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By John Hallam, on November 28th, 2011
Some stats can be misleading. Sacks are one of those. Even Barwin acknowledged that two of his sacks were direct results of Antonio Smith and J.J. Watts’ efforts. Despite that, Connor Barwin had the best game by a Texans’ defensive player not named Brian Cushing that I can recall ever witnessing. Hopefully, we can finally get some video up this week and show some of his awesomeness. Despite a game lacking in 1st downs, there are a lot of things to be excited about from the game yesterday. Here is a nearly exhaustive list of those:
1. Connor Barwin- Barwin displayed a very good spin move. His first sack resulted from an up and under move. One of his sacks displayed his speed an agility as he ran Gabbert down from behind. Barwin’s final sack came from a dead bull rush on the RT. The guy did it all. Not only that, he had multiple tackles for a loss. He dropped into coverage a number of times very effectively. He chased plays down from behind. He was quick to recognize screens and draws. He played with discipline, always setting his edge and taking care of his responsibilities. Normally, guys with games like Barwin had are freed in the defensive scheme to adlib. If you watch guys like Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney, it is clear that there only responsibility in the defense is to make a play. Not so yesterday with Barwin. His energy and effort was constantly apparent. It is no surprise that he considers Antonio Smith to be a mentor of sorts.
Continue reading Observations from Re-Watch at Jacksonville: Connor Barwin… Woo-Hoo!
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By John Hallam, on November 28th, 2011
If you are like me, you are desperately looking for an angle to cling to confidence after years and years of disappointment. It doesn’t help that the Texans were coasting to the playoffs and lost its first two options at QB in the span of four quarters. With that in mind, I have analyzed the tiebreakers, the remaining schedule, and uncovered the only fly in the ointment for the Texans should they finish the season tied with Tennessee. Here it is:
There is one, and only 1, mathematical possibility for the Titans to win a tiebreaker against Houston…
Here’s why:
Here is what has to happen for Tennessee to win a tiebreaker for the division with Houston:
Houston must lose to Indy, Cincinnati, and Tennessee and must beat Atlanta and Carolina.
Tennessee must lose to Buffalo and defeat Houston, Jacksonville, Indy, and New Orleans.
If all that happens, they will both finish 10-6, 1-1 head to head, with an 8-4 record vs. Common opponents, and a 7-5 conference record. The 5th tiebreaker would decide it. Even then, it is uncertain. I believe strength of victory is determined by the collected W-L record of each team’s 10 wins. Under that scenario, here’s where they stand:
Houston would be slightly behind Tennessee (approximately 2 wins total)… It would come down to Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Miami and Jacksonville vs. Baltimore, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Denver’s total wins over the final month.
Here are the 1st five tiebreakers:
1. Head to Head
2. Division Record
3. Common opponent Record
4. Conference Record
5. Strength of victory
There is no other way for the teams to tie and the Titans to win the tiebreaker. In essence, Tennessee must win the division outright.
Any other scenario with the two teams finishing with the same record would give the Texans the tiebreaker. Here are how things stand currently:
Houston 8-3, 4-0 in division, 5-1 common opponents, 7-2 conference
Tenn. 6-5, 1-2 in division, 3-2 common opponents, 4-4 conference
Realize that the common opponents will grow quickly. This week, Atlanta will be added to the mix because Houston plays them and Tennessee already has.
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By John Hallam, on November 27th, 2011
NO!! I have to confess that we are no longer the favorites to win the AFC. That being said, Yates looked great. I know the offense was horrible in the second half. I know he’s a fifth round rookie. The Texans were something like 0-11 with Yates on 3rd down. Still, though, I don’t see anything in Yates performance that depresses me. I thought he was composed. I thought he made good passes and his passes were crisp. The reality is that Kubiak imploded. Perhaps, as Barrett suggested, Yates simply didn’t have the number of plays to run an offense effectively. He can throw the ball. He has composure. He has confidence and a very good arm. If he understands the offense like he should, then we are still in great shape. Why did the Kubiak shutdown the offense? Why did Ben Tate not appear in the second half? I don’t know. I think he will be good. I think the Texans still win 11 games. I think today speaks more about Kubiak’s fearful attitude and his respect for the Texans’ defense. Also, how about the offensive line show up? How about Owen Daniels and Arian Foster make catches when they are thrown into their hands. The Texans are in the playoffs with a home playoff win. This is, possibly, the most impressive win the Texans’ history. We are on a five game winning streak despite all the injuries. Relax! Enjoy the ride. Remember how the the Patriots’ dynasty began. The Texans are a very good team in great position. We will be watching the Texans play in the second week of January, at home, despite all the adversity. And, I actually have a lot of hope and optimism for this rookie QB!
