The Texans are a much more physical team, offensively, than the Pittsburgh Steelers are. The Steelers OL sucks in all capacities, and the Texans OL is, by most accounting, tops in the league overall. If the Steelers want to play physical with us, they will get run off the field.
I really want a bye so we must wins games like this. Man, my week basically consists of waiting for Saturdays and Sundays.
Dierdorff is one of my least favorites for calling a game, and I swear it almost sounded like he had money on New Orleans last Sunday by some of the subtle comments he was making
I dont know though... I see what u sayin, but its a different beast when you lining up across from them... Their D is more physical than our O-line, IMO... I think we gonna have our moments , but tryin to substain it 4 quarters is gonna be tough IMO...
The Steelers defense has weakened significantly over the past few years. They're not as stout as they once were, and now they're reliant on taking chances vs. just flat out lining up and knocking you on your a**. Granted, they're VERY smart gamblers out there. But they will not be able to stop the ZBS. It is tailor made to own a team like them. And their offense, man... Mendenhall looks imposing, but he's a softie that loves to bounce it outside. Mostly because their OL is garbage. Mario and Antonio are going to live in their backfield. Rothlisberger is the toughest guy on that offense, and that's *not* a good thing if you're Pittsburgh.
Ward may be done as an elite guy...but let's not forget what the corpse of Roy Williams did to Jackson last year (thank god he didn't draw duty on Dez Bryant). Roethlisberger is nearly in Favre territory as far as costing his team as often as he wins games. He can go into unstoppable mode or disaster mode in a heartbeat, both due to his (over)confidence. He'll make that bad throw if he's pressured. Joseph on Wallace is a good solid matchup, but Brown may have his way against Allen/Jackson. Depends on how much zone we play. Mendenhall has been really poor to start the year - not sure why. Steelers' D does look old this season. Troy Polamalu has been effective, but not a terror. Same with Harrison. Timmons has been strong. We'll see. We know what this team is capable of, but we're also terrified of the Texans shriveling up in big games like they did late last week. Technically, this is already down as a loss in my 10-win prediction, but they've just got to start winning games like this if they're ever going to shed the paper tiger persona.
I realize that, I'm saying it's a good thing we get the CBS B-team (behind Nantz-Simms) to call our games because that means we'll have more cameras available (if that's still the case) then when we were covered by the D-team. Additionally, I was hinting at the prospect of getting favorable calls/coverage going forward if things like that happen with broadcast partners and all....
I was mostly impressed with last week. The Saints hung 34 and 30 on last year's NFC Championship Game opponents, both of whom have very good defenses. So as much as the Colts and Dolphins didn't really test the new defense; I'm not sure how much we should hold against them for Sunday (in which they played really well for very nearly 3.5Qs). I'm encouraged that they continue to create turnovers and get stops. Last year's defense did neither. Ever. I think the Steelers are a great test. How do we rebound? Can we win a game we should win? Can the defense stop an offense it should be able to stop? And can the offense score against a defense that is starting to show signs of slipping? Good teams that want to be great win games like this. Are the Texans there yet? If we beat - and I mean really beat the Steelers... I think we can officially open the "we have arrived" floodgates. Very curious to see how this plays out.
I was also "mostly impressed" (I was dreading a beatdown)...but like you said, the Texans have to start winning these games if they're ever going to "arrive" We're all haunted by too many games to count where the Texans nearly had a major victory but vomited all over themselves to lose the game in the end. Need that broken record to stop skipping.
You know, I was thinking this weekend: If the Texans had no history beyond being consistently bad - no 9-7 teases, no, "Yeah but..." games - if they were... Detroit and turned in a performance like Sunday.... how would you (collectively) react? I'm not trying to excuse the lose - they absolutely blew it. But what should we really take from it? Those 3 pretty impressive Qs? Or the, roughly, 11-minute collapse? I honestly have no idea - that's why a bounce game against the Steelers is so cool. The answers will continue to roll-in.
Why is there a short leash on this thread? Aren't game threads a Wednesday regular? I definitely prefer it since Wednesday is usually when 610/790 run out of stuff to talk about.
If we were just now supposed to start getting good and this was new, there might be reason to be somewhat encouraged. But as Texans fans, we've seen this story before. The team hasn't given us reason to optimistic in the past when we've had games like this, so why should we be optimistic now. Not that it's reason to whine and throw in the towel either. I picked us to lose that game anyway and am picking us to win on Sunday. Go Texans!
But they have. It's woven into their identity. There's no going forward until they rip out of it. Anytime we see it, it tells us the loser mindset is still in there.
Foster is starting this week. http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/...tart-against-Steelers-Kubiak-says-2193337.php
I mostly agree. But was Sunday a component of the loser mindset rearing its ugly head... or simply a good team losing to a better team???? For instance - and I know, I know: I KNOW, OK? I'm not comparing the two - but viewed singularly, was it any different from the Patriot/Bill game? IOW, *we're* obviously seeing it as a "Here we go again...." game - but is it possible they HAVE turned the corner and Sunday was just one of those games all teams, good or bad, will have? I have no idea - just ruminating...... That's why I'm psyched for the Steeler game. If they whip the Steelers, I'm going to look back at the Saints game as nothing more than the better team won and that it has no connection to Texan teams of the past.
Ok, but on a similar note, won't you say that the Texans front 7 can abuse the Pittsburgh O-Line even moreso? That line has looked downright TERRIBLE to open the season, and J.J. Watt and Co. have looked aggressive, and disruptive. I'm not discounting Pittsburgh's defense all together, but with the ZBS firmly in place, and Arian Foster (Praise everything Good in this World) coming back to start, I just don't see how the Steelers "bully" this offense around. But, I suppose that's why they play the games.
