Are The Houston Texans Really That Good?

[ATippett56]

And offensive line......despite last weeks stellar performance

The Houston Texans lost offensive guard Mike Brisiel in unrestricted free agency and released offensive tackle Eric Winston this past off-season.

http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nfl/4096/mike-brisiel

http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nfl/3648/eric-winston

The Houston Texans offensive line was better last season.

 

[VrabelJr]

Not yet, that goes to Revis (pre-injury) or JPP. He's definitely on his way though...

So quick to anoint JPP after one season are we?

 

[VJCPatriot]

I wanted the Pats to draft JJ Watt badly in the 2011 draft. He was my favorite at the DE position. And a lot of people were touting guys like Cameron Jordan and even Wilkerson over him. Yeah... Watt turned into an absolute beast just like I thought he would. The only dilemma is that if we had moved up to draft Watt, we would not have Solder today. And with the retirement of Light, Solder turns into a must have for our team.

Back to the Texans, they are for real. Particularly their defense. On offense they are solid with Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. I don't know if they are the best team in the AFC, but they are certainly in the running. I am looking forward to seeing them crush the Jets and send them into the fetal position. Jetsland will self-implode even further on Monday night. I mean seriously does anybody give the Jets a snowball's chance in hell of winning that game? I don't.

 

[Mack Herron]

I wanted the Pats to draft JJ Watt badly in the 2011 draft. He was my favorite at the DE position. And a lot of people were touting guys like Cameron Jordan and even Wilkerson over him. Yeah... Watt turned into an absolute beast just like I thought he would. The only dilemma is that if we had moved up to draft Watt, we would not have Solder today. And with the retirement of Light, Solder turns into a must have for our team.

Back to the Texans, they are for real. Particularly their defense. On offense they are solid with Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. I don't know if they are the best team in the AFC, but they are certainly in the running. I am looking forward to seeing them crush the Jets and send them into the fetal position. Jetsland will self-implode even further on Monday night. I mean seriously does anybody give the Jets a snowball's chance in hell of winning that game? I don't.

The question is whether the Jets can score at all against Houston.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

And offensive line......despite last weeks stellar performance

As bad as some think our line is, our line doesn't let Brady get destroyed the way Schaub gets it. Brady gets hit, but he isn't good for a broken collarbone by the bye week every season. Part of that is Schaub often being oblivious in the pocket, but they do not have a history of keeping his jersey clean.

 

[Kontradiction]

They're extremely good, but they're a little top heavy in some areas and lack the necessary depth where, should injuries happen, they would be in trouble. But, that team has hit well on a good amount of it's high draft picks when they had them and those hits show. They can beat you through the air or on the ground and their defense is incredibly hard to score on.

 

[Haterproof]

Unless the Chargers somehow become very good...the Texans/Pats matchup will certainly decide the team who will get one of the top 2 seeds and the bye week.....I think the Ravens are destined for the 1 or 2 seed and the winner of this game will join them.

I definitely don't see the Ravens getting the number one seed with that schedule. They play the Steelers twice,(The up & down) Cowboys,the texans,Chargers,Giants & even the Bengals are playing a whole lot better than in week 1. The Texans have it pretty tough too. They play the Packers,the Ravens,The Bears,the Pats,the Vikings & I also see an AFC south team upsetting them as well. Our schedule is still tough but not as tough as Houston or Baltimore's. I know a lot of people are upset about the loss to the Ravens. I still don't think that loss is going to stop the Pats from geting one of the top 2 seeds in the AFC.

 

[lillloyd]

Personally I think they are really that good. I think they actually looked better in most respects last year than Balt in their playoff game (minus the gaping hole that was Yates), and with even just one less major injury last season it would have been Houston, not Baltimore, playing NE for a berth in the SB.

Houston's interesting because they're such a throwback team, basically a dinosaur in the "live ball" era. Both their D and running game can just maul you.

So I think they'll stack a ton of wins and get a bye this year.

However, in the playoffs I expect a team with a more seasoned *playoff* QB was able to take them out, even if Houston is legitimately considered the best team. I just feel that Houston will take a step forward but--not unlike a lot of ascending teams throughout history--will ultimately take their playoff lumps from a more veteran team...before truly breaking through next year.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

If Schaub wasn't lost for last season,the Pats are probably not in Last years SB,Even thier rookie QB got pretty darn far

The Pats might have not even been the top seed in 2011

LOL

Ignorance knows no bounds.

 

[PatsFan2]

They are my Favorite Team in Madden i have been using them since Madden 10. Now everybody wants to use them online...i hate bandwagon jumpers.

