Texans 2004 Evaluation

[BornOrange]

Um, you must be insane if you ever thought I said the team wasn't trying to achieve as much as they possibly could. But I'm sure their goal and expectation was NOT to win the Super Bowl this year. If you believe it was, then you are living in fantasy land. I never head one player come out this year with the statement, "We're a Super Bowl contender this year!" Nor did I hear any of them declare, "I think we can win the divisional title!" Did you hear that? And I'm sure Capers said something like, "Well, we try to win every game and try to go to the Super Bowl. But realistically are goals are ..."

By your own standard, you must be insane or delusional if you are sure that Capers said anything like "...but realistically our goals are..." Capers has repeatedly said that the team's goal is to win one game at a time and any other goal is a distraction from that.

 

[trijcomm]

By your own standard, you must be insane or delusional if you are sure that Capers said anything like "...but realistically our goals are..." Capers has repeatedly said that the team's goal is to win one game at a time and any other goal is a distraction from that.

Thank you. I've said this all along. Thanks for proving my point.

 

[JacksonvilleJaguar4]

Good post, we're making progress, but have lost consistency. Next year we have to improve our consistency and keep making progress or else we'll be 7-9 or 8-8. I think improved play on both lines will help stabilize the team and have us be consistent every week. With good line play we can run the offense and defense we want. I hope we make good personel upgrades on both lines and that our lineman work out hard and come back w/ a chip on their shoulder for '05, they should, they were bad. Things will get going this year.

Yup, I agree, All starts down in the trenches if you can't win there then the scoreboard isn't gonna show numbers in your favor.

 

[trijcomm]

Again, 8-8 next year will be just fine.

 

[Lucky]

OK guys, let's stop the "You're insane & delusional if..." stuff. That won't go anywhere that's good.

10-6 would be even finer.

 

[Wolf]

No, the Browns as a weak team did much, much more to expose the weaknesses of "The Team" than anyone else did. The Browns were a weak, weak team and beat us from the opening kickoff to the failed onside kick and in the process sacked us six times when they only had 26 sacks in their previous 15 games. They had a nine-game losing streak and were so bad that Jim Rome said they shouldn't even be paid since they weren't even trying and were just mailing it in. It's one thing for Indy to come in here and beat us like the Browns did. After all, they are better than us and that would have been a logical explanation. But for a poor, poor team like the Browns to come in to our own crypt and whip us like they did shows that we simply weren't as good as we thought we were. The fact is, before the Browns game we thought we could "get by" without great pass protection and not pressuring the opposing QB. After all, we beat Chicago on the road pretty soundly and shut out a playoff contender the next week despite those weaknesses. But the Cleveland game brought us back to reality and we realized that we can't reach the next level (.500) without addressing these questions.

please,it wasn't the browns that "brought us back to reality" . anyone should have known with our game with denver,indy, or even the JETS. Good teams espose the weaknesses of the inferior teams'

 

[aj.]

But the Cleveland game brought us back to reality and we realized that we can't reach the next level (.500) without addressing these questions

If not for turning the ball over 4 times the Texans would have beaten a San Diego team that's now 12-4 to finish 8-8. Would that put them at the "next level?" No. They would still be the same old Texans, watching the playoffs at home with one more win and the same old problems (with a few less turnovers).

Depending on how the ball bounces (see the San Diego game) during the year, you may finish +- a game or two off target. In hindsight, I could see the 2004 version of the Texans anywhere in the 6-9 win area. Given the same number of injuries, six wins would have been underachieving and nine would have been underachieving for this team. Seven or eight wins is right in the window of expectations (for most sane prognosticators at least).

If they beat Cleveland to finish 8-8 are they a markedly better team? No. If they beat San Diego and Cleveland to finish 9-7 are they a markedly better team. Yeah, now your getting to that point because that would put them at the top end of the expectation window. And that 9-7 record would have had them in the wild card running (the real next level for the Texans) until the last week of the season.

8-8 this year was entirely possible for this team and that's why saying 8-8 is the "next level" for this team is just silly. They are already at that level. I know it's difficult to do but look at the entire body of work - all 16 games - and not focus so much on the Browns game.

And I don't think 9-7 or bust is the way I'd look at it either. There are many things that could happen, most notably injuries, that would make 8-8 a successful campaign.

 

[HJam72]

I think we're all delusionally insane.