I wasn't all that encouraged by the running game. Arian's rushes were as follows: 1st Q 3 2 50 0 2nd Q 8 21 13 4 1 3 3rd Q 4 4 2 2 5 3 8 1 1 1 1 4th Q 4 0 12 8 1 0 -1 0 -4 A few minutes into the 2nd quarter the Jets put the clamps on Arian. We started the game great, but the running game sputtered to a hault after that. It was just too inconsistent for my taste, especially when the game was on tthe line. Forsett was pretty much nonexistent too.
Maybe. I think Tate could have turned a lot of those 1 and 2 yard gains into 4 and 5 yard gains. So much of the effectiveness of the run game was condensed into 3-4 plays. When you're trying to salt a game away, you can't turn up small like that. That seriously worries me. The Jets D, especially the run D, is not good anymore.
That's not terribly uncommon; in fact, it's more or less the point of their running game: plod, plod, plod until you break a big one. Against Pittsburgh last year (his signature regular season performance, IMO), he had runs of 42 and 18 yards. All other runs (28) averaged 3.4 YPC. Against the Ravens (in the playoffs), he had 28- and 19-yard runs; the rest: 3.4 YPC. Foster always racks up a slew of 2 or fewer yard rushes. But he has the skill to break one and that's what makes him special.
He made some good plays. I will of course give him that. But he definitely was not his best last night. And all it would have taken was a first down here and there, a throw when there was someone open (yes, it did happen as much as you all are saying it didnt). I think he needs to play better against the Packers. Looking at the game, he was frustrated more than half of it.
I disagree. The Texans run game is built to string 5+ yard carries together. The homeruns are just gravy and part of Arian's specialness. This team is at it's best when they can consistently run it down people's throats, not when they get stuffed 90% of the time and then break a big gainer. That is the exception for us, not the rule. Matt's passing is much the same way, not made for big plays. Ball control all the way.
I just didn't think that Arian had the explosion he did in the 2nd half vs the 1st half. It was noted by the commentators. Was thinking it would have been nice to give Tate about 12 to 15 of those reps up the middle & behind Brown while Arian gathered some wind. I could have seen those 1 & 2 yarders being 4 & 5 yarders with the box stacked if a fresh Tate was in there.
I thought Arian was plenty explosive throughout the entire game. He was amped like crazy. The OL just played like hot dookie after the first 20 minutes of the game. Tate never hurts, but I think we just played inconsistently in the run game and Rex did a good job adjusting. Kubiak's playcalling kind of sucked in the 2nd half, too. We couldn't exploit their zone.
Your prerogative, Bobby B. But facts is facts. That Steeler game? He totaled 30 carries -12 were for 2 or fewer yards. This is pretty common place.
Kubiak: **It's what we thought. (Brian) Tore his ACL, we lost him for the year. Surgery in 2-3 weeks when the swelling goes down. Big blow to our team. Feel bad for Brian. He'll be missed. **We got home at 5:30. I saw the play. He got cut on the play. Cutting is part of football but the rule says you can't comeback to your own goal line to cut. Did he do that? That's up to the league. Doesn't change that we lost Cush. **Dobbins went in and played well. He's option number one. We do have 9 LBs on the team. Nading and Alexander can play inside. Dobbins will get first shot. You don't replace those players. Rest of the team has to play better. **A couple weeks before any decision on Sharpton. If he was available to come off today, he's still not ready today. We are pushing him but still progress to be made. **Dob will play well. He's been with Wade before. Played well last night. A lot to ask but it's why he's here. An opportunity for him as a player. **Talked to Cush last night, not today. He knew, when I went on the field, he knew he was in some good pain. Players know when something isn't right. Talked to him after the game, that was his hometown (and how much that meant to him), he'll get well though. He has a brilliant future ahead of him. **Right side O-line, I'll continue to rotate. I think that's what's making us better. We're working with 7 right now and we'll continue to do that. Right now, the best thing we're doing is having all those guys contributing. **Cush a leader on this team. Cush loves ball. Guys feed off that. They felt at half they lost one of their buddies. We wanted to win the game but an incentive to finish that up last night for Cush. **Tate was not close to playing Monday. They tell me he's better. We need him back on the field. I felt good going with Justin last night. We have a lot of confidence in Justin. Ben has to get back to work. We'll see where he is tomorrow. **(More bad luck here than in Denver?): I do know there are crisis in this league. We had our share the last couple of years. I do know what this group is made of. Someone will come out of this and be a good player for us. I have confidence in that. You feel bad for the player, we'll move on, but feel bad for the player. **I'm concerned ST wise. Dead last in kickoff return. We didn't get a ball past the 20 last night. Gave up 2 return TDs this season. Bottom in the league of covering kicks. Very concerned with ST. We have to address it. It will cost us at some point. It's not good enough right now. We have to find away to get better. **Looking at everything to figure out how to get better. **Other than Cush, we'll be ok going into next week Sunday. **(Thoughts on Andre?): We had some opportunities early to make some plays, but ball didn't end up going there. I have to do a better job getting him involved. He's doing a great job, working hard. We need to get him more involved, that's my responsibility. **Players of the game were Donnie Jones-ST, Arian-O and JJ-D
Glad the coach realizes special teams is a disaster. Good thing we have one of the best special teams coaches in the league. :rollseyes"
Yes, facts are facts, but you've only presented one fact. As such, that sounds more like cherry picking than common place to me. That game is a good representation of what I mean by our team struggling when we don't have consistency in the running game. We should have blown the Steelers out, but the fact that our running game couldn't keep possession of the ball for large periods of time in the 2nd half (plus the red zone stalling) allowed the Steelers to stay in the game.
