Hmm, the only thing I can add to this is on the issue of support. I think it shouldn't matter how bad the team is, you should not stop supporting them because of it, otherwise you are a bandwagon fan right? Even after the debacles against Den, Buff, and KC, I still couldn't wait for the training camp to begin! When they went 2-14, the worst part was Austin stopped showing the games. I do remember the coverage that they received in Houston. Do you remember the full 2 page color photos every Monday in the Post and Chron? 2 hour pre and post game shows on 740. I wish I had lived in Houston during those playoff years. Now we have another team. Might not have the greatest name, but everything else looks promising, especially a great looking logo and color scheme. Wonder how the Rockets convinced them to use it. Can't wait for next year. Its gonna be fun actually caring about the NFL once again.
Ric is the Ric of HPF.com, by the way. (A very, very good site if I say so myself, that will only get better as there is more stuff going on with the Texans).
wait, maybe i'm not -- let's see what this madmax has to say first... (thanks, ryan, for the kind words, btw. you know, i read in another thread that you live in plano off preston rd. i think we're neighbors... i don't like to give out my actual location -- FOH, you understand [fear of howfield], but i'm wagering we're pretty darn close.)
Actually, I live ON Preston Road (well, not physically on the road, but I have a Preston Rd. address - between Park Blvd and Parker). I've only been here about a month, so I'm still new to the neighborhood. I have no fear of crummy ex-Oiler kickers (yet. Though I suspect former Oiler QB Billy Joe Tolliver would be after me if he knew some of the things I've said about him over the years), so I don't have to worry about giving out my location.
wow! how did you ever manage to find a titan fan that would sing the team's praises?! amazing detective work... signing the "best" kicker available does not mean you've signed the best kicker available. in fact, joe nedney is a mediocre kicker at best, and even that's probably being kind. he's a career 44/73 (60%) from 30 yards and out. the "big minus" al del greco was 190/256 (74%) for his career. even last year, del greco's last stand, he was 14/18 from 30 yards and out. that bested his career % from that distance. and a field goal kicker is the focus of jeff fisher's conservative in a pat buchanan kind of way offense. as much as i like fisher, the guy starts playing for a field goal once his team crosses their own 40. i'm at a loss as to how nedney is a significant upgrade, if he's even one at all. i think that's going to come back and bite them hard. this is by no means a knock against reese, because i like what the guy has done. at the same time, let's not go overboard. sure, he's drafted well early, but he was also helped out by a tremendous run of good fortune, namely both george and kearse falling into his lap. give him credit for pulling the trigger when so many others passed, but reese was the benefactor of a lot of other team's blatant lack of drafting skill. i mean, why do you think teams like arizona and cincinnati are always picking so high? the NFL is structured such that the teams on top don't stay there for long, and they regulate this, so to speak, through the salary cap and the draft. you can keep your star players, but you sacrifice depth to do so, and then you don't have high picks to replenish the depth, and so on. damned if you do... tennessee currently has no depth at running back, wide receiver or on their offensive line -- if george goes down, if dyson isn't up to speed coming off the injury, if one of the starting linemen go down (or bruce realize he's AARP-eligible and starts playing like it)... and until samari rolle signs, they have limited talent at the corner and not much quality depth there, even after he signs. the key to drafting is the 3rd, 4th, 5th round when you have to find guys who can contribute, and frankly, reese has failed to address legitimate concerns on the team, namely wide receiver. he traded away this year's first round pick for a suspect, attitude-wise, DE who the defense-starved rams had no need for, and has, two years running, taken a TE among his top 2 picks, despite having frank wycheck on board and the fact few teams win because of their tight ends. the clock is ticking on tennessee. the number of teams that buck the system are so few (only denver comes to mind) -- it's damn near impossible, no matter how good your front office is, to stay on top.
