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Week 15: Lucas Oil my backside

Earl34

Hall of Fame
Watson had a good game overall (33 of 41 for 373 yards with 2 Tds and no INTs). Our defense only had 2 stops today. I guess one half ass good thing is we did not have any 3 & outs.

Colts' Drives
1 - TD (10 Plays, 81 Yds)
2 - TD (4 Plays, 42 Yds)
3 - Punt (5 Plays, 26 Yds)
4 - Punt (4 Plays, 19 Yds)
-- Half --
5 - FG (13 Plays, 58 Yds)
6 - FG (6 Plays, 40 Yds)
7 - TD (12 Plays, 85 Yds)

Texans' Drives
1 - Punt (5 Plays, 14 Yds)
2 - Fumble (6 Plays, 21 Yds)
3 - Punt (8 Plays, 33 Yds)
4 - TD (7 Plays, 84 Yds)
5 - FG (12 Plays, 66 Yds)
-- Half --
6 - FG (12 Plays, 64 Yds)
7 - TD (10 Plays, 80 Yds)
8 - Fumble (9 Plays, 63 Yds)
3 or 4 of the incompletes were throw aways and another two were high and barely off Coutee’s hands.
 
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thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Except last year, when the Titans went further in the playoffs than the Texans. And this year. And in 2017 when the Jags went to the AFC South Championship game. But other than that...

"AFC South Champions, banned1976".
We were competitive with them even then.
 

texan279

Hall of Fame
The Texans can get better with the right coach and GM. If they can get a player they feel they need in the first round next year they could trade the 2022 pick and so on.
Possibly. But not much better. There's a lot of mediocre talent tied up with a ton of money. Add that to almost zero draft capital in rounds 1-3 for a few years and it doesn't look pretty.
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
Possibly. But not much better. There's a lot of mediocre talent tied up with a ton of money. Add that to almost zero draft capital in rounds 1-3 for a few years and it doesn't look pretty.
2022 we should have a full set of draft picks assuming we haven't traded anything away by then. By 2023, again assuming we still haven't traded away any draft picks we'll have one half draft and a full draft behind us and (hopefully) be in good shape for the future. Maybe. It's the Texans we're talking about here so that always adds a bit of uncertainty to any conversation. That's without taking into account whatever happens in free agency, as free agency is often the very definition of monkey wrench.
 

Carr Bombed

Hall of Fame
Man that's what my left ankle looked like when I tore the ligaments in 1972. Doc at Ellington said worse than a break. Sorry!
They haven't told me that I tore ligaments.. But it's now the 2nd time I've broken that damn leg.. broke the tibia 15 years ago.. now fibula and tiibia. I think I'm going to invest in boots.
 

Carr Bombed

Hall of Fame
The Jags have been looking for a QB since Brunnel, before the Texans.. I think they finally have one.

If they don't pull a Jet and win a meaningless game and screw their franchise.
 

Earl34

Hall of Fame
Five players with at least 50 yards receiving. Nice to see the TEs and RBs back in the game plan. I don't think any of them are a true WR1 and still think the folks who were trying to convince us that throwing to a HoF or WR1 too much is a bad thing are wrong. But give the Texans some credit. They played an "elite" defense and gave the Colts all they could handle.

1608522603298.png
 
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Texansballer74

The Marine
Watson just needs an average OL. I'm sure glad he didn't immediately take the "safe" check down to Johnson on the left side. :kitten:

The youngster is balling in spite of bro. How some doesn’t see that is crazy to me. My kin peeps was blowing up my phone in the first quarter, Watson this and Watson that. But as soon as the youngster started balling, he was hush mouth.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
They haven't told me that I tore ligaments.. But it's now the 2nd time I've broken that damn leg.. broke the tibia 15 years ago.. now fibula and tiibia. I think I'm going to invest in boots.
I think your leg is really mad at you or it should be LOL
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
Lawrence is a junior, so maybe he doesn't come out if the Jags have the pick? No one really wants to play there.
That is something that I have caught occasionally on radio sports programs. I rarely listen to them anymore but that exact topic is out there. If I was Lawrence I definitely would not want to go to New York and probably not Jacksonville. I would recommend to Trevor that he speak to both teams and let them know that he will remain in school unless they agree to trade him to a team that he accepts.
Of course that would be something they would not want to hear but they should be able to get tremendous trade package for a generational quarterback.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
Five players with at least 50 yards receiving. Nice to see the TEs and RBs back in the game plan. I don't think any of them are a true WR1 and still think the folks who were trying to convince us that throwing to a HoF or WR1 too much is a bad thing are wrong. But give the Texans some credit. They played an "elite" defense and gave the Colts all they could handle.

