Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

I think it's time for Romeo to step back in!

Mangler

Mangler

Toro de España
The defensive play calls were a bunch of head scratchers on Sunday against the Chiefs. Seems we were on blitz mode every time it wows third down, ignoring the fact that we were getting torched every time since we'd be wide open for the intermediate routes which Alex Smith is notorious for throwing to. It was 3rd and long...Blitz...3rd and short...Blitz...third and medium...Blitz!

Now, I love Mike Vrabel as much as the next guy, but we need to turn this thing around! Especially after losing Watt and Mercilus.
 
I think the difference that we're seeing this year isn't as much Vrabel making the calls as it is that our secondary isn't as good as years past. Yes, we blitz a lot -- but we blitzed a lot w/ RAC as well.

Last year I started a thread about concerns for our DLine because it didn't feel like we were getting a lot of pressure from them. It felt the same way to me this year even before JJ and Mercilus went down -- under RAC, we just don't generate a lot of pressure w/out the blitz and it's the same now. The difference now is that when the blitz gets picked up, our DB's aren't covering as well and there are guys open. My preference would be to blitz less as well and do a better job with DL stunts than what we have in the past rather than having guys freelancing like JJ liked to. But I don't think RAC is going to fix our problems any better from the sidelines than he can from the booth.
 
Mangler said:
The defensive play calls were a bunch of head scratchers on Sunday against the Chiefs. Seems we were on blitz mode every time it wows third down, ignoring the fact that we were getting torched every time since we'd be wide open for the intermediate routes which Alex Smith is notorious for throwing to. It was 3rd and long...Blitz...3rd and short...Blitz...third and medium...Blitz!
Click to expand...

I watched a different game.
 
Mangler said:
The defensive play calls were a bunch of head scratchers on Sunday against the Chiefs. Seems we were on blitz mode every time it wows third down, ignoring the fact that we were getting torched every time since we'd be wide open for the intermediate routes which Alex Smith is notorious for throwing to. It was 3rd and long...Blitz...3rd and short...Blitz...third and medium...Blitz!

Now, I love Mike Vrabel as much as the next guy, but we need to turn this thing around! Especially after losing Watt and Mercilus.
Click to expand...

So let's turn this defense around, but without Watt and Mercilus? OK...
 
Uncle Rico said:
I'm surprised since we can't seem to generate much pressure
Click to expand...
We bring BMc a lot and an occasional cb. Agreed that we don't get a lot of pressure though. Without the blitz, our DL, including JD looks like they're doing a slow dance with the OL most of the time on passing plays (even w/ Mercilus and JJ w/ opposing double teams). You wouldn't think it would be like that looking at our talent on paper. Even worse now with JJ and Mercilus gone. The scheme has been more about individuals getting penetration rather than coordinated stunts. Maybe this will change with our current personnel though.
 
Mangler said:
The defensive play calls were a bunch of head scratchers on Sunday against the Chiefs. Seems we were on blitz mode every time it wows third down, ignoring the fact that we were getting torched every time since we'd be wide open for the intermediate routes which Alex Smith is notorious for throwing to. It was 3rd and long...Blitz...3rd and short...Blitz...third and medium...Blitz!

Now, I love Mike Vrabel as much as the next guy, but we need to turn this thing around! Especially after losing Watt and Mercilus.
Click to expand...
. I agree 800%. We are blitzing way too much, especially on 3rd and long. An experienced passing attack will burn you most every time, especially when they know it's coming.
. The loss of 2 top players, or even 11 starters, doesn't impact a defense as much as the lack of a good coordinator. If Crennell came back we could still have a great defense. I want to see that combined with a productive offense for at least one year before Crennell retires. The FO stumbled on a decent O but at the same time they just had to throw away what they had on the other side of the LOS.
 
Corrosion said:
They generated quite a bit of pressure , that pressure just didn't get home. Credit to Smith for escaping pressure and making several big plays on 3rd and long. He played a hell of a game.
Click to expand...

I didn't remember much blitzing on third down. We rushed three & four which allowed for huge gaps that Smith escaped through.
 
Corrosion said:
They generated quite a bit of pressure , that pressure just didn't get home. Credit to Smith for escaping pressure and making several big plays on 3rd and long. He played a hell of a game.
Click to expand...


Smith might be MVP when it is all said and done this season. He just looks different. The throws he used to goof up in the past and hitting between the numbers. What a season by Smith. His O-line is a Wall. Only we place as much emphasis on building O-line like the Chiefs and the Pats.......
 
Defense isn't making plays. Secondary is slightly above average. No pass rushers

This team is no longer a defensive standout. It's all about the offense. Gotta out score the opponent.

We really miss bouye and no Johnson in secondary
 
dwight pugoy said:
Smith might be MVP when it is all said and done this season. He just looks different. The throws he used to goof up in the past and hitting between the numbers. What a season by Smith. His O-line is a Wall. Only we place as much emphasis on building O-line like the Chiefs and the Pats.......
Click to expand...

