Game recap; Gary’s future

Lets start with the game recap. The Texans started out hot and did not slow down. They put a beat down on a banged up Seattle team. For once they looked like winners and dominated a team they should have. Is this a turning point in their young football lives? Did the 4 game losing streak send a message to them? I think so.

This week they play St. Louis and I expect nothing less than the same. I want complete domination and I am rooting for a shut-out. Early word from St. Louis is Stephen Jackson will be out for Sunday. This will be a crucial week for our playoff hopes and there are numerous games that need to have an eye kept on them. I will run down the AFC wildcard bracket later in the week.

Did this game help Gary’s future in Houston? What does Gay Kubiak need to do to save his job? I think he HAS to end the year by winning out. Regardless of playoffs he will need to get this team to win out and look good in doing so. If he loses even one game I say fire him. He had ample chances this season to show his coaching skills and he failed miserably. What say you TexansNation? To keep Gary or not to keep Gary, that is the question.

Week 14 Vs. Seattle

What a horrible season thus far. This once promising team now sits at 5-7 and pretty much out of the playoff race. A once 5-3 team is on a 4 game losing streak and shows no signs of changing. Close losses and huge mental errors have plagued this team for quite some time. Will we end the streak this week?

Seattle comes in with a very similar 5-7 record. Seattle’s offense is below average as is their defense. This Seattle team is battling injuries, but is coming off an impressive 2 game win streak. Seattle is coming to Houston in a similar situation in the playoff race. Both teams need to win out and have a little bit of luck on their side. Seattle has one team on their schedule left that could impact the wild card race. They play Green Bay, who currently holds down the 6th seed, in a few weeks, but unless Seattle wins out that game will not matter.

Battle of the Matt’s. Matt Hasselbeck has been battling injuries this year, but is coming off a huge win vs a divisional opponent. Hasselbeck’s 2 touchdown performance helped pushed Seattle back into playoff contention. Matt Schaub is coming off a heroic type performance, only to fall short of the win, last week. In the first series he dislocated his non-throwing arm. He left the game only to come back in down by 17 late in the 2nd quarter. Hasselbeck is aging and has 13 tds to 7 ints on the year. He is completing passes at a 61.2% rate. Schaub has 22 tds to 12 ints, but has thrown for 1300 more yards and is completing 68% of his passes. Advantage Houston.

Running back carousel. Both teams are struggling running the ball and both are fighting injuries. Justin Forsett is on fire right now having scored a TD in 4 consecutive starts and that is more than I can say for ANY Houston back. Advantage Seattle.

Best receiver in the game or not the best receiver in the game? Andre Johnson is a man amongst boys out there. Kevin Walter is a great number 2, but is having a sub-par year. Jacoby Jones and David Anderson are very solid number 3 and 4 receivers. Seattle is trying to figure out who their main guy even is. Nate Burelson and TJ Houshmandzadeh both have around 60 catches and 3 touchdowns. Nate does have more yards than TJ. Deion Branch has seen better days. Advantage Houston.

Te’s. A few weeks ago this would have been a no brainer. Now with pro bowler Owen Daniels done for the year it becomes a lot closer. John Carlson has been super inconsistent while Houston has had nothing but problems finding a replacement for Daniels. Advantage Push.

Is either oline good? Seattle has given up 27 sacks and is producing a whopping 3.9 ypc in the rush game. Houston has given up only 19 sacks, but is even worse in the run game with 3.4 ypc. Houston is the better pass blocker while Seattle can kind of run block better. Advantage Push.

Underrated or overrated? Seattle’s front four is slightly underrated while Houston’s young line is overrated. Seattle has 27 sacks while Houston has 19. Houston comes with high-profile names like Mario Williams, Amobi Okoye and Antonio Smith, but these guys have not been consistent at all. Advantage Seattle.

Them 50 boys. The most underrated unit in the NFL is the Houston Texan’s line backing corps. Led by Demeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Zac Diles are the “50 boys” who lead the team in tackles. They are the main focus of this improving defense. Do not sleep on Seattle’s VERY talented line backing corps as well. It may be slight homerism, but I call this one in favor of those “50 boys”. Advantage Houston.

Too close to call? Both teams have average secondaries. With only 30 yards average a game through the air separating them, this one is too close to call. Advantage Push.

Keys to the game. Houston must remain balanced even with a below average run game. Gary Kubiak must have this team prepared and they need to have a burning desire to win. Feed Andre Johnson the ball. The defense needs to shut down any run game Seattle has and make Matt Hasselbeck and those aging receivers beat them. A 4 game lose streak in the middle of a playoff race is unacceptable and a season ending streak. Will the Texans be able to keep pace and end with a winning record for the first time ever or will they crumble like the Houston of old? What say you Texans Nation?

WOW, very sorry

I am horrible at this. I lost my own website info. and could not log in . Do I even have followers at this point?

