Ed Reed doesn't count as a Texan as far as this list is concerned. We might find it odd that Arian made the Top 10 this year after not making it in previous years. But it'd be even odder if he didn't make the list at all.
lol right we were 11-1 with a "****" oline, only had 3 pro bowlers.. i guess we need 5 pro bowlers on the line to be successful..
He shouldn't based on last season. He had 1400 yards which was 6th in the league in rushing but he only averaged 4.1 YPC. Which is the worst of any other top 10 RB. He ran the ball a lot last season but was average at best. But Ed Reed made 18 so this list has already lost it's credibility.
Come on Shady.,Arian Foster still arguably had an elite year. If you dissect the stats in the AFC, only J. Charles may have had a better year but I'm not so sure when you factor as many fumbles as TDs...bad ratio there.... Ridley had a similar year with 4.4 ypc but less yards, less TDs...Spiller had a great year with a great ypc but if he was so efficient, why only 6 TDs...it's not like Buffalo has all these weapons When it comes down to it...as bad a year Foster has had by his standards...I can't put ANY RB I'd rather have production wise last year from the AFC ahead of Foster... In Fosters worse year he still is the best RB from the AFC looking at the numbers IMO...so that alone still has him in the elite class.
I would have argued he was too low last year (25th); too high this year. But 1,400 yards on a league-leading 351 carries with a league-leading 15 rushing TDs (not to mention a league-leading 17 total TDs) is far from average. And he had a very strong postseason (230 yards in 2 games) when a lot of players are watching. As for his YPC, he's always been a grinder; consider that he averaged at least 4.6 YPC in six games last year, same number as 2011, only two fewer than 2010. The big difference, IMO, was that he wasn't able to break as many big runs. He had just three of 25+ last year after putting up 14 total between '10-'11. And while his longest run of the season (46) outdistanced his longest in '11 (43), he had 3 40+-yards runs in '11 compared to the single one in '12. The other issue - he never really had a bad game between '10-'11; his finished below 2 YPC just once in 32 starts; he did it twice last year. So the highs weren't as high, and the lows were low - but the in-between was, more or less, business as usual. Bottom line: I'm not going to bemoan top 10 finishes for any of the Texans.
Watt should be #1....even ahead of the offensive guys. The only reason this isn't more evident to the masses are the injuries/lack of help...... Watch what happens with a healthy Cushing, Manning, JJo, the addition of Ed Reed, Kareem jackson playing at all pro level,etc. This will be a historic Super Bowl dominant defense if we can stay healthy.
Yeah, he's always excelled at scoring TD's, and kind find a way to get a few yards when needed. He just needs to find a way to break longer runs which he had a hard time doing last year, and he also disappeared on the receiving side. QB's should always be ranked higher than any other position. Not looking at age how many people would rather have Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, or Drew Brees for next season over Watt? QB's can carry an entire team.
I've been saying this all summer. I think this team will be built around the defense, similar to 2011. If we stay healthy, I think the play of the defense will make all this hand-wringing about Schaub completely moot. The key is health (like every other team). We seem to have 2 or 3 devastating season-ending injuries every year. I don't get it.
I understand and respect the argument. When reeling of the list of the greatest defensive linemen...Reggie White,Alan Page, Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene, Bruce Smith, Carl Eller etc. We find that most of these guys went to at least one/often more Super Bowls. Yes, they had very good QB's with them. But they had GREAT defenses also....great TEAMS...all around. But to illustrate the exception that IMO we're dealing with though I will point out the great Bears Super Bowl team. They were all about defense .....They combined that with "Sweetness" and it was an unstoppable formula. (an old one too..run the ball/great D) Again, we haven't seen what this Texans defense is going to look like when healthy.....And regarding Watt, ....I think he's going to the top of this list....J.J. is off the charts and should anchor one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. Looking at the Texans, we have the running game assuming they buck up the O line. Healthy, we have the formula to win multiple Super Bowls in spite of Kubiak/Schaub. I look for many, many more turnovers......Watt should have won MVP last year,not just DMVP......Watch that incredible D..We're all in for a treat. Many of us have waited decades for what I think is coming and Watt will be the key reason. Watt could go down as the greatest defensive PLAYER of all time.
Over a 16-game stretch (Schaub's final four games of 2011 plus the first 12 games of 2012), the Texans were 15-1 and Matt Schaub was very, very good. How good led to a 4,578-page thread - but there was no denying he was at least "good." When they played without him and/or he had a stretch of consistently poor play (the final 8 games of 2011, including the playoffs, and the final six games of 2012, including the playoffs), the Texans were 6-8 and the offense noticeably dropped off in those 14 games. We can debate whether or not Schaub is this level or that level, etc., until every cow is in the barn. But I think it's pretty clear this team cannot - *cannot*- win "in spite of" Matthew Rutledge Schaub. He has to play well for them to make the playoffs, let alone win a Super Bowl. Whether he can or not remains to be seen - but there's no debate he's an integral cog in all this.
Can you imagine if Arian and Watt both play better next year...I firmly expect Foster to do that but can Watt possibly get better?
Alright Ric. I was for us getting Sergeant Rutledge in the first place. And he has produced. But along with the big numbers come mind numbing mistakes when pressured/in crucial situations. I disagree and believe we can make the playoffs whether Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde plays well ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. But I think it is incumbent that we get for the most part mistake free football out of the QB position if we're going to a Super Bowl.And his mistakes come at the worst times/in the worst ways, with massive momentum swings...when we're about to score or giving up pick 6's. Now, I also think we need to spruce up the offensive line. But I see Matt as an extension of Gary, a system QB who when forced to react on his own is lost. Don't get me wrong. He is capable of getting it done in a big way. But he scares the bejabbers out of me. And with the great defense we're going to be trotting out, forcing tons of turnovers...We need someone who will at minimum, be counted on to play a clean game, so we can capitalize on our window of opportunity. Maybe Schaub can do that, but we better have someone behind him that can take care of business in case he gets injured again or is unable to perform up to the standard we need out there. We've talked about this before. I think Case will be the #2 guy and eventually be much better than most believe, but he's green. Once again, the Texans need a known commodity at #2 QB this year for multiple reasons. I'm curious...Who do you think would be a better QB for this team right now ....Matt Schaub or Jim McMahon?
#1? Based on one season of dominance? No. I think you need to set your expectations a little lower if you think this is going to be a historically dominant defense even when healthy.
I believe it's been explained as.... not best career, not best just last season, but rather.... best football player right now. So, football ability right now as of 2013.
It shouldn't be but they definitely take into account past years as well in their voting..that would explain the reports of ed reed being #18 or Foster being top 10 this year, but having said that I think the other players realize how special Watt was last year
