St. Louis Rams (this week's new Texans descriptor phrase)

[GP]

Last week, I started a thread entitled "3rd & 19" that I said described the Texans. This week, the descriptor phrase is "St. Louis Rams." Not because of the similarities. But rather, because of the differences.

St. Louis Rams: An awful previous season. A rookie QB. Who is their coach again? Few playmakers on their offense AND few playmakers on their defense.

And yet there they are: Sitting at 6-6 right now.

Is this just luck? How can we rationalize that the Texans are better than the Rams, even though the Rams are clutching out their games and failing to realize how awful they are?

Can we even compare these two teams, or is this an apples-to-oranges comparison?

Interested to see the responses on the discussion about the path these two teams have taken this season.

[HOU-TEX]

The Rams have a defensive-minded coach.

[HJam72]

Schedule? I'm not even gonna bother looking.

[houstonhurricane]

Originally Posted by HJam72

Schedule? I'm not even gonna bother looking.

In all fairness, they "battle" San Fran, Seattle and Arizona for six of their games...

[GP]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

The Rams have a defensive-minded coach.

That's one reason. A good defense will limit the other teams' offense.

This will allow a lesser Rams offense to be required to do less, in terms of scoring points. Just convert the chances you get, when you get them.

[michaelm]

They're in the NFC West, for starters.
Also, I'm pretty sure that they haven't beaten a team with a winning record yet. Their schedule looks unbelievable soft at this point.

[DexmanC]

Sam Bradford is a FRANCHISE QB in his rookie season.

Matt Schaub is a decent/average/ain't-gonna-get-no-better QB in
his SEVENTH season. Huge difference. The Rams are actually getting
better as time goes on. Same goes for the Jets, Falcons, Lions, Patriots,
Chiefs, Raiders, and so on... The Texans?

Standing in place, and are proud of it.

[GP]

Originally Posted by houstonhurricane

In all fairness, they "battle" San Fran, Seattle and Arizona for six of their games...

Yeah? Well, we "battle" the mighty Colts (who aren't mighty this year) and the awesome Titans (who aren't "awesome" this year).

There's four wins for us, if we look at it that way.

The Jags are not world beaters either.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by GP

That's one reason. A good defense will limit the other teams' offense.

This will allow a lesser Rams offense to be required to do less, in terms of scoring points. Just convert the chances you get, when you get them.

Most defensive-minded coaches coach to pound the ball on offense and stop the run on defense. That's my kind of coach. Kubiak has thrown on the first possession of every game. Kubiak single-handedly lost the 2nd Colts game by forcing the pass.

Give me a coach like Spags, or at least a good coach that'll bring in a DC with a sack and experience at whoopin that ass

[houstonhurricane]

Originally Posted by GP

Yeah? Well, we "battle" the mighty Colts (who aren't mighty this year) and the awesome Titans (who aren't "awesome" this year).

There's four wins for us, if we look at it that way.

The Jags are not world beaters either.

Look, we stink and our division is nothing to brag about. But the NFC South is still well below the quality of Indy, Jax and even us...at least for now.

[GuerillaBlack]

Originally Posted by houstonhurricane

Look, we stink and our division is nothing to brag about. But the NFC South is still well below the quality of Indy, Jax and even us...at least for now.

Agreed. We went 3-1 against the NFC West last year. Not a real powerful division. The Texans still suck though. New coach is needed.

Originally Posted by DexmanC

Sam Bradford is a FRANCHISE QB in his rookie season.

Matt Schaub is a decent/average/ain't-gonna-get-no-better QB in
his SEVENTH season. Huge difference. The Rams are actually getting
better as time goes on. Same goes for the Jets, Falcons, Lions, Patriots,
Chiefs, Raiders, and so on... The Texans?

Standing in place, and are proud of it.

I feel sorry for Matt Schaub. He receives so much hate. Schaub is an above-average QB. He's not an elite QB (Grade A), but he is above-average (Grade B). Schaub is still in the top ten in the league.

[Mailman]

Stupid thread. The NFC West is a joke! We would handle the Rams easily.

[HTown2ATX]

Why does everyone assume we would handle the Rams?

The NFC West is a joke, but so is the AFC South. Our division is friggin GARBAGE this year. The NFC West and AFC South could possibly both send an 8-8 team to the playoffs.

Lol....seriously......AFC South is unfortunately not much better than the NFC West...sorry to have to say that but it's true. Our defense sucks. Bradford could throw for 300+. You don't think so?