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By John Hallam, on November 6th, 2011
I found the ugly win versus Jacksonville last week to be very encouraging. The Texans game-planned for that game knowing they were the vastly superior team and needed only to play smart and take care of the ball to win. Frankly, their execution of the game plan was rather poor. Still, it was good enough for a solid 10 point win. The Texans expect to win their 3rd game in a row today without Andre Johnson. I expect them to rebound from their mediocre performance last week with a resounding win versus the Browns. The Texans are a nightmare matchup for Cleveland. Cleveland can’t stop the run, can’t cover tight ends, and have nobody on offense to run the ball. Blowout! I think the Texans win this one by 20+. Here are some keys to the game:
1. Limit turnovers- Texans can not lose this game without losing the turnover margin by at least two. If the Texans show up to play on defense, given the Browns’ offensive woes, they Texans are nearly guaranteed two turnovers. Therefore, I don’t see the Browns in this game unless they can create 4 or more turnovers. Arrogant, I know. But, that’s what I see.
2. Special Teams- The Texans one home loss doesn’t happen without great games from the opposing team’s placekicker and punter. Without Lechler and Janikowski, Oakland would have lost that game by 14. This week, the Browns will need great games from Joshua Cribbs and Phil Dawson.
3. Texans’ offense between the hashmarks- The Browns have good cornerbacks. The Texans wide receivers struggle to get separation without AJ on the field. However, the Browns safeties and linebackers struggle mightily in coverage. For Kubiak (particularly without AJ’s availability), this is a dream matchup for him. I’ll set the over/under for receiving yards between OD, Dreessen, and Casey at 150 yards. If somehow the Browns can take the Texans TEs out of the game, I will become very concerned.
4. Texans rushing offense versus a big D-line- Oakland, Baltimore, and Jacksonville all have big, physical defensive lines and the Texans struggled to run consistently against each of them. If the Texans can run on Cleveland like they did against Tennessee or Indianapolis, the Browns will have no chance to win.
5. Texans Defense avoiding the big play- Other than Cribbs, perhaps Greg Little could be considered a playmaker? The Browns don’t have much on offense. With injuries to Hillis and Hardesty, they have even less. I’m sure Colt McCoy will excite the Longhorn fans with a couple nice scrambles and a throw or two, but a motivated Texans defense shuts this offense down cold. The Browns can not score against Houston without a lot of help!
That’s all I have: Texans 38 Browns 6… Crazy, obnoxious fandom, I know.
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By John Hallam, on November 6th, 2011
I just re-watched the Texans vs. Jacksonville. Then, I went back and looked at the Colts game, the Dolphins game, and the Steelers game. Before I get into the details, one thing is clear: despite the losses of Danieal Manning, Mario Williams, James Casey, and Andre Johnson, the Texans are a much improved team. I would still argue that the healthy return of Andre Johnson is essential for the Texans’ ultimate success.
