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Are the Texans now considered contenders?

This is a tough question. The front office is in disarray. But, how will the players respond? I think Tunsil will be welcomed. Players don't care about future picks that may take their jobs. However, they may not like O'Brien running Clowney off the team.

Watson, Hopkins, Watt, Tunsil, Reid, McKinney. There is big time talent here. OCs don't lick their chops when preparing for a RAC defense, either. The Texans will win some games based on that. Probably enough to win this average at best division. Still, there's one person that has yet to show he can step up when it's time to shine. I don't have to say his name. Because of that, my answer has to be...no. The Texans should not be considered contenders.
 
Are the Texans now contenders? Let's put it this way: No. Not enough that you could tell it. Now that the Dolts don't have Luck, when they beat us out anyway, their coaching superiority will be undeniable.
 
I think this is going to be a top flight team especially offensively. They have answers now. With Tunsil not needing help and a pass catcher like Duke out the backfield, they're going to put teams in a bind. Defensively, they've played well without Clowney before. They have more speed in the secondary now. As stated before, 3rd and 6 they can go 11 or 10 personel. You're gonna have to play zone because Watson can run. You're going to have to 2 deep because Fuller and Stills can run.
 
1. Crennell should feel challenged and really work as this defense has changed with several new players.
2. OC Kelly in my opinion is going to be the unknown factor. Will O'Brien allow Kelly to coach? If yes, is Kelly the play caller we need? I prefer the QB call the plays but I don't see Watson as that QB yet.

Most important offensive player is going to be tunsil as he will help online protect number 4 giving Watson his career-best year.

Most important defensive player I'm going to go with JJ Watt as he can take the spirit away from the opponent and sometimes the ball. He also will again be a Firebrand for the entire Texans team. This will be even more important this year and he could be the Team MVP before he steps on the field each game.
 
Vinny said:
Texans can now go 4WR with Hopkins - Fuller - Stills - Coutee and have Duke Johnson motion all over the place. Good luck stopping this once everyone is on the same page.
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IF they all remain healthy, IF OB can manage that much talent at once, IF our reorged o-line steps up I could agree. That is, IF all three were to actually happen, not just two of three. Odds are good you'll only get one of those, and considering everything else you might not end up with any of them.

But I do think I'd be surprised if the o-line isn't noticeably better this year, at least to some degree.
 
badboy said:
1. Crennell should feel challenged and really work as this defense has changed with several new players.
2. OC Kelly in my opinion is going to be the unknown factor. Will O'Brien allow Kelly to coach? If yes, is Kelly the play caller we need? I prefer the QB call the plays but I don't see Watson as that QB yet.

Most important offensive player is going to be tunsil as he will help online protect number 4 giving Watson his career-best year.

Most important defensive player I'm going to go with JJ Watt as he can take the spirit away from the opponent and sometimes the ball. He also will again be a Firebrand for the entire Texans team. This will be even more important this year and he could be the Team MVP before he steps on the field each game.
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I'd usually say that Crennel is the least of my worries when it comes to having the defense ready to go, but it looks like the tables have turned. I think Crennel's defense is now handicapped. The offense is now fully stacked, leaving the defense full of pot holes! Let's see what the big Ol' teddy bear can do now. I trust him!
 
banned1976 said:
I don’t consider them contenders. Before yesterday I felt their biggest issues were: 1a porous o-line and, 1b inexperience in the secondary. Close behind was lack of a pass rush behind Clowney and Watt.

They improved 1a. They stayed pat at 1b and have a much worse pass rush which will put even more pressure on the secondary.

I still think they are 5 to 7 win team this year. Since yesterday morning the defense is much worse w/o Clowney while the offense is moderately better with Tunsil. Not enough to move the W/L needle one way or another, IMHO. Which I could have lived with if it weren’t for losing all those picks.

The Texans are screwed.
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You must not believe in Mercilus.

I liked Clowney a lot but dont think he was irreplaceable.
 
amazing80 said:
I think we improved our chances at being a legit contender. Sure we over paid but there is no denying how much more talent we have at key positions.
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I'm kinda in agreement ….

Solving the LT spot is a big deal.

They had to do something at RB ….

Problem for me is that I still don't think its enough.

