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Can Daniels help cure Texans' red-zone ills?
- Thread starter Wolf
- Start date
Jackie Chiles
Veteran
Someone likes his chances:
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/karabell/index?entryID=4442665&name=karabell_eric_football
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/karabell/index?entryID=4442665&name=karabell_eric_football
Carr Bombed
Hall of Fame
He's got to have somebody throw him the ball when he gets there though. Our QBs have done a horrible job in the redzone at finding their targets, it's one of the reasons why Andre's TD to reception ratio is so low.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
A good part of the problems was not the QB or the receivers, but the fact that we have light mobile Olinemen. When you get close to the goal line, the blocking scheme cannot be the "deflecting" zone blocking movement. It requires more head on, hold your own type of blocking. In those situations, in the past, our lineman usually could not hold their own and got pushed back by a man for man larger, stronger D.
mexican_texan
Furry Tractors
I think AJ pointed out last year he seldom gets to run fade routes.
If OD can help cure our ills in the RedZone, why hasen't he?
I've got to believe the problem is beyond OD.
I've got to believe the problem is beyond OD.
Jackie Chiles
Veteran
I don't know, he scored 5 his rookie year and he has done nothing but improve since then. I just think that some guys on offense (maybe coaches as well) have a case of mysterious shrinking sphincter when we get inside that 20 yard line. I like what I saw from the Bears game last year and I am optimistic that we improve in this area.
GuerillaBlack
Hall of Fame
His TDs dropped since his rookie year, but his yards and receptions have went up. Definitely not OD's fault about not getting enough TDs.
Like I said, beyond Owen Daniels.
Clamp
Noob
I think when he said "its beyond OD" he didnt mean it was beyond his ability, but rather beyond his control, and I agree. He didnt do much this preseason but really when it comes down to it im not upset bc if he doesnt have the ball he isnt gonna be hit as much, thus lowering his risk of incidental injury before the season even starts.
ChampionTexan
Hall of Fame
No, but he can make it so you don't care about them anymore.
mattieuk
All Pro
OD will do a LOT better in terms of TDs this year. With the offseason additions, I think we're going to have a much more impressive red-zone setup (to be honest, we can't get much worse!). I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of two TE sets with Casey/Hill coming in to try and throw the opposition, which should give OD a chance to get free more, and hopefully help us out in that sense.
Scooter
Funky
i think the biggest point in that article is how poor our run game has been in the redzone. to open up those routes as lil shanny mentioned requires pulling a safety out of coverage. obviously with the short field the defense gets easier, and if our ineffective run game is allowing teams to back off into a short zone, our passing game is very limited in what it can do without overly risking a turnover.
this is exactly what matthews talked about during the offseason in regards to the line and the confidence we havent had before. the big uglies and hopefully a healthy chris brown have to take the step in believing that the defense is stepping into our line's power base instead of the other way around (there's a sun tzu quote in there somewhere). making that happen is going to free up a lot of opportunities for daniels as well as our receivers. matt has one of if not the best play fakes in football, but it's null if we arent a threat to pound it in.
this is exactly what matthews talked about during the offseason in regards to the line and the confidence we havent had before. the big uglies and hopefully a healthy chris brown have to take the step in believing that the defense is stepping into our line's power base instead of the other way around (there's a sun tzu quote in there somewhere). making that happen is going to free up a lot of opportunities for daniels as well as our receivers. matt has one of if not the best play fakes in football, but it's null if we arent a threat to pound it in.
ATXtexanfan
Hall of Fame
Lack of run game and play calling
Vinny
shiny happy fan
Daniels is an excellet TE between the 20's but he isn't overwhelming in short space, whether it be as a blocker or an end zone threat (he hasn't really shown it yet). That's one reason I think Daniels is more expendable than some seem to think and why we shouldn't overpay him to keep him. He's an excellent possession receiver, no doubt about it.
HoustonFrog
Dallas Frog
Agree. They seem to run him alot on the corners too and not up the seam just inside the 20. I always think that on at least one play where the field is shotened you need a great play action play where the TE releases. I'm not sure why that has never been a staple. I'm assuming he gets caught up in traffic and thus, so far, hasn't been effective.
TimeKiller
Guest
Yeah, we need to find more guys with huge, gaping sphincters! That'll help our "red zone scoring" for sure!
I just grossed myself out. Eewwwww
No, Daniels isn't much of a threat in scoring positions. I don't know if he just doesn't get open, isn't called into good positions to make plays or doesn't get noticed...whatever the case may be, he isn't effective like his other production numbers seem to indicate. From where I sit, I say "No but prove me wrong" and hope that he does.
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
Unsee! Unsee!
HOU-TEX
Ah, Football!
IMO, redzone success is determined by the Oline and the run game. It seemed like our line was beaten more in the redzone where defenses begin loading the box. Watching Slaton get blown up in the backfield got to be tiresome.
I think giving Leach more opportunities on short downs and tossing more fades to AJ will also help, but it all plays off who wins in the trenches....as always.
I think giving Leach more opportunities on short downs and tossing more fades to AJ will also help, but it all plays off who wins in the trenches....as always.
Kaiser Toro
Native Mod
Our red zone offense is like Pigs in Space, albeit short space. Daniels may just be allergic to end zones or is put out by the smell from the Bull Pen. 
Daniels' abilities are too well known by defenses. He will always draw tight coverage close to the end zone. Our QBs have already made too many mistakes trying to force the ball into tight end zone coverage.
I think Casey has a real opportunity to make a difference here. If he can establish himself as a hard-hitting fullback -- one who clears a linebacker out of the hole on a running play -- then he can line up as a fullback, chip block, and release as a tight end. With his speed and hands, he would be very dangerous on any play-action that pulls the linebackers up. With Daniels and the receivers already drawing coverage, Casey could get missed -- for a little while at least.
I think Casey has a real opportunity to make a difference here. If he can establish himself as a hard-hitting fullback -- one who clears a linebacker out of the hole on a running play -- then he can line up as a fullback, chip block, and release as a tight end. With his speed and hands, he would be very dangerous on any play-action that pulls the linebackers up. With Daniels and the receivers already drawing coverage, Casey could get missed -- for a little while at least.
barrett
All Pro
I'm curious as to why Dreesen wasn't more of a factor on the goal line last year. It seems like we could run 2 TE sets and one of those guys (Daniels or Dreesen) could get into a favorable situation. Perhaps you'd still have two safeties over the top of them. Seems like a 2 TE set with Leach in the backfield along with Slaton/Brown would pull at least one of those guys down wouldn't it?
I like the idea of adding Casey as well. Either in your FB idea (although I'd have a hard time pulling Leach out on any formation that employs a FB) OR maybe in a 3 TE set with Leach and Slaton/Brown and 80. Surely that would entice somebody to creep down.
I like the idea of adding Casey as well. Either in your FB idea (although I'd have a hard time pulling Leach out on any formation that employs a FB) OR maybe in a 3 TE set with Leach and Slaton/Brown and 80. Surely that would entice somebody to creep down.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
where are they pulling them down from? You run out of space in the red zone. Teams don't defend vertically anymore. That's why finesse teams don't tend to do well in the red zone. You run out of space as there is less square yards per defender.
Jackie Chiles
Veteran
Who else was pumped to see them get OD involved on the early downs near at the goal line? Great play call and a great play, I wonder if he meant to stumble like he did, wouldn't be surprised at all if it was part of the plan. This bodes well for my fantasy team also. (Andre, Owen and Steve on the team, lets go Steve!)