The season is lost and Gary’s future is a big question mark. The team seems to question his decision making skills as do the fans. I will do a piece of my thoughts after this weeks game. I will also write a piece for the game this weekend. What say you Texans Nation? Should Gary be brought back another season?

Where have I been?

I am VERY sorry to all of my followers. My wife and I are in the middle of buying our first home and it takes up a lot more time than I expected. I apologize to you all and PROMISE to step up my game!!!

Hmmmm let me summarize my thoughts about week 1…..we sucked!!!

Gary did a  poor job of getting this team ready and it is UNACCEPTABLE. I am slowly stepping off his bandwagon and unless he has this team turn a complete 180 and dominate the season from here on out, I will be calling for his head come season’s end.

This week we play the Titans in Tennessee. It will be another tough game in a tough environment. The Texans have never beaten a team with a winning record on the road (under Kubiak era). Good thing the Tacks are winless!!!

Go Texans!!!

Time to catch up

First let me start off  by saying I lost my sign in information and I have been extremely busy trying to buy a house. I apologize for not keeping my readers up to date on everything that the Texans have been doing.

In the first 2 games the first team offense has been good. Andre Johnson has been doing his thing and Steve Slaton seems to finally have his legs back. Kevin Walters is still the man and Matt Schaub flashes his brilliance. James Casey has been a monster at TE and is basically pushing Owen Daniels off the roster for next year.

The defense on the other hand has major issues. The front 7 has been creating more pressure, but the back end still cannot cover anyone. Brice McCain and Glover Quin are not showing their skills on the field and Fred Bennett is showing why he was not a starter last season. I really hope Dunta Robinson and Jacques Reeves get back on the field very soon. The run defense is horrible. Brian Cushing’s absent  is one major cause of this, but both the NT and UT are getting man handled. Amobi Okoye is not being pushed by Shaun Cody and both Frank Okam and DelJuan Robinson are playing like they do not want the starting job.

Connor Barwin is showing why we choose him to be our pass rush specialist. Mario Williams and Antonio Smith are showing off their skills each game. Demeco Ryans and Xavier Adibi are doing fine, but they need to step up their run defense a little. Without Okam or Robinson stepping up in the middle this team could be in for a long season.

This week they play the Minnesota Vikings. We will get to see how the team plays Adrian Peterson and we will see if our secondary can handle Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin with the hall of famer Brett Favre at the helm. This is the true test and the real ballers will step up and take a starting spot on this team.

I expect a great game on both sides of the ball. Here is my predictions for the position battles:

Amobi Okoye beats Shaun Cody
Frank Okam beats DelJuan Robinson
Xavier Adibi beats Zac Diles
Chester Pitts beats Kasey Studdard
Buster Davis beats Chaun Thompson
Glover Quin beats Brice McCain

Who do you predict to win these battles?

Training camp: Days 8 and 9

The dog days of summer has really taken affect at this point. The team is banged up and thins are slowing down. They are still learning the new system and players are beginning to step up to the challenges they face.

Fred Bennett is now the lone veteran starter on this roster. He is starting to make strides in his new role. On way play he read Matt Schaub perfectly while covering Andre Johnson and made the pick 6. I really think David Gibbs is having a good affect on Fred.

Jacoby Jones is beginning to look like a receiver. His routes are looking crisp and his hands are getting better; they are not perfect, but they are getting better.

Day 8 brought some tension with the special teams. The NFL inserted a new rule in which you cannot have a 4 man wedge. They reduced it to 2 men wedges. Special teams coach Joe Marciano has been having a difficult time creating a new scheme for returning. The team is a bit confused, but they do have time to correct the issues.

Deltha O’neal is trying to get back into condition while working with Ray Wright. Andre Hall knows the offense, but is struggling on special teams.

The team is practicing with New Orleans next week and that should be interesting as always.

Dunta Robinson speaks out on contract issues

Since back in April we have not heard anything from Dunta Robinson, but finally the Houston Texans best corner speaks out.

Dunta Robinson is simply requesting he not be tagged next year. His request is a valid one and makes sense.

It’s what other teams do and have done. It’s what New England did with their best corner-back. It’s what Tennessee did with its best defensive player. You can go down the list and that’s how a lot of good teams do business. It’s what teams do.

Dunta is quite upset with GM Rick Smith because Smith told him he was not “franchise tag worthy” when they were negotiating. Then Smith turned around and tagged Dunta anyway.

Dunta would not comment on the reported 23 million guaranteed, but commented that if tagged twice in a row they would be paying him close to that amount anyway.

Dunta seems sincere in his efforts to be with the team and it really upsets him that he isn’t there.

It’s killing me not to be there. My teammates know that, and the Texans’ front office knows that. Once this is over, they know I will give my all and play my heart out just as I have always done. I’m a Texan through and through. They know that too.

So the burning question, will Dunta show up if promised not to be tagged?

I’d be on the way to the airport while we were talking, and be the first one at the next practice if they did that.

