Houston Texans Pre-Season 2014 - NT Bowl 2.5...Battle For Roster Spots

[Peep Game]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There is no way the Texans can be as good defensively as they were a year ago, right? Right?

Odds are that is an accurate statement, but this team is so confident it doesn’t seem to care much about odds.

The rawest of numbers suggest the Texans had a pretty good defensive game in their season-opening victory over Miami.

Oh, they allowed 79 rushing yards, but more than half of that came in the first quarter before they adjusted to the Dolphins’ scheme. They forced four turnovers that helped set up 24 points in an easy 20-point win.

The most important statistic to any defense is points allowed, and the Texans gave up only 10 in the victory, tying them with Tampa Bay for the fewest given up on the NFL’s opening weekend. And a punt return accounted for seven of those points, so those shouldn’t even go on the defense’s ledger.

The Texans’ defenders hit hard. They were all around the ball. They were opportunistic. By almost any measure, the 2012 debut of Wade Phillips’ defense was a rousing success.

But Phillips’ defenders don’t measure themselves like the rest of us. As they see it, their performance was an OK day at the office, not a great one.
That’s scary. For opposing offenses.

“We don’t want to just be good, we want to great,” linebacker Bradie James said. “That’s the stamp we’re after. We want to be a dominant team, and the only way to do that is to strive for perfection.”

As for those 79 rushing yards, which ranked just 19th in the NFL, the Texans weren’t pleased.

“Everybody is saying, aw, they just had (79) yards, but we don’t even want them to get that,” James said. “We’ve got some work to do.

“We stopped them when we needed to and got some turnovers, but we want to be more dominant.”

Yeah, 79 rushing yards is terrible. It is almost 2 whole yards more than what the best rush defense in the league allowed per game last season.

‘They should improve as we go’
That is how good this defense thinks it can be. When the Texans play Sunday against Jacksonville and Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the league’s top running backs, they aren’t looking for a repeat of last week. They are looking to do better.

“I would like to hold (opponents) to three points every week,” Phillips said. “I was disappointed that they got the three because we actually caused a fumble there and had a chance to keep them from that.

“As long as we keep playing at the level we’re playing and not making many mistakes … that’s what we’re looking for on this team. They should improve as we go.”

It will be interesting to see just how good this defense can be in its second year under Phillips. We won’t know where it stands for sure until the Texans face a top offense (see: Manning, Peyton … next week), but shutting down a Jaguars squad run by second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert would be an indicator that average offenses have little chance of success against the Texans.

Not many defenses could lose DeMeco Ryans and Mario Williams and get better. But Williams played only five games before suffering a season-ending injury, and Ryans played much of the season at below 100 percent as he returned from an Achilles injury and had an elbow problem early on. So there is an argument that the Texans weren’t as good last year as they might have been if those two were healthy.

Better than 2011 is a possibility
Plus, the Texans entered last season following a lockout, so they had no offseason practices with coaches in the new scheme. Fast-forward to this season with a full offseason of work, J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed in their second year in the league and an improved Kareem Jackson at cornerback, and the Texans believe they will be at least as dominant as a year ago.

“(In the opener) I think we tried to be where we left off last year,” Phillips said. “That’s what our goal was to start off the season, playing like we did last year. I thought we played at that tempo and at that level. We didn’t do everything perfect, but we played the kind of game that I had hoped we would to start the season.”
With perfection still on the table, at least the Texans’ defense has something for which to strive.

 

[Peep Game]

Wish Tate would have ran that in. Foster basically stole his TD

Texans need to stop the silly penalties

 

[Peep Game]

Defense playing really good right now, plus Gabbert is just an incompetent QB at this point. I guess you can "show improvement" when you're at the bottom of the barrel, and you're facing the Vikings the previous week.

Our offense should have more points on the board though, but i don't even think the playbook is being opened up because these are the Jags.

 

[mmg]

Watt is ballin right now


cant wait to smash Peyton (no romo)

 

[champcruthik]

I see Tate balled out.

What's good with Dre only getting three receptions?

 

[mmg]

considering how we had almost 300 rushing yards i got no prob with dre getting 3 receps.

Keeps him healthy and fresh for when we need him (like next week)

 

[Peep Game]

 

[blackxme]

I see Tate balled out.
What's good with Dre only getting three receptions?

We really focused on the run today, and the Jags were paying a lot of attention to Dre.


I'm glad our running game got going today
J.J. is such a ******g beast.

I need the Texans to win next week. I have my quote of the week locked and loaded if they do.

