Mario Williams making the Pro Bowl should not be much of a surprise. He is fourth in the AFC in DE sacks (8) with one game to go. Two of the three players ahead of him made it with Aaron Schobel on the outside looking in. Schobel had three of his sacks last weekend in a 31-3 loss to Atlanta.

It's not all about sacks. Much is based on reputation and Mario has a solid rep in the league. Fan voting is huge component of the equation and Mario is finally getting respect from people who follow the NFL. Was it his best year? Clearly not. But if you think he should not be there try to make a case for another AFC DE who should get there in front of him. The Texans are playing their best defensive football ever and Mario is a big part of it.



Here is a look at Mike Leach's "chamber": http://www.kcbd.com/global/Category.asp?C=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=108431&topVideoCatNoB=108535&topVideoCatNoC=111448&topVideoCatNoD=108536&topVideoCatNoE=111449

Operation Win Out: Final Phase

After dropping four straight, the Texans try to finish the drive to win four in a row and grab the first winning season in team history and a possible playoff berth. Houston has won three straight including two hang-on-for-dear-life games against the Dolphins and the Rams.

To get a winning record will be a feather in the cap of the organization but no matter what happens against the Patriots the Texans may still be kicking themselves about missed opportunities in 2009.

This 2009 squad could forever be known as the 30 minute team. The Texans have played unbalanced games in halves against Oakland, Jacksonville, San Francisco Indianapolis, St Louis and Miami but they won four of those games. The recent victories over Miami and St. Louis fall under the "winning means never having to say you're sorry" category.

The 27-20 win over Miami had Dolphins officials talking about the 62-7 playoff loss to the Jags in 1999 as the last time the Phins looked that bad in a half. But Miami rallied for 20 unanswered points to put the heat on the Texans. Credit the Texans defense for making some huge plays, particularly from Brian Cushing, to make life a bit too difficult on Miami's attack. And the offense got a huge shot in the arm with some big running plays from Arian Foster who finished with 97 yards.

With all the bad breaks the Texans have had in '09 it seemed like Christmas came two days late. Schaub threw a would-be pick off a deflection to Gibril Wilson who dropped the ball. Chris Brown appeared to funble on a swing pass but the play was not reviewable. Ted Ginn had a TD called back on a tripping penalty. It was a day of big plays and big breaks for the visiting team,

Now we wait for the Patriots with a lot on the line. Enjoy!

Here is the horrifying link to Derrick Roland's injury

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds0CrlLyCNw

Pass the Rolaids Please

Was this one of those let down type performances in which your vastly superior team is caught napping against a seemingly dead squad? Or is this a performance that sets off alarms about deep concerns you have about your franchise? The answer is yes. There's a little bit of truth in both questions.

It was supposed to be like driving down to the corner store to pick up a loaf of bread. Instead, the Texans almost saw their hopes of a winning season jacked by a depleted and desperate Rams team.

In one of the strangest games we've seen the locals play, they nearly fumbled and dropped their way to an embarrassing loss. Instead, the defense stepped up and the offense ran out the clock as the Texans ran out of town with a 16-13 win.

So here we are at 7-7 for the third straight year with another chance to get a winning season and a super-model-slim chance at getting into the post season. Houston needs more help than the 2008 banking system but sports are about hope and drama and we'll be watching to see if they can pull off a football miracle.

There are a few constants that need to be addressed. The Texans have too much trouble running the ball and they aren't finishing enough drives because of that and a tendency to cough the ball up.

Things to be encouraged about:

- The aerial attack is one of the best in the NFL with Matt Schaub pulling the trigger.

- Schaub has shown great leadership being vocal with his teamates, playing hurt and putting up ridiculous numbers.

- Since the first three games the defense is a top five unit against the run.

Things to be concerned about:

Not running the ball well.

Turning the ball over too much.


This has been a tough second half of the season with a four game losing streak and a way-too-stressful win at St. Louis. There is zero margin for error but at least the Texans enter the final two games of the year with something they have never had before; a chance to play in the postseason. It's not a good chance but they'll take it.

Better Late Than Never

Matt Schaub's 64 yard TD pass to Andre Johnson on the opening play of the game was like a giant tablet of Xanax to the Texans fan base. It served notice that Sunday would be a stress free afternoon and the best available remedy for a four game losing streak that probably cost the Texans a chance at a post season berth.

But, wait a minute. Pittsburgh somehow lost to Cleveland, Jacksonville fell to Miami and Denver lost at Indy keeping the Texans' paper thin playoff hopes alive. If you're a true fan you know you've found yourself doing crazy things like pulling for Detroit to beat Baltimore or rooting, in vain, for a Tampa Bay upset over the Jets.

Yes, Houston needs a warehouse of help to get to the postseason but as long as there is a pulse why not hope for a football miracle. After all, didn't the Bears stroll into Reliant Stadium for the season finale last year needing some ridiculous things to happen, have them all happen, then fail to get the win which would have put them in the playoffs?

The Texans need to keep fighting and hope that somehow when they kick the ball January 3rd against the Patriots they will have at least a snowball's chance of advancing. Considering all that has happened it's just about all we can ask at this point.

Arian Foster looked like he belonged, Bernard Pollard made even more money for next year with his third pick. And Mario Williams had two sacks which puts him two off the pace of hitting double figures for the third straight year. With Andre Johnson racking up nearly 200 yards receiving and Schaub getting within a stone's throw of 4,000 yards, the Texans are once again showing they are a tough team to beat. But they need to be flawless in the won-loss column the rest of the way to help ease the pain of the four game drought.

Texans 2009: Critical Condition

As they Texans do the autopsy on another loss they will see plenty of missed opportunities. Had they taken advantage of some golden chances against Jacksonville they might be in the thick of a playoff chase. Instead, they are scrambling to find a way to stop a four game losing streak that has their fanbase up in arms and their coach in trouble.


Let's face it. This is year four of the Kubiak era and year eight of the franchise. The team is perhaps better than it's ever been but they it's not showing up on the scoreboard and the record is no better after 12 games than it has been the last two seasons.

A particularly disturbing part of the carcass from the most recent loss is the fact that the Texans had the ball inside the 10 three times in the second half and came up with only ten points and a turnover. That turnover came off the arm of Chris Brown who threw a pick off a halfback option that will live in infamy.


At one point in the broadcast I said "this is the Texans last stand." I believed they needed to win out to stay in the hunt. And the thing that makes this situation sting more is that every week they seem to get help as teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore take damaging losses.

All that's left is the chance to somehow win four straight and get the first winning season in team history. If the Texans achieve that it will certainly make us feel a tad better because of the intoxicating effect of a long winning streak. But right now it's hardly a consolation to be wishing for a victory binge that will require a massive amount of help to bring the prospect of playoffs back into the conversation.

Frank Reich has been an assistant with the Colts the last two seasons which happen to include the two 17 point blown Houston leads. Also, Tony Boselli was doing national radio for the last two games at Reliant. Just Sayin'

These are the times that try fans souls. Four weeks ago the Texans were 5-3 with the promise of a great second half season run on the horizon. Three losses later and Houston has dropped three straight while dropping to the cellar of the AFC South into a tie with Tennessee. The Titans are no small part of the story. The fact that they have won five straight with Vince Young at the helm during the Texans dive has not been lost on the sporting public.

Sunday was the best of times and the worst of times. The Texans had everything going for them but somewhere along the way lost their edge. Everything they tried in the second half felt like shoveling sand against a tsunami.

No matter what anyone thinks will happen following the season we must remember there are still games to play. It's too early to write the obituary. Jacksonville is the last house on the left. If the Texans lose it's time to take a hard look at the future. You hate to put that kind of pressure on the team but they did it to themselves.

The most perplexing thing about the Texans through ten games is their inability to run the football. The fact that Steve Slaton leads the team in rushing with only 380 yards is tough to stomach. Chester Pitts and Mike Briesel are out but that alone cannot possibly be why the Texans can't get anything consistent going on the ground.

