tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14438262254773805132024-03-05T00:07:21.500-06:00Lone Star Pro SportsAnalysis and News for all Professional Sports Teams in The Greatest Nation on EarthAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-61824607563177910152013-02-19T11:25:00.001-06:002013-02-19T11:25:46.582-06:0027 Games to Get ThereThis season for the Houston Rockets has been one where I have seen many ups and not as many downs compared to the last three years of stagnation. The team from the "Clutch City" has done some things for me this year that I have not witnessed in the last three years. They have been in the playoff race for most of the season, have a solid "star" on the cusp of super stardom, and run an offense that....well....runs. There is still so much uncertainty that surrounds this team but if they can keep running, they can keep winning and clinch that playoff berth for the first time since 2009.<br />
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Schedule Breakdown<br />
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For the last 27 games, the Rockets do not have easy schedule but they also do not have a terribly hard one either. They do start the break back against the team they cannot seem to keep up with in the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the game will be at home, James Harden cannot out duel the combo of Durant and Westbrook. I know that because the only two times they have played them, there is no slowing them down. Most likely a loss unless the supporting cast can really back up Harden and they can play some defense but like I said, most likely a loss. The next two games are on the road in a back-to-back against better Brooklyn and Washington teams that they took down the last times they played. These games should be wins but they have to play smart which is a little tougher being the youngest team in the NBA. The Rockets close out February in Houston against Milwaukee which should be another win and have the Rockets finishing the month on 3 game win streak. They finish the month of February at 32-27.<br />
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March brings a tougher test to for the Rockets although they start it out with a road game in Orlando against a Magic team that cannot even score over 70 points some nights, tally another W for Houston. They then move on to the Sunday night at Home against the arch-rival Mavericks. Houston wants this game at home more than anything and a big night from Harden seals the deal as the Rockets down the Mavs and stretch their winning streak to 5 games.<br />
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After a few days off, it's a quick drive up I-45 to Dallas to square back up with Dirk and Co. and in the rematch I feel that Dirk will be at his best and still gunning to make their playoff run and they strike down the Rockets in Dallas to end Houston's 5 game win streak. Houston then picks up the gloves and travels to Golden State for what is sure to be another high scoring affair. However, the Warriors can still not get the best of the Rockets and give up another big night to Harden and let the Rockets get one in their house. They finish off their three game road trip in Phoenix where former Rockets, Goran Dragic and Luis Scola attempt to take down their former team. Their attempt is stuffed like a signature Hakeem Olajuwon block and the Rockets smash the Suns in their house to finish the road trip strong.<br />
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The Rockets get to come home to their longest home stand of the season for 7 games and start it off against the last team they played. The Suns roll in to Houston for a chance at revenge and sorry to say for Suns fans but the Rockets refuel and dump the Suns for the second straight game and start the home stand off right. Minnesota comes to town next and for some reason the Rockets do not match up well with the Wolves. Despite this fact, Houston dumps them like a slutty girlfriend after prom being at home because the Wolves still playing without Kevin Love. Golden state then comes to town once again where the last time Houston shelled them for 140 points and NBA tying 23 three-balls. I do not expect this to happen again but with Houston riding the win streak, they toss the Warriors for the 4th and final time this season. Then Jazz stroll in next and after they "got served" last time in Utah by 45 points for their worst home defeat in franchise history, they are looking to put out the Rockets fire. Houston steals this one with strong play form the starters and a late rally to seal their longest winning streak of the season. Cleveland is the next suitor to try and end the Rockets streak, and although the last game Houston escaped a Kyrie Irving show this game is more physical and Houston adds another notch to the belt which will sit at 7.<br />
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As much as I would love to see this Magical march run keep on rolling, San Antonio comes to town. The Rockets seem to have too much trouble with San Antonio's stifling defense, along with Jeremy Lin's inability to guard Tony Parker and they fall at home for the first time on the home stand. The home stand finishes with Indiana coming to town and with their powerful lineup and Houston trying to avenge a loss to the Pacers in their last match up. The Pacers prove to be a more complete team with strong play from Paul George and down the Rockets at home to drop Houston for their second straight loss. An away game to Memphis is not where Houston wants to be but after their two straight losses, James Harden takes over this game. Rockets win to get some of the mojo back and Red Nation boards the plane to go catch the second of their back-to-back in H-Town. Its unfortunate that the the second game in as many days is against the Chris Paul and Lob-City. The Clips pull this one off in the Toyota Center with Double-doubles from CP3 and Blake Griffin. Houston goes in to the final month of the season losing 3 of 4 but with a strong record of 42-31 and is on the cusp of a playoff berth.<br />
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April has always been a fascinating month in the NBA where playoff races comedown to the final games even, and other teams begin tanking to secure a better draft position. This team however will only be a few wins away from securing a playoff berth and can accomplish at the very beginning of the month.<br />
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The new month kicks off at home with a match up against the Orlando Magic, Houston rolls them out of the gym in blowout fashion and gets one win closer to the post season. It is then time to hop on a plane for a short three game trip which will kick off in Sacramento. With the Kings in shambles at this point of the season, Harden and friends avenge an earlier loss from February and take down the Kings in their house. A quick ride up to Portland to face the Blazers will be a fun match between these familiar foes. After a long battle between the offenses, Houston's D prevails as the escape Portland with one more W. The final game of the road trip brings them to Denver where Houston has had trouble matching up with the Nuggets depth. Rockets lose a close one where fouls and free throws make the difference.<br />
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With 5 games left in the season and Houston sitting at 45-32, the end of season stretch will prove vital for carrying themselves in to the post season. They open up the final home stretch of the season for three games with Phoenix coming in to TC. Rockets roll and take out the Suns with a playoffs on their mind. Memphis comes to town and with the playoffs as close as they can be, the Rockets down the Grizzlies with a James Harden high scoring night and secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2009. Sacramento rolls in to town a couple of days after the playoff clinch and down the Rockets on a strong game from Demarcus Cousins.<br />
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Houston finishes the season on the road for the first game in Phoenix where the Rockets take down the Suns one for the final time this season and stretch the win total to 48. The last game of the season will be against the always hated Los Angeles Lakers. They will have made their run and be right on the verge of the playoffs, however the Rockets shut the door on the Lakers in the Staples Center. James Harden nails an ice cold three late to set the game and the Lakers miss the playoffs and the Rockets finish at 49-33 and set up in good position to make a playoff run.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZquJ6KG5dPCy2uv3FHYDmgYrzE7Tz6vP_j-s3-l0LUG83x_z_dzwHLFP21cTOPyBpizbk2wliwy4d0AyeRysQrLIsUrAJFaUOoxzBoXTTywujCKk6Y5qeJS2EOzz_N8IScrCykZKWg_QZ/s1600/parsonshardenlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZquJ6KG5dPCy2uv3FHYDmgYrzE7Tz6vP_j-s3-l0LUG83x_z_dzwHLFP21cTOPyBpizbk2wliwy4d0AyeRysQrLIsUrAJFaUOoxzBoXTTywujCKk6Y5qeJS2EOzz_N8IScrCykZKWg_QZ/s320/parsonshardenlin.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
Wrap-Up<br />
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I may just be a simple fan that loves my team too much, but when I have been disappointed for so long by these stagnant teams I must be a total optimist in this situation. Yes there are things going against the Rockets, but there are many things going for them as well. They are the youngest team in the NBA which doesn't bode well for the experience factor but with playoff experienced players like Harden and Asik, this team can keep it rolling. The fresh legs will be the key and when you are as young as this team, that has got to be the focus on their attack. The Rockets finishing the season on a 20-7 run seems highly unlikely but anywhere close to that will secure. I believe 49-33 is the best case scenario but i do believe they will have to go at least 44-38 to get in. The Western Conference is too good this year from top to bottom but Red Nation will be in full effect and the "Clutch City" will be backing this team waiting for the playoff berth.<br />
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The only way to go from here is up though, like the Rocket that resembles this team.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875479551208617404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-10546979178998150602013-01-29T12:31:00.001-06:002013-02-04T15:06:24.880-06:00Aloha! In today's 24 hour news cycle, yesterday's game or big trade is just crusty rancid salmon patty stuck at the bottom of the garbage disposal. People have a hard time savoring the moment and are constantly looking for what's next. For example, as soon as the Texans lost to the Pats 2 1/2 weeks ago there were already articles off season previews and mock drafts being written.This was despite the fact that the AFC/NFC championships were still a week away and the season has yet to shut its doors (That's why are Texans season review will be out next week). Everyone needs to look ahead and plan goals for the future, but people need to enjoy the game even if your team is still out of it (It never gets old hating the Pats). As a full time college student who works 30 hours a week it is impossible for me to keep up with the vicious, up to date, constantly updated "It's my money and I want it now" sports news cycle. Also even if I could I would not be a part of it. I pride myself on delivering a gluttonous, 5 course meal of in depth analysis and break downs, instead of delivering a<a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1504562-bleacher-reports-expert-consensus-picks-for-super-bowl-xlvii"> Bleacher Report slideshow style</a> bag of Lays article that takes 15 minuets to write. These content is king websites deliver short shallow information that can be quickly consumed, but dull the mind of actually learning anything valuable about the games we love. Just because we can now consume a lot of information does not mean a good thing if the information is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh50bBQIdUU">Cobb Salad from Applebee's with rats </a>in it.<br />
The 2013 Pro Bowl was on Sunday and already it has been discarded into the depths of time like a Sega Saturn spinning Virtua Fighter for eternity. Despite it being out of everyone's minds I am still hesitant to be done with it. Every year the problem with the Pro Bowl is the same, it's not real football. Unlike basketball and baseball the tenacity and ferocity needed to play the game of football is out of the question to bring to a game like this (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTtOaDvf8co">unless you are Sean Taylor</a>). The inherent flaw is that football is a game played with emotion and the Pro Bowl strips the game of football from it. No one is out there trying to stop a RB from making a 3rd and 1, every play is and should be a pass and the reasoning to rush the QB is non existent. It is nothing more than an exhibition game for the fans to enjoy watching their favorite players put on the pads for the last time until September and make sure no one suffers a cataclysmic injury. With that being said the Pro Bowl is still an enjoyable event if you take it for what it is. It's like going to see the newest Fast and Furious movie. You know there are going to be fast cars, explosions, women who are not going to wear very much clothing, and a incoherent plot, but it is still going to be a good time if you are expecting that and not a Kathryn Bigelow Academy Award Winner. So before the media calls for the end of a NFL all-star game and the tar and featherings occur, think about what the game actually is and enjoy it for that.<br />
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Some quick observations:<br />
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-JJ Watt can't stop, won't stop, would not even consider to stop even if it was an option (which isn't). I have never yet to see a player with the high motor that he has. Even in the Pro-Bowl he played hard and kept the V-8 running. He is they type of player with all the talent in the world like most NFL players, but what separates him is the amount of energy he brings to every snap. He's the defensive player of the year because of a combination of his strength, speed, and energy. If Albert Haynesworth ever learned this he would not be playing guitar hero right now, but actually in the NFL as a vital piece of the Redskins defense. JJ Watt is the embodiment of "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."<br />
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-One other note on JJ Watt. It was awesome, when they lined him up at receiver, but it seems he has already forgot how to play TE and how to catch a football. If his hands were a little bit better some of the 24 (2 in post season) passes deflected would have turned into picks and<a href="http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Watt-Pick-6/01f11ad2-47bc-4e59-8903-8cec235dbd01"> he would have had more moments like this</a>.<br />
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-Matt Schuab still struggles to throw the deep ball. In the second quarter Schuab intended to throw a deep ball to Demaryius Thomas, only to underthrow him by 4 yards, have the ball tipped into the air and caught by a diving William Moore. It was just like the underthrow to James Casey against the Colts in week 17 that changed the out course of the game (And flushed a #1 seed down the toilet). The tail half of the year saw the degradation of Schuab as a deep ball thrower as he slowly morphed into someone who could only throw 12 yard passes to Dre. This summer Schaub should have one thing on his mind, get his mojo back on the deep pass.<br />
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-It never gets old watching Eli Manning throw pick sixes<br />
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-The jerseys actually looked good this year, instead of looking like the past jerseys that resembled the vomit of a drunken four year old after drinking a cup of every different color of Kool-Aid.<br />
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-Like Watt, Duane Brown played hard as well, he even pancaked Julius Peppers during pass protection.<br />
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-Even in the Pro Bowl Arian Foster only runs up the middle on first down<br />
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-AJ Green is a year or two away from taking the best reciever in the AFC title belt from Andre Johnson.<br />
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-The last snap to Peyton from Jeff Saturday was a moment that hit every Colts fan right in the feels. Even though those two terrorized me during my teenage years it was still a sweet moment.<br />
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-Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth laid back, I'm in Hawai choice of wardrobe was hilariously awful.<br />
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-That was an awesome no look onside kick by the greatest modern era Cleveland Brown, Phil Dawson.<br />
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-It's illogical to look too much into the Pro Bowl, but what I enjoyed the most about the way the Texans played in the Pro Bowl was that they played like they legitimately cared and actually competed. Schuab was angry on passes he missed, Brown blocked hard, and Watt bloodied his finger. It's awesome to have a group guys that care about bringing a title home to Texas as much as the fans want one.<br />
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Now even though there was some good things about the Pro-Bowl it does need some changes. Not MLB like changes where the winner of the Pro Bowl automatically wins the coin toss in the Super Bowl or whoever wins gets home field advantage in the playoffs sort of changes. But changes that add more fun to the event for both the fan and the player. They should model the weekend after the NBA's and NHL's All Star game.<br />
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Friday- They should have some type of flag football game that the legends of the past to play in. Who wouldn't love to see Kurt Warner dropping bombs to Isaac Bruce down the sideline again or Neon Deion Sanders picking off Brett Favre and taking it back to the end zone. Unlike the NBA no celebrities should be allowed, no one wants to watch Beiber throw six yard slants to Chris Brown.<br />
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Saturday- Will be a skills competition just like what the NHL and NBA have.<br />
Some events would include:<br />
-A tug of war tourney of four teams- AFC O-line, AFC D-line, NFC O-line, NFC D-line in some type of round robin bracket where they two top teams face each other in the finals.<br />
-A QB wide receiver competition where the QB completes passes to a receiver of his, but there is a catch. The quarterback is blind folded and the series of routes will be predetermined. Whoever completes the most wins.It would really show they sixth sense that QBs and their number one guy have in common. Everyone loves those throws where the QB knows exactly where his guy is going to be and throws it to him before he is even out of his break. <br />
-The kickers and punters could play horse where they take turns coming up with ways to put the ball between the pylons. You know kickers have some crazy stuff up their sleeve that they come up with during the dead times of practice when they are not needed. It would be incredible to see some rugby style field goals from the sideline, and punters pinning the ball inside the 5 yard line while kicking ti backwards. <br />
-Also if they can work <a href="http://www.ign.com/wikis/madden-nfl-2005/Mini-Camp">anything into it from this game</a>.<br />
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Sunday- The actual game would be played. Also players like Rodgers and Brady should be forced into playing in the game even if they are bitter about losing in the post season. <br />
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The main point is the Pro Bowl can be a must see event and give the fans one last glimpse at their favorite players before they climb into their hyperbolic time chambers to prepare for the next season. It's just going to take some creativity from the No Fun League to make it happen. Something that they lack which can be seen how they have handled the lockout, helmet to helmet hits, pensions for former players, and celebrations. If the NFL just think somewhat out of the box the most popular league in American professional sports could actually make a lackluster event spectacular. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-90430493945905609242013-01-27T23:58:00.002-06:002013-01-29T11:18:07.226-06:00Where the Rockets Stand<br />