Offense:
Matt Schaub has been relatively inconsistent this season. It is the most inaccurate I have seen him over an extended period of time since the 2007 season. Despite his accuracy issues, he is a dramatically better QB than he ever has been. This year, he has learned to manage the game and take care of the ball. I believe he has turned over the ball 6 times in 8 games (5 interception and 1 fumble). One remarkable stat: Schaub is averaging 8.3 yards per pass attempt. That is an absurdly high number, especially considering his relatively low completion percentage this season. In other words, the Texans are making a lot of big plays in the passing game. Considering they have seldom been trailing in games and have missed Andre for most of the season, that stat is particularly amazing. It appears to me that their running game has befuddled the NFL. Furthermore, Kubiak has taken the play-action pass and his version of the west coast offense to another level. His ability to manipulate the defense into allowing completely uncovered backs and tight ends downfield with regularity illustrates Kubiak’s offensive genius. The Texans have the best offensive scheme in football right now. The Texans are averaging 396 yards per game. Consider that the Texans are 7th in total yards in the NFL despite averaging 3 more rushing carries per game than any other team in the NFL. The Texans run to pass ratio is 52% run to 48% pass. That is unheard of in modern NFL. The Texans are 27th in the NFL in passing attempts per game but are 11th in passing yards. All of this has happened despite the fact that Andre Johnson and Arian Foster have only played together in one game. This offense is a machine. The Texans are 8 days away from its bye. Upon their return from the bye, Matt Schaub’s shoulder will likely be fresh, Andre Johnson will have returned healthy, and James Casey will have worked his way back into the full time fullback/H-back. The Texans offensive line is healthy, Jacoby Jones has improved at WR after a rough first month, and the Texans added a key veteran backup in Derek Mason. Only the Green Bay Packers have a better offense than the Houston Texans. That being said, the Texans offense is the most complete and balanced of any NFL offense the past few seasons.
Continue reading Midseason Assessment: Despite Injuries, Texans on the Uptick
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By Barrett Walton, on October 30th, 2011
Another day, another weak AFC South opponent. To date, the Texans, in two games against the AFC South, have scored 72 points and given up 14. This dominating trend should continue today, even without Andre Johnson. I realize the Texans have had three losses this season and much of the fan base is still cautious after the years and years of torment. Relax! This is a very good team and God has finally smiled on us. This is the Texans’ year and there is nothing in their way. Seven games into the season and the Texans have played pretty good football each game. Other than a couple hiccups versus Oakland, I would argue they have played one bad quarter of football all season (New Orleans 4th quarter). If I’m wrong, Barrett and I will be walking out of the stadium this afternoon totally befuddled, not believing this pitiful Jaguar team just beat the Texans. If I’m right, we will be celebrating another double-digit victory against a division opponent. A win today give the Texans a 5-3 record, including a 3-0 divisional record. Start budgeting for playoff tickets today!
Keys to the game:
1. Will the Texans show up focused to play after the big game at Tennessee last week?: I think so. So far, they have every game this season. It’s more likely the Jags let down after a tough win on Monday night.
2. Is the Jag defense truly good and a threat to an AJless Texans’ offense?: No, I don’t think so. Wade Smith and Brisiel have been somewhat inconsistent this year. The Texans do need the O-line to play well so they can feature the run game. I think they will. It appears that the Texans have found some rhythm without AJ and understand how to move the ball. Last week, the Texans got creative in the run game and got both backs going. Expect that to continue today.
3. Special Teams/Turnovers- The Jags need to win big on special teams. Just like Oakland needed plays like the fake punt to stay with Houston, so will Jacksonville. The Texans need simply to be sound and not give up silly, big plays. In Jacksonville’s upset of Baltimore, Scobee had 4 FGs of over 50 yards… similar to the Janikowski game against Houston. The Texans need to not gift Jacksonville with great field position and opportunities to score without moving the ball (which they can’t).
4. Avoid MJD big plays- Jones Drew has the ability to break off 70 or 80 yard touchdown runs in the run or pass game. For Jacksonville to approach 20 points today, they will need huge plays from MJD. The Texans need to contain him. This could be tricky today, given the loss of Danieal Manning.
