Texans by the numbers
Aug 21, 2008 2008 Season, Andre Johnson, Awesomeness, David Anderson's Dance Party, Hi Steve!, K-Dub, RB free-for-all, Stats
Just in case you were wondering, here are some preseason statistics for your Houston Texans. Grains of salt optional, but recommended.
QB
Matt Schaub: 18-21 (85.7%), 10.3 YPC, 2 TD, 0 INT, 0 Sack, 141.3 rating
S. Rosenfels: 16-23 (69.6%), 10.0 YPC, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 Sack, 116.4 rating
Analysis: Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Schaub is your QB now and for the foreseeable future. Even without context, he has been better than Sage. Then, once you factor in that Matt’s passes have come against mainly first-stringers and Sage’s have come against mainly second-stringers, the distinction becomes even more clear. Schaub absolutely put on a clinic against New Orleans. Here’s hoping he keeps it going against Dallas.
RB
Steve Slaton: 24 carries, 94 yards (3.9/carry), 1 TD, 0 fumbles
Chris Taylor: 22 carries, 53 yards (2.4/carry), 1 TD, 0 fumbles
Darius Walker: 8 carries, 29 yards (3.6/carry), 0 TD, 0 fumbles
Chris Brown: 8 carries, 19 yards (2.4/carry), 0 TD, 0 fumbles
Ahman Green: 0 anything because he’s a big ol’ mangina.
Analysis: I included the fumbles just because that was one of two knocks against Slaton. The other was that he was too small, though, as people have noted, he seems to have added around 15 lbs of muscle to his frame since the Combine. And, if you watched the second half of the Saints game, Slaton was the MAN. His TD run involved slipping one tackle, then lowering his shoulder and driving for an additional two yards. I’d like to see him named starter from the jump, but regardless, if he’s not starting by week 3, I’ll be shocked. Also, Ahman Green and Chris Brown…ewww.
WR
D. Anderson: 9 catches, 128 yards (14.2 YPC), 1 TD
Kevin Walter: 7 catches, 105 yards (15.0 YPC), 1 TD
Andre’ Davis: 4 catches, 46 yards (11.5 YPC), 0 TD
Jacoby Jones: 2 catches, 61 yards (30.5 YPC), 0 TD
Analysis: Looking at that list, two things jump out at me: (1) Matt Schaub’s numbers are even better when you realize he hasn’t been able to throw to Andre Johnson a single time this preseason, and (2) our passing attack has the potential to be ridiculously good this year. When you add in AJ, you have four receivers (plus Jacoby) who all bring a little something different to the mix and who create all sorts of matchup problems for opposing coverages. The real question is whether we run four wide more often than last year (when I believe we were 30th or 31st in the league in number of plays) and if we are more efficient in the shotgun spread formations (where we were not very good at all last season). If Slaton gives us merely as much as Ron Dayne gave us last year—which I don’t think is asking a lot—I think the answer to both of those questions is yes.
Kickoff
Aug 5, 2008 2008 Training Camp, DeMeco Ryans, Frank Okam is an evil genius, Kickoff, RB free-for-all, Super Mario
Look, kids! Haley’s comet! Chris Brown practiced yesterday, meaning that his ruptured labia must be healing nicely. I’m putting the over/under on the number of consecutive practices he makes it to at 3.5.
I got yer “low profile” right here. Want to see the most superficial look at Houston’s training camp? Look no further than this write-up from the Sporting News. For every decent point Greenberg makes, he follows it up with something asinine. Seriously, find me someone who says Dunta Robinson is the best defensive player on this team and I’ll show you someone who is a total dipshit. Dunta’s good, and he might be the “heart” of the defense, but DeMeco and Mario are WAY better respective to their positions than DR is. (Also, if this guy really believes Frank Okam “won’t see the field much” in 2008, he probably also believes that Vince Young is a great QB.)
New rule: If you write fantasy football articles for a living and as recently as yesterday you were claiming that Chris Brown was your “pick to be the opening day starter,” you should probably go into a new line of work. Or, you know, do a little research before you write this crap.