 

[ajmasta]

After watching Peyton and the Broncs play tonight, I think We have a nice shot at going 3-0. Sure Manning is nice but I think our defense will pick them apart. This defense is without a doubt the best of the best. Shaub is going to have to go deep more often if he expects to get by this Broncos defense they gave the Steelers hell. Shaub has yet to throw an INT and he has been brilliant with Arian Foster and Tate. I see the Texans winning in week 3.

 

[champcruthik]

We really focused on the run today, and the Jags were paying a lot of attention to Dre.
I'm glad our running game got going today
J.J. is such a ******g beast.
I need the Texans to win next week. I have my quote of the week locked and loaded if they do.

Rashean on Dre all game, I'm guessing. Underrated corner.

How's my boy Cushing looking through two? Bergen Catholic.

 

[blackxme]

He hasn't been as disruptive as I expect him to be throughout the rest of the season.
I'd say he's been solid so far.

 

[Peep Game]

Yea Cushing has been pretty solid. I think his rib injury has slowed him down a bit, but other than that, I really don't think he's had to do a lot cause of the d-line.

Random gifs

 

[Peep Game]

Harvey: Texans’ 2012 fate may hinge on Broncos game

One of the biggest moments in Texans history is their win in the playoffs last year.
DENVER — The Texans have won a few significant games in their short history, starting with their NFL debut in 2002.

They beat the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 at Reliant Stadium. Owner Bob McNair is particularly proud of that one, like a businessman who frames the first dollar he made.

Others most notably include three regular-season games the Texans won in 2011 after quarterback Matt Schaub suffered a season-ending injury to advance to the postseason for the first time. They then won their first playoff game — 31-10 over Cincinnati.

So no one is suggesting a win over the host Denver Broncos on Sunday would be historic.

But we might look back at this game as one of the most important, if not the most important, of a potentially historic season.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak quickly becomes impatient with such discussions.
All he will concede is the game against the Broncos is the Texans’ most important of the week.

Asked if he accepted the consensus that this is the Texans’ first real test of the season after 20-point victories over Miami and Jacksonville, he said: “I think they’re all real. Just look around this league every week. Anybody can beat anybody if you don’t play well.”

MNF ‘pandemonium’

But let’s say the Texans win at Denver and improve to 3-0 with Tennessee, a relatively weak opponent, coming to Reliant on Sept. 30. They then have eight days to prepare for a Monday night game in New Jersey against the New York Jets.

“If they take a 4-0 record into New York on a Monday night, it’s going to be pandemonium,” said Christopher David, editorial sports director for VegasInsider.com.

He points out the Texans, despite a weak schedule, have moved from the fifth or sixth favorite to win the Super Bowl when the season began to second behind San Francisco.

OK, so let’s take a breath here, if possible, in this Rocky Mountain high.
Manning’s track record
Another scenario is that the Texans lose to Denver and drop to 2-1, with six of their next 10 games against teams considered playoff contenders. They play four of those — Jets, Chicago, Detroit and New England — on the road. You could see visions of the Super Bowl fading fast.

Although the Texans are favored by two points at Denver, history is not on their side. In 10 seasons, they never have started the season 3-0. Not only that, Houston’s previous professional football team — the Oilers — started 3-0 just once in 37 seasons.

In 18 games against the Texans while with Indianapolis, quarterback Peyton Manning’s record is 16-2. The Texans never have beaten him on the road. Neither have they won at Denver, Manning’s new home.

Also take into consideration that Manning might be the quarterback who led the Broncos to a 31-19 victory over Pittsburgh in the season opener instead of the one who threw three interceptions in the first quarter of a 27-21 loss to Atlanta on Monday night.

Media chatter afterward was that Manning, 36, coming back from four neck surgeries that prevented him from playing last season, has lost his fastball.

He wasn’t amused by the talk earlier in the week but unclenched his teeth Thursday to joke that the media in Denver should watch out when he threw the ball toward the end zone, where they assemble during practices.

“Those wobblers still hurt if they hit you in the head,” he said.

No place like NFL home
The Texans don’t expect any jokes from him Sunday.

Cheering him on will be one of the NFL’s most boisterous crowds. It has been difficult enough this season for teams to win on the road. Home teams have won 23 of 32 games, four more than the average through two games of the last three seasons, a trend some blame on crowds intimidating the replacement officials.

No matter who is officiating, the Broncos throughout their history have won 62 percent of their games at home, just behind Miami and just ahead of Pittsburgh among original AFC teams.

Did I mention the altitude?

Kubiak didn’t.

“I’m not a doctor,” he said.

But those unaccustomed to playing in a stadium called Mile High for a reason can’t escape noticing they are gasping for air a lot sooner than usual.

Firing on all cylinders
So the Texans don’t have a chance?

On the contrary, they will be prepared for this challenge.

