For anyone curious, here is last year's SOS compared to the final SOS. The average SOS ranking deviated by about 5.68 by the end of the year.
I'm not suggesting they will - but that seems like a pretty silly thing to say in March. Free agency literally hasn't started and the draft is 1.5 months away. They're building around an elite RB, a nearing-elite WR, the best player in football, with a coaching staff that dragged 4 mediocre QBs to 9 wins....
Fans are fans of the franchise, not of any one player. Pretty much explains everything you just listed. The player has no inherent value to the fan, the only thing that has value is what that player can do for the franchise. When the player can't help the franchise, they have no value to the fan outside of nostalgia. Sure that's a harsh way of looking at it, but it's accurate. Heh. The Texans could have gotten above 10 last season if a few bounces went their way. If Mallett is anywhere close to where Fitz was last year and he stays healthy, the Texans will have a decent shot at 10-12 if they get the lucky bounces.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Ravens have been expecting Owen Daniels to go with Gary Kubiak to Broncos, if deal can be worked out.</p>— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) <a href="https://twitter.com/RavensInsider/status/575361714679648256">March 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
You cut off my post which gives it entirely different meaning. If Mallet isn't going to be any better than a mediocre quarterback, they aren't going to win 11+ games.
Well I guess the Texans must REALLY be getting better, the pessimists last year were saying "4-12 at best dude" when they saw the schedule.
Don't make it harder then what it is the truth will show during the season dude you talking like the texans have done something good or great enough to expect success this upcoming season. We don't even have a starting caliber center on the offensive line lol.
11+ wins with a mediocre QB is almost unheard of. I said 8-10 wins. If Mallet is a plus QB then anything is possible. I don't expect that, but I'm not ruling it out, which is why I said no way to get above 10 unless Mallet is better than I expect. He's the key piece.
True. I'm pretty sure I said 8 or 9 wins and outside playoff contender last year and that's precisely what I think they will be again. They aren't making major upgrades and I'm not one of those people that believes Fitz was horrible, worst QB in the league quality and that Mallet can't be any worse.
Last year I thought at least 11-5 with that weak schedule. We didn't even play New England, Denver or Kansas City lol
The niners did it 3 consecutive years with 2 different mediocre QB's. It's really not as rare as you make it sound. The Cardinals got to 11 last year using something like 100 different QB's and only one of them would qualify as better than mediocre (most not even mediocre). The quality of the defense and run game will matter a lot more IMO than how Mallett plays.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>“Our football team is base on competition, the quarterback position should be no different.” Ryan Mallett <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a></p>— PDS (@PatDStat) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatDStat/status/575364966192013313">March 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a> Mallett: "we've got a lot to build on and I want to be a part of it."</p>— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_KPRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SimoneEli_KPRC/status/575365375904235520">March 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>“I feel we are building on something here.” Ryan Mallett (says again wanted to be here) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a></p>— State of the Texans (@SOTTexans) <a href="https://twitter.com/SOTTexans/status/575365551481991168">March 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Respect and loyalty are two different things. The Colts went away from Peyton Manning. Not once did anyone feel like they disrespected him. I have no problem with Andre playing for another team, even the colts. I wish the guy the best. I just strongly disagree that he is washed up and unworthy to be a #2. If the Texans did say what we've heard they said to him then yes I think it was disrespectful. Unlike Bobby keeps saying, I don't think the sky is falling and I am not attached to players. I just think they deserve some respect.
Ben Jones was drafted as a center... considering he's been starting as a guard, he should be able to make the transition to a position he's more naturally suited to. If you want to say we don't have a starting caliber guard, then that's another thing... as XSF is going to have to improve on his lackluster rookie season.
I predicted 8-8 with a shot at 10 games if everything went right. They were a bit better than I thought they were going to be and things didn't really go right for them. Well then I guess that shows that you inaccurately knee-jerk both ways. You go from overly optimistic to overly pessimistic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>For fun, a look back at <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter">@AdamSchefter</a>'s timeline just after FA opened last year. FA begins today at 4 p.m. EST. <a href="http://t.co/xgilYXzaCG">pic.twitter.com/xgilYXzaCG</a></p>— Field Yates (@FieldYates) <a href="https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/575293630316965888">March 10, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ain't my fault. Either your getting better or getting worse in this league. Right now Houston is a place coaches and players come for years to make mistakes then learn from those mistakes to ultimately have success somewhere else. That's another part of Houston nfl football I dislike. If don't agree with that hey whatever it takes to keep your hope alive.
You must not live anywhere close to Indy... because several of their fans still lament that they likely could have won a Super bowl in 2012 or 2013 if they got MVP Manning back. Manning was heartbroken/angry that they went another direction, but understood the business of it (much like AJ). And don't worry about Andre's "respect"... the Texans respected him enough to pay him almost $90 million dollars. They'll honor him, retire his jersey, have AJ appreciation days, etc. It all ends at some point.