Finally. Caption this pic of Baby Shan.
Kickoff
Jul 31, 2008 Babyeating-Sisterfuckers, Kickoff, Owen Daniels is a big ol' Pimp, RB free-for-all, Vince Young can't read this post
No link yet, but… A Fox 26 rumor has it that four running backs will be visiting camp today–-Tony Temple (Missouri), Calvin Dawson (UL-Lafayette), J.D. Washington (Denzel’s kid, out of Morehouse), and the aforementioned Mike Bell (Arizona, by way of the Denver Broncos). Of these, Bell is the known quantity, of course. Washington has spent two years on the Rams’ practice squad. I know nothing of Dawson. Temple, however, is the one who intrigues me. Maybe it was just the ineptness of the Razorback coaching staff, but Temple took Arkansas’ Ess Eee See Speed and shoved it up their asses, dismantling the Hog defense in the Cotton Bowl. Regardless, Chris Brown should probably go ahead and pack his bags…or, you know, have someone else do it, since his back is so bad. (h/t Eric)
Brilliant. I hate linking to PFT, but I’ve seen this other places as well. Apparently, the Baby-Eating Sister-Fuckers are bringing in Byron Leftwich to work out. They don’t plan on signing him, but they want to see how he’d fit in the offense, should Radio and Vodka Collins both get injured. Because, clearly, a guy who passes like Vince and runs like Kerry is going to be fantastic. (Eric)
Sticking with the BESFs. It seems Jevon Kearse missed his second straight practice yesterday, this time with knee pain. He left the morning practice because his foot got stepped on. Dear Tman, please tell me again how Kearse is going to be an amazing quarterback destroying force this year. I love a good tall tale. (Yup, Eric)
Finally. Caption time.
An Open Letter to Chris Brown
Jul 29, 2008 Open Letters, RB free-for-all, Ranting
Dear Chris,
I hope this letter finds you not dead. The reason I’m writing is this: PLEASE don’t make me hate you.
You see, I am a bitter, angry little man and I have more than enough hate to go around. I give some hate to Travis, I give some hate to Petey, I give some hate to Coach Smith…but I have more. Lots more. And a good bit of that can and will be yours unless some shit changes.
Thing is, I don’t want to hate you. Hell, I even told people before camp that you were my darkhorse candidate to be the number one guy this year. I thought, “hey, here’s a kid with a lot of talent who has just gotten some unlucky breaks.” Sure, maybe you run so upright one has to wonder if you have something up your ass, but that was no biggie. I figured you could handle the load and be a surprise 1200-yard back under Coach Gibbs.
Then camp started. Not for you, though, as you chose to go to a wedding thing. Hey, I kind of understand that. Maybe. I guess.
Actually, no, I don’t. Plenty of people—even those without football players in their families—plan their weddings so that the nuptials don’t interfere with camp. These dates are set WAY in advance, man. If the family member didn’t care enough about having you there to make sure the date wouldn’t interfere with camp, why would you even go? I honestly don’t get it.
Maybe the wedding was “spur of the moment.” If so, that’s cool…for the couple. YOU should have said “congrats, but I can’t make it because I am trying to win a job on a football team that will not hesitate to cut me if I suck or do stupid things.” Because, well, Kubiak will not hesitate to cut you if you suck or do stupid things.
And, yeah, the back spasms aren’t totally your “fault,” per se, but…well…they kind of make you look like a pussy. I’m just sayin’. Don’t get me wrong—I have a bad back and I know how painful such spasms can be. But I also know that they can be treated AND I know that, for me at least, they require me to actually DO SOMETHING before they flare up. Now, it could be that I am just tougher than you are. Totally possible. But, if so, that’s definitely not a good thing.
ANYWAY…yeah, you are really working my last good nerve, bro. But, because I am trying not to hate you, I have a tiny piece of advice: hike up your skirt and and get on the fucking field NOW, Nancy. It’s really the only way to prevent some serious unpleasantness.
