OBie's Texans had better defensive and Praise Zeus special teams. Obie did not take 5 years to find a defensive coordinator. Kubiak never did figure that special teams are important.
Rewatched every offensive snap and focused in on the OL to try and get a grasp on how everyone played. Two things stood out to me. 1. Myers was awful yesterday. When he wasn't busy botching shotgun snaps, Myers was getting eaten alive by Jason Hatcher. I hope it is some sort of rust being knocked off and not a sign of old age because we need Chris to be the top flight C that he has been for years. 2. Derek Newton was great. Newton was a mauler in the run game, pretty much man handling whoever was in front of him. Also, he held his own in protection which is a great sign for the future. I have never expected much from Newton but if we can get average starter play out of him I will be pleased.
Our last offensive drive was a thing of beauty and actually won the game for us. Ate up 6 1/2 minutes and ended with a FG to put us up by more than 1 score. BOB played that perfectly. That was Football 101. He didn't do anything stupid like Kubiak would have done like an ill-timed bootleg turning into a pick-6, etc.
Would the transition from ZBS to more of a traditional/power/one-on-one scheme be a possible factor in both of the above points? Myers was always "small" for the position... but what he lacked in size, he gained in mobility.
Foster fumbled in the red zone. Could have been 24 points or 20 at the least. A lot of people complained about the offense, but I wasn't that discouraged. Struggled on 3rd down but I expect that to improve with more time.
Yes, this could definitely be a factor. But, as O'Brien said we would, we ran both power run plays and zone blocking plays.
The offensive performance shouldn't have surprised anybody... but also shouldn't discourage anybody. Arian had a good average and overall day after not having played in well over a year... and the protection held up for the most part. Additionally, Fitz didn't make any egregious errors. They'll get more in-sync with more reps... and they'll be able to implement different/unique game-plans once that syncing is complete (which will help prevent opponent schemes that eventually caught up to the previous regime's game plans).
Being the most objective person in the ENTIRE world, I have issues. Defense: Gave up nearly 372 yards of offense, granted they only allowed 6 points. The defense managed to force two turnovers, good. I didn't like seeing Watt playing 4-3 DE as much as he did. The Redskins rushing attack was carving up the Texans defense through the middle. Why were the cornerbacks playing 10 yards off the receivers every single play? Why did they play prevent defense towards the end of the game? Solid performance, though.
You better get used to the "bend but don't break" style they are going for this year because that's how RAC rolls.
My thoughts on the game: Fitz played a good game...if he plays similar to how he played yesterday, he'll be the QB for all 16 games. Anyone hoping for a Mallett showing will be greatly disappointed unless Fitz has a meltdown. Ive said it before...Fitz is a much better QB than many give him credit for. Playing outside of the Buffalo weather and surrounded with better coaches/players will at least catapult him to mediocre status, which is all the Texans need this season. Watt is obviously a monster...Its a given that he dominates the game, but I just want to mention him because he deserves any and all praise that goes his way. Worth the money for sure. Swearinger was all over the field. He did give up that long reception, but he came back and forced the fumble on that play. He's a playmaker...and that is something this team has sorely lacked outside of Watt. Newton...welcome to the NFL! The guy was a beast yesterday. Very much improved. I think he dominated the entire day. I dont think he got beat at all on any single play. Kerrigan and Orakpo had a combined zero sacks and I think 1 hurry. Great job by Brown and Newton. Our run defense was bad. Very bad. That is an area of concern moving forward. I think some of that has to do with Cushing needing to get back up to speed. Also, it would be nice to have another MLB next to Cush that could do something. I dont know why, but I would think Bullough could help in the run stopping. Arian Foster did not have nearly the game some are making it out to be. He was incredibly pedestrian yesterday. Nothing special at all...no long runs, a fumble inside the redzone, a 3.7 ypc average...Not a good day for him. Glad to have him back on the field, but he'll need to get back into better form moving forward. Damaris Johnson love fest needs to end (Or at least, slow down). He's really not good in any one area...and history has shown that Martin returns kicks and punts better, while having better receiving numbers. If Damaris on the roster means Posey is out...then I prefer Damaris being inactive. He just doesnt add much to the team, at all. Brooks Reed looked a step quicker and more active than I ever remember him. That was a very nice surprise and I hope he continues his improvement...or sustains that style of play that he showed in week 1. I was ready to write him off, but I loved what I saw. I think BOB called a good game. I think the offense was too conservative to start the game. Although, not converting consecutive 3rd and 1 plays is going to hurt the "look" of any offense. I think converting those two plays and extending those drives would have given fans a more optimistic opinion about the offense. The best drive of the game came when we needed it the most...the 3rd down run by Fitz was the game winner there. Moving on to next week, Carr looked very weak against a real NFL defense...and I dont expect anything different next week. We should be able to hold them to about 10 points...and score about 20. We have 2-0 staring us in the face.
minus seattle, that's how most of the league's defenses roll. I'm more interested in different looks and opponent-specific game-plans that give the defense some versatility. Sure, they may always give up yards and will even get dominated some games... but in the long-run, this should be more sustainable (given adequate personnel) than Wade's defense that regressed game-by-game/week-by-week, as he tried to do the same thing regardless of opponent and personnel.
The running up the middle was a product of Powe and Cushing not playing well. They both made a few plays but overall had very poor games. I expect both of them to improve, especially Cushing as he gets in legs and instincts back.
