This weekend, the Texans face one of their toughest opponents on the season as they head into Baltimore to play the Ravens. It was going to be hard enough with everyone healthy, but now arguably without their best offensive player (Andre Johnson) and defensive player (Mario Williams), it is going to take an almost perfect effort from the Texans to come out on top. Here are my 2 players to look at followed by my 1 prediction.
1) Derrick Mason
This week, the Texans acquired wide receiver Derrick Mason from the New York Jets to help their thin wide receiver corps. It will be interesting to see what Mason does this weekend for the Texans. Can he get involved after such a short period of time? Another reason why he might be useful is that he played for the Ravens for the past 3 years so he might be able to dissect their defense and make it easier for the offense to get into a rhythm. I don't know how much he plays, but he is someone interesting to watch as he just joined the team. Any contribution from him on offense would be huge.
2) Brooks Reed
With Mario Williams out for the season, Reed now needs to step in at linebacker and keep the Texans' defense strong. Everyone knows that Reed will never be able to fill Williams' place, but he played very well last week after Williams left the game. Now, he needs to bring that effort every single week as the Texans need him more than ever. It starts in Baltimore, as the Texans need to be ready for an offense that has been rolling in the past couple of weeks.
For my prediction, this is a true test for these Texans as they are going into a hostile environment without some of their best players. They need to do what they have been doing well for the past year and that is run the football. If Arian Foster can get off, that will help Schaub and the receivers. On defense, it is going to be hard to stop running back Ray Rice and quarterback Joe Flacco. Without Williams, the Ravens run their offense with ease and the Texans struggle on offense, Ravens 30-14.
For more information on the Texans, visit John McClain's blog at Houston Chronicle.com and ESPN.com for an AFC South blog.
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Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Texans keep piling up injuries and lose nail-biter to the Raiders
What a heartbreaking loss this was for the Texans, even if they did not deserve to win the game. Quarterback Matt Schaub had the ball on the 5 yard line with 7 seconds left for the win and threw an interception, which lead to the Texans' second loss of the season, 25-20. With the injuries piling up, can this be a momentum killing loss for the Texans? With Baltimore next week, it is not going to be easy. Here are my 3 impressions from this week's loss to the Raiders.
1) The Loss of Mario Williams makes it that much harder for the defense.
For about the first quarter and a half, the Texans were dominating the Raiders offense. Oakland did not get a first down until the second quarter as the front 7 of the Texans handled McFadden and the Raiders with ease. Then, Mario Williams left with a pectoral injury and after that, the Raiders did whatever they wanted to on offense. After the game, it was revealed that Mario Williams was out for the season. This is a major blow to the Texans defense as you can not replace Super Mario. Rookie linebacker Brooks Reed will step in, but he has big shoes to fill, figuratively and literally. The Texans can still win the division, but their task just got much harder as they lost their best defensive player.
2) Foster could not get any good runs
After a great day against the Steelers last weekend, running back Arian Foster seemed to take a step back as he only got 68 rushing yards on 22 carries against the Raiders. Granted, he did get 116 receiving yards, but still the lack of a Texans rushing attack put that much more pressure on quarterback Matt Schaub to pass the ball. You have to give the Raiders some credit as they played some great rush defense, but still the Texans should of gotten more than 68 rushing yards from Foster. The Texans were too one-dimensional on offense and that played a big factor in the loss.
3) Can Schaub take this team far?
This was my first thought after the loss on Sunday. Can Schaub take the Texans to the promise land? I had mixed feelings about that after Sunday's loss. You have to cut him some slack because he was missing the best receiver in football, Andre Johnson, which left the receiving corps very thin. He did put his heart into the game and never quit as he made some clutch throws to keep the Texans in striking distance. At the same time, he made way too many mistakes during the game and in the 4th quarter especially, with the drop of a ball out of shotgun that led to a 13 yard loss and the mess of an interception he had at the end of the game. It makes me question whether Schaub can lead the Texans to the playoffs and further.
In my next post tomorrow, I will mention my 2 players I think will be important to the Ravens game and I will give my one prediction.
