http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ys-08nflpreview_texans&prov=yhoo&type=lgns The Houston Texans have finally been invited to play on “Monday Night Football.” Now they’re hoping an invitation to the playoffs comes next. Houston is coming off the best season in franchise history. The Texans won eight games despite former Pro Bowlers Andre Johnson and Ahman Green getting injured. Quarterback Matt Schaub and three starters in the secondary also missed time because of injuries. Regardless of what misfortunes hit the team this season, nothing less than a winning record will be accepted in Houston. But that won’t be easy to accomplish. Three of the Texans’ first four games are on the road, and four of their first five contests are against teams that reached the playoffs last season. The Texans say they are ready to finally take that next step. It will need to start in the AFC South, where Houston won just one game last season. “Our goal is to become a playoff team, and we’re going to have to be able to step to the plate against teams … week-in and week-out and play good football if we expect to do that,” coach Gary Kubiak says. Offense The offense now has 28-year-old Kyle Shanahan as its coordinator, but little will change. The play-calling will continue to go through Kubiak, who wants to use a run-first offense. Injuries to Houston’s running backs have thwarted that plan the past two seasons. An improved offensive line and the addition of Alex Gibbs to the coaching staff should help the team make vast improvements, especially in the running game. Defense The focus of the defense will once again be the linemen. Mario Williams is coming off his best season, and Amobi Okoye is expected to make big strides from his rookie campaign. With DeMeco Ryans anchoring the middle, the focus will be on just how well defensive coordinator Richard Smith and his assistants can develop a young secondary that will be void of its best player, Dunta Robinson, for at least half the season. The book on: Mario Williams A rival sizes up the Texans’ defensive end: “Mario was a different player last season. I don’t know if it being his second year in the league was the difference or if it was because he was healthy, but whatever the reason, he was a different player. And a much better player. “You could see on film he was more sure of himself, much more confident. I think they threw too much at him as a rookie, but last year he was able to handle it. When he moved from right to left end and back, he didn’t look uncomfortable – the deer in the headlights look – like his first year. He had the reputation coming in, but he didn’t play to his capability. I think he was overcoached, and they put too much on his plate … “He’s such an incredible physical specimen. He’s tall. He’s got long arms. He gets off the ball fast. He’s developing a couple of moves, but he needs to perfect them. He should also develop a couple more. Sometimes he will let up on a play when he’s beaten, especially on a bull rush or if the tackle takes him to the outside.” The bottom line The Texans are getting closer to their ultimate goal of reaching the playoffs. Williams and Ryans lead an up-and-coming defense, and the offense should be vastly improved behind a better line and the return of Johnson and Green. Houston’s biggest issue in the offseason was the inability to improve the defensive line with another pass-rushing end, but the team added talent to the positions that were the thinnest. The Texans appear on track for their first winning season, though a strong AFC South group will likely keep them out of the playoffs for at least one more year. SN prediction: 5-11, fourth in AFC South. Megan Manfull covers the Texans for the Houston Chronicle and Sporting News.
I understand we have a tough sched. but I dont see us going 5-11. I think at worst we go 7-9 and best 11-5. somewhere in the middle aint bad. my pick 9-7
That would be a good season, but can Kubiak keep his job without making the playoffs (which 9-7 does not guarantee)?
Yes. I think McNair recognizes all the externalities...the tough division and schedule. I think McNair is more likely to take a long-term approach with his coach....I hope he takes the approach the Steelers do. I think Kubiak CAN win as a coach. I don't want to see them get rid of him because this team can't make the playoffs. I think I would be SHOCKED if this team made the playoffs.
I love the anology you made... Kubiak should be treated as a long term coach like Shanahan or Bill Cowher was in Steelers
What I don't understand is the ENTIRE article is spent talking about how we're an improved team, and how we've addressed some issues we've had in the past, and how we're coming off our best season ever, but then when it's time to predict, she has us finishing 3 GAMES WORS
Oops, sorry about the previous post. Anyways, she has us finishing 3 games WORSE than last year. I'm sorry, but 5-11 implies a BAD TEAM. I don't care how hard of a schedule we have (and honestly, after the first 5 games, I don't think we have a hard schedule), we should at least finish 7-9 or 8-8. We are not a bad team. I despise Chronicle writers, and Manfull and Dick INjustice are the reason why.
Yea, I thought this article was incredibly stupid. How the hell are we a step closer to the playoffs when we are predicted to lose 3 more games than last year?
I believe "SN" may be "Sporting News" or some other national syndicate who has a relationship with Yahoo!. I agree, the prediction is congruous with the article in the least. If one were to click on some of the other previews, one would find an "SN prediction" at the bottom of each. So, while "SN"'s prediction is 5-11, we don't know what Manfull's prediction is.
