Kickoff
Aug 12, 2008 2008 Season, 2008 Training Camp, Andre Johnson, Colvin, His name is Earl, Kickoff, Pancakes McTard, Tremendous Busts
Homerism. Fun exchange over at Mile High Report. Apparently, for those of us who didn’t get the memo, this is the year that Brandon Marshall establishes himself as the best WR in all of football. This statement is, apparently, based on (a) Marshall lighting up our awful secondary (11 catches, no TD) and (b) something written at Sporting News.
Cliff Washburn was signed yesterday. Who? Exactly. Here’s the details. (h/t Eric)
Paycheck. It’s no secret around here that Earl Cochran is one of “my guys,” in that I think he has some upside and I prefer him to Anthony Weaver. Well, good news (even though it comes from Pancakes) is that Cochran is being given a real opportunity to take the starting gig away from Weaver. Which brings up an interesting side question—if Weaver was already limited to two downs because Colvin is going to be the third-down guy more often than not, would Weaver losing his starting job altogether make him the worst free agent signing in Texans’ history?
UPDATE: Hugging Harold Reynolds has an AFC South postcard preview. I winced, then I laughed at the other three.
Kickoff
Jul 30, 2008 2008 Training Camp, Babyeating-Sisterfuckers, Bloggerating, Colvin, Self-Referential Stuff, Vince Young can't read this post
Forward Thinking. Rosy Colvin likes his new team and likes the role of situational pass rusher. Says Colvin, “I would love to be going forward. A lot of the guys up there in New England used to say all the time when I’d drop back in coverage, ‘Keep that guy going forward.’”
Cinco. SOLIS has a great run-down of Day Five of Training Camp.
OHMYGOD, STOP THE PRESSES AND HOLD EVERYTHING!!!!! Vince Young was inconsistent in practice yesterday. This is a shocking and wholly unexpected development. In other news, the sky is blue, water is wet, and I am a jerk.
Programming Note. I am kind of busy for the rest of the day, so odds are good that I won’t post anything else before this evening at the earliest. As always, BFD is at the mercy of his job. And you thought doing gay fetish porn was easy.
Kickoff
Jun 19, 2008 2008 Season, Colvin, Money Money Money, Secondary issues are primary, Teams that aren't the Texans, Tremendous Busts
Maximum Reward, Minimum Kwan. Via BRB, who still collectively possess the will to read John McClain, we get the terms of Rosevelt Colvin’s contract. On a scale of 1-10, this deal ranks a solid 9. Worst case scenario, Colvin makes the team, gets injured and placed on IR in week 1, and we cut him as a June 1 casualty next year–he only counts $250,000 against the cap in 2009 and 2010. Best case scenario, we have a bona fide third-down edge rusher and sometime LB who still isn’t costing us much of anything.
Hello, Vegas? Gimme $500 on black. D’oh…ok, I’ll send you a check. Thinking of betting on the Texans week 1 game against the Stillers? Here’s some interesting background regarding both teams against the spread and straight up last year. If you read this and win, I get 5%.
What say you? Not long ago, we signed the other Jimmy Williams and I lamented the fact that I’d hope it was the Jimmy Williams we’d all heard off. Well, Atlanta went at cut that J-Dub yesterday, raising an interesting question: Do you take a flier on a guy who hardly got to play because his secondary coach hated him, but who is really fast and was thought to be the best DB in the draft only a few years ago? Stated different, do you take a guy whose talent should make him light-years better than CC Brown and see what Ray Rhodes can do with him?
A revised look at 4-3 defensive theory
Jun 17, 2008 2008 Season, Broken Record, Colvin, Curious Coaching, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, Football 101, I love defensive football, Morlon Greenwood, Okam's Razor, Posts that list too many players, Rendhel and Sid, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Fred, Will Demps makes love to the...ladies?
Because two of my good friends are Giants and Redskins fans, respectively, I find myself engaged in more conversations about NFC East football that one would expect for a Texans fan. However, because I am obsessed with defensive football–especially defensive line play–I actually enjoy these chats and, more often than not, come away with some new ideas about our team.
