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.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
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.
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.
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