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Mike Mohamed

Playoffs

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
Football 101: Mike Mohamed does a little bit of everything
John Harris|Texans Analyst

Football remains to me the ultimate team sport and it always will. Not to besmirch the great sports of baseball or basketball or soccer or hockey but football is a different beast altogether. One of the reasons I believe as such is the idea that one or two superstars don’t often carry a team to a championship. It’s just not possible. It takes 53 guys, all on the same page, with the same team goal to win at all cost; that’s just the starting point. Everyone one through 53 makes an impact throughout a 16 game season and three/four game playoff run. As such, talk to the best players on any NFL championship team and each one will mention that one unknown guy that was instrumental in the run to a championship

Everyone knew about the Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers but one of the key pieces was a defensive lineman named John Banaszak who not many people knew.

The 2010 Green Bay Packers suffered injuries at nearly every turn yet fullback John Kuhn played in every game and did all the little things in the shadows of Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings.

The 2014 Patriots wouldn’t have won a championship without the contributions of a linebacker named Rob Ninkovich.

If the Texans have a player that falls in that category almost to a T it’s linebacker Mike Mohamed. I’ve watched Mohamed play for a while since his days at Cal. I remember watching in 2009 v. Stanford and No. 18 was all over the field. Who is THAT guy, I thought? Ten tackles, ½ tackle for a loss and an interception against that Andrew Luck guy that essentially ended the game. That was the last time Cal beat the Cardinal. Mohamed took on Stanford fullbacks all night. He even made a tackle with his back in the first quarter. You might’ve missed him, shamefully, until the fourth quarter when he picked off Luck to seal Cal’s win.


Fast forward to 2:28:09 for his brilliant interception of Luck to end the game.

He’s won’t flash with blazing speed but he runs well. He’s not a physical specimen but he consistently wins against bigger players. He is one of the most versatile players on this roster. He just needed a chance and after being on four different teams’ practice squads in three seasons, he finally got his shot last year to prove what some of us have known for a while.

Mike Mohamed is THAT guy, a player instrumental in a team’s run to a championship.

Watching him at OTAs and minicamps, thinking back to his 2014 season with the Texans, this point became that much more evident.

He finished the season sixth on the team in total tackles and missed the final two games of the season. Not to mention, he only started two games, but when he was on the field, he made an impact, whether it was on first down or on fourth down on special teams.

Take for instance, the first interception of his career at Cleveland. He lined up at middle linebacker on third and ten, under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Pre-snap, he was up on the LOS, standing over the center.

Picture-No-6---Mohamed.png


On the snap, Mohamed clearly eyed Cleveland tight end Gary Barnidge.

Picture-No-7---Mohamed.png


One of the things almost all linebackers struggle with is knowing exactly when to look back for the football in coverage. Dating back to his days at Cal (check that pick v. Stanford), he has a knack for being a factor in coverage and not just getting to a drop point. So, once he was in position, he got his eyes back to the QB as you can see below.

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When former Browns/current Texans QB Brian Hoyer released the pass…

Picture-No-9---Mohamed.png


...look where Mohamed was. He was tucked behind Barnidge. He did his job, right? He prevented the throw to his responsibility, huh? Well, that wasn’t enough.

Picture-No-10---Mohamed.png


Hoyer eyed WR Miles Austin on a quick slant v. Texans CB A.J. Bouye. The ball ricocheted off Austin as Bouye closed on the ball. And, who was there to snatch the rebound?

Picture-No-11---Mohamed.png


I don’t need to tell you...​
 
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cont'd...
But, the one play that stood out more than any other last year happened in Indianapolis v. Mohamed’s old pal Luck.

Picture-No-1---Mohamed.png


The Colts have 11 personnel on the field in a Y trips open, 3x1 alignment. Mohamed initially aligned standing up over the center but he ended the play nearly 35 yards downfield.

Picture-No-2---Mohamed.png


As the ball was snapped, Mohamed, responsible for the middle of the field on this coverage, released from the line of scrimmage. The Colts two outside wide receivers planned to stretch the Texans half field coverage, eventually hoping that WR Reggie Wayne would get down the seam wide open. Honestly, it’s the right play call v. this coverage.