Anyway, one idea that we’ve been kicking around lately is that the Texans should run a variation on the Eagles’ defense because (a) our personnel is tailor-made for such a system and (b) that system would allow our front seven to protect the weaknesses in our back four, just like it did for the Super Bowl Champion Giants. Sounds good, no?
Let me back up a bit, though, and lay this out. Back in late October of last season, I wrote a long post advocating, first, that we blitz, and, second, that we come up with some creative fronts and utilize the zone blitz more often.
2b. So, then…how should we go about blitzing (other than with the aforementioned proper use of the WLB)? The answer is simple: the zone blitz
[4-3 defense 102 here. Feel free to skip ahead.]
The idea behind the zone blitz is two-fold. First, duh, create pressure. Second, however, it tries to confuse the offense’s blocking calls by sending any of the three linebackers (or, occasionally, a safety) while someone else fills the space left by the vacating backer. In that way, the defense does not lose the extra hands in coverage, but should still be able to get penetration because the offensive line will not know where the blitz is coming from on a given play.
For example, the zone blitz allows the MLB to blitz through the A-gap, while the nose tackle stunts over through the B-gap. In coverage, the WLB fills the space vacated by the MLB and the RDE drops back and out into the space that WLB would fill in a standard two deep zone. So, when the QB sees the MLB attack, his natural reaction is to look to throw at where the blitz came from (or, if he’s guessing that the WLB will fill, to where the WLB came from), only to find the ball thrown right at a defender.
Then, on the very next play, with the very same package, the team could go with a more traditional WLB blitz, but have the RDE slide back to fill. We saw this play once or twice in the preseason with Shantee Orr lined up outside the RDE and it was effective.
An added bonus of blitzing out of a two-deep zone is that it allows our best defensive player to make even more of an impact on the game. DeMeco Ryans has two sacks this season, both of which have come on a straight blitz. On both plays, he came more or less untouched (one against Harrington late in the game when we decided to actually play D and the one last week where he nearly killed Kerry Collins) because he was allowed to read the offensive line and choose between the A- and B-gap and he smacked the QB right in the mouth. He has also been asked to run blitz a couple times and he’s found success there. So, if we start using him on some zone blitzes, teams will have to account for him more. Meaning that blitzes from other positions–say Danny Clarkstunting over the LDE with Morlon Greenwood dropping back to the middle and DeMeco filling the space where the SLB would normally be–a team throwing over the blitz would be throwing the ball right at our best defensive weapon. Likewise, letting DeMeco creep up and show blitz, especially if he’d already had success, would create more chances for the d-linemen on either side of him to get ignored by an overzealous o-lineman. And so on, and so forth.
[/4-3 Defense 102]
I cannot state this strongly enough. Blitzing is a necessity when you have 1/4th of a real secondary.Zone blitzing allows for our strong front seven to create mismatches while still keeping two or three extra bodies in coverage and allowing our best defensive player to better impact the game. While you cannot necessarily use the zone blitz on every down (it becomes less effective at some point), how is this not a better option than dropping the three LBs, relying entirely on your front four for any pressure on the QB, and watching the QB have time to locate and throw at Petey Faggins?
3. Why do we use our front four in such a vanilla manner?
Just like you can’t run the zone blitz on every defensive snap, if you do anything over and over, eventually everyone in the NFL will know your tendencies. (By “eventually,” I mean “by next week.”) Right now, we have the same formulaic defensive line positions. Mario at RDE on running plays, Mario at LDE on passing plays, blah blah blah.
Why?
First of all, backing up a step, why when Mario moves to LDE–a move I really, really like–do the tackles not flip-flop so that Amobi Okoye is not beside Mario? We’ve covered this before. Yes, I am fully aware that Amobi has four sacks and that, on three of those, Mario is clearly occupying at least two blockers. That’s all well and good, but, like we said before, it’s not really the highest, best use of their talents. Flipping Amobi puts your two-gap, big-bodied tackle between Mario and Okoye. It is this player’s goal to pick up two blockers, which means that either Amobi or Mario (or, possibly, both) would draw single blocking more often than not. Meaning, oh I don’t know, that we would get more consistent penetration from both sides of the line.
