Showtime100
Got JJ?
Fire f'ing Kubes. If you don't get that you are stupid.......period.
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Lets be ********** Honest.....
- Thread starter EllisUnit
- Start date
run-david-run
All Pro
You say that, but we just went into Baltimore without our 2 best players and gave the Ravens all they wanted for 3 and a half quarters. We held Rice completely in check, but just ran out of steam on offense when we had to play from behind. With AJ out there, we have a much better chance of getting the run game going and we have a legitimate deep threat on passing downs, our two main problems on offense.
Based on yesterday, do the Ravens scare you? Because they sure as hell scare me less now than they did at 2:59 pm on Sunday.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
all these excuses are nauseating. The Ratbirds were missing Ben Grubbs Tom Zbikowski, Lee Evans, Chris Carr, and Jimmy Smith....all starters or key reserves (nick back etc.). How do you keep Ray Rice in check but still give up over 100 yards rushing? The Ratbirds replaced Evans with their version of Jacoby Jones as their deep threat but that didn't stop them either.
Every team has injuries .... Some of those have a bigger effect than others.
None of those guy's listed as out for the Ravens comes close to bringing what #80 brings to the Texans offense .... Imagine that team without Rice who their entire offense is built around ..... Much like the Texans offense is built around AJ.
Hell , I'd rather see Schaub out than #80 to be totally honest. Schaub or Leinart ..... both can manage the game but neither can dictate what defenses do. #80 does ....
Just look at how hard its been for the Texans to run the ball the past two weeks ..... and consider how bad the Raiders were at stopping the run prior to that game , that was what most were banking on the Texans exploiting ..... No AJ = running game ineffective.
This won't be taken well considering who's saying it but in my honest opinion the Texans wouldn't win this division if Britt were healthy. He opened up so many options for the Titans and they have certainly struggled against some lesser defenses without him. That's not to say Britt is some world beater, but that Houston is just missing certain pieces. Even with AJ there is something wrong there.
With the injuries in this division and the Garrard move opening week there is absolutely no excuse for Kubiak not to deliver a division title. Even if Hou were to squeak in the playoffs as a wildcard I think its grounds for a Kubiak firing. Way too much talent for the performance.
With the injuries in this division and the Garrard move opening week there is absolutely no excuse for Kubiak not to deliver a division title. Even if Hou were to squeak in the playoffs as a wildcard I think its grounds for a Kubiak firing. Way too much talent for the performance.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
I guess the Bills should have thrown in the towel when Jim Kelly couldn't play against the Oilers? Frank Reich? Riiiiight...Bills have zero shot. AJ is a great player but come on, this is the NFL. One guy ain't gonna make a team great. AJ has been here a long time and this team has always been mediocre at best. The excuses just seem like weakness. I think players matter, but I also think that weak, soft teams look for these kinds of excuses...and apparently so do weak, soft fanbases (not speaking of anyone in particular).
How bad were the Texans at stopping the running game? But since the Raiders were missing Louis Murphy, we were able to key in on McFadden right?
They run the same ZBS we do, they understand the what & why our OL does what it does & how to counter it. It's the same reason our poor run defense was able to shut down two of the more prolific running games in the league, but struggled with the Saints, the Dolphins, & the Colts... the Colts!!
Both Oakland & Baltimore made adjustments that opened up their running games in the second half. We didn't.
& if one guy makes the team, that says an awful lot about the coaches.
Look at Indy, without 18, that whole F.O. look like idiots, Pioli included.
(I typed idiots & it printed??)
This is year 6, it's been 5 years, going on 6.
Plural .... You can type idiots .... just not id!0t
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And yet you did..... clever.. very, very clever.
TexanBacker93
Veteran
I'm more concerned with it keeping Kubiak at coach. I think the team will make the playoffs and depending on the matchup win in the 1st round because we will host it. I can't see this team winning on the road, though. The defense is playing well enough to keep us in it, but it won't be enough.
There will be:
1) One big 3rd and extremely long that we won't get a stop on leading to a take back the lead score.
2) A 3 and out following a situation where we took the lead and got a 3 and out ourselves. Inevitably this 3 and out will have a run, run, bad pass playcalling sequence.