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By John Hallam, on October 9th, 2011
Sorry for the nearly two weeks of silence on the blog. Life has happened and happened hard and relentlessly. Despite the radio silence, Barrett and I have continued making progress on some technical issues. As we get rolling again, you should be able to expect some high quality video to go along with our pedantic ramblings. In other words, “we’re back”. I think:
Looking at this game, it is odd how the Texans find themselves in a similar situation to the game vs. Oakland last year. Like last season, the Texans find themselves with a winning record in October, looking to take control of the division, but missing the best wide receiver in football. Oakland appears to be a better team this year. We know the Texans are better this year. Those of you determined to sign Asomugha this off-season, have you noticed the early returns on that deal? Oakland looks good without him while the Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3 and playing some brutal defense. Still, the loss of Asomugha may hurt Oakland today. The Raiders secondary is very beat up after a string of injuries the past two weeks. Here are the things I’ll be watching closely:
1. What formations with the Texans’ offense use to attack the Raiders in the passing game?: last year, the Texans effectively used tight ends to exploit the middle of the field and the Raiders’ linebackers. Versus New Orleans, we have already seen the weapon that James Casey can be in this offense. Consider Casey’s versatility, the good health of Owen Daniels, the steadiness of Joel Dreessen, and the abilities of Garrett Graham and the Texans could have four TEs on the field in passing situations. Then again, perhaps the Texans will demand Jacoby Jones make some plays and supplement his speed with Kevin Walter’s hands and Bryant Johnson’s experience. I really don’t know. But, I’m very excited and interested to see the personnel packages and formations that Kubiak will open the game with. My guess is there will be some new ones and, by design, we will see one of the tight ends have a big statistical game.
2. Running back health: It sounds like Ogbonnaya will be the 2nd running back tomorrow. In other words, Foster needs to stay healthy. Without AJ and without a healthy Ben Tate, it is absolutely essential that Foster can be on the field throughout the game. Those three men have the athleticism and playmaking ability to dictate defensive alignment. Without any of those men on the field, the Texans’ offense is forced into unfavorable matchups and depending on Matt Schaub to make plays instead of simply deliver the ball on time with accuracy.
3. How does Wade defend a great run offense?: This is fascinating. The popular argument for the Texans’ poor rush defense is that the Texans lack a quality NT. I disagree with this argument. Certainly, a great NT would help the rush defense. However, I believe the Texans struggle versus the run by choice. It is the one gap, attacking style that creates creases in the defense for the run game. If the defensive linemen were coached to clog the line and do more read and reacting post-snap, the Texans run defense would be statistically much better. Wade, however, believes in getting after the QB and creating havoc in the backfield (God bless him!). Today, however, the Texans go up against a very good rushing attack with a playmaker at running back. As good as the Raider game is, their passing game is about that poor. So, I am very curious what adjustments Wade will make based on this particular matchup, if any.
4. Are the Texans really mentally tough?: To date, the Texans have played four good football games. They have yet to lay and egg and have shown resiliency in the Steeler and Dolphin games. I will be watching for them to come out of the gate satisfied with a 3-1 start. If they come out with fire, intensity, and focus, we are likely looking at the first Texan team to ever be three games over .500. Wow!
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By John Hallam, on October 9th, 2011
I can’t make the trip from my home in Austin to Houston for the Oakland game because I am awaiting the death of my 87 year old grandfather. He has lived a very long, healthy, blessed life. Those of you, though, that have participated in the dying process of loved ones, understand how emotional and intense it is. Watching, waiting, and trying to comfort someone as they wither away and degenerate leads one to some self reflection and reconfiguration of priorities. I write a blog about football. Clearly, when life and death matters are at hand, some scrutiny of my priorities will take place. After all, that is a lot of time, passion, and thought I am channeling into a spectator sport designed for light amusement. If my life is as blessed as my grandfathers’ life has been, I am still left with less than 50 years of breath. Less than 50 years to enjoy my friends, my wife, my children, the sun, the wind, the stars… How much of that waking time can I justify watching football? I think, quite a bit.
There is something special about football, not only the tradition attached to families sharing it together. More than that, there is something intrinsically good about 53 men working and fighting together for a common goal, each relying on the other to fulfill his responsibility for the betterment of the whole. I realize I am waxing a little philosophical. But, we are all football fans. And, we are all humans that have and will experience the sting of death and have our knees buckled by the reality of our own mortality and the mortality of all those we care about around us.
