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Jim Rome gives his take . . .

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
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►JIM ROME GIVES HIS TAKE ON PRETENDERS AND CONTENDERS

There are no super teams in the NFL this year, just a handful of very good teams. There are pretenders, contenders and one team to beat. You can't call the Chicago Bears a contender when they're not even the best team in their own division. They don't beat Green Bay with Jay Cutler, and they won't beat anyone without him – pretender.

So much to like about the Texans, a game-breaking running back in Arian Foster, a game changing pass rusher in J.J. Watt, but a defense that's hemorrhaging that just made Chad Henne look like John Elway –pretender.

The Broncos are a force because Von Miller is a freak. And if they'd can get to the second round with Tim Tebow playing quarterback, think how far they'll get with a quarterback playing quarterback – contender.

As usual, with the Patriots, it's time Tom Brady, and his tight ends and a bunch of ghosts on defense. Their window has already slammed shut. They just don't know it – pretender.

I asked Aaron Rodgers if his team is Super Bowl good. He said not yet. He’s right. He's the best player in the game, but even he can't win a Super Bowl lying on his back. Not yet, not this year – pretender.

As for the quarterback issue in San Francisco, Jim Harbaugh can start himself, for all I care. As long as he starts Willis, Bowman, Smith and Smith on defense, nobody wants any part of the dudes in gold helmets –contender.

The Atlanta Falcons haven't shown up for a playoff game in the last two years. This year they finally ball- up because they finally D-up, ask Drew Brees – contender.

I love Ray Rice converting a fourth-and-29 for the Ravens. I hate that he needed it to beat the Chargers. Joe Flacco's mojo doesn't travel – pretender.

If I have to call my shot, I'm calling it on the 7‑4 snake in the grass, New York Giants. Nobody in sports flips the switch like the G-men. Get to January and ride or die with Eli, his freaky wide-outs and the QB killers on the D‑line. If I'm rolling with one team, I'm getting behind Big Blue.
 

DocBar

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
So much to like about the Texans, a game-breaking running back in Arian Foster, a game changing pass rusher in J.J. Watt, but a defense that's hemorrhaging that just made Chad Henne look like John Elway –pretender.
:overreact:
:wadepalm:
'nuff said
 
If they don't get the pass defense worked out soon, I can't really argue with him. Imagine having to face The Fivehead again in the playoffs with the way things are now compared to how they played with a fully healthy defense. It would be ugly.

Luckily, they've still got a few weeks to work things out and get healthy.
 

DocBar

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
If they don't get the pass defense worked out soon, I can't really argue with him. Imagine having to face The Fivehead again in the playoffs with the way things are now compared to how they played with a fully healthy defense. It would be ugly.

Luckily, they've still got a few weeks to work things out and get healthy.
If we face The Fivehead again, it'll be in Reliant Stadium. Eardrums will be destroyed and so will The Fivehead's mojo. Can you imagine how loud that stadium will be with the Texans facing Peyton Manning in the playoffs? :kingkong:
 

Allstar

Bona fide
Might as well piggyback this thread and post Peter King's top 5 teams:

Fine Fifteen

1. New England (9-3). What a schedule over the next two months, of games scheduled and not (yet) scheduled. Tick ... tick ... tick.

2. Houston (11-1). Just seven days until Texans-Pats, Monday-nighter, Foxboro.

3. San Francisco (8-3-1). Just 13 days until Niners-Pats, Sunday-nighter, Foxboro.

4. Denver (9-3). Just 48 days until Broncos-Pats, AFC Championship Game, Foxboro.

5. Atlanta (11-1). Just 62 days until Falcons-Pats, Super Bowl XLVII, New Orleans.
 

michaelm

vox nihili
It's hard for me to understand how I used to listen to his show.... it's time for Mr. Rome, to ride into the sunset with his millions, if you ask me...
 

Texans_Chick

Utopian Dreamer
Wait, is there a BCS for the NFL that determines who will play whom for the Super Bowl?

No?

Well then.....