 

[lillloyd]

Well the Patriots are going to need to beat Houston to earn either the 1 or 2 seed. The best case scenario is for Pittsburgh to win the AFC north, and that will probably eliminate the tie breaker with the Ravens. Even though the Pats are struggling somewhat, they have no where to go but up. How many times do we see the best team in Sept. be the best in February ?

LOL regrettably I must advise you NOT to pin your playoff bye hopes on Pitt winning the North.

That said, just looking over your schedule I think you're a gimme for at least 12 wins and therefore should be just fine for a bye. You're a virtual lock to go undefeated in the division at this point, and aside from the Texans and 49ers games late in the year (both at home btw!), you're likely to be facing a bunch of teams that will have losing records at the end of the year. (I guess @SEA could theoretically also be tough, but I seriously doubt Russel Wilson is going to beat BB/TB...and I don't think there's any way Peyton beats you guys at home in what should be a ridiculously charged environment)

I still think Baltimore will have a tough time making it past 11-5. I think they arguably have a tougher schedule, and more importantly they seem to have a strange tendency to overlook opponents and play down to the level of competition a few times a year. I would bet that you guys will be able to overtake them.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Since the Patriots and Texans have played a common opponent in the Titans, there is a reasonable avenue to judge the proficiency of the two teams.

Based on the two games, it's rather washy.

Where the real question will be is in health and if a Wade Phillips defense is ready for a sophisticated offense.

Last year, the Saints absolutely lit them up.

 

[lillloyd]

While I will agree that the AFC East is not very good this year, I think perhaps you may be listening too intently to fans of other teams too much in regards to the bolded part above. Perhaps it's a case of an opinion being repeated so often that it eventually becomes accepted as fact.

For example I keep reading fans say how the NFCE is so much better than the AFCE; truth is the AFCE has a better one-year, two-year and three-year record than the NFCE.


2011: 33 wins by AFCE; only AFCN and NFCN had more
2010: 36 wins by AFCE; tied with NFCS for most in NFL
2009: 32 wins by AFCE; more than AFCW and NFCW; same as NFCN; one less than AFCN and NFCS
2008: 38 wins by the AFCE; only NFCS had more



Apologies for the thread hijack ...

Yeah it's going overboard to say the AFCE is somehow "annually" one of the worst divisions in football. Really it's only been this year and maybe last year when it seems to have dropped off, and this is due to the sudden decline of the Jets (which deprives the division of an opponent besides NE that is a tough out).

FWIW I think the toughness of divisions are better evaluated by how the win total is distributed across the teams, rather than the total wins; i.e. if I'm a coach, I'd probably rather face a division that ends up with one 16-0 team and three 7-9 teams, than a division with four 9-7 teams, even though the latter technically has one less win. (The logic being, I have a good chance of being 3-1 against the first division, even if I'm obliterated against the 16-0 team...whereas against the division of four 9-7 teams, with a few lousy breaks I could end up 0-4).

In the end I don't really know what difference this all makes; NE made the SB out of a "weaker" division last year, so clearly the whole SoS argument can fall to pieces when you're playing actual games.

 

[juny]

We will find out when the two teams go head to head in prime time during a time of the year when you want to get hot (december).

 

[ausbacker]

I wanted the Pats to draft JJ Watt badly in the 2011 draft. He was my favorite at the DE position. And a lot of people were touting guys like Cameron Jordan and even Wilkerson over him. Yeah... Watt turned into an absolute beast just like I thought he would. The only dilemma is that if we had moved up to draft Watt, we would not have Solder today. And with the retirement of Light, Solder turns into a must have for our team.

Back to the Texans, they are for real. Particularly their defense. On offense they are solid with Arian Foster and Andre Johnson. I don't know if they are the best team in the AFC, but they are certainly in the running. I am looking forward to seeing them crush the Jets and send them into the fetal position. Jetsland will self-implode even further on Monday night. I mean seriously does anybody give the Jets a snowball's chance in hell of winning that game? I don't.

If you're going to go after the Texans you've got to attack their linebackers because their defensive line and secondary is filled with enormous talent.

A two tight end-centric offense may prove valuable against their defensive scheme. Either way, it's been quite the transformation with a few draft picks, savvy free agent acquisitions and Wade Phillips coming on board as the DC.

Regarding the Jets-Texans, a repeat of the 49ers no contest would be welcomed.

 

[Nikolai]

Well, since Balt beat the Pats, the best case scenario is to see Houston beat Baltimore and then the Pats beat Houston, which should equalize a lot of tiebreakers. Then it becomes about the other games, where the Pats, and to a less extent the Texans, should have an advantage.