AJ, K-Dub, and DDR
Oct 30, 2008 2008 Season, Andre Johnson, Dunta Robinson, Posts that list too many players, Preview, Self-Referential Stuff, Super Mario, Vonta Leach KTFO Award
[Author's note: I'm a little late getting this finished because I got sidetracked with you bastards complaining about formatting issues. Regardless, here it be.]
Because of this blog, I generally watch games with a thought of “ok, what’s the big picture lesson here” in the back of my mind. Approaching the game that way does two things for me: 1. It makes writing the post-game post easier and, 2. it keeps me (usually) from overreacting in the moment and, instead, forces me to evaluate the game as part of the larger season.
This past Sunday, however, the only large, overriding truth I could pull from the thing is that the Bengals really, really suck. And you know what? I don’t care.
I don’t care because that was a motherfucking beatdown in every facet of the game. In fact, the only thing I can find to criticize (other than the usual dumb shit pulled by R. Smith) is the same thing Tim found—that the starters should NOT have been out there in the fourth. And, hell, after seeing this team piss away two wins late, I can’t even really get too worked up about keeping them on the field and running up the score just to be safe. (Though, had Andre Johnson gotten hurt, my tune would be wholly different.)
Random observations from the game:
1. Matt Schaub looks REALLY fucking good right now. NINE incompletions in two weeks? Total?? Jesus. That rules. And when you start finding Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) open, you are definitely going through your reads. It took a while, but the Schaub we all hoped we were trading for seems to have arrived.
2. A huge part of why Schaub looks so good? Because Andre Johnson is a god. The man makes spectacular catches so often that we’ve come to expect it. He’s the AFC Offensive Player of the Month. He seems to always be open. He’s the perfect mix of Hines Ward and Randy Moss, but with none of the attitude of either. And, hell, he doesn’t even complain when Schaub hangs him out to dry—he just makes the catch, takes the hit, and trots back to the huddle. Class act all the way around.
3. Vonta Leach, Blocking Fullback >>>>> Vonta Leach, Pass Catching Fullback Inexplicably Split Out Wide. The latter was a liability; the former knocks motherfuckers’ dicks in the dirt.
4. I am still not sure what to make of Zac Diles. He’s playing his ass off and playing well right now, but there have also been times this season when he’s been exposed as being too small to really play SLB. For the time being, I guess I’ll just enjoy how aggressively he plays the position and hope that teams don’t start running right at him.
5. Kevin Walter and DDR continue to show that there is always a place in the NFL for guys who bust their asses on every single play. Walter’s second TD was one of the most heads-up reactions I’ve seen from an NFL player this year. How many guys would have stayed down? How many more would have assumed they were down after the touch and gotten tackled?
6. Didn’t you used to be Chad Johnson? Shut your pie hole, fuck-o.
7. A couple different people pointed this out to me, but doesn’t it seem like we use motion on every single play lately? Why is this? For one thing, we rarely cross a guy all the way to the other side of the field—it is usually just moving toward the line and then back out or Elvis splitting out from the TE position—so it’s not like we’re looking to exploit matchups. For another, we throw so much right now that most teams are playing some sort of zone against us and aren’t going to follow the motion man. I don’t get it. I guess I can’t argue with the current results in the passing game, though, so I’ll deal.
8. Much like the ROUSes, I was reasonably sure the Texans’ Red Zone Defense did not exist. Nice to see it espcape the fire swamp and make an appearance. [/The Princess Bride references]
9. Dunta Robinson is a bad ass. The INT was awesome (and set the franchise record), but his reaction after not intercepting the earlier pass was even better. A lot of guys would have jumped up and danced for knocking the ball away; Dunta was mad at himself for not making the pick. That’s the difference between being a character and having character.
10. Can we get Jacoby’s mom seats in the front row of the other endzone, too, since we go that way twice per game? She is some serious good luck for the man.
11. Dear Travis Johnson, That was your second career sack. You have seven whole tackles this year. You’ve been beyond worthless for 90% of the snaps throughout your time in Houston. There is no fucking reason you should be dancing about anything. Thankfully, given your track record, we don’t have to worry about you doing anything else this season that might inspire such celebration. Cordially, Matt
12. I miss the old, non-injured DeMeco Ryans. I know I’ve been spoiled over the last two years, but it sucks to see him not make plays he would have made last season. It’s cool to see him still playing his balls off, though.
13. Before Superman goes to bed, he puts on Mario Williams pajamas.
So, after stomping a mudhole in the Bengals, we are back on the verge of .500. Even better, we are right in the mix with a whole bunch of other teams at or around 3-4. With three division games remaining, as well as some winnable games outside the division (I’m looking at you, Chicago), we definitely control our own destiny.
We just have to beat Minnesota first.
And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black
Sep 18, 2008 2008 Season, Predictions Guaranteed To Go Wrong, Preview
I’ve been hedging my bets just a tad when discussing this week’s game with people and on other blogs, calling it an “almost-must-win” game. The reasons for this are two-fold. First, I don’t want to be caught looking foolish were the team to lose Sunday and then reel off ten straight wins. I tend to look foolish enough on my own without adding to it through willy-nilly use of hyperbole.1
Second, though, is I don’t think it is a true “must-win,” at least not in the sense that losing it will make the season a lost cause. At the same time…it’s damn close to that kind of game. Between the historical precedent of 0-2 teams not exactly being strong finishers (last year’s NY Giants notwithstanding) and the Ike-fueled makeup of our revised schedule, the Texans now sit at a point where their world will be very, very different depending on Sunday’s outcome.
Here’s what I mean. If they win the game, the Texans are in the driver’s seat. Should Indy win, Houston would technically be in third place, but they would have a game in hand against the Titans and would have a matchup coming with the now-Sanders-less Colts in two more weeks, with a game against the told-ya-so Jags in between. If the Jags win, Houston would be in second place, still with a game in hand against the Titans, and with a half-game lead on the other two teams. Either way, there is a very real chance that Houston could be in first or second in the AFC South in two weeks if Houston wins Sunday.2
Conversely, should the Texans lose, things look…um…what’s the word? Oh, yeah, bad. The Texans will be in third if Indy wins or in last if Jacksonville wins, they will have lost a division game, and they will be heading to Jacksonville the following week with zero confidence that they can win within the division.3
So what does all this mean? First, I think it’s proof that the AFC South is (surprisingly) up for grabs this year. The Colts are injury-riddled and have looked very rusty so far. The Jags have offensive line woes, they clearly missed Marcus Stroud last weekend, and David Garrard is flashing back to 2006 rather than 2007. The Titans are playing very well on defense, but their offense is Chris Johnson and a bunch of turds. And the Texans problems are well documented here and elsewhere. That’s a perfect storm of question marks.
Even more importantly, though, I think the fact that Sunday’s game is a metaphorical fork in the road also suggests that the game provides us with a good idea of just how close we are to being a threat to win the division. If we roll into Nashville and put up at two TD win, few can doubt that we have as good of a chance as any to win the division. If we show up and get run right back out with our tail between our legs, few can claim that we are as good as we thought we’d be this year. Combine this with the consequences (outlined above) of a win or a loss and one can see why this game really is important both in the present and in the big picture.