They aren't as good as KC or NE in the AFC …. and they definitely aren't as well coached as either of those teams.

You could see them getting to the playoffs but can you really see them beating some combination of KC / NE / SD / Pitt in the process ?!

Those costly fixes made them "almost contenders" and made future improvement difficult.

Yeah , they fixed the OL (maybe) but they didn't work out an extension and it cost them far too much and if it wasn't enough to get them over the proverbial hump - they wont have the tools to do it the next two off-season's and then their cap will be in shambles having to extend Watson to a deal that's going to amount to 13% or more of the cap as opposed to the 1.6% it currently is and Tunsil's looming extension that's going to be costly and he has all the leverage.

If this team had better coaching …. I might be inclined to believe they have a chance against those elite teams but OB isn't close to BeleCheat or Andy Reid and worse is that he's pretty much the defacto GM on top of being a mediocre coach.
 
Corrosion said:
I'm kinda in agreement ….

Solving the LT spot is a big deal.

They had to do something at RB ….

Problem for me is that I still don't think its enough.

They aren't as good as KC or NE in the AFC …. and they definitely aren't as well coached as either of those teams.

You could see them getting to the playoffs but can you really see them beating some combination of KC / NE / SD / Pitt in the process ?!

Those costly fixes made them "almost contenders" and made future improvement difficult.

Yeah , they fixed the OL (maybe) but they didn't work out an extension and it cost them far too much and if it wasn't enough to get them over the proverbial hump - they wont have the tools to do it the next two off-season's and then their cap will be in shambles having to extend Watson to a deal that's going to amount to 13% or more of the cap as opposed to the 1.6% it currently is and Tunsil's looming extension that's going to be costly and he has all the leverage.

If this team had better coaching …. I might be inclined to believe they have a chance against those elite teams but OB isn't close to BeleCheat or Andy Reid and worse is that he's pretty much the defacto GM on top of being a mediocre coach.
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Exactly how is OB going to evolve his coaching when he's got GM duties piled on top of his HC duties where he still struggles with clock management and game plans? They made everything about this one season where if they dont get a SB it was a total bust.
 
Truth...
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Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
 
texanhead08 said:
Bill O'Brien is still the coach we aren't contenders and we really don't know if the defense is better or worse than last year yet.
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The defense is definitely worse, at least in defending the run.
I have a feeling that the D will give up 3-4 more long runs than last year.
I"m all ready to pull my hair out on game day.
That reminds me to put on a cap then.
Wait, I'll put on a helmet. :ahhaha:
 
Texansballer74 said:
Only time will tell but as of right now I'm going with no. After 8 games have been played and they have worked out all the kinks. That's when we should be able to determine if this team is a contender or not.

Like Max stated it boils down to coaching and let me add injuries. Obrien has a plethora of weapons to utilize on offense. Hopefully he uses a bit more creativity ( we've seen him get creative when his weapons were healthy) and spread the wealth around. If Fuller stays healthy (big IF) the sky is the limit with this offense. Dude is that important to this offense.

We are going to miss Clowney but I'm confident in RAC ability to have his boys ready. Hopefully our secondary issues have been resolved. And I wish RAC would be more aggressive and blitz more. Bump that bend but don't break crap.
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Man, both the Jags and Titans were dealing with significant injuries, and they were still on our heel last year.
The Texans got themselves a few good breaks; I'm afraid that won't last.
 
Texecutioner said:
Exactly how is OB going to evolve his coaching when he's got GM duties piled on top of his HC duties where he still struggles with clock management and game plans? They made everything about this one season where if they dont get a SB it was a total bust.
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Isn't need for GM over now for season?
 
badboy said:
Isn't need for GM over now for season?
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Hell no. He’s gotta keep close tabs on FA, waiver wire, and injuries around the league. This gives me hope that the new OC will be let off his leash and O’Brien will have no choice but to get out the effin way!
 