Kissies,
Matt
10 Reasons Against Signing Cedric Benson
Jul 1, 2008 2005 Draft, 2006 Season, 2007 Season, Bad Idea Jeans, Beer, DO NOT WANT, God hates ugly, Non-Texan stuff, RB free-for-all, Teams that aren't the Texans
10. He inspired the following as recently as last October:
When you watch Cedric Benson run the football you’re struck by two contrasting traits. He doesn’t go out of his way to make people miss, preferring to try and run people over, and he doesn’t seem to run the ball very hard. It’s hard enough to pull off the first thing in the NFL under any circumstances but impossible when you don’t run into the line like a runaway train. Too often, Benson appears to go down at first contact and appears to be missing the assertiveness you need to be a successful NFL running back.
9. He was so disliked by his teammates in Chicago that “about ten” Bears defensive players tried to hurt him in practice. I would prefer Mario to continue trying to murder opposing QBs and not have him disembowel a teammate.
8. He is coming off a season-ending broken leg that required a plate in his lower leg, near his ankle. Maybe it is completely healed with no lingering after-effects, but do you really want to take that chance? Do you REALLY want to risk having him make the roster, only to then find out, oops, I guess it wasn’t totally perfect? Because, maybe I am old fashioned, but I think we’ve got enough injury questions in our backfield as it is.
7. He is a summa cum laude (loud?) graduate of the Fred Smoot School of Nautical Recreation.
6. According to beef,
this guy me and some friends met at a party, who went to UT, and played with C-bong at Midland Lee [...] said that everyone on Lee’s team hated his guts because he was such a prick, and all he cared about were his numbers [...] and he was a whiny finger-pointer. Anyway, the dude said that he had several other friends on UT’s team, and when he’d tell them he was from Lee, they’d bring up how much everyone on UT’s team hated his ass too for the same shit. You could also tell it from watching their games. He’d always be standing by himself on the sidelines and no one would ever come up to him for congratulatory or “keep your head up” comments.
Is that nothing but hearsay? You bet. But it’s fully admissible in the Court of Matt Fucking Hates You.
5. His boat parties don’t end well. “Yeah, yeah…suuuuure you weren’t drinking.”
4. About a month after deciding boating wasn’t for him, he took the same strategy to the open road, only with fewer hoes and no bag of Sun Chips. This fantastic story ends with a court-ordered breathalyzer ignition lock. So I’m guessing the judge didn’t buy the excuses.
3. The idea that he can fall forward for 4 yards a pop is tenuous at best, considering he fell forward for 3.4 YPC last year before tearing his mangina breaking his leg. He did manage 4.1 YPC in 2006. You know who else managed 4.1 in 2006? Ron “Meringue” Dayne. And Dayne had 4.0 YPC in 2007. And he did it all without endangering the public, eating Sun Chips with hoes, or getting arrested multiple times.
2. According to the Chicago Sun-Times,
The worst part of it is that Benson isn’t a viable reserve because he doesn’t pass block, play special teams, or help on third downs. He could be low on the depth chart (emphasis added).
I’m guessing that could be a problem as we break in a rookie LT and try to keep Matt Schaub upright all year. Just sayin’.
1. He’s not a good fit for a true zone blocking system. Thomas Jones was the cut-back style runner on the Bears and he was shipped to New York because the Bears thought Benson’s “pounding” (and I use that term as loosely as it can be employed) style was a better fit for them. He doesn’t have the speed to get the outside zone consistently (and he runs upright on outside runs), yet he lacks the vision to properly cut back and go. And I’m not the only one who says this stuff:
If there’s one thing we know post-trade, it’s that the Bears offensive line was suspect/borderline shitty last season too. Their inability to open solid running lanes was masked by the cut-back running style of Thomas Jones. When Jones took the hand-off from Grossman and realized his blockers hadn’t cleared any space, he was able to manufacture extra yardage. Even then, he still danced around the backfield too often and was never able to break off any long runs.
So it should be no surprise that Benson is struggling. He is strictly a straight-ahead, power runner; if the hole isn’t open, he’s not going anywhere. I’ve seen better run blocking from plastic lineman on an electric football table than what the Bears have shown this year.