3) A questionable flag that keeps a drive alive for the opponent. Or a very stupid penalty that didn't affect the play.
4) A poor use of a timeout giving us one less down the stretch when we need it.
I want the team to make the playoffs. I just don't want the team to settle for that. Nobody else in the league worries about taking baby steps. Go for the whole enchilada.
1. 6 years of only beating crappy teams and loosing to good teams will do that to you.
2. yeh its Unfortunate. just bad luck huh?
3. So after six years you only consider us a not great, only good and we should be happy with this?
5. And if we loose? Would that just be "unfortunate"? Then with this "easier" schedule we would have to go 7 and 2 to reach the 10 and 6 mark you have set for us to reach the playoffs. Do you really think this team can pull that off?
MojoMan
Hall of Fame
1. The Texans are not going to win all of their games. The game against Baltimore is one they were likely to lose, and they did. The Ravens are a better team than the Texans, especially without Andre Johnson.
2. Don't get me wrong, I am disappointed the Texans lost last Sunday. And I am disappointed they are 3-3 right now when they should be 4-2. But I am not hysterical about it. They lost one game they should not have, against the Oakland Raiders. They can recover from that. And I will be eagerly looking forward to watching them do so.
3. It is my sense that the Texans are poised to have a good year this year and probably will make the playoffs. Mario Williams being lost for the year is a big loss, and Andre Johnson being gone for the last two games (Both losses) is an even bigger loss. If Andre was healthy the last two games, the Texans almost certainly beat the Raiders, and might have won the game against the Ravens as well. So, yes, I think it is unfortunate.
5. The game against Tennessee is huge for a whole host of reasons. It is 1) against a division opponent, 2) on the road, 3) who is currently in first place in the division, and 4) it is a rivalry game against the former Houston Oilers. For the Texans to make the playoffs this year, the easiest way will be for them to win their division. If they win this game, they will be in first place in the South. If they lose, they will be in second place 1.5 games behind the Titans. That will be a tough spot - albeit one that can still be overcome.
If you want to get hysterical about the Titans game, let's at least wait for the game to be played first. What do you say? There is really no point in becoming hysterical about something that has not even happened yet. Personally, I believe the Texans will beat the Titans on Sunday.
drunkcookie
2 drunk 2 cook
Almost is the theme..
I'm not freaking out just yet, but i am almost freaking out at the thought of how close i am to freaking out...
It is almost amazing how big of a difference having AJ on the bench is for this running game/offense in a whole.. the only good thing i've seen come out of it was that JJ was left with reed going deep, and i'll take that almost every time...
As a matter of fact, until AJ returns we need to run that play-action boot almost every other play... I'm almost serious...
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
I'm not freaking out just yet, but i am almost freaking out at the thought of how close i am to freaking out...
It is almost amazing how big of a difference having AJ on the bench is for this running game/offense in a whole.. the only good thing i've seen come out of it was that JJ was left with reed going deep, and i'll take that almost every time...
As a matter of fact, until AJ returns we need to run that play-action boot almost every other play... I'm almost serious...
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
It still walks like a duck , quacks like a duck . The big problem is if the Texans limp into the playoffs by beating bad teams Bob will keep things as they are . Matt has hit his ceiling and it's not high enough to function in the red zone and he's really lost without AJ . Gary is still Gary and the tease of Wade making a big difference in the win column isn't happening .
MojoMan
Hall of Fame
I hope you are not suggesting that it would be better for the Texans to lose so that Bob McNair will clean house.
The Texans do not appear to be a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl this year. I would like to see the Texans win every game they play from now on, but of course that would be ridiculous to actually expect that.
The Texans went 6-10 last season and an improvement to 10-6 or 11-5 with the team's first playoff appearance and division title would be an excellent accomplishment for this season. Personally, I would count all of that as a giant step forward and as a very successful season for this team. And it would also put them in position for even better things over the next few years.
7 and 3 or 8 and 2? Do you really think we are capable of doing that? :vincepalm: If there are more than 3 good teams on our schedule then that is a pipe dream.
MojoMan
Hall of Fame
Yep. I do.
Having said that, the truth is "being capable of" and "accomplishing" are two different things.
