Yesterdays Practice

[joshri]

I went to the Texans practice yesterday morning and also was able to go into the weight room while they were lifting and eat lunch with a bunch of the Texans players and staff. Mario Williams actually ate with my dad and I and a couple other Texans staffers including Richard Smith(D coordinator).

I was also able to talk to, at length, Rick Smith when practice ended. He was an extremely nice guy. Spent 15-20 minutes talking to me while the players were still around. He talked alot about how he and Kubiak were trying to change the culture of the team. He also said that the players were not held accountable last year and that needed to change this year. He seemed to really like Anthony Weaver alot and said he had alot of potential.

It was nice to see that after all the players had left the field, Philip Buchanon was on the field for quite a while practicing his tackling. He was really putting in some hard work and hopefully he it pans out for him. Of course Carr and his family were hanging out on the practice field after practice. His dad was there as usual.

While on the way to eat lunch, they introduced Fran Blinebury to us and he was going on about how last years coaching staff was the worst staff in the last 20 years. He also said this years staff is excellent. I never realized how immersed he really is in the team. It was almost like he was a member of the team. He also was still talking about how the Texans should have taken Vince Young but how Mario Williams is such an amazing guy. It seems though that he was very optimistic about this year. That guy can talk on and on.

Also got to see a bunch of them lifting in the gym.
It seems like the team has a new culture around and it felt more like a winning atmosphere and I was really impressed.

 

[Kaiser Toro]

Appreciate you sharing your experience but who is Fran Blinebury and what does he do?

 

[Lucky]

Appreciate you sharing your experience but who is Fran Blinebury and what does he do?

Columnist for the Chronic.

 

[joshri]

Blinebury is a Chronicle writer. He and John McLain were the guys there. Actually McLain was the one talking more about Vince Young etc.

 

[SESupergenius]

.. the players were not held accountable last year and that needed to change this year.

P-Buch was held accountable last year, he was demoted.

 

[aj.]

Fran has been doing more NBA stuff recently than anything else. Blogs and columns. Big surprise JM was gaggling about VY. I guess it was too hot for those guys out on the practice fields.

joshri were you wearing blue (I think it may have been Duke gear?) yesterday? I may have spoken to you briefly...

 

[nunusguy]

Blinebury is a Chronicle writer.

Has Blinebury been with us here in Houston in recent years ? I remember him from back when, but haven't seen much by him in more recent years. I primarly follow football stuff and know that's not been Blinebury's beat,
maybe I just haven't seen his stuff in the Chronicle in the last 5 years or so ?
But it seems like he's a big Texans' fan ?

 

[aj.]

Most of his recent stuff has been NBA - blogs and columns.

 

[Texans_Chick]

Thank you for sharing what you learned. What a fun day.

 

[nunusguy]

It was nice to see that after all the players had left the field, Philip Buchanon was on the field for quite a while practicing his tackling. He was really putting in some hard work and hopefully he it pans out for him.

You don't stay late for practice and hone your bad-a## skills, and so far I don't think they've developed some bad-a## pills that P-Burnt can take with
his meals. Its an acquired attitude, mentality that players like D-Rob pick up
at a much younger age, in part before they even played football. And P-Burnt
just doesn't have it, no matter how often he might tackle a dummy.
But I'm still impressed that he's hanging around later, making a real effort to
improve so he can contribute.

 

[Sportsfan]

Don't know why anyone hasn't asked this yet, but how on earth did you get to go to a practice and then into the weight room and eat lunch in the cafeteria???

The All Access thing was cool, but would have been cooler if you actually got to do what you did. LOL!
Thanks for the report man, sounds awesome.

 

[TEXANS84]

He and John McLain were the guys there. Actually McLain was the one talking more about Vince Young etc.

Go figure on McClain. Geez, I guess I need to start getting ready for 50/50 Texans/Titans coverage again. Just when I thought it all had passed....

 

[powerfuldragon]

Lucky. I wish i could go to even a game this season.