Kickoff
Jul 1, 2008 2008 Season, Bloggerating, Fluff, RB free-for-all, Rumors
HoustonProFootball is back. Well, sorta. If you are like me, in addition to running blog that will eventually bring shame to the next three generations of your family, you used to rely upon HoustonProFootball.com’s estimated salary cap figures. When they closed-up shop, as it were, I assumed that we were just hosed when it came to having all those numbers in one place again. But fear not! Keith is back with …In The Bullseye.com, and it features the cap numbers as well quality posts about our favorite football team.
“…Mr Smith, Blair Thomas Lite is on line 2…”. There’s a rumor floating around the internets — OK, it’s floating over from TT.com, with little in the way of attribution, so take it with however much salt you fancy — that Cedric Benson might sign with the Texans. I really, REALLY hope this is all a hoax. First, I have a slightly-irrational hatred of Benson that I will not apologize for. Second, though, and more importantly, Benson sucks. Like, really sucks. I know the idea of “well, he played with some turds in Chicago,” but that’s the same type of thing Carolina fans were telling themselves when they signed Zoolander Q. Hairdo and we saw how that panned out. Third, Benson is not a character guy in the least and has a reputation as a lockerroom tumor. So…yeah…just say “No,” Rick.
Leaders are not born, nor are they made; they are appointed by the internet. Typical offseason fluff article from New Era Scouting about some “no name” guys who are important to their respective teams. Chris Myers makes an appearance. Now, I certainly have no beef with the idea that he was acquired for great value OR that he is a very good center, despite measuring poorly. I do hesitate, however, at the idea that his leadership of the O-line cannot be overstated. Could we let him, you know, PLAY a game before we crown him King Shit of Fuck Mountain?
So…you’re saying there’s a chance?! If you are not a season-ticket holder and you have any dreams of going to the Monday Night game (or the December Titans game), you have to enter a lottery at HT.com. Note, they are only drawing for the “chance to buy tickets if any are available,” so I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Three pies and a cloud of meringue
Jan 21, 2008 2007 Season, 2008 Draft, Charles Spencer, Free Agency, Offensive (punch)Line, RB free-for-all, Ron Dayne likes pie
There’s been a lot of talk about taking a running back with our first round pick in the 2008 Draft - with good cause - so I am going to take just a quick look behind and ahead at our RB experience.
2007 was the year of the Pie for the Texans running game. After signing a $400 quadrillion contract in the off-season, Ahman Green proved what most of the rest of us already knew: a RB over 30 years old = over the hill. And to get over that hill, he’ll need some oxygen. Now, it is true that Green looked great in the pre-season and in the first game. Sadly, though his longest rush of the year came on his first rush of the year, and he wound up with only 260 yards and a pathetic 3.7 YPC. This left the majority of the team’s carries to Ron Dayne.
It’s not like Dayne had a bad year. His YPC was marginally successful at 4.0, but the league averaged 4.1 YPC. In other words, the guy who got the ball the most for us was below average versus the league…including the super sucky Bears. As a team, the Texans ranked 24th in YPC and 22nd in total rushing yards. Yeah, as master of the obvious, let me state: we need to improve the running game.
As Matt mentions in his Zone Blocking Manifesto, Gibbs is unlikely to take an offensive lineman in the first round, though he has done this. With as deep of a crop of RBs as there are in this year’s draft, I’m not sold on taking a RB with our first pick, either. Look at how well 7th round pick Ahmad Bradshaw performed last night: RB talent can be found deep in the draft. We know that Gibbs alone with help the running game, but there’s no way in hell we should count on Barbaro Spencer being healthy, either. There are a ton of variables at play here to improve the running game, and I haven’t even talked about the rest of the offense yet.