KCs OL was down two starters when we played them. Their LG was an UDFA we released in 2014.

Tom Brady has been sacked 15 times already. 5 by us.
 
ATXtexanfan said:
Defense isn't making plays. Secondary is slightly above average. No pass rushers

This team is no longer a defensive standout. It's all about the offense. Gotta out score the opponent.

We really miss bouye and no Johnson in secondary
Click to expand...

I'm thinking they're going to look pretty good come Sunday.

The rest of the year I think they'll be functional. Not spectacular in any way, but good enough to win.
 
Corrosion said:
They generated quite a bit of pressure , that pressure just didn't get home. Credit to Smith for escaping pressure and making several big plays on 3rd and long. He played a hell of a game.
Click to expand...
The biggest problem for our defense is not the lack of pressure from a pass rush, it is the coverage allowing the QB to get rid of the ball too quickly to receivers who are wide freaking open. Fix the coverage and you do a lot to fix the pass rush.
 
I think one of the reasons the Texans lost the KC game was KC had 0 turnovers. We had one (the Foreman fumble).

The Saints won a Superb Owl with kind of a crappy defense that was excellent at creating turnovers....
 
Texas Jake said:
The biggest problem for our defense is not the lack of pressure from a pass rush, it is the coverage allowing the QB to get rid of the ball too quickly to receivers who are wide freaking open. Fix the coverage and you do a lot to fix the pass rush.
Click to expand...
Quick passes will always work when you have the defense blitzing on 3rd down every time. KC knew what we were gonna do because we did the same damn thing over and over, and quick passes/check downs are Alex Smith's bread and butter.
 
If you don't think that RAC is involved in and approving of every game plan Vrabel has come up with I don't know what to say.

Players not executing is the biggest flaw so far...

If we had fantastic sack numbers, which every year has started slowly, you wouldn't be complaining about the blitzing
 
JB said:
If we had fantastic sack numbers, which every year has started slowly, you wouldn't be complaining about the blitzing
Click to expand...

Who would? But reality is we DON'T have fantastic sack numbers while blitzing over and over on 3rd down, they need to stop blitzing on 3rd down every damn time! It's obviously NOT WORKING!
 
The biggest issue that was frustrating to watch as a fan Sunday night was how far open the Chiefs receivers were able to get. More than a few reviews on the jumbotron showed no Texans even in the frame when the catch was made.

Unless the Chiefs WR corps truly has the best team speed ever seen, our issue was as much scheme as personnel. We appeared to be running too soft a zone without coordinated handoff between those zones.
 
Mangler said:
Who would? But reality is we DON'T have fantastic sack numbers while blitzing over and over on 3rd down, they need to stop blitzing on 3rd down every damn time! It's obviously NOT WORKING!
Click to expand...


This is a situation where they cant win for losing ....

The pass rush cant get home and if they don't blitz the DB's cant cover. So either we take risks that may or may not work out or .... we back off and give up completions anyway.

I'll take the blitz with the potential of a sack , bad throw or thrown away over a 3-4 man rush while the QB can wait all day for a target to uncover.
 
Corrosion said:
This is a situation where they cant win for losing ....

The pass rush cant get home and if they don't blitz the DB's cant cover. So either we take risks that may or may not work out or .... we back off and give up completions anyway.

I'll take the blitz with the potential of a sack , bad throw or thrown away over a 3-4 man rush while the QB can wait all day for a target to uncover.
Click to expand...

Which brings us back to if the DBs were covering we wouldn't have to live or die by the blitz and backs up my statement that coverage is the biggest issue for our defense. Fix the coverage and you fix a lot of our problems on defense.
 
Texas Jake said:
Which brings us back to if the DBs were covering we wouldn't have to live or die by the blitz and backs up my statement that coverage is the biggest issue for our defense. Fix the coverage and you fix a lot of our problems on defense.
Click to expand...
Try having the BDs play up on the LOS instead of giving an 8+ yd cushion and the QB will be forced to hold the ball longer. I'm sick to death of seeing the Texans play off coverage.
 
DocBar said:
Try having the BDs play up on the LOS instead of giving an 8+ yd cushion and the QB will be forced to hold the ball longer. I'm sick to death of seeing the Texans play off coverage.
Click to expand...

I'm sick of the way the Texans play off coverage. Every other team does it as well. However, the play makers are watching the QB & WR reading their cues & making a break on the ball, or timing their hit to disrupt the catch.

Our DBs play off to "cover their bases" as they have no idea what the receiver & QB are going to do. Their plan appears to be keeping the WR in front of him & making a sure tackle when he catches the ball.

Kevin Johnson, Aj Bouye, Marcus Peters, Jalen Ramsey, Aquib Talib... I have no problem if they're playing off the ball.

Kareem Jackson, Jonathan Joseph, not so much.
 