The running woes make what Matt Schaub has been doing all the more impressive. The last two games Schaub has been able to move his team in position for late ties only to watch missed field goals. He has thrown 19 TD passes and is third in the NFL in yardage behind Manning and Brady.

Eugene Wilson being out for the season is hard news to swallow. He's been quite a playmaker and his services would have come in really handy against the Colts Sunday. Bernard Pollard had two picks against Manning. Somehow the Texans will have to find a way to get to Manning. If the Reliant crowd can bring anything close to what they had Monday night it could make a big difference.

As difficult as it's been to digest the last two losses, the Texans showed they have the mettle to hang with Indy. Can they go toe to toe again and finish the job? That's why we love sports. It's unscripted entertainment.

"I'm in a glass case of emotion"
- Ron Burgundy, Me

Here is the link to the photo that will have Texans fans even more upset than they are right now...

http://www.life.com/image/93344787

The AFC South is the best division in football again.

The Colts are undefeated. They stormed back in the fourth quarter against New England and took advantage of Belichick's bad gamble at the 28 yard line. Manning is 5-1 in his last six games against the Patriots.

The Jags are 5-4 and tied with the Texans after a nice road win over the Jets.

And the Titans are a winning team disguised as a 3-6 club. They haven't beaten great competition during this three game winning streak but their defense is back to turning people over and the offense has really cut down on the cough-ups.

Monday Night Football is going to be a war.

On the Controversial Ryan Moats Fumble...

Here is photo proof that the ball touched the defender out of bounds in the Texans-Colts game.

The original call was that Moats coughed up the ball but was out of bounds. They overturned it because they thought the ball never went out of bounds. Clearly it was. The Texans eventually had a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter but fell 20-17.

So Close Yet So Far

It's bye time and the only thing that's going to remove the pain of Houston's loss to the Colts is the Monday Nighter with the Titans.


It's too bad but the Texans have earned the label of being a one half team. Against the Colts, Bills and Arizona it was the second half. Against the Raiders and 49ers it was the first half. Cincinnati and Tennessee were a mixed bag. At some point the Texans will have to play 60 minutes and when they do they will be very dangerous.

The Colts game was a chance to show the NFL world that the Texans were for real. They can't make that claim until they play more complete games. Certainly all teams go through an ebb and flow of performance on both sides of the ball. But the Texans are making a bad habit of playing way below satisfactory on one side or the other of intermission.


Don't blame Kris Brown for the loss. Sure it would have been great to hit the 42 yarder but that was just part of the problem. The two picks were huge. Moats fumbling was devastating at the time. Houston must finish more drives to be a playoff team. If you had told me before the game that the Texans would hold the Colts to 20 points I would have almost guaranteed a win. Yet here we are.

This is not a bad spot to be in, by the way. Five wins after nine is their best record. The next two games are at home where they should be able to play well. They'll be favored in at least four or five of their final seven games.

The bye week is a great time to self scout and make corrections. If the Texans are going to make the push we all want they'll have to get the turnover situation together. Every running back is a marked man now and Schaub is coming off back to back two-pick games.


Good thing the defense is still smoking. Just when you thought the Colts might put up 40 points the Texans slowed them down, forced turnovers and got off the field enough to help their offensive friends get back to work.

Houston is very close to being a playoff team but close hardly matters when you're feeling the pain of a kick-in-the-gut loss.


Hang in there. Monday Night will arrive soon enough.

The New Texans

These are the new Texans. These are the Texans that can go into an opponent's stadium, stink it up for a while, gather themselves and still win in a runaway. These are the Texans who can lose a pro bowler (Owen Daniels), remove the 2008 AFC yards from scrimmage leader (Steve Slaton) from the game and still put up 25 second half points. These are the Texans who will enter the second half of the season as winners for the first time ever.

This team is far from perfect. They laid an egg on opening day. They failed to capitalize in late goal line plays against Arizona and Jacksonville. They played flat offensively in the second half against the Raiders. They played flat defensively in the second half against San Francisco. They handed the ball to Buffalo three times in the first quarter Sunday. But, despite it's faults, this team is developing a knack for getting the job done.

Forget about the drama on offense for a moment. The defense continues to take steps toward being a playoff-caliber unit. The one touchdown the crew allowed Sunday was on a T.O. end-around. The only other points were on a field goal. This was as solid performance as you could ask for. The Bills are not to be confused with the 1999 Rams but the Texans 'D' took care of business.

This was the type of game the 'old' Texans would have lost. If they opened flat they would have stayed that way. If they committed early turnovers they would have found a way to be generous late. But there is something different about this group. They are slowly but surely learning how to win.

Next up: Indianapolis. The Texans have never won at Indy. Even with a loss, they'll go into the Monday nighter with Tennessee no worse than 5-4. It's possible that the losses to the Jaguars and the Jets will come back to bite Houston but for now we're on a wild ride that must be appreciated.

Progress Not Perfection

Now that the Texans have pulled themselves above .500 it's time to remember what Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko told his shareholders in Wall Street, "Greed is good."

The Texans are far from flawless and need to keep improving to give themselves a chance at the postseason. The running game isn't anywhere close to what Gary Kubiak wants. The pass rush and downfield coverage is still in need of tuning. The fact that the team with the league's top TD passer and a recently stout run defense led by three touchdowns but needed a last minute stand to survive against San Francisco cannot be ignored.

Yet the Texans are playing well in enough phases to draw praise and occupy a well deserved lane in the AFC playoff race. The coaches certainly are not happy that the team let a 21 point half time lead slip into a late game pressure cooker. But the Texans made the needed plays to pull out a win when in the past they might have slipped into the abyss.

Matt Schaub is doing what we all dreamed he would do when healthy. Owen Daniels continues to be a killer tight end. Steve Slaton is a big time playmaker who has to eradicate a fumbling virus. The offense slowed down in the second half but they haven't scored fewer than 21 points since the opener.

The defense is looking closer to being playoff claiber than ever. Opponents haven't cracked the 60 yard mark on the ground since week three. They suddenly had to shift gears to thwart Alex Smith's Utah-flashback second half just in time to save the game.

Rich Lord reminded the listeners during our broadcast that the last time the Texans led by 21 at the break was against St. Louis in 2005. I was quick to point out that Houston lost that game. It almost happened again but as I like to say 'almost losing is so much better than almost winning.'

Look around the NFL, Cincinnati crushed the Bears Sunday. The Jets, Baltimore, Miami, San Diego, Tennessee and Jacksonville have records no better than the Texans (tie breakers aside). Your home team is smack dab in the hunt and has plenty of chances to solidify their standing or stumble. It's up to them.

Next up is Buffalo. The Bills gave up 300 yards on the ground last week in a road win at the Jets. They dominated Carolina Sunday. They gave New Orleans a tough game before bowing three weeks ago. They are hard to figure and if you think this should be a walk, think again.

The Texans are still in the wilderness of a 'four road games out of five' stretch that won't end until the bye. They need to at least get a split against the Bills and Colts to keep their necks above water and solidly remain in the chase.

This is More Like It

Okay, so Matt Schaub throws for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. It's the Texans defense that needs to be discussed. This unit is number one against the run for the last three weeks and all they did Sunday was shut down the NFL's leading rusher. The Bengals scored 17 first half points and were shut out in the second. Houston's 'D' is coming into its own.

Jacques Reeves, Bernard Pollard and Eugene Wilson didn't play against the Jets in week one and Dunta Robinson was barely himself. Now you have a crew that's blossoming and helping stop teams on third down. The Texans don't have a lot of sacks but they are applying some pressure which is helping out the back end.

Schaub has arrived as a top ten QB. It's not just the TD passes but some of the 10-12 yard throws that are making the difference by extending drives. Houston passed to set up whatever running game it had Sunday and it worked. Gary Kubiak will never fully abandon the run but he knows he can win on a steady diet of Schaub throws to Houston's talented pass catchers.