But, back to where we started question 3: why even have a definite set order for your defensive linemen? I mean, sure, if you are going to have set positions based on down and distance, then for god’s sake, do it correctly within the constraints of the 4-3. But do you really even have to have set positions? Right now, you have Mario Williams who, though Richard Justice would disagree, is actually playing very well [This sentence is hilarious in retrospect. --Ed.]. You have Amobi Okoye, who is playing the pass-rush role as well as we hoped and playing the running game better than we hoped. AND you have Travis Johnson who is just playing some inspired football right now, hustling, hitting people, and playing like you would hope a first-round DT would [Did I really write that? Jeez. --Ed.]. That’s three real pass rushers, plus we haven’t even touched on Kalu,Weaver, Maddox, etc.
With that kind of ability up front, why become so predictable that teams can game plan and negate some of the advantage you have? Mix it up a little. Go big on one play and have Mario, Maddox, Johnson, and Amobi from left to right. Next time out, go with your more traditional base. Then turn around and go small (relatively speaking) with Mario, Okoye, Cochran, and Orr [Replace "Orr" with "Colvin" or "Thompson" --Ed.]. Create a mismatch by putting Mario at under tackle and then having him twist-stunt with Weaver lined up at DE. The possibilities are vast…if you will just use them.
Note: I am fully aware that Mario moved around a lot last year and that some of the coaching staff thought that might have been his “problem.” You know, rather than just having an injured foot and being a rookie at a tough position. That’s all well and good, but setting up your front so that he is guaranteed to get doubled on every single play is hardly the answer.
I guess the bigger point here for question three is JUST DO SOMETHING. Don’t keep running out there with a predictable front four rotation, no blitz packages to speak of, and a secondary that can’t cover for as long as you are asking them to. DO SOMETHING.
The great thing about the 4-3 is the balance. But that balance is in terms of playing the run versus playing the pass, meaning you still have to play to the strengths of your D. Consistency in game planning will always equal regression in the NFL; worse, consistently planning in the same incorrect manner will always equal failure.
While a number of you bought into my arguments, there were a good number who argued that “we’d blitz if we could” and “Richard Smith is doing the best he can with what he has.” Of course, my whole argument was that, no he wasn’t, but that’s beside the point. The point is the team did start blitzing the very next week (I know you are reading this, Smith!) and did so with success, I might add. Unfortunately, it never really got into the idea of true zone blitzing or, more importantly, blitzing teams with high-octane offenses (read: the Colts game) and there was little or no creativity shown in our alignments and packages.
Now, I still stand by my assertions that my approach to the defense would work and work well given our roster. However, upon further review, I see that there is an even better approach we could take.
Which brings us to the Eagles’ scheme. And, even better, brings us to an Xs and Os breakdown of said scheme.
The Eagles ostensibly run a 4-3 defense. Their system differs from the standard 4-3, though, in a number of ways, all of them significant.
1. The Outside Linebackers. Instead of having a true SLB and WLB, they make the two OLBs interchangeable in terms of responsibilities and positioning. Using these fungible LBs, on nearly every play one of the OLBs rotates up, creating a five-man front and showing blitz while the other rotates back, creating additional space between himself and the line. Despite being on the line, however, there is no guarantee that that linebacker will blitz; the Eagles will sometimes bring the other OLB, a CB, a safety, or nobody at all (though bringing no one is rare–the Eagles blitz almost 65% of the time), with the up linebacker dropping into coverage either by hitting a specified zone or by picking up the TE or RB or FB in man coverage.
On the other hand, there will obviously be times when the up linebacker does blitz. In this system, though, he might be joined in the rush by the other OLB, by either corner, or (one of the Eagles’ favorite moves) by the safety. Or maybe he’s joined by two or three of those guys. Or maybe you think he’s going to be joined by the safety, only to find the safety back in coverage right as you release the ball…see where I’m going with this?
Another facet of the Philly scheme is that OLB speed is not as important as instincts and the ability to get where you need to be in coverage. This is not to say that speed isn’t an asset–of course it is. Rather, it just means that a player like Greenwood who has shown great instincts (see, e.g., the Atlanta game when he realized Faggins had blown the underneath coverage and tried to get there from his spot on the edge) becomes more valuable in this system.