Picture-No-3---Mohamed.png


Just before Luck released the ball it appeared Wayne was going to be open but Mohamed was actually in perfect position as he sprinted down the field to get in the Colts’ star WR’s pocket.

Picture-No-4---Mohamed.png


As Wayne approached midfield, the end zone shot showed that Mohamed was stride for stride with the receiver.

Picture-No-5---Mohamed.png


Wayne moved slightly back to the inside to make a play on the ball, but as it arrived, Mohamed was in the right position, again, nearly 35 yards downfield to break up the pass.

I remember almost screaming into Marc Vandermeer’s ear from down on the sideline “THAT WAS MOHAMED!!”. I had to hold back a bit because it’s disruptive to Marc’s call but I was blown away that an INSIDE linebacker ran with Wayne down the seam and broke up that pass. I should’ve known.

Then, again, if anyone DID know, it was Luck; Mohamed victimized him before. Here’s hoping he does it again in 2015 and beyond.​
 
"Hey who was that? Oh, Mohammed..dang that was a good play.." that was me frequently during 2014 season. I still think he would be an above average OLB.
 
I was very impressed with Mohamed last season. I don't think he's the "star" player that can replace Cushing, but he's a solid defender that can play next to him all day, every day. Robin to Batman if you will.

Still, if McKinney can beat out Mohamed, or if Dent beats him out, that just tells me we have a very solid corps of ILBs.
 
I've liked Mohamed since college. He's not very flashy at all, so he gets little recognition. And he's not really exceptional in any way. But he's one of those guys that just does his job.

And I actually think he's a great fit at the WILB position in this defense. He's great in coverage and he's a very good tackler. The only thing he's not great at is getting through traffic in the middle. He doesn't fight through blocks well and gets held up. But that's why you pair him with a guy like Cushing or McKinney. They can play the stuff in front of them while Mohamed plays behind them.

Not a star, but a very underrated player.
 
infantrycak said:
Why move him? He certainly doesn't have size to recommend the move.
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Not arguing that he cannot play ILB but just watching his moves last season, I think he can cover better than Mercilus. He seems to use his "smarts" to understand where ball is going. He is big enough & he has learned not to get tied up with Olinemen blocking him. He has game speed.
 
badboy said:
Not arguing that he cannot play ILB but just watching his moves last season, I think he can cover better than Mercilus. He seems to use his "smarts" to understand where ball is going. He is big enough & he has learned not to get tied up with Olinemen blocking him. He has game speed.
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If Mercilus ends up being our SOLB & drops into coverage often, I think we'll be pleasantly surprised. Later in the season it looked like they started dropping him into coverage more & he looked really good, to me.
 
badboy said:
Mohamed is one of those athletes that come alive once action starts. IMO when Cush leaves Bullough could be the guy to step in.
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I'd like to agree with that, because I'd like to see what McKinney could do at SOLB. But I don't think that's what they have planned.

I think they drafted McKinney as Cushing's replacement. Bullough is just a depth guy.
 
bah007 said:
I'd like to agree with that, because I'd like to see what McKinney could do at SOLB. But I don't think that's what they have planned.

I think they drafted McKinney as Cushing's replacement. Bullough is just a depth guy.
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Could be but I was told long time ago when I mocked him to Texans that he was not Texans type and then they pick him up. He made roster before season over. He has already surprised many. If Mohamed starts opposite Cush, you may get your wish for SOLB but I have McKinney at SILB
 
At this time of year it's all just conjecture, but I'm absolutely thrilled at the thought that they drafted Cushings replacement and then Cush comes into the offseason programme like he bought a Delorian in the offseason and turned the clock back 3 years.

The D seems pretty sweet going into this season, and that's before Clowney has even suited up yet.

I also think we're very well suited to throwing loads of 4-3 looks in amongst our 3-4 base this season, especially if JD is just a sutuational player to begin with. Think RAC can have some real fun and get very creative to confuse opponents with the personnel we've got in the front 7.
 
badboy said:
Could be but I was told long time ago when I mocked him to Texans that he was not Texans type and then they pick him up. He made roster before season over. He has already surprised many. If Mohamed starts opposite Cush, you may get your wish for SOLB but I have McKinney at SILB
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That's what I'm saying. Cushing, McKinney, and Bullough all look to be SILBs. I'd like to see McKinney tried outside but based on comments so far it looks like he'll be in the middle. I don't see any way Bullough gets past him, and I don't think they'll put him on the weak side either.
 