This is fun. The Texans were last 3-3 two years ago and 4-3 in 2004. That year they beat Jacksonville on Halloween weekend to fill the fans with hope only to lose the winning record the next week at Denver and not see another one for three more years when they would open the 2007 season with a win over Kansas City. Now they try to grab their first winning record of any kind since they were 3-2 in '07.

A win over the 49ers would put them in the playoff picture but they must prove they can handle success and put together a string of victories. Everything they dreamed of in 2009 is still out there in front of them. It's time for this team to get in the black in the won-loss column and somehow keep us there for the rest of the season.

Winning Interrupted

Someday the Texans will find a way to win consistently. Someday that mojo and execution will become second nature. It could kick in anytime. Maybe next week or next month or next year. But for now, we wait.

The Texans have played five games this year. One was a decisive loss, another, a blowout win. And three others that could have gone either way. The Texans are 1-2 in the 'either way' games after falling in the desert to the Cardinals 28-21.

Just like in the Jacksonville game, Houston had a chance to tie the game late and force overtime but they failed at the one yard line. Tough pills to swallow for a franchise that desperately needs to take a giant step toward becoming a winner.

Now, with a date against the suddenly relevant Bengals, the Texans must find a way to exorcise their execution demons and move back into the winners circle.

There was plenty to complain about following the Arizona game. Matt Schaub's Pick 6 that provided the winning margin, Schaub's pass that sent Dreisen out of the back of the endzone on third and one, Chris Brown's failed run on fourth down. The list is longer but we'll start there.

However, you also have to take into consideration that Schaub and the offense were able to roar back into the game after a mostly dormant first half. They put on quite a show that required flawless precision to earn their way back into the game. The only problem was that, like in the Jacksonville and Titans game, the margin of error was paper thin and they weren't able to perform at the moment of truth.

One silver lining was that the defense looked great in the second half. After a second quarter in which they wore down following the offense's miscues, they rose up and put the brakes on one of the better attacks in the league. It's something to build on.

This was another winnable game that slipped away. There are only three losses on the table so far but the way things are going the Texans are going to have to hijack some wins on the road to propel themselves above .500. They are certainly capable of winning games like the one against Arizona but potential doesn't doesn't make the playoffs.

Winning Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry

The Texans defense enjoyed their best day of the season in a 29-6 pasting of Oakland that's bound to give the team some confidence as it gets ready to play four out of five on the road.

Glover Quinn got the start at corner and looked up to the challenge. Bernard Pollard started after less than two weeks on the roster and proved to be the answer at safety. When Eugene Wilson gets back, he and Pollard might make the best safety tandem this team has seen.

Sure it was the Raiders, who look allergic to the forward pass, but the Texans will happily take it while understanding that winning means never having to say you're sorry.

The locals are a head team to figure. In the who-played-who game Houston lost to a 3-1 Jets team that has played a brutal schedule. They beat the Titans who have gone 0-4 against teams that are a combined 10-6. They lost to a Jags team that lost a close one to the Colts on the road, fell to the Cards and beat the Titans soundly.

This much we know. Houston is running the football better. We already know they can throw it. The defense may have been terrible against the run for the first three games but held the Raiders to 45 rushing yards.

Now the Texans will face the two best quarterbacks we have seen in visitng Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer in the next two weeks. The defense will face big tests as the offense cannot afford to squander opportunities.

The second half against the Raiders was a hard-headed attempt to run the ball and the Texans had trouble staying on the field. If they had played with their usual quest for balance they could have scored 40 points. The Cushing safety and Jones TD return provided a knock out punch that enabled the team to cruise.

But the next few weeks take the Texans through an NFL mine field that will determine what kind of season this will be. Yes, they have tied for the best start in team history but there's still a feeling that 3-1 was achievable and they'll have to steal a make-good win along the way to accomplish their goals.

Living on the Edge

Each week in the NFL there are 16 winners and 16 losers. The winners are happy, sort of, and the losers are miserable. The Texans are among the miserable this week and they are keeping some good company. The NFL Champion Steelers are 1-2, The Titans are 0-3 as are the Dolphins. On the flipside, somehow Denver is 3-0 and the Jets look like a Super Bowl team. It's a crazy league and a long season. Hang on for the ride.

After another head-scratching loss at Reliant at least one thing is crystal clear: The Texans offseason defensive moves have yet to pay off. Sure, Cushing looks great and Antonio Smith has made some plays but the end result is that Houston has given up more yards than any team in the league and the third most points.

Gary Kubiak's teams have been slow starters. The Texans are now 4-11 in the first quarter of his four seasons as head coach here. They have historically been fast finishers winning 3 of 5, 3 of 4 and 5 of 6 in his stretch runs. But he can ill-afford to see his team fall into a sink hole if he wants them to seriously flirt with a playoff run.

The Jacksonville game was a blown opportunity. The team is pretty healthy and to lose a winnable home game early against what is considered an inferior opponent could help spoil a chance at a good record later. And if the Jags are running and throwing effectively (six for twelve on 3rd and 4th down) one has to wonder what offenses led by the likes of Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner will do. And, oh yeah, we still have Peyton Manning on the schedule, twice.

Steve Slaton looked like his 2008 self Sunday and Matt Schaub is certainly performing like one of the league's better quarterbacks. But the defense needs to undergo a major breakthrough or this season will break down quickly.

One for the Ages

The Texans showed the kind of heart that winning teams need in pulling out their victory over the Titans Sunday. Matt Schaub played brilliantly, throwing four touchdown passes and constantly avoiding sacks and eluding pressure. Andre Johnson shook off a couple of early drops to catch two TDs.

But offensively it was Jacoby Jones who played the role of best supporting actor. With Andre Davis and Kevin Walter out, Jones caught a TD and hauled in another 44 yarder to set up the winning field goal. He also caught a break when he muffed a fair catch at the Houston 10 but kept the ball on an interference penalty.

Defensively, Mario and Demeco shined but you expect that by now. Brian Cushing showed he belonged and Eugene WIlson had a pick. It was hardly a masterpiece but the Texans held Tennessee to just one second half TD and put the brakes on when it mattered most. Jeff Zgonina recovered the Kerry Collins fumble that iced it. It was a memorable play for the league's oldest position player who wasn't part of the team's plans until training camp started.

Maybe the Texans are who we thought they were. The Jets validated their opening day win with a victory over New England. And the Texans toppled the division favorites on the road. There is a long way to go but Houston has arrived at the party and will have plenty to say about going to the postseason before it's all said and done.

What went wrong?

Clearly the Texans weren't ready to play. The coach himself said that. They also put the secondary together with tape and glue on opening day starting a not-ready-for-primetime Dunta Robinson and going without Jacques Reeves and Eugene Wilson. They also played Brian Cushing for the first time. The defense played well against the run through three quarters but was horrible on third down as rookie Mark Sanchez looked polished. He constantly beat the pass rush with on-target throws that extended drives.

On the offensive side, Matt Schaub clearly was not himself. The offense produced zero points and zero first downs in the red zone. The running game was no where to be found as the offense was 200 yards below its average output of last year. Kris Jenkins was a one man wrecking crew at nose guard. Schaub was harassed often and unable to make the throws that made him a top ten passer last year.

The Texans must get themselves going fast or the season will slide out of control. Beating Tennessee would almost be like erasing the Jets game but that's a tall order. A 2-2 start is a minimal requirement toward achieving any of their goals. Following two home games after the Titans, the Texans play four of their next five on the road.

There is no way the Texans are as bad as they showed in the opener. But how good can they be when they don't step up and adequately compete in their own building? We saw enough good performances last year to know that this team has the goods to bang helmets with some of the league's better teams. They would be wise to start putting together some similar performances ASAP.

Final preseason games are like NFL IDOL. Simon is watching to see if you make the cut. Rex Grossman passed the test on Friday night proving that he can still help a team win football games.

Jacoby Jones shined with an 87 yard TD pass and a 40 yarder. The coaching staff has been waiting for him to do something big and it happened. He now fields those inside-the-20 punts uneventfully and is conducting himself with more maturity and professionalism than ever.