View attachment 7243
What it tells me is we don't have to have a high contract David Johnson rather a running back who can catch the ball and give us 4 yards per carry. In my opinion we can get that in the draft. If we can get a cornerback starter we have filled two Priority needs and are on a good path for 2022.

Certainly there are many other needs but we all know that's not going to be corrected in the next two drafts. One more starter from '21 for Oline plus a better coach will be great start. we have to be realistic and I think most of us are in realizing this won't all be turned around in one and maybe not two off seasons.

Those stats also tell me that our offensive coordinator should have been calling plays that allowed our tight ends many more Targets. If we can see that why cannot Kelly? Why cannot Cal McNair? Hopefully the owner does and has a plan.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
That is something that I have caught occasionally on radio sports programs. I rarely listen to them anymore but that exact topic is out there. If I was Lawrence I definitely would not want to go to New York and probably not Jacksonville. I would recommend to Trevor that he speak to both teams and let them know that he will remain in school unless they agree to trade him to a team that he accepts.
Of course that would be something they would not want to hear but they should be able to get tremendous trade package for a generational quarterback.
Few QBs have tried to do this through the years and it rarely ends well. Thing is teams don’t like a player, even a big name QB, coming in and making demands before he’s even been drafted. Lawrence maybe a generational QB but then he may also be a huge bust. There is a big difference in playing for a college like a Clemson that can recruit the best players and playing for an NFL team where almost all the best teams already have their QB.

Any team with the 1:1 pick is going to be a dumpster fire so if that’s not a team he is willing to play for then he’s not going to play in the NFL at least not through the draft. You get drafted, pay your dues and then if you are as good as they hope you either seek a better team or take the money on a team that may not contend for a ring anytime soon.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
Few QBs have tried to do this through the years and it rarely ends well. Thing is teams don’t like a player, even a big name QB, coming in and making demands before he’s even been drafted. Lawrence maybe a generational QB but then he may also be a huge bust. There is a big difference in playing for a college like a Clemson that can recruit the best players and playing for an NFL team where almost all the best teams already have their QB.

Any team with the 1:1 pick is going to be a dumpster fire so if that’s not a team he is willing to play for then he’s not going to play in the NFL at least not through the draft. You get drafted, pay your dues and then if you are as good as they hope you either seek a better team or take the money on a team that may not contend for a ring anytime soon.
Dud surely a possibility but so can be any first round pick. You do your research and then pick him. It worked well for Eli Manning and I see no reason why it would not work for Trevor Lawrence Who is rated Far and Beyond Eli. Hopefully you saw Trevor Lawrence destroy Notre Dame Saturday. Pregame N.D.'s defense was considered amazing. That was quickly put to rest.

Soon we need to let Ryan Leaf Rest In Peace mediocrity and move on as the NFL and the selection process has moved on.
 

H_Town_Gaucho

Waterboy
I think the very first thing the team needs to address before anything else is getting rid of anything OB related, then get a good GM and also a HC. Without those, you ain't rebuilding squat.
 

Decim8

Veteran
Just caught up an jeebus the first couple pages were both brutal and hilarious lol

In my humble opinion DW4 carries this team and he probably knows/thinks it too. A bottom ranked defense that seems to give the opposing teams QB/RB career highs, a running game that surprises us whenever they manage to get a first down, a WR core that scares nobody and an oline that's shoddy at best. How in hell is he supposed to improve his game with that? lol and atm I don't blame him for trying too hard to extend plays or play hero ball, he's the main reason why we even think we stand a chance against other teams.
 