Personally, I’m starting to convince myself that signing Tatum Bell might be a good idea, then use a pick (maybe a 2nd rounder if we trade back, or a 3rd rounder if not) to take a RB. Bell should come relatively cheaply, and he knows the system. Hell, in Denver, he averaged 4.9 YPC. Yes, he comes with some baggage (pouty, can’t handle a big workload, issues picking up the blitz), but he also gives us the home run ability that not a single other Texan on the roster has. After his 39 yard run, Dayne had to have a peach pie IVed into him. By drafting a RB a little later, we can still address the problem in the running game and plug a hole elsewhere.
Regardless (and assuming we re-sign him), if Dayne gets more than 40 carries in 2008, we will have to consider our off-season plan to address the running game a failure. And, no, I give no disclaimer due to injury. Simply, there are better options out there than Dayne, and we need to find them.
Source: nfl.com for stats.
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.
Somehow, I doubt they’ll make a Fathead of any of these guys
Nov 20, 2007 2007 Season, Adimchinobe Echemandu is fun to say, Batman, Injury bug, Nigerian Mafia, RB free-for-all
Just scrolled across the bottom of NFL Network:
“Houston Texans: Activate RB Darius Walker from practice squad.”
Interesting for a number of reasons. First, this might mean that Gary is starting to doubt Joe Echemandu. (Echeman-don’t?) Second, it wasn’t that long ago that someone close to the Texans organization told me that “Walker’s not good, but you’re right [in thinking] he asked to be released. That said, I would be shocked if he made a roster, let alone play a down in the NFL.” Maybe is he is less not good now? Third, could this possibly be the final sign that Ahman Green shan’t be suiting up in the Texans colors again this year (or ever)?
Odds and Ends
Oct 25, 2007 2007 Season, Fuck the Cowboys, Nigerian Mafia, Nnamdi Asomugha, RB free-for-all, Teams that aren't the Texans
So, we are supposed to learn today where Sunday’s game will be played (and if it will even be on Sunday). The current realistic choices are Reliant, Texas Stadium, University of Phoenix Stadium, this guy’s backyard, and Qualcomm. If the game is at Qualcomm and (possibly) if the game is at U-Phoenix, odds are it will be a Monday night game. Taking those options in order:
- Reliant. This makes the most sense to me. I mean, in theory, if you are supposed to play a game with a team and you are unable to host it, the default should be to have it at their stadium and just call you the “home” team. Baseball does this all the time, most recently with some Cleveland and Seattle games (though, to be fair, those games were played later in the year instead of the day of the original game, but baseball has that kind of logistical flexibility). Still, I can see the Chargers and (more accurately) their fans getting all up in arms about this scenario. To which I say, “why do you hate charity?” You see, as Steph pointed out to me, if they are going to use this game to raise money for San Diegans, the Houston is a perfect locale. First, Bob McNair did all sorts of fundrasie-y type stuff for the Katrina victims, including shelling out $1MM of his own cash–by the way, Bob, this blog would gladly accept a sugar daddy–so it’s not like using a game at Reliant to raise cash is out of left field or anything. Second, I assume that tickets to this game will just go on general sale to the public instead of being part of the season tickets, which means that nearly everyone who buys tickets will be doing it because they want to see the game, meaning that the disaffected season ticket holders who don’t even sit in their seats will be kept to a minimum.
- Texas Stadium. Let’s be really blunt about something. Texas Stadium is a festering shitbox. And it’s not just because of the team that plays there. No, it really is a disgusting, run-down facility. Of ALL the options on that list, it is hands-down the worst if only because of the structure. On top of which, last I checked, Dallas was primarily full of mouth-breathing yokels and credit card millionaires. (Dallas residents who read this blog are excluded from that characterization.) Not exactly a polo match crowd. Which might be what they want, with the theory being that the people who show up will do so to boo the Texans. Brilliant. Let’s hold a game in a place where you have to bank on animus to drive ticket sales. I’m sure that is going to raise as much money as the game at Reliant. Assbags.