Still, even with all of that said, I am not willing to call this game a must-win. Even if we lose it by 504, we still have a number of seemingly winnable games on the horizon. It’s entirely possible that we’ll look back in six weeks and think all the hub-bub about this game was way overblown. That’s just how the NFL is. The game is clearly of great importance in the here and now, however. Thus, call it bet hedging if you want, but I stand by the descriptor. Sunday’s game is an almost-must-win.
Now let’s ignore all of this and go hang 35 on ‘em.
****
UPDATE: In the course of writing this developments have unfolded that have me going to the game Sunday. Boo yah.
1 God, I love the phrase “willy-nilly.”
2 On top of which, that game with the Colts signals the beginning of a very winnable stretch of home games. Now, I am not generally one to attribute much value to things like confidence and chemistry and momentum, but if ever there was a team for which such intangibles seemed important, this young Houston club would certainly be the one. You could see it last year; when the team started hot, everyone was playing with a little swagger. When the team began to struggle in mid-season, the swagger was 100% missing. And, when Mario caught fire and the team ended hot, there was some strut back in their collective step.
3 There’s that “confidence” thing again. I feel like I am copping out.
4 Won’t happen. You have to have WRs to score 50.
Kickoff — “It’s Still Raining Here And I Don’t Think It’s Stopping Anytime Soon” Edition
Sep 3, 2008 2008 Season, Fuck you Gustav, Ha ha... you like the Lions, Kickoff, Preview, Teams that aren't the Texans
Not-So-Hugene. I am linking to this via BRB, just so I don’t have to feel dirty for linking to Pancakes, but the message is the same: the release of Brandon Frye was, apparently, made to create room to sign Eugene Wilson (most recently of the Steelers and formerly of the No-Good Cheaterpantses). To further borrow from Tim, the idea of a CB corps of The Fred, The Project, Petey, and Petey Redux scares me shitless. So, while this isn’t exactly a shrewd move, it’s probably the smartest play available at this late date. (Also, this continues that trend we seemed to start late last year of picking up the most recently-released player from our next opponent.)
I still say we can win this game. The mothership has the scouting report on the Steelers. The good news for us? The Steelers line is still awful and their secondary (other than Polamalu) is suspect. The bad news? The have a lot of offensive weapons and Limas Sweed is probably having wet dreams about matching up with Faggins in the nickel. Damn. (h/t Eric)
Well, this pretty much guarantees he won’t play in Houston. Apparently—and, remember, this is coming from professional assbag, Mike Florio, so take it with a fucking hunk of salt—Tatum Bell attempted to steal Rudi Johnson’s bags while the latter was visiting with the team. If true, this is beyond hilarious. Johnson shows up, Bell realizes he’s being shown the door, so he grabs Rudi’s shit and tries to get a female friend to keep the stuff for him. Fantastic! (h/t stacy)
Finally. If the season is here, that can only mean one thing—Intertex is back with Texans YouTube videos. Up first, a look at our 2008 opponents.
Um.
Aug 19, 2008 2 is not a winner and 3 nobody remembers, Inanity, Preview, Will Demps makes love to the...ladies?
So, I was looking through the referrals to this fine blog (something I do frequently at work, mainly because I am bored but also because I am paranoid), when I noticed someone had arrived via a Google search for “Will Demps dick.”
Okaaaayyyyyyyyy…
Well, I followed said link, just to see where we ranked in that search. Go ahead…guess. Nailed it, didn’t you?
*clears throat*
Apr 15, 2008 2008 Season, Awfulness, BFD's Real Doll, Hype, Predictions Guaranteed To Go Wrong, Preview, Teams that aren't the Texans
I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but…
THE 2008 SCHEDULE IS BEING RELEASED TODAY AT 1PM!!!!!
Get your calendars and PDAs ready; it’s time to start planning your live football watching for 2008.
We’ve known for quite some time (relatively speaking) that the 2008 opponents shake out as follows:
AT RELIANT
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Chicago
Detroit
MiamiAWAY FROM RELIANT
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Green Bay
Minnesota
Oakland
All that remains today is to tell us the order. So, as we count down the hours, I have a few predictions for you.
- 1. We get a Monday night game, most likely one of our games against the Baby-Eating Sisterfuckers.
- 2. We get a Thursday night game, most likely against Green Bay or Pittsburgh.
- 3. Our Green Bay game will be mid-October at the very earliest. Which is not really a good thing for a domed team from a hot state.
- 4. The Bengals WRs will make Petey Faggins look like BFD’s Real Doll–worn out from hours of torture and pounding.
- 5. Our first home game will be against Da Bears.
(h/t to reader Kevin for reminding me of this date…I was off by a week in my head)
UPDATE 1: Monday, December 1. Jacksonville @ JUGGERNAUT. Ben gets one point for being dead-on with his date. I am giving myself half a point for predicting a Monday night game for us against a division foe.
UPDATE 2: Here it is.
- Week 1 @ Steelers
- Week 2 v. Ravens
- Week 3 @ Baby-Eating Sisterfuckers
- Week 4 @ Jaguars
- Week 5 v. Colts
- Week 6 v. Dolphins
- Week 7 v. Lions
- Week 8 BYE
- Week 9 @ Vikings
- Week 10 v. Bengals
- Week 11 @ Colts
- Week 12 @ Browns
- Week 13 v. Jaguars (Mon. Night)
- Week 14 @ Packers
- Week 15 v. Baby-Eating Sisterfuckers
- Week 16 @ Raiders
- Week 17 v. Bears
Initial thoughts…that December game in Lambeau does not sound fun from a “trying to win the game” standpoint…Weeks 3-5 will go a LONG way toward showing us how we stack up against the division…look for us to go 3-0 from Weeks 6-9.
So…about that zone blocking.
Jan 11, 2008 2008 Season, Alex Gibbs, Awesomeness, Football 101, Nnamdi Asomugha, Posts that list too many players, Preview, RB free-for-all, Ron Dayne likes pie, Stats, Teams that aren't the Texans
The hiring of Alex Gibbs prompted at least three people to ask me to re-address the zone blocking concept. Because there are a few things in the original post on the subject that I wanted to correct or clarify, I am glad to. [Note: all block quotes are cut-and-pasted from the original post.]
Not long ago, I heard a color commentator mention during an NFL game that a “zone blocking system is one in which the lineman all have a specific area they are responsible for, kind of like a zone defense in basketball.” I found the same sort of thought at Football Outsiders, too. While this is more-or-less, sorta kinda accurate when it comes to pass blocking, it is not correct vis-a-vis run blocking. Or, at least, not near correct enough to get the point across. At its most basic level, all a zone run blocking scheme means is that the offensive linemen work in pairs against two or three of the defensive linemen–i.e. the guard and center simultaneously block a defensive tackle–with one of the offensive linemen then peeling off and blocking a linebacker. The “zone” the system refers to is the part of the line where the running play is going. This is what creates the “one cut” system, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Let’s expound on that a little. First, for the sake of brevity and clarity, let’s get some acronyms working. “ZPB” will refer to zone pass blocking and “ZRB” will refer to…well, you get it.