DocBar

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
You make it sound like all the other teams in the playoffs got there through hard fought seasons against divisions made up of elite teams. One of the Pats secrets of success has been how bad the rest of the AFCE has been. Most divisions have 1 maybe 2 teams that are good and then the rest are freebies.
The Pats were also regular participants in AFCCGs and Super Bowls. Is it asking too much to expect the Texans to field a team that can get to an AFCCG and be competitive? I'd be pretty happy with that and being competitive in the divisional round.
We got a crappy team now & played them to the wire all three times. We’ve got no defense. We’ve got no run game. We’ve got no offensive line.

still... they are crappy teams. Have been crappy teams. And will be crappy teams. We just have to be less crappy
Why can't the Texans get their act together and be a good team that beats up the crappy division rivals and at least be competitive in the playoffs against other playoff teams? Hoping your team is less crappy than crappy teams in your division get's you what the Texans were under OB and the Bengals under Marvin Lewis. "Hey there. Don't mind us. We're just happy to be here. We'll be out of your away by halftime in the divisional round".
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
The Texans regular season record is 135-167. Their playoff record is 4-6. No SB appearance, no AFCG appearances. That is who, until they prove differently, are. A below average football team. For various reasons, most of their time hovering around average it was because they had poor QB play. Now they have great Quarterback play but the 31st ranked defense that was terrible even when healthy and no running game to speak of.

If fans want to tell themselves that even with the setup they currently have - no early round picks, horrible contracts that don’t expire anytime soon and very little cap space to work with - that the Texans will be right back in the thick of the playoffs next season, that’s fine by me. But to keep myself semi-entertained and not disappointed next season, I’m keeping myself grounded in reality when it comes to the 2021 Texans. If I’m pleasantly surprised, I’ll take that too.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
Dud surely a possibility but so can be any first round pick. You do your research and then pick him. It worked well for Eli Manning and I see no reason why it would not work for Trevor Lawrence Who is rated Far and Beyond Eli. Hopefully you saw Trevor Lawrence destroy Notre Dame Saturday. Pregame N.D.'s defense was considered amazing. That was quickly put to rest.

Soon we need to let Ryan Leaf Rest In Peace mediocrity and move on as the NFL and the selection process has moved on.
I didn't actually, I watch very little college football because my Saturdays are usually very busy. My point is that colleges that are considered top tier don't have to recruit because the best players want to play there so they apply themselves and then its a case of the rich get richer and is why teams like Clemson, Alabama and OU once they get over the hump and get on top they stay there for so long because top players fight to play there. Add to that you have no salary cap and you can recruit a scary team pretty much every year if just a few things fall into place. I'm not saying Lawrence isn't good but he, like most top college QBs, has the benefit of playing on very good teams. NFL is the opposite, here the worst teams get first pick of the litter and teams have salary caps so you can't field a team of all star, future HoFers anymore.

FYI I wasn't even thinking of Ryan Leaf, honestly forgot about him, I was thinking of Manziel, Tebow, Wentz, Geoff and Trubisky. Lawrence maybe better than all of them but they were also big name, record breaking, can't miss QBs that came into the NFL and quickly learned the difference between playing on a team that is mostly as talented as you are and playing on a team where you and maybe a couple of others have to carry the entire team.
 

DocBar

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
2022 we should have a full set of draft picks assuming we haven't traded anything away by then. By 2023, again assuming we still haven't traded away any draft picks we'll have one half draft and a full draft behind us and (hopefully) be in good shape for the future. Maybe. It's the Texans we're talking about here so that always adds a bit of uncertainty to any conversation. That's without taking into account whatever happens in free agency, as free agency is often the very definition of monkey wrench.
I really hope that the incoming regime goes ahead and deals with the crappiness that will be 2021, as far as draft picks and cap space goes, and doesn't mortgage the future by trading away even more future draft capital to try for a quick fix now.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
The Pats were also regular participants in AFCCGs and Super Bowls. Is it asking too much to expect the Texans to field a team that can get to an AFCCG and be competitive? I'd be pretty happy with that and being competitive in the divisional round.
Why can't the Texans get their act together and be a good team that beats up the crappy division rivals and at least be competitive in the playoffs against other playoff teams? Hoping your team is less crappy than crappy teams in your division get's you what the Texans were under OB and the Bengals under Marvin Lewis. "Hey there. Don't mind us. We're just happy to be here. We'll be out of your away by halftime in the divisional round".
You're not wrong but at the same time I will counter that its much easier to do well in the post season when your season has 6+ games against a team that has no chance. For example, someone recently brought up how well the Pats did in 2008 after Brady went down in game one. The full context of that line is that they had literally the easiest schedule in all the NFL that year. Now most teams to get that would have had to completely suck the previous year but the Pats actually went to, though they did lose, the SB in 07. So here you have a team coming off a SB appearance and they still get the easiest schedule of all teams. Tell me that doesn't give them an advantage.

