do work son
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we were content running into an 8 man front all night. seriously should've ran play action EVERY SINGLE PLAY until they decided to start playing the pass at all.
Houston Texans Pre-Season 2014 - NT Bowl 2.5...Battle For Roster Spots
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by Peep Game,
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we were content running into an 8 man front all night. seriously should've ran play action EVERY SINGLE PLAY until they decided to start playing the pass at all.
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^So no one noticed that Pats basically ran our own style play against us nearly the entire time?? Those fakes/play actions were killers :x Never even seen the Pats do that much til last night. Everything that could possibly go wrong happened. Offense, defense, and special teams. Dre was the only person who showed up. Not even Wade and Kub showed up. There's not a way to spin any of that as a positive. Only thing you have to do is do everything to win these next 3 games, 2-1 at the very least, preferably the very next 2.
Come playoff time, all that strength of schedule stuff and prime-time label is out the window. Currently in the AFC, who would be the top teams? That would be the Pats, followed by the Texans, followed by the Broncos, and yes, the Broncos are 3rd, regardless if it's Peyton and people want to crown the Broncos just to do it. If anybody is carrying a crutch to lean on right now, stop it, there's a game Sunday.
Come playoff time, all that strength of schedule stuff and prime-time label is out the window. Currently in the AFC, who would be the top teams? That would be the Pats, followed by the Texans, followed by the Broncos, and yes, the Broncos are 3rd, regardless if it's Peyton and people want to crown the Broncos just to do it. If anybody is carrying a crutch to lean on right now, stop it, there's a game Sunday.
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I did notice the PA plays now that you mention it
Ive seen the pats run PA but not as many times as they did last night. I thought they were gonna just come out 5 wide and stuff like that.
This game is clearly on Kubs/Wade play calling. Im also gonna throw Schaub under the bus. He played like ****
Making unnecessary throws when he shoulda just checked em down and overthrowing receivers. The D settled down after it was 21-0 but it was too late they cant contain Brady the whole game.
I wonder if the D just came out flat from the begining or if it was Wades play calls and he changed em up. Im thinking they just came out flat tho. NO pressure
I see them bouncing back and smashing the Colts like they did the Ravens after the Packers loss. Hopefully its a blowout in our favor.
Ive seen the pats run PA but not as many times as they did last night. I thought they were gonna just come out 5 wide and stuff like that.
This game is clearly on Kubs/Wade play calling. Im also gonna throw Schaub under the bus. He played like ****
I wonder if the D just came out flat from the begining or if it was Wades play calls and he changed em up. Im thinking they just came out flat tho. NO pressure
I see them bouncing back and smashing the Colts like they did the Ravens after the Packers loss. Hopefully its a blowout in our favor.
DeadsetAce
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Yeah cosign on the PA. We do run our share, but last night we ODd on it because you guys have a pretty aggressive defense. Brady is actually an underrated play faker
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The defense is a problem guys
-There's no pash rush and the secondary overall have played piss poor as of late, especially our safeties.
I don't see the Texans outside of Watt generating any pass rush in the near future.
No pass rush against the elite QB's you may come across in the playoffs and we might just be one and done.
I don't know what Wade has to do, but things need to be fixed.
-There's no pash rush and the secondary overall have played piss poor as of late, especially our safeties.
I don't see the Texans outside of Watt generating any pass rush in the near future.
No pass rush against the elite QB's you may come across in the playoffs and we might just be one and done.
I don't know what Wade has to do, but things need to be fixed.
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http://houston.culturemap.com/newsd...rady-snubs-them-delivers-championship-lesson/
It's about time Kubs grew some and held em accountable for playing like ****.
I'm glad Kubs got in they ***. Their performance Monday was unacceptable
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^It's about ******g time
The defense is a problem right now, but the offense has to be able to lift up itself instead of waiting for the defense to spark them (which has happened in every [winning] game other than Denver). The Texans should be putting up points with this offense on a consistent basis, not having an awesome opening drive, followed by a bunch of stalled drives until the defense wakes them up. Everybody is accountable though, so let's go.
The defense is a problem right now, but the offense has to be able to lift up itself instead of waiting for the defense to spark them (which has happened in every [winning] game other than Denver). The Texans should be putting up points with this offense on a consistent basis, not having an awesome opening drive, followed by a bunch of stalled drives until the defense wakes them up. Everybody is accountable though, so let's go.
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Injury list getting shorter
The Texans didn’t have linebackers Brooks Reed (groin) and Darryl Sharpton (toe) and cornerback Alan Ball (foot) at practice Thursday, but only Reed won’t be ready to face Indianapolis on Sunday, coach Gary Kubiak indicated.
“Other than that, everybody was back to work,” Kubiak said. “(Sharpton) will attempt to go (Friday), so we’ll see where he’s at. That long layoff he had (recovering from a torn quad tendon suffered last season) has caught up with him.”
Kubiak also said right tackle Derek Newton, recovering from a knee sprain, “had a good day of practice.”
Asked if he was unhappy with the Texans’ running game, which has sputtered of late — in part because Newton has been out — Kubiak didn’t pull any punches.
“I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t think it’s good enough. We’ve got to block better (and) run better. We’re working hard as coaches (to get it fixed). It hasn’t been up to what it needs to be.”
The Texans ran for only 100 yards against New England and couldn’t sustain drives. Ryan Harris played in place of Newton.
“The run game is what we hang our hat on,” left tackle Duane Brown said. “That’s what starts our offense, gets us going. So four yards a carry is OK, but we have a higher standard than that.”
Graham ready to go vs. Colts
Backup tight end Garrett Graham has been cleared to play Sunday against the Colts after being forced to miss the Patriots game with the after-effects of a concussion suffered against Tennessee.
Before the NFL’s post-concussion protocol was put in place, there’s little doubt Graham would have played Monday because, outwardly, he felt fine.
Graham grudgingly admitted the new, more cautious system is in the best interests of the players.
“Yeah, probably, in the long run,” he said. “I’ve just got to do what the doctors tell me. But it was tough. I didn’t feel that bad last week, but it’s a long process with all the tests and seeing all these different doctors. It’s something you’ve got to comply with. When they told me I couldn’t play or even travel — I had tests Monday and Tuesday — I was very disappointed.”