Moving closer the All-Star weekend in the NBA, the playoff picture is shaping up to be pretty close in the Western Conference and the Houston Rockets are right in the thick of things. At 24-22, the Rockets are currently in the 8th seed and fighting to get in to the post season after being bumped down to the 9th seed for the past 3 years. After grabbing back to back wins over the Hornets in New Orleans and the Nets at home in Houston, the Rockets will take on the 7th seed Utah Jazz Monday night. The current playoff push teams are the Utah Jazz(24-20), Houston Rockets(24-22), Portland Trailblazers(22-22), Los Angeles Lakers(19-25), and the Dallas Mavericks(19-25) rounding out the 7-11 seeds in the West.<br />
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The Small Free Fall<br />
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The reason the Rockets are looking at this tough uphill climb was a result of a 7 game losing streak that dropped them out of 6th place at 21-14 and knocked them down to the 8 seed. The losing streak happened at such an off time as well, with Houston starting their toughest part of the schedule this season. At the time they were on a 5 game winning streak, just had a blowout win against the Lakers at home and looked poised to extend their lead in the west. They set out for New Orleans to win a game but instead the bottom fell out and "Houston, We have a problem" began to fill the atmosphere. James Harden struggled and the rest of the team seemed to be in a funk as well.<br />
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One of the biggest outlandish moments from the losing streak happened to be ineffectiveness of the 4 spot on the floor. There was no rebounding from Patterson or Morris and the scoring from them was poor as well. They continued to struggle until they finally got to a team that was having more trouble than themselves and that was the Charlotte Bobcats. The Rockets snapped the losing streak after 7 games with a 100-94 win over the Bobcats where James Harden closed out the game with 29 points and the defense held the Bobcats to 13 points in the 4th quarter. Although they lost the next game at home to the Denver Nuggets, they at least knew that the losing streak was over and that some good practice can always help the team out. The next two games were a back to back (of course) where the Rockets went in to New Orleans and played great basketball winning the game (100-82). To top that they went back home the next day and outlasted Deron Williams and the Nets (119-106) for a solid home win to push them back to 2 games over .500. The win against the Nets was led by Harden(29pts/3reb/7ast), Asik(20pts/16reb), and Parsons(16pts/6reb/11ast) who outplayed whoever was opposing them on the court. Both of those wins were solid in bringing back some of the chemistry that was lost on the road trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8rpWnxfOy82Xmo06_JpgjqW5rnEMWFw19vWMYH_2Cq3Vwkmc5QHdHtIsXejqFnN3YZJIpVo9i64aC9JynHtw0oMs2lCdk5zaxSbHjrUV9Pu326u5vYCQmkhXCVZk-RJYilPan0mcAfuT/s1600/chandlerharden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8rpWnxfOy82Xmo06_JpgjqW5rnEMWFw19vWMYH_2Cq3Vwkmc5QHdHtIsXejqFnN3YZJIpVo9i64aC9JynHtw0oMs2lCdk5zaxSbHjrUV9Pu326u5vYCQmkhXCVZk-RJYilPan0mcAfuT/s320/chandlerharden.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a><br />
What to Watch for<br />
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With 36 games left in the season, there is quite a bit of basketball left to be played and with 7 of the next 10 opponents in the Western Conference playoff picture, things will start to come to fruition pretty soon here. James Harden is playing at an extremely high level and Omer Asik is really starting to show his stuff at center. Chandler Parsons has been nothing but solid and will continue to grow in to one of the most underrated players in the entire league. Jeremy Lin will continue to flourish as a player but will have his tough moments until his game develops some more.<br />
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The lingering problem for the Rockets is the ineffectiveness of the 4 spot on the floor. Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris are still working on their game and with no really powerful position player at the power forward spot, the team will continue to struggle in that position until they can make a trade or a major breakthrough happens with Morris or Patterson (or Royce White really excels and can come in and take over....LONG SHOT.....but could still happen). Or will Morey pull some of his magic tricks out of his hat and land Houston another building block like Paul Millsap or Josh Smith? Who knows. However, I know that if anyone could do it, I believe it is this crazy bastard. Morey some how got us one of the brightest young superstars in the league in James Harden and never folded when one thing did not work out. The trade deadline is just under 4 weeks away, they are going to have to decide if they wanna make the playoffs with what we got. Or are they gonna make the push to bring in someone that could immediately affect the team and give them the presence at the 4 spot that they need.<br />
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Through 46 games I have loved watching this team, whether it be the yelling at stupid shots from Jeremy Lin, getting hyped up after Harden motors to the hoop for the basket, seeing Delfino nail three pointer after three pointer, Asik Grab 15 rebounds and score half of that in points, every Bill Worrell call of "CHANDLER BANG!", and the team slowly developing chemistry and an identity. No matter what way the season goes, it is still better than suffering through the last 3 years of 9th place mediocrity. This team is much more talented than the 9th seed teams of the past we have had. I believe they probably will not make it out of the first round, but maybe they can put something special together and at least keep giving these fans hope for the future by playing competitive against either the Thunder/Spurs/Clippers in the first round. All of the pieces of the jigsaw aren't there just yet, but they are close to becoming more than a fringe playoff team. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875479551208617404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-54238004701605453472013-01-25T14:51:00.001-06:002013-01-25T14:51:52.919-06:00Dallas Stars Week One Recap<h3 style="text-align: center;">
I Got the Moves Like Jagr</h3>
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One week into the regular season we have seen the Stars go from an offensive juggernaut to the exact same team as last year. Through the first four games the Stars are 2-1-1 with 5 points and are currently 2nd in the NHL Pacific. Unlike last year, the Stars look like a more attack orientated team. Their passing has been oodles better and the game has been opened up a lot more. Instead of getting goals from grinding, winning battles in the corner, Dallas has been actually scoring because of skill. However, every game has been a volatile one with every game exposing new problems. Despite these issues they have been able to compete with some of the best teams in the league and will be put to the test tomorrow night in St. Louis. Hopefully, this is just a case of the short camp and. In a short 48 game season the stress on Dallas will be not to win games (which they will do), but figure out their identity. Here is a recap of the first four games of the season. </div>
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Game 1: Star 4-Coyotes 3</div>
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In Jaromir Jagr's Dallas Stars debut he accounted for all 4 goals for the Dallas Stars with 2 assists and 2 goals. The Stars' fans have not had a chance to watch a player of this caliber to watch and cheer for since Modano. What makes Jagr so incredible at his age is not the razzle dazzle of the past, but his ability to move without the puck. At his age and the amount of time he has had playing the game he knows exactly where the space is to get shots. Next time you watch a Stars game look out for how he plays without the puck, not with it. The other thing that has been so<a href="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20122013,2,11"> exciting about his arrival is the give and go</a>. The way him and is line mates have already been able to work together has been beautiful thus far. This signing by Nieuwendyk is just like when Daniel's signed Vlad to a two year deal. By taking a flyer on Jagr they were able to get high reward out of a low risk signing that everyone had written off. </div>
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Lehtonen's first game was not at the level everyone was expecting if you look simply at the goals allowed. However, he gave up two goals on power plays and one on a break away. Last year every game was on Kari's shoulders, but let's hope that this year is different. Dallas needs to win with Kari, but not solely because of him. Regardless, of the score this game was sweet like a glass of chocolate almond milk because of the way they attacked and how open the game was. </div>
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Number of teeth Missing-9. </div>
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Game 2: Stars 0-Wild 1</div>
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This game was the stereotypical Dallas Stars game. A 1-0 snorefest where the offense was unable to do anything and let down the goal tender. However this time the net minder was not Kari, but the newcomer Christopher Nilstorp. In his first career game he gave up only one goal on 32 shots. The only goal he gave up was to the Wild's bottom bitch, Zach Parise <a class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" data-original-id=""embed"" href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cimg%20src=" id=""embed"" img2.blogblog.com="" img="" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; height: "383"px; width: "640"px;" video_object.png="">">on a one timer right from the high slot. </a>Nilstorp is going to need to have a big year for the Stars in this shorten condensed schedule. He will get multiple opportunities to play, especially on back to back nights to keep Kari fresh and youthful. Dallas can not afford to miss a beat on days when Kari needs a break. On a side note, really the only thing NHL has done right is their website. The ability to watch every big play from the night before is something no other sport has done right. Not only because of how well the quality is, but how it actually works right, I am looking at you Roger Goodell. There are a lot of games I miss living in Central Texas because of the Spurs being on instead and the six minute games and highlights allow me to still watch. </div>
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Number of Teeth Missing-3</div>
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Game 3: Stars 2-Red Wings 1</div>
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Dallas dominated this entire game from the first puck drop. They outplayed, outhit, and outskilled the mighty Detroit Redwings (who some predict won't even make the playoffs). It was extremely frustrating watching them miss out on scoring chance after scoring chance. This game should have been a 6-1 blowout, but they were unable to knock the puck against the twine. Part of this was a poor ability to finish and part of it was Tim Howard doing his best Kari impersonation. It was if every Star player grew a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Balotelli">blonde mohawk and had their sole stolen by Mario Balotelli</a>. </div>
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This game also brought the best moment in the Stars season. With four seconds left in the third, Brunner was finally able to tear down the Finnish wall and sneak one past Kari. The Detroit crowd turned into a raucous mob and heckled Kari in their delight. He slyly replied with the point to the score board which is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDRsYLAXWQY&feature=player_embedded">one of the most under rated celebrations of all time</a>. Another night another ridiculous game by Lehtonen, he faced 40 shots and saved 39 of them. </div>
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Number of teeth missing-8</div>
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Game 4: Stars 2-Blackhawks 3 OT</div>
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In a game the Stars had no business even having a lead in, they managed to get a point, but only after squandering a two goal lead. Their first goal came on a short handed break away by Loui <a class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" data-original-id=""embed"" href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cimg%20src=" id=""embed"" img2.blogblog.com="" img="" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; height: "383"px; width: "640"px;" video_object.png="">">Erikkson with 1.6 seconds left</a>. The play was only possible by a sick nasty Derek Roy flick pass who has become the skilled offensive center the Stars needed. Their other goal came on a heads up pass from Eakin to a wide open Ray Whitney standing all alone next to the Chicago goalie.<a href="http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/e/eakinco01.html"> The relatively unknown Eakin</a>, will be the X-factor for the Stars season. As a prep player he averaged 30 goals a season and if he is kept given the chance to play he should be able to score at least 20 in a shorten season. </div>
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It was all down slope after that. The Blackhawks kept barraging Kari with shots and they eventually broke through. They scored three goals in the power play and quickly turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. This Chicago team is dangerous, can score in spurts and their only possible downfall is their goal tending. This game was the exact opposite of the Detroit game. They went ahead when they shouldn't have, capitalized on their chances, and did not protect Kari at all. </div>
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Also the Stars were able to sign their star of the future Jamie Benn for five years 26.25 million. It was a deal that was a must to get done, insures that the owner wants to and wants to bring wins back to the Metroplex. </div>
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Number of teeth missing-5</div>
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The off season switch to focus more on offense by trading Ribero and Steve Ott has had its ups and downs. The Stars have given up way too many shots, but they have been able to score goals at times. The team should continue its volatile stretch like last year until they find their identity. They need to take the pressure of Kari, not take give up so many dumb penalties, and improve their PK. The best part of the season is how much more exciting and dynamic this team has been such last year. Hopefully this continues and we see more 3-2 games and less 1-0 games that make church see, fun. </div>
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One other note. For fans go the game, be rowdy, stand up and cheer, enjoy the team because Nieuwendyk and the new ownership are going all in to bring a damn good team back to Dallas and its your part to give back. After a 113 days of NHL constipation the game is back and the Stars look good as ever. If they play more consistent we might actually see Dallas in the playoffs for the first time in four years. It just feels good to watch the coldest game on Earth instead of NHL 2013 simulations. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-73358348104240873842013-01-15T14:29:00.002-06:002013-02-04T15:06:33.231-06:00The One That Got Away Shayne Graham (the worst 50+ yard field goal kicker in NFL history) hit a 55 yarder in Gillette Stadium with the clock at zero giving the Pats a slim 17-13 lead. It seemed like something magical might be happening after Houston went on a 10-0 run to end the half. However, Brady quickly put flour on the grease fire and outscored Houston 14-0 in the third. With the score at 31-13, I left work to hurry home and catch the end of the Texans Pats game and I thought there was a slim chance a magical comeback could still occur. Right before I hopped into my car I looked up at the fuchsia, pink and purple sun setting sky only to see a menacing waxing crescent moon mischievously grin at me. It was as if Bill Belichick himself was laughing at my futile hope of Houston hosting the AFC championship against the Baltimore Ravens and then going back in time to tell my five year old self there is no Santa Clause. When I turned the key AM 1300 coaxed me through the game until I could see it with my own two eyes at home. On 4th and One Marc Vandemeer gave me the terrible news, Matt Schuab's pass to Posey would fall incomplete and then on the next play Brady hits Vereen on a 33 yard touchdown pass to make it an insurmountable 38-13 game. When playing the Pats you have to play a perfect game, and the Texans almost did enough. If one or two things went differently it could have been Tom Brady on the couch, eating cereal in his sweat pants. However, the coaching staff failed, the offense was stagnant and as a result Houston was thrown out of the playoffs in the divisional round for the second straight year.<br />
<h3>
Son of Bum</h3>
After Houston's week 14 loss I was expecting Wade to not make the same mistakes on defense in the rematch only to see the same critical errors play out. It felt like an Alzheimer's patient walking from Starbucks to Starbucks forgetting that they just had a non fat soy latte. It was frustrating to see Barwin or Reed blitz on every play only to not get their in time while James and Rudd were left in pass coverage. Combined Barwin and Reed had 10 tackles (one for a loss), half a sack and 3 quarterback hits. The benefit of bringing them on every down did not outweigh James and Rudd in pass coverage. Also Brady is very difficult to blitz because of how well he is able to read the defense pre-snap and his ability to get the ball out in time. When blitzing from an outside nine technique, Phillips' is putting Reed and Barwin in a nearly impossible setting to get to Brady. The pressure to get to Brady needed to come from the middle, but Phillips kept doing what did not work in week 14. <br />
The other problem with Phillips was the pass coverage, Shane Vereen caught 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns. Two of his long passes he caught came in situations where Vereen was split out as a wide receiver when Houston was in man coverage.When he was split out wide Rudd or James was covering him both times and Brady knew exactly where he was going to go with the ball. The first time could have simply been a misunderstanding, but to have it happen again for a 33 yard touchdown pass to end the game is ridiculous. Wade must see this play the first time and have some type of audible, instead of just letting a MLB play out wide in man coverage again. <br />
The final gripe I have with Wade is his inablilty to prepare for the Pats. The Pats were able to run around 12 free plays or so because Houston was not lined up right. Two of New England's red zone touchdown runs (8 yards by Ridley 24-13 and 1 yard by Vereen 7-3) were the result of Houston not being prepared for the no huddle. It was just like the week 14 touchdown pass to Hernandez in the red zone where not one person was covering him out wide. As a defensive coordinator you have to prepare for the no huddle throughout the week and at least have some type of base defense to run when Brady is scampering to the line quickly. Houston's defense did a great job disguising coverages, stopping the run and deflecting passes, but the Pats were able to break big plays that outweighed the good.<br />
<h3>
Offensive Troubles</h3>
From the first offensive snap, Houston beat themselves. After a 94 yard return by Manning, Houston needed only 12 yards to stun the New England crowd and go up 7-0. Then the following series of plays ensued, Foster run LG for 3 yards (tackle by Wilfork), dropped pass by Casey and then a pass way over the outstretched arms of a wide open Andre Johnson. If Houston puts up 7, instead of New England's defense winning and only allowing three, the entire dimensions of the game change. The pressure would have been immediately on the Pats and Houston's offense would have had their confidence early. The Texans are a completely different team when they have a lead then when they are playing from behind. When trying to upset the Pats on the road you have to capitalize on every opportunity given. The red zone woes that had plagued Houston the last 5 weeks haunted them again on the first drive of this game.<br />