The AFCS has gotten an underserved reputation of being a division of scrubs when the reality is that it is actually a division of teams that are pretty equal to each other most years. All four teams every year have to fight tooth and nail with each other just to get in the playoffs and by the time they get there they are beat to hell.
 

ClemsonTexan

Waterboy
Now we have to face Trevor Lawrence for 15 years.
I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think most serious observers of Clemson football are of two minds on Trevor. I think we all recognize that he is a really good player. However, I think a very large minority believes he's not exactly as good as advertised.

Trevor has yet to prove himself against an elite college defense. Most people will point to his performance as a freshman against Alabama in the NC game, but there are at least a couple of things to consider there. For one, that was a veteran team led by seniors who had already won a championship with Deshaun Watson. We had 4 All-American defensive linemen (3 were 1st rounders) who came back for their senior year. On the other side of the ball, we had a veteran offensive line that barely allowed any pressure that night. The second thing to consider is that Saban sort of shifted emphasis from the defensive side of the ball to the offensive side, so the Bama defense we faced that year wasn't the typical defense we see from Saban teams with All-Americans at every position.

When given time, Trevor is the most deadly QB in the country. Hands down. But when you heat the pocket up, which few teams beyond LSU and Ohio State have really done to him, his accuracy can totally abandon him. And I'm not talking about close misses. I'm talking about launching the ball a full 10 yards over a receiver. Some people see the LSU game as an aberration, but I see it as what happens to him when pressure gets in his face. We just didn't see it as much because we were pounding terrible Wake Forest, Florida State and Georgia Tech teams into submission.

As a prospect, the only things I think he has over DW4 coming out of college are arm strength and size. I also think he throws the ball better rolling out to his left. He's not nearly as good at improvising and doesn't always demonstrate good pocket awareness. If you took the current version of Trevor and put him up against that stellar Alabama defense that had 6 guys taken in the 1st Round, we don't win that game, period.
 

ClemsonTexan

Waterboy
Dud surely a possibility but so can be any first round pick. You do your research and then pick him. It worked well for Eli Manning and I see no reason why it would not work for Trevor Lawrence Who is rated Far and Beyond Eli. Hopefully you saw Trevor Lawrence destroy Notre Dame Saturday. Pregame N.D.'s defense was considered amazing. That was quickly put to rest.

Soon we need to let Ryan Leaf Rest In Peace mediocrity and move on as the NFL and the selection process has moved on.
I've already given my thoughts on TL. But I should mention that our freshman QB actually performed better against ND than TL did and did so on the road. Our freshman QB is amazing, but it's also probably the case that ND's defense is not that amazing. I fully expect them to get boatraced against Alabama.

I think steelbtexan would be happy with this guy.

 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Why can't the Texans get their act together and be a good team that beats up the crappy division rivals and at least be competitive in the playoffs against other playoff teams? Hoping your team is less crappy than crappy teams in your division get's you what the Texans were under OB and the Bengals under Marvin Lewis. "Hey there. Don't mind us. We're just happy to be here. We'll be out of your away by halftime in the divisional round".
I think you're reading too much into what I said.

But I tell you what, our defense sux & still we had these fools. Same thing with Tennessee. Next year with good coaches, not only can we compete in this division, we might be able to win it. Even with the massive cuts we’ve got to do.
I'm just saying with everything stacked against us next year, we can still be competitive in 2021. That's all. Not that we should be happy with being the tallest midget. & not really saying anything beyond 2021.