We'll all see if they can actually accomplish what they're capable of.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
based on what? The only time this team has finished strong was when we were out of the playoffs and teams were resting their players.
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
I'm not suggesting anything other than they're still an average team in a weak division . When the Texans go this route I tend to pour out my koolaid and become more of an observer and less of a fan .
Vinny
shiny happy fan
ok, didn't know you weren't using logic. my bad.
Nope. Not a bit.
Think about it, to have an emotional attachment (and you do or you wouldn't care who's running what) to a business entity that does not provide me or my family with any financial gain or philosophical enrichment but, instead, is, a good deal of the time, pretty much a source of aggravation, is illogical by definition. No, it's beyond illogical it's plain stupid. If I were in a relationship that was this frustrating - damned near psychologically abusive - but yet I won't leave, I'd be diagnosed as co-dependent and be getting therapy.
We're all crazy.
Or we wouldn't be here.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
yeah, but I like a little reality based logic mixed into my football talk. Where do you think you are anyway? Ht.com?Nope. Not a bit.
Think about it, to have an emotional attachment (and you do or you wouldn't care who's running what) to a business entity that does not provide me or my family with any financial gain or philosophical enrichment but, instead, is, a good deal of the time, pretty much a source of aggravation, is illogical by definition. No, it's beyond illogical it's plain stupid. If I were in a relationship that was this frustrating - damned near psychologically abusive - but yet I won't leave, I'd be diagnosed as co-dependent and be getting therapy.
We're all crazy.
Or we wouldn't be here.
Okay, the real answer is, I think we're better than most of the teams on the remainder of our schedule. Past years be damned. Despite what happened last week, I think this is the best team we've ever had. Both talent wise and attitude wise. No one in that locker room is just here to pick up their check like teams we've had in the past.
We've gone toe-to-toe with the two of the best teams in the league and damn near won. Now I know pessimists don't believe in "moral victories". But I do believe in measuring yourself against the best. And when we went against the best this year we didn't embarrass ourselves as in years past.
If we can just figure out how to keep from tripping over our own feet, we can win and, dare I say, even make some hay in the playoffs.
See the AZ Cardinals or the NY Giants when they won 3 straight road games to get to the Super Bowl. So if we can get on a roll, build some team confidence - and shut down that damned "Same Old Texans" mantra. Maybe we can get somewhere.
The short answer is: We're better than we've ever, and I mean EVER, been.
So yeah, I think we can pull this off.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
ok, I like that answer and I agree that this SHOULD be a better team than most of the remaining opponents.
Poor Andre!
& that was the source of my sunshine until we lost to the Raiders at home. Now I question if it even matters if we are the better team. Unless the other team is flat out disfunctional, how good are our chances?
& It's not just that we lost to the Raiders, but I think we stunk it up
in the second half of that game across the board offensively. & that is unacceptable.
The Titans are a better team than the Raiders & we're playing them on the road after losing 3 of the last 4.
Man if it don't feel like we've been here before.
I think the albatross is the players.
A coaches job is to give his team a chance to win , to put the players in position to make plays.
Routinely the players have failed to come thru when given the opportunity to do so.
Well there you go blocking my sunshine with your rain cloud!
It's a symbiotic relationship, to be sure. Plays are designed to be successful, and to that end, players have to execute them.
However, there are always counter plays to each play, so then it's up to the coaching staff to game plan prior to kickoff and then adjust to circumstances after kickoff.
But, in the end, it still comes down to the ultimate responsibility is on the coaches. After all, who picked the players?
Well there you go blocking my sunshine with your rain cloud!
It's a symbiotic relationship, to be sure. Plays are designed to be successful, and to that end, players have to execute them.
However, there are always counter plays to each play, so then it's up to the coaching staff to game plan prior to kickoff and then adjust to circumstances after kickoff.
But, in the end, it still comes down to the ultimate responsibility is on the coaches. After all, who picked the players?
How many times this season have we seen players drop gimmies .... Foster dropped two this past Sunday , Vickers another against the Raiders. Rackers misses a FG that he usually makes ... which would have allowed them to win that game with a FG ....
How many times have we seen Schaub make a piss poor throw not giving his reciever a chance to make a play ? or a poor throw to a reciever who had beaten coverage ... ?