I'm thinking Texans may have finally eliminated ILB as a weakness. I can say same thing about safety also but not as certain.
 
Mike Mohamed Has Found a Home with the Texans

Little did the Houston Texans know when they signed linebacker Mike Mohamed to a reserve/futures contract in January of 2013 that a season later, in 2014, he would be one of the most important pieces of Romeo Crennel’s defense.

With injury issues for Brian Cushing, the Texans were looking for answers at the inside linebacker spot. Mohamed was a player looking for a home and an opportunity to get a chance. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2011, Mohamed bounced between three different teams in 2012 before landing with the Texans.

“One thing I like to say is you can't control a lot of things. You can't control what happens to you. The one thing you can control is how hard you work,” said Mohamed of the shaky start to his NFL career.

He continued, “To never get the chance, that wears down on you.”

That is all Mohamed needed: a chance. With the Texans in 2013, Mohamed did the majority of his work on special teams but, with the complete overhaul of the coaching staff, head coach Bill O’Brien and his staff brought a breath of fresh air and different ideals while evaluating their entire personnel.

Mohamed started to make his move to the 53-man roster during camp, with injuries to Cushing and Akeem Dent. He took those practice reps at linebacker and was able to show how much he could bring to the defense.

“Going into last year and the years before, I haven't even really been considered playing defense, just strictly special teams,” said Mohamed of his time with the Texans. “Last year, the coaching staff they came in with open eyes and they really evaluated everybody for what they could do. There was no preconceived notion on what guys can do. They wanted to see what guys could do and getting that chance to show what I can do. Now I am just trying to make the most of it and here I am now contributing to the Texans.”

Mohamed became a key piece of the defense after week seven, when he replaced Cushing in nickel and dime defensive packages. Mohamed evened out the inside linebacker position, took pressure off of Cushing and Dent so they could be the linebackers in the base defense, while

Mohamed became the primary sub-package linebacker who could be the coverage linebacker the team had been searching for.

“I have always had a knack for my coverage. In college, that is the same way I got my start to playing,” explained Mohamed of his unique skill set that he developed at California. “With this defense, they put players in positions to utilize their skills the best. It think last year was part of that, using my coverage to help the team.”

Crennel is not afraid to use as many players as needed defensively to stop opposing offenses. Mohamed gave the Texans three capable players on the inside, and now, going into year two under the defense, his confidence is growing.

“Last year I finally got my chance and definitely do have a lot more confidence going into this year,” said Mohamed. “Just getting to play last year, seeing things for the first time. Now this year looking to build and continue use to improve.”

Consistency has been what Mohamed has prided himself on, controlling his effort until he finally received his chance. It took five stops for Mohamed to find a home, and it came when everything lined up just right for the 4-year veteran.

There are times when it takes some internal fortitude to get through difficult phases and that is exactly what Mohamed accomplished in 2014. Now, finally earning his chance on the field for the defense, there is no turning back for Mohamed.

“Once you get a taste of it, you don't want to give that up, you want to be out there. I just want to keep on improving, making plays and helping the team any way I can.”​
 
That'll likely mean Dent on the field with Cushing. I'm sure McKinney will get some snaps too.

Charles may get to do some damage in the passing game this week. Without Mohamed, I don't like our ability to play coverage in front of the DBs.
 
bah007 said:
That'll likely mean Dent on the field with Cushing. I'm sure McKinney will get some snaps too.

Charles may get to do some damage in the passing game this week. Without Mohamed, I don't like our ability to play coverage in front of the DBs.
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We'll playing a good deal of nickel and dime I suspect.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
We'll playing a good deal of nickel and dime I suspect.
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I'm sure we will. Most nickel looks will still have 2 LBs on the field though, and we don't have two I trust in coverage.