76Texan said:
Man, both the Jags and Titans were dealing with significant injuries, and they were still on our heel last year.
The Texans got themselves a few good breaks; I'm afraid that won't last.
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IIRC, we had a fair amount of injuries ourselves last year Fuller, Coutee, Ellington, Cole, Johnson, Henderson, Hal, and Foreman all missed significant time and Mercilus, Griffin, Kelemete, and Fulton played banged up all year. Towards the end of the year Hopkins was really banged up (ankle/shoulder). Add to the fact our QB played several games with broken ribs and a punctured lung, I think we had our fair share of injury issues

Also, the Jags were 5-11, and we beat them 20-7 and 20-3. I wouldn’t exactly say they were on our heels
 
I got a good chuckle yesterday while the Texans were having a fire sale that Justin Verlander tossed his 3rd no hitter. Almost as if the sports Gods knew how rough of a day it was and tossed us a bone.

Then I remembered how OBrien barked about the two Champion franchises we have and declared his team the best show in town.

Very Trump-like of him. Lol.
 
otisbean said:
IIRC, we had a fair amount of injuries ourselves last year Fuller, Coutee, Ellington, Cole, Johnson, Henderson, Hal, and Foreman all missed significant time and Mercilus, Griffin, Kelemete, and Fulton played banged up all year. Towards the end of the year Hopkins was really banged up (ankle/shoulder). Add to the fact our QB played several games with broken ribs and a punctured lung, I think we had our fair share of injury issues

Also, the Jags were 5-11, and we beat them 20-7 and 20-3. I wouldn’t exactly say they were on our heels
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The Texans were able to bring in DT to replace Fuller.
The Jags were just tanking for draft slot.
 
DT can’t replace Fuller and what he brings to offense, not even close. Not to mention DT tore his achilles

The Jags were in the AFC championship game in 2017 and came within 4 pts of going to the super bowl and they tanked the next season for a draft slot? I highly doubt that
 
santo said:
Funny thing this was said after Gaine was fired. OB just showed me a GM is needed 24/7 365 days a year.
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Nah, that was a guy getting angry that his " it's just the business" didn't faze Clowney's " it's just a business". Roster is set perhaps some minor moves if a player gets injured etcetera.
 
otisbean said:
DT can’t replace Fuller and what he brings to offense, not even close. Not to mention DT tore his achilles

The Jags were in the AFC championship game in 2017 and came within 4 pts of going to the super bowl and they tanked the next season for a draft slot? I highly doubt that
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Teams figured out that you could beat the Jags if you made Bortles and his wounded duck passes beat you.
 
otisbean said:
DT can’t replace Fuller and what he brings to offense, not even close. Not to mention DT tore his achilles

The Jags were in the AFC championship game in 2017 and came within 4 pts of going to the super bowl and they tanked the next season for a draft slot? I highly doubt that
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You're right on both counts.
Stiill, DT was able to contribute up until the next to last game, and he wasn't needed for the last game, because it was against the Jags.
By your own admission , the Jags did have some talents, and they started out the season 3-1, even as they had begun to sustain some injuries.
The big one was Fournette (who misssed 8 games).
Without a consistent running game, they can't mask the deficiency at the QB position.
By the time Fournnette came back, their line was a rag-a-tag unit, and were a number of other unit.
Look at the Texans 4-12 season.
Did they throw in the towels?
 
Vinny said:
Texans can now go 4WR with Hopkins - Fuller - Stills - Coutee and have Duke Johnson motion all over the place. Good luck stopping this once everyone is on the same page.
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I plan on seeing lots of 21 and 22 personnel. Especially on 2nd and 10 or more.
 
If OB shortens his passing routes and incorporates a little more of what KC does with Mahomes.....OB and the Texans could have a fairly lethal offense. So much so.....they finally take the pressure off the defense.

OB has an absolute arsenal of weapons on offense and I do think the OL could do the job provided OB has put the right pieces on the field.
 
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OptimisticTexan said:
If OB shortens his passing routes and incorporates a little more of what KC does with Mahomes.....OB and the Texans could have a fairly lethal offense. So much so.....they finally take the pressure off the defense.

OB has an absolute arsenal of weapons on offense and I do think the OL could do the job provided OB has put the right pieces on the field.
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I agree, IF O’Brien finally stops trying to force the Nick Martin experiment as C1, and goes with who actually deserves the #1 spot. I’m sick of seeing him get pushed 4-5 ft back in every snap.
 
Ian Beckles (former Bucs player now local talk show host) on our local sports station just picked the Texans and Cowboys in the Super Bowl with the Texans winning. He’s a former offensive lineman so was surprised at his pick considering the state of the Texans O line.