Look at other **** QB's and WR's we have made to look like Montana and Rice this year.

Ajiritoutou anyone? Enough said.

[RTP2110]

Originally Posted by DexmanC

The Rams are actually getting
better as time goes on. Same goes for the Jets, Falcons, Lions, Patriots,
Chiefs, Raiders, and so on... The Texans?

Standing in place, and are proud of it.

Yep, go ahead and add Cleveland who was terrible last year, and have the same record as us. Add Tampa Bay too. They were terrible last year, play in a tough division, and we'd kill to have their record right now.

[Doppelganger]

Originally Posted by DexmanC

Sam Bradford is a FRANCHISE QB in his rookie season.

Matt Schaub is a decent/average/ain't-gonna-get-no-better QB in
his SEVENTH season. Huge difference. The Rams are actually getting
better as time goes on. Same goes for the Jets, Falcons, Lions, Patriots,
Chiefs, Raiders, and so on... The Texans?

Standing in place, and are proud of it.

Bradford was the #1 pick in the draft. If he was anything BUT a franchise QB he would be a bust. Schaub was a top 5QB last year and is a top 10 QB this year. If he had some semblance of a Defense, the team would have beaten SD, Jags, Jets, and Eagles. Instead of being 5-7, they would be 9-3 and in contention for not only the division, but best record of the AFC. Don't blame Schaub, blame the piss-poor D.

[Mailman]

Apologies in advance, but anyone who thinks the NFC West is anywhere remotely close to the AFC South is either completely out of their mind with blind rage over our collective struggles or does not watch NFL football. The idea that the Rams are a better team with a brighter future is flat out laughable.

Yeah, we're 5-7 again but we've also played a very tough schedule. We lose every damn week against those division-leading good teams, yet we're in every game despite our historically awful defense.

One quick glance at the Rams schedule and you see why they're 6-6. They are a bad team made mediocre by a function of a very favorable schedule against terrible, terrible teams.

This ranking is fair and places us where we actually deserve to be overall. We are a mediocre team made worse by a function of an unfavorable schedule.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teameff

[ensign_lee]

If we had the schedule of anyone in the NFC West, we'd have at least 9 wins right now.

Try not to let your blind hatred cloud your judgment so much.

[HTown2ATX]

Personally, I am not saying the Rams are "better" than the Texans and I'm definitely not blinded by rage or something like that.

I'm not saying the Rams would blow us out, but if you think the Texans would just shred the Rams you are blinded by sunshine and carebears while thinking some of us are blinded by rage.

We've had more than a few games in hand that have turned into just total embarassing losses. Meanwhile the the Rams, who blow according to everyone, including me - not saying they are world beaters here - have managed to grab a hold of their division and may just make the playoffs with a rookie QB and no playmakers.

Houston - with playmakers and vets on both sides of the ball have a worse record.

You play the teams on your schedule and in your division, that's all you can do and that's all that matters regardless of SOS or whatever.

The record and division states who you are and the division and overall record state that overall as of this moment in time, the Rams are an example of why Kubiak and the coaches should be embarassed.

"If" we had their record, "If" we didn't have such a strong SOS, "If"....too many "if's" and too late in the season.

[steelbtexan]

[ QUOTE=HJam72;1601063]Schedule? I'm not even gonna bother looking.[/quote]

^^^^
This, the Texans had a schedule that was comparable to the Rams schedule last yr. They finished 9-7.

This is the yr of no excuses.

[houstonspartan]

Originally Posted by Mailman

Apologies in advance, but anyone who thinks the NFC West is anywhere remotely close to the AFC South is either completely out of their mind with blind rage over our collective struggles or does not watch NFL football. The idea that the Rams are a better team with a brighter future is flat out laughable.

Yeah, we're 5-7 again but we've also played a very tough schedule. We lose every damn week against those division-leading good teams, yet we're in every game despite our historically awful defense.

One quick glance at the Rams schedule and you see why they're 6-6. They are a bad team made mediocre by a function of a very favorable schedule against terrible, terrible teams.

This ranking is fair and places us where we actually deserve to be overall. We are a mediocre team made worse by a function of an unfavorable schedule.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teameff

Apologies in advance, but, anyone who doesn't see that the AFC South is mediocre this year and is ripe for the taking is either completely out of their mind with blind acceptance of our mediocrity or does not watch NFL football.

Also, I'm tired of the "tough schedule" argument.

Tough schedule? Tough ****. Play the games you're given.