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[Official] Jets @ Texans (Preseason)

Discussion in 'Houston Texans' started by Castor27, Aug 8, 2011.

  1. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

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    Oh, I hear you. Believe me, if I were a gambling man, I would bet against this OLB experiment. I just think he's too big to play the position. But I'm going to withhold judgement until the regular season gets underway.

    That being said, I still wonder how he would do at DE. He just seems more suited for that position. JJ Watt is already getting to the QB at that position, imagine what Mario could do.
     
  2. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    It actually *is* a borderline mistake – he’s not a defensive tackle: he’s an edge rushing LB who’s expected to rush the QB with reckless abandon.

    And while I don’t have the game to go back and look at for full verification, almost exclusively, the Jets ran up the middle or off-guard, not “at him.” The biggest run play of the night (Greene’s 19-yarder), while technically on his side, was up the middle/right where Watt/Mitchell/Ryans were supposed to be, not Williams.

    And therein lies the fundamental frustration for a lot of us: No one, at least no one I’ve read throughout this thread, is praising Mario Williams; no one is asking for praise, either. We’re just not ready to knee-jerk and have concerns after roughly 10 days of practice and 15 plays in the team’s first preseason game. Especially when most of the expressed concerns thus far are about what will likely be a low priority for him: stopping the run. Seriously, go find me the articles from Indianapolis or Dallas in which there’s fretting over Freeney or Ware’s ability to play the run. You won’t find them because their primary responsibility, if not sole responsibility, is to rush the passer.

    I think everyone has *concerns* - his size, his experience, the shortened offseason… and he absolutely looked hesitant and confused Monday night. But a few of us – you know, us homer apologists who fire Texan-colored rainbows from our fingertips - would like there to be a little more meat on the bone before we start chewing. I know, shocking how biased and unfair that is…
     
  3. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    [​IMG]
     
  4. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    context much?
     
  5. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    The highlight is online at nfl.com – go watch it. Traditional, untraditional, left, right, up, down – whatever he employs, I can guarantee you Wade doesn’t want his nose tackle driven five yards off the line of scrimmage and a center taking out one of his MLBs.

    Well, no… it kind of starts with him. ILBs can’t do much of anything if they’re having to fight off centers and guards.

    But I’m not giving Mario a free pass nor am I condemning Mitchell – not yet anyway. (Though Mitchell’s “transition” from tackle to… tackle isn’t nearly as dramatic.)

    No, my bigger concern is that, like David Carr, Mario is going to become the lightening rod; the focus of everyone’s ire at the expense of everyone else on the team. He’s a first overall pick, high profile, well-paid (not to mention we *still* have residual baby vince bitterness that will always follow him)… It’s so lazy and defeating… I dread 16 weeks of “Mario sucks” posts. And I know they’re coming… 15 plays into the preseason and there’s already a 25-page thread mostly focused on him…

    I cordially invite you to find… let’s go with five posts in this thread in which *any*one even mentions Connor Barwin, who was every bit the no show Mario was. There’s certainly not pages and pages of “concern” over the Barwin experiment.

    I thought he looked confused and/or hesitant. If it were week 1, I’d be concerned. If it were week 8, I’d be downright frustrated and irked and screaming for something different.

    But it’s not week 1 or 8. It’s day 10. I’m betting he won’t look that confused/hesitant moving forward as he works out the kinks and gets more comfortable in his brand new position. If he does… there’s always a place for him on the line. I think some combination of Watt/Smith/Williams is better than Cody/Mitchell + Smith/Watt, anyway. But let’s cross that bridge when we have to…

    Yes, I do, actually. I invite you to reread the posts and find the “silver lining” component. There’s not much of a “Hope I’m wrong but…” vibe to many of them; they are sharpening their claws and getting ready to shed blood.

    Maybe that’s my interpretation, but when people are already talking about the experiment failing, trading him, not resigning him………….

    LOL! Here’s my first response, emjohn – please locate the “slam” and how radically it differs from your helpful posting advice:
    Man! Poor justtxyank; I can’t believe he had the nerve to respond after I ANNIHILATED him! Poor guy. (And note who would eventually apologize for acting like an “ass” – hint: it wasn’t me.)
     
  6. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    Do you really and truly think those two ripped from their context quotes are in any way, shape or form related?

    It is a dramatic philosophical shift; I have concerns about the *entire* transition of the defense. But it's not based on 15 plays of a preseason game. If you honestly don't recognize the state-sized difference between the two ideas, or worse - thought this was a total nail... well...