2. The Middle Linebacker. The Eagles’ system simultaneously limits the MLB and gives him greater freedom to impact the game, which sounds illogical but isn’t. In your standard 4-3, the MLB generally reads the offensive line and the FB and then flows to a hole, whether that hole is in the A-gap or all the way out in the D-gap. But his flow to the hole is limited by his added responsibility of maintaining interior defensive positioning until he is sure there is no cut-back run. Only after making all of the proper reads is your MLB free to use his speed and be the sideline-to-sideline playmaker.
In the Philly scheme, the MLB has two responsibilities–the A-gaps–because all of the other holes are filled with rushing bodies. If the play goes away from these gaps, the MLB’s defined responsibilities are done and he is freed to roam the field, ad-lib, and create plays, meaning that he doesn’t have to have the same great recovery speed that the standard 4-3 MLB does. It is this simultaneous limiting and freeing that makes someone like Jeremiah Trotter a dominant MLB in this system; ask him to play sideline-to-sideline like a typical 4-3 MLB as they did in Washington and he sucks immensely, but put him in Philly where he only has to play the A-gaps and he’ll consistently get 100 solo tackles and 3-5 sacks a year.
3. Defensive Line Theory. In Philly’s scheme, the only player in the front seven who has true two-gap responsibility is the Nose Tackle, and even he only has to do it every once in a while. (The MLB is responsible for two gaps, but they are really just the same gap on either side of the center and not a two-gap responsibility in the same sense that the NT has.) Now, on the face of it, that is not so different from a standard 4-3. The devil is in the details, though.
A typical 4-3 is a read-and-react defense for everyone except a blitzer (and, really, even he is supposed to do this). Now, while the linemen in a 4-3 only have one gap responsibility, the difference between their one-gap requirements and Philly’s DL one-gap requirements is one of intent and initial movement. For example, in the read-and-react approach, his primary responsibility is to read the lineman blocking him because, while he has C- or D-gap (depending on alignment and shift) requirements as well as contain, he has to remain in position to go either direction with respect to his blocker–on an inside run, he has to be able to shed the block and crash down; on an outside run, he needs to get free of the block and seal the edge. To do this successfully, the lineman must stand his blocker up and stay square with him long enough to read the play and react to it (hence the name).
In an attacking, Philly-style system, which is a one-gap attacking approach, the first responsibility for the DE as well as all the other lineman is to get 1.5 to 2 yards upfield, then flow to the ball. What this means in practice (assuming perfect execution) is, in a read-and-react D, every lineman stands his blocker up, then flows along the face of the blockers down the line of scrimmage to the ball, while, in an attacking one-gap system, the defensive linemen get behind the blockers and then flow (or, more accurately, crash) to the ball.
As a quick aside, obviously, each system will have its flaws and benefits. The read-and-react defense expect the linebackers to make most of the tackles, which means consistent positive yardage for the opposing team, yet it also gives you a safety net of a clogged line and three backers moving to the ball. The attacking defense runs a risk of giving up the big play if the linemen or LBs miss their tackles, but it also gives you a near certainty of consistently stopping the opposition for no gain or a loss.
A second difference in D-line theory between the two schemes is movement of the front four by way of stunts and whatnot. Because it is a one-gap system, the linemen are freed to do any number of a variety of stunts so long as the movement ends with one of them in each gap. While such stunts are theoretically possible in a standard 4-3, you can’t do it too much when the DTs may have multiple gaps or when you are worried about breaking contain on the outside. When you are sending the house on a blitz, however, all that matters is (a) that a body ends up in each of the gaps and (b) that you can count on your MLB to make tackles on anyone who comes thru the A gaps or slips around the edge (which goes back to the freedom of the MLB’s responsibilities).