The problem for Houston was not a problem moving the ball, but negative/low yardage plays on first down that forced them into long third down situations. On Sunday Houston punted the ball 5 times and each of the 5 times was a result of not getting enough yards on first down .On drives that the ended with a punt Houston averaged 1.4 yards on first down. Four of these plays were runs (-1,2,0,6) and one was an incomplete pass to Owen Daniels. Most of these drives ended with a series of run up the middle for a little or nothing and then 2 incomplete passes on 2nd and 3rd down. On most of these first down running plays New England new exactly what was coming and they would blitz up the middle making it impossible to get more than 2 yards. In addition to that, on 3 out of the 5 drives that ended with a punt,Vince Wilfork made the tackle on first down that put Houston into a hole.<br />
On first down Houston had 12 runs for 69 yards at an average of 5.75 and 16 passes for 170 at an average of 10.625. Now if you get rid of Arian's 2 long first down runs that led to Houston's first touchdown that number would be 2.9 yards a carry. So on average Houston would start with a 2nd and 7 after running on first down. On the other hand, Houston had ten passes for 104 yards (11.55 yards a pass) on first down before the 4th quarter when they had to throw every play. New England knew Houston would want to run the ball on first down and got caught with their pants down when they did the opposite. Instead of being unconventional and attempting different ways to beat the NE defense, Houston opted for the predictable run run pass offense.<br />
The other two problems Houston had on offense was in their running play selection and big plays. Last week in the preview I discussed how difficult it is to move the ball up the middle against the Pats. Trying to run the ball at Wilfork is like trying to move Snorlax to get to Fuschia City without having the PokeFlute to wake him up. So what did Houston do in the run game?<br />
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LEFT SIDE MIDDLE RIGHT SIDE<br />
6 carries 23 yards 3.83 YPC 17 carries 27 yards 1.58 YPC 4 carries 41 yards 10.25 YPC<br />
<br />
So just like in week 14 Houston tried to do the impossible, get yards up the middle against the Pats. I still don't understand why they didn't run more tosses behind Duane Brown and get Arian into some space. The right side is the weakest link on the Houston offensive line, but it would have caught the Pats off guard if they ran it there more often. Instead they just hammered the middle only to get turned down repeatedly. <br />
Houston also did not take enough chances in the passing game. Schuab did not take any shots deep and instead threw more intermediate routes. Theses routes worked, but you have to at least take some chances with the ability Schuab has and having one of the best receiver's in the league, Andre Johnson. Houston had 6 plays of 20 yards or more, the longest being the 28 yard gain, off a pass to the flat to Arian when they were backed up to there own five yard line. There plays of 20+ yards were at an average of 20.83 yards and only three of them produced drives that led to points. Just like Houston the Pats had 6 plays of 20+ yards. However, all of these plays were on drives that produced points and were at an average of 32.5 yards. The Pats big plays were not off deep passes (other than Welker's 47 yard push off catch down the sideline), but came on plays where they were able to find a favorable match up or finally find some space for Welker or Hernandez. Houston does not have the same type of speed receiver's that New England has to come up with the same type of big plays, but they do have humongous possession receiver's that can be sent deep. <br />
The Texans offense played their best game in weeks, but it was a case of too little too late. By the time they made adjustments and started to take chances the game was over and they were only playing for pride. If Houston was more unpredictable they could have put 40+ points on the Patriots and the headlines would have read differently on Monday morning. Hopefully Gary realizes the potential this offense has and puts them in more opportunities to succeed next season. <br />
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The worst part of Sunday wasn't the loss but the missed opportunity of playing in Houston against Baltimore for the chance to play in the AFC Championship. This week 14 rematch should have taken place this Sunday in Houston and not off the East Coast. Yes this will be another long off season filled looking into the abyss and pondering all the "what ifs"? But before you start to complain about this team, jump off the bandwagon and believe the nonsense of Houston being a fraud think about how far this team has come. Houston is still a team that has just entered its window of title contention and should win the AFC South for the next three years or until Luck becomes a Texans serial killer. This is still a great young football team, that had just finished the greatest season in franchise history and will continue to get better. Seasons will change, Spring will be here soon, the hellacious Summer heat will come and go and Fall will bring some leaves changing (don't change until December here) and Texans football. Next season Cushing will be back better than ever, the young reciver's of this year will have another full off season to get ready, Rick Smith will fix the few holes this team has and Houston will play an even more incredible year of football next year. Go Texans.<br />
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Playoff Picks<br />
49ers over Falcons<br />
Pats over Ravens<br />
49ers over Pats in Superbowl 46<br />
<h3>
</h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-34956845657230337492013-01-11T14:13:00.001-06:002013-01-14T13:09:56.018-06:00Divisional Round: Texans Vs Pats<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u> Going back to New England </u> </h2>
On January 13th at 3:30, the Houston Texans are heading back to New England to attempt to avenge their 42-14 loss in week 14. The Pats completely mastered the Texans by dominating every facet of the game. Houston looked incompetent and fraudulent after this shellacking and their performance over the last four games of the regular season. Luckily, Houston looked like the suffocating anaconda-like team that won 12 games in last week's 19-13 win over Cincy. It was a game Houston controlled from the first snap, but the score was closer than the game suggested because of too many field goals (more to come later). Hopefully, this is the team that goes to New England and not <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSTEqHxh3fI">those big fat phonies</a> from the last four weeks of the regular season. Houston has to keep the boulder rolling and will need to be more disruptive than New England on defense, win the battle on third down and capitalize in the red zone to beat the Patriots. <br />
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<h3>
Watt or Wilfork?</h3>
In the week 14 match-up, Vince Wilfork shredded the Houston offensive line. He had 4 tackles at an average loss of 2.5 yards, one sack, and a forced fumble. On top of that Mayo and Hightower had six tackles each because of Wilfork's ability to gobble up double teams. In the zone running game it's not a true hip to hip double team that creates movement. What Houston does is have the center give some help and have the guard take over so the center can move up to the middle linebacker. The center's job is not to move the nose (Wilfork), but get up to the MLB. However, Wilfork is nearly impossible to move in this type of blocking technique and as a result he wreaked havoc last time they met. This week Houston will either have to have Myers give the guards more help or they will have to run outside. However, if Myers gives more help it just opens the lane for Mayo and Hightower to make tackles. So Houston should just hammer outside runs on the left side and then mix it up with some outside runs to the right. Last week Houston had 12 runs for 70 yards on outside runs to the left. Look for this trend to continue on Sunday in their attempt to neutralize Wilfork.<br />
On the other hand Watt did not have the performance he was accustomed to in their game earlier this year. Watt had 4 tackles at an average gain of ten yards, zero tackles for a loss, zero passes swatted, one forced fumble that was recovered in the end zone for a NE touchdown, and three quarterback hits. It was frustrating to witness how close Watt was to getting to Brady only to have him barely get the <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/14153">ball out in time reverse Macgruber style</a>. To combat Brady's release Houston will have to get there quicker. Look for more stunts inside from the defensive ends to get pressure up the middle. It worked incredibly well against Cincy when Watt was able to force Dalton into poor throws and abuse the Bengals' center. On top of that, Wade is going to have to show different looks at the line then what is actually going to be used. He must camouflage their coverage and confuse Brady's pre-snap reads. On top of this, Houston can not let James, Dobbins, or Ruud cover Gronk, Hernandez or Welker. If they run any man coverage like this Brady will go right their way and pick up 8 yards a play. Hopefully, Wade will put Reed or Barwin on one of the TE, Manning on the other and Quinn on Welker and then run some zone to cover the rest of the field. Regardless of scheme, Houston must be more disruptive than NE to win this game.<br />
<h3>
3rd Down</h3>
The past 5 weeks Houston has been a lunatic when it comes to the battle on third down.<br />
HOU 4-14 HOU 5-13 HOU 1-11 HOU 5-11 HOU 8-17<br />
42-14 L 29-17 W 23-6 L 28-16 L 19-13 W<br />
NE 6-12 IND 1-8 MIN 9-18 IND 9-15 CIN 0-9 <br />
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The past weeks has been a windy, <a href="http://www.myscenicdrives.com/drives/texas/devils-backbone">up and down travel through the Devil's backbone</a> for the Houston Texans when it comes to third down. There has been zero consistency from game to game. However, it's simple, if Houston does well on third down they win the game. Last time they played against NE they did a fair job, but the average third down that NE had was 4.375 yards. This week Houston needs to put New England into longer third down situations. On top of that Houston has to get away from having long third downs. The past five weeks they have had to get 6.93 yards to reach the first down on average. As a result they have run 52 passes compared to only 16 running plays. Opposing defenses can dial in on the blitz and know exactly what is upcoming if Houston keeps putting themselves in long third down situations. This is a conclusion from the run run pass offense that has been casually run all season.<br />
On top of third down Houston will need to open the game up more, like what they did against Cincy, and utilize some element of surprise. Kubiak is going to need to take some shots deep against a weak NE pass defense, keep them on their heels and cultivate the running game. New England is <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef">weak against TE and third WR</a> so Schuab must spread the ball around like what he did against Cincy. Dre should have a big game against Talib, and LeStar will make a big play. Also Houston will be able to run three TE sets that they were unable to run against NE the first time since Graham was hurt. Houston must apply every aspect of their offense if they want to beat the Belichick defense. <br />
<h3>
Red Zone Red Alert</h3>
Houston has been homeless in the redzone as of late. It's been impossible for them to get touchdowns in the red zone. Last week they kicked three field goals that made a possible 28-13 game a 19-13 win. Kicking field goals is not a bad thing when they are in the 40 yard range and in 4th and long situations. However, most of Houston's field goals have come when they are in the red zone <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/10308">and their drives crap out</a>. In the last five weeks Houston has kicked 13 field goals and have slammed it into the end zone only 5 times. This includes a streak of 8 straight field goals, none of the touchdowns have been longer than 15 yards, and 4 of the TDs are less than five yards. Houston's average field goal length during this time period is 37 yards which is a field goal kick from the 20 yard line (+10 for the length of the end zone and +7 for the distance between the line of scrimmage and where the kick actually takes place). Nine of their 14 field goals have taken place inside the redzone, that stat really is the dingleberry on top of a shit sunday. Houston has been able to move the ball, but they choke once they get to the 25 yard line. Touchdowns, not field goals will beat the Patriots on Sunday.<br />
<h3>
The Decision</h3>
I have been sick and bored the past couple of days so I booted up NFL 2K5 on the trusty old PS2. It was almost impossible to complete a pass to Corey Bradford with David Carr, let alone even get the ball away. The defense consisted of studs like Morlon Greenwood, Travis Johnson, Antwan Peek and rookie Jason Babin. They got rammed for 7 yards on every carry by LT as a Charger. In addition to this was Faggins (I remember a time when Houston fans all were thinking he wasn't half bad, man we were oblivious to what good football was) , Glenn Earl and Dunta Robinson (who finished second on the team in tackles with 69). The 2005-2006 season Houston went 2-14 and Kubiak came in who slowly changed the culture of the organization into the successful team that we have today. The whole point to this is that yes the Texans will probably lose on Sunday, but before you start to call in talk radio and go on message boards think about how macabre the past has been. Think about David Carr and Sage Rosenfels as starting QBs. Think about Amobi Okoye at Nose Tackle. Think about all the 5 losing seasons and the three 8-8/9-7 teams that just were not good enough to make the playoffs. This is a great young team that will continue to win and get better.<br />
This game will be much better than the eerie week 14 match up. Houston should actually get some breaks this week, but they must play perfect football. No turnovers, play impeccable third down defense and score touchdowns, not field goals. They will be able to move the ball on the NE offense and the defense should be able to be more troublesome. Add this to the<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/01/06/texans-win-puts-patriots-easy-street-again/Nn59dnCMHkyP2TKiaAetIL/story.html"> Nobody Believes in Us </a>Factor and <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/01/06/texans-win-puts-patriots-easy-street-again/Nn59dnCMHkyP2TKiaAetIL/story.html">how not one person has picked</a> <a href="http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=8829053">Houston in this game thus far</a> (except for Adam Schefter and the Simmons podcast linked might be the next podcast jinx like when NE lost to the NYG after being 17-0). I think Houston will lose just because of their inability to score touchdowns in the redzone compared to the Pats' stellar Hernandez and Gronk Duo. Pats win 31-20 and Houston will be stopped short of their first AFC title game. Schuab proves doubters wrong by winning the Pro Bowl MVP. The groundhog won't see his shadow. Winter will be long and lonely. <br />
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Other Picks<br />
DEN over BAL (I do think HOU would win in DEN and BAL would win in NE)<br />
SF over GB<br />
ATL over SEA<br />
Still SF over NE in Superbowl Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-89685248353608198322013-01-05T11:44:00.000-06:002013-01-05T22:13:14.078-06:00Wild Card Weekend-Texans Vs Bengals The Houston Texans are playing today at 3:30 against the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that exhibits a weird sense of deja vu. Everyone knows the story last season. Matt Schuab had his foot ripped off underneath a pile by Albert Haynesworth in a blowout against the Bucs and was replaced by beer bong connoisseur, Matt Leinart. In Leinart's first game as a starting QB since his days in Arizona, he managed to play well only to break his collarbone. Then came the third stringer, T.J Yates. He did the imporbabable, beat the Falcons and then the Bengals on a game winning touchdown pass with the clock down to zero and clinched the franchise's first AFC South championship. Houston then managed to lose their last three games only to beat the Bengals in the first round in the exact same time slot as this year. Last season was a great story of "what ifs" that I am sure I will tell it in the future when <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-nB3Gc8olo">I am a babbling old man</a>.<br />
Four weeks ago every fan and player was on the verge of climaxing at the prospect of a bye week and then having to beat the Ravens/Colts/Bengals to enter the AFC championship. After starting the season off 11-1, with eyes fixed on a Superbowl
appearance, the Texans tumbled from the #1 seed to the #3 seed after
going 1-3. As a result, they are now playing Wild Card weekend instead of getting vacation time. The Bengals on the other hand have broken through the wall of mediocrity. After starting the season 3-5, they have managed to go 7-1 and actually beat a team over .500. If Houston wins they then go to New England with the chance of avenging a nauseous, 42-14 loss to the Patriots. If the Bengals win they would be going to Denver, unless the Colts manage to beat the Ravens in Ray Lewis' last game. Here is everything you need to know for the 3:30 game in Reliant Stadium.<br />
<h3>
Momentum</h3>
Every analyst, talking head, SC anchor and fan is already writing the Texans off this post season because of momentum. The advanced Stats have shown the disparate movement of the Texans from a top team in weeks <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8808820/bill-barnwell-saturday-slate-nfl-playoff-games">1-8 to an average one the rest of the season (scroll down for the table)</a>. However, none of this talk was heard when Houston beat the Bears on the road and won two OT games in five days. Instead, the talk was how resilient Houston is and how they are able to do anything to manage to win. Now that they have lost 3 of their last four, all against playoff teams, the talk is how they are cold and will be bounced out in the first round. The Bengals have all the "momentum" on the other hand since they finished 7-1 (only one win .500 team, the Giants who in the middle of a terrible run, not counting week 17 when all the backups played). Cincinnati has played better in the second half, but only have wins against the AFC West cellar dwellers, Giants, Eagles and a tough win against the Steelers. They have played better than Houston in the second half, but the record is mostly because of schedule difference. <br />
I was tired of listening how important momentum is in the playoffs almost as much as hearing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiEEJds8JFE">Wanted-Glad you Came</a> while at the bar or on the radio. So I went back and looked at the record for every playoff team's last four games of the regular season and then took the record of their first playoff game. I came up with the chart as followed.<br />
Record Wins Losses Percentage <br />
1-3 4 3 .500<br />
2-2 9 7 .562<br />
3-1 13 12 .520<br />
4-0 6 6 .500 <br />
There are a lot of other factors that go into these numbers like overall record entering the last four weeks, defensive, and offensive rankings. However, the main goal is just disproving the talk of the Texans having poor momentum because of their record these last 4 games. If anything being 1-3 down the stretch is better than going 4-0. Just because the Bengals went 3-1 (7-1 down the stretch) and Houston went 1-3 (5-3 down the stretch) does not give the Bengals any momentum down in this game. <br />
For some historical hope for the Texans chance of a deep playoff run. The Texans could end the season like the Jets in 2010. The Jets started off 9-2, then went 2-3 to end the year (2-2 last 4) and upsetted the Colts in Indy and won in NE only to lose in the AFC championship to the Steelers. Like the Jets, the Texans started off strong, lost a bye because of losses at the end of the year, but still managed to make it to the AFC championship. However, no team playing in the Superbowl has ended the year 1-3. Now that momentum is not important in this game, let's look at the actual matchups.<br />
<h3>
Arian Foster vs the Bengals Defense</h3>
The offense has been soft and flabby of late. They have only managed 65 points in their last four games at an average of 16.25 a game. This is horrendous compared to their first 12 games when they averaged 29.25 points a game. Why has there been such a drop off when their yards gained fall in to roughly the same averages? The main reason is poor play on third downs and too many red zone field goals. Houston has been able to move the ball, only to give up a negative play or penalty that crushes their touchdown chances. Graham has kicked 7 field goals from 20-40 yards. These are drives that Houston has gone deep enough to get TDs only to fall short. This must change if they want to beat the Bengals today. I am going to punch a hole in the Ozone if Graham kicks another 24 yard field goal. <br />