No one likes their weaknesses exposed. Texans will be alright. At least they can see clearly what they need to work on. Running game is getting back on track, thanks to Foster. Defense will be ok.
No, I'm pointing out that the same kind of redzone failures and inconsistency in the running game dogged us in the Pittsburgh game last year happened against the Jets. And that while we had a "good" day on the ground, the inconsistency is not preferable and is not what our running game strives to, and more often than not, does achieve. Vs. Pittsburgh Arian had 13 carries of 5+ yards. (43%) Vs. The Jets he had only 8 carries of 5+ yards (28%) So, the Jets game was even more erratic. I'm hoping this was an anomaly, because the Jets D is not good, and if we can't salt a game away like that one on the ground it makes me worry.
I could go all night. But my nerd is sleepy (new born twins + sinus infection + primetime game) Here's the best I can do. After his 231-yarder against the PeePees to open '10, his next three biggest rushing totals that year were 133 (Oak); 143 (Ten); 180 (Jax). Oakland: -74-yard run = 3.7 on 16 other carries Tennessee: -37-yard run = 3.7 on 29 other carries Jacksonville: -56 and -35-yard runs = 3.1 on 29 other carries And just for fun, I counted up his carries of 2- or fewer yards against JAX = 13. 2011: We've detailed Pittsburgh (-42-yard run, 3.9 on 29 other carries, including 12 for 2 or fewer yards) and Baltimore (-28- and -19-yard runs = 3.4 on 25 other carries). Indianapolis: (- 4 runs totaling 95 - 18, 19, 28, and 30 - = 3.3 on 19 other carries) And honestly? I'm too tired to go on. But that's 6 of his bigger games (+ last night - his biggest game this year -- -46-yard run, 3.8 on 28 other carries). The strategy always has been plod, plod, plod until you break one or two.
You're completely missing the point. None of that proves that the "strategy" of the running game is to get 2 yards 10 times in a row then get 30. It's silly to suggest that, even. Yes, it does happen from time to time, but it is not common for us to have such wildly inconsistent performance on the ground, nor a sign of good things, and CERTAINLY not the "point" of the running game. Let's take a look at 2011 vs last night's game and see how "common" it is for the Texans to have so few effective runs (let's call it 5+ yard runs, I'd say that's an effective run). 2012: Jets - 12 runs of 5+ yards (28% of all runs) 2011: Colts - 15 (41%) W Dolphins - 12 (36%) W Saints - 8 (42%) L Steelers - 15 (47%) W Raiders - 5 (23%) L Ravens - 6 (25%) L Titans - 18 (45%) W Jags - 13 (34%) W Browns - 18 (58%) W Bucs - 16 (53%) W After that, Schaub gets hurt and the running game suffers significantly. Now, do you see how uncharacteristically erratic last night's running game was? Only 2 out of the first 10 games last year did we mirror anything near that kind of inconsistency in the running game (I would not call something that happens once out of every 5 games "common"), and we lost both those games. Now, tell me again, how is 2 yards and cloud of dust over and over again part of the "Strategy"? My point was this... The running game was far too inconsistent. Too much of it came on too few plays. That is not a good for us and not how we most often win games. This team is at it's absolute best when we have consistent 5+ yard gains on the ground and we scare the defense into bringing safeties into the box. Thus our excellence in play action. Last night, our play action sucked balls after the running game stopped putting up consistent 5+ yard gains. Coincidence? Nope. Beyond that, the running game evaporated in the redzone and that really hurt us. In the 2nd half when we had a chance to put the game away, we put up 16 less than stellar runs and let the Jets hang around. That has got to change.