1) The Loss of Mario Williams makes it that much harder for the defense.
For about the first quarter and a half, the Texans were dominating the Raiders offense. Oakland did not get a first down until the second quarter as the front 7 of the Texans handled McFadden and the Raiders with ease. Then, Mario Williams left with a pectoral injury and after that, the Raiders did whatever they wanted to on offense. After the game, it was revealed that Mario Williams was out for the season. This is a major blow to the Texans defense as you can not replace Super Mario. Rookie linebacker Brooks Reed will step in, but he has big shoes to fill, figuratively and literally. The Texans can still win the division, but their task just got much harder as they lost their best defensive player.
2) Foster could not get any good runs
After a great day against the Steelers last weekend, running back Arian Foster seemed to take a step back as he only got 68 rushing yards on 22 carries against the Raiders. Granted, he did get 116 receiving yards, but still the lack of a Texans rushing attack put that much more pressure on quarterback Matt Schaub to pass the ball. You have to give the Raiders some credit as they played some great rush defense, but still the Texans should of gotten more than 68 rushing yards from Foster. The Texans were too one-dimensional on offense and that played a big factor in the loss.
3) Can Schaub take this team far?
This was my first thought after the loss on Sunday. Can Schaub take the Texans to the promise land? I had mixed feelings about that after Sunday's loss. You have to cut him some slack because he was missing the best receiver in football, Andre Johnson, which left the receiving corps very thin. He did put his heart into the game and never quit as he made some clutch throws to keep the Texans in striking distance. At the same time, he made way too many mistakes during the game and in the 4th quarter especially, with the drop of a ball out of shotgun that led to a 13 yard loss and the mess of an interception he had at the end of the game. It makes me question whether Schaub can lead the Texans to the playoffs and further.
In my next post tomorrow, I will mention my 2 players I think will be important to the Ravens game and I will give my one prediction.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Texans have chance to take another big step against the Raiders
This weekend is the start of a big stretch for the Houston Texans as they have chance to record their best start in franchise history by going 4-1. The Raiders are going to be a challenge as they bring one of the top rushing games in the NFL that includes running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Here are the two players that are important for the game and I will give my 1 prediction.
1) Jacoby Jones.
With wide receiver Andre Johnson out, someone is going to have to step up and make the catches. Every year, it seems like that Texans fans are waiting for Jacoby Jones to explode and reach his potential. Every year, the Texans fans are left disappointed. Staring with the Raiders' game, these are the most important weeks of Jacoby Jones' NFL career. If he can step up and somewhat fill the role of Andre Johnson, that would greatly benefit quarterback Matt Schaub and the passing game. Otherwise, the Raiders defense is going to be geared to stop Arian Foster and not even be concerned about the passing game. A one-dimensional attack does not win this game.
2) Front 7
I decided with my second pick that I was just going to go with the entire Front 7 of the defense because stopping the run is vital in this game. McFadden has been able to do whatever he wanted to in the first four weeks as he is the leading rusher in the NFL with 468 yards. The Texans run defense has only been average so far. This is time for the Front 7 of the defense to shine and help lead the Texans to a victory. If they play with the heart they showed last week, they can slow down the Raiders' run game. If McFadden is contained, this will be a victory for the Texans. They want to have quarterback Jason Campbell beat them, not McFadden.
My 1 prediction is that the Texans, even without Andre Johnson, show some fight as this game turns into a track meet. I think both Foster and McFadden top 100 rushing yards easily as this game goes down to the wire. The Texans will make the crucial stop on defense like they did last week against the Steelers as they will improve to a franchise best, 4-1. Texans 21-20.
For more information on the Houston Texans, look at John McClain's blog on the Houston Chronicle online and visit ESPN NFL blogs.
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1) Jacoby Jones.
With wide receiver Andre Johnson out, someone is going to have to step up and make the catches. Every year, it seems like that Texans fans are waiting for Jacoby Jones to explode and reach his potential. Every year, the Texans fans are left disappointed. Staring with the Raiders' game, these are the most important weeks of Jacoby Jones' NFL career. If he can step up and somewhat fill the role of Andre Johnson, that would greatly benefit quarterback Matt Schaub and the passing game. Otherwise, the Raiders defense is going to be geared to stop Arian Foster and not even be concerned about the passing game. A one-dimensional attack does not win this game.