Anyway, in a ZPB scheme, it is true that the offensive linemen are responsible for an area rather than a specific defender. This means on a blitz or a defensive lineman stunt, the offensive linemen must all be on the same page as to assignments and all must maintain zone discipline similar to lane discipline on special teams coverage. Getting this coordinated movement down is one of the more difficult aspects of learning the system, mainly because of some of the intricacies involved.
For instance, imagine a twist-stunt between the RDE and RDT. In pure theory, the LT and LG are just going to wait for the stunting lineman to come into their respective zones. Problem is, the game moves at too high a speed–especially when you are talking about the speed of a DE compared to an OG. In this situation, assuming a normal twist where the end goes under the tackle, four distinct movements will happen on the O-line. (1) The LT will engage the DE to stop him from shooting the gap. (2) The LG will step backward and to his left. (3) The LT will disengage the DE, passing him off to the LG who is now in position to block him. (4) The LT will locate and pickup the stunting DT.
As with any pass-blocking scheme, you have the question of how blitz pickup works. There are some people who disagree, but I actually feel blitz pickup is easier in a zone system. Assume a blitz where the SLB is going to shoot the B gap, the LDE is going outside the tackle (C gap) and the LDT is going A gap. Here, we have at least three defined movements. (1) The RG engages the DT, allowing the C enough time to get his head up and make the 45-degree step back and to his right. (2) The RG passes the DT off to the C, now in position, and slides right to pick up the SLB. (3) The RT picks up the LDE as he usually would. The reason this is preferable (at least in my mind) is that it simplifies the blitz pickup assignment, as each offensive lineman is essentially guarding a gap rather than worrying about who will pick up the extra rusher. This way, if the SLB actually goes to the C gap and the LDE stunts to the B gap, the RT mirrors what the RG did in steps (1) and (2) above, then passes the DE to the RG. The TE mirrors the two linemen, picks up the SLB (if necessary), and then passes him off to the RT before releasing.
“Yeah, yeah,” you say. “That’s all fine and dandy, but what about the good stuff?” Because, as we all know, the real excitement of the Gibbs hire (and the real difficultly in implementing the zone system) comes from ZRB.
Let’s walk through a example play where the running back is supposed to go right against a 4-3 defensive front. At the snap of the ball, the left tackle and left guard block the nose tackle, the center takes under tackle, and the right guard and right tackle block the left defensive end. This two-on-one blocking allows the offensive front to get a push and, also, to create the running lanes. Now, here’s where it gets tricky. Depending on certain factors (where the defensive player lined up, which direction the running play is going, where the LB is in relation to the defensive lineman, etc.), one offensive player from each double-team will disengage the defensive lineman and pick up the corresponding linebacker. So, in our example, assuming a standard 4-3 Over, the LT would disengage and slide to the second level to pick up the WLB, the RG would do the same and pick up the Mike linebacker, and the TE would be responsible (from the snap) for the SLB.
If this is done correctly, there should be a hole between the TE and RT, the C and where the RG was, and the C and LG. This is the “inside zone” and is where the “one cut” comes into play. In this system, the running back chooses one of these holes, makes his single cut, and goes. Ideally, he won’t make this cut until he is almost to his offensive lineman, thus allowing the defense less time to react to his angle. By contrast, the “outside zone” is the area beyond the TE/Sam block. Plays designed to seal off the defense and open up the outside zone do not have the “one cut” aspect to them–the running back is obligated to head outside (in theory, at least)–so the linemen block similar to a man blocking scheme, where there is a pre-determined hole.
The above part is where I should have been more precise. Apologies.
For one thing, if you want to be extremely technical, running this play to the hole between the RG and RT is “middle zone.” That’s really neither here nor there for our discussion, but I want to be thorough. Additionally, you could include a stretch play, where the RB heads for just inside the last offensive player (i.e. a WR). This is far more common in college, but can be done in the NFL with the right personnel. We shan’t be doing it much with Ron Dayne, however, so we’ll ignore it for now.
Another slight correction. Re: the man-blocking appearance of the outside zone runs, it is possible to run a variation, wherein the tackle seals the DE, the C cuts the DT, and the G peels around to seal off the OLB. This is often called a “pull and overtake” or “pin and pull” maneuver. The key is that the G make an initial hit on the playside shoulder of the DE to knock him off balance and allow the OT to overtake him.
With those corrections out of the way, let’s look at some other aspects of ZRB.
First, some historical background. Like all good football innovations, ZRB was developed as a response to a defensive trend. Teams were using a slant/angle defense, where the defensive linemen all rush to the same side of their corresponding offensive linemen and the blitzing linebacker flows back the other direction into a wide open rushing lane to sack the QB or blow up the running play. ZRB (and ZPB) mitigated this by allowing linemen to pass rushers off and stay home to deal with the linebackers. In fact, with ZRB, a properly-handled blitzing LB is basically taking himself out of the play. If he is blitzing to the same side as the running play, he’s picked up and and sealed off like any other defensive lineman; if he’s blitzing to the backside of the running play–as long as it is not through the A gap–he is generally allowed to shoot through with minimal resistance as the one-cut technique allows the RB to be long gone by the time the LB adjusts.
A second feature of ZRB is its consistency in appearance. From snap to cut, every play should look more or less the same, forcing the linebackers into a no-win choice–do they stay home and see where the play develops (and, thus, risk getting picked up by the offensive lineman who has just disengaged and looked to the second level) or do they flow with the play and more often than not overpursue? Part of the reason they are forced into this quandry is because the RB in a ZRB system has two responsibilities–first, he is running to a specific spot (usually called a “landmark”) on each play. This spot can vary, but it usually somewhere right around the OG’s butt. Second, he is running toward that landmark as for as long as he can, so that he gets as deep as possible into the line–and causes the flowing linebackers to keep moving away–before making his cut.
[Author's note: I need to make another correction here. I stated that running to the outside zone does not have the one-cut aspect to it and that it is more like traditional man blocking. While this is true, it overlooks that, because it looks the same as the middle- and inside-zone runs as it initially develops, the fact that your back has been making cuts effectively turns not making a cut and going outside just as effective as the cuts. Like anything in football, it's all about mixing it up.]
A third feature of ZRB is actually what it does not feature. Namely, it is very rare (read: never) that you will see a counter or misdirection play. The reason for this should be obvious. If the running back goes right, but the entire ZRB unit sets up for a run to the left, the play doesn’t really fool anyone, the RB is pretty much forced to turn the run into an outside zone or stretch play when he heads back to his left, and the RB is running right into the defensive players that ZRB lets through with minimal resistance. There are some variations on ZRB that attempt to incorporate traps and counters, but they are few and far between.
Fourth, traditional ZRB chooses which side to run the play to based upon the defensive technique. What do I mean? Well, take your inside zone, for instance. Most teams will run all inside- and middle-zone runs toward the 1-technique tackle, regardless of whether he lines up on the right or left. This is because his position relative to the inside shoulder of the OG makes it easy for the C and OG to double-team him, push him in the proper direction, and still be in position to pick up the LB. This lack of this sort of theory is part of what made the Texans system in ‘06 and ‘07 a hybrid–they would run plays to pre-determined sides, meaning that certain plays called for man blocking and eliminated double teams.