The James Casey fan club probably added a few members Friday night as he caught his first TD pass in a Texans uniform. Casey can play fullback, tight end, special teams and probably fly the team plane.

Frank Bush wasn't shy about blitzing close to his goal line. Late in the game, Frank Okam had a sack on Josh Johnson that sealed the game. Khary Cambell's pressure helped him get it proving Bush right in his aggresive play calling. Okam, by the way, shows a lot of promise and figures to get plenty of snaps in the DT rotation this year.

A 2-2 preseason is nothing to throw a party over but Friday's game gave the organization a nice view of their depth as they got ready for cuts and a week in which they could finally concentrate fully on the Jets. Mark Sanchez went five for five against Philly reserves in his final preseason action. The Texans better be good against Thomas Jones and the New York ground game or the rookie hazing they have planned for Sanchez might never materialize.

No doubt Matt Schaub's ankle injury has the Texans on edge. If Schaub can't play against New York the Texans will have to rely on Dan Orlovsky who has had an up and down preseason. There is no other option. Or is there?

Just when you thought Rex Grossman was surely headed for waivers, he has suddenly recovered enough to play Friday night in a last ditch effort to make the team. If he looks good and Orlovsky struggles you would have to think that the coaches would at least consider using his services if Schuab is out.

In all likelihood Schaub will play. The coaching staff would probably rather have Schaub in a ski boot than risk playing without him. The field goal drive he orchestrated on a bad wheel Monday night was a nice piece of work.

Brian Cushing could see his first action against Tampa Bay. For all the heat the defense has taken, remember that three would-be starters have been out with Cushing, Jacques Reeves and Dunta Robinson all unavailable so far.

Even though most of the starters will sit against the Bucs there is much drama going on in deep steel blue. Jacoby Jones took every punt return in prime time Monday night. He didn't make mistakes but the magic of his rookie preseason is missing. He appears to be safe but could use a big play.

The defensive tackles have to step up no matter who plays. Antwan Molden has to continue to get healthier so he can play up to his potential. Arian Foster has a chance to make things interesting at running back.

Don't Panic. Yet.

The most alarming thing about the Texans' loss to New Orleans was that the Saints ran the ball so well. Drew Brees threw for over 5,000 yards last year and he'll chew up a lot of teams. But if you give him a ground game, prepare to replace the bulbs on the scoreboard.

The Texans gave up 173 rushing yards. If I tell you that, this weekend, good defenses like the Giants and Steelers gave up 167 yards and 150 respectively would it make you feel any better? The Titans surrendered 466 total yards including 111 on the ground. Does that soothe you?

It should help but it shouldn't cure anyone associated with the team of their anxiety over a run defense that has to build strength going into the regular season. The other teams mentioned above all have a great track record while the Texans are auditioning to join the postseason brigade.

The score got out of hand as the Saints piled up 24 points after Dan Orlovsky failed to get points on a late first half deep drive by throwing a game changing pick. He would later turn it over again on a busted bootleg play on fourth down near the goal line. He showed signs that he can make big plays but must cut down on the errors if he can be counted on as an understudy.

The Texans aren't a good enough team to stink up a preseason game and know they can pull themselves together when the lights go on for real. These are important rehearsals for what's supposed to be their best campaign. With the Vikings coming in for a Monday nighter next, you know everyone in the organization will put out a monster effort. Let's hope it's enough to remove at least some of the doubt created in the loss to New Orleans.

Best things about the Texans win over the Chiefs:

Chris Brown looked great. He carried the ball with a spring in his step and looked like the perfect compliment to Steve Slaton. Let's say it all together, "He just needs to stay healthy."

Connor Barwin getting a sack was a nice debut. Barwin looked like he belonged. And Tim Bulman looked like he wanted to set up residency in the Chiefs backfield. Between those two playing well and moving Antonio Smith inside, the Texans plan for an improved pass rush might bear fruit.

Dan Orlovsky made a nice debut. Okay, a few passes sailed but that's correctable. He made some big plays with long completions. Give him more time in this system and he'll get up to speed to be the insurance QB this team needs.

Things to look out for:

Steve Slaton does not need to carry the ball much in August. We already know he's excellent. He bulked himself up and that's ok but only as long as it does not affect his speed. Remember when Demeco bulked up last year and lost some speed (only to get lighter and quicker as the season progressed)? You would hate to see that happen with Slaton. Not that it will but we'll be watching.

Defensive line depth is getting tested early. With Travis Johnson out and Deljuan Robinson and Frank Okam dinged up it's going to be interesting to get through the next three games.

Finishing drives and staying on the field is key to this teams development. The Texans only converted two third downs. This is hardly 'sound-the-alarm' material but if they are going to win big games on the road they need to score and eat clock. The first team offense had an impressive 94 yard drive so you can exhale for now. Against the Saints and Vikings it will be important to start hogging the ball

When you talk about Texans vying for playing time you don't automatically say "hey, how about that battle for long snapper?" But those are the things that Special Teams Coordinator Joe Marciano thinks about all the time.

James Casey is trying to win a job there to go along with a job at TE and perhaps some part time work as fullback as well. It's Marciano's task to see if he can cut it in short order. Casey is a throwback who can do a lot of things. Marciano compares he and Connor Barwin to Jim Thorpe (in versatility not degree of difficulty, of course).

In well over two decades Marciano has seen NFL players and coaches come and go but he insists the game of football basically stays the same. "The game hasn’t changed. The players are the same players. When I got in this league in ’86, we got the same players in there, they just have different names, different faces.

"We’ve got some great guys and we’ve got some guys we’ve always got to keep our thumb on all the time. But the game hasn’t changed. I still show tape of Bennie Thompson, Steve Tasker, the tackling of Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. I still got all those tapes. What I coached then, I coach now. The principles of football don’t change.”

Marciano says being a father has made a difference in his coaching style. "I’ve learned from raising a boy, my son, that you’ve got to have patience, especially with a special needs son like I’ve got. He’s come along fine so that has helped me transform into having some patience with these guys."

Plus, the attitude of gratitude is something Marciano likes to push. "I tell those guys, ‘I’m not going to yell at you. If you do this you’re going to be out of work. I’ve got to work, you’re looking to get work. Where else can you go and come to work in underwear, where else, and go make $325,000? Try doing it my way.’ That’s all I say. Plus, being around Tony Dungy has helped. He’s not a yeller and those guys will run through a wall for him."

It's easy to understand why Joe Marciano has been so good for so long.

Gil Brandt was at Texans practice this weekend and told me he likes the team's chances to win the AFC South. The Colts and Titans have not stood still acquisition-wise but it's the Texans who appear poised to leap forward while the others may take a small step back.

Anyone who saw Sunday morning has to be pumped about the defense. They're performing like they are sick of hearing all the love about the offense while they get analyzed like a dysfunctional child. Demeco picking off a pass and Mario and friends forcing negative plays got plenty of oohs and ahhs from the crowd. The offense will be fine. It's the defense that needs to look better immediately.

It's the 8th Texans camp and the buzz is louder than ever. The turnout for the first few practices has been super strong and there is an expectation of success in the air that we only caught occasional whiffs of the last couple of years.

The contract quotes from Ryans and Daniels put a bit of damper on day one but Rick Smith put it all to rest for the moment by saying "it's time to play football." The most important thing about negotiations is leverage and Dunta, Demeco and Owen don't have enough. Ryans and Daniels are likely to remain restricted free agents next year and Dunta can still be franchised. If he is not then his value likely dipped below the reported $23 million guarantee offer he turned down this offseason.

Enough on the cash, how about the dash? Arian Foster looks spry and James Casey catches almost everything thrown at him. Jacoby Jones was sensational Saturday and David Anderson looks more solid than ever. Punt returner is wide open with Andre Davis getting a long look with the rest of the candidates. It should be Jacoby's job but he left the door open.

It's time.

Your local baseball team is gasping for air. Your basketball franchise has health issues that could stock a season of Grey's Anatomy. But your football squad is finally ready for action.

