[texans] What are you guys looking forward to the most tonight?

Huh? Im not reassuring myself of anything.

Okay, save for maybe 5 teams that wouldnt be completely screwed if their starter went down. You're right man.

The Colts, Patriots, Cowboys, Saints, Ravens, Jets, Bengals, Packers, Atlanta, and the Chargers are all top tier teams that would absolutely have no chance in a situation where their starting QB got injured.

The Vikings would be in decent shape, assuming Favre comes back.

The only other teams that wouldnt take too much of a nose dive would be the bottom dwellers, such as the Rams and Lions. Then again, they dont have a chance of being a good team anyways, so the point is moot on them.

But yeah, dont know what youre looking at or why'd you'd say I need to keep reassuring myself.

 

It's because he realizes his own argument sucks, your spot on with your observation

 

Sucks big time about Tate if correct, but I really think that Henry can be a HUGE plus if he keeps his head right. The Texans can still have 3 RB's that will produce big numbers without Tate.

 

Firstly, that isn't true for all those teams you listed

Secondly, I said "He still stares down receivers, lobs the ball around the field, and can't hit his targets." And you said that is the definition of all backup QBs. There is absolutely no truth to that. There are plenty of backup QBs in the the league that give their team at least a chance to win a game.

Orlovsky is a guy that would have a hard time finding another job in the NFL, he is among the worst backups in the league. He will not do anything to win a game......ever. If Schaub goes down, the offense is screwed because he gives them no shot to score points. The things I stated are all bad habits that lead to turnovers. Backup QBs obviously aren't great or consistent, that is why they are backups, but there are plenty that can give their team an opportunity to win. All that Dan O can provide is handing the ball off to the running back and possibly an occasional 5 yard pass. The Texans will not win a single game like that.

 

The reason QBs are back ups is mostly because they stare down receivers or because they cant hit their targets. Ive never heard of a back up QB that checks down his receivers and guns the ball with precision accuracy.

Of the top tier teams I listed, which ones would be okay if their starter went down?

 

Mac Bulger, Jon Kitna, Billy Volek for sure could muster up a win

 

lol, could "muster" up a win?

Yeah, still safe to say that those teams would have to come back again next year with their starting QBs healthy if they are looking for a successful season.

Fact of the matter is that no top tier team will make any noise if their starters go down. None of them. And that was my initial point...there was no need for me to reassure myself of anything.

 

If those 3 teams lost their qb for say 3 games in the middle of the season, there is a strong liklihood that they could still win 2 of them. during small stretches, those guys definitely give their teams a chance to win, hell some of the have done it in the past and kept their playoff team's hopes alive.

 

Your initial post is that we are ****ed if Matt S goes down. "Going down" is usually more than just a few games...but if we lose Schaub for a few games, that would suck, but that wouldnt be the end of the world. The fact of the matter is that no elite team will perform nearly to the level they are capable of if their starter goes down. Like you stated, these guys are back ups for a reason.

You are correct...if Rivers misses a few games in the middle of the season, the Chargers will most probably be okay. But if Rivers "goes down" for the season, they may as well start looking forward to next season, much like the Texans, Colts, and Saints if their starters went down for the season.

 

Just to play devil's advocate.
If Schaub goes down for 3 games
[pick any three we have this year]

Which record would you expect?
3-0
2-1
1-2
0-3

I think 0-3

Rocket River

 

Just freaking great. The first time the texans use a high pick on a running back and then this happens..

=(

 

Depends on who we're playing.

 

Which is why I said:
[pick any three we have this year]

Rocket River

 

Um, so why did you expect 0-3 from any 3 given games?

Kind of defeats the whole "depends on who we play" factor if you think that we'd go 0-3 regardless, at least for your purposes.

 

Well, if we are talking 3 weeks, then thats still not detrimental to the season...but, just to play along:

I'll choose the 3 weeks that include the Giants, Chiefs, and BYE.

We go at least 1-1. We still make the playoffs.

 

Because Schaub is simply that important to this team
With Dan O . . . . I cannot see them beating anyone

Rocket River

 

Orlovsky threw for 121 yards on 12-of-21 passing. No TDs, but also no interceptions. He had two 15-play drives that milked the crap out of the clock. We hit a field goal on one drive and Slaton fumbled at the 1 yard line on the other drive. Thats ball control and execution on Orlovsky's part. Is the guy going to go out and dominate games? Of course not...no back up is expected to do that. We just have to minimize his mistakes and let the other players take over games.

It also looks that our first team defense will be very difficult to score on...their end of the season success has spilled over nicely to this season. Those guys will make it tough for the opponents to score.

If Dan O has to play a few games, our season will still be intact. If he has to play 5 or more games, then thats when we should be in trouble...like any other major team that would rely on their back up for more than a third of the season.

I also just read that he completed passes to 10 different receivers and that he had 3 passes of 20 yards or more. Thats not too bad.

 

The schedule looks tough, but based on how SOS has factored into the next season's outcome, it really doesn't mean anything... I can see the D squeaking us out a win without the Schwaaaub. I think the running game may mean more to the team's ability to win Schaub-less than Orlovsky.

 

Just finished watching the game, and here are my observations:

Schaub, Andre, and the rest of the first team looked great. If they can play that way against a defense like that, that is considered average to slightly above-average, I'll be happy. It was only the first pre-season game, though, so we'll see.

Arian Foster looked good. He seemed to look better than I seemed to remember. I don't remember seeing him being used in the passing game, though. How are his hands?