Facets of zone blocking thus taken care of, let’s move on to the final pieces of the puzzle–personnel and Gibbs’ history.
In the last post, I wrote:
Well, as Tim correctly notes, the zone blocking scheme almost invariably features smaller, more agile offensive linemen. The reason should be obvious–it is not going to be real easy for a Larry Allen to engage a defender, then slide his big butt away from the block and pick up a linebacker who is 4 or 5 tenths of a second faster than he is. Besides, since you are hitting at the initial point of attack with a 2-on-1 advantage, you don’t need a pair of 340 lb. behemoths; a pair of 280 lb. lineman will work just fine, with the added bonus of being able to pick up linebackers and be more maneuverable in space.
I then went on to opine that our current crop doesn’t fit that mold, which is true, and explaining the underlying theory of the smaller guys. However, what I failed to really flesh out is that the idea of smaller linemen is only the current theory of what works and it is primarily based on the success Denver has had. However, just like how teams moved from the power-I to today’s offensive formations, the current mold for a ZRB lineman is not necessarily the only thing that works.
The Denver theory of using two-on-one and having the speed to get to the second level is fine and it is incredibly successful. However, it is also the reason that they have to use the cut-blocks that so many people complain about. When Gibbs took over Denver’s offensive line in 1984, his offensive linemen were nearly all between 260 and 280. He played with the hand he was dealt and created a ZRB scheme that utilized cutblocking because he had to (though it is no stretch to say that, over time, he developed an affinity for the sub-300 lbers). After all, there are two ways to create running lanes–you can move the defensive player out of the way or you can knock him down. Even going two-on-one, because of the way ZRB quickly disengages and moves to the next level, your two 280-lb linemen don’t have the bulk to appreciably move a 340-lb 1-technique tackle before one of them releases. So you send one of the 270-lbers into the side of the DT’s thigh and knock him flat.1
If, on the other hand, you have more bulk at the point of attack, you obviate the need for the cut block because you can physically move the DT before the OG (or whomever) slides to the next level. Simple physics, really–620 lbs are going to exert more force in a given time than 560 lbs will.
Now…which of these lineman prototypes is preferable? I honestly can’t say. On the one hand, as we discussed, the smaller, more agile linemen give you the speed to move to the linebackers and the size to fit through smaller gaps in order to get to that next level. However, as commenter cseafous pointed out (comment #4), modern linebackers are always going to be faster than even the most agile OG. So, unless your RB is really, really good at running to his landmark and freezing the LBs, there’s a fairly decent chance that the OG will not be able to pick up the LB on the run. Conversely, if you have traditional offensive linemen, you have a lot more mass at the point of attack, but you create a situation where the doubleteam has to engage, move, have one disengage, and find the next level more quickly to compensate for the lack of speed.
Ideally, you’d get guys like Eric Winston who were slightly smaller than average (305) but were strong (22 reps) and quicker (4.93) than average, basically splitting the baby and getting maximum push in a short amount of time while still having the agility to pick up LBs. Of course, if it were that easy to find those guys, everyone would do it. Still, I imagine that, over time, you will see the girth of our existing line lessened.
Ignoring the size of the blockers for a second, the cool thing about Gibbs, however, is that he’s had success everywhere he’s gone, regardless of the initial group he got to work with. When he got to Denver, the team ran for 746 yards in its first five games. When he went to Atlanta in 2004, he had guys like Kynan Forney (307), Martin Bibla (306), Michael Moore (318)…not exactly the prototype from his Denver days (and not exactly All-Pros). Yet that Falcons team had both backs–Warrick Dunn and TJ Duckett–average at least 4.2/carry and they were consistent in those averages pretty much game in and game out.
With that kind of sustained success, regardless of the personnel he starts with, I think it is safe to say that hiring Alex Gibbs is going to prove to be bigger than any single offseason move we might make. And I would stick by that statement even if we signed Nnamdi Asomugha.
Another consistent thing about Gibbs’ teams–more often than not, they don’t take offensive linemen early in the draft. In 1984, the first o-lineman they took was in Round 8 (Winford Hood). In 1985, Round 5 (Billy Hinson). In 1986, Round 4 (Jim Juriga–this one is misleading, though, because the fourth round was the first pick Denver had). In 1987, Round 8 (Dan Morgan). In 1995, Round 4 (Jamie Brown). In 1996, Round 7 (Leslie Ratliff). In 1997, Round 3 (Dan Neil). In 1998, Round 7 (Trey Teague). In 1999, Round 2 (Lennie Friedman). In 2000, Round 4 (Cooper Carlisle). In 2001, Round 4 (Ben Hamilton). In 2002, they didn’t draft one. Finally, in 2003, Round 1 (George Foster).
When he went to Atlanta, the trend continued. 2004–didn’t draft one. 2005–Round 5 (Frank Omiyale). 2006–Round 5 (Quinn Ojinnaka).
Long story short, you can probably stop mentioning names like Ryan Clady and Sam Baker when you are talking about possible picks at 18. While not drafting first-round OTs is nothing new for this franchise, with Gibbs on board, the results almost surely will be.
1 Mark Schlereth has also said that a benefit of the cutblock is that you keep knocking these 300 lb. DTs down and they have to get right back up and trail the play while the O-lineman lays there and rests until the play ends, thus tiring the defensive player far more quickly. This is probably true, but is more of an added benefit than a raison d’etre for ZRB.
Lions and Tigers and a complete lack of football
Oct 7, 2007 2007 Season, Black Salaami, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Jacoby Jones is slighty less unheralded, Jerome Mathis got hurt reading this, Preview, The Fred
Following the less-than-shocking placement of Jerome Mathis on IR, the Texans activated Harry Williams from the practice squad. Williams spent last spring in NFL Europea, and one has to imagine that he’ll immediately get some work, what with Andre Johnson out another week and all.
Clearly, however, he was activated in an effort to get Jacoby Jones back on the field as soon as possible. Jones, a former Lane College Dragon, has sworn a murderous blood oath against all former Tuskegee Golden Tigers.1 Consider yourself on notice, Harry.
In other news, potential savior of all-mankind2 Fred Bennett has been practicing enough with the first team that he will “rotate in to spell Faggins at times,” as will Fletcher. I am going to be optimistic and assume that the talk of not one, but TWO guys ready to take reps is code for Petey being on a short leash like one of those hyper, spazzed-out kids at your local mall.
The fact that Jason Taylor is pissed off by his own play thus far in 2007 frightens me. Not that I don’t have a reasonable amount of faith in the Salaami, but I could see him being abused by an angry Taylor.
Finally, if you have my cellphone number, feel free to text me updates, especially as to how Faggins is playing. I am going to be wandering around the Memphis Zoo during the game and gamecenter only tells one so much.
1 This may not be true.
2 This may be an overstatement.
A fool’s errand
Sep 28, 2007 2007 Season, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Preview, Stats, Teams that aren't the Texans
I’ve been anything but subtle about my feelings for Petey Faggins as a starting second cornerback, so I debated whether to even comment on the latest Chron article regarding him. I mean, I’ve slowly come to the realization that I am preaching to the choir here.