Arian Foster is going against another tough defense this year. These last four games he has looked tired and not his usual self. His yards per carry has plummeted, but this is mostly due to the fact the cutback has not been there. Opposing defenses are starting to stay in their lanes against the zone and bottle him up. Schuab will need to get the playaction going to help open the game for Arian, not the other way around. Foster has played well against top defenses this season (using DVOA). Carries Yards Yards Per Carry<br />
Chicago #1 ranked defense 29 102 3.52<br />
Denver #5 ranked defense 25 105 4.2<br />
Miami #14 ranked defense 26 79 3.04<br />
NYJ #9 ranked defense 29 152 5.24 <br />
NE #15 ranked defense 15 46 3.07<br />
A good day from Foster should be expected. I am sure he will get at least 25 carries and should have around 100 yards. The Bengals have the #10 defense and a run defense that allows 107.2 a game. Hopefully, Kubiak keeps Arian fresh and we see at least 10 carries from Tate/Forsett.<br />
<h3>
Dre and A.J</h3>
This year the 31 year old Andre Johnson ended all talks of who the best wide receiver in the AFC is after a year of 112 catches on 164 targets, 1,598 yards and 4 touchdowns. A.J Green, 97 catches on 164 targets, 1,350 yards and 6 touchdowns will eventually take over Dre's throne as father time takes over. Both of these WR have had incredible years, but they should be harassed all day by the opposing pass defense. <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef">Houston ranks #4 and Cincinnati ranks #9 against a team's #1 wide receiver.</a> 31% of Dalton's throws have gone towards AJ Green, but only 59.1% have been completed. Houston must not let Green beat you deep and force incompletions. Look for Houston to run a zone, but always have Joseph or Jackson covering him in man coverage. For either team to win they must not let these top wide receivers to gallop freely across the field. <br />
Despite, both of these teams ability to stop the #1 WR, they have been sub par when covering the #2 WR. Houston ranks #28 and Cincinatti ranks # 22 in the league. The good news for both defenses is that each QB does not throw the ball anywhere other than their top #1 WR, TE, or RB.<br />
Walter- 41 catches 68 targets 518 yards 2 TD <br />
Hawkins- 51 catches 80 targets 533 yards 4 TD<br />
Both of these players have about the same averages and each is overshadowed by their teams top WR. These last 4 weeks Walter has only seen 10 targets compared to Andre's 50. Walter/Martin/Jean/Posey should get open on a deep pass and Schuab must complete it. Also in losses Schuab has thrown 0 TDs and 5 INTs. Most of these picks have not been a result have a bad decision, but a poor throw to a receiver that has a step on the defender. Both quarterbacks must move the ball around and whoever is most successful in this aspect may very well win the game. <br />
<h3>
The Trenches</h3>
Each team's defense is led by a great defensive line. Watt has had the greatest season statistically of any defensive lineman in the history of the NFL. However, the Bengals have an All Pro on their line as well with Geno Atkins delivering pressure up the middle. Both offensive lines will have to neutralize either one to keep their offense in a rhythm. The Bengals O-line is ranked 28th in the league with 46 sacks and a rate of 8.3% and their defensive line is #2 with 51 sacks and a sack rate of 8.7%. The Texans defensive line is #6 with 44 sacks and a 7.2% sack rate while their O-line has allowed 28 sacks at a rate of 5.3%. Houston's O-line is marginally better than Cincy's on the ground as well. Based on the overall numbers Houston does have an advantage, but their O-line play has been suspect lately. If Houston's front seven can keep the run game to a minimum and force 3rd and 7+ look for their pass rush to abuse the Bengals offensive line. The two big match ups in this area will be Watt against Andre Roberts and Geno against Ben Jones and Wade Smith. Each team will probably run to the opposite side of these two in order to fine success running the ball, but you can't throw away from a pass rush. I believe that whichever offensive line is able to negate the others front seven the most will win. <br />
<h3>
The Prediction</h3>
This game should be a physical, hard hitting, old school game and most likely it will be like the Bear's game in week 8. The Bengals have a similar team, one that is led by a top WR, great defense and an inconsistent QB. The past 4 weeks don't matter and the regular season schedule is wiped clean. Whoever wins this game will be the one with the better offensive line and which one is able to stop the passing game. Arian and Ellis will be fed the ball consistently, but I can't see them being able to do much more than 4 yards a carry. It will come down to Andre or Green making a big play and the quarterback utilizing his receiver's other than the big names. The past 4 weeks has displayed a Texans team from some weird alternate reality and not the team Houston really is. They will cut loose and will 20-13 in a close game.<br />
This is the part where analyst hat gets tipped into the air, picked off and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPMPr7bAMFw">taken for a touchdown right before the end of the half. </a>I will always have love for Cincinatti, Houston clinched their first AFC South Title against them, won their first playoff game against them and I did enjoy my time living 15 minutes South of the Ohio River. However, Cincinatti has nothing on the Greatest Nation on Earth.<br />
Shiner > Christain Moerlein Brewing Company<br />
Whataburger > Skyline Chile<br />
The Ballpark in Arlington > Great American<br />
Tubing in a river > Finding Dead Bodies in a River<br />
Manifest Destiny > NW Ordinance of 1785<br />
UGK > 98 Degrees<br />
Texans > Bengals<br />
Go Texans. Let's go back to New England next weekend. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIgNc_cn2o-uy5DP6foAYdtX_uElLag6WfkP0FMZWdL2gFZ6BtBQ_7g9qOCYCIteU5UZfup-gORXQcDEM-n0bO0xJlThXCzmEQTTq8mxRWilHo3meTuPiueKSud3T8vTWpbGw0aUMWW8/s1600/Texans.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIgNc_cn2o-uy5DP6foAYdtX_uElLag6WfkP0FMZWdL2gFZ6BtBQ_7g9qOCYCIteU5UZfup-gORXQcDEM-n0bO0xJlThXCzmEQTTq8mxRWilHo3meTuPiueKSud3T8vTWpbGw0aUMWW8/s1600/Texans.png" height="320" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Picks for the Wild Card Round</div>
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Colts over Ravens</div>
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Texans over Bengals</div>
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Redskins over Seahawks</div>
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Packers over Vikings</div>
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49ers over Pats in Superbowl </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-81433588297506421602013-01-03T13:27:00.001-06:002013-01-04T23:01:47.945-06:00Ten Predictions for 2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7yrjNmIpptrjoeYijhw-Y5IqijKUSb9gznpNrgjRw-G50BXvcBYuXYKJIuOfFrw2-fzMEKKo3l2mQGZYD-MT-Ag-uImPaXMJJQTRIFN7kwBxAsKHSRy3GqrpdkorS45Kt_E93MblPaA/s1600/Miss+CLeo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7yrjNmIpptrjoeYijhw-Y5IqijKUSb9gznpNrgjRw-G50BXvcBYuXYKJIuOfFrw2-fzMEKKo3l2mQGZYD-MT-Ag-uImPaXMJJQTRIFN7kwBxAsKHSRy3GqrpdkorS45Kt_E93MblPaA/s1600/Miss+CLeo.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWyHiV3l3MA">Call me now for a free Tarot Reading</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
2012 is now just another year lost in the sands of time. As each day goes by, weeks come and go, holidays are enjoyed and forgotten, months are lost, as each day adds up to 365. This year was a strange one for Texas sports as we have seen young teams rise and older dynasties start to whither. Some of the great players of our generation have retired or have moved to different towns to be loved in order to let the young ones get their chance. A new generation is staring to get their chance to influence not only the games we love, but society as a whole. As our generation keeps embracing technology more and more, the good ole days before the internet will be forgotten. This is the trend that will keep going on into the unknown future until the next human shaping invention is created. Look for this trend to continue as the children of the 1990s start to enter the workplace and start to have an influence in society.<br />
Anyways, lately I have been reading my tarot cards, analyzing palms, checking the horoscopes, reading Nostradamus and have spent hours gazing into the dark depths of the crystal ball. This time and effort has brought me some insight on the future of Texas professional sports in 2013. <br />
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1. The Rangers will play in the Wild Card play in game again<br />
This game is something no baseball fan wants their team to be put in even though it makes for great television. After playing 162 games it will come down to game 163 for the Texas Rangers again. The Angels will win the AL West by winning the most 9-7 games in the history of baseball. As a result, Texas will be forced to play in the play in game. This time it won't be against the O's, but against the Rays in a match up that throws Yu Darvish into the pit to to duel David Price. <br />
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2. Spurs will lose to the Clippers in the Western Conference Semis<br />
As of today we are currently 40% through the NBA season and the standings look like this.<br />
1. Oklahoma City 24-7<br />
2. San Antonio 26-8<br />
3. L.A Clippers 25-8<br />
4. Memphis 20-9<br />
5. Golden State 22-10<br />
These five teams are then followed by a rag tag bunch that are only separated by two games between the sixth seed and not making the playoffs. All five of the teams in that group are more athletic and tougher in the post (except for Golden State) than the Spurs are. These are the types of teams that have bounced them before the finals the past two years. The Clippers are the perfect combination of these two and the Spurs are 0-2 against them this year. Chris Paul is playing at an MVP level and Tony Parker can not stay in front of him on defense. Their bench is the only one in the league that is close to San Antonio's. I believe the Thunder will win the #1 seed and the first front four teams stay the same. This will give us an exciting Clippers SA match up in the semis that the Clippers will win in 6. <br />
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3. Texas will win the AFC South in 2013<br />
The Titans will still be a dirty diaper. Jake Locker should be a better quarterback next year, but the team has too many holes to fix in one year. Next year will be the pivotal year in Locker's maturation and if he does not produce look for the Titans to cut ties. The Jaguars will still be shower scum. Gabbert or Henne will be the quarterback this year (barring a Tebow occurence), unless they draft one in an extremely weak class. Like the Titans there is a multitude of problems that will take more than one year to fix. The Colts will have to play a tougher schedule in 2013 because they finished 2nd in the AFC South and will have to play all the second place AFC teams and a much tougher NFC West. This easy schedule will wreck their season and their is no way they will have the one win record that they managed to pull off this year. That leaves Houston to hoist the AFC South crown on top of its head in December for the third straight year and become an AFC South dynasty just like the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xy9wyGAOds"> Colts of Christmas' past</a>. <br />
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4. Jurickson Profar will win AL Rookie of the year<br />
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2013-zips-projections-texas-rangers/">The ZiPS projections at fan graphs for the Texas Rangers</a> have been released last week and they are a must for any baseball fan. <br />
For Profar they have him projected at a .263 average, an OBP of .331, 13 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs and 17 steals. I think is defense will be incredible as well which will boost his voting numbers. I also believe Profar will have a better year than this by having a higher average, steals and runs. There should not be another season for a rookie like what Mike Trout did this past season and usually rookie of the year numbers are something more in line of Profar's projections. Profar will exceed expectations for a 20 year old rookie and the Rangers will have the best infield in baseball in 2013. <br />
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5. The Stars will not play another hockey game until October<br />
I am tired of reading about the lockout nonsense and how each day they maybe closer to getting a deal. Bettman and the NHLPA are worse than the Republicans and the Democrats when it comes to compromising and negotiating. I don't see a deal getting done in time for a 48 game season to occur. The only approach they could take would be some preseason games and a March Madness style tourney for the Stanley Cup (which would be one of the greatest things in the history of the world). If you are waiting for a labor agreement to be reached, and real NHL hockey to be played, while eating your fingernails and wearing your Mike Modano jersey, you are wasting your time. The two sides will not come to an agreement until February or March and by then it will be a lost season. <br />
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6. Rockets will lose in the first round and then will sign Al Jefferson or Josh Smith in the off season<br />
So far the Rockets have been an exciting team this season. Harden is worth every draft pick, player and dollar they have given up to sign him. Him, Lin and Parsons have kept Rocket's fans excited to be a six seed for the first time since #1 was putting up 30 a night. Despite how dynamic they have been, they are still a top player away from seriously competing for an NBA title. With Harden playing lead salesman look for Daryl Morey to quench his big man thirst and finally get the post presence he has been searching for all these years.<br />
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7. After interviewing top name college coaches, the Cowboys will keep Jason Garret. Jerry Jones will draft a QB in the second round to put the pressure on Romo<br />
Another year another 8-8 season for the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has quoted that this will be an "uncomfortable" off season for the Dallas Cowboys. Nothing would be more uncomfortable than the scenario above. Garret did just enough to keep his job and Romo had one of his best statistical season's in years. Even though they lost their third week 17 playoff clinching game in five years they still did play well. Jones will interview other coaches and put the knife at Garret's throat to let him know this his is last rodeo if their is no January football in Dallas. Despite Romo's great season he still has yet to win a career defining playoff game. So Jones will draft a project quarterback like Ryan Nassib to groom, mature and learn from Romo (which might not be the best education ever). 2013 will be playoffs or bust and if they do not make it watch the whole thing blow up. <br />
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8. Darvish will finish in the top 3 in the AL Cy Young Voting<br />
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2013-zips-projections-texas-rangers/">The projections for Darvish are nasty for his 2013 campaign.</a> This season Darvish will make the jump as one of the top pitchers in baseball and will reward the Rangers for their investment. He finally seems to have gotten over his control issues and has assimilated into the American culture. Yu will have a Cy Young caliber season, but will finish behind Price and Verlander. However, he will join this elite group of pitchers and will lead the league in strikeouts. For the first time in Rangers' history the pitching staff will be better than the lineup. <br />
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9. The Texans will sign Dwayne Bowe in the offseason, but not Conner Barwin<br />
Conner Barwin is one of the ten best outside line backer in the league. His numbers may not show it, but he is exceptional in coverage, rushing the passer, and stopping the run. Just like Brisel, Winston and Ryans last year he is expendable with the emergence of Mericlus as a pass rush super star. Barwin will get stacks on stacks of money from someone and Houston probably won't match it.<br />
All year the Texan's pass offense has been narrow sighted. Andre Johnson catches ten more passes a game than every other receiver and ever pass in a 8-15 yard gain. Part of it is due to Dre getting open every play, but the Texans have not had a true number two receiver since Jabar Gaffney in 2002. Kevin Walter is good, but he is more of a slot receiver and has trouble getting open against top corners. Houston needs a consistent down field threat in their passing game. They need something more than a 10% chance of a deep completion to LeStar, Posey or Martin. Dwayne Bowe would provide this immediately. It would open up the field for Daniels, Walter, and Johnson. He would help out the run game as well because of his blocking and how teams would have to respect the pass. If Bowe was a Texan in 2013, Foster would increase his YPC from 4.1 to at least 5. The only thing keeping this from occurring, is if Houston lets their trio of young wide receiver's to make plays and extend the short leash they are on. One thing is for certain, the Houston offense will need a jolt in 2013. <br />
<br />
10. The Astros will finish last in the AL<br />
The Astros are a young team that just finished their worst season in frachise history. They have young players that will continue to improve, but unlike all other sports, a baseball team need at least three to five years to make this type of turn around. While their prospects continue to season the Astros will continue to lose in a tough AL West. Astros fans will see another year of depressing baseball. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-65405708832691583172012-12-28T23:03:00.000-06:002013-01-04T23:01:47.943-06:00Top Ten Moments in Texas Sports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Gytzm0fiSX9eZ6_k2z4Yfb3r2vxlR_fPOe1PqfpExKD2h5vPud90asWyq-B8HVtcLoh2Rq82w_bbgREm9Xx0_txYNqN8iNFJTAl9ntrLuF5sXZ8Ef238u978HaXgvsYWtO6dGhvNcXM/s1600/2012-doomsday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Gytzm0fiSX9eZ6_k2z4Yfb3r2vxlR_fPOe1PqfpExKD2h5vPud90asWyq-B8HVtcLoh2Rq82w_bbgREm9Xx0_txYNqN8iNFJTAl9ntrLuF5sXZ8Ef238u978HaXgvsYWtO6dGhvNcXM/s1600/2012-doomsday.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
2012 is being swept under the floor mat as 2013 is ready to bust out of the womb. There were more hits, touchdowns, dunks, blocks, tackles, home runs, wins and heartbreaking moments in 2012, but it lacked apocalypses and Texas championships. This year was fulled with heartbreaks, another lockout and a new youth movement for Texas teams. Regardless, 2012 was a fun year and 2013 should be even better. <br />
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They are listed from importance in descending order. </div>
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10. <a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20121129/SASMIA/gameinfo.html">David Stern fines the Spurs</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyM0gLF9E39LGp6S7JQUDiv6C11VIeMDYLF_7sQtbD4Ly2-kciTsJxl_gGCbVmG8w7Z3VRci17jvb1tQa5E5CS_PIvM2WIo3EUMTLZWkF_VlIUQRMpiRUO9yTurZaXLsWUs_gOmoH3K8/s1600/david-stern-0610-307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyM0gLF9E39LGp6S7JQUDiv6C11VIeMDYLF_7sQtbD4Ly2-kciTsJxl_gGCbVmG8w7Z3VRci17jvb1tQa5E5CS_PIvM2WIo3EUMTLZWkF_VlIUQRMpiRUO9yTurZaXLsWUs_gOmoH3K8/s1600/david-stern-0610-307.jpg" height="254" width="320" /></a></div>
On November 30th David Stern fined the Spurs organization $250,000 for sending four of their starters back home to SA, instead of playing them against the Miami Heat. In a setting that would have forced the Spurs' starters to play four games in five nights, Popovich decided to rest Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker and Danny Green. On that Thursday night there were only two games being played and each were being put on national television. One of which was the prime time, marquee almost 2012 NBA Finals match up, that pitted Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, Tiago Splitter, Nando de Colo, and Patty Mills against LeBron James and company in a game that the Spurs almost won. I understand Stern's reasoning that the game muddled the product and did not give the fans paying and watching, the game they deserved. However, this is coming from a commissioner that cares about the fans as much as Congress cares about its constituents. From him we have seen lockouts, terrible officiating to help big market teams win, and teams moving that did not need to be moved. Maybe if Stern wanted this game played out how he wanted he would not have scheduled SA to play 4 games in five days. Even if SA had played its starters it would have yielded a sloppy, untidy game. Whichever side you take this is a slippery slope for the NBA because it increases the already <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/sports/basketball/paul-set-to-join-lakers-as-part-of-3-team-deal.html?_r=0">immense power David Stern has</a>. <br />