I am beginning to think we as fans have come down a little hard on Dunta. As the old saying goes, there is 2 sides to every story. Dunta wants to be a Houston Texan and would like to finish his career there.

I’ve planned on being a Texan for my entire career. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be paid what I am worth.

It is still hard to judge this whole situation without getting deep into numbers. I will say that I believe Dunta wants to be here for his teammates, but wants the long-term deal with the club. My only problem with this logic is Dunta gets the opportunity to show his leg is back to tip-top shape and gets more money this year than he would with a contract extension. If he really wants to be a Texan he would be ok with being tagged next year as he would make between 11-12 million in the 2010 season.

I can’t say I feel bad for him because he is getting paid more than fair value this year. I really think he needs to sit down with Rick Smith one more time and try to work something else out. This team needs him to come back or we need to bring in some other corner who can compete because I am not sold on Deltha O’Neal as our veteran leader. Dunta you need to get into camp and be more like Demeco Ryans.

Ryans is having the same problem, but Ryans is in camp. Owen Daniels also had the same ordeal, but he made it to camp. Why can’t you just show up and let your agent do his job Dunta while you do yours? Pretty soon I expect Andre Johnson, Mario Williams or Demeco Ryans to step up and say something publicly about Dunta’s behavior.

Brice McCain steps up

With recent injuries to the secondary and with Dunta Robinson still sidelined with contract issues; Brice McCain has been thrust into the starting lineup. This sixth round draft pick came to Houston thinking he would be battling for a roster spot, but now finds himself fighting for playing time.

Before Jacques Reeves went down with a fractured fibula, Brice used him as a mentor. Anytime Brice made a mistake or had questions he would rush right over to consult with Jacques. Brice also studied Jacques and Terrance Newman, Cowboys starting corner, because he feels their game best suits him.

I’d watch the Cowboys and try to learn as much as I could from those guys. Terence Newman used a certain technique that I loved and always try to copy.

One thing Brice is thankful for, is covering pro-bowl wide out Andre Johnson. Brice has a never give up attitude and Andre has taken a liking to this kid.

One thing I like about Brice is that he doesn’t back down, he steps up to the challenge. If I beat him, he comes right back and goes at me again.

The team is need of a rookie to step up and both Brice McCain and Glover Quin need to take full advantage of this rare opportunity. With Quin sidelined with a leg injury, its up to Brice to keep this secondary afloat.

The Houston texans added Deltha O’Neal to the mix, but I hope Brice picks Deltha’s brain and uses the knowledge to beat him out for the spot. Gary Kubiak sees potential in Brice and seems to really like his confidence.

He’s gaining confidence every day. Good-looking player, doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He’s making a nice push.

I am slwoly becoming a fan of Brice and I really hope all of our young guys (Fred Bennett, Brice McCain and Glover Quin) can be made into starters by coach David Gibbs, who is notorious for turning young players into stars. Our first pre-season game will tell us a lot about these young guys and I am really excited to see their hard work pay off.

Frank Okam sets goals

Second year player Frank Okam has shown lots of promise. Last year his loyalty to the team and to the NFL were in question and he struggled to see the field. He battled his weight and endurance for all of the season and this hindered his abilities on game day.

This year Frank set early goals for himself. He wanted to shed some extra pounds and wanted to gain speed. Frank came into camp near the bottom of the rotation at nose tackle. Injuries to Travis Johnson moved Okam into a position battle with fellow teammate DelJuan Robinson. Both players had great OTA’s and both are having great camps.

The main goal Frank set for himself was to be a solid team player and show consistency in his game. The biggest flaw in Okam’s game is his stamina which in turn affects his performance. One play Frank bursts through the line and makes a great play and then the next 2 he is being beat by second stringers. Bill Kollar (someone Frank Okam really admires) is trying to get all the potential out of him and is working with Frank to increase his stamina.

The good news for him is that he recognizes his role on this team.

Obviously being the biggest guy on the team, I want to be able to hold the point of attack and let the linebackers run free and make plays.

Ray Wright’s new weight lifting program is a huge success with all the players, especially Okam. He worked extremely hard to get into better shape and to increase his overall speed and quickness. The lifting was competitive throughout the locker room and it brought enjoyment to the team.

I am very eager to see Frank get his big shot and hopefully during the pre-season the fans can see the difference in this outstanding player. The team lacks a true nose tackle and I think Travis Johnson’s days here as the starter are numbered. This is one position battle that fans need to pay close attention to.

Texans sign 2 more players

The Houston Texans have announced the signings of Deltha O’Neal and Andre Hall.

O’neal comes in to help an injury riddled secondary and Hall comes in for an injured riddled backfield. Andre Hall is a good signing and he brings great value to the team.

O’neal on the other hand is old, slowed down and just not very good anymore. I really hope this is not the long-term answer for the season. The team needs to fix the secondary some other way.

What do you think of these signings?