2) Front 7
I decided with my second pick that I was just going to go with the entire Front 7 of the defense because stopping the run is vital in this game. McFadden has been able to do whatever he wanted to in the first four weeks as he is the leading rusher in the NFL with 468 yards. The Texans run defense has only been average so far. This is time for the Front 7 of the defense to shine and help lead the Texans to a victory. If they play with the heart they showed last week, they can slow down the Raiders' run game. If McFadden is contained, this will be a victory for the Texans. They want to have quarterback Jason Campbell beat them, not McFadden.
My 1 prediction is that the Texans, even without Andre Johnson, show some fight as this game turns into a track meet. I think both Foster and McFadden top 100 rushing yards easily as this game goes down to the wire. The Texans will make the crucial stop on defense like they did last week against the Steelers as they will improve to a franchise best, 4-1. Texans 21-20.
For more information on the Houston Texans, look at John McClain's blog on the Houston Chronicle online and visit ESPN NFL blogs.
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ESPN NFL Blogs
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Texans show their toughness in the 4th against Steelers
The Texans gutted out a tough win last week against the Steelers, winning 17-10 in a hard fought game. After wide receiver Andre Johnson went down with a bad hamstring, the Texans were able to muster enough offense and win a game that might show that they are actually a contender this year. Here are my 3 impressions from the Texans' win.
1) Texans finally show they can finish against a worthy opponent.
It looked like it was going to be the same story as it always is with the Texans. They played a nice first half, built up a solid lead and let it slip away. The score was tied 10-10 and the Texans had the ball after the Steelers made a field goal to tie it up. Andre Johnson was gone so who would the Texans turn to. Fans had seen this story before, but the Texans showed that they are a different team from years past. On that drive, they went down the field 85 yards in 5 plays to take a 17-10 lead and their defense showed toughness that they did not show the week before against the Saints. These are not your 2002- 2010 Texans.
2) Arian Foster is back and looking like the 2010 rushing champion Arian Foster.
When Ben Tate went down with a groin injury, it was apparent that Foster was going to have to step in and take all of the carries with the running back corps being so thin. The question was could Foster handle the load as he was just coming off of his hamstring injury. He proved all of the doubters wrong as he ran all over the Steelers with 155 yards on 30 carries and a 42 rushing touchdown that helped put the Texans over the top. It looked like he was 100 percent and that is great for the Texans moving forward with so many injuries at running back.
3) Texans might have a tough time without Andre Johnson for the next few weeks.
When Andre Johnson went down and grabbed the back of his knee, Texan nation collectively held its breath. If Johnson was out for any significant amount of time, it would be hard for the Texans to win games going forward. Unfortunately, Johnson is going to be out for about 2-3 games, but it could of been much worse. Johnson's injury could not of come at a worse time as the Texans are in a very important stretch of their season. They have games vs. Oakland, at Baltimore, and at Tennessee, all very good AFC teams. I am a little concerned cause after Johnson left the game in the second quarter, the offense did look stagnant. However, I have faith in Gary Kubiak in coming up with a gameplan to help the Texans in the absence of Andre.
Tomorrow, I talk about 2 players that are important to the Raiders game, and my 1 prediction on if the Texans can improve to a franchise best 4-1.
1) Texans finally show they can finish against a worthy opponent.
It looked like it was going to be the same story as it always is with the Texans. They played a nice first half, built up a solid lead and let it slip away. The score was tied 10-10 and the Texans had the ball after the Steelers made a field goal to tie it up. Andre Johnson was gone so who would the Texans turn to. Fans had seen this story before, but the Texans showed that they are a different team from years past. On that drive, they went down the field 85 yards in 5 plays to take a 17-10 lead and their defense showed toughness that they did not show the week before against the Saints. These are not your 2002- 2010 Texans.