 

[AFD1717]

You don't stay late for practice and hone your bad-a## skills, and so far I don't think they've developed some bad-a## pills that P-Burnt can take with
his meals. Its an acquired attitude, mentality that players like D-Rob pick up
at a much younger age, in part before they even played football. And P-Burnt
just doesn't have it, no matter how often he might tackle a dummy.
But I'm still impressed that he's hanging around later, making a real effort to
improve so he can contribute.

I agree completely, Buc will never be a stud in run support. I think we are all hoping that he will at least get to the point where he is not a liability. He is plenty athletic enough to make tackles in the open field so if he can get the fundamentals down well enough to at least drag guys down then his (alleged) coverage skills become an asset even if he never makes big hits. He and Babin are the two players that I am really hoping will become the players they are capable of becoming.

 

[Double Barrel]

Cool experience, man. Thanks for sharing it.

I've got a lot of optimism for the team this year. This coaching staff isn't scared to make wholesale changes, including cutting a lot of players. It makes me think that they really believe in who they kept.

What impresses me most, though, is the attitude. It's like a new atmosphere around the Texans now, like winning is the only thing instead of just settling for the "as long as you play well" mentality. Even before our overhauled team takes the field, I sense a killer instinct starting to permeate. First it starts with making players earn their spots, and then that attitude is formed into a cohesive unit that focuses it towards their opponents.

I'm really starting to get that feeling of anticipation. Football season can't come soon enough!

And we get 3 our of our first 4 games at home!

 

[TK_Gamer]

You don't stay late for practice and hone your bad-a## skills, and so far I don't think they've developed some bad-a## pills that P-Burnt can take with
his meals. Its an acquired attitude, mentality that players like D-Rob pick up
at a much younger age, in part before they even played football. And P-Burnt
just doesn't have it, no matter how often he might tackle a dummy.
But I'm still impressed that he's hanging around later, making a real effort to
improve so he can contribute.

Buchanon is trying to compete for a job, it didn't say the coach is looking forward to him playing the no. 2 spot, or any spot, it said he was working hard. give the guy a break. you dog the guys skills then say yer impressed he stuck around after practice. Noone is gonna get a free pass this year I'm thinkin. I think he will be a great contributor with the new scheme and new coaching. I wish him luck

 

[Insideop]

I went to the Texans practice yesterday morning and also was able to go into the weight room while they were lifting and eat lunch with a bunch of the Texans players and staff. Mario Williams actually ate with my dad and I and a couple other Texans staffers including Richard Smith(D coordinator).

I was also able to talk to, at length, Rick Smith when practice ended. He was an extremely nice guy. Spent 15-20 minutes talking to me while the players were still around. He talked alot about how he and Kubiak were trying to change the culture of the team. He also said that the players were not held accountable last year and that needed to change this year. He seemed to really like Anthony Weaver alot and said he had alot of potential.

It was nice to see that after all the players had left the field, Philip Buchanon was on the field for quite a while practicing his tackling. He was really putting in some hard work and hopefully he it pans out for him.




Great to hear about the defense and what Rick Smith is trying to instill in the players, especially P-Buch. It's good to know he is trying to improve on an area of weakness.

IMHO the two biggest areas of concern for the team are secondary and offensive line. You touched on the secondary a little, but did you happen to talk to anyone there about the offensive line and how they are coming together? I haven't really heard anything about how they are playing and if they are taking to the system or struggling with it. Thanks!

 

[Ibar_Harry]

I went to the Texans practice yesterday morning and also was able to go into the weight room while they were lifting and eat lunch with a bunch of the Texans players and staff. Mario Williams actually ate with my dad and I and a couple other Texans staffers including Richard Smith(D coordinator).

I was also able to talk to, at length, Rick Smith when practice ended. He was an extremely nice guy. Spent 15-20 minutes talking to me while the players were still around. He talked alot about how he and Kubiak were trying to change the culture of the team. He also said that the players were not held accountable last year and that needed to change this year. He seemed to really like Anthony Weaver alot and said he had alot of potential.