To the bold - GM Rick Smith (Yeah , I know Kubiak picked him ....) has a whole lot of input on player aquisition .... Coaches say "Im looking for these qualities in a given position" .... The GM is tasked with finding players who best fit the description.
DexmanC
Hall of Fame
The 49ers have the same players that choked their way out of a division title last
year. The new coach is able to keep those same players focused enough to beat
a 5-0 football team on the road on their way to a 5-1 start on the season.
Dropped balls, running wrong routes, and a myriad of other mental mistakes
point to lack of focus. That lies with coaching, and I'm continually reading
illogical posts clamoring for a team to be successful IN SPITE of its HEAD COACH.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, The evolution of the Texans wholly
depends on the EVOLUTION OF GARY KUBIAK as a HEAD COACH. We've seen
ZERO MOVEMENT in this regard in six seasons.
To the bold - Is a failure on the part of the players .
The coach dont throw the ball .... dont catch the ball and dont kick the damn thing either.
The coach designs a game plan and selects plays based upon the situation at hand.
Ask Vickers if he blames Gary for droppin the damn game winner Vs the Raiders ?
Ask Schaub if he blames Gary for throwing a pick on the final play .... rather than going thru the first two reads quickly and throwing the damn thing away to get another play before time expires .....
Ask him if he credits Gary for drawing up the plays that got them in position to score .... despite their repeated attempts to throw it away .... a blown snap by Schaub , penalty , Schaub taking a sack .... The fact that they even had a chance after that cluster**** is amazing.
Ask Rackers if he blames Gary for missing a FG ....
The Ravens game ..... they got beat on the road by a better team. I expeted it as did most. Everyone's pissed off about the Raiders game .... a game they should have won .... if a guy makes a freakin play.
Everyone always looking for a scapegoat instead of taking responsibility for their actions ..... No wonder this country is in the state its in , same **** coming from the same people .... Lookin for an excuse to blame someone else.
--------------------------------------------------------
Edit
Hey Jacoby , catch the danm ball that hits you in the hands in the endzone and we dont go to OT in Baltimore last season ......
Bleh , I blame Barack Obama .....
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El Tejano
Hall of Fame
I'm curious as to why everyone would be mad if we backed into the playoffs. Two years ago, I would say the Jets backed into the playoffs because they beat a Cincinatti Bengals team that laid down for them and the Jets ended up going to the AFC Championship.
I'm not saying we would do the same but stranger things have happened - Like Arizona catching fire and going to the SuperBowl.
I'm not saying we would do the same but stranger things have happened - Like Arizona catching fire and going to the SuperBowl.
Backing into the play-offs & getting to the AFC Championship game is one thing. No one would be upset with that.
But the way we are perceiving our team playing, it looks like they'll be one & done, losing that first play-off game at home. & that ain't good. You'll have a team playing badly sneaking into the play-offs, playing badly in the play-offs & a 10 year extension of the Gary Kubiak show.
Yankee_In_TX
Dance Lindsay!
I heard someone say last week a big problem is that Kubiak is SO into his schemes and systems that we forget to teach/train our players to improvise if the play is not there after the ball is snapped. That when a play breaks down everything falls apart (usually) - and, well, how often can we predict Kubiak's play calling?
Don't know how valid that thought is, but it made a lot of sense.
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HJam72
Hall of Fame
It also sounds like the reason why the ball is snapped, 3 seconds go by, and Schaub throws the ball in the dirt. I know you limit sacks and turnovers that way, but he's not ONLY supposed to be there just to go 3 and out and save the ball for the all-important punt.
DexmanC
Hall of Fame
To the bold - Is a failure on the part of the players .
The coach dont throw the ball .... dont catch the ball and dont kick the damn thing either.
The coach designs a game plan and selects plays based upon the situation at hand.
Ask Vickers if he blames Gary for droppin the damn game winner Vs the Raiders ?
Ask Schaub if he blames Gary for throwing a pick on the final play .... rather than going thru the first two reads quickly and throwing the damn thing away to get another play before time expires .....
Ask him if he credits Gary for drawing up the plays that got them in position to score .... despite their repeated attempts to throw it away .... a blown snap by Schaub , penalty , Schaub taking a sack .... The fact that they even had a chance after that cluster**** is amazing.