2) Arian Foster is back and looking like the 2010 rushing champion Arian Foster.
When Ben Tate went down with a groin injury, it was apparent that Foster was going to have to step in and take all of the carries with the running back corps being so thin. The question was could Foster handle the load as he was just coming off of his hamstring injury. He proved all of the doubters wrong as he ran all over the Steelers with 155 yards on 30 carries and a 42 rushing touchdown that helped put the Texans over the top. It looked like he was 100 percent and that is great for the Texans moving forward with so many injuries at running back.
3) Texans might have a tough time without Andre Johnson for the next few weeks.
When Andre Johnson went down and grabbed the back of his knee, Texan nation collectively held its breath. If Johnson was out for any significant amount of time, it would be hard for the Texans to win games going forward. Unfortunately, Johnson is going to be out for about 2-3 games, but it could of been much worse. Johnson's injury could not of come at a worse time as the Texans are in a very important stretch of their season. They have games vs. Oakland, at Baltimore, and at Tennessee, all very good AFC teams. I am a little concerned cause after Johnson left the game in the second quarter, the offense did look stagnant. However, I have faith in Gary Kubiak in coming up with a gameplan to help the Texans in the absence of Andre.
Tomorrow, I talk about 2 players that are important to the Raiders game, and my 1 prediction on if the Texans can improve to a franchise best 4-1.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Can Texans show they are Tough
This week, the Texans are playing the defending AFC champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup that will go a long way into saying whether the Texans will be playoff contenders this season. Here are my 2 players I think need to play well in order for the Texans to get the big win.
1) Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub showed us last week that he has the tools to be an elite quarterback, but showed us why he is nowhere near the ranks of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as he fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Saints. The Steelers are one of the best defenses in the league. If Schaub wants to prove his worth, he has to cut down on his turnovers as the Steelers won't give him any easy passes.
2) Mario Williams
I barely heard from Mario Williams last week. That is because he was being double-teamed on a few plays by the Saints linemen but still, he is the best playmaker on the Texans defense. The Texans need him to make plays for their defense to be good. They need him to be active and get to Ben Roethlisberger to force pressure. The Steelers have the most turnovers in the NFL to this point. The Texans need to capitalize on this as turnovers will go a long way into saying who will win in this matchup.
So, who wins? With my 1 prediction, I think that the Texans prove they are for real. The Steelers have looked shaky in their first three games and I believe that the Texans will rebound from last week's brutal loss to the Saints. I see Houston playing excellent defense and taking this one, 20-13.
For more information on the Houston Texans, check out John McClain's blog on the Houston Chronicle website
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Also, find out more about the Houston Texans on ESPN.com
AFC South Blog
1) Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub showed us last week that he has the tools to be an elite quarterback, but showed us why he is nowhere near the ranks of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as he fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Saints. The Steelers are one of the best defenses in the league. If Schaub wants to prove his worth, he has to cut down on his turnovers as the Steelers won't give him any easy passes.
2) Mario Williams
I barely heard from Mario Williams last week. That is because he was being double-teamed on a few plays by the Saints linemen but still, he is the best playmaker on the Texans defense. The Texans need him to make plays for their defense to be good. They need him to be active and get to Ben Roethlisberger to force pressure. The Steelers have the most turnovers in the NFL to this point. The Texans need to capitalize on this as turnovers will go a long way into saying who will win in this matchup.
So, who wins? With my 1 prediction, I think that the Texans prove they are for real. The Steelers have looked shaky in their first three games and I believe that the Texans will rebound from last week's brutal loss to the Saints. I see Houston playing excellent defense and taking this one, 20-13.
For more information on the Houston Texans, check out John McClain's blog on the Houston Chronicle website
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Also, find out more about the Houston Texans on ESPN.com
AFC South Blog
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Saints sink Texans in the 4th Quarter
Just when I thought we might be looking at a Texans team transformed into a Superbowl contender, the old Texans showed up. The 4th quarter was brutal as the New Orleans Saints piled up the points and won in dramatic fashion, 40-33. In truth, it was a game that many people saw the Texans losing, but the way it happened really stung. Here are my 3 impressions from the Saints game.