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9. The Return of the Dirk</div>
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Last year was disappointing for Mavs fans since Cuban did not sign Chandler or try to defend their title. This year has not gone much better without the giant German. However, he recently made his debut coming off the<a href="http://www.nba.com/video/games/spurs/2012/12/23/0021200402-dal-sas-play3.nba"> bench in a Decmeber 23rd game</a> that the Mavs lost 129-91 against the Spurs. Without Dirk, Dallas has manged to go 12-15 led by Mayo and the horde of C average free agents that the Mavs were able to sign. Tonight Dirk returns to start against the OKC Thunder and will need him to lead the charge in order for them to have a shot at the playoffs. Look for Dirk's return to open up the floor for Mayo and Kaman. I'm sure the entire city and the Mavs roster is ready to start Dirkin' off again. <br />
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<a href="http://lonestarprosports.blogspot.com/2012/12/where-art-thou-michael-young.html"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://lonestarprosports.blogspot.com/2012/12/where-art-thou-michael-young.html">8. Young Heads to Philly</a></div>
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After years of speculation and almost trades, what used to be unthinkable became a reality this off season. Michael Young was traded. He was sent to the Phillies, after his worst year of his career, for Josh Lindblom and minor-league reliever Lisalverto Bonilla. The main reason for his departure was to give Olt and Profar more playing time that Ron Washington was unable to give them with Michael Young in uniform. Now Michael Young knows just how Peyton Manning and Brett Farve felt during their departures. The captain is gone, but the Rangers should be better in 2013 as a result. <br />
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7. The NHL Lockout</div>
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In June of 2012 the Kings won the Stanley Cup, and hockey ratings were at an all time high since the last lockout. However the management, ownership and players quickly wiped their butts with it and rubbed it onto each others faces. As of right now it is day 104 of the lockout and the sides still are not close to reach a deal. Washington may reach a deal over the fiscal cliff before the NHL reaches an agreement. Washington! The games have been canceled until January 14th and Bettman has said that they would not consider anything less than 48 games. For this to occur a deal must be reached by mid January probably. Times are bleak and we may see a season canceled because both sides are arguing over how to split the pie and not over how to make it. <a class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" data-original-id=""embed"" href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cimg%20src=" id=""embed"" img2.blogblog.com="img2.blogblog.com" img="img" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; height: "383"px; width: "640"px;" video_object.png="video_object.png">Man I miss Kari Lehtonen</a> (whenever you are feeling down about the lockout just watch the link). <br />
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6. Harden Joins the Rockets</div>
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For years, Daryl Morey, the Rockets GM tried to land a big name superstar. He lost out on Gasol after Stern vetoed the trade, could not get a deal together for Howard and missed out on other big names. This year his fortune quickly changed when he was able to land the Beard and instantly brought recognition to Houston basketball for the first time since T-Mac and Ming roamed the hardwood together. The Thunder signed Ibaka for a large contract and offered Harden one of about the same amount, but he wanted a max deal. This max deal would have handicapped the Thunder for years to come since all of their cap would have gone to Harden, Westbrook, Ibaka and Durant (which would not have been a bad thing). Instead of waiting out the year and make a run with the team that won the Western Conference finals they panicked and got what they could. The trade sent Harden, Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward for guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick. Now the Rockets have gone from a fringe playoff/ lottery team to a team that has a legit star and the ability to compete in the playoffs.<br />
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5. Cowboys and Week 17</div>
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Another year another chance for the Cowboys to make the playoffs with a week 17 win. Last year on New Years Day the Cowboys had a chance to beat the Giants, go 9-7 and make the playoffs. The Giants jumped out to a 21-0 lead and ended up winning 31-14. Eli Manning played a near perfect game going 70.5%/ 346/ 3TDs/ 0INTs/ and carried this momentum into a Super Bowl championship. This year the Cowboys face the exact same situation at 8-7 and a win will let them clasp an NFC North title and the first playoff berth since 2009. If they lose it will probably be the demise of Jason Garret as coach of the Cowboys and the retooling of the offensive line. If they win all would be well in Cowboy land until an early playoff exit that might occur against the Seattle Seahawks. <br />
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4. Hamilton signs with the Angels</div>
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Enter your Harvey Dent, Dark Knight Rises quote here. When Texas first traded Edison Volsquez for Josh Hamilton I was pissed. Why would they trade pitching for hitting? Texas was currently in the midst of the Texas Rangers tradition of no pitching and racks on racks of hitting. However, this trade yielded the most talented player in Texas history. He won the first MVP award since Pudge, broke the record for most home runs in a Home Run Derby, led us to two World Series appearances and hit what should have the game winning home run to bring the Rangers their first championship in game six vs the Cardinals. This past season saw him hit 43 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a .304 average. However, we saw some huge slumps, a freak injury from too much caffeine and a flat out lack of effort. I was in the minority about wanting to sign Hamilton if he was looking at the 3-5 year range. He did, but he signed with the evil, devilish, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for five years 125 million dollars. He will be missed and it was a blessing to watch a player of that ability play for your team for five years. Even though he signed with the Angels the division is not set yet. They still can not pitch and Texas has the ability to mash with that monster lineup from LAA. The off season is not over as well and look for Texas to make a big trade sometime before the season. <br />
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3. SA loses in 6 to OKC</div>
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This is the series that may define the switch from the use of the DVD to the Blu Ray. The young Thunder finally broke through to the finals. After being down 2-0, the Thunder came back, swept the Spurs and won the series four games to two. The Spurs entered the series winners of twenty straight games and looked to have one more championship run in them. And then James Harden out-Ginobled Ginobli and Kevin Durant kept doing what he did all year, score points. Yes there were some games that officiating was poor and Ibaka did have the game of his life, but the Thunder (and Grizzlies the year before) were too athletic for the Spurs this series. Both teams have played great basketball this year and the Spurs will be hungry this post season to try and get that last one for the thumb. <br />
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2. Houston clinches its second AFC South Championship in two years</div>
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Last year we saw the Texans clinch in a game winning drive with their third string quarterback as they crawled into the postseason. This year different season same result. Houston clinched the AFC South in week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts. In 2012 Houston has been on top of the entire AFC since the first week and they will be going for more than a playoff appearance come January. They will have the #1 seed if they beat the Colts on Sunday and then would only have to beat NE/DEN once to make the Superbowl. <br />
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1. The Texas Rangers lose games 162 </div>
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The drop. All Texas had to do to clinch their third straight AL West Championship was beat the A's one game in the last series of the year. They traveled to Oakland and the party at the Coliseum started when they won the first two games of the series and kept going until game 162. After taking a 5-1 lead in the third inning the Rangers let it evaporate like vodka on the counter in the bottom of the fourth. They would never score again. Dempster was yanked in favor of Holland after giving up five earned runs on six hits and throwing only 39 strikes compared to 24 balls. Holland came in with a 5-2 lead only to throw ball after ball and the only time he threw a strike were fastballs down the middle. A double down the line by Coco Crisp made the game 5-5. Holland then walked the next batter and with two outs Holland was able to get Cespedes to hit a fat lazy pop fly to Josh Hamilton. As Hamilton carelessly jogged to the ball only to have it hit in and out of his glove and land on the green grass of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. He stared at the ball in disbelief and snailed towards it only to see Murphy hustle after it and throw home. It was a play Josh has made since he was six years old playing catch with his dad in the backyard. Instead he did not, and the error gave the A's a 7-5 lead and would end up winning 12-5. <br />
Despite losing the AL West Texas had the chance to still get into the
postseason via the new wild card play in game. Regardless of the new
play in game, Texas would have had to play Baltimore anyways because
they ended up tying with the same record. The game was tied 1-1 after the first and Darvish was in a pitching duel with Joe Saunders. The entire time Rangers' fans were waiting for the runs to come, <i>they </i>had to come since Saunders was pitching. Only they never arrived. Darvish was immaculate and had an outing of 6.2 IP, 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 7. Holland came in for relief and again he threw fastballs down the middle that changed the lead from 2-1 to 5-1. The game was just like game 7 the year before. They came out flat, weak and you knew there was no way they were going to win. The team waited for that one win to clinch and knew it had to come sometime, instead of going out earning it. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-57849678043897178852012-12-22T14:46:00.002-06:002012-12-23T18:20:46.211-06:00Texans Vs Vikings Week 16 Preview Week 16 boasts a match up between the Texans and Vikings that is detrimental to the NFL playoff picture. Houston is 12-2 and clinches home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the oppurtunity to rest its players in week 17. The Vikings are part of the Bears, Cowboys, Redskins, and Giants, 8-6 conglomerate that need to win out to punch their ticket to keep playing in January. After Houston on Sunday, the Vikings get to play the Packers at home. This week two records in the NFL record book remain up for smashing. <a href="http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22232502/vikings-adrian-peterson-wants-eric-dickersons-record-sunday">Adrian Peterson is only 294 yards away</a> from breaking Eric Dickerson's 28 year record of 2105 yards rushing in a single season (apparently he plans to break it this Sunday). Houston's JJ Watt is only 3 sacks away from Michael Strahan's 22.5 single season sack record. This week's game is a battle of comfort vs survival in the playoff picture.<br />
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<u>Pondering Ponder</u></h3>
Young, raw, inexperienced opposing quarterbacks has been a trend for the Texans schedule this year. Tannehill, Gabbert, Locker, Luck and now Ponder joins the list. So far the Vikings still do not know what they have in Ponder, mainly because the offense is much more focused on Adrian Peterson's ability. This year Ponder has been a below average quarterback, but is above the Matt Cassel, John Skelton group. Just like Locker, Ponder is an exceptional athlete with a strong arm and extremely fast, but has yet to learn the nuances to play NFL quarterback at a high level. This year Ponder has a stat line of 63.1%/2527/14TDs/12INTs/78.6 and 51 rushes for 189 yards. His numbers are typical for a player in his first year as a full time starter, but unlike most young quarterbacks Ponder is in a great position to succeed. With Peterson running the way he has Ponder has faced lots of defensive sets with eight men in the box. These types of situation is what Schuab has been devouring all year long with the play action. One would think Ponder could do the same since he can run as well, but has yet to produce. His offensive line is hard to judge because Adrian Peterson inflates their ability, but it is safe to say there are better at run blocking than pass protecting. <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol">Ponder has been sacked 30 times</a> at a rate of 7.2% which ranks 20th in the NFL. The WR group is not nearly the same without Harvin playing. Harvin still leads the team in receptions, targets, and yards even though he has yet to play since week 9 because of an ankle injury. Despite the o-line and WR group Ponder should be playing much better because of Adrian Peterson.<br />
Let's dive into the Harvin injury and how it has affected Ponder's play.<br />
Attempts Completions Percentage Yards TD INT Rushes Rating <br />With Harvin 171 262 65.2% 1,806 10 8 29/127 78.26<br />
W/O Harvin 97 163 59.5% 721 4 4 22/62 70.4<br />
Ponder has not been as good without Harvin. Without Harvin, Ponder loses the ability for big plays in the passing game. He only has 13 passes of 20 yards or more to a player not named Harvin and 4 of those are to Rudolph. His best receiver other than Harvin is TE, Kyle Rudolph who has 48 catches for 434 yards and 8 touchdowns. Ponder has been been impotent when it comes to completing passes to his wide receivers. Their number one wide receiver since Harvin has been hurt is Michael Jeinkens who averages 25.6 yards a game. <a href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PondCh00/splits/2012/">Ponder has only gotten worse as the season has gone on since</a> his hot start. The link attached shows his splits by month. In December Ponder has thrown for 341 yards, 1TD, 3 INT, and a completion percentage of 60%. The most important factor when looking at Ponder's season is that he really does not matter. His numbers are no different in games they have won when comparing them to losses. The Vikings offense has one job and that is to give it to Peterson. This strategy has worked this year, but Ponder is going to have to progress for the Vikings to ever make a deep run in the future.<br />
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<a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8732847/how-minnesota-adrian-peterson-became-best-running-back-football-again"><u>Adrian Peterson is not human</u></a></h3>
The average human needs about seven to nine months to recover from an ACL tear. Most NFL players who suffer a knee tear like him usually miss a year and are never the same. Adrian Peterson is no average man. After tearing his ACL to shreds on Christmas Eve last year, Peterson came back at full force on September 9th this year. Running harder than he ever has, with scar tissue tearing as he gallops, <a href="http://www.twincities.com/1000/ci_22239827/minnesota-vikings-adrian-petersons-chases-rushing-record">Adrian Peterson is going to break the NFL rushing record</a>. Not only that he his leading a team that should be 6-10 to a chance at 10-6 and a postseason berth.<br />
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Player A: 289 Attempts 1812 Yards 6.27 yards a carry 11 Tds 20 20+ Runs 70 first downs<br />
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<tr class="stat_total" data-row="14"><td align="right">Player B: </td>
<td align="right">325 Attempts 1313 Yards 4 yards a carry 14 Tds 8 20+ Runs 75 first downs</td>
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Player A is AP and Player B is Adrian Foster. By his own account Foster is having a great year, but is not even in the same solar system as Adrian Peterson. The numbers not only describe how inefficiently Foster is being used, but show how important he is in the Texans grind out offense. Peterson is having one of the greatest statistical years of all time even after being used sparingly at the beginning of the year. Not only do those numbers show how incredible he has been, Peterson has 909 yards after contact. The next best is Doug Martin with 572.Week six was the last week this year Peterson did not have a one hundred yard game. Since then he has been wreaking havoc like one of the four horseman of the apocalypse. He has 1313 yards on 176 carries, 7.46 yards a carry and 9 touchdowns. During this time period Peterson had days of 212, 210, and 182 yards and 2 games that he averaged 10 yards a carry. The interesting part of his season is that his numbers are <a href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PeteAd01/splits/2012/">much worse in wins than in losses</a>. In wins Peterson has more carries, yards and touchdowns, but his yards per carry falls. Part of this is due to the 4-1 start they had at the beginning of the year when Peterson was starting to get adjusted back into the game. The past 4 weeks the Vikings are 2-2 with 159, 119, 91, 131 yard days from Ponder and 108, 210, 154, and 212 days from Peterson. The gameplan on Sunday will be simple, give it to Peterson all day.<br />
<h3>
<u>Texans D</u></h3>
Houston's D will be up to a challenge as difficult as stopping Brady or Rodgers and we have seen how those games have gone. In the win against the Colts last week, Vick Ballard was able to run for 105 yards on 18 carries. The Colts had success in running the ball to the side opposite of JJ Watt and were able to break long runs. Houston can not let this occur this week against Peterson. Those 20 yard runs from Ballard become 80 yard runs when Peterson is in the backfield. This year Houston has allowed 1,305 yards rushing at an average of 93.2 that ranks fifth in the NFL. On top of that they have only given up 3 rushing touchdowns (the first on Thanksgiving day) and 75 rushing first downs. The most yards they have given up on the ground in one day was 158 to Chris Johnson in a 38-14 win. So far the run defense has been stout against the run and young quarterbacks. Houston is also 6-0 in games against quarterbacks with a max of two years staring in the NFL. This week also marks the return of Brooks Reed from his groin injury against the Lions. His return will add even more fresh legs to rush the passer and it will help out in coverage against Ponder's #1 target, Kyle Rudolph. Houston's defense should be looking to do one thing, stop Adrian Peterson. Antonio Smith is going to have to shore up his side of the line since Minnesota will look to run opposite of Watt. Also Houston is going to put 8 in the box so Manning should have a ten tackle game. Houston's D will have one job this weekend. <br />
As stated earlier Watt needs only 3 more sacks to break Strahan's ten year old sack record. There is about a 10% chance of him obtaining it this weekend. Ponder averages only 30 dropbacks a game and this number is inflated by games Vikings had to throw because of being down and the games earlier this year. Watt should be able to get one and it will be a great match up to watch him take on rookie #4 pick Matt Kalil. If Houston goes up big early, Ponder will have to throw the ball to save their season. If this situation occurs look out for Watt, Reed, Barwin and Mercilus take advantage of the Vikings 7.2% sack rate.<br />
<h3>
<u>The Prediction</u></h3>
