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McKinney to Start, Okoye to start rushing the passer...

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Houston Texans Football

Aug. 22, 2007, 12:07AM
TEXANS NOTES

By JOHN McCLAIN AND MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Steve McKinney started at left guard in the first two preseason games while Chester Pitts recovered from a lower back injury. Pitts returns against Dallas, and McKinney is going to start at center and play the first half ahead of Mike Flanagan.

"I feel good about the way I played at guard, but there's always room for improvement," McKinney said. "I haven't been in the rotation at center the last two weeks, and now I'm getting this opportunity, and I'm pumped about it."
Coach Gary Kubiak said the job is wide-open between Flanagan and McKinney. Kubiak
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Amobi Okoye is spending this week trying to remind himself of what made him a standout at Louisville. The 20-year-old rookie said he is focusing on his pass-rush moves and hopes to have more of an impact on the game this weekend than he had in the previous two preseason games.

"One thing I did when I was in college was play the passer and react to the run, and I think during training camp, I kind of did the reverse," Okoye said. "So I'm going to try to focus a lot more on what got me here, and that's rushing the passer first and reacting to the run."
Coach Gary Kubiak said he saw training camp take a toll on Okoye and looks forward to watching him improve.
"I think, like any rookie, this camp is probably the hardest thing he's ever been through," Kubiak said. "It's long. We haven't even started playing yet, and he probably already feels like he's been through a college season.
"You can sense that in young guys, but a couple weeks from now, when the red and white come in here, that fire will come back — that juice."
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/5073826.html
 
I would love Okoye to have a couple of sacks on Saturday. I'm predicting at least one for Okoye.
 
Well if this group bows their necks Saturday night and has a good, not great but good outing against the cowpokes and that beast of an o-line JJ is building then
there's been a lot of panic for nothing on the boards this week. My only goal for the game is to keep as many bodies intact as possible for K.C.
 
Glad McKinney is getting the start, though I have to admit Flannigan hasn't played too bad...

The few times I did watch him, he did pretty well..
 
"One thing I did when I was in college was play the passer and react to the run, and I think during training camp, I kind of did the reverse," Okoye said. "So I'm going to try to focus a lot more on what got me here, and that's rushing the passer first and reacting to the run."
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pssst...
Yo, Amobi. Tell that to Mario.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Glad to see Pitts is back. Moving McKinney back to centre strengthens two spots on the line.
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I'm not making fun of you for saying this, I'm just pointing out that there was a time, not too long ago when I would have bet good money that these words, in this order were never going to be spoken.
 
true herv...when McKinney was center some (including me) wanted a real center and move McKinney back to guard..now we thinking of mcKinney back to Center.
 
Hervoyel said:
I'm not making fun of you for saying this, I'm just pointing out that there was a time, not too long ago when I would have bet good money that these words, in this order were never going to be spoken.
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Absolutely true and yet at the same time a demonstration of how observation should overcome repetition. McKinney had an awful 2004 at center. Then he came back in 2005 and played much better but many folks just continued the herd in the same direction. McKinney's greatest weakness IMO is in decision making on where to support during pass protection--another example of analysis paralysis or poor decision making.

Anyone else notice McKinney has his best games against what is considered one of the best DT duos in the league?--Henderson and Stroud.
 
infantrycak said:
Absolutely true and yet at the same time a demonstration of how observation should overcome repetition. McKinney had an awful 2004 at center. Then he came back in 2005 and played much better but many folks just continued the herd in the same direction. McKinney's greatest weakness IMO is in decision making on where to support during pass protection--another example of analysis paralysis or poor decision making.

Anyone else notice McKinney has his best games against what is considered one of the best DT duos in the league?--Henderson and Stroud.
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I am still not that fond of McKinney at center, but I am even less enamored of Flanagan. I was hoping one of the young guys would step up so Flanagan could be given his walking papers.
 
vtech9 said:
I am still not that fond of McKinney at center, but I am even less enamored of Flanagan. I was hoping one of the young guys would step up so Flanagan could be given his walking papers.
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Not enamored of McKinney either, but amongst the options on the squad would like to see him start. Sometime soon the Texans are either going to have to lay out the 1st day draft pick or find a diamond like converting Studdard to C. Once pre-season is over, I would have him working out there to see if he had potential to move.
 
vtech9 said:
I am still not that fond of McKinney at center, but I am even less enamored of Flanagan. I was hoping one of the young guys would step up so Flanagan could be given his walking papers.
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Speaking of which...

Has anyone heard any more about Chris White's injury? The last I heard, it was worse than they had originally thought it was.
 
Its weird to me that we have come to a point where we are rooting for McKinney to be starting again..... how the worm turns.
 
infantrycak said:
Not enamored of McKinney either, but amongst the options on the squad would like to see him start. Sometime soon the Texans are either going to have to lay out the 1st day draft pick or find a diamond like converting Studdard to C. Once pre-season is over, I would have him working out there to see if he had potential to move.
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Well, I can agree with drafting a Center and I was hoping that's what they were going to do this year and pick up Kalil. They did get Enoka Lucas as an UFA, but then cut him before TC. Chris White I've heard is good, but I don't know if he is good enough to be a starter and play every down. Hodgdon will probably be cut before the regular season. I'm not in favor of trying to move Studdard to Center and I haven't heard of any plans to move him by the team.

All that leaves is praying McKinney/Flanagan can make it through the season, and then draft a Center or pick one up in FA. Either way, they have to do something soon because McKinney/Flanagan ain't getting any younger! JMHO! :texflag:
 
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