckuva lot of mediocre seasons out of the playoffs -- the last nine, as I recall -- before reversing the tide. To expect the Texans to make the playoffs next year after going 7-9 is actually a disservice to "The Team." You are expecting way, way too much from them.

[gwallaia]

Everyone needs to read aj's latest Voice of the Fan right here on the Texans website.

[hou059]

Hell I already read it and I loved it. I think all the nay-sayers ought to read that article.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

SD made the big jump this year, but remember they've been around a lot longer than the Texans -- including a visit to the Super Bowl.

LOL--yeah the fact that the Chargers went to the superbowl after the 1994 season (is there anyone on the team from that team still?) has tons to do with their improvement from last year to this--rationalize much?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by gwallaia

Everyone needs to read aj's latest Voice of the Fan right here on the Texans website.

I thought it was the best one of the year myself.

[Marcus]

Well, if you want to take the glass half-full approach, which should recommended to all:

The loss to Cleveland prevents players, coaches, and especially the fans from going into next season with a false sense of security. I can just see it very clearly. If we had rolled over the Browns to go 8-8 with a 3 game win streak, there would be many that would have the mistaken belief that we had, in Capers words, "taken that last step" to be a consistantly winning playoff contender.

That 'last step" will be the hardest, most difficult one to take. Welcome back to that cruel, cold world of reality.

[Doug]

I don't see what a team being around longer has to do with much considering personnel changes yearly and it's not like san diego's players have been around forever. Seems their younger players put it together stepped it up and made this year happen just as ours will do next year.

Originally Posted by Marcus

Well, if you want to take the glass half-full approach, which should recommended to all:

The loss to Cleveland prevents players, coaches, and especially the fans from going into next season with a false sense of security. I can just see it very clearly. If we had rolled over the Browns to go 8-8 with a 3 game win streak, there would be many that would have the mistaken belief that we had, in Capers words, "taken that last step" to be a consistantly winning playoff contender.

That 'last step" will be the hardest, most difficult one to take. Welcome back to that cruel, cold world of reality.

Right on!

Originally Posted by infantrycak

LOL--yeah the fact that the Chargers went to the superbowl after the 1994 season (is there anyone on the team from that team still?) has tons to do with their improvement from last year to this--rationalize much?

Um, the fact that they have been there and went through all kinds of hades before getting back into the playoffs has nothing to do with 2004-5? Tell that to Junior Seau.

[MichaelMC]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

My expectations were 7-9 as well going into the season but by week 16 I had adjusted them up a notch after they beat Chicago and Jax on the road. I felt that they were on a roll and were better than I thought they were. I was brought back to reality in week 17. But to think that a 7-9 team will make the jump to playoff contention is unrealistic. Heck, they've never even reached 8-8! There are tons of teams that get stuck at 8-8 for years! Not to mention that "The Team" has never had a winning season and you expect playoffs next year? Sure, some teams like the Steelers made the jump. But the Steelers have been around a lot, lot longer than the Texans -- heck, the Steelers coach has been around longer than the Texans franchise! SD made the big jump this year, but remember they've been around a lot longer than the Texans -- including a visit to the Super Bowl. For someone to say that SD and Pitt made the jump in just one year is a huge misnomer. And SD had a heckuva lot of mediocre seasons out of the playoffs -- the last nine, as I recall -- before reversing the tide. To expect the Texans to make the playoffs next year after going 7-9 is actually a disservice to "The Team." You are expecting way, way too much from them.

So now your telling me that after one win against a mediocre team in chicago and a great performance in a divisional rivalry that we were a step closer to the playoffs. Does that mean that Miami is a step closer because they beat thier division rilvals the PATs. So you changed your expectaions based on that principal and are now disappointed because they only met your original expectations and not your new found hope based on 8 quarters of football. but 4 quarters is enough to get you dicouraged and say we have barely progressed. One bad last game of the season you did a complete 180 on your expectation.

Hey a bandwagon is coming by better jump on!!!!!!

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

Um, the fact that they have been there and went through all kinds of hades before getting back into the playoffs has nothing to do with 2004-5? Tell that to Junior Seau.

Square peg in the round logic hole there scooter. The fact that the Chargers were in the SB in 1995 has zero, zip, nada to do with their transformation from 4-12 to 12-4.

And pssst--Seau was released, he didn't choose to leave the Chargers out of disgust.

Originally Posted by Doug

I don't see what a team being around longer has to do with much considering personnel changes yearly and it's not like san diego's players have been around forever. Seems their younger players put it together stepped it up and made this year happen just as ours will do next year.

Experiencing the ups and downs of the NFL and realizing how hard it is and how long it takes to move from level to level is very relevant. It took the Chargers a long, long time to go from mediocrity to success. It was a slow, slow process -- not just a one-season turnaround. And here some of us are, talking about playoffs in just our fourth year after getting whipped by the worst team in the NFL at home less than a week ago?

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by trijcomm

Experiencing the ups and downs of the NFL and realizing how hard it is and how long it takes to move from level to level is very relevant.

Who had this oh so relevant experience, the mascot? There is noone there from the 1994 team.

Originally Posted by infantrycak

Square peg in the round logic hole there scooter. The fact that the Chargers were in the SB in 1995 has zero, zip, nada to do with their transformation from 4-12 to 12-4.

And pssst--Seau was released, he didn't choose to leave the Chargers out of disgust.

Simplistic reasoning again -- and even that's a little flawed. You make it sound like presto, change-o, 4-12 to 12-4 -- it was that easy! But you fail to recognize that it took nine long years to go from the heights and then plummet to the dregs and slowly climb out again. It takes a long, long time to go from level to level in the NFL -- something a lot of folks around here seem to have a problem fathoming. And as for Seau, it wasn't like he was released because he couldn't cut it anymore, now, was he?