Now the Texans being in the SB the following season would be cool considering it will be in my backyard at RayJay.
 
Hookem Horns said:
Ian Beckles (former Bucs player now local talk show host) on our local sports station just picked the Texans and Cowboys in the Super Bowl with the Texans winning. He’s a former offensive lineman so was surprised at his pick considering the state of the Texans O line.

Now the Texans being in the SB the following season would be cool considering it will be in my backyard at RayJay.
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An all Texas SuperBowl?? :freakout:
 
Are the Texans now considered contenders?

Just one question - Do you give them anything close to 50/50 odds to beat either KC or NE in a playoff matchup ?

If they played either team today - what odds would you give them of winning both at home and on the road.
 
Corrosion said:
Are the Texans now considered contenders?

Just one question - Do you give them anything close to 50/50 odds to beat either KC or NE in a playoff matchup ?

If they played either team today - what odds would you give them of winning both at home and on the road.
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The Texans have proven they are not ready for "prime time" yet. This is just one of those things that until you actually do it, reason for doubt has to be there considering their history.

Texans post season success is still in the category of "I'll believe it when I see it".
 
Corrosion said:
Are the Texans now considered contenders?

Just one question - Do you give them anything close to 50/50 odds to beat either KC or NE in a playoff matchup ?

If they played either team today - what odds would you give them of winning both at home and on the road.
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What's this "if". Reality check. We don't play KC until week 6 and we don't play NE until week 12.

Both teams are top level. So, I'll put odds at 50-50. With the improvements made this off season, we finally have in place the team which can go toe to toe with any team.
 
Dejaview said:
I never implied I wanted the guy. Are you being sarcastic? I just wanted to see how many think we are stupid for not signing him. Pretty sure you know how that would go over.
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Yes sarcasm.

Until he signs in the AFC south.

I don't want to sign him. I don't want him if he comes here for free.
 
Dejaview said:
I agree but with DHop, fuller stills Johnson Coutee I just didn’t think we need him. Pats actually need a WR so no surprise.
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We have Dhop, Fuller and Coutee on bench injured for multiple games, Stills really( he is nothing but a name) , who is Johnson (Duke)??
so basically we have Dhop and nobody else. BOB I am sure thinks we are stacked at WR also. Not saying we wanted AB but I think with Watson and Dhop maybe we had a chance of working with him. Wait sorry forgot about BOB. No f$%^&#g way.
 
gafftop said:
We have Dhop, Fuller and Coutee on bench injured for multiple games, Stills really( he is nothing but a name) , who is Johnson (Duke)??
so basically we have Dhop and nobody else. BOB I am sure thinks we are stacked at WR also. Not saying we wanted AB but I think with Watson and Dhop maybe we had a chance of working with him. Wait sorry forgot about BOB. No f$%^&#g way.
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Stills is just a name. Yeah, ok hes played with trash qbs over at Miami. Hopkins & stills are the same age right. Hop has 47 tds in his hof career while stills has 32 with garbage qbs beside brees. He’s not just a name and you will see.
 
gafftop said:
We have Dhop, Fuller and Coutee on bench injured for multiple games, Stills really( he is nothing but a name) , who is Johnson (Duke)??
so basically we have Dhop and nobody else. BOB I am sure thinks we are stacked at WR also. Not saying we wanted AB but I think with Watson and Dhop maybe we had a chance of working with him. Wait sorry forgot about BOB. No f$%^&#g way.
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There was no way in hell Brown would have lasted here no matter who the coach is BECAUSE we have Hopkins. Brown is not going to play second WR to anyone and on the Texans with Nuk that’s what we would and should be.

Let’s the Pats have him, dude is locker room poison and basically just bust sh!t, Fing loco.
 
maverick512000 said:
There was no way in hell Brown would have lasted here no matter who the coach is BECAUSE we have Hopkins. Brown is not going to play second WR to anyone and on the Texans with Nuk that’s what we would and should be.

Let’s the Pats have him, dude is locker room poison and basically just bust sh!t, Fing loco.
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He's not going to be the number one in NE either. Plus you can best believe he will not be a locker room cancer in NE either.
 
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