Ric, I do not think Joe Nedney is the best kicker in the NFL. I do not think I said that. The only reason I mentioned it was because you specifically referenced the fact that the Titans were missing out because they let Al Del Greco go. If Al is as good as you think he is why is he still unemployed? You referenced the Titans lack of depth at WR, Running back, and Offensive Line. Of the three positions you mentioned I agree that the Titans most glaring lack of depth is Running Back. You are right if Eddie goes down the Titans will be hurting. I guess we will see how Baltimore does as they are living through this actual scenario. The Titans actually have depth at WR this year. They kept 7 WR on the final 53 man roster. Granted their depth is with rookies or a second year player the Titans are sitting just fine at WR. (Unlike last year when they had veterans who simply did not perform well in Carl Pickens and Yancey Thigpen). The Titans actually used two of their "middle round picks" (as you stated were crucial) to take WR's. I have a feeling our fourth round pick Justin McCerins will do just fine as the 3rd or 4th WR. The offensive line is fine as well. They are not great but it is not a major area of concern due to lack of depth. You also mentioned middle round picks. Floyd Reese has done his job in that category as well. Blaine Bishop, Derrick Mason, Jon Runyon (who is now on the Eagles) are Pro-Bowl caliber players that were selected by the Titans in the middle rounds. Every team in this league will have some area where they are limited. I just feel that the Titans have quality depth at the majority of their positions.
what you said was that joe nedney would be a "big plus" over al del greco. del greco's employment doesn't change the fact that his numbers and experience trump nedney's. joe nedney is a mediocre field goal kicker, and it will likely cost them, as fisher's ultra-boring offense plays for field goals. "our"? do you live tennessee? and let's not confuse quanity with quality. if dyson is slowed or mason proves last year was a fluke, the titans have no one to step in who's even on their level, and let's face it: dyson and mason are, at best, second tier WR's. reese didn't draft blaine bishop, that was holovak and the previous regime, if i'm not mistaken. runyon was termed, by the vaunted titan moderator you referenced earlier as "grossly overpaid" so he apparently wasn't that good, and that they no longer could afford him is exactly what i'm talking about. as for mason -- the jury's still out on him. let's see him to do it consistently before we annoit him a top WR. they have quality depth at the QB and TE position, not much anywhere else. tennessee is a team that gets more from less, a nod to fisher's job as the head coach. i don't know how that team stays afloat year after year -- there's not a lot of prime talent on that team, not imo, anyway.
Ric - cool...very early on you posted on the front page of your site a message from me about Simms possibly being the first Texans pick..you had a pic of Simms in a possible Houston Hurricanes jersey...that was before they were the Texans! We also talked recently over email about whether it would be weird rooting for a new team after rooting so long for the Oilers. I said it wouldn't be. I also gave you the scoop on the focus groups coming out with logos involving bulls but still being callled the Texans, not the Toros....sound familiar??
Ric, You seem to be overly fascinated by Al Del Greco. If he is such a damn good kicker why don't the Texans sign him!!! Al Del Greco sucks!!! The Titanscentral.net site is a great site. The fact that you are threatened by it makes me laugh. Of course I can see how you would be when I looked at your site. Every time I state a fact you seem to brush it off. The fact of the matter is Mason showed he is a capable #1 receiver. Dyson was on the verge of a breakout season last year prior to his injury. Both Dyson and Mason are #1 caliber receivers in this league. I am not sure what you are smoking if you think they are second tier at best. Also if you think that QB and TE are the only areas on the Titans which have depth just shows your lack of knowledge. You seem to have overlooked our defense. I believe we have a few quality defensive players and backups as well. By the way (by giving up only a late first round pick) was a steal for a pro-bowl defensive end in Kevin Carter. I think it has something to do with the fact that most teams have adjusted their offensive play calling to three step drops against the Titans. You see he improves the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. The more I correspond with you the happier I seem to get knowing that the Titans will be spanking (I mean playing) the Texans for years to come!!