1) Texans defense is still not there yet.
The defense looked very good for the first three quarters as they kept New Orleans Drew Brees in check. He had two interceptions and only 1 touchdown as the Texans held the Saints to 17 points. However, Brees did whatever he wanted in the 4th quarter as he led the Saints down the field without much resistance 3 times to get touchdowns. In the first 3 games of the season, I have been very impressed by the new Wade Phillips defense, but it is obvious they still need some time before they become great.
2) Schaub looked very shaky in the 4th.
Through the first three quarters, I was very impressed with how Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was playing. He was looking like a quarterback who was ready to take his team to the playoffs and win the AFC South. After the third quarter, Schaub became very inconsistent and looked rattled. After the James Casey touchdown pass, he threw an interception and quite honestly should of thrown another one that luckily bounced to Kevin Walter for another touchdown. He made erroneous throws and at one point had 5 incompletions in a row. If the Texans are going to be successful this season, Schaub has to show a lot more consistency and put the team on his back in the 4th when they need him. Otherwise, it is going to be a long season for the Texans if they can't close the deal.
3) No panic.
I did feel a sense of doubt watching this game as I wondered if we were watching the same old Texans who blew a 17 point lead to the Colts in 2008 and 2009 and who have blown multiple fourth quarter leads in the last few years. It was an oddly familiar feeling, but my sense is that it isn't time to push the panic button. A few things we have to realize is that one, we were at the Superdome, one of the best home turfs in the NFL. Second, we were playing the Saints, a team that has a great quarterback in Drew Brees and who won the Superbowl just 2 seasons ago. Yes, our defense got torn up, but I believe the Texans are going to pick themselves up and they have a great chance to prove it as the 2011 Superbowl runner-up Pittsburgh Steelers come to town on Sunday.
On Friday, I will give my 2 players who need to play well in the Steelers game and make my 1 prediction on whether the Texans can improve to 3-1 or fall back to .500
1) Texans defense is still not there yet.
The defense looked very good for the first three quarters as they kept New Orleans Drew Brees in check. He had two interceptions and only 1 touchdown as the Texans held the Saints to 17 points. However, Brees did whatever he wanted in the 4th quarter as he led the Saints down the field without much resistance 3 times to get touchdowns. In the first 3 games of the season, I have been very impressed by the new Wade Phillips defense, but it is obvious they still need some time before they become great.
2) Schaub looked very shaky in the 4th.
Through the first three quarters, I was very impressed with how Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was playing. He was looking like a quarterback who was ready to take his team to the playoffs and win the AFC South. After the third quarter, Schaub became very inconsistent and looked rattled. After the James Casey touchdown pass, he threw an interception and quite honestly should of thrown another one that luckily bounced to Kevin Walter for another touchdown. He made erroneous throws and at one point had 5 incompletions in a row. If the Texans are going to be successful this season, Schaub has to show a lot more consistency and put the team on his back in the 4th when they need him. Otherwise, it is going to be a long season for the Texans if they can't close the deal.
3) No panic.
I did feel a sense of doubt watching this game as I wondered if we were watching the same old Texans who blew a 17 point lead to the Colts in 2008 and 2009 and who have blown multiple fourth quarter leads in the last few years. It was an oddly familiar feeling, but my sense is that it isn't time to push the panic button. A few things we have to realize is that one, we were at the Superdome, one of the best home turfs in the NFL. Second, we were playing the Saints, a team that has a great quarterback in Drew Brees and who won the Superbowl just 2 seasons ago. Yes, our defense got torn up, but I believe the Texans are going to pick themselves up and they have a great chance to prove it as the 2011 Superbowl runner-up Pittsburgh Steelers come to town on Sunday.
On Friday, I will give my 2 players who need to play well in the Steelers game and make my 1 prediction on whether the Texans can improve to 3-1 or fall back to .500
Thursday, September 22, 2011
2 players to look at for Texans-Saints game and my 1 prediction
Good afternoon guys. Today, in my post I will be looking at two players that are going to be crucial to the Saints game this Sunday and giving my prediction on how the Texans will fare this week in New Orleans. I am looking at two young players, both second year players who were rivals in college: running back Ben Tate and cornerback Kareem Jackson.
