You read it wrong (probably my fault)- I don't consider the increase in wins as necessarily proof of improvement. Next season if they make the playoffs I don't think anyone can argue they improved. The whole defense played better mainly because they had a wild man who is a player all over the field making plays (Demeco Ryans). I wouldn't consider the rest of the bunch improved over the defense we started the first season. Yes, the defense did play better at times. The safeties have matured, they did not play that joke they got from the Raiders and Mario added some needed effort along with the tackles you mentioned. But I can't say they were really improved other than what I mentioned. Plus the safeties are pretty average and need to be replaced. We need a cover corner and two better outside backers. We definately need a pass rush badly.
i'm sorry, but... their 31st ranked defense a year ago finished 24th this year. they went from 32nd against run, 24th against the pass to 20th and 22nd. their 30th ranked offense a year ago finished 28th this year. they went from 15th in rushing, 30th in passing, to 21st and 27th. they were 2-14 a year ago; 6-10 this year. literally in every the facet of the game, they improved, minus the running game, understandable, given the loss of DD. no one's blowing smoke up anyone's ass and pretending the team's arrived by any stretch. but let's also be careful not to marginalize definitive progress.
Oh, don't get me wrong...I'm not saying the defense is anywhere near a finished product. Not by a LONGSHOT. I agree that we still have plenty of needs on that side of the football. My point is that the defense got better as the year went along and it happened as we were losing linemen to injury left and right. I love DeMeco as much as anyone and I'm sure he had a lot to do with it, but I submit to you that the 4-3 scheme (instead of the 3-4 from last year) had a lot to do with it as well. That bodes well for the future and the current coaching staff.
This post is just silly. Kuby is a product from St Pius HS here in Houston and I doubt Smitty is intentionally anti-Texas anything products. Yeah, a real GM here would've salivated over Brees but, old news we all know Casserly was an incompetent jackass here.
Yes, there was improvement mostly cosmetic but, clearly we saw promise in our young talent and we saw what happens when you have a real coach really ACTUALLY coach! We finally beat the DAMN Colts! That was BIG!
It's not that. It's just another idiotic assumption because they didn't select VY. I probably would have passed on Brees last offseason, too. He was coming off shoulder surgery and there was no way to know he'd do this well. Besides, if they weren't drafting a qb over Carr, they sure as hell weren't going to spend the money on a free agent.
Doubt Thomas is there for us. I hear good things about Levi Brown and that guy from Central Michigan, Joe Staley. His stock is a risin'. Best Available thereafter: AP, Marshawn? could be. Probably more logical to go for a DB, or DL at #8. Yes, a trade down here may make sense. We really need to find a way to gain 1 or 2 more picks so we can get potentially everyone and every need we possibly can get filled, FILLED! Landry, Glenn Dorsey, maybe? Safety definitely biggest need in offseason. OL second but with Thomas gone, beef up the DL. A solid offseason from MW plus, Kalu and Weaver, we should improve here significantly. So Dorsey may not be bad move either. Second: Michael Bush is a flat out beast. He could've made significant moves toward the heisman had he not gotten injured early in the season. Speed and power BIG TIME! If you can get an extra 2nd or 3rd, take Staley. Main third: Kolb, Kolb Kolb !!! He shows very good football IQ. Good arm and shows a lot of confidence back in the pocket, and he can throw on the run. End the season with UH--30 TDs, 4 Ints. I think that needs to speak for something. There's some ideas to chew on.
That would be a great offseason, unfortunately, it's also a pipe dream offseason IMO. Joe Thomas won't be there at #8, he's by far the best OL in the draft and unless he gets injured, no way he gets passed the Cardinals. Not sure exactly how much FA money we have the spend, but I doubt it's worth picking up the best DE and DB FA this summer. Even if we did have enough, I don't see them running to the Houston Texans. Not to beat a dead horse, but the Titans should be the #1 destination for FAs. They have an unbelievable amount of money to spend this offseason, they also have a lot of really good young players that are starting to come to their own (VY, Pacman, etc...), they also have Jeff Fisher.
Hopefully we can get at least Clements in free agency. You guys that think we are going to take a RB in the first round need to understand that it ain't gonna happen. The one thing I feel a lot better about is Rick Smith's ability to find players in the draft. We hit on a lot of talent out of the draft last year. And I really believe that Taylor is going to be the RB next year. But I do like the idea of getting Michael Bush in a later round. I think it would be great if he fell to the third or fourth pick. He'd be a definite steal there. Safety?? Can't see drafting a safety in the first round either. Unless they are the next Ronnie Lott. And he was a corner before he became a safety. I think you draft corners in the higher rounds and safeties in the 3-8 rounds. Or otherwise, convert an established corner to the safety position. We have got to hit on an offensive lineman and we have to get the defensive backfield fixed.
Yes, good points. Of course alot of these scenarios are only going to be narrowed by the NFL combine week and available FA's and then FA's that we actually sign. I agree AP and Marshawn probably are not in the cards unless they really blow away at the combine but then they probably arent there at #8 anyway. Logical picks for 1st round: Landry, Dorsey or maybe Levi Brown. Could also consider Pozluzny at LB maybe if it's not possible to get Adalius Thomas from B-More. Yes, after the performance Clements did on AJ when we played Buffalo, he looks like he would be a good fit at opposite to Dunta. You could move Petey to nickelback or possible make him a safety opposite to Glenn Earl or perhaps Landry. Truth is we have so many needs on this team to address you can go a wide variety of ways and still vastly improve the squad overall. We really need to if possible, stockpile a few extra draft picks and attempt to fill and bolster this team with some REAL young talent to build upon. It seems almost uncanny logical that the Texans potentially will trade down in the first round because Thomas, the big hoss from Wisconsin will no longer be on the board. QB of the future, lets get Kolb, please! As of right now, this all is still such a crapshoot-all the who, what, when, & where.
Watching this New England/Jets game, I want Asante Samuel. He's good in coverage and can hit. He is a playmaker and would be fantastic on the other side of Robinson.
I watch Casserly on CBS giving commentary and I am moved to violence. His voice, accent, syntax, facial expressions, glare on glasses, and his opinions incite some inate primeval and I just want pummel him while screamong "you stupid sh#t!!!! You passed on VY and traded for Buchanon!!!!"
Yeah there's no way a team drafting in the top 3 can be in the playoff hunt the next year. Well except for the other 2 teams that were in the top 3.
I see your point. But, it's interesting to note (as someone else here eloquently stated): We were one coin flip from the same record as the Titans.
Of course, that does take for granted that the PoS offense would have actually scored--but it's a poignant thought anyhow.
Exactly. The offense still has to score. Our defense (the strength of our team) couldn't make a stop. I'm not sure we can simply assume that the offense would have scored, especially given that Tennessee was in an odd streak of good luck and making big plays for about 6 weeks in there. I think it would be more reasonable to say that Tennessee was a fumbled snap (vs. Baltimore) away from making the playoffs.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-12, Mr. Preacher Man! That first season defense was pretty old and after a year or two it was old. If this year's defense was the absolute equal in terms of play on the field to the first season defense, the current team's defense would be, IMHO, significantly 'better' because they were not on the verge of going downhill. If you look at the Carolina teams, which were supposed to be our model of how to run an expansion team, they went into the toilet in the 4th year as well as all of the defensive players the had like Sam Mills who had made their initial defense so good had to move on. The fact that that the defense went downhill from the beginning is hardly a supprise since they were lead by old men (in football terms). What did you expect to happen? The first generation of Texans on defense went from old to older and we had to start over. If you step back and evaluate how that first year defense was made up is this really so suprising?