So were the Texans. They rely heavily on multiple tight end sets and not having Graham limited their options.
This sums up the entire night
The Texans didn’t have linebackers Brooks Reed (groin) and Darryl Sharpton (toe) and cornerback Alan Ball (foot) at practice Thursday, but only Reed won’t be ready to face Indianapolis on Sunday, coach Gary Kubiak indicated.
“Other than that, everybody was back to work,” Kubiak said. “(Sharpton) will attempt to go (Friday), so we’ll see where he’s at. That long layoff he had (recovering from a torn quad tendon suffered last season) has caught up with him.”
Kubiak also said right tackle Derek Newton, recovering from a knee sprain, “had a good day of practice.”
Asked if he was unhappy with the Texans’ running game, which has sputtered of late — in part because Newton has been out — Kubiak didn’t pull any punches.
“I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t think it’s good enough. We’ve got to block better (and) run better. We’re working hard as coaches (to get it fixed). It hasn’t been up to what it needs to be.”
The Texans ran for only 100 yards against New England and couldn’t sustain drives. Ryan Harris played in place of Newton.
“The run game is what we hang our hat on,” left tackle Duane Brown said. “That’s what starts our offense, gets us going. So four yards a carry is OK, but we have a higher standard than that.”
Graham ready to go vs. Colts
Backup tight end Garrett Graham has been cleared to play Sunday against the Colts after being forced to miss the Patriots game with the after-effects of a concussion suffered against Tennessee.
Before the NFL’s post-concussion protocol was put in place, there’s little doubt Graham would have played Monday because, outwardly, he felt fine.
Graham grudgingly admitted the new, more cautious system is in the best interests of the players.
“Yeah, probably, in the long run,” he said. “I’ve just got to do what the doctors tell me. But it was tough. I didn’t feel that bad last week, but it’s a long process with all the tests and seeing all these different doctors. It’s something you’ve got to comply with. When they told me I couldn’t play or even travel — I had tests Monday and Tuesday — I was very disappointed.”
So were the Texans. They rely heavily on multiple tight end sets and not having Graham limited their options.
This sums up the entire night
Last edited:
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Didn't see too much wrong with the play calling. Even after putting themselves in a 3 TD hole the game wasn't over. Getting stopped twice on 4th down hurt and after getting down 28-0 then the gameplan was out the window.
Yea Schaub stunk & the right side of the offensive line got ate up. Plus we don't have a linebacker on the team that can cover. Say what you want about the secondary but that to me where our biggest defensive problem lies.
Yea Schaub stunk & the right side of the offensive line got ate up. Plus we don't have a linebacker on the team that can cover. Say what you want about the secondary but that to me where our biggest defensive problem lies.
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Reed, Ball to sit out this week against Colts
Brooks Reed has been out since he suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Reed, Ball sit out game with Colts
The Texans will go one more week without outside linebacker Brooks Reed and cornerback Alan Ball.
Both players were declared out against the Indianapolis Colts. Reed suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and Ball suffered a foot injury during a practice. Neither player practiced all week and both missed last week’s game as well.
Three players were listed as questionable on the injury report — right tackle Derek Newton (knee), safety Glover Quin (hip) and inside linebacker Darryl Sharpton (toe).
Quin was not on the injury report before Friday. Sharpton only practiced Friday and Newton practiced all week.
“Sharpton was back to work today, and it was positive so unless there are any setbacks he’s ready to go,” Kubiak said. “Newton is ready to go. Newton will start the game.”
Tight end Garrett Graham suffered a concussion against the Tennessee Titans and missed Monday’s game in New England. Graham was cleared to play following a doctor’s appointment Wednesday.
Brooks Reed has been out since he suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
Reed, Ball sit out game with Colts
The Texans will go one more week without outside linebacker Brooks Reed and cornerback Alan Ball.
Both players were declared out against the Indianapolis Colts. Reed suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and Ball suffered a foot injury during a practice. Neither player practiced all week and both missed last week’s game as well.
Three players were listed as questionable on the injury report — right tackle Derek Newton (knee), safety Glover Quin (hip) and inside linebacker Darryl Sharpton (toe).
Quin was not on the injury report before Friday. Sharpton only practiced Friday and Newton practiced all week.
“Sharpton was back to work today, and it was positive so unless there are any setbacks he’s ready to go,” Kubiak said. “Newton is ready to go. Newton will start the game.”
Tight end Garrett Graham suffered a concussion against the Tennessee Titans and missed Monday’s game in New England. Graham was cleared to play following a doctor’s appointment Wednesday.
do work son
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ive said the secondary is easily the biggest problem on defense. it doesn't help that wade loves blitzing and playing man across the board when we don't have the depth and talent at DB to do that
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It was good bounce back win today. But the offense at times looked unimpressive.
J.J. Watt is DPOY **** what anyone else says.
Just two more wins fellas and we can lock up home field. I dread not being the number one seed.
J.J. Watt is DPOY **** what anyone else says.
Just two more wins fellas and we can lock up home field. I dread not being the number one seed.
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I'll give my thoughts on the game sometime tomorrow. One thing though. The main feature story in today's Houston Chronicle was on Bryan Braman, and he basically made what turned out to be the key play of the game. The more you know.
Texans' Braman has covered a lot of ground to make the NFL
Texans' Braman has covered a lot of ground to make the NFL
With Walter Matia's powerful "Spirit of the Bull" sculptures outside and its own raging Bulls on Parade inside, Reliant Stadium just might be the perfect habitat for Texans linebacker Bryan Braman, a self-described "hardheaded, stubborn-headed, bullheaded kind of guy."
It is the type of place the born-in-May, Taurus-the-Bull dreamer imagined he would one day call home.
Even when Braman had no place to call home.
Even when he worked 16- or 17-hour shifts five days a week making concrete railroad ties for $10 an hour in his hometown of Spokane, Wash.
Even when the only bed he knew was the backseat of his mother's LeSabre.
That is where Braman and Doja, his American pit bull terrier, slept, bonded, lived.
Braman was a college dropout, having left the University of Idaho, where he was on a football scholarship, without playing in a game and almost never having gone to class.
Around this time, Braman's fraternal grandfather was dying of cancer, just as his other grandfather had five years earlier.
He was depressed, his mother said. He was haunted, said a high school guidance counselor and adviser.