Many folks hate the preseason but I like it. I'm not saying I would like it in November but I appreciate the build up toward the regular season and the chance to look at some new blood in action.

Many of you haven't had much new to say on the airwaves about the team because you haven't seen them yet. After five weeks of off season practice I have a pretty good idea of what we're going to get but there are still many unanswered questions.

Let's assume Dunta comes back in time to start against the Jets. It's likely Fred Bennett is your third corner. But I'm anxious to see what Glover Quinn can do. It's too bad Antwan Molden is banged up because he needs to give the coaches a better idea of what he has.

Xavier Adibi, Zach Diles and Cato June are going to have a war opposite Brian Cushing. Travis Johnson's hernia surgery could open a door for Deljuan Robinson or Shawn Cody but it's still the 'nole's job to lose. Amobi Okoye may be younger than many rookies but he has to produce in year three.

The offense is like a breath of fresh air except at running back where the depth chart falls off a cliff after Steve Slaton. Nothing against Chris Brown but assuming oft-injured running backs stay healthy around here has not been a solid bet.

Arian Foster looked good in OTAs but now it's time to put on some pads and shine in a preseason game or two. If I was coaching I might not play Slaton, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson much at all. They don't need the work and you have to have a long look at the reserve backs and Dan Orlovsky. Come to think of it, Brown just needs to get enough carries to look like he belongs then sit until the bell rings against the Jets.

I'll be blogging much more during camp.

WOW! All those series against relatively weak teams that the Astros struggled to win during this run and they end up SWEEPING the Cards.

Game three's theme: you'd rather be lucky than good. Chris Coste can't get a bunt down in the ninth so he ends up with an RBI double on an 0-2 pitch. Then, first and third with one out and on Matsui's grouder the Cards come home for a made tag rather than a sure inning-ending double play. The extra out gave Tejada an at bat to get his walk off hit.

This team is in it now. Forget about being sellers. As long as Roy O. and Wandy stay sharp they should be able to at least hang in there. But they'll need help. And when teams make the kind of mistakes the Cardinals did this week it certainly boosts the cause.

So much for those '70's mustaches with the Cardinals pitching staff. Try NHL playoff beards next time.

How can agents say that there is collusion in baseball? Well, teams shaved a collective $47 million in payroll from last year. A lot of free agents took a bath or didn't get signed at all.

Welcome to America circa 2009! Scott Boras's contention that baseball is in great financial health relative to the rest of the world may be true. But the same could be said for his clients.

Attendance is down 5% which is a miracle considering yours and my stock portfolios are still gasping for air. But many MLB teams tried to get a tad more conservative with their spending. You can't blame them considering we are hardly out of the recession yet.

People ask me all the time about the "impending doom" of an NFL work stoppage in 2011. I would be surprised if it happened. The last thing fans want to hear about is millionaires arguing with billionaires while unemployment pushes 10%. Of course, I would hope the economy would be better by the time we get past the 2010 season. That would slightly soften the ire of the fans. Still, I expect cooler heads to prevail and play to continue.

Another thing I always get asked about is the Texans' contract situations with O.D., Dunta and Demeco. I don't exactly have a wire tap into Rick Smith's phone but I would be totally shocked if these guys aren't coming out of the tunnel September 13 completely focused and prepared to beat the Jets. The rest is conversation.

You hear a lot of things: the teams says this, the player tweets that. The bottom line is contract disputes and negotiations are just a reality in sports. As my buddy RJ says, no one wants to see the sausage being made. Well, ignore the noise, wait for the opener and bon appetit!

Aaron Glenn is done playing. Teams keep calling but he's home for good in Houston now after 15 seasons in the league. We had him in studio Wednesday morning and talked about a lot of things including 19-10. He still sees it as one of the greatest games he's ever been in. He talked about the smoke being so thick (from the pregame fireworks) that players had trouble seeing the ball in the first half. Corey Bradford drew a pass interference call on the first drive of team history but told Aaron he couldn't find the ball anyway. Two plays later Billy Miller was in the endzone.



My most lasting Steve McNair memory is not a good one. Last play of the Christmas weekend game in 2003 McNair found Drew Bennett in the endzone on 4th and 10 in the 3rd most gut wrentching loss to the Titans in team history (you know about the other two). I'll always remember things Dom Capers told me about how hard it was to bring down McNair. He was super strong and one of two QBs in my lifetime who could skip practice and be precise on Sunday. Dan Fouts was the other.



I really hope Daryl Morey has something up his sleeve for this season because it's looking like '09-'10 will be a 'wait until next year' kind of campaign. Right now there is no "easy offense" on the roster. Not that the team as it stands can't play hard and make things interesting but it's hardly a contender.



Lance Armstrong's run is compelling. I don't watch it but I follow it. I've called him the Barry Bonds of Europe only because of how many locals feel about him. If he's never tested positive in a sport that tests more than Ron Artest tweets, that's good enough for me.

NOOOOOOOO!

"Say it ain't so." A kid once said that to Shoeless Joe and I'm saying it to Yao's foot. I know that nothing is final. Yet. But when you heard the news that Yao might miss a year didn't you just have this feeling that the Yao era in Houston could be over? I hate to be pessimistic. Me, being the Norman Vincent Peale of Houston sports. But, Yao's big feet are not cooperating the way his heart and mind would like. Let's hope whatever they decided to do works and we again get to see performances like the 28 point night in L.A. to go up on the Lakers.

Jose Valverde's meltdown Sunday reminded me that closers are kind of like field goal kickers. I'm not saying getting out of one inning is like an extra point chip shot. But how about a 35 to 40 yard boot to win a game. The team does all this work to get into position to win then one guy basically blows it. Valverde went through a little funk earlier this year and snapped out of it. With the Astros getting good starting pitching lately the last thing you want to see is bullpen failure...especially with the team having trouble pushing runs across.

I was neck deep in Team USA tension with them leading Brazil 2-0 at the break. Facebook was blowing up with reaction. I was getting texts from everywhere. Yet there were also friends and acquaintances who didn't even realize it was on. Weird. I am not a huge Soccer fan but with our boys about to knock off the Yankees/Lakers of the sports I was into it. It was strange feeling sports anxiety like that this time of year.

We had Brad Sham (voice of the Cowboys) on the air Tuesday and he talked a great deal about the terrible accident at their practice facility. So many lives were affected it's hard to believe it's not going to somehow impact their season in some way. He made a good point that the national media swooping in and out of Valley Ranch will consistently ask players for perspective on the accident relative to whatever success or failure the team gets.

He also said that 9-7 seems like a reasonable call as far as record goes considering the schedule. And that they are a better team with T.O. playing in western New York.

I keep looking at the Texans schedule with the most optimism I've had heading into a season (and that's saying something). But the finish at Miami and home to New England is brutal. There's a thought that the Pats might not 'need' the game. Or if the game is for a playoff spot the Texans can and will beat anyone in the world on their field. You'd just hate to see a Christmas weekend road game at Miami screw things up.

Houston is third in the league in home wins in the last two years behind Pittsburgh and New England. The Pats and Steelers represented the AFC in the last two Super Bowls as you may recall.

How great was it to have the U.S. Open settled during business hours? Maybe not so much if you couldn't escape to check it out but it gives things an NCAA Tournament feel to watch a major sporting event with your co-workers.

Anyone who thinks Phil choked probably doesn't golf much or even watch that much golf for that matter. Yes, he lacks Tiger's closing ability but finishing second five times is amazing because you have to be good enough to even be that close. Jack Nicklaus won a record 18 majors but finished second 19 times. Phil has to win at least one U.S. Open, right?

The late Dick Harmon's pupil (Lucas Glover) won the event making Sports Radio 610 Golf Hour hosts two for two in majors this year. A story was told at Dick's funeral about him watching Tiger blow away the field at an Open and calling his brothers saying "can you imagine how proud Dad would be of Butch right now." Well, can you imagine the Harmon brothers' reaction to seeing Glover's victory?