Besides, the article is hardly ground-breaking; most of it says exactly what you’d think it would. He’s a hard worker. He tries not worry about what people say about him. Dunta likes him. The coaches like him. Blah blah blah.
There are some parts, however, that deserve a response.
[regarding Faggins' performance against Harrison] Hoke said, “He didn’t get in the end zone all afternoon or go over 100 yards (gaining 53). I’d call that a ‘win’ for Petey.”
The next person who uses that excuse is getting a turd in the mail. Seriously. First of all, Faggins did not only cover Harrison. Sure, Marvin was his primary guy for the afternoon, but Faggins also gave up catches to Wayne and Gonzalez at different points. If we are counting total yards he allowed, those need to be figured in. Second, in Marvin’s 53 yards was a pretty huge catch for a first down when the team absolutely, positively needed a stop and Petey was playing too far off (more on that in a minute). Third, and this is most important, while Marvin may have not gotten in the endzone, Petey was out of position and/or missed the tackle on BOTH Joseph Addai TD runs. BOTH OF THEM. So, no, Harrison didn’t score, but Petey didn’t exactly prevent TDs when he had the chance.
Asked why Faggins frequently appears to give the receiver excessive wiggle room, Hoke answered, “Some of it is by design.” But he also conceded, “There were plays (against the Colts) where we were playing zone technique and he kind of carried it over to man coverage. So, yes, in those situations, he got too far off.”
And it didn’t occur to anyone to mention to Petey that he was playing too far off in man coverage for nearly the entire game? No one noticed this until after the fact? Or was he told and he just didn’t listen? Telling us that, yeah, he screwed up, does not really answer the questions when he was continually screwing up. Or was the only play where it wasn’t “by design” the one catch by Harrison that basically ended our chances of winning the game? And why the hell is “too much wiggle room” part of the design (other than “because he can’t play man coverage without it”)? These are all legitimate questions that no one with access seems to be asking.
Faggins tends to suffer by comparison with Robinson, a former first-round draft choice who may be on the cusp of becoming a Pro Bowl-caliber corner. Most teams shy away from attacking Robinson, opting to pick on Faggins instead.
Actually, Faggins suffers by comparison to pretty much ANY starting corner. And don’t give me the “teams avoid Dunta” spiel, please. Dunta was the 13th most frequently targeted DB in the league last year (84 times). Now, considering Faggins was out much of last year with an injury, wouldn’t it stand to reason that the guy replacing Petey would be targeted at least as much as Faggins, if not more (because, after all, he’s backing up a starter, so he has to be worse, right)? Stupid facts getting in the way of nice, cushy excuses.
Hoke, however, doesn’t see as much failure there as others might, noting how one of Smith’s TDs, on a ball Faggins’ had tipped, was the kind of play All-Pros are wont to make. “Petey thought he’d tipped the ball away,” Hoke said, “but then Smith comes around behind him and finds a way to make the catch. Bad luck. Not everyone could have done that.”
Fair enough–not everyone could have found the ball and caught it. Spare me the “he tipped it” crap, though. Look at the replay and you will see that the ball hit Petey in the head and bounced away. It hit him in the head because he was late turning back to the ball. Had he turned back in time, Petey could have easily (one assumes) knocked the ball down and averted the TD.
I feel like I am beating my head against a brick wall here. I can see he’s not good. Most of you can see he’s not good. The opposing teams CERTAINLY see he’s not good. The stats bear out that he’s not good and that his fall-back excuse of “targeted more” is crap. Yet, all we hear is that he is better than our alternatives. But, considering that we haven’t exactly tried Fletcher over there (or signed a free agent), how the hell would we even know if that is true? Forgive me, but I don’t buy into the “because the coaching staff says so” reasoning.
So, my only question is, when Joey Harrington is going after Faggins and finding success, what excuses will we get then?
EDIT: I should also point out that in no way do I enjoy seeing Petey fail. If he steps up this weekend and dominates, I will certainly not think “well, crap!” If anything, I would like to see him step up his game and establish himself as a true CB. I am just not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
Rosterfarian
Sep 27, 2007 2007 Season, Lundy, Preview, RB free-for-all, Samkon Gado cured cancer, WR
I got so wrapped up in the weekly prediction post (which, by the way, are quickly becoming my favorite things to write) that I forgot to mention the team added TE/LS/ST Joel Dreessen and WR David Anderson to the active roster.
Now, while I was hoping for Charlie Adams because he’s 6-2 and relatively fast, I suppose David is a solid enough addition for the short term. He had one catch last year (27 yards) and 3 kick returns (30 yard average), along with three catches and on TD in the preseason. Of course, he’s also a 5-10 /196 white guy with a 4.53 40. Which is another way of saying make sure you temper your expectations accordingly.
Dreessen, aside from having bizarre back-to-back double letters in his last name, theoretically takes the place of Cedric Killings as a widebody who can run well enough to play special teams. He is also a long-snapper, which will be handy if Bryan Pittman and Jeff Zgonina die unexpectedly.
Just like a lot of people, I assumed that part of the roster additions this week would address the horrific running game that Jameel Cook and Sam Gado proffered last week. The theory is that Ron Dayne is going to be able to carry the load this week (and it’s not like the Falcons run D is much on tackling), which would make RB less of a priority. Unless he can’t. In which case we will either see Cook resume getting the bulk of the carries over Gado, which will make me scream at the TV, or see Gado assume the role of primary back, which will likely make me scream at the TV. Whither Wali Lundy?
Random tangent: Part of the non-Lundy stuff I’ve read this week has said he’s “slow.” Lundy, of course, ran a 4.43 at the combine. Gado ran a 4.68. If Wali is slow, Gado is best described as glacial.
Mass typo?
Sep 8, 2007 2007 Season, National Media, Preview
Can’t say that I’ve seen this kind of thing too often. I like it.
Evil EYE
Sep 6, 2007 Inanity, KEYE sucks, National Media, Preview, Righteous Indignation, Self-Referential Stuff
Living as I do in the fourth circle of Hell–Little Rock–located just between the circle where Lloyd Carr will burn for eternity and the circle where Bud Adams will toil, it’s a rarity when I get to see the Texans on regular television. It’s pretty much limited to
- (a) when they play the Cowgirls, because they are “America’s Team” and, by “America,” I mean “Mouthbreathing Rednecks” (which appeals to the key demographic here);
- (b) when they play the Jaguars, because the Jags feature former Arkansas Razorback Matt Jones, whose career I gather is of much importance to people in a state without professional sports; and
- (c) when they play a very good team in the 3pm game, which is self-explanatory.
Of course, considering I don’t live in Texas, I don’t have a lot of room to complain about the above situation. I mean, we are technically closer to Dallas than just about any team save perhaps the Rams (I am too lazy to mapquest this assertion). And, hell, at least the collective Matt Jones bukkake party lets me see the Houston Juggernauts twice per season. So, yeah, it could be worse. But, again, that is because I live in Little Rock.