University of Phoenix Stadium. This is easily the nicest stadium sponsored by an online university. Kidding aside, this plan at least makes logistical sense in that San Diegans could migrate to the game if they were so inclined. And if their cars hadn’t burned up. The problem is, apparently someone else has rented out the whole complex for some kind of something until Sunday, which would make preparations a problem. The game would have to be played on Monday, which, while that would not be a problem were it in San Diego (more on that in a minute), asking fans of either team to get to a game like that on a weekday night is probably stretching it.Update: I took a break from writing this to go to lunch and, upon returning, saw that UoPS had been eliminated due to the obligations through Sunday. This is good.- That guy’s backyard. Unlikely. Though, judging by the pictures of both, it is probably nicer than Texas Stadium.
- Qualcomm. Word has come out today that they might actually get to play the game at Qualcomm. They have cleared out most of the evacuees, with the number currently holed up in the stadium at around 5,000. If they can get everyone out and if they can get the place cleaned up and ready, then the game would be held there. Possibly–again, assuming the ifs–on Sunday as planned. I wouldn’t hold my breath (unless I was near the wildfires), though. The league has said that they will give the organization as much time as possible to figure out if Qualcomm will work.
In other news, I cannot believe I waited this long to mention that Sam Gado was asked to turn in his playbook, pack his 2 yards/carry, and head to somewhere other than Reliant Stadium. This is good news. Perhaps even better news, though, is that the team activated recent signee, liason to Nnamdi Asomugha, and has-to-be-better-than-Gado RB Adimchinobe Echemandu (Joe Echema, for the Nigerian-impaired). You could say I am a little happy about this. He might turn out to be a total bust, but I’ll take that kind of chance on 4.33 speed any day.
You say "Echema," I say "Echemandu"
Oct 13, 2007 2004 Draft, Amobi Okoye is 20, Free Agency, Jerome Mathis got hurt reading this, Nigerian Mafia, Nnamdi Asomugha, RB free-for-all
I didn’t mention it on Wednesday, but the Texans signed Adimchinobe Echemandu–known as “Joe Echema” at Cal before he decided to go back to his real Nigerian name–to the practice squad. (There was an extra spot after we filled Jerome Mathis‘ roster hole.)
Anyway, it could be the fact that it’s late and I’ve been drinking or it could just be the paint fumes getting to me, but I am sorta jazzed about this signing. “Why,” you ask? A number reasons.
First, the simple fact that we signed him may mean that Samkon Gado is not factoring into our long-term plans. Which is good, because he sucks.
Second, though, and more importantly, is that when Echemandu is not injured, he’s fast. No, scratch that. He’s fast. He was banged up and didn’t run the 40 at the combine in 2004, but he turned in a 4.33 into the wind the summer before. Had he run that time at the combine, it would have been the fastest time in that year’s RB crop. Not shabby. And not surprising, as Joe was a sprinter before turning to football full time. He has had some injury issues since and has been very limited in playing time in the NFL, but that kind of speed is hard to come by. If you can get it at a discount like this, why not take a shot?
Third, Echemandu is a cousin of Nnamdi Asomugha. Do not underestimate how excited this makes me.
Finally, Joe is the fifth Nigerian-born player under some sort of contract with the Texans right now, joining Amobi Okoye, ND Kalu, Samkon Gado, and WR Gbolahan Devin Aromashodu. I suppose the way Amobi talked early in camp about Kalu being like a mentor/big brother to him is what makes me like this signing of Echemandu, as I buy into the idea of players overachieving when placed into highly comfortable situations. And that idea ties into us somehow luring Asomugha here in the offseason. Yes, I am slightly obsessed.
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.
Get out of here! Come back!
Jul 30, 2007 Injury bug, RB free-for-all, Undrafted Free Agent watch list
Chris Taylor’s knee hates him. EDIT: Taylor underwent surgery for a torn meniscus on Sunday and he was placed on the IR, meaning he is lost for the season.
Taylor’s value to the team was two-fold. One, he showed some flashes of talent as a starting RB (99 yds, 1 TD v. Cleveland). Two, he can also play FB, meaning your lead-blocker is about as fast as your RB in those packages. That’s a nice weapon to have. At least it would have been a nice weapon to have.
In place of Taylor (and the PUPed Jameel Cook), the team brought in Quentin Griffin and Patrick Pass for workouts, signing Pass. They also re-signed the recently cut Darius Walker.