"I was lost," said Braman.
At 6-5 and around 250 pounds, with a V-shaped torso, a chiseled midsection that is better defined than any airbrushed "after" photos in muscle magazine ads and long, flowing locks, Braman looks as if he descended to earth from Mount Olympus. If Paul Bunyan were from Mount Olympus, that is.
A Buick might not have been the most comfortable of abodes for a man his size, but it beat sleeping on the streets.
And Braman was on the streets. An 18-year-old struggling to find his way.
He'd spend a night or two with a friend, and a night or two with another friend and a night or three in his mother's car.
"I was homeless and it didn't matter," Braman said. "I was depressed, I guess, and felt like I had let everyone down because I'd blown the scholarship and I wasn't playing the sport I so loved."
Maybe higher education wasn't a Braman thing, he thought. No one in his family had earned a college degree.
"I figured I'd come from a poor, blue-collar family, and that's just the way my family had always been … work hard for what little we had, work a 9-to-5, so that's what I figured I'd do, work a 9-to-5," Braman said.
But in 2006, Braman wasn't exactly working a 9-to-5. It was more like a 2-to-6, as in 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. (with mandatory overtime) at a Spokane factory, the same place where his father, who was in and out of his life, had once worked.
The $10 an hour was better than what he made picking apples as an eighth-grader. And it was better than what he brought home from his stint at a pizza parlor in the 10th grade. And better than the paper routes he had when he was a junior and senior at Shadle Park High School.
But the "back-breaking labor" was beating him up physically and tearing him up mentally.
It wasn't the life he had dreamed.
"It was just dirty work, and I didn't want to do it no more," Braman said. "I didn't want to end up like so many in my family. I knew I could do more.
"Being bullheaded, stubborn-headed had got me here. But being bullheaded, stubborn-headed had got me nowhere."
Life of poverty
Tina Braman-Fields was the youngest of eight children. Second- and third-hand clothes were a way of life.
"When you sat down to eat dinner, you ate everything because you didn't know if the next meal was going to be breakfast or dinner," Braman-Fields said. "We just didn't have much."
Barely a year out of high school, she had 10-pound, 2-ounce Bryan. Times were tough. Money was tight. Braman was born in Hillyard, the poorest section of Spokane. He and his mother, and later a younger sister, moved often. Out of necessity.
"We often didn't have much of a choice of where we could live," Braman-Fields said. "We never lived in the high prestige areas; we always lived in the lower-class housing.
"Sometimes I had a tough time paying rent. When they raised the rent, we had to move, so we rarely stayed at a place very long."
Braman's father wasn't around.
"It's hard for me to hold grudges. … I don't know why he made the decisions that he made, but there was a lot more time that he wasn't there than he was," Braman said. "My mother, she's been my strength.
"No matter if it put her out of a thing that she needed, she would do it for us. If there was ever a time that I needed help, it came from my mom; it wasn't from my dad. That's just how it played out."
No matter how many times they moved, wherever they went, Braman was the biggest, baddest kid on the block. "A daredevil," his mother called him. So to help him focus, she did her best to keep him involved in athletics.
They held yard sales to raise money for youth soccer or baseball. Braman even sold toys he no longer favored to buy cleats, and Braman-Fields scoured the newspaper ads for used sports equipment. Occasionally, Braman would be awarded a scholarship that took care of registration fees.
Whatever the sport, Braman excelled. Though his favorite toy from the time he was 10 months old was a football, he didn't play organized football until the eighth grade.
He talked about being a professional baseball player. Or a professional soccer player. A professional anything, really, just something that would give him and his mother and his sister a better life.
That was his promise to his mother.
Braman was that kid others on the playground challenged to attempt amazing feats of strength, agility and stupidity. From doing circus flips off swing sets (without a net of course) to eating bugs, Braman would do anything on a dare.
"Where somebody would say, 'Try this,' a kid would say 'No,' then turn to me and say, 'I betcha Bryan will do it,' and I would," Braman said. "I was always that guy. I can't really say there is anything that I haven't done that somebody dared me to do."
Doubt, Braman said, is motivation.
Size, skill in genes
Braman's infamous helmetless tackle of Titans punt returner Marc Mariani last season was hardly the first time he plowed headfirst into a situation without thinking about the consequences.
There was the time when he was 9 or 10 years old and decided to "tackle a fire hydrant," blasting directly into it while playing football. Woozy and needing stitches, he spent the next few days at the hospital.
"We thought he was going to lose sight in his right eye," Braman-Fields said. "He's just always been full-speed ahead and would never put the brakes on. He's always, always been really big for his age, and his mind would carry him faster than his body would go."
Size and speed are in the Braman genes.
Braman's grandfather, Ivan Cecil Braman, who died in April 2001, was a mountain of a man who stood 7-4 and weighed 460 pounds. Braman-Fields was a sprint champion in high school, holding the school record in the 100 meters at Spokane Rogers High School, where she was part of a four-girl state championship track team in 1986.
Braman was all-everything in high school.
In a game against Gonzaga Prep, he dominated the line of scrimmage with three sacks and two batted down passes, plus added a special treat with a rousing 78-yard kickoff return. He won medals at the state track meet in the javelin, long jump and high jump (in which he had a personal best of 6-113/4) and competed in the 400-meter relay.
Size and speed got him to Idaho but was doing little for him when he was wandering the streets of Spokane.
Knowing he was meant to do more, Braman walked into the office of Anthony "JuJu" Predisik, a guidance counselor at Shadle Park from whom he had often sought advice.
"He had his battles before he even got to Shadle Park as a freshman," Predisik said. "Just a genuine, naive heart, but a street mind."
A class here or there - Braman figured he would actually try this time - and maybe one day he would find a decent 9-to-5. After Braman explained this to Predisik, the counselor asked him if he would like to play football again. Braman was stunned.
"That wasn't even something I was thinking about," Braman said. "I figured since I'd messed up my chance at Idaho, that the dream was dead."
2nd chance squandered
A couple of days later, Braman was on a bus to Long Beach City College. His dream still alive.
He was a long way from the NFL, but at least he was back on track.
Jason Jaso, Braman's coach at Long Beach, describes Braman as a "decathlete in waiting."
"All he needed was to focus all of that energy," Jaso said.
