AJ speaks to Hollywood celeb John McClain

[nunusguy]

Yup - that's our AJ. He called up 610 just now to talk to McCalin about the
Chron article by Lopez - which I'm sure is posted elsewhere but I'll include anyway -
regarding our OL problems. But McClain's answer was not very responsive re
line problems, he was too busy being a Hollywood star talking about his new career and the Hollywood scene.
Geez AJ sounds so old, I figured he was a
younger guy !
Here's the Chron article covering many things we've hashed around re the OL - in case you haven't already seen it.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3200517

[TEXANS84]

What did AJ have to say about the Chron article?

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by TEXANS84

What did AJ have to say about the Chron article?

paraphraing of course, but AJ just kinda summarized what Lopez said in the
Chronicle article - Texans look uncertain and even worried and confused about the OL

[ledzeppelin229]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Yup - that's our AJ. He called up 610 just now to talk to McCalin about the
Chron article by Lopez - which I'm sure is posted elsewhere but I'll include anyway -
regarding our OL problems. But McClain's answer was not very responsive re
line problems, he was too busy being a Hollywood star talking about his new career and the Hollywood scene.
Geez AJ sounds so old, I figured he was a
younger guy !
Here's the Chron article covering many things we've hashed around re the OL - in case you haven't already seen it.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3200517

At first glance I thought you were talking about Andre

[aj.]

Actually the purpose of my call was to give JM a hard time over what Carter Toole wrote about him (in jest) on the website - then while I was on hold, Rich starts talking about the same stuff being put out for wire copy as if it was real. I almost hung up when he "stole my thunder." They got me in during a stretch of great radio - in between the Arnold Ziffel/Green Acres talk and Elyse Lanier.

[Vinny]

I figured I as older than aj. Hes a pretty young looking 'old guy' if you ask me.

[aj.]

I got you by a few.

[JustBonee]

AJ old? No Way!! I didn't hear you on the radio today aj, but the last time I saw you and talked to you, which was way back at Reliant Arena last year .. no old man! (you were checking out the crowd there, and someone in particular) ..hehe I remember.

AJ is a fountain of knowledge and seems to know/remember everything about football.
If he was OLD, he would be senile ...

[WWJD]

John McClain has always been very interested in movies and all that...as long as I've heard him he'll bring that kind of stuff up. They talk about alot of things on 610. Billy Gibbons was on this afternoon with those guys!

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Geez AJ sounds so old, I figured he was a
younger guy !

Of course I'm BSing big time - AJ sounds even more youthful than what I would have guessed - he's still in the flower of his youth no doubt.
As for McClain and his response to AJ's request for an analysis on Lopez's
story in todays Chronical, it was disappointing. I think McClain really has
gone Hollywood because any answer he has to a question about the
NFL lately sounds like he's reading from a script. The guy just regurgitates stock answers from his latest newspaper story instead of responding on the spot with some origionality and insight. Oh well, I guess when you get to be a big star.....
But Lopez wrote a really good story hitting on a lot of concerns that get batted around here all the time.

[jr0ck]

from the lopez article:

Nor, when it comes to making the playoffs, will improvement along the defensive line, in the secondary or in the running game.

WOW, i think mr. lopez is WAY too focused on the microcosm that is our line. sure, it has been the biggest dissapointment since the day we knew tony b. wasn't going to ever suit up, but to undermine a what looks like a much improved defense like that struck me. yeah we gave up 49 sacks, yeah carr took a pounding his first year...were we not one of only six teams to have a 3000+ yd passer, a 1000+ yd reciever and a 1000+ yd back? that is six out of thirty two. with the a top 15 defense and last year's horrid OL play we would have made the play-offs. so if we hover around 15 in total defense, our skill guys have at least the same production as last year and our line gets marginally better at passing and/or running we definately have the possiblity to reach 10-6...or dare i day better ?!?!?!?

i know it's the off-season and anyone hardcore enough to stick around here during the summer heat can go a little crazy, but it's no excuse to start talking like it

on a related note, the focus on different players taking reps at different positions is being WAY over-anaylized. didn't wong spend almost all of the '04 pre-season in the middle, only to play in certain 3rd down packages? what if wand has made so much progress pendry/capers thinks chester could use the reps since he is our best avaible back-up at LT. i'm just saying the glass can be half full

[disaacks3]

Originally Posted by jr0ck

were we not one of only six teams to have a 3000+ yd passer, a 1000+ yd reciever and a 1000+ yd back? that is six out of thirty two. with the a top 15 defense and last year's horrid OL play we would have made the play-offs.

Let's examine that 3000/1000/1000 stat a little bit. Despite being "one of the six", our offensive ranking wasn't close to the "top six" an our scoring offense was quite a bit farther back in the pack.

I didn't take Lopez' article as a "bashing" of the rest of the team, I think he pointed out what many on this board (and throughout the NFL) already have....depite having MAJOR issues with the Offensive line, the Texans (to this point) have done little to address it. Is there somebody out there that thinks having Pitts still floating between two different line positions at this late date is a GOOD thing?

[Vinny]

The first game is a long time away. This isn't a 'late date' to be looking at line combinations. Did we really expect a team coming off its second year as one the worst offenses in the NFL to be "top 6" last year? Wouldn't that kind of make this a weak league? I thought we had a pretty good season despite some breakdowns you will normally see in young developing teams. We had 4 new starters on the line last year and put out a project a year earlier than ideal. The developmental snaps are over for us, and we roll into year 4 just like they said from day one....mostly with guys we drafted and a few veterans peppering the lineup. We won't even approach having 4 new starters in the line this year since we will have one new starter max. We ended up right at .500 and look good to me heading into 2005's season. I don't get the endless hand wringing we seem to be doing all summer over this issue. Seems the team is just looking at guys in different spots so we can make a plan going into camp.

[jr0ck]

I think he pointed out what many on this board (and throughout the NFL) already have....depite having MAJOR issues with the Offensive line, the Texans (to this point) have done little to address it. Is there somebody out there that thinks having Pitts still floating between two different line positions at this late date is a GOOD thing?

the opinoin of the rest of the NFL (at this point in the pre-season) doesn't hold alot of weight IMO when concerning our boys. players/coaches spend enough time worrying about improving their own teams to have a real good feel for other teams out there. i'll take the popular opinoin throughout the leauge after we've played a few games, and the line either performs or doesn't, a little more seriously.

all of what vinny said plus:

is there somebody out there who doesn't like the idea of our best linemen on the field at all times? if wand gets hurt, i'll take pitts at LT ahead of a UDFA LT just because he is number two on the depth chart.

[disaacks3]

Originally Posted by Vinny

The first game is a long time away. This isn't a 'late date' to be looking at line combinations.

It is if you believe the Texans coaching staff. They've been trying to convince everyone that the dismal performances we had last year will be solved by merely having more time to 'gel' as a unit and time to settle into their positions. Having Pitts swap out 50% of the time at LT again doesn't bode well for 'settling in'.

I WANT this all to work out for the better, but if the Texans can't protect Carr any better than last year (and there's scant evidence to believe that they can), it's gonna be a long year. The offensive unit needs to produce on a consistant basis, or else the ugly 'emotional' team from last year might emerge and start giving up on games again.

[jr0ck]

there's scant evidence to believe that they can

just as, at this point in the pre-season, there is scant evidence to believe they can't

[El Tejano]

Originally Posted by Vinny

Seems the team is just looking at guys in different spots so we can make a plan going into camp.

I was going to mention this. I mean, wouldn't now be the time to look at things like this before camp starts. Now if we are doing this in the middle of training camp, then we may have an issue but right now is more of a what if scenario.