Ask Rackers if he blames Gary for missing a FG ....
The Ravens game ..... they got beat on the road by a better team. I expeted it as did most. Everyone's pissed off about the Raiders game .... a game they should have won .... if a guy makes a freakin play.
Everyone always looking for a scapegoat instead of taking responsibility for their actions ..... No wonder this country is in the state its in , same **** coming from the same people .... Lookin for an excuse to blame someone else.
--------------------------------------------------------
Edit
Hey Jacoby , catch the danm ball that hits you in the hands in the endzone and we dont go to OT in Baltimore last season ......
Bleh , I blame Barack Obama .....
Hmmm.... So the head coach has a very minimal impact on how his
team consistently plays week in, week out, year in, year out. The
head coach does not set the culture conducive to winning. Belichick,
Dungy, Payton, Parcells, and the like are just purely overrated. They
just got lucky enough to get good players.
.....got it.
Good points, and it's definitely a mixture of players and coaches.
Using Vickers as an example: yeah, he dropped the ball. But my take? He shouldn't even be a Texan. They should have resigned Leach and let Jacoby go.
See, it all goes back to coaches and front office decisions. They pick these players and then must coach them up and hold them accountable. I'm not sure how much of that is going on with this team sometimes.
In hindsight , I dont think letting Leach walk was the wrong move. They arguably found a more productive player in Casey .... Vickers is a backup , Casey is injured ....
I do think keeping Jacoby Jones was a mistake but a minor one that is exaggerated due to the loss of #80. He wouldnt be targeted 11 times in a month much less a single game if AJ doesnt get hurt.
What we are talking about here is backups at both positions .....
Casey has been a game changer at FB of all positions. Hard o call letting Leach go a mistake when you look at the production .... and I seriously doubt that Leach makes a difference in the running game while teams are stacking the box because they dont respect Jones.
Take for instance the TD Jones caught against the Ravens - they single covered him with Reed .... while four defenders were responsible for OD. Thats a defense giving no respect to Jones.
Do we really expect Jacoby Jones .... or anyone else for that matter to step in and replace what one of the best WR's in the history of the NFL brings?
That affects the game in a lot of ways , defenses being allowed to stack the box against the running game and a lot of exotic blitzes in the pass game when they can cover a WR with a Safety ....
Consider that Kubiaks play calling and design put them in position to win that Raiders game ..... Without the two players who create the most havoc and mismatches for a defense in Casey and AJ.
I wont argue much about the Ravens game ..... I think the better team won on its home field. But they had a chance in that game too .... Someone just has to make a damn play.
Vinny
shiny happy fan
How does any team in the league win without Andre Johnson? How many division titles do the Texans have since 2003? How many wild card appearances? How many winning seasons? Sure, he is a great player, but come on. He's not the guy taking us to all those multiple winning seasons and he (alone) ain't the guy making us a loser all of a sudden either. It takes a good organization to win.
The teams that do win or have great offenses tend to have a player "Like" AJ .... maybe at a different position but someone who has to be accounted for and schemed to stop.
Take Calvin Johnson away from Detriot and they look a whole lot different.
Take Aaron Rodgers away from the GB offense .....
Or Peyton out of the Dolts lineup .... 0-fer.
The Vikings without AP.
Imagine Baltimore without Ray Rice .... who their entire offense is built around.
drunkcookie
2 drunk 2 cook
word! mostly anyway... I still think a better #2 than Jacoby would help... but Jacoby's boot TD against Baltimore may help in removing a man out of that box more often... we can only hope anyway...
Texan_Bill
Hall of Fame
WORD!! *and we have twos studs that need each other - AJ (of course and A Foster) to thrive*
AND except that we have a #2.. That would Owen Daniels, we have a #3... that would be AF out of the bckfield. We also just scored Derrick Mason (no great shakes) but wouldn't you rather have DM as an option over Jacoby?
AJ, will be back. AND it would come during a 6-9 to 8-2 run over the next 10 games.
*EDIT*
AND BTW, the above doesn't include recovering James Casey who at some point will give us waaaay more options than Vonta (and I love Vonta Leach)!!!