speaking (as you do later) of brushing away facts, if al del greco "sucks" and his career numbers are better than joe nedney's, if his 2000 numbers are better than joe nedney's... explain one more time how nedney represents a "big plus" over del greco (which is what you termed his signing when you brought del greco up). and how's your site coming along, or do you just live vicariously through others who actually have the knowledge and dedication to run such a site? and by "fact" are you referring to comments such as nedney being a "big plus" over del greco despite inferior career numbers? the truth is, i've brushed away few of your arguments, because most are either bogus or someone else's. i've also stated repeatedly my admiration for a lot of what reese and, especially, fisher have done building and maintaining that team. mason's 63 receptions last year ranked him 19th in the afc -- there are 16 teams in the league. there were tight ends and running backs who equaled or bettered mason's output -- not exactly the stuff of a #1 caliber receiver, now is it? he was 14th in yards, 12th in avg., 13th in TD's. he's the titans' number 1 receiver by default, and, at best, a second tier receiver overall. those are the facts you claim i'm brushing aside. and mason's numbers last year bested dyson's career best in every, single category. like i said: second tier receivers at best. again with the "our?" when, exactly, did you move to tennessee? please, i implore you: find me one "quality" defensive backup on the titans' roster. here's the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/roster?team=ten it's not bad -- they have some depth, but few, if any, could step in and start on an NFL team. again, don't confuse quantity with quality. as for carter, the rams, dead last in team defense last year, traded him. that doesn't exactly speak volumes about the guy if the league's worst defense can't justify having him on the roster, now does it? he has a world of talent who's known for being very selfish and for not trying on each and every down. i admire the gamble reese is taking, but 2, 3 years down the road, if carter wears out his welcome in tennessee as he did in st. louis, the titans are going to wish they had that "only a late first round pick" back. that's nice -- running smack on a team that still doesn't exist. maybe this is why baltimore punked tennessee last year on their home turf -- the team has trouble prioritizing. but go ahead, take solace in the fact you're better than an expansion team. i hope its enough to keep you warm when tennessee hits the wall in the next year or two and begins their descent into suckdom.
i do remember -- just wanted to make sure you weren't a bill collector, or, worse, in the employ of a certain former oiler kicker....
Ric, Regarding the WR's. The last time I checked the Titans were not a pass oriented offense. Thus Mason is not going to have the quantity of receptions that you are referring to. There is more to what makes up a #1 receiver than quantity of catches. Now you bring up the fact that the Texans are not playing yet. Well it does not seem to be a problem with the other Texan fans who are talking smack about playing (and beating) the Titans. Someone mentioned it earlier on in this thread. You also mentioned the fact that I do not live in Tennessee. You are right I don't. I live in South Florida. When did a fan of a sports team have to live in that state to feel a sense of connection with that team. The last time I checked we had numerous Rocket fans across the world. Yes in some of my statements I refered to the Titans as "our defense". So what!!! I love this team just like I love all "my" teams. The Rockets and Astros included. Do I own these teams. No!!! Should that matter in how I address them in a BBS thread. I think not. Regarding having my own website. Many of the people on this BBS do not have their own website. When did that stop them from having an opinion or something to say about a particular website. I stick by my opinion that your website could learn a thing or two from Titanscentral.net. In reference to Al Del Greco. The reason why I feel Nedney will be an upgrade is simple. It is not a matter of stats. It is mental thing. A team having faith and confidence in your kicker is a very important factor and one that can not be measured. When it mattered the most Al Del Greco lost it last year for the Titans. That was evident by his blown extra point against the Ravens and again in the playoffs (with his numerous mistakes). Al Del Greco sealed his own fate this past January with the Titans. The last time I checked there was no one keeping stats of mental errors. The Titans players would have little faith in the outcome of a game this season if they knew that Al Del Greco was their field goal kicker. The same can not be said for Nedney. He has no excess baggage (unlike Al). He is a much younger kicker with much more range than Al. He also will be big plus on kickoffs. The Titans ranked close to last last year on where the opposing team started after kickoffs. Much of that was due to the fact that our punter had to also do kickoffs (i.e. Del Greco was not strong enough to do this). Now our punter can focus on just punting and leave kickoffs to Nedney. You are correct in the fact the Ravens punked the Titans last year. I give the Ravens their due. They came into Tennessee twice and beat "US" (emphasis on the US ). The last time I checked they were the only team to do this in Tennessee. The fact of the matter is Tennessee is Super Bowl caliber club which has a lot to prove this year. This coming from a team that has the best record in the NFL over the past two years. Anything less than a Super Bowl win will be a dissappointment to any Titans fan.