DDDOOOOONNNN'T CAAAAAAAARE
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
link
If I have to call my shot, I'm calling it on the 7‑4 snake in the grass, New York Giants. Nobody in sports flips the switch like the G-men. Get to January and ride or die with Eli, his freaky wide-outs and the QB killers on the D‑line. If I'm rolling with one team, I'm getting behind Big Blue.
I'm not going to lie. If the Giants do it again this year, I'll be a believer. Last year I called on the Giants to be the NFC representative, because they were the most veteran team, their offense was clicking this time last year, and their defense was getting healthy.

This year, I'm just not seeing it. Their offense is hot & cold to me. Last year's xfactor (Victor Cruz) is just another receiver this year. I feel like their defense is trying to be what they were last year & it just don't work that way. Last year was last year. Like Jj Watt. I think he forgot last year a long time ago & he's trying to be the best he can now. While doing so, he totally blew last year out of the water.

I honestly thought the 49ers were going to the Super Bowl, but with the QB monkey wrench they threw in there it's wide open.

AFC wise. It's Denver. They're playing the best right now & they're getting better.

I'm not counting the Texans out. If we secure the bye week I think we stand a very good chance. I'm not worried about Jjo getting into "game shape" He can come in with no practice if he's healthy & be that guy we need him to be. I'm not worried about Brooks Reed. He's depth, we need him in the rotation, but I want to see Merci & Barwin grow in there current roles. I'm not worried about McCain, he's been taking a beating all year. He's a warrior, I like him, but I'd rather Brandon Harris grows into that role.

Our biggest issue is ILB. Sounds like we're going with Sharpton. He needs to grow in that role (MIKE). I don't know what the plans are for Dobbins & Rudd. I don't know which I prefer. But whoever it is, he needs to grow.

The only thing I'm worried about up front, is staying healthy. Those guys give it up every down, of every game. Leaving nothing on the field & it's just Jj, Antonio, & Crick. And they are all important, very important.

All that said, these guys don't quit, they find a way to keep us in the game, & the best team in the NFL is going to have a rough day when they're playing them boys from Kirby.
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
It's nice that we can actually believe the Texans can make the Super Bowl. That in itself is a huge change from our past.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
Patriots and Texans, both pretenders, happened to miraculously beat Denver, a contender.
I can understand his reasoning for calling the Texans pretenders at this point a defense that is hemoraging because of all the injuries.

They ran out their 5th and 6th CB's yesterday against the Titans in the second half.
Four of their top 5 LBers are hurt too in Cushing , James , Reed and Dobbins and NT Cody was out for a while.

Thats about as close to a defense hemoraging as you can get ....

The fact that they have continued to post W's despite all those injuries does lead me to believe that Rome's opinion is wrong .... tho if they dont get some of these guy's back by playoff time and the quality of opponent improves .... we might be lookin for excuses again.


The Texans beat Denver when they were relatively healthy .... we're a long way from that now.
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
'eh, Rome has a point. An obvious point, of course, but still a valid point.

Defenses win championships most of the time. We will be facing teams that have QB leaders who are experienced in the post-season, many who have won championships. Our coverage is our Achilles heel. Manning and Brady could have field days if we cannot get consistent pressure on them.

Another factor: I dig Schaub, but let's face it, he's a playoff virgin right now. We just don't know how he will perform until he actually does it. I've got faith in the man, but it's blind faith simply because we have never seen him play in January.

I'm as hopeful as anyone about the Texans, but I'm also pragmatic and a cynic about Houston football teams in the playoffs. We have NEVER had a great playoff team in this city, so please excuse my nature in that regard.

11-1 has us high as kites. But come January, 12 teams start a new season at 0-0. Regular season is a means to an end, and certainly having home-field throughout is a valid goal. But that, in and of itself, does not win games.

At least we have last season for some experience. Just hope Schaub continues to shine and our defense can hide it's injury warts.

GO TEXANS! :texflag:
 
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thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
The fact that they have continued to post W's despite all those injuries does lead me to believe that Rome's opinion is wrong .... tho if they dont get some of these guy's back by playoff time and the quality of opponent improves .... we might be lookin for excuses again.