2021 is going to be a waste of a season. Because of the coaching/GM search, because of the salary cap issue, because of our draft situation. But we're in a crappy division & should be competitive in it.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
How do you get this team competitive?

we need a 100% better defense, to build that you’d need to keep the OL trash and risk breaking DW4.

Too much to fix in one offseason.
yes sir! The good thing about having so many needs is regardless of the position we draft, there will be a need for that player. Regardless of our feelings and evaluations of Watson he is our quarterback and we have to protect and build around him. A great defense will help to keep numher 4 on the sidelines but that doesn't last for long for most NFL opponents.
The offensive line and RB do that + the RB put points on the board. I have always maintained that David Johnson will be gone regardless if he is the NFL player of the year after the season so a decent game here or there is not motivate me. Do we really want to depend only on Scottie Phillips?

Same for Coutee.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
yes sir! The good thing about having so many needs is regardless of the position we draft, there will be a need for that player. Regardless of our feelings and evaluations of Watson he is our quarterback and we have to protect and build around him. A great defense will help to keep numher 4 on the sidelines but that doesn't last for long for most NFL opponents.
The offensive line and RB do that + the RB put points on the board. I have always maintained that David Johnson will be gone regardless if he is the NFL player of the year after the season so a decent game here or there is not motivate me. Do we really want to depend only on Scottie Phillips?

Same for Coutee.
The problem is there are some really good defensive guys that may be there in the 3rd/4th Rd after all of the top OL/QBs etc... are picked. Particularly CBs and S.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
The problem is there are some really good defensive guys that may be there in the 3rd/4th Rd after all of the top OL/QBs etc... are picked. Particularly CBs and S.
Yes I agree and as I mentioned we can get a cornerback like Jobe and a running back with two of the first three picks
I didn't actually, I watch very little college football because my Saturdays are usually very busy. My point is that colleges that are considered top tier don't have to recruit because the best players want to play there so they apply themselves and then its a case of the rich get richer and is why teams like Clemson, Alabama and OU once they get over the hump and get on top they stay there for so long because top players fight to play there. Add to that you have no salary cap and you can recruit a scary team pretty much every year if just a few things fall into place. I'm not saying Lawrence isn't good but he, like most top college QBs, has the benefit of playing on very good teams. NFL is the opposite, here the worst teams get first pick of the litter and teams have salary caps so you can't field a team of all star, future HoFers anymore.

FYI I wasn't even thinking of Ryan Leaf, honestly forgot about him, I was thinking of Manziel, Tebow, Wentz, Geoff and Trubisky. Lawrence maybe better than all of them but they were also big name, record breaking, can't miss QBs that came into the NFL and quickly learned the difference between playing on a team that is mostly as talented as you are and playing on a team where you and maybe a couple of others have to carry the entire team.
All good points but selecting TL at 1.1 is more than just a hit or miss scenario. NFL has cap but also free agency and a team can buy what they want or trade for it. Saban or Dabo can't say ""I'll trade two of mine for one of yours." Sure great college programs attract players to them but the same can be said in the NFL. We just rarely see that in Houston.
 

gwallaia

Moderator
Staff member
And by once, you meant once a game. Every game.
There was one game in particular, I can't remember who we were playing but we were probably losing at the time. An announcement was made over the stadium PA system stating very proudly that the Texans had won some type of marketing award from the NFL. The announcement was made during a lull in the action, most likely during a tv timeout. Upon hearing this, I rose to my feet, raised my arms in triumph and shouted "We're #1!". Everyone kind of looked at me strange but then chuckled.
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
Texans had won some type of marketing award from the NFL
They won a Silver Stevie Award for Re-Branding / Brand Renovation of the Year

SILVER STEVIE® WINNERS:
FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, New York, NY: FreeWheel's Now You Can brand campaign
The Houston Texans, Houston, TX: Houston Texans: Toros to Somos
Savoy Bank, New York, NY: Savoy Bank Becomes The Bank of Small Giants
Tinuiti, New York, NY: The Tinuiti Rebrand
There was definitely some re-branding going on this year.
 
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