If I lived in Austin, TX, however, and had to deal with this kind of crap, I’d be livid. First of all, I am guessing Austinites (Austonians? Austronauts?) see a helluva lot of Cowboys games, despite being closer to the Space City than Romotropolis. Adding insult to this injury, though, it seems that the Austin affiliate has decided that Vince Young and the Titans are more television worthy than the Texans/Chiefs tilt.
Bud Adams stole the Oilers from Houston (now the Titans), left the city with a huge stadium bill to pay, and broke the hearts of Texas pro football fans all over the state. How does K-EYE repay a man that Texas wants to wash their hands of? Play their team over the local team in the state’s capitol [sic].
As I was rather bored today, I called KEYE to ask about the situation.
Random Lady: Kaaay-Eeee-Whyyyy-Eeee
Me: Hi, could you transfer me to programming?
RL: What is this regarding, hon?
Me: Um, your programming.
RL: Is this about the Texans?
Me: Are you in charge of programming?
RL: No.
Me: I see. So… can I speak to programming?
RL: Is anyone expecting your call?
Me: Well, I’d guess that they are expecting a whole lot of these calls if you are screening for them.
RL: I can give you a voicemail.
Me: Whose voicemail?
RL: Programmin’s.
Me: The person in charge of programming is named “Programmin?”
RL: Wh– hold on. [click]
That’s right… she hung up on me. Which makes me think I was not the first person to call about this situation. Reading some of the responses from Texans fans in the Austin viewing area, I doubt I will be the last.
Ugoh? Keiaho? So?
Sep 6, 2007 Peyton Manning's lovelife, Preview, Teams that aren't the Texans, Winner winner chicken dinner
It dawned on me this morning that I hadn’t finished my countdown to nine wins. So, here they are–wins 8 and 9. Yes, I am totally mailing this one in.
For an explanation of what the heck I’m talking about, look here.
Win #8–Week 16 @ Indianapolis. Here’s the deal–I think all the talk of the Colts’ demise is greatly overblown. Yeah, they lost Tarik Glenn, but they have a talented (if not polished) rookie in Tony Ugoh to fill his shoes and–much more importantly–they have a great o-line coach and a QB who is fantastic at avoiding sacks (at least the football kind). On defense, they lost a few parts, but it’s not near enough to matter. Hell, they improved by getting rid of Cato June and letting Freddie Keiaho play.
And that is exactly why we will win. By week 16, the Colts should more or less have their playoff positioning set. Which means they will have no need to play their starters very much, if at all, especially on offense. We, on the other hand, should be scrapping for those last few wins to push us over .500. That’s a solid combination.
Win #9–Week 17 v. Jacksonville. I have zero explanation for our continued success against the Jags. It’s inexplicable. Yet, we keep winning against them. So, I’m just calling the two matchups a split this year because I am nearly certain we will win one of them. That’s how we roll.
Roughly 75 hours until kickoff
Sep 6, 2007 Chad Stanley, Dunta Robinson, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, Please let the season start soon, Preseason 2007, Preview, Secondary issues are primary, Self-Referential Stuff
Contrary to popular belief (hope? expectation?), I did not end it all after Saturday’s Michigan loss. However, with the younger brother in town until 4AM today, I was otherwise occupied with non-blog-related stuff. Shocking, I know.
Stories I missed between Sunday and today:
- TEP was granted a stay of execution and was placed on IR. He’s like herpes… always lurking, ready to flare up, but currently invisible. Eww.
- Dunta Robinson’s house was robbed.
- The practice squad was finalized. Jared Zabransky (QB), Darius Walker (RB), Harry Williams (WR), Brandon Frye (OT), Mike Brisiel (OG), Deljuan Robinson (DT), Tim Bulman (DT), Brandon Mitchell (S), and imported LB Eduardo Castaneda.
- Scott Jackson made the team and then didn’t make the team. He was released when we brought in Carolina-cast-off Rashad Butler. Given that Jackson was doing his best Jimmy Herndon impression in his extended reps, this can only be viewed as a positive.
- Stephanie ran some Q-and-A with me, Tim, and other people whose
cursehobby it is to write about the Texans.
And, just like that, we are up to speed. Awesome.
Bring out yer dead!
Aug 31, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Chocodiles, DeMeco Ryans, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Please let the season start soon, Posts that list too many players, Preseason 2007, Preview, Roster, The Fred, The Schaub Experiment
Well… I wasn’t quite as on-the-money as I thought (hoped?) I would be. Kubes announced the dearly departed in today’s press conference. They are:
(# denotes practice squad possibility, ! denotes turd-eating pederasts who no longer wear Battle Red)
Chad Stanley!
Bethel Johnson
Keenan McCardell
Wali Lundy
Jared Zabransky #
Darius Walker #
John Walker #
Tyrone Poole
Dexter McCleon
Jon Abbate #
Drew Hodgdon
Alfred Malone
Matt Brisiel
Brandon Frye #
David Anderson
Victor Degrate #
Brandon Mitchell #
Trent Bray
Deljaun Robinson #
Tim Bulman
Which leaves us with the following roster:
QB: Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels
RB: Ahman Green, Ron Dayne, Sam Gado, Vonta Leach, Jameel Cook (boo.)
WR: Andre Johnson, Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, Jerome Mathis,
TE: Owen Daniels, Jeb Putzier, Mark Bruener, Joel Dreessen
OL: Eric Winston, Fred Weary, Jordan Black, Scott Jackson, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Steve McKinney, Mike Flanagan, Chris White, Ephraim Salaam
DL: Mario Williams, Travis Johnson, , ND Kalu, Amobi Okoye, Anthony Maddox, Jason Babin, Earl Cochran, Anthony Weaver, Jeff Zgonina, Cedric Killings
LB: DeMeco Ryans, Danny Clark, Morlon Greenwood, Charlie Anderson, Shantee Orr, Shawn Barber, Zac Diles
CB: Dunta Robinson, Petey Faggins, Jamar Fletcher, Dexter Wynn, Fred Bennett
S: Jason Simmons, Von Hutchins, Brandon Harrison, C.C. Brown
P: Matt Turk
K: Kris Brown
LS: Brian Pittman
Unless my counting is off, that’s 55, so there are still two more cuts to come. (Eduardo Castaneda does not have to be cut–he will be put on the practice squad automatically and doesn’t count against the number of players we can put on the squad.) I imagine one cut will be either Dreessen or Pittman, as I can’t see carrying two longsnappers, and I am guessing Chris White or Scott Jackson will get the boot.
It blows my mind that McCardell didn’t make this team, but it blows it in a nice, call-you-the-next-day sort of way. When was the last time we could honestly say we had a deep WR corps?
Projected Roster as of 8/31/07
Aug 31, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Chocodiles, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Posts that list too many players, Preseason 2007, Preview, The Fred
And like that, the preseason is over. Thank goodness. While I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Schaub exorcise some demons and watching Jacoby Jones be absolutely amazing, the preseason still reminds me of that girl in high school that would make out with you at a party, but never went any further. She thought she was playing hard to get, but she was really just annoying you and leaving you unfulfilled. That’s the preseason in a nutshell. ESPECIALLY game 4, when most teams play “this is what it would look like if all our starters died.” Blech.