1- Ben Tate
When Foster went down with his hamstring injury in the preseason for the second time, it was expected that Derrick Ward, the former 1,000 yard rusher would take the load and have to carry the team while Foster was on the sideline. However, Ward severely sprained his ankle in the first game of the year against Indy, which meant that rookie Ben Tate was thrust into the number 1 tailback position. What did Tate do? He ran for over 100 yards in his first two career games. Only 11 running backs have done that all time. Can he keep up the consistency and go over the century mark again? With Foster still reeling from his latest injury snafu, Tate has to be ready and shine for the Texans as a pass-heavy offense is not going to get the job done against the Saints.
2- Kareem Jackson
Kareem Jackson held his own against the Dolphins and Colts wide receivers in the first two games this season but those were against much less respected quarterbacks in old veteran Kerry Collins and the inconsistent Chad Henne. This time around, 2010 Superbowl MVP Drew Brees is on the other side of the ball and even though number 1 wide receiver Marques Colston is out, he has a lot of talented wide receivers at his disposal. If Jackson is really over his rookie troubles, he needs to play well in this game or he will be bumped for veteran Jason Allen. The Texans need Jackson to play strong opposite all-pro corner Jonathan Joseph. It is not only crucial for this week's game, but it is crucial for the rest of the season.
My 1 prediction
The first two games were solid, well-executed wins for the Texans, but now this is the big time: a road game against the 2010 Superbowl Champions. I think the Texans have come a long way this past offseason in terms of rebuilding the defense and they will push the Saints, but at this point, this task might be too much to ask for the Texans. The defense has looked good the first two games, but I think Drew Brees is going to have his way with them. I see this being a shootout as Schaub and Tate keep the offense rolling, but in the end too much Brees and Saints in the dome, 30-20.
If you are interested in reading more about the Saints-Texans, go to John McClain's blog on the Houston Chronicle online
http://blog.chron.com/nfl/
1- Ben Tate
When Foster went down with his hamstring injury in the preseason for the second time, it was expected that Derrick Ward, the former 1,000 yard rusher would take the load and have to carry the team while Foster was on the sideline. However, Ward severely sprained his ankle in the first game of the year against Indy, which meant that rookie Ben Tate was thrust into the number 1 tailback position. What did Tate do? He ran for over 100 yards in his first two career games. Only 11 running backs have done that all time. Can he keep up the consistency and go over the century mark again? With Foster still reeling from his latest injury snafu, Tate has to be ready and shine for the Texans as a pass-heavy offense is not going to get the job done against the Saints.
2- Kareem Jackson
Kareem Jackson held his own against the Dolphins and Colts wide receivers in the first two games this season but those were against much less respected quarterbacks in old veteran Kerry Collins and the inconsistent Chad Henne. This time around, 2010 Superbowl MVP Drew Brees is on the other side of the ball and even though number 1 wide receiver Marques Colston is out, he has a lot of talented wide receivers at his disposal. If Jackson is really over his rookie troubles, he needs to play well in this game or he will be bumped for veteran Jason Allen. The Texans need Jackson to play strong opposite all-pro corner Jonathan Joseph. It is not only crucial for this week's game, but it is crucial for the rest of the season.
My 1 prediction
The first two games were solid, well-executed wins for the Texans, but now this is the big time: a road game against the 2010 Superbowl Champions. I think the Texans have come a long way this past offseason in terms of rebuilding the defense and they will push the Saints, but at this point, this task might be too much to ask for the Texans. The defense has looked good the first two games, but I think Drew Brees is going to have his way with them. I see this being a shootout as Schaub and Tate keep the offense rolling, but in the end too much Brees and Saints in the dome, 30-20.
If you are interested in reading more about the Saints-Texans, go to John McClain's blog on the Houston Chronicle online
http://blog.chron.com/nfl/
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