Well here is the weekend where all the hard work for Houston finally pays off. If they win they get to stay home throughout the playoffs where the crowd noise can swing games. If they lose they have to beat Indy in week 17 to clinch. I believe Sunday will be a fast game. Both teams will run the ball and the clock will keep ticking. Peterson is looking to try to go for 294 yards and break the rushing record, but the only record he will be breaking his Chirs Johnson's record of most yards against a Texans defense. I see Peterson going for 160 and Ponder throwing for 125. Houston will get to a big lead in the third quarter and then Ponder will have to try and will the Vikings to a win. When this happens the Houston's pass rush will eat him alive like summer mosquitos in Texas. When the pass rush cranks up and the dome increases in noise, Ponder will make mistakes and thrown the ball to to Houston. Texans win 31-17 and get to rest up for the AFC semifinal. Go Texans.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-20155128287663342312012-12-17T19:32:00.000-06:002012-12-17T19:33:43.371-06:00Houston Texans, 2012 AFC South Champions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There should be more Gatorade showers coming in the future, get used to it Gary</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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Last year, the Houston Texans finally quenched their playoff thirst after being stranded in the desert year after year searching for the right pieces to break their slump. This year they feasted on their opponents and have won a consecutive AFC South championship, but this time they are looking for much more. By beating the Indianapolis Colts 29-13 and a win by the 49ers over the Pats in New England, Houston is now in prime position for home field advantage. They now sit with a two game advantage on New England and a 1 1/2 game advantage on the Broncos (head to head tie breaker). This gives them the ability to clinch home field advantage and a first round bye with a win against the Vikings next Sunday. This also means that Houston would have to just beat either the Ravens or the Colts (barring a major upset of NE vs CIN or PIT) to reach the AFC championship. Even though the game was sloppy on Sunday, Houston controlled the game by playing their brand of football.<br />
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<h3>
<u>J.J Watt Destroyer of Worlds</u></h3>
Every week, when discussing Houston's defense the conversation has to start with him. Last week he was frustrated by Brady's quick release. Every time Watt managed to get free, Brady was able to get the ball off and not take the hit. Watt did not have that problem this week as he accumulated three sacks for a share of the league with Aldon Smith with 19.5 sacks. Watt is now just 3 away from Strahan's record (Part of this is due to the fact passing is more prevalent with the rule changes now then when Strahan set it. Also all Minnesota does is run and they might have the #1 seed clinched before the next Indy game so I do not see him breaking it). If you thought the sacks were impressive, he also had ten tackles (all solo), six tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits and a forced fumble that prevented an Indianapolis touchdown. Watt's tackles accounted for a total loss of -28 yards and his tackles had an average loss of -2.8 yards. He is too fast and strong for most offensive lineman and his lightning fast swim move makes it impossible for offensive lineman to get a hold on him. His best play of the game was when <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000111663/Moore-fumbles-on-1-yard-line">he stripped Mewelde Moore</a> at the one yard line. On the play, Watt lines up as a three technique on the outside shoulder of the left guard. Luck hands the ball to Moore who runs right behind the right guard, but Watt fights across the LG's face and makes the tackle from the back side. He makes contact while still engaged and he was able to get his hand on the ball to force the fumble. It was a play he had no business making from the position he was in. Also it seemed that every time the Colts started gaining mometum, Watt would squash it with a tackle for a loss. His all around play in the running and passing game has been outstanding. He is not just a one trick pony like Aldon Smith and Von Miller, the other defensive player of the year contenders. I believe his performance on Sunday has locked this award for him.<br />
In spite of the great defensive performance the Texans have had, there were a few problems. Indianapolis was able to run the ball extremely effectively to the side opposite of Watt. Ballard had a great game running 105 yards for an average of 5.83 yards per carry. On one of the drives Ballard was able to collect 67 yards which led to a Luck touchdown that made it a one possession game (23-17). At this point I was worried about another Indy comeback, but the defense shut up any notion of this. However, when the Colts got the ball back with 13:31 Houston forced a three and out, and switched the field position that led to a Graham field goal. When Indy recieved the ball the next time being down by 9, the defense made another stop on 3rd and 20 after a hit by Smith that led to an intentional grounding call.<br />
Again, for the fifth straight week, Houston gave up another big pass play. Indy cut the lead down to 20-10 right before the half when<a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000111722/Hilton-61-yard-TD"> Luck hit T.Y Hilton for a 61 yard bomb</a>. The Colts lined up trips left with Fleener at TE on the right. Houston came out in Dime and man to man coverage. Safety will Demps was covering Hilton. Hilton ran a post and right before his break, Demps stopped his feet for a split second allowing Hilton to run right by. Luck then threw a glorious spiral that hit Hilton in stride. This play was the only pimple on the face of a great defensive game played by Houston. In the playoffs, Houston will probably have to beat New England or Denver to reach the final game and these big plays need to stop for them to have a chance. <br />
<h3>
<u>The Luck Stops Here</u></h3>
Andrew Luck played the worst game of his career on Sunday, but it was not entirely his fault. He finished the day with a career low in yardage (186), and a line of 48.1/186/2 Tds/0 Ints. He was never able to get into a rhythm because of the pass rush Texans had on him. I counted 14 plays where Luck faced pressure that forced him to either get rid of the ball early, was hit or sacked. That comes out to being pressured on 51% of his dropbacks. On most of the passes he was able to complete, he had to step up into the pocket because of the outside pass rush by Smith, Watt, Mercilus and Barwin. Part of the problem was Luck holds the ball too long at times, but it is nothing out of the ordinary for a rookie quarterback. Over time, as he comprehends the playbook better this will improve.<br />
The Colts were not bad on offense and were able to move the ball on certain drives, but the sloppy play killed their chances. In the first half Indy lost 14 points because of this. In the first quarter, on their second drive the Colts were finally able to break through and move the ball on the Houston defense. They reached the Texans 34 to get into Vinateri field goal range only to be pushed out by a Watt sack. Luck had enough time to find a reciever, but Watt eventual broke through. He then tried to outrun Watt to make a play, but was quickly tackled for a loss of 15 that put them at the 49. The next two plays that followed were incompletions and the drive went from a field goal chance to a punt. Indy also lost 7 points on the Watt-forced fumble. In the second on third and goal from the Houston eight, Luck hit Wayne in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. On the play there was an offsides by Antonio Smith and a holding penalty by Heard. These offsetting penalties removed the touchdown and the subsequent play was an incompletion. Another drive another lost opportunity. <br />
<h3>
<u>Field Goal City</u></h3>
The offense did enough to secure a Texans W, but they still have been ordinary. They have had spurts of great play followed by inability to do anything. This week, the inconsistency came in the red zone. Houston kicked way too many field goals on drives that should have yielded touchdowns. Graham kicked field goals of 29 yards (drive of 69 yards), 35 yards (drive of 63), 27 yards (drive of 78 yards), 46 yards (drive of 41 yards), and 33 yards (drive of 78 yards). There is nothing more frusturating for an offense than to move the ball down the field only to sputter at the end. The main reason for the field goals were stupid mistakes. Penalties and negative plays (sacks and tackles for a loss) killed all the momentum that they had going. <br />
On the bright side Schuab looked much better than he did last week. His throws were crisp and accurate and he did not miss the open man.<br />
New England 59.4%/232/0TD/1INT/68.8<br />
Indy 74%/262/1TD/0INT/109.7 <br />
He looked more like the Matt Schuab we all know against Indy than against New England. Playing against a porous pass defense helps out a whole lot. Schuab did play a much better game, but he needs to elevate his performance next time he steps on the field in prime time. Also Posey/Jean/Martin are starting to get more accustomed to the offense and have added some dynamite to it. Schuab now has another deep threat other than Johnson. Teams are going to start double teaming Andre to try to slow him down which will open up the deep ball for that trio. It still remains to be seen if this trio will be able to hook up, but the opportunity will be there.<br />
After the Boston Massacre on Monday the media started the "is Houston any good?" talks again. And again Houston bounced back with another two possession win. Houston suffocated Andrew Luck with their pressure and kept Luck from getting into a groove. The offense had 439 total yards and was able to move the ball, but failed to score touchdowns. Houston is AFC South champions again, but this time they are healthy and are playing for more than just making it to the playoffs. After the loss to Green Bay, Houston answered with a six game winning streak. Let's hope this happens again since another win streak of the same amount would result in an improbable Super Bowl win. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-59564054899366860002012-12-15T14:36:00.000-06:002012-12-16T18:40:27.718-06:00Texans Vs Colts Week 15<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u>14-2 Or Bust</u></h2>
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As of right now, we are a little less than twenty four hours away from game one of the Texans Colts two game series. A couple of years ago the NFL made a scheduling change to put divisional games at the end of the season to make weeks 16 & 17 more meaningful. As a result, Houston is playing Indy two games in three weeks with the AFC belt and playoff positioning dangling waiting for the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkj7HGxESD4">winner of this ladder match to snag it</a>. Houston is trying to recover from a vintage New England beat down that plummeted them back to Earth. Whereas the Colts came back from behind again and beat the Titans to push their record to 9-4 which keeps them alive in the AFC South hunt. For Houston this game is more than just winning the division. Houston still has its hands clasped around the #1 seed in the AFC at 11-2, but they are just one game up on the Pats (tie breaker over Houston) and Broncos (Houston has tie breaker over). I still believe for Houston to have a chance to reach the Superbowl they need to get the bye (don't have to play Colts or Pats until the AFC title) and have home field advantage (don't have to go to NE or DEN). After losing to the Pats last week they will probably need to win out to make this dream a reality unless the Pats lose to the Niners. Houston must respond and play their best game against the magical Colts to keep the dream alive. The Football season starts in September, but playoff teams are made in December. </div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Are the Colts Any Good?</u></h3>
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The Colts are in the midst of a Disney like season with their eyes set on the playoffs after being one year removed a 2-14 heartless, Manningless season . Despite their record, the real question that remains is, are the Colts any good? This year the Colts are 9-4, but they are 8-1 in one score games. 8-1! The only team they beat by more than one score was the Jaguars, a game they won 27-10. This stat is extremely unsustainable, despite the emotions they play with every week. In losses the average game score is 39.25-17.75. That is a margin of 21.5 that adds up to three TDs. The Colts have lost to Chicago, Jacksonville, New York Jets and New England. Their average record equal out to losses is 6.5 wins but the Jags 2-11 record really brings this average down. In games they have won the average score is 24.5-19.1, a margin of 5.4. The average record of teams they have beat is 5-8. Indy is 7-1 against teams below 500, have yet to beat a team above 500 since Green Bay which is also the first game Bruce Arians coached. Since Arians has taken over for Pagano the Colts are 8-2. When given this data its easy to see the Colts are not very good and either lucky or magical. When emotion comes into play in athletics, the unbelievable usually happens and the Colts are an example of this. Since Pagano has started his chemotherapy for Leukemia the Colts have won in wild ways. However, being 8-1 in one score games and having an average win margin of 5.4 is not going to last. Even if you look at <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teameff">DVOA the Colts are ranked 28th</a> and their one score game record has catapulted them into the playoff race. Regardless of their record, the Colts are an average team at the least. </div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>Raining on the Parade</u></h3>
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The Houston D has been awful since the Jacksonville game and most of this blame can be placed on the passing defense. The past month of football has seen atrocious pass defense for Houston. Part of it is due to injuries, but poor performance and schemes is the main reason why they have been awful. Henne, Stafford, Locker, and Brady have combined for an average completion percentage of 51%/11 Tds/3 Ints/11 sacks (6 against TEN) and an average quarterback rating of 96.7. The results have yielded some exciting games and three wins, but not the performance that they are capable of. The biggest problem has been the big play, Cecil Shorts, Blackmon, Calvin Johnson, and Lloyd all have made plays of 30+ yards. Daunte Stallworth caught a 63 yard TD pass even, Daunte Stallworth of all people. Yes Joseph was out for three of those games, yes Quin has been hurt, yes Reed is gone, but it is no excuse for how they have been playing. Monday Night Football was extremely frustrating because of how Wade called the game. Linebackers were covering Welker and Hernandez throughout the first half and were burned as a result. Every time Brady saw this match up he attacked it and destroyed Houston's defense. In the second half, he did a great job putting Manning on Hernandez and corners on Welker, but by the third quarter the game was already over. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Hopefully this disturbing trend shifts toward Houston's favor against Andrew Luck. This year Luck has a line of /3,792/55%/18TDs/18INTs/74. Luck is having one of the greatest seasons a rookie quarterback has ever had. As a result, Indy puts the entire offense on Luck's arm every game because of the all the one score games they play. They need for him to make huge plays and game winning drives to reach their 8-1 one score record. He has made some mistakes by trying to force the ball where he should not. Despite his 18 INTs, without Luck, Indy would be a 4-12 team. In losses Luck has a line of 1,236/50.8%/5TDs/9INTs/61. He is the key to their 9-4 record since they live and die on his arm. This week Indy will be missing two starting offensive lineman, Winston Justice (RT) and Samson Satele (C) and they pressure on Luck will only increase. For Houston to beat Indy they can not let Luck make big plays down the field like opposing quarterbacks have the past month. </div>
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If Houston wins they clinch the AFC South and retain the #1 seed with Minnesota and Indianapolis to end the year. For Houston to beat Indy they need to have the pass rush dialed up and beat up on their second string offensive lineman. Look for Watt and Mercilus to have huge games rushing the quarterback. If Houston puts pressure on Luck he will make poor throws which lead to interceptions. The offense should be able to run rampant and hopefully ubiak calls a more unpredictable game. The run run pass offense is going to have to go for them to win in the post season and they need to change it now. Last team Houston lost they went on to win six straight games until falling to New England. This team is too good and too proud to not play their best game on Sunday. I think Houston will pick off Luck, get a big lead and win huge. Watch out if it comes down to a close game because Indy has been otherwordly in close games. I see Houston showing Indy that faires are not real by winning 31-10. Bust out the Listerine because we are getting the awful taste out of our mouth and bringing the AFC South title back home. Go Texans.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-38089449042253556562012-12-10T16:23:00.002-06:002012-12-10T20:18:41.629-06:00Dallas Mavericks Quarter Season Grades<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A quarter of the way through this
2012-2013 season, it’s safe to say these Mavs reflect their record: pretty
average. With a 10-10 record, this team has had its fair share of quality wins
and embarrassing losses. Granted, when the Big German comes back, the Mavs will
be a much more dynamic team. If they can stay at or slightly above the .500
mark by the time Dirk gets back, they have a shot at the playoffs. However,
with Nowitzki’s injury seeming as if it will take longer time to recover than
expected, the pressure is high on this team of mostly role players. On top of that, it's unrealistic for fans to expect Nowitzki to be in the form of a top ten player once he gets back, and the Mavericks have already faced arguably the easiest part of their schedule. Coach
Carlisle has been scrambling to find the most efficient lineups, and so far has
done about as good a job as expected from a coach in charge of team without its
centerpiece. Here’s how the Mavs have fared individually so far this season
while trying to hold their head above water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OJ Mayo: A-</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mayo is definitely shedding his reputation
as an underachiever. He seems to be hitting his stride in his fifth season.
Although his game still has flaws and he has had a few cold shooting streaks in
recent games, Mayo has single handedly kept the Mavs in close games and even
won a few. There was a five game stretch before the Mavs’ most recent road trip
when Mayo was severely struggling to get his shots to fall, and in that stretch
the Mavs went 1-4. But he found his groove and has since then led the team to a
2-1 road trip finish, including a 40 point performance against Houston. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His attitude also seems to be much better than
the previous three years. Not that he was a disciplinary problem in the past,
but his determination and desire to improve not only himself but also his
teammates seems as if it’s above and beyond what it has ever been. OJ’s getting
a fresh start in Dallas and he’s been making the most of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vince Carter: B+</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through 20 games, it’s easy to see that
Carter has harnessed his new style of play. The old man once known for his
athletic highlight reel dunks now has almost perfected the half-court,
conservative position of an efficient spot shooter (especially from three point
range, shooting over 40%), and shines as the team’s number one option off the
bench. Even though Carter has lost a couple steps over the years, he is still
fueled by intense competitiveness and has proven to be clutch for the Mavs
numerous times already this year. He could arguably be the Mavs’ most consistent
offensive player, and has picked up the slack when Mayo’s shots aren’t falling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chris Kaman: B</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kaman gives Mavs fans something they haven’t
experienced in a very, very long time: an effective low post scoring option.
