dalemurphy
Hall of Fame
I was watching the games this weekend and something struck me as I watched the good teams play. Not only is every NFL team quite flawed, but we have beaten many of them recently: Indy, Tennessee, New England, Miami
Each of the teams are clearly reliant on one strength of the team. For instance, we all know how essential Peyton Manning and the Colts offense is to the Colts chances for success. However, do you realize how vital Troy Polamalu is to the Steelers? Without Polamalu, the Steelers lost five games in the middle of last season to teams like Cleveland and Kansas City. This year, with a healthy Polamalu, they look great again. The Steelers are dependent on their defense and the defense is dependent on Polamalu. I bring this up because this is also the case with the Texans.
The Texans, I have come to believe, are a championship level NFL team when its major offensive pieces (particularly Andre Johnson) are healthy. When is the last time the Texans lost a game with a healthy Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, and Arian Foster? It is a trick question. They never have! Of course, the sample is small because of the limited playing time Foster had last year. However, both losses this season came in games with an injured Andre Johnson and a still hobbled Owen Daniels. The four game losing streak last season occurred after the Owen Daniels knee injury but before the discovery of Arian Foster. Also, one can attribute the Jacksonville loss to a Matt Schaub injury. Now, Im not excusing losses. My point is that, like many of the hopeful NFL teams, the chances of post-season success likely hinge on the shoulders of a couple players for the Texans, one of them being Andre Johnson. I would also argue that the Texans should be expected to win virtually every game they play with the healthy core of offensive players, even with a struggling defense. Im looking forward to testing that theory next Monday at Indy. Considering both teams are powered by their offenses, the Texans should win the game because they have healthy key pieces while Indy is facing the loss of Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai. Anyway, something to think about while we wait another six days for Texan football.
Here are some impressive video highlights of Arian Foster excelling in each facet of the game:
Arian Foster Highlights
The Texans, I have come to believe, are a championship level NFL team when its major offensive pieces (particularly Andre Johnson) are healthy. When is the last time the Texans lost a game with a healthy Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, and Arian Foster? It is a trick question. They never have! Of course, the sample is small because of the limited playing time Foster had last year. However, both losses this season came in games with an injured Andre Johnson and a still hobbled Owen Daniels. The four game losing streak last season occurred after the Owen Daniels knee injury but before the discovery of Arian Foster. Also, one can attribute the Jacksonville loss to a Matt Schaub injury. Now, Im not excusing losses. My point is that, like many of the hopeful NFL teams, the chances of post-season success likely hinge on the shoulders of a couple players for the Texans, one of them being Andre Johnson. I would also argue that the Texans should be expected to win virtually every game they play with the healthy core of offensive players, even with a struggling defense. Im looking forward to testing that theory next Monday at Indy. Considering both teams are powered by their offenses, the Texans should win the game because they have healthy key pieces while Indy is facing the loss of Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai. Anyway, something to think about while we wait another six days for Texan football.
Here are some impressive video highlights of Arian Foster excelling in each facet of the game:
Arian Foster Highlights