Signing Pass makes sense to me; he’s a versatile back (RB and FB, like Taylor), he’s a solid receiver out of the backfield, and he’s played on a winner before. (That last fact is always a plus on any roster.) Re-signing Walker, however, confounds the hell out of me. We let him go (or he asked to be released) because the odds were not good that he would make the team and because, at least according to one source, he’s not very good. Even if the loss of Taylor slightly improves Walker’s odds, I don’t think it will suddenly also make him an NFL-quality back.
In other injury news, Roc Alexander cracked his kneecap and was placed on IR. This isn’t overly important.
Zac Woodfin, we hardly knew ye
Jul 24, 2007 Batman, Preview, RB free-for-all, Ron Dayne likes pie, Training camp 2007, Undrafted Free Agent watch list
Remember way back on July 10th, when the Texans–to much fanfare, I might add–signed LB Zac Woodfin? Nevermind, kid. Woodfin was released Monday along with FB Cory Anderson, G Atlas Herrion, C Enoka Lucas, CB Derrick Roberson, RB Darius Walker, and P Eric Wilbur. (Herrion was also with the team less than two weeks.)
Of these, I suppose the only true surprise is Walker, if only because we kinda sorta actively pursued him. Walker was close to signing with the Bears before, depending on who you ask, he either couldn’t come to terms with the Super Bowl losers or we swooped in and signed him first.
Then again, I don’t know that you can even call his release a surprise. As of right now, you have Batman and Cartman occupying spots one and two. That leaves Lundy, Taylor, and Gado fighting for two spots (assuming we keep 4 RB like last year). Surely Walker–and, more importantly, his agent Drew Rosenhaus–are smart enough to realize he is not likely to supplant TWO guys who have shown flashes of talent in the NFL (a description that applies to all three). It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he asked to be released.
Lucas, Anderson, Roberson, and Wilbur were all part of the herd of undrafted free agents we brought in back in May.
*****
As to news of additions, it seems we brought in P Matt Turk. Which I am sure has the guys at BRB thinking of happy, Stanley-free days.
*****
Amobi Watch: Still no news.
UPDATE: Someone who would have occasion to know such things echoes the sentiment that Walker probably asked to be released, but adds “Walker’s not good, but you’re right [in thinking] he asked to be released. That said, I would be shocked if he made a roster, let alone play a down in the NFL.”
The same person also said that both Manchild and JJ will sign before camp, but “it could be as late as Thursday.”
Ron Dayne is hungry… for a winning football team
May 24, 2007 Batman, Gary Kubiak, Preview, RB free-for-all, The Schaub Experiment
I love this.
Apparently, Ron “Why, Yes, I’ll Have Another Pie” Dayne was so inspired by his “strong season” in 2006 (Yahoo!’s words, not mine) that he is motivated to really prove that he can be a good NFL running back.
Great plan, Ronnie–get inspired after your team signs Batman to be the bona fide RB1 (and the year after the team gives you an outside shot at being the man, I might add). That’s like David Carr coming out next week and saying he’s inspired to become a real leader in Houston.
All kidding aside, I suppose it’s good that Dayne feels this way. This attitude is definitely in keeping with the overall positive atmosphere that has, thus far, accompanied the Matt Schaub era.
‘I’m out here having fun and just trying to get better,’ Dayne said. ‘I’m glad we got Ahman and I think we’ve got a good-looking team.’
Despite his struggles, the NCAA’s career leading rusher said he never lost confidence and was excited to contribute last season. He hopes for continued success this year and that his work can help the team succeed as well.
‘I don’t really set goals for myself,’ he said. ‘I just want to do better than I did last year and help the team win. That’s all I want to do. Win more games.’
Whether Dayne can actually turn into the back that people expected out of Wisconsin is unlikey, but at least comments like this illustrate that he knows what his role with this team will be. That’s good, because Kubes made it perfectly clear that Green is the starter, with Dayne getting some change-of-pace carries.