4. Coverage. Much like the front seven, the coverage in a Philly scheme is incredibly fluid. If you watch the Eagles (or the Giants, who are actually a better comparison given their lack of a super secondary), the coverage calls might change two or three times before the ball is snapped. An initial coverage is called based on down and distance. Once the offense breaks its huddle, the coverage is changed if necessary to account for the personnel and the formation. Even better, the coverage can change on the fly after the ball is snapped. So, while the Cover 2 (which is pretty much a one-gap system up front) has players moving to specified zones and has some discrete coverage schemes within the larger system, the Philly system moves seamlessly from zone to man to zone again.
I just re-read that paragraph and it is not overly clear. By way of an incredibly simplistic example (that doesn’t account for some coverage variables): In the Philly system, assume the defense has called a 5-man blitz based on the offense’s personnel of two WR and two TE on third-and-long and that the OLB who has rotated up to the line is supposed to cover one tight end, the nickel corner is coming on the blitz, and the other OLB is picking up the second TE. Now, presnap, the offense shifts the second TE out wide, so the coverage audibles for the third CB to pick up the second TE and the OLB who was going to pick up that TE to blitz. At the snap, the TE who was to be picked up by the up linebacker stays in to block, so that OLB instantly becomes a blitzer as well. You’ve gone from a 5-man corner blitz to a 6-man two-LB blitz without changing your alignment or your package. By bringing out the extra TE, the offense has caused more blitzers to come. That’s some beautiful stuff right there–it’s the beauty of the system that, should the defense recognize the initial blitz and audible into something else, your system accounts for that by changing your blitz altogether.
The second part of the scheme is that it does not pigeonhole your coverage into a certain system. So often, teams that run a Cover 2 design their blitzes based on the principles and assignments of the Cover 2. You will almost never see them come with a safety blitz because that leaves a hole in the coverage they are comfortable running and it is impossible to disguise from the Cover 2 alignment. A corner blitz is disguiseable because the CBs line up on the line, but it requires an OLB to cheat out and cover the area where the corner vacated, which is always dangerous.
But, as Philly showed against New England and Dallas last year, their system doesn’t force you into any specific pass defense. Against the Pats, the Eagles blitzed constantly, from all sorts of angles, and played straight up man coverage behind it and very nearly won that game. In the first half against the Cowboys, Philly again brought extra rushers, but alternated between man and zone behind it. Then, in the second half, they continued to show blitz on every play, but dropped everyone into coverage. The first half pressure had gotten to Romo, though, and he could not find a rhythm even when the blitz didn’t come.
Underlying each of these differences are the basic tenets of the system–create confusion by showing lots of different looks pre-snap and by bringing pressure from all sorts of locations, never let the offense know who is coming or how many are coming (anywhere from 5-8, but more than 4 about 2/3 of the time), and plug every hole while confusing the O-line and causing them to make mistakes. Basically, it’s an offensive take on defense: an attempt to create plays rather than reacting to what the offense is doing. Get upfield, and then play football.
How Does This Apply To Us?
Which brings us to the point of this post. Namely that your Houston Texans possess enough talent and flexibility in their front seven to run a modified version of this system and run it well.
Our defensive line would thrive in the one-gap approach. Imagine telling Mario Williams and even Anthony Weaver, “ok, first we want you to just get in the backfield, then worry about where the ball is.” Could anyone stop Mario in that situation if he didn’t have to react to the play before choosing a lane? Hell, could any TWO people consistently stop him in that situation? I think not. Weaver, likewise, would thrive because he would not have to react to left tackles–something he lacks the speed to do consistently–as much as just beat them off the line and get past them on whatever line he wants. Amobi and Frank Okam on the inside would also be fantastic in this scheme–you wouldn’t be asking two young players to read the play and their blockers. Amobi has already shown a nose for the ball, so you’d be telling him to follow those instincts. And Okam would actually be better than anything Philly uses on the inside–both of their starting DTs are much smaller than he is–and as the only two-gapper would have the girth to really eat up the blockers in his path. Hell, this system would even make Travis Johnson valuable again as the backup for both tackle positions. Love him or hate him (and I did both last year), his biggest problem is that he’s too small to really be a two-gap NT. This system would make him just put his head down and go upfield rather than trying to take on two blockers, so you could spell Okam with him when you didn’t need a two-gapper at all, or Johnson could back up Okoye. Oh, and Rosie Colvin? He could be the second D-end in nickel situations because, like Weaver, his success would not depend on being able to react and beat a LT. Much like Mathias Kiwanuka was for the Giants, he would be the pin-your-ears-back rusher in pure passing downs.
