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How close were the Texans to being Super Bowl contenders?
- Thread starter Playoffs
- Start date
Troy Chapman
Rookie
Interesting take; but I don't like how they treat each position individually equal. An above average QB would improve this team vs. an above average Full Back. If Houston were to get 8 above average players in addition to the current group....but one of those 8 were not QB's; then Houston probably wouldn't be much closer.
Arian Foster is just average?
Arian Foster is just average?
I would also question that one. And I never thought I'd ever see the word average associated with Andre Johnson, but frankly it's kinda come to that at this point in his career. But Foster was very critical to several of our teams wins this past year, but he also missed lots of time, and guess that would have to factor in.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
And on the flip side of that, sometimes the group performs better than the individual rankings, e.g. our OL only has one player listed as above average (really Brooks?) but I think the OL as a whole played better than average.
Troy Chapman
Rookie
Definitely. I really like PFF and the information I can pull from them; but then they go and do this type of deal and it makes me wonder.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
Didn't say Brooks was bad.
But that proves my point. If we had the 5th overall OL then we aren't being held back by only 1 above average OLman. I just think it's ridiculous to pop out a number like 8. Eliminate the already as a whole above average OL and it's basically saying replace 8 of 17 remaining starters and that's just whack.
We need set at QB and then all the sudden most of the OL, Foster, AJ, and some TE(s) would be listed as above average again.
Despite having one of the great pass rushers in the game, the Texans finished 24th in QB sack %. The bottom 10. I realize the other Texans defenders aren't good pass rushers. But, it seems to me that the Texans could have done a better job of scheming off of Watt to create pass rushing opportunities for other defenders. That just seems reasonable.
Other rushers had lots of 1 on 1 and just failed to do the job
The average NFL team has 2 elite players? There are 64 or so elite players in the NFL? I think there is a watered down definition of elite somewhere in this. Else, the Watts, Megatrons, and Rodgers need to fall into a "Mega Elite" category.
And Foster as average is a joke.
And Foster as average is a joke.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
If you look at it as essentially the 1st and 2nd team all pro rosters it sounds less unreasonable.
And ditto on Foster.
True, and I don't even want to make too much out of the pass rush stats. There are many ways to defend against the pass, and I thought the Texans did a pretty good job for the most part (though their competition wasn't always stellar). But, I see a team like the Colts, that has no one close to Watt's ability, find ways to get rushers a free shot at the QB. So sure, the Texans need to find additional personnel to improve. But I think there are other ways to improve, as well.
Yeah, but how many all pro guards, centers, safeties, or MLBs are elite? Or make the type of impact on the game that would make a difference on their own? I think there are levels inside levels, and this system seems simplistic. There are so many variables in football that make it very difficult to analyze, as they do in baseball. Baseball just lends itself to that type of analysis. And that analysis is much more sophisticated than anything I've seen attempted for football. I just take this with a lot of skepticism.
Carr Bombed
Hall of Fame
Paralysis by analysis.. Whoever wrote that article and wasted their time pulling up those stats has way too much time on their hands. The Houston Texans are a franchise QB away from being a SB contender (not some stupid number of average players created through some stat) ... Just as every other team is that doesn't have one.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
They did it for every team, guess who's closest...?: http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12179331/how-many-players-away-super-bowl-team
Explaining 'missing pieces' project
How PFF devised the player rankings for ESPN.com's Super Bowl project
By Sam Monson | Pro Football Focus
Explaining 'missing pieces' project
How PFF devised the player rankings for ESPN.com's Super Bowl project
By Sam Monson | Pro Football Focus
Here's an example of what I was referring to. The Eagles. 3 elite players. Jason Peters, Evan Mathis, and Brandon Graham. Really? And LeSean McCoy is "bad".
OK.
OK.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
Pfft.
That's exactly what is missing. Football is a team game so what's important is how well the whole team functions, not how individuals are graded.
silvrhand
All Pro
There are two above average, Brooks and Brown no?