The Texans beat Denver when they were relatively healthy .... we're a long way from that now.
I think the Ws just tells you how good our coaches are. Across the board. I don't think Rome is necessarily wrong, he calls it like he sees it. Like you said, this is not the same team that beat the Broncos & those aren't the same Broncos we beat. We were the veteran team then. We were the team with continuity & team veterans. Now, it's completely flopped. They're perfecting their schemes & packages they've been installing since September.

We're still trying to figure out who is going to start next 6 days.

We've got time now, to close that gap by the time we have to see them in the play-offs. If we see them in the play-offs and it's going to be a whole new game.
 

AcresHomesTexan

No Longer Arlington: Escaped From Jerry's World
Staff member

Big Lou

Hall of Fame
He's a talk show host, thats about it.

He can say all he wants, so we had two rough games defensively, so what, guess what Jim, we WE STILL WON.....

San Fran, one of his quote unquote contenders:
Lost and tied a 5-6-1 Rams
Lost to a 6-6 Vikings
Lost to a solid GB, and NY
So what makes them a solid contender compared to us.

Denver
Lost to Prentender #1: Houston
Lost to Prentender #2: New England
Lost to a "Contender": Atlanta
In all honesty, Denver scares me, but we still beat them, and matched up well against them, and match ups result in records, and records are what matter, not douche bag hosts.


In what universe do contenders get beat by prentenders and still get to be considered better?

Guys a loser, Houston isn't perfect, but guess what they aren't a prentender, hard to get to 11-1 as a pretender. Only Prentender is this is Jim Rome, so suck it Rome.
 

EllisUnit

Vote RED!!!
His reason we are pretenders is because Henne had a good game against us :kitten:. This dude is a dumb ass.

We are tied for the best record in the NFL, Went to Detroit, Chicago, NY, DENVER and won. Are undefeated on the road. This guy is the bigges sprotscaster joke i have ever seen.
 

Showtime100

Got JJ?
He's a talk show host, thats about it.

He can say all he wants, so we had two rough games defensively, so what, guess what Jim, we WE STILL WON.....

San Fran, one of his quote unquote contenders:
Lost and tied a 5-6-1 Rams
Lost to a 6-6 Vikings
Lost to a solid GB, and NY
So what makes them a solid contender compared to us.


Denver
Lost to Prentender #1: Houston
Lost to Prentender #2: New England
Lost to a "Contender": Atlanta
In all honesty, Denver scares me, but we still beat them, and matched up well against them, and match ups result in records, and records are what matter, not douche bag hosts.


In what universe do contenders get beat by prentenders and still get to be considered better?

Guys a loser, Houston isn't perfect, but guess what they aren't a prentender, hard to get to 11-1 as a pretender. Only Prentender is this is Jim Rome, so suck it Rome.
San Francisco beat Green Bay, just pointing that out. :)
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
His reason we are pretenders is because Henne had a good game against us :kitten:. This dude is a dumb ass.

We are tied for the best record in the NFL, Went to Detroit, Chicago, NY, DENVER and won. Are undefeated on the road. This guy is the bigges sprotscaster joke i have ever seen.
His reason the Texans are pretenders is all the injuries on the defense.

CB 1 , 3 , 4 out.
OLB 2 out.
ILB 1 , 2 , 3 out.

Thats a lot of injuries for a team to sustain on one side of the ball and still win against elite competition.

Yes , they beat Denver and Chicago on the road .... but at the time they were healthy.

(I hate Rome , think he's a jackass)
 

EllisUnit

Vote RED!!!
His reason the Texans are pretenders is all the injuries on the defense.

CB 1 , 3 , 4 out.
OLB 2 out.
ILB 1 , 2 , 3 out.

Thats a lot of injuries for a team to sustain on one side of the ball and still win against elite competition.

Yes , they beat Denver and Chicago on the road .... but at the time they were healthy.