They are that good in this early part of a long season. Of six unbeaten teams, they are the only one to win both games by double digits. Jacksonville might not be a real test, but the Texans smothered the Jaguars on both sides of the ball with a staggering 26-minute time of possession advantage. Also, the Texans appear to play with intelligence on offense and abandon on defense.

“We just make sure we’re ready to go when it’s game day,” wide receiver Andre Johnson said. “Everyone is locked in.”

I’ll go with the Texans. Attitude over altitude.

LEGGO

 

[champcruthik]

Looking for the maniac Cushing to show out today at Mile High.

 

[blackxme]

3-0

This game had me nervous as hell. HOLD ON TO THAT BALL TATE!

And how many interceptions did we leave out there?

 

[HTownsOwn84]

YEAH BABY 3-0!!!

 

[Peep Game]

At 31-18, I wasn't worried about anything. I damn sure was at 31-25 though, but we pulled it out and that's all that matters. We have the titans at home this next week, and they always play us tough, but we need to use this game to jump on them fast and kill their confidence, then get ready for the Jets after that.

 

[champcruthik]

J.J. Watt is a monster. That is all. The Mutombo finger wag.

 

[timelessflight]

Great win and we're 3-0 for the first time in franchise history. Won infront of a hostile crowd on the road, Denver is a pretty tough place to play but we pulled through

 

[Peep Game]

Kubiak: Texans have ‘ton of mistakes to correct’; Jean to have surgery

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that quarterback Matt Schaub is “fine” and “looked normal” and participated in the regular Monday walk-through after losing a piece of his left ear on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Denver linebacker Joe Mays in Sunday’s 31-25 victory.

Schaub had an X-ray on his left shoulder after the game. The X-ray was negative.

All the injury news wasn’t good for the Texans, who are 3-0 for the first time and the only remaining unbeaten team in the AFC.

Second-year receiver Lestar Jean, who caught a 46-yard pass against the Broncos, will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery to repair torn cartilage and will miss Sunday’s game against Tennessee at Reliant Stadium. Jean’s absence means rookie DeVier Posey could be active for the first time.

Safety Quintin Demps underwent thumb surgery. He suffered the injury at Denver, had a cast placed on it and returned to finish the game.

The Texans, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals are the last 3-0 teams in the NFL. Kubiak said one thing he likes about his team is the way they handle winning.

“There wasn’t a lot of dancing in the locker room after the game,” Kubiak said.

The Texans should have had a third consecutive 20-point victory. They led 31-11 with 10 minutes left in the game. Then Ben Tate fumbled, and Peyton Manning responded with a touchdown pass. Then the offense went three and out, and Manning answered with another touchdown pass to pull the Broncos within six points.

“We’ve got a ton of mistakes to correct,” Kubiak said. “This team is very focused week to week.”

Kubiak said he’s not concerned that outside linebacker Connor Barwin doesn’t have a sack after leading the team with 11 1/2 last season.

“Connor’s playing extremely well,” Kubiak said. “Those things (sacks) will come. He plays with tremendous effort, and those things will happen for him.”

Kubiak continues to praise defensive end J.J. Watt, who had another outstanding game with eight tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a player play like he has three games in a row,” Kubiak said. “It’s the way he factors in the game by making so many big plays.”

 

[blackxme]

I hope we hang 40 on the Titans.

 

[mmg]

JJ watt is playing like a ******g man

 

[Peep Game]

It would only be fitting to put 40 on the Titans. I hope the Texans jump out fast at home and crush their confidence, and just keep it moving.

I was also hearing that Alan Ball would be ready to start this Sunday if JJoseph couldn't go ( ), thankfully that's not the case...

Johnathan Joseph returns to practice, should play Sunday

Johnathan Joseph felt fine Friday and said he isn’t limited in any way heading into Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

Joseph strained his groin against the Denver Broncos early in the game and estimates he played about 45 minutes after that. He did not practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday, but he termed that as a precautionary move.

“I think I tested it out enough yesterday running around with my son,” Joseph said. “I pretty much had a feeling today would be the day that I could go out there and … be full go.”

The Texans could have used cornerback Alan Ball in Joseph’s place, but they are glad to have their best corner available.

“He’s a leader back there on the back end,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “There’s that saying there’s the shutdown corner on each football team; he’s our guy.”

Only receiver Lestar Jean, who had a minor knee surgery earlier this week, missed practice today.

 

[mmg]

In happy JJ is back there, but in al honesty if he wanted a game off this would be it, they have no Oline, CJ is a joke and locker doesn't scare me one bit.

Reem would've been fine enough.

 

[Peep Game]

Texans vs. Titans guide to the game: Can J.J. Watt be controlled?