Kaman has shot extremely well from the floor, hitting 53% of his shots, including
many from around the 15 foot range. Injuries have been the only concern, but his
presence on the court will be invaluable in order to spread the floor in a way
the Mavs have never done before, especially when Dirk gets back. The German
Twin Towers will undoubtedly cause their fair share of offensive mismatches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shawn Marion: B</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Mavs’ best defensive player has not
disappointed this year. Marion has locked down almost every defensive
assignment he’s had so far. Offensively, he’s been very efficient but not
spectacular (9.6 ppg on 50% shooting), but that’s to be expected from an older
veteran exerting so much effort defensively against the league’s most prolific
scorers night in and night out. Like Kaman, Marion’s health is vital to the
team’s success this year and he’s already had a couple injuries over the first
20 games, so that raises concern. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jae Crowder: C+<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The rookie out of Marquette started out
the season as a pleasant surprise for the Mavs. But over the last couple weeks,
Crowder has really struggled, particularly when he is in the starting lineup.
For the first ten games of the season, Crowder averaged 7.3 ppg on 46%
shooting. Over the last ten, his numbers dropped considerably, averaging 4.3
ppg while shooting a miserable 21%, including a game against Golden State where
he didn’t even step on the floor. Despite his offensive struggles, his minutes haven’t
dropped and his defensive versatility has still been strong for the Mavs, so it
appears Rick Carlisle is giving the rook a little slack and hopefully Crowder can
shake off the slump sooner rather than later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Darren Collison: C+<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Similar to Crowder, Darren Collison
started the season on a tear, particularly during the team’s slightly
surprising 4-1 start. But since then, Collison has been very inconsistent. He’s
definitely had his fair share of impressive games and has been a key part to
several Mavs wins this season. But the sloppy turnovers and poor decision
making at times has discouraged coach Rick Carlisle from fully believing the
young point guard can lead a playoff caliber team. Collison has the talent no
doubt, but there are just a few things he can improve on, which is why the team
brought in Derek Fisher to be the new starting point guard. Collison has openly
expressed his dislike of already being benched, but as long as he can swallow
his pride, he will greatly benefit from playing behind a successful veteran in
the long run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Elton Brand: C+<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Brand has slowly grown into his new role
with the Mavs this year after an underwhelming start to the season. It’s
understandable for a player to get adjusted to a new system, and after
expressing slight displeasure with where he fits with this team, Brand has
started to relish with the Mavs. If these grades were taken over the last seven
games, Brand would probably be closer to a B. He’s providing a big, physical
body in the middle which is what this team lacks, and if he can continue his
recent success the Mavs won’t get hammered on the boards and be in a much
better position to win games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brandan Wright: C<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>It’s a shame Brandan Wright is so soft
when it comes to rebounding. With a 65% shooting percentage, the guy has been
one of the Mavs’ most efficient offensive players when he finds his way onto
the floor. But that’s rare these days after Rick Carlisle got fed up with
Wright being overpowered on the vast majority of rebounds. Over the last two
games, however, Wright has been called upon due to other players’ injuries and
was a key factor in what turned out to be two much needed wins. But he still
only averaged five rebounds per game in that short span. It’s definitely in
Wright’s best interest to do whatever it takes to improve his rebounding in
some way, because he can really help this team if he can learn how to play like
a true post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bernard James: C<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>James is another rookie that has earned
a little bit of Carlisle’s trust. “Sarge” doesn’t receive the amount of minutes
that fellow rook Jae Crowder gets, but when he does get his opportunity, he
makes the most of it. He’s a hustle player who is relentless when it comes to
hauling in second chance rebounds and has earned the respect of his veteran
teammates. His offensive game is somewhat limited, but he takes good shots and
makes 48% of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dahntay Jones: C-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Dahntay Jones leads the team in
offensive fouls drawn and has found his way into the starting lineup for a few
games, but his game is very limited. His presence is felt much more on the
defensive end rather than the offensive end (which is almost non-existent), but
he’s a disciplined veteran who is ready to contribute at moment’s notice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Derek Fisher: C-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Fisher has had a small sample size, but
a 3-1 record is nothing to turn your head at. His stats have been subpar, but
he provides a Kiddesque effect as the coach on the floor. His job is to set the
pace and be a game manager which he has done a good job of so far. Signing
Fisher does seem to be a step back for a team that wants to rebuild, but his
experience could more valuable off the court than on.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dominique Jones: C-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I personally don’t understand why
Jones’s minutes outweigh Beaubois’s. He’s physically stronger than Beaubois and
possibly slightly better at defense. But he has a bad case of tunnel vision
when he drives in the lane, which isn’t the best quality for a point guard to
have, and more often than not his layups don’t fall. DoJo has had his moments
of productivity, but he still causes concern at the depth of the point guard
position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roddy Beaubois: D+<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Roddy must be pretty bad in practice or
a douchebag teammate. I don’t know any other explanation as to why he’s been
mostly glued to the bench since becoming a Maverick. Beaubois is definitely no
five-star talent, but he provides a spark off the bench that Dominique Jones
just doesn’t come close to in my opinion. His shots haven’t been automatic, but
this will always be a mystery to me as to why Roddy has to fight so hard for
minutes. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jared Cunningham: D+<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The first round draft pick earns this
grade only because he’s a rookie trying to find minutes on a team with a
crowded backcourt. It’s highly uncharacteristic for Carlisle to play one
rookie, let alone two or three. Bernard James is getting minutes because of the
lack of depth at the post position, but Cunningham is on the outside looking in
when it comes to playing time. The Mavs drafted him so highly because of his
talent on the defensive end, which is something for the Mavs fans to get excited
about. But we will have to be patient before Carlisle allows Cunningham to see
significant minutes.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dirk Nowitzki: n/a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Get will soon big fella, we need that
sweet fadeaway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321686936323597532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-45094252303338921302012-12-10T15:09:00.001-06:002013-01-04T13:13:18.880-06:00Where Art Thou Michael Young? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWR_KLGcROjqXVjjuBBfY413VXrRS682fEA1Xkoy7amj2WuVkJsbhBEdaxqq4LGwaMsC67WwkMN0laYsESaEYd7MYLUOAlFZKBHAUtZlKq2BlZnZMgRThN1X-m784hLMeSZdXO8rAg4A/s1600/Young17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWR_KLGcROjqXVjjuBBfY413VXrRS682fEA1Xkoy7amj2WuVkJsbhBEdaxqq4LGwaMsC67WwkMN0laYsESaEYd7MYLUOAlFZKBHAUtZlKq2BlZnZMgRThN1X-m784hLMeSZdXO8rAg4A/s1600/Young17.JPG" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The Epitome of Michael Young's time with Texas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Peyton Manning going from the Colts to the Broncos. Albert Pujols wearing an Angels hat. LeBron taking his talents to South Beach. Players are nothing more than mercenaries now and teams will due whatever it takes to make themselves better, including trading the face of their franchise. The past two days have been a culmination of this as well as weird for Rangers' fans as we have seen the death of Michael Young's time with Texas across the front of his jersey. No more T on his hat, no more hitting doubles towards the Sonic sign, no more 200 hits in a year and no more Eric Nadel, "Past a Diving Michael Young" calls. As I have written before, Michael Young was a below average player last year. He was only able to hit Left handed pitching, could not field well, and was put into poor opportunities to succeed by Washington. Texas will miss his leadership and clubhouse presence and will need Beltre or Kinsler to pick up the slack. However, I can not wait to see Profar and Olt (If he does not get traded) get their chance to play everyday. <br />
As well of the loss of Young, Rangers' fans are mourning a <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1943&position=P">Zach Greinkeless future</a>. He would have solidified Texas as having the best rotation in the American League. Darvish, Greinke, Harrison, Ogando and Holland with the Colbra and Felix coming back sometime this Summer would have dominated the AL. With absence of a player like Greinke there is a huge whole in the middle of the rotation. It's dissapointing to see Greinke somewhere else after hearing the rumors about the impression that Nolan Ryan, the Maddox brothers, and the farm system had on him. Only to be seen going to the movies with another guy while we were left crushed in the parking lot. I wanted Grienke, but not for six years 147 million dollars. It's too much risk for a pitcher that has been great, but not a top five pitcher. Money like that should only be spent on players like Verlander, Cain, Kershaw or Halladay. Since the new Dodgers ownership group has come into play the have taken on 588 million dollars in contracts. I guess the days of monopoly money baseball will continue even after the Yankees becoming more frugal and staying underneath the luxury tax. Greinke's signing will get the market going like Metamucil and hopefully Josh makes his decision soon. Hamilton will be staying with Rangers again unless someone offers him a Prince Fielder like contract and the rumors have been he is looking for six to seven years. The free agent pitching market was slim this morning and is much slimmer now that the Royals have traded their tow best hitting prospects Will Myers, Jake Odorizzi and two other prospects for James Shields and Wade Davis. I understand this will help the Royals contend in a weak AL central, but they should be wary of former Rays pitcher throwing half their games in a different ball park. <br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Top Free Agent Pitchers Left</u><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3284&position=P">Anibal Sanchez</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=739&position=P">Kyle Lohse RHP</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1841&position=P">Edwin Jackson RHP</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=517&position=P">Ryan Dempster RHP</a><br />
<br />
Shawn Marcum, Roy Oswalt, Fransisco Liriano, Joe Saunders, and Daisuke Matsuzaka round out the rest.<br />
<br />
Meh... Is the best reaction to the rest of the leftovers. Sanchez, and Jackson are good pitchers, but not for the money someone will give them. I do not see Lohse having the type of season he had last year and the Dempster experiment did not work out last year. Texas has been snooping the Mets about a trade for Dickey, but they want more than just Olt. However, there is no way he has a dream season like last year and I think the Ball Park in Arlington would be terrible for him. If I was making the decisions I would stand pat and use Perez or Grimm as a 5th starter on opening day and then make a trade mid season after knowing what you have. hearing all the talk of us obtaining a top pitcher and hitter this is an extremely disappointing off season. Hopefully Texas is able to bring Hamilton back and make a trade for a pitcher. If Myspace was still around my <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lugubrious">mood will be set to lugubrious</a>.<br />
I never thought I would see the day of Michael Young wearing a different jersey. I imagined him breaking every Rangers record, leading Texas to their first World Series Championship and becoming the first Ranger I have grown up watching to join the Hall of Fame. After last season's turd in the punchbowl type of year I thought he could stick around play until he reached 3000 hits (I will still see this occur in MVP Baseball 2005) just like Craig Biggio. The problem is Texas is a contender, and this is not a Disney movie, but a baseball team that is trying to get better and win games. Now Young gets to do what he has craved, be an everyday position player for a contender. He does have value, but not in an everyday format for the Rangers, especially with the young talent they have. <br />
The other day at work a man came in wearing a Propane work shirt, blue jeans, and boots. Each article of his clothing was covered in dirt and grime. On top of his greasy curly hair sat a beaten up Texas A&M hat. In the restaurant the Heisman trophy presentation going on and everyone was watching in silence. Despite, having his order to go he sat stone face waiting for the results to see if his freshman would win the Heisman and bring relevancy back to College Station. When the Heisman trustee announced Johnny Manziel as the winner, a glimmer came to his eyes and his mouth turned into a waxing crescent moon. As soon as Manziels's speech was done he was gone into the night just quick as he came. He probably went home, ate his BBQ plate, drank some beers and went to bed only to wake up early in the morning to go to work and go through the same routine all over again. At least that night something different happened. Johnny Football won the Hesiman, the freshman superstar he had been watching all year did something no one has done before. Life is not completely awful when one has these moments like these. <br />
That is the beauty in sports, all it is is just a silly little game, but it brings happiness and meaning to the fan's life. It teaches those that play life lessons that they will carry until they die and beauty to them as fans when that reaches an end. As a fan our job is to love our team and stay with them until we die, and through the bad and the good. I will always love Michael Young as a baseball player and will always look back on the years watching him opposite field singles with a smile on my face. But, with him being gone the Texas Rangers are a better ball club. I wish the best for Michael Young and I hope to see him in Arlington again next October in the World Series. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-15539011876732594362012-12-09T18:50:00.000-06:002012-12-09T23:29:00.872-06:00Key Factor's That Can Help Houston Triumph <br />
As the Monday night quickly approaches, we as Texans supporters have to realize that this match-up is no walk in the park. All week the Texans have been preparing for this game and how to stop the juggernaut New England offense. The Patriots offense is very fast, can go vertical, and nickel or dime you down the field. Which results in touchdowns and quickly tires out opposing defenses. On top of that, it will be a cold and rainy night in New England with low foretasted to get down to 40 degrees with rain falling down constantly. This will be the toughest challenge of the year by far, but Houston is no slouch and has played their brand of football every week. Houston will be looking to come out and hit Tom and Co. right square in the mouth. I have come up with a few keys to the game that can really help Houston come away with the victory in this one.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Get the running game going early</b></h4>
<b><br /></b>
I know it is said every week that this is what Houston has to do early to help the passing game but this time we really need to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible. In Arian Foster's first career start, he happened to be matched up against the Patriots and that was the game that solidified him as the stalwart in the Houston backfield for good. He ran the ball 20 times, racked up 119 yards and 2 td's in the final five minutes of the game to give the Texans a 34-27 comeback win over the Patriots and lead Houston to it's first winning season in franchise history. The pace Arian has been on this year carries wise shows that Kubiak will be trying to use him plenty but will also be mixing in Forsett and Tate to try and keep Foster in the game longer. Houston must be able to stay on the field as long as possible to keep Tom Brady off the field because we have all seen what their offense does. I see Arian getting 25+ touches and breaking the 100 yard mark early in the 3rd quarter, and if all goes according to plan 2 td's to keep the offense's pace.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Get to Tom early and often</b></h4>
<br />
We all know what Tom Brady can do when he has time to sit back in the pocket and the only way to really beat him is to keep him under pressure and off the field. Watt will be getting double teamed constantly to try and neutralize him, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the bulls on parade can't get in on the action. Connor Barwin and Whitney Mercilus are gonna have to beat the tackles all game long and cause Brady to move up in the pocket where Watt, Cody, and Ninja Assassin will be waiting to eat his lunch. Since it will be a wet and wild game, forcing Brady to move around will make him more likely to turn the ball over and give us the time to be on the field. Tom turns the ball over very little but this weather mixed with are pass swatting abilities and solid tackling from the front 7 can ensure that the turnovers will start to happen. Houston will have to win the turnover battle to win this game.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Let the offense set the tone</b></h4>
<br />
Everyone in the NFL knows that defenses are usually the ones that change the whole momentum of the game and I completely agree with that. This week though, it is the offense that needs to set the tone to ensure that the game can roll in favor of Houston. If Houston comes out throwing and mixes in the run well, it will be a long day for the Patriots defense that has been known to give up some big chunks of yards. If the offense rolls, so will the defense and the game momentum will take us to victory. If the offense does not get it going, the defense will be suspect and be heavily relied upon to spark the team and get the ball rolling in the Texans direction which has been done many times this year. <br />
<br />