do you think maybe, just maybe, tennessee isn't a pass oriented offense because they don't have the talent to be one? if mason and dyson were top-tier WR's, as you claim -- they'd have the numbers. but they're not, and thus, they don't. trust me, if randy moss was lining up on the wing, they'd be a pass-oriented offense. they're nice players, but not game breakers. defenses don't fret having to find a way to contain the vaunted duo of dyson and mason. and what might those lessons be? i would LOVE to read your breakdown of what they're doing right, and how we can benefit from their vast knowledge. no offense intended to those guys, becasue i know personally how difficult it is to maintain a site, but their's reeks of web design 101 and consists of a whopping FIVE pages. and they actually have a team to cover! they're not exacly reinventing the wheel over there. nedney has more range?!?! go back and look at the numbers i posted -- the guy's a 60% FG kicker from 30 yards out -- he may have a stronger leg, but it's not an accurate one. as for del greco impacting mentality -- in the end, i agree, it's best he was shuttled off. but a) the titans as a team blew that game last year against del greco and to blame him soley for it is so ian howfield of you; b) confidence and faith is something earned, and nedney has yet to do any such thing. i'll wager by mid-season, his job's in jeopardy; c) whether the players have faith in the kicker or not is irrelevant to the kicker being able to do his job, and thus far in his career, nedney hasn't -- he's a mediocre kicker. there's not much else to say. you keep running in circles around this issue and then have the nerve to call me out for brushing away facts. well, this is a fact: nedney's not very good, and he's not better than del greco; d) do you honestly think deeper kickoffs is a key? maybe to a team with a mediocre defense, but tennessee's was ranked first last year -- how big an impact will 5-10 yards make on this team? laughable... and i've never, ever, never not once said tennessee wasn't a good team. i was merely pointing out that they've peaked. so whoever claimed tennessee would be whipping up on the texans for years to come... i don't think that's going to be the case. houston has nowhere to go but up, and the resources to get there quickly. tennessee has nowhere to go but down, and it should happen rapidly. that's how the nfl works -- another fact you keep ignoring....
just my take but i really dont see the titans going to the superbowl this year, esp if eddie cant get healthy 1st off i agree getting kevin carter was a steal however, the titans deficiencies offensively are obvious, they lack big play receivers plain and simple, sorry mason and dyson are number 2's on a good team at best, plus mcnair is a more conservative qb who needs a scaled back offense to take advantage of his talent as for kickers-nedney is very overrated, just because he finally landed with good offensive teams in oakland and denver last yr does not make him an elite kicker and in a big game is that that who want on the line(a guy who is shaky inside 40 yrds) i personally like the raiders,broncos,ravens,possibly colts and dolphins are close to make the superbowl than the titans
Ric, If Del Greco is as good as you say he is with his incredible stats and Nedney is as bad as you say he is. Please answer me the following question. Why is it that Del Greco is still unemployed as an NFL kicker and Nedney is not? You would think based on his vast leg and his awesome stats that some NFL team would have snaged him up by now. There were teams out there this offseason looking for field goal kickers. Look I do not think Nedney is the best kicker in the NFL. Could he stumble yes. If he does not convert his field goal opportunties will his job be on the line. Yes. But that is the case for just about any kicker in the NFL. I have full confidence that Nedney will do a good job for the Titans. Trust me if he does not we will all know about it. Del Greco missed 3 makeable kicks in the Titans playoff game against the Ravens. The fact of the matter is he single handedly cost the Titans both Ravens games (man could not make an extra point and than chokes big time in the playoffs). In the playoff game, the Titans would have had the lead going into the half and would have added to that lead had Del Greco done his job. The one kick he missed ending the second quarter he had a chance to do over (because the Ravens went offsides). Made no difference the 5 extra yards did not help as he missed again. Not to mention the point swing that came in not making one field goal and than having the Ravens