We are also all Texans’ fans. There is something special about that as well. Just like in life, our destiny seems marked with failure, with hardship, and with tragedy. Those of us that have been with this team from the beginning have had to learn how to enjoy the moment and spurn the larger reality that we are doomed. In football, at least, that doom lasts only six months and then hope can be rekindled once again. To date, however, that hope is only to be smashed with another season filled with disappointment and gloom, while sprinkled with moments of excitement and even brilliance. It has occurred to me: that’s life. Also part of life are amazing and transcendent moments of wonder. I think a secret to living a good life is to not miss out on these moments, but to really savor and enjoy them. For me, my wedding day was one of those. The birth of my children were certainly one of those days. Beyond those blips of time, though, there are seasons of our lives that are very good and those need to be appreciated and savored as well.
For me, in the midst of the passing away of our family’s patriarch, I will be careful to soak in those three hours that begin just after our church service ends. I will head home (actually, I will go to my grandfather’s house two blocks away), turn on the television, and watch this team I have gotten to know and experience hardships with. I will watch them fight, celebrate, and succeed or fail together, knowing that this is one of those moments. Perhaps they lose to the Raiders tomorrow (though I doubt it). Regardless, I am not going to miss appreciating this season with the Texans. Twenty years from now, my 11 year old son and I will remember that the Texans first playoffs in the franchise’s history took place the same year our Papa passed away. And, you know what?: we will have fond memories of that season and that time. We will remember sitting in his living room on October 8th, 2011 watching Matt Schaub move the offense down the field without Andre Johnson while Papa’s breaths shorten. My son and I will jump up and down screaming accolades at Antonio Smith, Glover Quin, Johnathan Joseph, and maybe even Mario Williams (if he’s in the mood to play). We will remember together all the football games we watched at his house. I’ll recall when I was a little boy and rooted for Roger Staubach and Danny White with him.
All that is to say, I think the attitude we have in whatever we are doing is much more important than what we are doing. For me, as a passionate fan of the Texans, I have been convicted by the life and death of my grandfather, to root for the Texans in a way that expresses love and appreciation for life and in a manner that is careful not to miss any of life’s gifts. I won’t forget this season. Perhaps the Texans will add something to our memory of my grandfather. What a nice gift that would be.
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By Barrett Walton, on September 25th, 2011
You would like to sit here and say the Texans are a damn good football team. That would be accurate, but it’s hard not to look at this game against the Saints and say the better team lost. Houston was flat out dominant in the first half of this game but they only came away with 16 points. The defense held New Orleans to ten points but the second half was a different story. The offense came out firing in the second half and was effective until Schaub’s four quarter performance combined with a total collapse defensively led to the loss.
The Saints are a damn good football team, but Houston should have had this game out of reach at the half. The offense performed well enough in the second half to win this game. Wade’s crew inevitably was the achilles. Brees picked the Texans apart. Phillips wasn’t able to provide any pressure in the second half and Drew Brees simply chewed the Texans talented defense up and spit them out. I can’t help but think that if Houston executes in the first half, this game ends with Houston’s first 3-0 start. Next week I don’t see this playing out the same way. Houston faced one of the best offenses in football and their defense couldn’t handle it. Pittsburgh will not present the same kind of problems for Phillips’ defense. The offense failing to knock it out of the park early was one key to this loss. Schaub didn’t play his best game in the second half and the defense was unable to get pressure in the second half as well.
I’m eager to go back and re-watch because I think we’ll feel much better about this game after picking it apart. One thing is for sure, this Texans team is a damn good football team.
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By John Hallam, on September 24th, 2011
Watching J.J. Watt play, it really doesn’t make sense that he is a rookie. First of all, he is great with his hands (something rookies usually struggle with). He plays fast, which indicates that he is not struggling to know his responsibilities on the field. Primarily, though, he just generally whips veteran NFL players and shows recognition that many veteran players don’t (cough… Mario… cough).
Below, are four plays from the Miami game last week. In some respect, they are not spectacular. However, these plays highlight why Barrett and I are so excited about Watt. We were not able to get the spot-shadow on to this video, so I’ll go into a little detail describing the video:
Continue reading Isolated Review- J.J. Watt Physical, Smart, and a Playmaker
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