After dominating for two years at Long Beach, Braman went to West Texas A&M in Canyon, where he was named to the Abilene Reporter-News' All-Lone Star Conference squad in 2009.
But a year later, being bullheaded again set him back. He was arrested and charged with manufacturing psilocybin (a hallucinogen) because he allowed someone who was doing so to stay in his rental house.
"I was really, really upset with myself for being stubborn-headed," Braman said. "People had told me long before then, a year before any of that stuff happened, to be careful who I let in my life. I told myself I wasn't going to be that guy, that it wouldn't happen to me, and there I was … I allowed it to happen.
"I couldn't believe it was happening. I couldn't believe I let it happen. It was completely unreal to me."
A two-time college washout, Braman made his way to College Station, where he became a bouncer and was about as far from the NFL as he was when he was working in that factory in Spokane.
Typically, NFL teams don't scout bars looking for 24-year-olds who had played only one year of Division II football.
But Braman still thought there was a chance, because, as his mother said, "Not giving up is part of his personality."
Not surprisingly, Braman wasn't drafted.
Texans assistant coach Bobby King, who was the defensive line coach at West Texas A&M, persuaded the Texans to give Braman a look.
A moving experience
From the day he showed up at training camp across the street from Reliant Stadium, he stood out.
He had found a home. And he has since become a special-teams star. The league announced Wednesday that Braman was second in fan voting for the Pro Bowl.
"The things that were haunting him - his personal life, tough, tough times growing up - the struggles of those pieces put him in a position to really fight hard for something he wanted," Predisik said.
Braman-Fields, who moved to Houston at her son's request last November, recalled the first time she saw Reliant Stadium.
"It was overwhelming, very emotional," she said. "It's really good to see Bryan signing autographs for kids. Knowing his dedication and his never-give-up attitude is something those kids, kids who could be worse off than we were, could look up to and learn from. He went through poverty and hard times and …"
Braman-Fields couldn't fight back the tears.
"To this day, I go to the stadium, all the home games, and I still get choked up."
One day last fall, Predisik received a call from Braman, who described to him the drive to the stadium and how he looks at the massive structure off the South Loop and can't hold back the tears.
"I can't believe that's my office, that I work there," Braman said. "I dreamed about this, and I'm here."
It is the type of place the born-in-May, Taurus-the-Bull dreamer imagined he would one day call home.
Even when Braman had no place to call home.
Even when he worked 16- or 17-hour shifts five days a week making concrete railroad ties for $10 an hour in his hometown of Spokane, Wash.
Even when the only bed he knew was the backseat of his mother's LeSabre.
That is where Braman and Doja, his American pit bull terrier, slept, bonded, lived.
Braman was a college dropout, having left the University of Idaho, where he was on a football scholarship, without playing in a game and almost never having gone to class.
Around this time, Braman's fraternal grandfather was dying of cancer, just as his other grandfather had five years earlier.
He was depressed, his mother said. He was haunted, said a high school guidance counselor and adviser.
"I was lost," said Braman.
At 6-5 and around 250 pounds, with a V-shaped torso, a chiseled midsection that is better defined than any airbrushed "after" photos in muscle magazine ads and long, flowing locks, Braman looks as if he descended to earth from Mount Olympus. If Paul Bunyan were from Mount Olympus, that is.
A Buick might not have been the most comfortable of abodes for a man his size, but it beat sleeping on the streets.
And Braman was on the streets. An 18-year-old struggling to find his way.
He'd spend a night or two with a friend, and a night or two with another friend and a night or three in his mother's car.
"I was homeless and it didn't matter," Braman said. "I was depressed, I guess, and felt like I had let everyone down because I'd blown the scholarship and I wasn't playing the sport I so loved."
Maybe higher education wasn't a Braman thing, he thought. No one in his family had earned a college degree.
"I figured I'd come from a poor, blue-collar family, and that's just the way my family had always been … work hard for what little we had, work a 9-to-5, so that's what I figured I'd do, work a 9-to-5," Braman said.
But in 2006, Braman wasn't exactly working a 9-to-5. It was more like a 2-to-6, as in 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. (with mandatory overtime) at a Spokane factory, the same place where his father, who was in and out of his life, had once worked.
The $10 an hour was better than what he made picking apples as an eighth-grader. And it was better than what he brought home from his stint at a pizza parlor in the 10th grade. And better than the paper routes he had when he was a junior and senior at Shadle Park High School.
But the "back-breaking labor" was beating him up physically and tearing him up mentally.
It wasn't the life he had dreamed.
"It was just dirty work, and I didn't want to do it no more," Braman said. "I didn't want to end up like so many in my family. I knew I could do more.
"Being bullheaded, stubborn-headed had got me here. But being bullheaded, stubborn-headed had got me nowhere."
Life of poverty
Tina Braman-Fields was the youngest of eight children. Second- and third-hand clothes were a way of life.
"When you sat down to eat dinner, you ate everything because you didn't know if the next meal was going to be breakfast or dinner," Braman-Fields said. "We just didn't have much."
Barely a year out of high school, she had 10-pound, 2-ounce Bryan. Times were tough. Money was tight. Braman was born in Hillyard, the poorest section of Spokane. He and his mother, and later a younger sister, moved often. Out of necessity.
"We often didn't have much of a choice of where we could live," Braman-Fields said. "We never lived in the high prestige areas; we always lived in the lower-class housing.
"Sometimes I had a tough time paying rent. When they raised the rent, we had to move, so we rarely stayed at a place very long."
Braman's father wasn't around.
"It's hard for me to hold grudges. … I don't know why he made the decisions that he made, but there was a lot more time that he wasn't there than he was," Braman said. "My mother, she's been my strength.
"No matter if it put her out of a thing that she needed, she would do it for us. If there was ever a time that I needed help, it came from my mom; it wasn't from my dad. That's just how it played out."
No matter how many times they moved, wherever they went, Braman was the biggest, baddest kid on the block. "A daredevil," his mother called him. So to help him focus, she did her best to keep him involved in athletics.
They held yard sales to raise money for youth soccer or baseball. Braman even sold toys he no longer favored to buy cleats, and Braman-Fields scoured the newspaper ads for used sports equipment. Occasionally, Braman would be awarded a scholarship that took care of registration fees.