    You're a better, more insightful poster than that.
     
  7. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Contributing Member

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    Are you having second thoughts about Mr. FixIt and changing our whole defense and moving our best defender to a new position?

    I never liked the idea. Weren't there any good 4-3 coordinators available?
     
  8. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    You are blowing my comments way out of proportion because of your defensive stance on the Texans in general. My concern is about the physical ability of Mario and is not specifically about what happened on Monday. Monday was just the first time I've seen him in that position so it was the first time I could use my eyes to evaluate his quickness standing up and trying to move to the side and pursue a RB. Based on his physical tools I made a prediction.

    Based on his physical tools. I hope you never made a prediction about Glover Quin as a safety. I hope you never said "Hmm, I think this might work" or "Hmmm, I don't think he will be able to play that position." Because that's all I did. After seeing his physical tools on display in that position I made a prediction on whether I think he'll be able to handle it. I didn't freak out. I didn't call the team stupid. I didn't say Wade Phillips is making a mistake. I didn't say the season is ruined. I didn't say they won't make the playoffs or the defense won't be good. I predicted that Mario won't be long for the system.

    I'm sorry that is so ridiculous and "knee jerk."
     
  9. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    This just about sums up everything.
     
  10. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    I think you misunderstood what I meant when I said that. It wasn't an apology.
     
  11. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

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    Well, I think it's less of an "experiment" with Barwin than it is with Mario. Didn't Barwin play OLB in college? It's more a case of putting him back where he was comfortable. Mario, on the other hand, has played nothing but 4-3 DE his entire football career.

    You weren't encouraged by what you saw Monday night? Our best CB didn't even suit up and our 1st team still didn't allow a TD. And I know it's preseason, but 7 sacks is 7 sacks. Did we get 7 sacks total last year? I was encouraged by what I saw.
     
  12. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    Not to mention Barwin is coming off a completely lost season due to injury.


    I was encouraged too. I just see a bad moon rising with Mario's contract situation.
     
  13. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Contributing Member

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    Well, that's true. I guess I'm overemphasizing Mario's struggles.
     
  14. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

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    If Mario doesn't get a single sack this year but Wade still gives us a top 15 defense, I'm cool with that.


    Note: I am not predicting Mario will get zero sacks this year.
     
    1 person likes this.
  15. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    I think Barwin looked fine. This is where Ric seems to underestimate the rationality of the people on this board. While he is right with regards to some, I do not believe the majority of us are irrational in our analysis. Barwin moves fine in space. I accept that technique and understand the defensive concepts will take more than what we've seen thus far to evaluate and probably more time then they have had to learn completely.

    Unless they are afraid of PR issues, the Texans should have no problem trading Mario if he doesn't work out as OLB.
     
  16. Moe

    Moe Contributing Member

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    Barwin played TE before he moved to DE his senior year, I believe.
     
  17. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    Knowing McNair, I can't see him wanting to do Mario that way unless it was absolutely 100% mutual... and/or we got an amazing offer for him.

    If the jury is still out on Mario at the end of the year, expect a franchise tag.

    If he does well, expect an extension to be signed before the end of the year.

    If he does poorly, I do not expect a trade, but McNair would be foolish not to ask around.

    I put the odds as such...

    Franchise tag - 75%
    Extension - 20%
    Trade - 5%
     
  18. rezdawg

    rezdawg Contributing Member

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    Mario is in the last year of his contract, so trading him isnt really an option unless we extend him first.
     
  19. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    Franchise tag.
     
  20. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    No, I’m blowing them out of proportion because of your constant negativity toward the team in general, justtxyank.

    Fair enough. But, again, evaluating Mario Williams as an OLB on his ability to “pursue a RB” is tantamount to evaluating Arian Foster as a RB based on his ability to “catch a pass.” You refuse to even address this. He is not there to “pursue a RB.”

    And I suggested it was probably premature to start making any long-term predictions. You’re not even acknowledging that it’s early, let alone *too* early. (Or, at least, I don’t recall you adding that qualifier.)

    I could make a TON of long-term predictions right now, too: Foster is injury-prone; Schaub is lacking confidence; Brahman is going to beat-out Mario and record 20 sacks this year… But I’m pretty comfortable that, given the context – the preseason, which has been in place for 400 years and is hardly ever indicative of how the regular season will play out – those ideas, while currently “legitimate” based on preseason game #1, are probably best left to simmer a little longer.

    No one called your concern ridiculous, justtxyank; only premature. Big, big difference.
     

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