Anyway. Moving on. Like last week, * denotes a player is a lock to make the team. All numbers are based upon last year’s opening day roster.
QB (2)- Matt Schaub*, Sage Rosenfels* (Jared Zabransky should make the practice squad, as shown by his performance last night. Practice, dude.) Changes since last week: None.
RB/FB (5)- Ahman Green*, Ron Dayne*, Vonta Leach*, Sam Gado*, Wali Lundy. (That’s right–I think we will carry five RBs and only one true FB. If push came to shove, I’m sure Captain Pie and/or Samkon could play the role of blocking back. Lundy looked good (relatively speaking) last night. That coupled with Jon Abbate’s injury likely puts him on the practice squad. Patrick Pass just misses the cut. Darius Walker continues to not be good. Jameel Cook not invited back after last season’s debacles.) Changes since last week: Wali and Abbate switching places.
WR (5)- Andre Johnson*, Jacoby Jones*, Kevin Walter*, Jerome Mathis*, Andre Davis. (Charlie Adams is the sixth WR if we really keep six like Kubiak is saying. [Ed: Nevermind.] (What a difference a week makes. Last time I did this, I wrote “Keenan McCardell looks to be getting every benefit of every doubt in order to keep him on this team.” However, after seeing Bethel Johnson get every chance in the world to make this team, I think he’s the sixth man if such a creature exists. David Anderson reminded me that he is, in fact, still on the roster.) Changes since last week: Bethel above McCardell on the list.
OL (9)- Eric Winston*, Chester Pitts*, Fred Weary*, Ephraim Salaam*, Mike Flanagan*, Steve McKinney*, Kasey Studdard, Drew Hodgdon, Jordan Black. (Just missing the cut: Scott Jackson, Kevin Barry, and Brandon Frye. I have pretty much already decided that Black is the player I like least on this team, but I’m guessing he’ll still be around come Sunday morning. Chris White and Mike Brisiel won’t.) Changes since last week: NONE.
TE (4)- Owen Daniels*, Jeb Putzier*, and Mark Bruener*. (Yes, I realize that Joel Dreessen is on the roster, and, yes, I realize that he is a TE and long snapper… but I have been laboring under the impression that he had zero chance from day one. I stick to that.) Changes since last week: NONE
K (1)- Kris Brown*. Changes since last week: Impossible.
P (1)- Matt Turk. (Dear Chad Stanley. Please leave. Sincerely, all of us.) Changes since last week: NONE.
DL (9)- Mario Williams*, Amobi Okoye*, Anthony Weaver*, Anthony Maddox*, Jason Babin*, ND Kalu*, Travis Johnson*, Jeff Zgonina, and Earl Cochran. (Just missing the cut: Cedric Killings. Also not making the roster, though by a wider margin, DelJuan Robinson, Victor DeGrate, Alfred Malone, and Tim Bulman. Christ, this is a logjam. Cochran and Killings looked decent last night. I moved Orr back to the LB list just for the sake of simplicity. ) Changes since last week:
LB (6)- DeMeco Ryans*, Morlon Greenwood*, Charlie Anderson*, Shawn Barber*, Danny Clark*, Shantee Orr. (Practice squad: Zac Diles. Getting cut: Trent Bray.) Changes since last week: Orr back on this list, with Diles to the practice squad. I think he’s a great kid and he will probably find a way back onto this roster, but Orr’s ability to play pass-rushing DE and pass-rushing LB keeps him on the roster.
CB (6)- Dunta Robinson*, Demarcus Faggins*, Fred Bennett*, Jamar Fletcher*, Von Hutchins, Dexter McCleon and Tyrone Poole. (Not making the cut: Dexter Wynn and Roc Alexander.) Changes since last week: Wynn and McCleon changed places.
S (4)- C.C. Brown*, Jason Simmons*, Brandon Mitchell, Brandon Harrison (John Walker gets cut. In my perfect world, Von Hutchins is spending more time at safety. Gary Kubiak does not seem to agree with this plan, so I’m guessing it’s Walker who misses out.) Changes since last week: Mitchell up.
Long Snapper (1)- Bryan Pittman*. (I just want to mention one last time that Zgonina can long snap, which would allow us to carry 6 CBs and 5 Safeties.) Changes since last week: NONE.
So I says to Mabel, I says…
Aug 30, 2007 Chad Stanley, Jacoby Jones is slighty less unheralded, Matt Turk rules, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, Preseason 2007, Preview, Secondary issues are primary
Three player-related notes on the eve of the 53-man roster.
I wonder if Chad Stanley1 woke up this morning with a Jack-Bauer-esque countdown clock in his head. Considering it’s 83.2% certain that Stanley will get the axe2 at some point between now and Saturday afternoon, it’s kind of fun to picture him racing around town today, trying to save his job. It’s even more fun, however, picturing him getting a pink slip on Saturday morning. Lord knows he deserves it.
Jacoby Jones continues to show that he is a pass-catching, punt-returning, country-music-listening3 super ninja bent on total NFL domination. He ended the preseason with 11 catches for two TDs to go along with his two punt return TDs. Which, of course, means that Kevin Walter is still the second WR. Because, you know, those two catches and two drops he had over the past four games were simply dominant.
I have a love-hate relationship with Brandon Mitchell. On the one hand, he worships at the altar of Woody Hayes and, thus, is a soulless puppy-eating incubus. On the other, though, he’s played well enough this preseason that I would actually feel better about our safety depth if he made the roster. Honestly, I would rather have him on the active roster than Brandon Harrison, whom Mitchell has outplayed in three of the four games.
Final roster decisions made today (trimming from 75 to 53) and most likely announced tomorrow. I’ll have my last set of projections up sometime today. Because I’m sure Kubiak is waiting for my input.
1 The turd-eating pederast.
2 Only figuratively, damn it.
3 Huh?
109. Chad Stanley has more 16-yard punts than anyone ever born with two functioning legs.
Aug 28, 2007 Andre Johnson, Batman, Chad Stanley, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Owen Daniels is a big ol' Pimp, Preview
Random Texans-related fantasy football nuggets from Matthew Berry’s “50 Things You Need to Know,”
4. Last season, Ahman Green had more than 1,400 total yards in 14 games. Last season, the Houston Texans had 13 rushing touchdowns as a team and averaged more than 100 yards rushing per game, both numbers better than those of the Packers last season. And the Texans did it with Samkon Gado, Wali Lundy[,] and Ron Dayne carrying the rock.
12. Only one wide receiver (Houston’s Andre Johnson) had more receptions than Detroit’s Mike Furrey last season.
27. Owen Daniels had the same number of touchdowns (five) as Tony Gonzalez, L.J. Smith[,] and Heath Miller.
51. Jacoby Jones is clearly the greatest athlete to ever even consider touching a football.
Well, I’m sure that would have been next, had the list continued.
Projected Roster as of 8/27/07
Aug 27, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Chocodiles, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, Posts that list too many players, Preseason 2007, Preview, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Fred
Another week, another demonstration by Jacoby Jones as to why he should be the starting WR2. Which, of course, means that he’s not. That’s life, I guess. Like last week, * denotes a player is a lock to make the team. All numbers are based upon last year’s opening day roster.