(I hate Rome , think he's a jackass)
considering all starters on D besides cushing will be back by the play-offs should not be reason enough to make us pretenders. Hell look at what we did last year with all the season ending injuries
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Jim Rome is probably still pissed cus his show was dropped in Houston.
I think he's back on Houston airwaves in January. We have another sports radio station coming, iirc.

His reason the Texans are pretenders is all the injuries on the defense.

CB 1 , 3 , 4 out.
OLB 2 out.
ILB 1 , 2 , 3 out.

Thats a lot of injuries for a team to sustain on one side of the ball and still win against elite competition.

Yes , they beat Denver and Chicago on the road .... but at the time they were healthy.

(I hate Rome , think he's a jackass)
Exactly. I do not understand the butthurt for a professional sports entertainer doing his job. It's strange to see so many emotional replies because it rocks the boat. Do folks really think the Texans are perfect in every way? We've got flaws, no doubt about it, and Rome is just being Captain Obvious here.

I'm sure the Texans coaches are looking at these problems and trying to figure out ways to strengthen an obvious weakness. Coaches don't have time to be emotional about it.
 

Ryan

THIS YEAR
Peter King's post was even funnier about the Broncos/Pats AFC championship game. Those two teams will likely play each other in the divisional round, and one of those teams is likely going to have to come through Reliant Stadium. Yeah good luck with that.
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
His reason the Texans are pretenders is all the injuries on the defense.
That's exactly the reason. And like someone else said, the Texans team that beat the Broncos earlier . . . neither one of them is the same team now.

You have to be both lucky (injuries) and good to make it all the way to the Super Bowl. Yeah, we're good enough, but the luck is showing signs that it is about to run out.
 

TexanSam

Hall of Fame
That's exactly the reason. And like someone else said, the Texans team that beat the Broncos earlier . . . neither one of them is the same team now.

You have to be both lucky (injuries) and good to make it all the way to the Super Bowl. Yeah, we're good enough, but the luck is showing signs that it is about to run out.
Besides Cushing and now McCain though, none of the injuries we've suffered have been major. Yeah, guys have missed a game or two but by the time the postseason rolls most of the guys who have been out should be ready to go. Hopefully that final game doesn't mean anything either giving us more time to rest our starters.
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
Besides Cushing and now McCain though, none of the injuries we've suffered have been major. Yeah, guys have missed a game or two but by the time the postseason rolls most of the guys who have been out should be ready to go. Hopefully that final game doesn't mean anything either giving us more time to rest our starters.
I just wish I could wave that proverbial magic wand to keep any more injuries from taking place but I can't.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
His reason we are pretenders is because Henne had a good game against us :kitten:. This dude is a dumb ass.

We are tied for the best record in the NFL, Went to Detroit, Chicago, NY, DENVER and won. Are undefeated on the road. This guy is the bigges sprotscaster joke i have ever seen.
Anybody got Atlanta as a favorite to be in the Super Bowl?

Anybody?

Anybody?

:cricket:

It's the same thing, except they are playing better now than they did at the beginning of the year.

You know. It would be pretty funny to watch the Falcons win the Super Bowl in the Super Dome. That'll teach them Katrina fans.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
considering all starters on D besides cushing will be back by the play-offs should not be reason enough to make us pretenders. Hell look at what we did last year with all the season ending injuries

The best thing for us, is for no one to believe. That's the team that wins. Always. It's always the team that nobody believed in.
 

silentassassin

Waterboy
His reason we are pretenders is because Henne had a good game against us :kitten:. This dude is a dumb ass.

We are tied for the best record in the NFL, Went to Detroit, Chicago, NY, DENVER and won. Are undefeated on the road. This guy is the bigges sprotscaster joke i have ever seen.
Can't take most of these guys seriously. They're paid to entertain more than they are to actually analyze and give thoroughly informed opinions.
 

TheDream34

Waterboy
So we have the same record as the Falcons and he calls them a contender and us a pretender, despite the fact that we've looked more impressive then they have. Ok Jim lol.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
So we have the same record as the Falcons and he calls them a contender and us a pretender, despite the fact that we've looked more impressive then they have. Ok Jim lol.
I think it is his opinion that the Falcons have looked more impressive lately than we have.
 