Last edited:
thunderkyss said:
I'm sick of the way the Texans play off coverage. Every other team does it as well. However, the play makers are watching the QB & WR reading their cues & making a break on the ball, or timing their hit to disrupt the catch.

Our DBs play off to "cover their bases" as they have no idea what the receiver & QB are going to do. Their plan appears to be keeping the WR in front of him & making a sure tackle when he catches the ball.

Kevin Johnson, Aj Bouye, Marcus Peters, Jalen Ramsey, Aquib Talib... I have no problem if they're playing off the ball.

Kareem Jackson, Jonathan Joseph, not so much.
Click to expand...
If they played on the LOS and challenged the WR more, redirecting them and/or disrupting their timing more often I would feel better about the secondary.
 
DocBar said:
If they played on the LOS and challenged the WR more, redirecting them and/or disrupting their timing more often I would feel better about the secondary.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen that work much better for Kjax in a long time. Jjo, yes. But not Jackson.

Who is our third corner now?
 
thunderkyss said:
I'm sick of the way the Texans play off coverage. Every other team does it as well. However, the play makers are watching the QB & WR reading their cues & making a break on the ball, or timing their hit to disrupt the catch.

Our DBs play off to "cover their bases" as they have no idea what the receiver & QB are going to do. Their plan appears to be keeping the WR in front of him & making a sure tackle when he catches the ball.

Kevin Johnson, Aj Bouye, Marcus Peters, Jalen Ramsey, Aquib Talib... I have no problem if they're playing off the ball.

Kareem Jackson, Jonathan Joseph, not so much.
Click to expand...

Jjo has been playing off the ball very well today. I have no complaints. That pick six helps.
 
thunderkyss said:
I haven't seen that work much better for Kjax in a long time. Jjo, yes. But not Jackson.

Who is our third corner now?
Click to expand...


KJax is too slow. That's the reason why he doesn't press. Plus he still doesn't know how to get hid head around.

Jojo can still press some but he's getting old. Man I seen him get turned around badly several times.

Bouye and Johnson were our physical in your face CB's.

Now we have neither so the front has to put pressure on these opposing QB'S.
 
Texansballer74 said:
KJax is too slow. That's the reason why he doesn't press. Plus he still doesn't know how to get hid head around.

Jojo can still press some but he's getting old. Man I seen him get turned around badly several times.

Bouye and Johnson were our physical in your face CB's.

Now we have neither so the front has to put pressure on these opposing QB'S.
Click to expand...

Johnson should be back, allowing KJax to move around which he does best. Hopefully KJo can get back in the swing quickly
 
edo783 said:
A day or two ago, on the radio (610), they were comparing last years defensive states to this years and they were a LOT closer to even than I was expecting. Perhaps all is not lost???
Click to expand...

After 6 weeks last season the Texans D was 7th in yards allowed, 11th on the Aikman Efficiency chart and had given up 12 TDs.

After 6 weeks this season the Texans D is 7th in yards allowed, 11th on the Aikman Efficiency chart and have given up 13 TDs.
 
I've tried like hell to stay out of this thread because surely Romeo has his stamp on things and Vrabel has earned his place to take the lumps of a new coach. That's not what I'm seeing. Romeo kept the big play in check, dang near the king of 'bend don't break' defense. His weakness was a poor blitz. Vrabel will probably become a great coach, but right now he's a former player trying to hang on - and our scheme is a mess on both ends.
 
zshawn10 said:
patrick

✔@PatDStat

#Texans Defense in the OB Era

NFL Ranking

2014: PTS (7th) YDS (16th)
2015: PTS (7th) YDS (3rd)
2016: PTS (11th) YDS (1st)
2017: PTS (29th) YDS (18th)

10:29 AM - Nov 28, 2017

patrick

✔@PatDStat

Since 2011 the Texans have had a top 11 defense in scoring.

Only seasons they have not had it?

2013: (24th) Record: 2-14
2017: Currently 29th. Record: 4-7

10:32 AM - Nov 28, 2017
Click to expand...


$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

McNair thinks it is more important to have RAC (ass't head coach) up in the booth helping Obrien with game management decision. Like when to call TO's, challenges etc.

Thats worked out so well, so far, hasn't it? I think RAC has been MIA since his promotion.

We need McNair to spend more time micro-managing his money machine, producing counterfeit football. :sarcasm:

:coffee:
 
Last edited:
I know that losing Mercilus and Watt is huge, but it shouldn't be THAT huge with Clowney doing so much of the heavy lifting. Our defense right now is falling squarely on the shoulders of Vrabel. We don't have an outside linebacker able to get pressure (supposed to be his wheelhouse) and we're wildly too 'guessing' with our safeties from what I've seen. This doesn't look like Romeo's defense to me, though to be honest a couple of recent games haven't aired here so I'm stuck watching highlights and may miss quite a bit.

Romeo should either be running the show as head coach, or back as defensive coordinator. As the previous two posts point out, he's in no-man's land and I'm not quite sure what role he has with the team.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top