Luckily, KC isn't exactly a passing juggernaut. But Charles is dangerous, and our weakness at both LB and S is in pass coverage.
 
bah007 said:
I'm sure we will. Most nickel looks will still have 2 LBs on the field though, and we don't have two I trust in coverage.

Luckily, KC isn't exactly a passing juggernaut. But Charles is dangerous, and our weakness at both LB and S is in pass coverage.
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Most don't know how big a loss this is, especially for this opponent. Like I said... damn!
 
I'm late on getting up to speed on Mike but it didn't take long. I agree this is a setback and we will see some passes get by us that he would have PBU.
 
Im thinking Tuggle is gonna get most of Mohameds reps.......i know they say it'll be a combo, but as far as someone that can do it all it'll be him.
 
Last year with Mohammad was the first time we have had a reliable ILB in coverage since Cushing's injury and I had hope if Cushing is as healthy as people say that we might have 2 for the first time ever.

This could be big with the TE being such a big part of the KC passing offense.
 
Aaron Wilson ‏@AaronWilson_NFL
Texans GM Rick Smith says he's receptive to idea of reaching injury settlement with Mike Mohamed, would like to bring him back this year:

Mike Mohamed emphasized that he wants to get back on the field this year he has a strained calf

Mike Mohamed expressed frustration with going on injured reserve said he's nearly recovered is contemplating pursuing injury settlement​


Damn, hope we don't lose Mo.
 
Why does O'Brien seem to hate talking about injuries? Reporters are going to ask, he should have known it's part of the job.

I really don't like the way he addresses injuries when the reporters ask. I'm really not thrilled with these reporters the way they back down.
 
thunderkyss said:
Why does O'Brien seem to hate talking about injuries? Reporters are going to ask, he should have known it's part of the job.

I really don't like the way he addresses injuries when the reporters ask. I'm really not thrilled with these reporters the way they back down.
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I don't have the link handy. Steph Stradley posted (on Twitter) some quotes from O'Brien from first OTA in 2014 that have his exact thoughts on talking about injuries and what he is required to report.
 
Playoffs said:
Aaron Wilson ‏@AaronWilson_NFL
Texans GM Rick Smith says he's receptive to idea of reaching injury settlement with Mike Mohamed, would like to bring him back this year:

Mike Mohamed emphasized that he wants to get back on the field this year he has a strained calf

Mike Mohamed expressed frustration with going on injured reserve said he's nearly recovered is contemplating pursuing injury settlement​


Damn, hope we don't lose Mo.
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That's weird. If he's nearly recovered then why in the hell are we putting him on IR?
 
I'd guess Mohammed has a different opinion of his status than the medical corp does. CND tells us that injury is one of the worst for hanging around and recurring. Mo might feel like its almost ready and he's ready to go.
 
Mollywhopper said:
Ask John Harbaugh ...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...augh-tees-off-in-nfls-injury-reporting-rules/

... just sayin, it's not just OB. They'd all like to disclose as little as possible.
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I understand it's not OB. Harbaugh didn't have a problem, that I can recall, until that incident, when he got fined. It's something that all coaches deal with. When OB is asked, I can tell he's frustrated... shouldn't be.

It's just a question. How did Arian look? Do you think he'll play Sunday?

It appears as if he is trying to hide something, but has a problem lying. Well, he doesn't want to lie, but he also doesn't want to tell the truth.

Anyway, I just think it looks awkward.
 
thunderkyss said:
It appears as if he is trying to hide something, but has a problem lying. Well, he doesn't want to lie, but he also doesn't want to tell the truth.

Anyway, I just think it looks awkward.
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I agree 100%. It's like he was taught the Belichickian way, but deep down he's generally a character guy and the lying thing burns him up.

I just kinda expect the awkwardness at times.
 
Hervoyel said:
That's weird. If he's nearly recovered then why in the hell are we putting him on IR?
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kiwitexansfan said:
I'd guess Mohammed has a different opinion of his status than the medical corp does. CND tells us that injury is one of the worst for hanging around and recurring. Mo might feel like its almost ready and he's ready to go.
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CloakNNNdagger said:
It is evident that Mohamed has no concept of a severe calf injury. When a player feels he is "almost" ready to return, especially when he's never had one to deal with before, he is usually underestimating his injury and prognosis.
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