By Peter King Five reasons why Houston is not fluky (and make no mistake -- I'm not picking them for the playoffs; I'm just picking them to be respectable): 1. The Texans just put up 393 yards on one of the top five defenses in football -- on the road. I understand Miami took the Texans lightly. But at some point in the game, the defense wakes up and realizes it's in a game, and puts the brakes on a bad performance. The Dolphins never could. 2. The offensive line is downright competent. Last year, David Carr led the league in two things: black-and-blue marks and sacks taken. How about this stat: Jason Taylor, playing opposite underwhelming Houston tackle Chester Pitts, had zero tackles, zero assists and zero sacks. The line allowed no sacks, and Carr was hit significantly three times. 3. The AFC South is no NFC South. I can see the Texans losing three of four to Indy and Tennessee, but I can also see the Texans sweeping Jacksonville. 4. Stacey Mack is not just Fred Taylor's caddy. That was his job in Jacksonville, but his job this year is to be a legitimate 1,100-yard back. The thing I like about Mack is that he's 6-foot-1, 241 pounds, and he can chameleonize himself into a good around-the-edge rusher as well as a good short-yardage back. 5. Dom Capers knows what he's doing. Remember the last expansion team he coached? Playoffs in the second year. NFC Championship Game in his second year. There was not a better guy on the market last year to coach this team, and he'll prove it this year with his patient, dogged, defensively aggressive style. There's one more thing I really like about this team. His name is Andre Johnson. I said before the draft he would be the best receiver in the draft, and I'm saying right now you will look back on this draft in five years and say: Andre Johnson was the best player to come out of the 2003 draft. Every coach who plays this team this year, starting with Jim Haslett this week in New Orleans, will not be lying to his team when he stands in front of the players on Wednesdays and says: "Men, this is a pretty good team we've got this week." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/football/nfl/09/11/head2head.surpise/?cnn=yes
I don't think chester pitts was "underwhelming" last year given that he was a sleeper pick with very little football experience starting 16 games at LT, a position he never played before, as a rookie. The other guys on the OL, like Herndon (the Matt Stevens of RT's) and Schau were the ones who sucked IMO.
He makes a point in #1 that I mentioned to RM95 over lunch...the whole "Miami just overlooked us" thing only goes so far...certainly by the second half, Miami wasn't overlooking us anymore...but it wasn't enough...they couldn't get anything going. and their defensse still couldn't apply effective pressure to Carr. I think that's a really, really good sign.
i'd say if we're competitive, we're not a fluke. again...most texans fans aren't calling this a super bowl team...just a good, competitive team. if you get that in year 2 of your existence with youth, you're WAY ahead of the game...and you're poised for a breakout in year 3. that would far exceed my expectations for this franchise...
Thank you Peter King! I really like that guy now (in a non-gay way - not that there's anything wrong with that). That's a real good analysis on the Texans, good job King!
My favorite Texans topics: Andre Johnson, David Carr, and the Offensive Line! I love it!!!! Now, if we could only get us a Running Back to complement the Carr/Johnson duo.
By the way, I just want to go on record by saying that out of Jabar Gaffney, Corey Bradford and Andre Johnson. Johnson is still the best WR period! I don't care what the stats say about Bradford (leading the team). He's very good. But Johnson will be better. Johnson is the man! (Nice article about Bradford: http://www.jsonline.com/packer/sbxxxiii/rev/brad50198.stm). I love WR's that are buildt like Sterling Sharpe/Rice/Irvin. Andre Johnson is built like Terrel Owens. Bradford is built like Sterling Sharp/Michael Irving. Great receivers like Rice, Sharp, Irvin had a canny ability to make yardage, AFTER the catch. They gave punishment more than they got. That was one thing the Oilers were NOT good at with their quick/wiry scat receivers of the run-and-shoot...their "after the catch yards" were almost nonexistent. Those receivers would catch the ball and then drop to the ground (or get smashed to the ground). Webster Slaughter, Ernest Givins, Curtis Duncan, Haywood Jeffires. I can't count how many fumbles those guys created after they got hit. Those guys always took punishment, but never gave it. As far as other Houston WRs? Well, Drew Hill was better than all of those guys. Based on pure talent Drew Hill was the best NFL receiver Houston has ever had until now. I say again. Until now... Who's the best running back Houston has ever had (Besides Earl Campbell)? I would have to say, Mike Rozier. Now, all we need is a running back that is at least as good as Mike Rozier. At least. P.S. I have to give props to an old favorite WR, Kenny Burrough (00)!
Looks interesting. http://hurricanesports.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/gore_frank00.html Seems like he's bulked up to 218lbs; he not 196 anymore. I love 5'10" running backs, as long as they are above 200lbs. Emmit Smith, 5'9", 205lbs. Earl Cambell, 5'10", 225lbs. They run with a low center of gravity (power and strength), but are also agile enough to change direction. That's why I'm NOT a fan of Eddie George's running style: upright, high center of gravity. Plus, he's too tall to be a every-down RB. He reminds me more of a Full-Back (6'3", 235lbs). Frank Gore comes from a great program too! Anything from a Florida, NCAA football program, I'll take that!
By the end fo the year, IMO, Frank Gore will be considered the best running back in college football. His calm demeanor along with his smooth but powerful running style is why I think he will be a great back. If he has a great season this year I see no reason why he won't go top 5 in next year's NFL draft.
Gore, to me, catches my eye more than Maurice Clarett or Willis McGahee. Of course, we wont know how good McGahee turns out to be until he's healthy. Clarett seem to be a good pick. But in terms of body type and running style, Gore seems better than both of those two other guys.
