Mario oh Mario

[silvrhand]

where art thou Mario???

Could you please find your A game in a big game that we need you? You didn't get double teamed the entire night you just sucked it up when we needed you the most to make a big play.. See big time players make big time plays when it's time, the closers for the Colts closed the game while you sat on the bench..

[Wolf6151]

Agreed. Mario got a couple QB pressures but for the most part was nonexistent like our DT's. Mario is overrated.

[panamamyers]

Mario showed up to the best of his ability. He's just not very good.
It's time to just call it like it is with him. He's not quick enough or savvy enough to be a good pass rusher. He will get a few sacks here and there, but he does not provide any sort of consistent pressure at all. Mark Anderson was much more disruptive last night.

[hobie]

During the pregame when they did that little piece on him, I was like huh...

He is good, I will give him credit, but to say he is a caged beast.. please. I told my wife great players do great things every game, not every once in a while. Hoping my talk would be served back to me, I was right.. Mario is good, he is not elite, he is not dominant, and well it is time to stop making Mario out to be this dominate player.. Dominate players show up every game.

[Scooter]

for all his physical talent, all a team needs to do is make him think and mario's removed from the play entirely. where freeney knows what he's going to do before each play (or 2 plays ahead as he sets up each move), mario has to stop and figure out his next move after the snap. absolutely zero natural instinct inside of a body sculpted perfectly for the role.

last night he was very vocal on the field, trying to help align the line. that is the LAST thing i'd want mario doing, regardless of who wants him to appear a leader. give that to smith until we get a legitimate nose tackle. mario's successes come from "brain off, you're A - get to B as soon as possible". he was most notably lost when he was standing up. that should've been a given to attack manning at the snap, but on most plays without a hand on the ground he paused to check the run before making a move on the tackle.

for his "unmasked" segment before the game comparing himself to a bull in the gates, he dang sure wasnt playing with the wild abandon needed for him to be successful.

[V Man]

Originally Posted by hobie

During the pregame when they did that little piece on him, I was like huh...

He is good, I will give him credit, but to say he is a caged beast.. please. I told my wife great players do great things every game, not every once in a while. Hoping my talk would be served back to me, I was right.. Mario is good, he is not elite, he is not dominant, and well it is time to stop making Mario out to be this dominate player.. Dominate players show up every game.

Thought the same thing when I saw that piece. (chuckled to myself "yeah right, will be lucky if I even see you make a play tonight now")

[Texan_Bill]

Mario has a little Stacy McLady in him:

[El Tejano]

When is Mario going to learn that spin move that we know Dwight Freeney is going to do but still can't stop?

[HOU-TEX]

The thing I blame Mario the most for is not taking it upon himself to better his attack arsenal. What moves does he have? A bullrush and that's it! Get some training and work on new moves. You're a beast, but you can't just go out and beat everyone one on one

[steelbtexan]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

Mario has a little Stacy McLady in him:

True, LOL

Mario isn't even a pimple on Freeney's a**

The difference is the game of football means alot more to Freeney than it does to Mario. It's his job to get to the QB on every play. Mario doesn't play that way.

[The1ApplePie]

Mario's a beast if he can bull rush his guy, a non-factor if he can't.

Same thing in college, which is why half of D'Brick's highlight films during the combine were him pimp-slapping Mario.

With 5 years in the NFL, you'd figure somebody would coach him to use a few moves.

[TimeKiller]

Gotta admit that caged bull ESPN thing was uh...

Reggie Bush-esque.

Mario's a good player, just not a great player. Certainly not a dominate player. Borderline probowler. All the talent and none of the desire.

[chicagotexan2]

Mario Williams - Cadillac body with a Yugo engine.

[VTexan]

I have always thought Mario would have been a great DT. If anyone watches him the whole game, he does very little moves. He bullrushes and that is about it.

[IDEXAN]

Mario is an outstanding strong-side 4-3 DE (or 3-4 DE for that matter), but he's not a quick-twitch weakside edge-rusher as Freeney most certainly is. Maybe Barwin was and still could be that guy for us, but Mario isn't and won't be.

[beerlover]

I'm sick & tired of this 4-3 BS! The Texans need to switch to a 3-4 if that means firing Kubiak & Co so be it. I think Mario & Antonio Smith could be fine ends in this alingment. Cody would have to be NT for now, with Earl his back-up, time to move on Amobi. Use four LB's (DeMeco will return next year) but for now stand-up Cushing & Adibi slot Sharpton & Diles inside (Barwin would be the other OLB next year after rehab).

I'm sure Mario is frustrated too, proof is just watching him on the sidelines shouting @ Kollar or throwing his hands up on the field. He is not being put into a position to succeed, period.

[drewmar74]

Originally Posted by IDEXAN

Mario is an outstanding strong-side 4-3 DE (or 3-4 DE for that matter), but he's not a quick-twitch weakside edge-rusher as Freeney most certainly is. Maybe Barwin was and still could be that guy for us, but Mario isn't and won't be.

Right. I agree with this and I've resigned myself to the fact that Mario is "meh" against the pass and really seems better against the run.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by beerlover

I'm sure Mario is frustrated too, proof is just watching him on the sidelines shouting @ Kollar or throwing his hands up on the field. He is not being put into a position to succeed, period.

I was not able to listen to the game commentary, but saw that interaction on the sidelines and would love to know what it was about.

[The Cush]

Mario got some pressures but as usual, all Manning had to do was step up into the pocket because there was NO push up the middle. Yea he hasn't been that great the last couple of games but he's one of the only staples on that line and its better to add talent next to him than to replace him. Also, at the beginning of the game they said Freeney was held without a sack for the previous 4 games, these guys just go through stretches...

[beerlover]

Originally Posted by The Cush

Mario got some pressures but as usual, all Manning had to do was step up into the pocket because there was NO push up the middle. Yea he hasn't been that great the last couple of games but he's one of the only staples on that line and its better to add talent next to him than to replace him. Also, at the beginning of the game they said Freeney was held without a sack for the previous 4 games, these guys just go through stretches...

and lay in wait to play Texans OL