Like I said way back up there, this defense would make Greenwood even better than he has been for us. (And he has been very good, but that’s a whole other article.) Opposite him, it would make life both easier and more fun for Zac Diles–he would be freed from playing the standard run-stopping role of the SLB and would be allowed to use his speed and ability more freely. Plus, you are simplifying the game for a young guy learning a new position because you are giving him specific assignments–rotate up and blitz, rotate up and cover the TE (but blitz if he tries to block you), rotate back and cover the TE/RB, rotate back and blitz. Simple, straightforward. You could also sub in Chaun Thompson in pure passing downs if you thought he was a better blitzer than Diles because teams would then assume he was coming, even when he wasn’t.
I’ve mentioned the Giants a few times through this thing as a more apt comparison for us and a better model to build from. This is because the Eagles have one piece that we do not have–Brian Dawkins. Dawkins role in the Philly system is manifold: he is an additional linebacker, he plans man-up on WRs, he blitzes, and he patrols the deep middle. We don’t have a player that can do that unless and until Dunta comes back as a FS. (Which would be amazingly perfect for this system.) The Giants don’t have the dominating safety, nor do they really have an impressive secondary, but they run a version of this same Philly defense up front (Steve Spagnolo is from the Philly organization) and they won the Super Bowl with it! All without a great secondary. Sound familiar?
The important thing is, if you lack the physical presence of a Brian Dawkins, you have to have a safety back there who is smart enough to make the right reads for the coverage. For the Super Bowl Champion Giants, it was Gibril Wilson. For us, it could just as easily be Will Demps, who might not be Dawkins but is a smart, instinctive safety nonetheless. In fact, to paraphrase my buddy Rendhel, the Giants have not had a great secondary in years, but they always have a good defense because they understand the value of pressuring the QB. When they got Spagnolo and the Philly system, they took this appreciation of pressure to a new level.
Right now, we don’t have a very good secondary, but we seem to also lack the proper appreciation for just how much QB pressure can improve the coverage. Jacques Reeves is blindingly fast, meaning he could come on corner blitzes. But he could also stay with anyone in the league for two or three seconds. It’s when you start asking him to cover longer that he becomes a liability. Fred Bennett is an instinctive young player and will probably become pretty good, but he has still shown that he can be beat if you ask him to cover too long–why not remove that liability more often than not?
I could go on and on, but the point is that we have the personnel to do this and we have first-hand evidence that this kind of defense turns an otherwise non-spectacular team into a playoff team and a real contender. Unfortunately, we also have a defensive coordinator who wouldn’t blitz at all until around Halloween and then backed of his blitzing any time it stumbled a bit. That is the absolute worst attitude a d-coordinator can have. Now, maybe the presence of Ray Rhodes (phormer Philly coach!) will give Smith the testicular fortitude to at least be more aggressive. I can dream, I guess. Because, until we get a new coordinator or our coordinator gets a new outlook, this post is nothing but navel gazing to a disgusting degree.
Like always, though, just because they won’t do it, doesn’t mean I am wrong.
Kickoff
Jun 17, 2008 2008 Season, Awfulness, Colvin, History, I really dig my readers, Inflamed body parts, Kickoff, Preseason 2008
Why did your mom misspell “Roosevelt?”. The newest Houston Texan will be answering questions sometime today in a video interview on HT.com. You can email questions for the interview by following that link. (h/t Eric)
Variations on a theme. Colvin’s video interview on NFL.com. Worth watching if only for the two hits he puts on Manning. Besides, if his athleticism doesn’t excite you (*cough*Solis*cough*), you have no soul. (h/t Eric…again)
Let’s go camping! Tim mentioned this already, but the team has announced the dates of open practices during training camp and, like always, you can get your tickets at local Wachovia banks beginning July 9. Barring something totally unforeseen (like, say, winning the lottery or killing a rich relative), I shan’t be attending this year. Of course, I didn’t technically attend last year, either. Stop laughing, jerks.