QB (2)- Matt Schaub*, Sage Rosenfels* (Jared Zabransky should make the practice squad.) Changes since last week: Quinton Porter and Bradlee Van Pelt were cut. So, far, I am 2/2.
RB/FB (5)- Ahman Green*, Ron Dayne*, Vonta Leach*, Sam Gado*, Jon Abbate, (Wali Lundy and Patrick Pass just miss the cut. Darius Walker continues to not be good. Jameel Cook not invited back after last season’s debacles.) Changes since last week: Gado bumped up to lock status. Abbate is hanging on by a thread and I could see Pass or Cook (NO!) supplanting him.
WR (5)- Andre Johnson*, Jacoby Jones*, Kevin Walter*, Jerome Mathis, Andre Davis. (Charlie Adams is the sixth WR if we really keep six like Kubiak is saying. [Ed: Nevermind.] Keenan McCardell looks to be getting every benefit of every doubt in order to keep him on this team. Bethel Johnson was given a temporary stay of execution, as poor Charlie Adams was killed instead. David Anderson reminded me that he is, in fact, still on the roster.) Changes since last week: Adams and Harry Williams were cut. I am 3/4.
OL (9)- Eric Winston*, Chester Pitts*, Fred Weary*, Ephraim Salaam*, Mike Flanagan*, Steve McKinney*, Kasey Studdard, Drew Hodgdon, Jordan Black. (Just missing the cut: Scott Jackson, Kevin Barry, and Brandon Frye. There is still no indication that Kubiak is as unhappy with Turnstile Black as fans are, so I am guessing that he’ll be around come the end of the preseason. Chris White and Mike Brisiel get sent packing.) Changes since last week: NONE.
TE (4)- Owen Daniels*, Jeb Putzier*, and Mark Bruener*. (I think this is why we’ll be carrying 6 WRs, which is good news for Charlie Adams someone other than Charlie Adams.) Changes since last week: NONE
K (1)- Kris Brown*. Changes since last week: Impossible.
P (1)- Matt Turk. (Chad Stanley is gone. Praise Jesus.) Changes since last week: NONE, technically, but Kubiak’s statement that they “could have” made a decision yesterday but decided not to suggests to me that Stanley is 99% out the door. I mean, I see no way that they could have decided “you know… I am really sick of getting good punts and winning the field position battle. Turk’s gone!”
DL (9)- Mario Williams*, Amobi Okoye*, Anthony Weaver*, Anthony Maddox*, Jason Babin*, ND Kalu*, Travis Johnson*, Jeff Zgonina, and Shantee Orr. (Just missing the cut: Earl Cochran and Victor DeGrate. Also not making the roster, though by a wider margin, DelJuan Robinson, Cedric Killings, Alfred Malone, and Tim Bulman.) Changes since last week: Thomas Johnson released, a week after I had moved him UP on this thing. I am 3/5. Orr was moved from LB to RDE and seemed to play extremely well.
LB (6)- DeMeco Ryans*, Morlon Greenwood*, Charlie Anderson*, Shawn Barber*, Danny Clark*, Zac Diles. (Getting cut: Trent Bray. Theoretically, Orr might make the team as an LB who just plays DE, kind of like DeMarcus Ware, with Diles going to the practice squad, which would allow for Earl Cochran to make the team as a DL.) Changes since last week: NONE (though it looks and sounds like Clark is back to being the bona fide starter at SLB).
CB (6)- Dunta Robinson*, Demarcus Faggins*, Fred Bennett*, Jamar Fletcher*, Von Hutchins, Dexter Wynn and Tyrone Poole. (Not making the cut: Dexter McCleon and Roc Alexander. The last four guys on this list were more or less invisible Saturday, so I am not sure if there was any real shake-up here.) Changes since last week: I moved Hutchins back to CB because I think there was some movement at safety.
S (4)- C.C. Brown*, Jason Simmons*, Brandon Harrison, Brandon Mitchell (John Walker gets cut. I moved Hutchins back to CB, as I think Mitchell strong showing Saturday has him back on the good list. Also, there is a possibility that we will carry only 5 WRs/3 TEs so that we can use the extra roster spot for a 5th safety along with our 6 CBs.) Changes since last week: Mitchell up, Hutchins moved.
Long Snapper (1)- Bryan Pittman*. (I just want to mention AGAIN that Zgonina can long snap, which would allow us to carry 6 CBs and 5 Safeties?) Changes since last week: NONE.
Projected Roster as of 8/20/07
Aug 20, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Chocodiles, DeMeco Ryans, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Preseason 2007, Preview, Secondary issues are primary, Shawn Barber and Danny Clark, Super Mario, The Fred, The Schaub Experiment
Another game, another round of roster shuffling. There weren’t too many changes this time around, if only because our defense has the most question marks, but no one really stood out. Click here for last week’s entry. (* denotes lock to make the team; all projections are based on the number of players we took at each position last year.)
QB (2)- Matt Schaub*, Sage Rosenfels* (Jared Zabransky on the practice squad. Bradlee Van Pelt and Quinton Porter cut.) Changes since last week: NONE.
RB/FB (5)- Ahman Green*, Ron Dayne*, Vonta Leach*, Jon Abbate, Sam Gado (Wali Lundy and Patrick Pass just miss the cut. Darius Walker continues to not be good. Jameel Cook not invited back after last season’s debacles.) Changes since last week: Gado supplants Lundy in the last slot because Kubiak is strangely enamored with Samkon. Pass snuck up to “just misses the cut” status, based mainly on special teams work.
WR (5)- Andre Johnson*, Jacoby Jones*, Kevin Walter*, Jerome Mathis, Andre Davis. (Charlie Adams is the sixth WR if we really keep six like Kubiak is saying. Keenan McCardell is on the verge of having no shot. Bethel Johnson is already there. Harry Williams is like one of those uncles you never see–you know he’s alive, but you have no proof.) Changes since last week: Adams up to #6, McCardell less likely to make the team without a big showing over these next two games.
OL (9)- Eric Winston*, Chester Pitts*, Fred Weary*, Ephraim Salaam*, Mike Flanagan*, Steve McKinney*, Kasey Studdard, Drew Hodgdon, Jordan Black. (Just missing the cut: Scott Jackson, Kevin Barry, and Brandon Frye. There is still no indication that Kubiak is as unhappy with Turnstile Black as fans are, so I am guessing that he’ll be around come the end of the preseason. Chris White and Mike Brisiel get sent packing.) Changes since last week: Hodgdon moved up, due mainly to a biceps tear to Kevin Barry.
TE (4)- Owen Daniels*, Jeb Putzier*, and Mark Bruener*. (I think this is why we’ll be carrying 6 WRs, which is good news for Charlie Adams.) Changes since last week: NONE
K (1)- Kris Brown*. Changes since last week: Impossible.
P (1)- Matt Turk. (Chad Stanley is gone. Praise Jesus.) Changes since last week: NONE, though I would be putting a * by Turk’s name if we’d gotten a nice 18 yard wobbler out of the Turd Eating Pederast.
DL (9)- Mario Williams*, Amobi Okoye*, Anthony Weaver*, Anthony Maddox*,