Whatever the sport, Braman excelled. Though his favorite toy from the time he was 10 months old was a football, he didn't play organized football until the eighth grade.
He talked about being a professional baseball player. Or a professional soccer player. A professional anything, really, just something that would give him and his mother and his sister a better life.
That was his promise to his mother.
Braman was that kid others on the playground challenged to attempt amazing feats of strength, agility and stupidity. From doing circus flips off swing sets (without a net of course) to eating bugs, Braman would do anything on a dare.
"Where somebody would say, 'Try this,' a kid would say 'No,' then turn to me and say, 'I betcha Bryan will do it,' and I would," Braman said. "I was always that guy. I can't really say there is anything that I haven't done that somebody dared me to do."
Doubt, Braman said, is motivation.
Size, skill in genes
Braman's infamous helmetless tackle of Titans punt returner Marc Mariani last season was hardly the first time he plowed headfirst into a situation without thinking about the consequences.
There was the time when he was 9 or 10 years old and decided to "tackle a fire hydrant," blasting directly into it while playing football. Woozy and needing stitches, he spent the next few days at the hospital.
"We thought he was going to lose sight in his right eye," Braman-Fields said. "He's just always been full-speed ahead and would never put the brakes on. He's always, always been really big for his age, and his mind would carry him faster than his body would go."
Size and speed are in the Braman genes.
Braman's grandfather, Ivan Cecil Braman, who died in April 2001, was a mountain of a man who stood 7-4 and weighed 460 pounds. Braman-Fields was a sprint champion in high school, holding the school record in the 100 meters at Spokane Rogers High School, where she was part of a four-girl state championship track team in 1986.
Braman was all-everything in high school.
In a game against Gonzaga Prep, he dominated the line of scrimmage with three sacks and two batted down passes, plus added a special treat with a rousing 78-yard kickoff return. He won medals at the state track meet in the javelin, long jump and high jump (in which he had a personal best of 6-113/4) and competed in the 400-meter relay.
Size and speed got him to Idaho but was doing little for him when he was wandering the streets of Spokane.
Knowing he was meant to do more, Braman walked into the office of Anthony "JuJu" Predisik, a guidance counselor at Shadle Park from whom he had often sought advice.
"He had his battles before he even got to Shadle Park as a freshman," Predisik said. "Just a genuine, naive heart, but a street mind."
A class here or there - Braman figured he would actually try this time - and maybe one day he would find a decent 9-to-5. After Braman explained this to Predisik, the counselor asked him if he would like to play football again. Braman was stunned.
"That wasn't even something I was thinking about," Braman said. "I figured since I'd messed up my chance at Idaho, that the dream was dead."
2nd chance squandered
A couple of days later, Braman was on a bus to Long Beach City College. His dream still alive.
He was a long way from the NFL, but at least he was back on track.
Jason Jaso, Braman's coach at Long Beach, describes Braman as a "decathlete in waiting."
"All he needed was to focus all of that energy," Jaso said.
After dominating for two years at Long Beach, Braman went to West Texas A&M in Canyon, where he was named to the Abilene Reporter-News' All-Lone Star Conference squad in 2009.
But a year later, being bullheaded again set him back. He was arrested and charged with manufacturing psilocybin (a hallucinogen) because he allowed someone who was doing so to stay in his rental house.
"I was really, really upset with myself for being stubborn-headed," Braman said. "People had told me long before then, a year before any of that stuff happened, to be careful who I let in my life. I told myself I wasn't going to be that guy, that it wouldn't happen to me, and there I was … I allowed it to happen.
"I couldn't believe it was happening. I couldn't believe I let it happen. It was completely unreal to me."
A two-time college washout, Braman made his way to College Station, where he became a bouncer and was about as far from the NFL as he was when he was working in that factory in Spokane.
Typically, NFL teams don't scout bars looking for 24-year-olds who had played only one year of Division II football.
But Braman still thought there was a chance, because, as his mother said, "Not giving up is part of his personality."
Not surprisingly, Braman wasn't drafted.
Texans assistant coach Bobby King, who was the defensive line coach at West Texas A&M, persuaded the Texans to give Braman a look.
A moving experience
From the day he showed up at training camp across the street from Reliant Stadium, he stood out.
He had found a home. And he has since become a special-teams star. The league announced Wednesday that Braman was second in fan voting for the Pro Bowl.
"The things that were haunting him - his personal life, tough, tough times growing up - the struggles of those pieces put him in a position to really fight hard for something he wanted," Predisik said.
Braman-Fields, who moved to Houston at her son's request last November, recalled the first time she saw Reliant Stadium.
"It was overwhelming, very emotional," she said. "It's really good to see Bryan signing autographs for kids. Knowing his dedication and his never-give-up attitude is something those kids, kids who could be worse off than we were, could look up to and learn from. He went through poverty and hard times and …"
Braman-Fields couldn't fight back the tears.
"To this day, I go to the stadium, all the home games, and I still get choked up."
One day last fall, Predisik received a call from Braman, who described to him the drive to the stadium and how he looks at the massive structure off the South Loop and can't hold back the tears.
"I can't believe that's my office, that I work there," Braman said. "I dreamed about this, and I'm here."
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Wow, thought I posted pics already. Late pass.........
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Kubiak praises rookies Posey and Brooks
Texans coach Gary Kubiak had praise for rookies DeVier Posey and Brandon Brooks, saying both of them are maturing just in time to help the Texans in their hoped for Super Bowl run. Posey caught his first NFL touchdown pass against the Colts, while Brooks has been getting into games in goal-line situations because of his heft on the offensive line. When he reported for OTAs last spring, he was the heaviest player the Texans have had, weighing more than 340 pounds.
Kubiak said Posey has “earned the opportunity he’s gotten. We gave him chance to make some plays and he’s done that. It’s great to see a young guy like that grow up.” Posey, he added, began turning heads with his scout team work against Johnathan Joseph in practice.
As for Brooks, Kubiak said, “The more he plays, the more confidence he gets. He’s caught up mentally and that allows him to cut loose. He’s very athletic for a big man.”
Texans report: Reed to return from groin injury
Outside linebacker Brooks Reed said after practice Thursday he’s 100 percent and ready to go. He missed three games with a groin injury that had been bothering him before it sidelined him in the victory at Detroit on Nov. 22.