Kickoff
Jun 16, 2008 Book Review, Colts Shmolts, Colvin, I really dig my readers, Kickoff, Vacation-related posts
Seeing the world through Rosy-colored glasses. Via reader Charlie, we get the breaking news that Rosevelt Colvin is going to sign with the Texans. I plan on doing a bigger post about him and, more importantly, the impact of this signing on our 4-3 later, but I wanted to mention it here as well as point to this post over at Stampede Blue. Suck it, BBS. (Seriously, Greenwood “stinks?” Do you watch football?)
If the Queen had balls, she’d be the King. Via Eric, a WhatIfSports breakdown of the AFC South. Guess who they have in last, with a record of 6-10. Now guess which blogger thinks the person who wrote said article is a cockrag. That’s right.
Nerd. Recently, the Texans launched ImATexan.com, which is like myspace for Texans fans. Which, yes, is as awful and lame as it sounds. Judging from the comments around there, though, I’ve got to give the fans a little credit–they are true believers. ”I know we’ll win the division this year… 12-4…” “10-6 at the very least.”
Me reed? Finally, just like last year, I return from vacation with a couple book recommendations. First, for the real dorks in the crowd (read: all you engineering fellows), I present Bad Astronomy. The author also runs badastronomy.com, and just like at the website, his book breaks down the myths and just plain stupid shit that people believe when it comes to Earth and sky. Very informative. Second, I know I am years late on this one, but When Pride Still Mattered is a fantastic book and one every football fan should read.
Kickoff
Jun 11, 2008 2008 Season, Barbaro is dead, Colvin, Kickoff, Posts that list too many players
Another busy day IRL, so off to the races.
Papabear > BFD: Well, which isn’t much of a surprise to my wife. Placing a player on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list does *not* excuse said player from the 80-man roster heading into training camp. So, this could be the end-game for Barbaro Spencer as a Texan. There’s always the possibility we re-sign him after other cuts during camp, but teams with a more shallow depth pool would almost certainly be interested. There are some lessons to be learned here, one of which is that knee injuries, even with all the science and technology, are still not always curable. Dunta, ear-muffs.
Colvin: Not much new on the Rosy Colvin front. It’s nice that Rick Smith has a relationship with Colvin and his lawyer. And Smith did give Andre Davis, who shares lawyers with Colvin, that nice big shiny contract. And those strippers I hired to dance for Rosy should help. But, all that said, if the battle is between the Texans and the Dolts, the best thing we can do is sell how competitive we’ll be.
Chris Taylor still gets you stoned: Following up last week’s warm and fuzzy article about Tim Bulman, the latest entry is about Chris Taylor by Brooke Bentley. I realize I’m kind of an asshole when it comes to stories like this, and I think it’s more a matter of me, ummmmm, being an asshole rather than the work itself. And, you know, Brooke isn’t bad.
These are the human interest stories that warm the deepest cockles of my heart. I spent a lot of time around athletes during school doing interviews and stories just like this. The fact is, there are a lot of hard-working, great guys who just don’t cut it. RIght now, in my glass is completely empty mind-set, it…well, it makes me sad. I was never really able to callous myself against watching athletes fall short of their dreams. /cathartic moment
Even in the article, Taylor is mentioned as the #5 running back. I think, again sadly, he missed a huge chance last year. Unless Chris Brown or Ahman Green fall apart (I think we’re only missing Lorenzo White, Lu Blue, and Pink in our backfield), which is possible, Taylor’s best chance is to beat out Darius Walker for that fourth spot. Of course, now we can expect a warm and fuzzy about Walker to make me want to root for him!
Bulman: Excellent article by Chris at HoustonDiehards about the Bulman situation. And, no, I don’t think Bulman will make the team for the reasons broken down by Chris. As Chris mentions, if it comes down to one of “Tim Bulman, N.D. Kalu, Earl Cochran, or Anthony Maddox,” I think Bulman would rank last on the list. If we sign Colvin, it’ll muddy that picture even more. Still, this is a must read article by Chris.
