[Chron] Mario Williams making move to outside linebacker

It's called sarcasm...or maybe it's called hyperbole...let me think about it.

and, no, I did not say I have to be overcome with excitement.

your point was that our defense won't be worse than last year...i think that's probably true, but i don't know what that means since our defense was the worst i've ever seen last season.

 

I don't understand your negativity MadMax. What has this team done during its existence to deserve such criticism?

FAKE EDIT: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

if last year's defense was marginally better then they could have made the playoffs. So assuming a improvement this year then there is some hope, albeit small.

Still, disgruntled is disgruntled. I have doubts about making the playoffs too but i guess i just choose not to be all doom and gloom and b**** about the past because it's worthless and tiresome.

Even if i wanted to dump on them , i'd just call them a crappy team and leave it at that. No need to waste excessive energy to mock the r****ded kid in class for his obvious flaws, right?

 

I'm not saying they're beyond hope. But I think it will take more than marginal improvement (depending on how you define that)

the past is why i think what i think of them heading into this season. it's not merely the past, and everything is new and different now.

except that kid is MY TEAM. i'm not going anywhere..i'm stuck with them.

 

I apologize I shouldn't have put Ric "on trial".

It's a double edged sword I guess, in fairness, if I could afford season tickets I would have them, and I would renew regardless of Texans futility for many years to come, until I stopped having fun when I go to Reliant which hasn't come close to happening yet.

The bad thing is Mr. McNair is aware a lot of us are like that and he is wealthy enough that he is used to getting his way and the only way to change his mind is for enough of us to stop showing up.

Maybe Wade can help, I certainly hope so. I was 8 years old at the height of "Luv Ya Blue" and Wade's daddy could have been mayor of Houston if he wanted to be.

My fear is that, the team will continue to vary between #11 draft choice bad and 8-8, 9-7.....and that we will continue to get "good character guys" between the lines and "good ol' boys Bob is comfortable with" on the sidelines.

 

(PSSSSSST…. Thanks but……….. I actually do think they’re on the right track, LOL. What can I say? I have purchased, washed and am driving the Wade Phillips bandwagon.)

 

Small counterpoint and then can we please stop talking about me? Unlike the vast majority of my, ahem, “opponents” (for lack of a better word – that’s not meant to be confrontational), I don’t take what the team does personally. They don’t anger me. So when I often respond less emotionally, frustrated and/or impatient, I think those emotional, frustrated and/or impatient fans (all of whom have every right to be upset) think my perspective is completely alien. And I’m not by any means suggesting one way is better than the other – I’m just trying to point out where *I* think our (collective) perspectives split.

Note: I often agree with a lot of opinions here, which is always lost to calls of homerism. Not as passionately, mind you - but scroll through – I use the phrase “I agree” a lot. And as I’ve oft-repeated: I wanted them to fire Kubiak and (especially) Smith. I can list countless other decisions they’ve made that I absolutely disliked. But I do not believe everything is black and white. There are degrees of gray, For instance:

Retaining Smith/Kubiak: Bad
Bush-for-Phillips: Good

All doom-and-gloom, and especially if it flies in the face of some obvious bright spots, is a) easy; b) boring. IMO. But this notion I’m firing off rainbows and whistling Zippity DoDa is your (collectively) issue; not mine. I won’t claim I’m right; I won’t (necessarily) claim you’re wrong. But I will argue I’m much-less knee-jerk, much less emotional and that *that* is why I’m perceived the way I am.

 

You can add Connor Barwin to the "aside" list as well as 16 games (instead of 6) from Ryans.

 

Haha - I actually LOL'ed.

 

good point. maybe they'll be entirely injury free in 2011.

 

Funny - I was going to mention that - but, you know: homerism, and all. Also: Cushing missed 4; Williams 3. And, of course, young players are notorious for never, ever getting better. But, yeah - other than alllllll that: same jokers. On the field. Where coaching apparently has no impact.

 

yep. i'm sure no one on the defensive end of the ball will miss a game in 2011.

and i'm also sure that our defensive woes last year were really due to injury. no one else in the NFL had injuries on the defensive end of the ball...that's why we were rated last. when cushing and williams were both healthy, this team was a defensive juggernaut last season.

 

:grin:

I'm on board with Wade Phillips too, I just like tweaking your eternal optimist mode

 

Quite a dust up in here! My quick reactions and pennies:

Ric: I agree he gets put in the crosshairs a little more than he should and takes more nutshots than he should. And to his credit, he takes them as well as anyone could.
That said, I don't really agree with the "optimism" take. It's been much more of a "company man" issue...which goes back to the David Carr days (leadership isn't that important). If the Texans make (or don't make) a move, there's a 95% chance Ric will rationalize and defend it here. And as mentioned, they've taken a countless number of missteps over the years.
In particular, most recently, I think we were all INFURIATED that McNair passed on the idea of cleaning house and bringing in Cowher. Ric, notably, rationalized it, repainting the bullseye on his back.