run it back for a touchdown. The Ravens won that game on our home turf. I give them credit for that. But if you watched that game you saw that the Titans were in control of that game the first half. The field goals and the blocked field goal changed the momentum of that game. Without question the Titans must improve their red zone efficiency. You state that the Texans have no where to go but up. The Titans have no where to go but down. That must have taken alot of thought to figure out. Trust me I like the view from the top. The Texans also better get used to that view looking up for some time. The Texans will need at least 3-4 years to become a formidable threat. They may have Bob Laniers payroll but it takes time to build a solid NFL team. The NFL owners are not going to do Mr. Lanier any favors by making the Texans road back an easy one. I agree that the Texans will improve (or at least they should). When you are at the bottom you have no where to go but up (or stay in cellar). The Texans are coming into a strong division. The Titans, Colts and Jaguars will each be licking their chomps knowing that they have two games against the Texans. Look the Titans will have to work their butts off if they have any thoughts of returning to the Super Bowl. It will not be an easy road. They have a first place schedule and they start off with a true test this weekend with the Dolphins. The Titans will need to stay away from the injury bug, have clutch play, and some luck to get them that Lambordi trophy. With that said bring on the season! I think everyone in the Titans organization will learn from their past mistakes and I can only hope they will get their desired goal. I grow tired of talking about football. I want the real action to begin!!!
this is growing tiresome... i've never, ever, never, not once said anything positive about al del greco, excpet that he's, statistically, been more dependable than joe nedney, who you termed a "big plus." do you realize del greco is one of the most accurate kickers in nfl history? but i'm not here to argue del greco's worth as a kicker, and his employment status has no bearing on nedney's mediocrity. tennessee was involved in 7 games last year that were decided by 3 or fewer points -- i dare say only eddie george is more important to the titans' offense than the kicker, and somehow, in spite of this, you're content with joe "60%" nedney? ok. the offer still stands: i wager nedney is not the titans' kicker come january. del greco deserves some blame for the loss, but sole blame? twice, tennessee blocked raven punts deep in baltimore territory, and twice tennessee failed to score a touchdown. with the game still in doubt, and tennessee marching, ray lewis returned an interception for a touchdown to ice the game. help me out here -- did del greco throw that pass? or was he the one outmuscled for the ball? the titans' offense ran up 317 yards of total offense, tallied 23 first downs, and held onto the ball for over 40 minutes, but only managed 10 points, and somehow, it all comes down to al del greco? that's a myopic view, but, in all honesty, one i'd expect from a titan fan. if tennessee had any urgency inside the red zone(hey, where was all-world derrick mason? likely being shut down in single coverage), they would have blown baltimore out and it never would have come down to del greco field goals. but they don't -- fisher is simply a puss once the ball moves inside the 35-yard line. when all you do is play for the field goal... eventually, it's bound to come back and bite you. this little diatribe speaks volumes... all in the same paragraph, you a) insult me for stating the obvious (houston has nowhere to go but up), and then state the very same thing sentences later; b) are under the impression former houston mayor bob lanier has bought the texans; c) once again run smack on a team that doesn't even have a single, solitary player dotting its 53-man roster yet. i'll now try to remind myself why i'm even bothering... never learned a damn thing while they were in houston -- i wouldn't expect them to start now.... more and more, 1999 is giving off one of those "brady anderson in '96" vibes. this team is a playoff disaster waiting to happen.
Del Greco got cut for one reason only. His teamates no longer believed in him. In fact, ole Al probably cost the Titans the Superbowl last year. Al was a very good kicker, but for some reason, he lost his cool against Baltimore, and it cost the Titans the game. Believe me Fisher had to cut him, if you are going to war, you need to believe in the guy next to you. To a man, the Titans did not believe Del Greco could do it. DaDakota