Oh, and for the bet? A pitcher and nachos on the loser. I don’t mean pour a pitcher of beer on the loser - that would be alcohol abuse.
Kickoff
Jun 6, 2008 Andre Johnson, Athletes who don't stab people, Colvin, Cool dudes with cool cars, Kickoff, Secondary issues are primary, Super Mario, The Fred, Wal-Mart kills babies
Cars Go Vroom: Remember that Lamborghini video from last year that showed Mario Williams driving roughly 600 MPH? Yeah, totally understandable…because Mario has an addiction. To cars. No, seriously. ”At age 21, Williams actually entered the league with a list of expensive vehicles he planned to purchase after being drafted.”
Overstating The Obvious: From the AP’s Kristie Rieken: “With [Dunta] Robinson likely out until midseason with an injury, [Fred] Bennett knows it’s now up to him to lead the group until his mentor returns.” Tomorrow: Water is wet, the sky is blue, and Cowboys fans are insufferable.
Our bad: As first reported at BRB, Wal-Mart pulled a total dick move and refused to give underprivileged kids ice and water when Andre Johnson “only” purchased 677 bikes (at full retail) instead of the 750 he ordered (and they failed to provide). Well, apparently Wal-Mart realized that this was potentially bad PR, so they donated 400 free bikes to the cause, as well as food, water, and ice.
Daily Colvin Story: Not only did Rosy visit the Texans (and Colts), he underwent physicals for both teams and, according to Rotoworld, passed both. As an aside, Rotoworld also speculates that the Texans are primarily interested in him as a SLB, which I am totally in favor of.
Note: I am leaving for Gulf Shores around lunchtime, so this is it for me today most likely.
Kickoff
Jun 5, 2008 2008 Season, Bloggerating, Colvin, Kickoff, Self-Referential Stuff, Super Mario
(The Boston Globe column where I got the Rosy Colvin story is written by Mike Reiss. Say what you will about the Pats, but his blog is fantastic and is the measuring stick for all newspaper-owned team blogs in my mind. Anyway, Reiss does a daily thing called “Quick Hits,” where he posts all the random little news blurbs and links to thing of interest to Pats fans. I am going to start doing the same thing here, simply because I think it’s a great way to (a) put more content out there, (b) get a morning discussion started, and (c) put a little space between the fake conversations and dick jokes. Now, of course, I am an idiot and am starting this the day before I leave to go to the beach for a week, so it might be a little hit or miss at first, but we’ll hit our stride. And BFD is welcome to do it in my absence. –Matt)
Dog Days of Summer Come Early: Ex-Texan Steve Foley was formerly charged with a felony stemming from the March 26 incident in which his pit bulls attacked a woman and killed her puppy. Foley turned himself in yesterday, but according to the Fort Bend County Jail, he has since been released.
Texas Rose?: Following up on yesterday’s Colvin visit, the linebacker told KRIV (Houston) that he is completely healthy and that “[b]oth parties are interested. We need to work something out.”
Unblockable: Mario Williams is listed as one of ten veteran players who turned heads at OTAs and/or minicamps. Money quote: “At times this spring, Williams has looked unblockable.”
Cracklin’ Rosy
Jun 4, 2008 2008 Season, Chaun, Chocodiles, Colvin, Kevin Bentley, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Super Bowl 2011, Super Mario
Well, that was certainly interesting. And surprisingly informative, really. But, back to what really matters. According to the Boston Globe,
Former Patriots outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, now a free agent, is scheduled to visit the Houston Texans today.
I know we have a solid starter at WLB and three guys vying for the title of starting SLB, but I like this move. I like it a lot, actually. Colvin is definitely on the downward slope of his career, but he would bring the kind of veteran leadership (and winning experience) that a young LB corps can always benefit from, as well as being a mentor for Zac Diles as Diles transitions to the outside.
The short article also mentions that Colvin previously met with the Colts. If we can get him on the cheap, I think you’ve got to make this move. Worst case scenario, you cut him loose if he can’t hack it. Best case, though, he gives you a solid backup to Diles (sorry, Kevin) and makes it so Chaun Thompson is more expendable and more able to be used as a pass-rushing DE opposite Mario. Win-win, baby!