The first team defense played well, also. Mario played very well. Nice consistent pressure that I was impressed with. I didn't expect that. Cushing seemed a little excited. He was all over the field, but bit on a lot of fakes. Zac Diles seemed to make a few good plays. Glover Quin looked impressive, which is good, because I've been hearing a lot about him. If we ever developed some depth at corner, he might make a good free safety.

Asides from the first team, those who impressed me:

Jacoby Jones - He will be an excellent slot guy this year. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing him as the number two guy. He played longer than a lot of the other top receivers we have, but consistently made plays all night. He seemed to run pretty good routes, and showed great hands.

Connor Barwin - He didn't really show up as making too many plays, but I noticed him consistently in the backfield. The one thing that has always stood out to me about Barwin, is that I think he needs to either gain tons of muscle (I think he tested well at the combine, though), or he needs to work on his leverage. He was constantly being pushed around and knocked off his feet. When he was on his feet, though, he was penetrating far into the backfield. This isn't necessarily always a good thing, especially on runs, but remember that Barwin in being used mostly for situational pass rushing right now.

Troy Nolan - The guy was all over the field. He made big plays, and had his name constantly called. He's looking like he could be a player to watch as the year progresses. Had one interception that I recall and dropped another that was right in his hands.

Brice Mccain - If I recall, correctly, he was covering Fitzgerald a lot of the time. Fitzgerald only had one big play (the one where Wilson nailed him in the knee). I think that says a lot.

Dorin Dickerson - The guy is big. He's also fast. His best asset though, seem to be his hands. I don't remember him dropping anything thrown near him. He got some yards after the catch, and is hard to bring down. With Schaub throwing the ball to him, he might turn some heads. Seems like he was a nice value pick.

James Casey - Speaking of value, this guy seems like he's a great value. He's kind of our answer to Dallas Clark. He played that type a role. He showed great hands, good speed, nice blocking, and decent route running. Between him and Dickerson, I think a creative Kubiak could have a very effective H-back-type rotation (ala the Colts).

Dan Orlovsky - He WAS hesitant, at first. I was extremely depressed watching him. After his first drive or so, he settled in, and seemed to get the jitters out. He made his throws, yes maybe without tons of zip, but he made them. He didn't make any really bad decisions, which I think is most of what Kubiak is watching for. He looks ten times better than what I remembered, though.

Jeremiah Johnson - This guy looked like an absolute keeper last night. Hit the holes quick, broke to the outside quick, and got some extra yardage on most plays. He even showed off good hands in the pass game. Kind of reminded me of Slaton in his rookie year. I'd like to see him and Arian Foster split carries with the first team offense.

Those are just the people that either stood out the most, or that I was watching for, and noticed they were doing pretty well.

Now, for those who I didn't care for at all:

Trindon Holliday - I think the dude flat out worked himself out of a job. Two punts he should have fair caught, he let fall to the ground, one of them almost resulting in a turnover. The opening kick return was impressive, and after that, it was all downhill. He looked slow and hesitant on all other kick returns. That's the exact opposite reason why we drafted him. Unless he has a kick return or punt return for a td next game, I think he's as good as gone. I wish Jacoby could just return kicks full time. I just don't know if Kubiak will allow it with Jacoby seeming to become more a part of the offense.

John David Booty (aka David Carr II) - Booty looked.....well, like Booty tonight. He was terrible. He reminded me of David Carr. Held onto the ball for too long, his throwing motion was too long, made bad decisions, and put absolutely NO zip on the ball. Maybe he has an arm, but he didn't show it at all. His passes looked like they were floating...in slow motion. I don't know how he made it this far as a quarterback, if that's all he's got. Because of his name? Maybe Kubiak sees something in him, but I sure don't. (I guess I trust Kubiak's assessment of quarterbacks over mine, though...waiting for Moe's to respond on that one...)

Chris Henry - I don't know what you guys saw in him, but here's what I saw: A slow decision-maker, who didn't hit the holes as fast as the other backs, and someone who was bad in pass blocking situations. He absolutely got blown up in one situation. Not impressed.

Those that were so-so:

Steve Slaton - He showed some good running on some plays, and others, he looked hesistant to go between the tackles. His hands are still good, and in the passing game he excelled. Then, came the big F-word. One more time, and I hate to see what happens to him. I like the guy, and I hope he can turn it around, because the talent is there.

Sherrick McManis - The guy looked good in coverage at times, including the fade pattern they threw on the two-point conversion attempt. His tackling seems to be about average. A couple times, though, I saw him get turned around and look completely lost. With a little more coaching, I think he's got some good potential.

Jack Corcoran - He seemed like he played pretty decent. It's hard for a fullback to get noticed, and I noticed him on a couple plays. Showed decent hands.

The ones that I didn't see enough of:

Ben Tate - I really hope he can come back from this injury. I hope it's nothing serious. The way he was able to put pressure on it, I'm thinking maybe the broken ankle report is wrong. I would guess that it's a high ankle sprain, which could still be troublesome. I really liked what I saw from him(in his two carries or so, lol). A little bit of a change of pace from the other guys.

Earl Mitchell - I only noticed him on the field once during a replay...


I know it's only the first pre-season game, but I love me some Texans football. I can't wait till Saturday.

 

Dorin Dickerson looked like a mini-version of Antonio Gates.

He has a physique of a tight end, but the wheels of a WR... he may have a bright future if he stays healthy.