Texans D: They are improved, they will be improved more before we start playing games. But they are not fixed, and there's plenty to be concerned about. Texans/Wade/Ric spin glosses over the big leaps of faith that
Ryans will be himself again
Technique and footwork will make up for the fact that Jackson can't <strike>beat</strike> come close to keeping up with #3 receivers in a footrace
Mario will transition and thrive standing up
Quin will be fine at safety
The secondary will hold their own against offenses looking to nickel and dime them on quick routes

Texans Free Agency: I'm pessimistic on three counts
There is likely to be stunted movement due to the lockout shortening the offseason
The Texans have never in their history paid for a top flight outside FA
Wade has given several subtle nods that bringing in big name secondary help is not in the cards
I think we'll see Sensabaugh come over, I think we'll make a run at Taylor. I don't think there'll be more than a for-PR-purposes bid for Asomugwa, Landry, Huff, Weddle, or others.

I'm not all doom and gloom, I'm in the current minority projecting a winning season next year. I think they'll improve.

But I am past the point of being fed up after all these years and especially hit my limit when they bungled (and fumbled, and halfback optioned, and all in all rosencoptored) away a golden opportunity schedule two seasons ago and missed the playoffs.

 

This is all starting to make sense now.

Ric = Rick Smith

I may have to pull out my high school yearbook when I get home...

 

(sigh)........................

It’s a small part of a much larger picture, Max; one I’ve spent roughly 1,215,720 words outlining in this thread and quite a few in direct response to you. Significant coaching changes, injuries, suspensions, the draft, free agency and natural player progression, taken as a whole, means it is not "The. Same. Jokers. On. The. Field. Aside. From. Three. Rookies. Who. May. Or. May. Not. Start."

So to extrapolate a single component of the overall perspective is extremely disingenuous.

 

did you really sigh? i don't mean to cause trouble.

 

(more sighing…………..)

I could admittedly be off on the timing but, IIRC, after the Monday night fiasco in Indianapolis, I ended what had been a protracted absence on the board by suggesting they should get the jump on the competition by firing Kubiak and bringing in… wait for it – so delicious: Bill Cowher. (GASP!) Not only would he get however many weeks were left in the season to get up to speed, I rationalized, but he’d smartly be in place ahead of the lockout, giving him a huge advantage going into an uncertain offseason. And I advocated hiring him *after* the season, too. You can seach “Ric” and “Cowher” and you will find plenty of posts from me championing/defending Bill Cowher. Unreal.

I agreed with every. Single. Person. Who suggested we fire Kubiak. More enthusiastically with those who suggested we fire Smith. In fact, I was somewhat out in front of the Fire Rick Smith cause because I was less concerned about spewing vitriol at Kubiak.

I only rationalized it once it became clear McNair was not going to fire him. I will admit, I’m not *as* big a Kubiak detractor as most – but I felt it was time McNair set a higher standard for his franchise and held people accountable.

Argh! Where I have glossed over *anything*???? I’ve essentially said – see if this sounds familiar: “They are improved, they will be improved more before we start playing games.”

I’ve given no indication they’ll be better than league-average. How that equals being fixed or that there’s nothing to be concerned with, I have no idea. Honestly, are any of you actually reading my posts – or do you just see my name and write them mentally yourselves?

 

That's my point. The BBS was furious about it, you got on board immediately. Which has played into your reputation for rubber stamp approving anything the Texans do.

By glossing over, I'm saying you've not questioned or displayed concerns over those things. Can't quote something you are not saying.

You've frequently mentioned how Phillips and his coaching alone will improve players, but haven't said anything about how you can't coach fast (Jackson) or health (Ryans) or that it's a leap of faith that Wade is such a good coach that he can put guys in very different roles/positions and see them blossom (Mitchell, Williams, Quin).

I've got zero problems with seeing the positives. I was on board with a 3-4 switch before Phillips arrived (IIRC you were not, because of personnel)....because both DTs stunk. I am right on board saying we'll see a better defense and more turnovers created.

But when the downsides seem to be ignored or big question marks side stepped....I'll consider that glossing over.

 

MadMax, its not the same defense as last season...

Our best defensive player missed the majority of the year.

Barwin missed the entire year.

Cushing was suspended 1/4 of the season...struggled to get back into it...and then was forced to try to play MLB.

The defense that will line up on opening day will be vastly different than the one that ended last season.

Not to mention...we still have a free agency period to go through (I know, I know, we suck at free agency)...but we do have an actual defensive coordinator this time around. And, you can be as skeptical as you want, but the draft went very nicely for the Texans on the defensive side of the ball.

The Texans defense will improve. If they are ranked 20th in the league, we're looking at a few more wins, at the least. Not an amazing situation to be in, but its also far from bad.