It was nice to see that after all the players had left the field, Philip Buchanon was on the field for quite a while practicing his tackling. He was really putting in some hard work and hopefully he it pans out for him.




Great to hear about the defense and what Rick Smith is trying to instill in the players, especially P-Buch. It's good to know he is trying to improve on an area of weakness.

IMHO the two biggest areas of concern for the team are secondary and offensive line. You touched on the secondary a little, but did you happen to talk to anyone there about the offensive line and how they are coming together? I haven't really heard anything about how they are playing and if they are taking to the system or struggling with it. Thanks!

So many players on this ball club have had coaches that did not understand the game of football. Desire can overcome a lot of obstacles. Speed you can't coach, hands you can't coach, intelligence you can't coach, but tackling you can. I would say lets just post a big wait and see on this one. If no one else he has a mentor in DROB.

If this team plays the way I think its going to this year, PBUC is going to become a very, very valueable player. Why do I say that? Very simply it is that DROB is very likely to be our punt returner. I have stated elsewhere that the loss of Mathis may not be as important as some think. A punt returner this year may be very important, because I believe the other team will not be scoring at will against us and will punt the ball far more than most think. Now, a punt returner and maintaing field position become important. That's why I wouldn't mind having JJ back.

We wore out our punter the last few years and I do not expect that to be the case this year. Indeed we may have a problem with kickoffs due to the number we have to make. Again I keep saying 13-3 is my target and if I'm correct, then punt returns are going to be important to us.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

So many players on this ball club have had coaches that did not understand the game of football. Desire can overcome a lot of obstacles. Speed you can't coach, hands you can't coach, intelligence you can't coach, but tackling you can. I would say lets just post a big wait and see on this one. If no one else he has a mentor in DROB.

If this team plays the way I think its going to this year, PBUC is going to become a very, very valueable player. Why do I say that? Very simply it is that DROB is very likely to be our punt returner. I have stated elsewhere that the loss of Mathis may not be as important as some think. A punt returner this year may be very important, because I believe the other team will not be scoring at will against us and will punt the ball far more than most think. Now, a punt returner and maintaing field position become important. That's why I wouldn't mind having JJ back.

We wore out our punter the last few years and I do not expect that to be the case this year. Indeed we may have a problem with kickoffs due to the number we have to make. Again I keep saying 13-3 is my target and if I'm correct, then punt returns are going to be important to us.

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There was terrible turmoil on the Raiders' secondary due to their outgoing coach Bill Callahan who virtually pi**ed off everyone. Injuries to Woodson and Buchanon did not help matters much, but it was felt that Callahan's style of coaching destroyed what was considered one of the most potentially deadly conerback duos in the NFL.

Then comes "defensively-minded" Capers who basically ignored the need for a strong DL in a 3-4, and left the defensive coaching without a head (poor scheming is an insultingly kind description). PBUC certainly did not have the best atmosphere to recover or develop.

It's interesting to look back at PBUC's Miami days and see the potential that the coaches evidently still think can be harvested. A 4.31 40....loads of tackles (many of them SOLO)........and a distinguished punt returner. Let's give the kid a chance to show his potential with a new start.......anda new attitude. http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/buchanon_phillip00.html

 

[DocBar]

Seems like I'm out of town every year during football season. I'm stuck in friggin France right now. Ever see "football" over here. I think we call it soccer and moms play it. Anyway, sounds like a great way to spend a day. I wish it were me. I love IBAR HARRY's 13-3. Now THAT is optimism!!!

 

[ojthecat]

Blinebury is a Chronicle writer. He and John McLain were the guys there. Actually McLain was the one talking more about Vince Young etc.

What McLain talk about Vince Young thats suprising!!!!!

 

[edo783]

What McLain talk about Vince Young thats suprising!!!!!

When Mclain is taking a dump, even his butt hole is praising VY.

 

[DocBar]

When Mclain is taking a dump, even his butt hole is praising VY.

When McLain is taking a dump, it looks like VY's play is gonna look like this year.

 

[HARRYJ]

Where is Vinny, this talk is offending me!