Rex Grossman a Texan? I knew some coaches at Florida who told me then what a great leader he was. Obviously his numbers don't look so hot over time. Low completion percentage, high picks. But he did take a team to the Super Bowl. He'll be well coached here with a lot of talent around him and a proven system. He'll give the Texans a third QB who has played in the league.

I said on the air that Quinn Gray was invited to fill this role last year but came up short. Ask yourself this: Are they a better or worse football team after this signing? This is low cost insurance. If Schaub goes down you're one snap away from Alex Brink. Now, whether you like Orlovsky better than Grossman is a whole other question. But that question never came up with Brink. That alone makes them a better team today.

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The Godfather's Guide to Business and Life Success

Not to glamorize organized crime but there is a ton of useful info in the first two film such as...

"It's not personal, it's business." - Michael Corleone. Separating the two is always important.

"The most important thing in life is health, more important than money...and power" - Hiram Roth knows this because he was dying and all the cash in the world could not make him better.

"Never tell anyone outside of the family (organization) what you're thinking" -Vito Corleone.
Keep strategy to yourself.

"This is the business we've chosen." Hiram Roth. This comes in real handy when I have to explain to the wife why we're not leaving town for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Whatever business you're in requires sacrifices unique to that line of work. It's important to regain perspective every once in while.

There are many more in the films. And don't even get me started on Goodfellas.

Sitting here watching Tiger making a run at Memorial got me thinking about Kobe, Lebron and the greatest athletes at their particular sports. Being team sport athletes, Kobe and Lebron are going to have their share of critics because they might not belong to 'you.' But surely you have a feel on how much you may like or dislike these guys.

Kobe's court drama aside, he is one of the greatest players I have ever seen on a hardwood floor. No, he's not Jordan. You may scream and shout about how me might be a better athlete or you may start splitting hairs on drives and dishes. Please. If I could beam you back to the context of a Jordan finals game you would say "oh yeah, I forgot."

And I'm not even a huge Jordan 'fan.' I will concede he's the best ever but I still love Magic the most. He was such a great leader, passer and winner. So was Bird but Magic beat him 5 to 3 in NBA titles (plus the college ring). This is very subjective territory anyway. You may love Clapton more than Hendrix. They're both great. You may love Pele as the greatest all time athlete on the planet. Ali would get many votes too. We really can't measure. Clearly, Tiger belongs in the group.

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I was asked recently why I play pick up hoops and hate working out at the gym or running on the mill. It's fun to actually look forward to getting exercise. I think it's very healthy as adults to actually play games and get a work out doing it. We went to gym class as kids and enjoyed it. But wasn't so much of it a weeding out process to find the best athletes for varsity? I was captain of the sailboat racing team so I was never BMOC in sports. But I play now more than ever. It keeps me healthy and sane.

After Cleveland lost Game one of the Eastern Conference Finals you could feel the Rock-City shockwave from here. If Lebron couldn't get to the finals after getting the best record in the league he's sure to jump ship in the 2010 free agent summer of love, right? The speculation about him going with Jay Z to the Nets or the Dolans with the Knicks was hot and heavy until it looked like Cleveland might win a title. Now, it's open season until he inks a deal in 13 months or so.

We don't talk college baseball much (may be should) but what went down at Reckling Park Saturday was amazing. Two high school teamates going at it on the hill, racking up pitch counts that would make Nolan Ryan proud. Kansas State's A.J. Morris threw 144 pitches and beat Ryan Berry's 125 pitch performance. The two played together in Humble. And Texas beating Boston College in 25 innings was fantastic stuff. The 7th inning stretch "cubed" in the middle of the 21st inning is worth noting in addition to all the other record smashing details.

The VanderKid enjoyed his first Dynamo game on Saturday and now assumes all soccer teams score three goals in a five minute span. The atmosphere at a Dynamo game is fun and lively. There's not a bad seat at Robertson. It's affordable and all the trimmings, if not the game, will hold the kids' attention for a couple of hours. Vanderboy's best friend's mother, Danica Dawn Johnston sang the anthem and Oh Canada. I lobbied with Dynamo brass for her to become the Kate Smith of the team.

I love NFL off season coverage as much as anyone but the big networks have to get a clue and go deeper into their stories. I don't need 20 minutes of footage of Tom Brady throwing a football to no one in particular. And another Brett Favre non story is only slightly more entertaining than a Rachel Ray re-run. How about something on how Jacksonville plans to bounce back? Is San Francisco going to be any good? Does Arizona have any business being mentioned as a contender again? Will New Orleans play defense? I find this info interesting. I like a juicy Tom-Giselle story as much as anyone but don't necessarily need to know what they had for breakfast.

The perfect cure for the Rocket hangover was the Texans hitting the field at the Methodist Training Center.

Thoughts from Day 1:

All the stars looked fine. I wish Dunta was there but we hope to see him opening day.

Brian Cushing passes the eye test. I walked into the facility and he was three fields away and just looked huge. He looked like a vet in the way that he carried himself. So far so good in the very early going.

James Casey wants to make an instant impression. He laid out for a pass and said Gary Kubiak wasn't happy because he wants his players upright this time of year. Casey will become a fan favorite (if he isn't already).

Antoine Caldwell looks like a third round theft at center. Darnell Jenkins is fighting for a WR spot. He got on the roster as a special teamer when Bolden went down last year and it will be interesting to see if he can stick around.

Dan Orlovsky can play (at least in shorts). You've heard me rave about his potential because he put up pretty good numbers for one of the worst teams in league history. Now watch him flourish in this productive system. He's finally getting good coaching. We all know Schaub needs to stay on the field but Orlovsky looks like a good insurance policy.

Arian Foster is a big back who has an opportunity here after a rocky final year at Tennessee. He needs to prove to the brass that they need not scan the waiver wire for RBs with size. Speaking of...Here's wondering if seeing Chris Brown healthy and strong is just a big tease. If he could stay healthy we are talking about the perfect compliment to Slaton. However, that is a gigantic IF.

The national media is perplexed by the Rockets-Lakers series. Plenty of scribes have questioned everything about the Lakers from their players' resolve to their head coach's health. But few have pointed out how good the Rockets really are. This team is ocean-deep and has developed the type of chemistry people write books and songs about.

What if TMac and Yao were completely healthy? Would this team be charging for a title or would they be absent the type of togetherness they've developed under adversity? We'll know that about the time we know what would have happened if Matt Schaub had stayed healthy all through last Texans season.

I keep thinking how proud Daryl Morey must have been watching the remains of a roster he constructed, coached by a man he hired, take down the Lakers in a big playoff game at home to force game 7.

Who was the MVP of game 6? Scola set the tone with low post offense in the first half that wasn't the more pie-in-the-sky type of early point production we saw in game 4. Landry was fantastic in the 2nd half. But Brooks served notice that he might indeed be a special player. After all, because he's only in his second year we probably haven't seen the whole iceberg.

Yet the Rockets are all about defense first. It's easy to get swept away in scoring but to hold the Lakers to 80 in a big game is almost as tough as getting Jack Nicholson to remove his shades in public.

Game seven puts a ton of pressure on a Laker team that has to get to the finals to consider this an acceptable season. The Rockets are way ahead of that curve. This team has exceeded all relative expectations and continues to play with a passion that could take it one precious step further. Despite getting blown out their last time in L.A. no one should be shocked if they stop and shoot their way into the conference finals.

Ron Artest says he's the victim of "profiling" when it comes to officiating and he's right. Friday's late hard foul was in no way a Flagrant 2. But the profiling is exactly why he needed to keep his nose clean in game two and not go after Kobe. That was just tempting fate.

Kobe as (insert whatever description you want here including but not limited to chippy, dirty, edgy) as he is, still backed up Ron after game three saying it was just a hard foul on Gasol or at worst a Flagrant 1. He also said after game 2 that Ron should not have been ejected.

The Rockets offense drove off the road on Friday and the Lakers found their three point stroke making for a one game hole in the series score and the loss of home court advantage. But did anyone seriously think it was going to be easy? The Rockets actually match up very well against L.A. but the Lakers happen to have one of the best two players on the planet.