“It felt really good,” he said. “I don’t see myself re-hurting it. I think it’s even better than it was before I hurt it.”
Reed didn’t like being forced to sit out.
“It’s pretty tough to watch,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been caged up a little bit. I can’t wait to get back into it. It’s going to be fun to try to contribute.”
Rookie Pleasant earns promotion
Rookie safety Eddie Pleasant is expected to be promoted from the practice squad on Friday. He performed well on special teams in preseason. He’s expected to bolster the coverage teams.
To make room for Pleasant on the 53-man roster, rookie running back Jonathan Grimes was placed on waivers.
Texans coach Gary Kubiak had praise for rookies DeVier Posey and Brandon Brooks, saying both of them are maturing just in time to help the Texans in their hoped for Super Bowl run. Posey caught his first NFL touchdown pass against the Colts, while Brooks has been getting into games in goal-line situations because of his heft on the offensive line. When he reported for OTAs last spring, he was the heaviest player the Texans have had, weighing more than 340 pounds.
Kubiak said Posey has “earned the opportunity he’s gotten. We gave him chance to make some plays and he’s done that. It’s great to see a young guy like that grow up.” Posey, he added, began turning heads with his scout team work against Johnathan Joseph in practice.
As for Brooks, Kubiak said, “The more he plays, the more confidence he gets. He’s caught up mentally and that allows him to cut loose. He’s very athletic for a big man.”
Texans report: Reed to return from groin injury
Outside linebacker Brooks Reed said after practice Thursday he’s 100 percent and ready to go. He missed three games with a groin injury that had been bothering him before it sidelined him in the victory at Detroit on Nov. 22.
“It felt really good,” he said. “I don’t see myself re-hurting it. I think it’s even better than it was before I hurt it.”
Reed didn’t like being forced to sit out.
“It’s pretty tough to watch,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been caged up a little bit. I can’t wait to get back into it. It’s going to be fun to try to contribute.”
Rookie Pleasant earns promotion
Rookie safety Eddie Pleasant is expected to be promoted from the practice squad on Friday. He performed well on special teams in preseason. He’s expected to bolster the coverage teams.
To make room for Pleasant on the 53-man roster, rookie running back Jonathan Grimes was placed on waivers.
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Would love to see the Texans/Broncos come out of the AFC 
DeadsetAce
Supporter
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My bad Set
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I didnt get to see the game from being on the east coast but the **** happened?! How did we lose?
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Only caught the second half but schaub played like ****, oline played like **** and kubes is a ******g idiot with playcalling **** is really gettin old fast.
The D stepped up in certain situations and the O couldn't put up any points to compete. Watt was a beast as usual.
I think the Colts rest their starters next week since they are locked in at #5 seed.
Also anyone know what happened to Arian? Did he get hurt or they just took him out to rest him?
The D stepped up in certain situations and the O couldn't put up any points to compete. Watt was a beast as usual.
I think the Colts rest their starters next week since they are locked in at #5 seed.
Also anyone know what happened to Arian? Did he get hurt or they just took him out to rest him?
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-O-line is playing like crap
- Run game has been eh all year
- Offense is bland
-Defense is ok, but not great
- We aren't a superbowl team, and we will need to make upgrades on both sides of the ball to be great next year( yeah I'm already looking at next year)
- Run game has been eh all year
- Offense is bland
-Defense is ok, but not great
- We aren't a superbowl team, and we will need to make upgrades on both sides of the ball to be great next year( yeah I'm already looking at next year)
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**** next year I wanna win now
Arian Foster cleared, back at practice
As expected, Texans running back Arian Foster was cleared and, according to Texans coach Gary Kubiak, participated in all his scheduled repetitions at practice today.
Foster left Sunday’s game in the third quarter with an irregular heartbeat. Trainers told Kubiak Foster was ready to come back into the game in the fourth quarter, but Kubiak opted to stay with Ben Tate and Justin Forsett.
Foster saw a cardiologist on Monday who confirmed that he was doing fine.
The Texans running game struggled on Sunday with Foster gaining 15 yards on 10 carries in his two and a half quarters. Overall, the Texans had 34 rushing yards.
Texans must find playoff form to make a playoff run
The Texans have been stumbling, losing two out of the last three games, since the Patriots embarrassed them on national TV. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
The Texans’ mood couldn’t be described as glum Wednesday, nor did the locker-room feel anything approaching morgue-like. But the usual banter and horseplay was in short supply. It didn’t feel like the holiday season anymore. Christmas had been a blue one for Houston’s suddenly off-track AFC South champions.
“We played bad,” defensive end J. J. Watt said of the 23-6 loss to Minnesota. “We want to rectify that.”
How?
“We just need to be us,” Watt said. “Go out there and establish ourselves and be who we are.”
Or were. That’s the problem. The Texans’ identity is much in question after two losses in the last three games, when they’ve hardly been the team that produced an AFC-high eight Pro Bowlers. The offense has stopped scoring, managing just four touchdowns of consequence over the past 14 quarters. The defense – save for Watt – has been, at best, inconsistent and, at worst, in disarray. Another conspicuous statistic: Zero interceptions with the outcome remotely in doubt over the three weeks.
Momentum is everything this time of the year and the Texans have none, which is why they’re playing what should have been a throw-away game in Indianapolis Sunday that linebacker Brooks Reed felt compelled to call “the biggest game of the year.” At stake – again – is a first-round playoff bye and the home-field advantage through a hoped-for AFC Championship Game, which would be unprecedented in the city’s checkered NFL history.
Except look what the home-field got them against the Vikings (never mind against the Packers a number of weeks earlier). Reliant Stadium was three-fourths empty by the middle of the fourth quarter and many of the fans who remained did so only to rain their displeasure down upon the Texans. Despite their 12-3 record – also a high-water mark in these parts through 15 games – nobody in town is exactly riding waves of euphoria.
Instead, there’s angst in the air. Although the Texans are saying all the right things and attempting to put a glossy spin on their do-over opportunity to secure the conference’s top seed in Indy, where the 10-5 Colts will be waiting with nothing at stake. Well, nothing except trying to make cancer-stricken head coach Chuck Pagano’s emotional return to the sideline a triumphant one.
Talk about a potential buzz-saw environment . . . in a place where the Texans are 0-10 over the years.