GP

Go Texans!
Atlanta is just Detroit, but one peg higher on the clutch scale.

Detroit can't close anybody out in the reg season. The Falcons wait until they get to the playoffs before they begin failing to close opponents out.

The NFC doesn't look nearly as tough as it did at the first of the season. And the AFC looks like it has multiple teams that could win the SB, to me.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
The NFC doesn't look nearly as tough as it did at the first of the season. And the AFC looks like it has multiple teams that could win the SB, to me.
That's the main reason I dug up the 5 best team thread. Like you, I think 3 of the top 5 are AFC teams. The Saints aren't who we thought they were. The NFC East isn't, & the NFC North just beat the heck out of each other.

Some people still got the NFC with 3 of the top 5, but most, I think favor the AFC.
 

GP

Go Texans!
lol Jim Rome. What a jabroni.
It's sad that there are literally hundreds of thousands of his fellow doosh nozzles out there who have made him filthy rich for being a doosh nozzle.

He's that P.O.S. we all knew in high school that always had a smart mouth and certain people thought it was awesome...so he had a cult following. Except now he got to be a celebrity and people think he's super awesome now.

I always tried to listen to his radio show off and on, and could never EVER get into it. I'd turn it off 10 minutes into it. The dead air, the inside jokes, the horrible pacing of his speech. How he got big is a mystery to me. Doosh nozzles made him big, I guess.
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
One of the dumbest written pieces on the current teams. No surprise that it came from Jim Rome.

How are the Texans defense as bad as he says they are because of two games?? I guess the rest of the season doesn't count ha?? The Texans have a top 5 defense and have play makers all over this defense.

And the Patriots are straight pretenders?? Yeah, a team that has made it to 5 SB's with the best QB of all time?? The Patriots offense has destroyed every team in the league in over all points scored and not one team is even close to catching them.

If the Giants don't make it to the playoffs, the Packers could still turn it on and make it to the SB.
 

Big Lou

Hall of Fame
I think he's back on Houston airwaves in January. We have another sports radio station coming, iirc.



Exactly. I do not understand the butthurt for a professional sports entertainer doing his job. It's strange to see so many emotional replies because it rocks the boat. Do folks really think the Texans are perfect in every way? We've got flaws, no doubt about it, and Rome is just being Captain Obvious here.

I'm sure the Texans coaches are looking at these problems and trying to figure out ways to strengthen an obvious weakness. Coaches don't have time to be emotional about it.
Yeh I was a little mad at myself for posting mad, but he just rubs me the wrong way. He is just such a know it all, I know that's his job, but maybe it's just the way he says it. His tone and hyperbole maybe. Just the fact that he calls an 11-1 team pretenders is a little over the top. A 4-1, or 4-0 team sure talk crap about them, but 11-1, that's a quality team.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Yeh I was a little mad at myself for posting mad, but he just rubs me the wrong way. He is just such a know it all, I know that's his job, but maybe it's just the way he says it. His tone and hyperbole maybe. Just the fact that he calls an 11-1 team pretenders is a little over the top. A 4-1, or 4-0 team sure talk crap about them, but 11-1, that's a quality team.
I think his delivery is intended to excite that emotion.
 

MEGA SWATT

All Pro
So the Broncos are contenders??, yet they lost to two pretenders - the Texans and Pats...:wadepalm: Their best win is week 1 over the steelers.:lol: That's it. Beating the Saints this year means nothing. They also couldn't beat Atlanta:bravo:

Atlanta - who have they played - their best win was over the Broncos in week 2, that's it. :lol:

I say that SF is in trouble now with their QB issues. GB is better than he says they are - according to him this pretending team "exposed" the texans:wadepalm:

He hangs his hat on the team that just lost to a rook qb - mmm kay.
 

Brisco_County

Apples and roadmaps
Bill Parcels once said, "You are what your record says you are."

Jim Rome says an 11-1 team is a pretender.

Who are you going to believe?
 
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