Kobe seemingly hits any shot even while being defended by elite stoppers like Battier and Artest. Does he practice with a mannequin strapped to his body?

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We gave out our One-Month-into-the-Season Astros awards this week and Wandy won my 'Cy Young' even before he beat the Padres Friday. It was an easy one to hand out. We didn't even hand out an MVP because the team is in a funk and, really, who would you pick?

Michael Bourn has improved in his OBP and average to earn MIP honors. The Rolaids reliever is Latroy Hawkins who has hardly been perfect but remains a great story after getting plucked off the scrap heap last season.

Houston fans have officially bonded with Yao Ming. If there wasn't before, there's love there now. Before, the feelings were tempered. They ranged anywhere from disappointment to infatuation, from affection to disillusionment. But now sporting love flows.

Sure, we'll still see some games where he fades or moments where his size and lack of speed make him look a tad out of place. But after delivering arguably the biggest Rocket win in 12 years, he has taken our hearts in hand.

Some people keep saying not to get too swept up in the Rockets game one win. Why? What are you waiting for?

This is why we love sports. Our teams navigating through uncharted waters with great treasure waiting to be discovered.

If the Rockets are capable of winning game one, they are capable of winning the series. Why hold your emotions back? Would you rather turn your head and focus on the financial crisis?

Enjoy life! Brooks didn't force his shots and racked up 19 points. Artest has played two really good games in a row. Wafer was a non factor and it didn't matter. Sure there's a long way to go but the Rockets didn't even play that well and still won fairly comfortably.

Yes, L.A. will get better. Gasol was off. Odom was nearly listless. Kobe was almost mortal. Fisher is still looking for Aaron Brooks.

But this Rocket team is turning things up a few notches as they continue to tap their recently found chemistry. Remember, the current version of the Rockets is still in its infancy. Compared to Jordan and Pippen going for number six, Yao and Artest are just getting done with personal introductions.

Bring on game two and throw your heart on the court. If it ends up getting squashed, so be it. Savor the ride. There are Clippers, Knicks and Grizzlies fans (to name a few) who would love to have your basketball problems.

So THIS is why the Rockets got Ron Artest

We said the Rockets needed a leader or at least a co-leader. We said that Yao needed a partner to share responsibility for this team's fortunes. Ron Artest took over in game six helping the Rockets create a 20 point lead in the third quarter that would ultimately be enough to put Portland away. He was awesome early and entertaining late.

The Rockets are out of the first round. There are many people to thank. But Artest deserves the MVP award for at least the close-out game.

This was no small feat. Avoiding Game 7 in Portland was almost like the Mets avoiding seeing Mike Scott in Game 7 of the NLCS in 1986. This was a must win game and the Rox came through splendidly.

The supporting cast played well enough but it was Artest and Yao in the third quarter that did the job. Aaron Brooks was big in the fourth.

Artest's performance was so complete he even took time to celebrate with fans along the baseline while the ball was still in play. He also saluted the Blazers on the P.A. after the game and announced that the team isn't done. That the first round victory is a stopping point not a destination.

You'll have to excuse Rocket fans if they are a tad on edge. Their team has one of those must win games at Toyota Center Thursday that, if lost, would send them into a Game 7 buzzsaw which they might not recover from.

A loss in this first round series with Portland will have most questioning the direction of the franchise, fair or not.

I picked the Rockets in six and stated at the time that I wasn't utterly confident in that prediction. I certainly didn't see them winning a game seven on the road. Now you see why. It's hard to put your finger on it but the team lacks a leader to take charge down the stretch and make sure these games come in for a soft landing.



Can Sully play point guard?


Yao, Scola, Artest, Battier and Brooks are all fine players but you just can't help but remember that this team was originally designed for a certain player in street clothes to be the driving force in crunch time. Yes, the Rockets are up 3-2 because their ensemble cast has made plays. But I'm thinking that the search for the next great Rocket leader is still on.

This takes nothing away from Yao. When the opponents defense is designed to stop one player that's a tremendous compliment. But almost never do you see great centers winning titles without having another superstar or two along for the ride (insert your 'Dream' response here).

Hakeem had a solid if not super team around him in '94 (look at the bench numbers and you'll weep in nostalgia). The next year Drexler shot over 50 percent from the floor and pumped in over 20ppg. Then look at Kareem, Shaq, Wilt, Moses etc. They all had hall of famers with them. Duncan had David Robinson and later a point guard (Parker) who shot anywhere from 46% to over 50% for him (plus Manu).

Yao needs a costar. The TMac era appears to be over and the great complimentary piece to Yao's puzzle might does not appear to be on the roster. That being said, Toyota Center can still be the place of a great moment Thursday night. The Rox have the tools to close this one out. Never mind the mismatch the Lakers appear to be. Let's worry about the 12 year monkey being removed and dwell on the future later.

No Running Backs in the draft?

That's how important defense was to the Texans. And that's how confident they are in getting a combination of a healthy Chris Brown, quality undrafted free agents and/or a player in the second wave of free agency.

Brian Cushing should be a solid player for a Texans front seven in need of more firepower. Hearing the comments of Gary Kubiak, Rick Smith and Frank Bush makes one realize this is the player they wanted all along. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had Malcom Jenkins been available but Cushing was clearly the most coveted defender at their spot.

Connor Barwin will play defensive end and be expected to make a prompt impression as a pass rusher. It's not like he has to have starting chops right away but he must at least show potential as a situational player. When you consider that he was a tight end and has ability as an OLB you get the idea that he could contribute.

What both players have in common is energy and versatility. Cushing can play all three linebacker positions and has a great motor. Barwin had the drive to make it through a position change into the second round of the draft.

You might look at picking Antoine Caldwell in the 3rd as a bit of an "upset" but the Texans were quick to point out that it's rare to see an offensive line hold together for the entire campaign like last year's did. Plus, if you're not trying to move forward and improve you tend to get worse.

And that's what they're thinking in the secondary with safety Glover Quin out of New Mexico. He played corner in college and was the Lobos first cornerback team captain in over a decade so you know he has leadership skills. He's got good speed and ball skills and, along with Barwin, should be a factor on special teams. Gary Kubiak said late in the day that Quin could play nickel back.

Anthony Hill is a blocking tight end who can also catch when needed. But James Casey is intriguing as someone who can not only play tight end but Wildcat QB as well. Defense rounds out the rest of the draft with CB Brice McCain out of undefeated Utah and Troy Nolan, a safety who will have to really shine to make the squad.

The Jets gave up a ton for Mark Sanchez who should start right away against the Texans in the opener. Somewhere, when that deal was announced, Kellen Clemens probably looked like he just ate some bad cheese.

Do you think they sit around in the Raiders draft room and think of ways to throw everyone's mock drafts out of whack?

Here's thinking that the NFL will crack down on teams calling picked players before they're announced. Tweeting, webcasting or texting pre announced picks should also go away because it ruins the TV coverage by taking the surprise out of it. It would be like those bubble teams on the NCAA selection show knowing they are in before the camera can get the reaction.

Game three: Will Yao get fronted again? That's a rhetorical question. Of course he will. But last time it happened the team still managed to get 35 points from the bench, put up over 100 points and shoot 50% in a tight contest. Defense is what's going to make the difference at home.

The NBA has entered it's best era since the 1980s. The Bulls (and Rockets) dominated 90s were fun but Jordan never had a suitable rival. The reason why the Celtics and Lakers were so much fun in the 80s was that they lifted each others' game. Plus, there were a lot of other compelling, fun-to-watch teams like the Rockets, Sixers, Hawks, Spurs, Pistons, etc.

Right now we have so many marquee names to enjoy besides the obvious: Lebron and Kobe. Unfortunately, for this first round series, Brandon Roy is one of them. Throw in Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker etc. and you have a lot of young players who are helping this league be as competitive and nearly as entertaining as it was when Magic and Larry roamed NBA arenas.