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
I would say Brooks, Brown and Myers.
Ok whatever you say.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Myers is great in a full blown ZBS scheme. I feel O Brien ran more ZBS than he wanted because those are the types of players he had on the roster. Whenever we ran a power run play Myers got eaten alive by bigger NT's.
I believe BOB already told old Rick to get Gary on the phone and see if he is interested in a trade
I believe BOB already told old Rick to get Gary on the phone and see if he is interested in a trade
Personally, I think the entire AFC breathed a collective sigh of relief that the Texans missed the playoffs. OB had the offense at a competent level ( a minor miracle imho) and the defense was rounding out to be an elite, game changing unit that could rival Seattle's.
Defense was pretty outstanding. Offense wasn't scaring anyone though. Team was better than halfway there, but I don't think the points would have been there.
Seeing as how we only beat ONE playoff caliber team, I think we were quite a ways away from being a super bowl team.
I suppose all those missing pieces say that the author(s) agree. We're a quality QB - at a minimum - away from contending for a championship.
It is interesting, however, that they think we're closer to SB level than Indy.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Meh, Indy went 2-4 against playoff teams during the regular season (3 of the losses were complete blowouts) and made it to the AFC Championship game with convincing wins over Cincy and Denver.
That kind of tells me they wouldn't have made it to the AFC CG had Manning been 100%.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Tells me their stupid crazy streak of luck is just continuing. Get a Dalton (0-4 in playoff games) lead Bengals team then a stacked Broncos team with a gimped Manning.
Luckiest professional sports franchise ever.
I keep thinking of the Giants teams that beat the Pats in 2 Super Bowls and it makes me very optimistic.
As the season went on, I really liked how OB's game planning/play calling progressed. I also think of the 200 Ravens with Trent Dilfer. The Texans' might've made a splash in the playoffs.
banned1976
sleeper mode
They have been lucky, unlucky and inept all at the same time. I say that because they had arguably the best QB to ever play the game for 13 years (14 if you count 2011) and the best they could manage was one Super Bowl win. Outside Manning and a player here and there they didn't draft well and they continuously ran into vastly better coached teams in the playoffs.
Even so, if you have an elite QB you already have a big advantage over teams like the Texans. So back to the subject, I think Foster and Watt are both elite but an elite DE and an elite RB isn't good enough in todays NFL. The Vikings with Peterson had some great play out of their front 7 on defense but even that wasn't enough until Favre had a short resurrection to form in his one year there.
Uncle Rico
Ur apology should be as loud as Ur disrespect was
I feel they were one Fat Albert Haynesworth cheap shot from winning the whole damn thing in 2011. Team was rolling. Schaub was playin at a high level. D was elite.
I agree. :wadepalm:
I honestly think we could have even went further with Leinart if he didn't get injured.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
So 2011 was our window? BOB gives zero ****s. If there is no window you break the damn wall down!
PS-We really need a BOB emoticon
what did Leinart ever do to make you think that?
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Bum never got the chance. Adams fired him
BOB will have this team eating nails and knocking down walls.
Bum had the chance to knock and the chance to kick. Bud Adams was a fool to fire him or, if the rumors are true, lose him in a poker game.
Whoa! First time I've heard this. Got something?
I dunno... but he had to be better than the rookie that was T.J. Yates. At a minimum, I don't believe Kubiak would have had to cut out so much of the playbook like he did for Yates.
Ahh, I thought he meant Leinart instead of Schaub
But I'm not sure Leinart could have done much better than Yates
You were correct. I was talking Leinart. (a) Leinart had been fairly decent as a starter in AZ. Warner was just better and beat him out for the starter's job. (b) Yates had basically zero experience compared to Leinart and I just think he (Leinart) prior experience as a starter would have let Kubiak use more of the playbook which, theoretically, should have given us a more potent offense. Obviously, this is total supposition.
But could Leinart taken us further than pre -injury Schaub?