It says that Megan Sheman is a writer for SN as well as the Chron. Well, Ihope everybody looks past the Texans, would love to see nothing more than an "upset" everyweekend
It's not his coaching ability that I'm not sold on - rather it's his method of talent evaluation that gives me pause. He continues to make the same mistake in evaluating key players. So far I've seen him blow it with 3 players who were supposed to play key roles with this team: David Carr, Ahman Green & Roosevelt Colvin. And what's interesting to note is that in each case, he's ignored all of the warning signs and evidence to the contrary and instead blithely gone ahead and invested time and effort in each one only to wind up disappointed in the end. This is the prime reason I remain somewhat skeptical about his tenure as coach. To me, this smacks of ego. It's as if Kubiak feels he knows more than other folks and that gives him the license to ignore the obvious warning signs about taking risks on players who can no longer hold up their end of the bargain. I sense the same traits in his mentor Shanahan which goes to explain why his team is also going into the season with a question mark instead of a real running game. I think you are dead on about all of this playoff talk. Let's see the Texans win more than 1 game in their division before we start throwing around the PO word. I understand that after 6 years, patience has worn thin amongst the faithful but having followed the old Houston Oilers, I can truthfully say that 6 years is a drop in the bucket compared to the decades of futility the Oilers forced Houston to endure.
you forgot the important people so your argument is useless DeMeco Ryans, Mario Williams, Fred Bennett, Amobi Okoye, Kevin Walter, Owen Daniels, Matt Schaub, Eric Winston, Myers, Now possibly Slaton/Duane Brown
Nice comeback. I have a feeling he WOULD be fired at the end of this year had he picked Bush instead of Mario. We'd be left with a weakER defense and a young RB that just can't seem to get over that hump.
actually, i'm absolutely, positively sold on his ability to evaluate talent. he had a better draft in 2006 alone than all of casserly's 4 drafts combined, and that's only a slight exaggeration. he's filled this roster with more talent and depth than it's EVER had, and he did it in three years starting with a 2-14 wreck of a team. imo, green - and the running back situation, in general - has been his only achilles heel (though, if slaton becomes a domanick davis type but with speed, screw me - he's finally addressed that, too.). colvin, meanwhile, was a low-risk, high-reward move (it's not like elite DEs are sitting around in their living rooms waiting for the phone to ring). regardless, kubiak cut his losses immediately, proving his ego is NOT getting in the way of his personnel decisions. (don't do it, ric... don't... - you're going to, aren't you? god help you....) (deep breath)... i also don't blame him for carr, either. first of all, i like that his ego was big enough to think he could fix him - better than hiring a coach that doubted his own abilities. secondly, we have no idea what the circumstances were behind the scenes with carr (ie what mcnair's mandate was). plus, and this is the slippery slope but... carr was a former #1 overall pick who - until the inexplicable slide in 2005 - had been on the proper trajectory as a developing QB in his first 3 years. taking carr on at that point, remains - imho - defensible. hell, two teams since have picked the guy up - one a presumed playoff contender, the other the defending super bowl champion. so others obviously see SOMETHING....... but here's the thing with carr, and why i don't hold it against kubiak: he pulled the eject button 12 months later. not only that, but got mcnair to buy into it. and it didn't cost the texans a thing - they're not tied to a giant contract or anything like that. he gave it shot, it failed, he moved on - and you think he has an ego?... if he had an ego, carr'd still be here... i think kubiak has progressively gotten better as a playcaller and decision-maker on game day, too - while we're on the subject. he, like the team, is evolving. i'm excited to see what he has in store for the steelers. keep in mind: he lost his starting QB, RB and WR (and best player) last year for long stretches. when they were healthy (weeks 1 and 2), the offense looked absolutely dominant.
Sure, Kubiak hit the jackpot with these 11 guys, but what about the 3 guys HillBoy mentioned???? Huh?????? Like Ric says, only thing this regime has done wrong in the personel department is Ahman Green. Everything else has been cream cheese so far. Where HillBoy is coming from as far as Kubiak's ego....I have no idea. That's just HillBoy being HillBoy. He's like the glynch of the Texans forum. EDIT: Ric, how is the new site coming? What is the address?
Ahman Green was a mistake, but I do disagree that David Carr wasn't. He was a mistake. He was a mistake I probably would have made as well, but I'm not a coach who's supposed to evaluate. It's one I can't crucify Kubiak for, but it's on him still. Colvin. Are you kidding me? Why is that even a topic for discussion? Colvin was signed after he was cut by another team. He was given a low salary. The hope was that he could provide some situational pass rush, but it wasn't like the team penciled him in as a starter. They just were desperate to address a need that free agency and the draft hadn't let them solve yet. So what he didn't work out, most teams go through players like that every training camp.