The Astros bullpen is a concern. They won the first two games from the Dodgers and lost three of four against Cincinnati. In five of the six games the pen had trouble holding leads. Whether it's Geary, Byrdak, Fulchino or Sampson, it's been way too much of an adventure. Good thing the offense is coming around and the team won the Dodgers series despite struggling with relief pitching. You should be encouraged that the starters have pitched pretty well and the 'experts' say the forecast for the pen is good, especially with Brocail coming back soon.

If I'm Nate McMillan I'll have my guys fronting Yao from the opening tip. I will have them chanting "front" in practice. They will have to watch the old Woody Allen movie "The Front" several times. And, the Simpson's episode with the same title. They will be reciting mock weather reports featuring cold 'fronts.' They will handle Yao this way or be threatened with a frontal lobotomy. Anything else would be an afront to the Portland organization.

The simple fact is that from a Blazers point of view Yao cannot be allowed to wheel and deal with straight man to man coverage. In the first minute of Saturday's game one he had five points, a blocked shot and a rebound. Game over.

McMillan will have to take his chances with the Rockets getting another career night from Aaron Brooks or have Artest go off. He just can't afford to let Yao get going the way he did. Of course, Rick Adelman will have something to say about it as well.

Did the Astros really botch another solid starting performance. After Jose Valverde gave up the two run rope to Hernandez on Friday night, Tim Byrdak and Geoff Geary blasted propane all over Felipe Paulino's six shutout innings on Sunday. And you thought starting pitching was an issue.

The silver lining is that...never mind there is none right now. You can't afford to squander these chances early in the season. The Astros need all the help they can get and flushing good pitching work at home is not the recipe for the kind of start they were seeking.

I'll go ahead and pick the Rockets to win this series in six. If it goes seven you can't feel good about winning on Portland's floor because by then this young team will have "grown" with the experience of already having three playoff victories.

But this is hardly a confident pick. Game one is crucial. Without looking at the numbers you would have to say that road teams that win NBA playoff series most often take game one. It sets the tone, quickly reverses home court advantage and puts the 'favorite' on edge.

You could easily see things going right for the Rockets. Yao scores 20ish points. Artest gets lose for 25 and the rest of the guys do their thing as Houston plays good defense. You could also see some obstacles coming into play like poor shooting on the road, crunch time offensive difficulties and surprisingly overall effective play from the young Blazers.

OK Rox fans. You are cleared to be around sharp objects again. I've been hearing from some people in the know that this little trek to Portland might be a blessing in disguise. Portland is a young team that the Rockets match up well against while Dallas is, you know, Dallas. And there was an uneasy feeling about what might happen in seven games with the boys from the Metroplex.

All that being said, it still is mind blowing that 81 games of hard work could go by the boards in one night. Home court in the playoffs has a better than 70% success rate and is worth every floor burn suffered.

The Rockets marketing campaign slogans for next year could include everything from...

Houston Rockets Basketball - So What If We're Playing the Clippers Tonight!? We Need This One and You Know It!

t0

Houston Rockets Basketball - 85% Chance We Win if Yao Doesn't Get Fronted!

But seriously folks, win one game in Portland and home court is yours again. The dream is still alive to make it out of the first round. If that happens we can declare the season a success. It won't be worth closing down Richmond for...but it's a start.

Hey, the Astros won a couple of games in Pittsburgh. Let's close down Richmond.

The Texans schedule looks favorable early then tough the rest of the way. Sure you can talk about playing a 'weak' division in the NFC West plus getting the Raiders and Bengals but the fact is there are some real challenges here as you get deeper into the season.

Opening with three out of four at home is a delight compared to last year. But then it's four out of five on the road. And the Texans have to go about a month (2 road games and a bye) between home games.

They get MNF with the Titans but have to follow up with a short week before hosting the Colts. Then it's more fun on the road with three of the next four away from Reliant Stadium. The capper is the finale against New England at Reliant Stadium.

The road has not been kind to the Texans. They are 12-4 at home the past two years but the opposite away from Reliant. They thought they exorcised the road demons last season when they won at Cleveland and Green Bay. But then they fell flat at Oakland. This year should be different as the team continues to mature. A late season date at a potentially fading St Louis team should spark "remember the Raiders" cries from the coaches.

It appears that weather will not be much of a factor but don't discount the possibility of an ugly day in Buffalo in early November or a monsoon in Miami in December (remember the Colts Super Bowl win?)

Bottom line: if the Texans are going to be a playoff team then beating the big boys will have to be part of the recipe. So bring on a road date with Miami and home tilt with the Pats to close out the regular season. If the Texans are going to break into the post season they will once again have to be playing their best ball in December.

Andre and I had a debate on Friday's show. I said the Texans need to hit a home run with at least one defensive pick in the draft. He thought that as long as they get a player who could eventually start they should be fine based on what they've done in free agency.

I'm not necessarily saying they need an opening day starter but they need to draft the next Pro Bowl-caliber Texans defender for sure. Whether the player begins his career as a situational pass rushing defensive end, a linebacker getting half the snaps or a DB that forces his way into the line up doesn't matter. For Houston to have a great defense a top notch player must be found.

This is no short term thinking. With the issues surrounding Ryans and Robinson we are reminded of how good teams often have trouble hanging on to big name players (think Pittsburgh and New England). I'm not saying the Texans are an elite defense but they have a nucleus of players that are entering second contract territory and things don't always work out the way fans want.

That's why this draft is crucial. Of course you could have said that about '06. '07 and '08 and you would have been right. After 2-14 in 2005 there was little if any room for error in April. Thank goodness, the current regime has been correct more often than not in their decision making in the Spring Super Bowl. They need another big weekend to get this defense in the top half and help keep it that way in the coming years.

You get to Minute Maid Park. You wait on line to get a beer or an upside down small batting helmet with ice cream. You look forward to snapping peanut shells without having to clean up. Then you sit down and wonder "why is Russ Ortiz pitching?"

Brian Moehler got blasted out of the game before many of the Astros fans had a chance to settle into their seats. Ortiz wasn't much better. How can a team possibly hit five home runs and still get blown out? That's a rhetorical question, by the way. A caller asked why Brandon Backe is still on the team. Hey, you need all the pitching you can get. Moehler currently has an ERA of 37.80.

With the Masters starting up we had a question on the show about whether Golf is a sport or a game. The bottom line is it doesn't matter. We all agree that Golf is extremely difficult no matter what you call it. Being in better shape helps but when Angel Cabrera can beat Tiger head to head in a major while chain smoking I'll go ahead and call it a game.

With the Spurs losing to Portland and Tim Duncan looking like he's in need of a bionic limb, the Rockets have a golden opportunity to finish third in the west and avoid the Lakers in the second round. Considering the lack of first round success that's like you saying you'll make a play for Halle Berry after you break up with Anne Hathaway. You can't concern yourself with the second item until you take care of the first.

Forget about the Masters. I'm supposed to play golf with Matt Schaub today. Don't worry, I'll make sure he's not in the path of any of my potentially wayward shots.

Yao Ming bested Dwight Howard in the Rockets win over Orlando last night solidifying his position as the top center in the game. A caller on the morning show said that's like saying Ginger is the best looking redhead on Gilligan's island.

--That was a funny comment but the analogy falls a bit short. We are certainly out of the era of great centers but Yao is easy offense and despite being not the fleetest of foot, anchors a top five defensive team. So just because we don't have a lot of 'red heads' on NBA island we do have a center in Yao Ming who is highly productive against almost all the Gingers, Mary Anns and "Loveys" you put him up against. By the way: Ginger over Mary Ann.

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Is Ed Wade a genius for bringing in Jeff Keppinger? Not really, but last night Keppinger's broken bat hit reminded me of those clutch second half wins the Astros earned last year. Now if they can only get about 89 more of these. Latroy Hawkins was cog in last year's second half run. He didn't give up any home runs in brick red in 2008. But last night Alphonso Soriano hit a shot that made Albert Pujols 2005 shot off Brad Lidge jealous.

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