J.J. Watt has been a dominant force on the defensive line so far this year. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
1. Can the Titans do what no other team has done in the Texans’ last five games — control defensive end J.J. Watt?
The Titans haven’t allowed a sack in their last two games. They kept the Lions off quarterback Jake Locker. They’ll have to double-team Watt if they hope to control him, and even then there’s no guarantee. Watt moves inside in passing situations. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is moving him to keep him on the run. Going back to the playoffs, Watt has nine sacks in five games, including 51/2 this season. The defense has been on the field less than any defense in the league, but he has been on a tear. He has 15 tackles, tying Brian Cushing for the team lead. Watt leads with 12 unassisted tackles, five deflections, seven tackles for loss and eight hits on the quarterback. He’s 6-5, 295 pounds and relentless from start to finish.

2. What are the odds that Titans running back Chris Johnson finally has a breakout game against the Texans?
Not good at all. The Texans rank second in defense, including fourth against the run. They surrender only 67.7 yards a game. But opponents have averaged 4.5 yards a carry. That looks like opponents are running in passing situations or they’re just not getting enough attempts. The Titans are definitely not getting enough attempts. They’re last with an average time of possession of 23:18 compared with the Texans’ 36:34. The Titans are last with a 39-yard average per game and a 2.6-yard average per carry. Johnson, who got $30 million guaranteed last year, has carried 33 times for 45 yards. That’s a 1.4-yard average. Tennessee’s running game has been so bad that quarterback Jake Locker, in his first season as the starter, is the team’s leading rusher with 67 yards on eight carries. For the season, the Titans have run for only 117 yards.

3. Can the Texans run on the Titans like they’ve run on everybody else?
The Titans are 31st in defense, allowing 463 yards a game. They’ve allowed more points than any team in the league. One reason for their ineptness is because they haven’t been able to stop the run. Opponents have gouged them for 150.3 yards a game, ranking them 29th. They’re also 30th in pass defense. Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, who’s in his second season with the Titans, plays a 4-3. He doesn’t blitz a lot. Stopping the run is important to him. He wants to stop the run and force opponents to throw and get after the quarterback with a four- and five-man rush. The Texans want to run well enough to force the Titans to commit eight players in the box. That means one safety back, and Matt Schaub will throw down the field. Arian Foster and Ben Tate should be able to pound the ball and control the clock, which the Texans have done better than any team in the league.

4. How does the Texans’ defense stop quarterback Jake Locker, who’s in his first season as a starter?
The Texans saw Locker last season when he was a rookie and replaced Matt Hasselbeck in the Texans’ 41-7 victory at Nashville. He’s coming off his best game in the 44-41 overtime victory over Detroit. He completed 29 of 42 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he didn’t throw an interception. His 413 combined yards passing and rushing were the most by a Titans quarterback since Billy Volek had 493 in 2004. When Locker was drafted in the first round last year, the Titans knew they had a mobile quarterback who needed to work on his accuracy. So far, Locker is completing 64.4 percent of his passes working with offensive coordinator Chris Palmer.

5. If the Titans can surprise everyone and stay within striking distance and the game is going to be settled by field goals, what kind of chance do they have?
With Rob Bironas, are you kidding? Bironas owns the Texans. This is his eighth season. He owns the NFL record with eight field goals in a game. Guess where he accomplished that feat. Yes, Reliant Stadium. That was in 2007, when he went to the Pro Bowl. He has had five consecutive seasons with at least 110 points. His last two seasons have been his most accurate. Since 2005, David Akers is the only kicker with more field goals than Bironas. He’s connected on 81-of-105 from at least 40 yards, and that 77.1 percent success rate is the most accurate in NFL history for a kicker with at least 100 attempts. In other words, you don’t want this game to come down to a field goal.

Texans players to watch:

Arian Foster
Running back
Foster is going after his third consecutive 100-yard game. He also has a league-best 13 touchdowns in division games. Foster has been outstanding at home, too. He averages 24 carries, 116 yards and a touchdown in home games.

Andre Johnson
Wide receiver
Johnson isn’t happy with his performance so far — 13 catches for 212 yards and two TDs. But Johnson has played some of his most prolific games against the Titans, who no longer have his nemesis — cornerback Cortland Finnegan.

Titans players to watch:

Nate Washington
Wide receiver
Last season, Washington had four catches for 92 yards and a touchdown in one game against the Texans. In 2011, he was the first Titans receiver with 1,000 yards since 2004. He’s off to a good start this season with 26.4 yards per catch.

Michael Griffin
Free safety
The former first-round pick from Texas has never missed a game in six seasons. After being awarded with a new contract, Griffin has struggled. He has been moved around, and he hasn’t played as well as the coaches would like.

Only 20 minutes folks...