“Right now (in the middle of the week) fire and intensity looks like focus,” defensive end Antonio Smith said, attempting to explain away the team’s somber, subdued mood. “You can tell by the silence that everybody is trying to figure out what they need to do to make it a different outcome from last week.”
Trailing the Vikings 13-3 at halftime, the Texans came out with barely an audible whimper, much less a bang. Over the final 30 minutes, they gained 80 yards, making only five first downs. A Shayne Graham field goal, his seventh in the last two games, was all they had to show for the time they held the football, which wasn’t much. The NFL’s leaders in time-of-possession all season spent less than 3½ minutes on offense in the fourth quarter.
That resulted in a season-low 25:14 on the day, best explained by the Texans’ season-worst 1-for-11 on third-down conversions. And that stat is best explained by the nine third-and-long situations quarterback Matt Schaub found himself in.
“We have to execute better on first and second down,” Schaub said. “We have to eliminate some of the penalties we have going on and negative plays early in the down and distance. We have to keep (third-down situations) more manageable.”
Introspection, Schaub insisted, must be part of the solution.
“When you feel good about the week of preparation and then what went on happens on Sunday, it is somewhat puzzling,” he said. “Everyone’s got to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror and figure out why things happened, how to correct them. Take it upon yourself to correct what you personally did wrong and then move forward. If everyone does that together and is on the same page, (it’s) a recipe for success moving forward.”
Added offensive coordinator Rick Dennison: “The point has been made year in and year out the team with the most momentum going into the playoffs tends to win the entire thing. Certainly you don’t want to be faltering going into the playoffs. So we’re going to go back to the grindstone.”
Toward that end, coach Gary Kubiak reported that the Texans hustled through a lively practice with everyone, players and coaches, dutifully locked in on the gravity of the mission at hand. But Kubiak also conceded his team had practiced splendidly the previous week and things still went straight to hell not long after the kickoff.
“Mental preparations never change,” Kubiak said. “It’s the same all the time Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, how you put in a game plan, how you go about what you do. (But) transferring that to game day is essential. Obviously we didn’t take it to the field and get it done (against the Vikings). So it’s very disappointing, but you have to come right back the next week.
“It’s not going to change what we do, but we definitely need to change how we did it. I know that.”
Arian Foster cleared, back at practice
As expected, Texans running back Arian Foster was cleared and, according to Texans coach Gary Kubiak, participated in all his scheduled repetitions at practice today.
Foster left Sunday’s game in the third quarter with an irregular heartbeat. Trainers told Kubiak Foster was ready to come back into the game in the fourth quarter, but Kubiak opted to stay with Ben Tate and Justin Forsett.
Foster saw a cardiologist on Monday who confirmed that he was doing fine.
The Texans running game struggled on Sunday with Foster gaining 15 yards on 10 carries in his two and a half quarters. Overall, the Texans had 34 rushing yards.
Texans must find playoff form to make a playoff run
The Texans have been stumbling, losing two out of the last three games, since the Patriots embarrassed them on national TV. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )
The Texans’ mood couldn’t be described as glum Wednesday, nor did the locker-room feel anything approaching morgue-like. But the usual banter and horseplay was in short supply. It didn’t feel like the holiday season anymore. Christmas had been a blue one for Houston’s suddenly off-track AFC South champions.
“We played bad,” defensive end J. J. Watt said of the 23-6 loss to Minnesota. “We want to rectify that.”
How?
“We just need to be us,” Watt said. “Go out there and establish ourselves and be who we are.”
Or were. That’s the problem. The Texans’ identity is much in question after two losses in the last three games, when they’ve hardly been the team that produced an AFC-high eight Pro Bowlers. The offense has stopped scoring, managing just four touchdowns of consequence over the past 14 quarters. The defense – save for Watt – has been, at best, inconsistent and, at worst, in disarray. Another conspicuous statistic: Zero interceptions with the outcome remotely in doubt over the three weeks.
Momentum is everything this time of the year and the Texans have none, which is why they’re playing what should have been a throw-away game in Indianapolis Sunday that linebacker Brooks Reed felt compelled to call “the biggest game of the year.” At stake – again – is a first-round playoff bye and the home-field advantage through a hoped-for AFC Championship Game, which would be unprecedented in the city’s checkered NFL history.
Except look what the home-field got them against the Vikings (never mind against the Packers a number of weeks earlier). Reliant Stadium was three-fourths empty by the middle of the fourth quarter and many of the fans who remained did so only to rain their displeasure down upon the Texans. Despite their 12-3 record – also a high-water mark in these parts through 15 games – nobody in town is exactly riding waves of euphoria.
Instead, there’s angst in the air. Although the Texans are saying all the right things and attempting to put a glossy spin on their do-over opportunity to secure the conference’s top seed in Indy, where the 10-5 Colts will be waiting with nothing at stake. Well, nothing except trying to make cancer-stricken head coach Chuck Pagano’s emotional return to the sideline a triumphant one.
Talk about a potential buzz-saw environment . . . in a place where the Texans are 0-10 over the years.
“Right now (in the middle of the week) fire and intensity looks like focus,” defensive end Antonio Smith said, attempting to explain away the team’s somber, subdued mood. “You can tell by the silence that everybody is trying to figure out what they need to do to make it a different outcome from last week.”
Trailing the Vikings 13-3 at halftime, the Texans came out with barely an audible whimper, much less a bang. Over the final 30 minutes, they gained 80 yards, making only five first downs. A Shayne Graham field goal, his seventh in the last two games, was all they had to show for the time they held the football, which wasn’t much. The NFL’s leaders in time-of-possession all season spent less than 3½ minutes on offense in the fourth quarter.
That resulted in a season-low 25:14 on the day, best explained by the Texans’ season-worst 1-for-11 on third-down conversions. And that stat is best explained by the nine third-and-long situations quarterback Matt Schaub found himself in.
“We have to execute better on first and second down,” Schaub said. “We have to eliminate some of the penalties we have going on and negative plays early in the down and distance. We have to keep (third-down situations) more manageable.”
Introspection, Schaub insisted, must be part of the solution.