[T]hat’s a great 1-2 punch, because they’re different type of players. When Ahman comes out of a game, to have a big guy like Ronny come in is a nice complement.
You know… even though “Thunder and Lightning” was a huge bust in NY, “Batman and Rubenesque” might just work in Houston.
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In somewhat related news, I have been invited to blog over at Texanstalk.com. The co-authors there seem like a fantastic group and I look forward to working with them over the coming months. I am still working out the kinks of using their posting interface, so you might have to bear with some visually unappealing entries for a few days, but I should be running at full power soon enough.
Fear not, though, loyal readers. (All nine of you.) This version of DGDB&D will stay up and running, with updates and new posts coming as frequently as they have so far. I will just be writing over there as well. There will be some overlap (simulposting!), but there will also be some original content at my new address that you won’t find here. So, I invite you to check both blogs from time to time.
We now resume your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.
Michael Keaton never ran a sub-4.5 40
May 23, 2007 Batman, Gary Kubiak, Offensive (punch)Line, RB free-for-all, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment
In every season in which he’s started at least 11 games, Ahman Green has rushed for a minimum of 1059 yards. Other than 2005, when he played only five games due to injury, Batman has carried the ball at least 259 times every year since 2000. These are good numbers. However, given the chatter around the league that he is “washed up,” the following comparison really stood out:
2000 season: 263 carries for 1175 yards
2006 season: 266 carries for 1059 yards
That is some remarkable consistency* and it is something that the Texans have needed for a while now. If he can just continue to get those kind of numbers, he will make life easier on the entire offense. From the news coming out of OTAs, the importance of Batman is not lost on the other players.
‘I’m blocking for 1.8 seconds and the next thing I know I see a flash with a 3 and a 0 fly by and that helps a lot as an offensive lineman,’ says Ephraim Salaam. [...] Last year we didn’t have that explosiveness, Ron Dayne came on late in the end, but we needed those big chunks, instead of 15 and 20 yards we needed 40-50 yard touchdowns and I think we have that with Ahman.
That might be the first time “explosiveness” and “Ron Dayne” have ever been equated.** Salaam is correct, however–Green’s longest run last year was 70 yards; Dayne’s longest was 19. Wali Lundy’s was 35. Sam Gado’s was 34. Chris Taylor’s was 17.
Yuck.
I realize that Batman is never going to be an 1800 yard back again. That’s not the model of Green we are expecting, though, so such realizations do not concern me much. What concerns me is Kubiak getting Ahman 250+ carries and Houston finally having a running game that defenses need to respect when gameplanning for the Texans.
Hello, Vinny. It’s your Uncle Bingo. Time to pay the check!
[Author's note: I also realize that his fumble "problem" is greatly overblown. He put 4 on the ground last year and lost 2 of them. Steven Jackson did the same. Larry Johnson lost 2 as well. The most Green has ever lost in a season is 5 (in 2003, when he also had 355 carries and 1800+ yards); Tiki Barber had back-to-back seasons with 6.]
*It is “remarkable” sort of by definition, as I am remarking on it. Still, you know what I mean.
**Outside of an all-you-can eat restaurant context, of course.
Darius Walker is (possibly) dy-no-mite
May 9, 2007 2007 Draft, Batman, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, RB free-for-all, Undrafted Free Agent watch list
The Texans have signed Notre Dame RB Darius Walker. Now, I may have an active dislike for Notre Dame football (not to be confused with my all-consuming hatred for anything even tangentially related to Ohio State), but I like this move. Walker joins the Texans’ logjam at RB (Ahman Green, Samkon Gado, Ron Dayne, Wali Lundy, Chris Taylor), so there is no guarantee that he will even make the team. This is still a nice low-risk/high-reward move.
An undrafted junior (d’oh!), Walker rushed for 1267 yards and 7 TDs last season. He also caught 56 balls for 391 and another TD. Granted, most of his big games came against the service academies, but he did put up 128 against an LSU defense that dominated the Irish. (Happy Author’s Note: Michigan held him to 25 yards while serving a hot plate of ass-kicking to the Domers. Suck it.)
