KC Joyner on the Texans Defense

[Texans_Chick]

Hey, I know the offseason is long, so I put this post together over at the Chron blog:

Interview with ESPN's KC Joyner primarily about the Texans secondary

I thought his answers were pretty interesting. I'd put an excerpt of the most interesting parts, but really, I found it interesting throughout.

If you like this post, I would welcome you to leave a brief comment over there commenting on the interview. By doing so, you are demonstrating that there is a market for substantive football talk about the Texans. Nothing combative, but just talking about the substance of the post.

[Texan_Bill]

Me: The Texans are going to have to make a decision with Dunta Robinson who is a unrestricted free agent going into this offseason. They have the option to franchise him for a year if they want more time to assess how his damaged hamstring/knee heals up more this offseason. When Robinson was in the lineup in 2008, the Texans were 7-4 and with him in the starting lineup, they were 5-1. Any thoughts about Robinson's play?


KC: "I've had good and bad things to say about Robinson over the years but in the case of a franchise tag, all I can say is look at his YPA metrics over the past five seasons:

2008 - 7.5
2007 - 8.0
2006 - 7.4
2005 - 9.3
2004 - 6.6

To put these into perspective, consider that a YPA of 7.5 or better will typically rank a cornerback in the upper half of the league. Robinson's YPA has been at or near the 7.5 mark twice, has been below it once and has been above it twice. If that's a franchise level cornerback, I'm a Pulitzer prize winner. He's worth re-signing at the right price but I wouldn't break the bank on him."

Interesting thoughts on Dunta. Kinda where I'm at with him.


PS. If I haven't said it before Steph, thanks for the great job that you do.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

If you like this post, I would welcome you to leave a brief comment over there commenting on the interview. By doing so, you are demonstrating that there is a market for substantive football talk about the Texans. Nothing combative, but just talking about the substance of the post.

Oh, and unlike commenting to Chron.com articles, you do not have to register to leave a comment. Just leave a name and email addy (they don't collect those or do anything with them). It takes no time at all.

[utahmark]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

Interesting thoughts on Dunta. Kinda where I'm at with him.


PS. If I haven't said it before Steph, thanks for the great job that you do.

if the only thing he brought to the table was his cover skills, i would be with you. but he does a lot more for this team than just cover wide recievers.

[gtexan02]

Originally Posted by markbeth

if the only thing he brought to the table was his cover skills, i would be with you. but he does a lot more for this team than just cover wide recievers.

Exactly. YPA is a very limited stat, because it does not provide any indication for run support. CBs nowadays are being asked to do more than just play pass defense. His leadership role, tackling, and run support make him more valueable to this team than numbers alone can indicate

[gtexan02]

Me: In a forward focused view of the Texans, what do you think the key things they need to do to become a playoff caliber team?

KC: "The first thing they need is a ballhawk or two. With the kind of pressure their defensive line should be able to generate, the Texans secondary should be snagging a ton of interceptions but they had only 12 of them. They also had only 10 near interceptions in the games I've tracked, which is a terribly low number (20 or more for a season is solid total here).

This is what I've felt for a long time. I don't know if our players aren't "ballhawks" or if they are being coached not to make plays on the ball. Its difficult to discern coaching from natural ability

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by markbeth

if the only thing he brought to the table was his cover skills, i would be with you. but he does a lot more for this team than just cover wide recievers.

That's why I still do like him - because he does bring more to the table. I just have a problem when people think he's among the elite shut-down corners in the league.

[D-ReK]

Dunta is a tough one to figure out. His on-field production is good, but not great. He makes a few plays, and seems to get beat on a few plays every game. That being said, how much of that can be attributed to the 10 yard cushion that Smith/Hoke seemed to adore? Either way, stats don't tell the whole tale on him. He plays very well in run support and brings a fire to this team that was desperately lacking without him. I don't think he's worth elite CB money, but I wouldn't be outraged if that's what he ended up getting when it's all said and done.

[Tailgate]

I think it shows pretty much what we all already know....that we have to get to the QB next year. At the top of our needs is obviously a DE pass rushing threat opposite Mario as well as a big fat DT to absorb double teams and free up Okoye. A fierce DL will only make our current stable of CBs that much better. I think we can definitely get by with what we have currently (Molden should hopefully be a stud in the making). I mean when has our secondary ever had the luxury of a legit DL causing havoc and forcing multiple bad decisions? Throw in the ball hawking safety and its the two main issues he brings up that will hopefully be addressed heading into next year.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

This is what I've felt for a long time. I don't know if our players aren't "ballhawks" or if they are being coached not to make plays on the ball. Its difficult to discern coaching from natural ability

Hard to say.

I attended a high school coaching clinic in 2006 taught by the Texans coaching staff. I made a point of going to the session taught by Jon Hoke because I knew a lot of people were high on him but I wasn't seeing it.

He spent a lot of time talking about coverage techniques and gave us a handout about drills he did. I really didn't have a sense that he focused much on ballhawking skills with his drills or teachings. But maybe that was just to the audience that we were.

[Errant Hothy]

Joyner's stuff usually leads to some good discussion but this bothered me.

"The concerns probably had to do less with playcalling than it did how the defense didn't play up to its talent level. For instance, their defensive line has as much physical talent as just about any in the league and yet the team ended up with only 25 sacks.

Even though I agree that the Texans D-line has yet to play up to it's talent, I just cannot accept that it was the primary issue with this D. I think the bright spots we saw towards the end of the season were more about adjustments in scheme and playcalling, then players suddenly playing up to their talents levels.

[TEXANS84]

Good job TC, good read. I don't listen to 1560 too often, but that's hilarious about the "Petey's".

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by TEXANS84

Good job TC, good read. I don't listen to 1560 too often, but that's hilarious about the "Petey's".

I always laugh when they joke about the "Peteys" and LZ yells.. "Oh Petey"

[Porky]

When Robinson was in the lineup in 2008, the Texans were 7-4 and with him in the starting lineup, they were 5-1. Any thoughts about Robinson's play?

That whole sentence doesn't make any sense.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by Porky

That whole sentence doesn't make any sense.

The Texans were 2-3 when he did not start, in the games that he actually played. We were 1-4 when he was inactive.

11 Games Played, 6 Starts.

[IlliniJen]

Originally Posted by Porky

That whole sentence doesn't make any sense.

First stat is Dunta playing period. The second is him STARTING. Remember, he came of the bench the first couple of games back.

Is that right, TC?

[gtexan02]

Originally Posted by Porky

That whole sentence doesn't make any sense.

Theres a difference between playing and starting

[Porky]

Ya I re-read the sentence again. It was poorly worded but now that I read it again I follow what she is saying.

Good read and thanks as always TC!

[PHAROAH]

Not only do the players have to get better but the scheme must be better as well. Frank Bush stated that they will attack on defense he has to have the right players for that type of scheme plus the coaching must be on point.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Porky

Ya I re-read the sentence again. It was poorly worded but now that I read it again I follow what she is saying.

Good read and thanks as always TC!

Haha.

Given when and where I write a lot of these posts, it is amazing that they are comprehensible at all.

I have to sneak time to work on this stuff so sometimes they are written in a bunch of different times-late at night, early in the morning, some random place here or there.

I got a laptop for my birthday last year and that helped out some, along with more places having wireless. But it also means that I often am writing things with a bunch of other stuff going on around me.