“When you feel good about the week of preparation and then what went on happens on Sunday, it is somewhat puzzling,” he said. “Everyone’s got to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror and figure out why things happened, how to correct them. Take it upon yourself to correct what you personally did wrong and then move forward. If everyone does that together and is on the same page, (it’s) a recipe for success moving forward.”
Added offensive coordinator Rick Dennison: “The point has been made year in and year out the team with the most momentum going into the playoffs tends to win the entire thing. Certainly you don’t want to be faltering going into the playoffs. So we’re going to go back to the grindstone.”
Toward that end, coach Gary Kubiak reported that the Texans hustled through a lively practice with everyone, players and coaches, dutifully locked in on the gravity of the mission at hand. But Kubiak also conceded his team had practiced splendidly the previous week and things still went straight to hell not long after the kickoff.
“Mental preparations never change,” Kubiak said. “It’s the same all the time Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, how you put in a game plan, how you go about what you do. (But) transferring that to game day is essential. Obviously we didn’t take it to the field and get it done (against the Vikings). So it’s very disappointing, but you have to come right back the next week.
“It’s not going to change what we do, but we definitely need to change how we did it. I know that.”
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Notes: Ball to sit again, Jackson on his fine and more
For yet another week, the Texans will be without cornerback Alan Ball, who has missed all of December with a foot injury he suffered in practice.
Ball was the only Texans player declared out. Safety Shiloh Keo, who suffered an ankle injury Thursday, was listed as questionable. Keo did not practice Friday.
The Texans also listed linebacker Brooks Reed as questionable. Reed suffered a torn groin on Thanksgiving and returned to play last week against the Vikings on a limited basis. Coaches said earlier in the week that Reed would be limited during Sunday’s game in Indianapolis but could see his playing time expanded as he healed.
Defensive back Brice McCain, who had foot surgery Dec. 3, said he will be getting out of the boot he wears on Monday.
The Texans placed McCain on injured reserve and designated him to return. McCain would be eligible to begin practicing six weeks after the designation, and he could be activated after eight weeks on IR, which would make him available for the Super Bowl if the Texans make it.
League fines Jackson $21,000
Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson was shocked to be fined $21,000 for a hit on Vikings receiver Jarius Wright that did not draw a flag.
But Jackson said even fines like that and potential flags don’t cross his mind when going to make a hit. He’d rather risk the penalty than risk giving up a touchdown.
“It’s definitely hard because nowadays you have guys running 4.3s and 4.2s and the only thing we can do to slow them down is to hit them and to touch them,” Jackson said. “So at the same time, it’s kind of unfair to us as players, especially defensive players because after five yards you already can’t touch them. Once they get a full head of steam, the only thing I can do is when the ball is thrown, try to make a solid hit.
“We’re not trying to make any dirty hits as defensive players, but at the same time, you never know if you make a big-time hit, it could change the game around.”
Jackson had an ally in defensive end Antonio Smith, himself the recipient of hefty fines this season. Smith said he’s noticed offensive players showing more “courage” going across the middle, knowing the leeway they now have. Smith added that if Jackson hadn’t hit Wright hard, “he would still be running. Today.”
Jackson was also fined $5,250 for wearing the wrong colored socks on Sunday, as was linebacker Connor Barwin.
Texans safety Danieal Manning was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness for grabbing a face mask in that game.
Kubiak thinking inside the box
Coach Gary Kubiak moved practice inside the Texans’ practice bubble Friday, something he doesn’t do often.
“You know, I think it was a good excuse from some of the weather this morning,” Kubiak said. “We could’ve practice outside. It wasn’t a problem, but I think it really worked out good for us.
“The noise level inside our bubble compared to outside is not even close and what we’re fixing to go into we really needed to work cadence wise and some of the things we’re doing offensively.”
The Indianapolis Colts play in a domed stadium as well.
For yet another week, the Texans will be without cornerback Alan Ball, who has missed all of December with a foot injury he suffered in practice.
Ball was the only Texans player declared out. Safety Shiloh Keo, who suffered an ankle injury Thursday, was listed as questionable. Keo did not practice Friday.
The Texans also listed linebacker Brooks Reed as questionable. Reed suffered a torn groin on Thanksgiving and returned to play last week against the Vikings on a limited basis. Coaches said earlier in the week that Reed would be limited during Sunday’s game in Indianapolis but could see his playing time expanded as he healed.
Defensive back Brice McCain, who had foot surgery Dec. 3, said he will be getting out of the boot he wears on Monday.
The Texans placed McCain on injured reserve and designated him to return. McCain would be eligible to begin practicing six weeks after the designation, and he could be activated after eight weeks on IR, which would make him available for the Super Bowl if the Texans make it.
League fines Jackson $21,000
Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson was shocked to be fined $21,000 for a hit on Vikings receiver Jarius Wright that did not draw a flag.
But Jackson said even fines like that and potential flags don’t cross his mind when going to make a hit. He’d rather risk the penalty than risk giving up a touchdown.
“It’s definitely hard because nowadays you have guys running 4.3s and 4.2s and the only thing we can do to slow them down is to hit them and to touch them,” Jackson said. “So at the same time, it’s kind of unfair to us as players, especially defensive players because after five yards you already can’t touch them. Once they get a full head of steam, the only thing I can do is when the ball is thrown, try to make a solid hit.
“We’re not trying to make any dirty hits as defensive players, but at the same time, you never know if you make a big-time hit, it could change the game around.”
Jackson had an ally in defensive end Antonio Smith, himself the recipient of hefty fines this season. Smith said he’s noticed offensive players showing more “courage” going across the middle, knowing the leeway they now have. Smith added that if Jackson hadn’t hit Wright hard, “he would still be running. Today.”
Jackson was also fined $5,250 for wearing the wrong colored socks on Sunday, as was linebacker Connor Barwin.
Texans safety Danieal Manning was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness for grabbing a face mask in that game.
Kubiak thinking inside the box
Coach Gary Kubiak moved practice inside the Texans’ practice bubble Friday, something he doesn’t do often.
“You know, I think it was a good excuse from some of the weather this morning,” Kubiak said. “We could’ve practice outside. It wasn’t a problem, but I think it really worked out good for us.
“The noise level inside our bubble compared to outside is not even close and what we’re fixing to go into we really needed to work cadence wise and some of the things we’re doing offensively.”
The Indianapolis Colts play in a domed stadium as well.