Overall, I see this being a dog fight where the game could really go either way and most likely will be decided by a field goal at the end of regulation. Something close to maybe 27-24 with either team being on top, but if the Texans execute their game plan to perfection, this W will be going back home to Houston. The Space City will erupt with Texans pride and have all the doubters eating their words and rethinking this whole "the Texans are overrated BS". I know I am confident in my team, now it's time for the rest of football to realize that we are the at the top of the AFC and we're here to stay.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875479551208617404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-85537355628924811512012-12-06T11:05:00.002-06:002012-12-11T09:36:31.787-06:00Winter Meetings Day 3<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u>Uncertainty, Uncertainty, Uncertainty</u></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The sun is setting on the winter meetings In Nashville only to witness a dud firework. The only real changes to the Rangers so far has been Napoli leaving to Boston for three years 39 million, Soria signing a two year deal, and Soto is coming back for one more. That is it. All we have are some intriguing, mouth watering rumors, but nothing has yet to take place. The Rangers strategy is clear, sign an all-star pitcher and corner outfielder. That is easier said then done, but the Rangers have the assets and will to do both. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Rangers lead the negotiations for Greinke and Hamilton</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDAp1sQ7iFOotVAmQea2Pnuv6jDmT2BkuaorhC1IQiZe8xdM1HKM0amiPwFLQuk58tpgXEtNG0Aq1I5SUA1UpXNr5kjCkDkZePZa8lyXxPqwifnm6bVacs3cfjRDLwqbTxLu75dLfqnM/s1600/Zack-Greinke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDAp1sQ7iFOotVAmQea2Pnuv6jDmT2BkuaorhC1IQiZe8xdM1HKM0amiPwFLQuk58tpgXEtNG0Aq1I5SUA1UpXNr5kjCkDkZePZa8lyXxPqwifnm6bVacs3cfjRDLwqbTxLu75dLfqnM/s1600/Zack-Greinke.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a> All the dominoes and pieces of the puzzle can't fall into place until these two sign. Top free agent pitchers and batters are handicapped by their contracts so they can get an idea of what their market value is. From what I have read Grienke is looking for a Sabbathia like deal that at the time he signed was seven years 161 million. Grienke is looking around the 160 million dollar range and the only team that will offer him that is the monopoly money Dodgers. If his asking price drops to about five years 125 million dollars expect the Rangers to make an offer. If that does not occur the Rangers will sign Hamilton for about four years 100 million and a club option for five. The biggest aspect to take away is that Texas will end up with one of these two top twenty-five players. Will Texas stretch their budget enough to sign both? Texas does have enough money coming in <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6939177/how-television-launch-rangers-dynasty">based on their new TV deal</a> and an owner that is willing to spend. There is too much risk involved for me to see Daniels signing both. I think Texas will go after Greinke first and if he chooses to go with the Dodgers then Hamilton will be back as a Ranger. If Greinke signs Daniels will get creative and make a trade for a corner outfielder that can smash. He will weasel his way to make a three team deal, get Upton by trading Olt, Perez and some other pieces so a top young short stop can go to Arizona. Profar or Andrus wont, and should not be going anywhere. If Hamilton signs it will be the other way around. Texas will trade for one of the great young Rays pitchers like Hellickson or try to get Matt Garza from the Cubs. Regardless, of what option the Rangers will be a better team than last year. As a fan, the situation that you like the most depends on how you feel about Hamilton. A rotation of Greinke, Darvish, Harrison, Ogando, and Holland would be the best in baseball. Texas is also going to get mid season returns of the Colbra and Feliz. I would love for Hamilton to be back, but I would rather see the team get better and I think adding Greinke just does that.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
WWMYD (what would Michael Young do?)</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another offseason another round of drama about what to do with the face of the franchise, Michael Young. As a disclaimer, I love Michael Young, he has been my favorite player since middle school, but he just does not produce at the level he has in the past. He can not field and he can not hit right handed pitching. He is nothing more than a situational player. If he is used in the right situation he would have value, but it would be in limited at bats. Also it is impossible to trust Washington to put him in a situation where he can exceed. Washington will keep playing Young everyday and watch hard hit ground ball after ground ball get hit right past him. The Yankees have a whole at third base with A-Rod out, but the rumor is the Phillies are the team that is in on him. It all comes down to Young choosing between staying in Texas or waiving his no-trade clause and getting the playing time he craves in Philadelphia. If Young leaves Profar will finally get his chance (I am not including Olt because I feel he is going to be gone) which he should. He is only 19, but he is major league ready. An infield with Beltre, Andrus, and Profar would be a Mozart led symphony of beautiful defensive baseball. <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas-rangers/post/_/id/4894095/ron-washington-praises-jurickson-profar">Washington seems to notice</a> as well and is looking forward to giving Profar playing time and go against his ways of playing veterans over younger guys. Every Rangers fan loves Michael Young and his 1085 runs, 2230 hits, 415 doubles, 177 home runs, and career .301 batting average. All of us that are in their twenties grew up watching him play and he is the last link left between the mediocre teams of the 2000s. The whole point of the offseason is to get the team better and trading Young, to get Profar playing time, does just that. Michael Young will be missed, but, sometimes that's the way baseball goes. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I never in my entire life would I think the Texas Rangers would hold the burner of the hot stove in their hand, but that is exactly what is occurring. Every team, every free agent is waiting for them to make their decisions on who to sign. They have the entire major leagues <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=For8y4DwOpA">handcuffed to the bed like George Costanza</a>, but let's just hope Texas gets something better than a crappy suit and eight dollars. Until Greinke and Hamilton put the pen to the paper the offseason is going to stay constipated. Whatever happens I believe Texas will be a better team at the end of it and will be ready to contend for a title in 2013. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-4360642796834612252012-12-03T16:56:00.001-06:002012-12-11T13:11:47.032-06:00Texans Vs Titans Week 13 Recap<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGRoEfRJSGs"><u>Clinchin' Ain't Easy</u></a></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> After <span style="font-size: large;">a</span> dominating, soul crushing performance, the Houston Texans <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">are</span> </span>officially going to be playing football in January again. By beating the Titans 24-10 they have secured a spot in the post season for the second year in a row. However, this year they will not be injury ridden and hobllling into the postseason, but storming into it. Houston dominated from the first snap on and there was no doubt who was going to win this one. The past three games have been a wild ride, but it was awesome to see a convincing, Texans' style win that we have grown accustomed to the past 2 seasons. </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">
The Hurt Locker</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> After being drafted #8 in the 2011 NFL draft Locker has only played 11 games in his two years in the league. Unlike the Jaguars, the Titans have stuck with their plan on how to develop Jake Locker. After they chose him, they signed the veteran Matt Hasselbeck to let him sit behind, grow and learn the nuances of the game from. Last season Locker did not start one game and played only in garbage time. In his limited action Locker had a line of 51.5%/ 542/ 4/ 0/ 99.4 (From now on when describing quarterbacks I am going to use a stat line of completion percentage/yards/TDs/INTs/Quarterback Rating.) The Titans still manage to go 9-7 last year with Hasselbeck at the helm and just missed the playoffs because of a tiebreaker. This year they went with Locker as the starting quarterback to see what they had in their number first round draft pick. He started the first four games of the season only to have his shoulder dislocated by a car crash of a hit by <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap1000000067477/Jake-Locker-injured">Glover Quin</a>. He was able to return sooner than expected, but the injury extinguished the roll he had going after his career day in a win against Detroit. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Before injury- 3 games started 63.2%/ 781/ 4/ 2/ 89.1 and 67 rushing yards</span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After injury- 3 games started 50%/ 689/ 4/ 5/ 69.2 and 95 rushing yards</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />There is not much a different in the numbers which is good news that Jake is alive and well. Locker's numbers have not been awful, but average and what one usually expects from a quarterback in his first year as a starter. He is dynamic, has an incredible arm and is able to make plays with his legs. The Titans need to get some play makers for him (receivers drop way too many passes) and fix their running game in order to put him in situations where he can succeed. The Titans are not disciplined enough to have long drives down the field and seem to make more mistakes the longer the drive goes. They have big play ability, but long drives are usually how most points of their points are created. Locker is still an unknown commodity and the Titans still do not know what they have with him. However one can wonder if the Titans and the Jags, drafted their franchise quarterback a year early and as a result missed out on RGIII and Andrew Luck. Regardless, of the numbers the Titans are giving Locker his shot to play since he has started in every game that he has been healthy. They need to stick with Locker and keep giving him his time to develop and wait and see if he really is the </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thepigskinreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/vyx-large.jpg">franchise quarterback they need</a>. </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">
Bulls On Parade </span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> This was one of the greatest defensive performances in the history of the Houston Texans. With their defense decimated by injuries they tyrannized the line of scrimmage and forced the Titans into 6 turnovers. Locker accounted for five of the six turn overs (3 INTs and 2 fumbles lost). The pass rush was dominated the Titans the entire day. Phillips consistently rushed 5 or more and forced Locker have to find the open man quickly. Locker was awful at making his pre snap reads and constantly put himself in bad positions. The offensive line did not help at all though. I counted Locker being in pressure on 24 of his 49 drop backs. The defense was able to put pressure on Locker 48.9% of the time, sack him 6 times, hit him 8 and knocked down 16 of his passes. 61.2% of Locker's passing attempts resulted in either a neutral or negative outcome. <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000104223/Locker-throws-third-INT-of-the-day">Two of Locker's interceptions </a>were the result of passes tipped at the line of scrimmage that went up in the air for a Houston player to track down. The defense was able to play with a lead which led to the Titans looking like the Detroit Lions and not their usual more balanced offense.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Again Chris Johnson played timid football and was not able to get anything going on the ground. Almost every running play had 4 Texans players in on the tackle as they swarmed to the ball like a shark on a wounded seal. If you go back and watch a replay of the game, every running play had multiple white shirts attacking Johnson. Houston had 7 tackles for a loss and held Johnson to 51 yards on 13 carries. One of his runs was for 26 yards and if you remove this run his yards per carry drops from 3.9 to 2.08. Chris does not help himself at all by the way he runs. He constantly looks to juke and shimmy instead of making one cut and hitting the hole. He is always looking for the big play instead of realizing gains of 4 and 6 are just as important as 20+ yard runs. The Houston defense is too quick to be dancing around and the defense line consistently moved the line of scrimmage backwards. For Tenessee to ever get back to a season like <a href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/2008.htm">they had in 2008</a> they need to go back and learn how to run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-ZbGzaZXxihy42WN_fX60P5XW9e0TLJkpeTxVaNKB7VLZ8xHhG7IV8e0k2x6JofQdi814tcnCxlz4y7RgqoL32-HI8rAGZ9fx07tY0UDfQ_fJv4YuVKx9G6EH85fheiUXxCT3k9XcKw/s1600/Watt+Sack+vs+Titans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-ZbGzaZXxihy42WN_fX60P5XW9e0TLJkpeTxVaNKB7VLZ8xHhG7IV8e0k2x6JofQdi814tcnCxlz4y7RgqoL32-HI8rAGZ9fx07tY0UDfQ_fJv4YuVKx9G6EH85fheiUXxCT3k9XcKw/s1600/Watt+Sack+vs+Titans.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> The Texans had to go call on their reserves after Brooks Reed hurt his groin chasing down a Lions receiver on Thanksgiving day. Texans Linebackers Reed, Dobbins, James, and Cushing all have been injured this season. Regardless, Houston has manage to keep a top 5 defense because of their depth. This week Mercilus made his first career start in the NFL and man did he shine. He had two sacks, recovered a fumble and constantly put pressure on Locker. With Reed out until maybe the post season Houston will not lose a step with Mericlus starting and Barwin at strong side linebacker. Mercilus' performance will go unnoticed in the national spotlight because JJ Watt devoured the Titans offense. Against Tennessee Watt had five tackles, three for a loss, one sack, two swats (one of which led to a Dobbins INT) and a forced fumble. JJ is having one of the greatest seasons a defensive lineman in the NFL has ever had. Watt has become the first defensive lineman in the history of the NFL to knock down 15 passes and have 15 sacks. All of which has been from a position that is supposed to open holes for linebackers by swallowing up double teams. Teams in the NFL will eventually get smart and double team him every play like what the Bears did. Until then we will get to see this immovable object keep terrorizing offenses and stay the top candidate for defensive player of the year. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> The only problem the defense had against the Titans was big plays. The secondary was torched for 309 yards and gave up 300+ passing yards for the third straight game. Part of this is due to injuries, since Houston has guys playing that did not even suit up at the beginning of the year. Brandon Harris did an adequate job, but he led the team with 6 tackles (5 of them were on pass plays) which is one stat category no one wants a corner to lead the team in. Jake Locker went 6 for 9, 193 yards and one touchdown on deep throws. Locker had completions of 25, 34, 49, and 38. This does not bode well for the Patriots game next week, but hopefully Joseph will be ready to go by then. Overall, the defense shut up any doubts about their ability as a unit.</span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nfltexans.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/6-arian-foster-ap120107139780.jpg">The Big Nastys</a></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> With starting right tackle Derek Newton missing the Texans offensive line controlled the game. They held the Titans to a clean sheet and Schaub had an even cleaner jersey. I counted 8 plays where Schuab faced pressure which comes out to 22.8% of the time he had to deal with a defender near him. This was done against a down and out beggarly defensive line that <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/dl">ranks 22nd in the league</a>, but it should not diminish the immense job they did. The passing game looked a little rusty due to Schuab being a little inaccurate 60%/ 207/ 2/ 0/ 95.8. He seemed to miss some wide open receivers at time, but he had to fall back down to earth sometime. The running game was back to its old ways and Tate was finally back in pads. Houston ran the ball 35 times for 121 yards and one touchdown. Foster, Forsett and Tate each got 14, 14, and 3 carries respectively (It was nice to see Foster rest and not run 20+ times). Duane Brown was the star of the offensive line as Houston was able to run to the left edge 11 times for 37 yards and one touchdown. Week after week they run behind him and week after week they have success. After years of having awful to average LTs protecting the blind side they have franchise cornerstone in Duane Brown. The curse of Tony Boselli has finally been lifted and I bet<a href="http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2006/12/17/1166399415_0917.jpg"> David Carr would have</a> liked to play with him during his time in Houston. Rick Smith and Kubiak have done an incredible job putting this unit together. 6 out of the 11 members of the offensive line were drafted by Houston. Only one of the six was drafted using a first round pick. Three of the five starters were drafted by Houston as well. Like the linebackers the depth is incredible as they have lost two starters this year, but not the production. Despite the injuries, Houston dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball on Sunday. </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The Week Ahead</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I spent most of my life watching playoff football wondering "what it
feels like to have a winning franchise and watch a championship
contender?" Here we are Texans' fans and it is hard to fathom and
describe how great these past two years have been. It is like having a
best friend that had a rough some rough middle/high school years. When
he was still in elementary school his dad left his mom and moved to
Tennessee. To top it off he was a little slow, chubby and was the butt
of all the jokes. His old friend that protected him was quarterback and
captain of the football team, but it never led to wins. He ended up
moving to New York, backed up for a prep school and won two state
titles. Because of his weight and more popular older brother, his
parents spoiled him with presents. He saved his money then invested it
in the stock market. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd0S0LwhEDU&feature=player_detailpage#t=40s">Now everyone that picked on him</a> suddenly wants to hang out. He is about to go to an Ivy League Graduate School, his
extra weight helped spur a colossal growth spurt and his stocks did
incredibly well. His older, cooler, popular brother now lives at home,
smokes a lot of pot and spends most of his time thinking about the glory
days. Now he finally gets the chance at redemption by proving to the
father that left him how great he has become while his older brother
watches at the wayside. The most important part of this story is that
you were there the entire time and helped him when he needed it the
most, unlike all the creatures who now have leeched their way on to the bandwagon. Most of the time it takes climbing through a mound of crap
for good things to happen. After years of terrible football the Texans'
window is open and they are ready to parade right through it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> The Texans beat the 4-8 Tennessee Titans to and stuck it right in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTxHuUGG_2c">Bud Adam's wrinkly face</a>.
The defense finally looked rested and played up to the standards they
set for themselves this year. Hopefully it continues this Sunday and
Jonathon Joseph is back and healthy. Houston heads up to the
Northeastern United States to go to war with the 9-3 New England
Patriots.The Texans are playing on Monday night to put a stranglehold on the #1 seed and what could very well be the precursor to and AFC championship rematch. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-61961401573188914062012-11-23T16:19:00.002-06:002012-11-23T18:41:55.562-06:00The Glutton Bowl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRB-lMB5xpsjzeNkaf2hV0VgsT44Fq68RYYuV6YUAR1lrmGiOycgcHTNM_bWE-CWI7l_Zxcbq3a6dVCqwSu7Y4fL5Kh9NKXNVxJtsKMdjWzo2NCOfCwAT364Apu2VAmJeRZRhxdMPlVY/s1600/turkey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRB-lMB5xpsjzeNkaf2hV0VgsT44Fq68RYYuV6YUAR1lrmGiOycgcHTNM_bWE-CWI7l_Zxcbq3a6dVCqwSu7Y4fL5Kh9NKXNVxJtsKMdjWzo2NCOfCwAT364Apu2VAmJeRZRhxdMPlVY/s1600/turkey1.jpg" height="156" width="200" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u>Texans 34 Detroit 31 OT</u></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2012/11/shayne-graham-makes-most-of-second-chance/"> “I can’t wait for another chance,” Graham said. “That’s the first thing I said. I want another chance.”</a> With Kubiak's back turned to the field, Graham lined up to kick a field goal that would demolish Detroit's playoff hopes on Thanksgiving Day 2012. His kick sent the ball screaming to the left just barely sneaking in to the right of the left upright. Kubiak hears the <a href="http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Grahams-32-yd-game-winning-FG/06eec7f8-9d83-455b-a82c-6dcaa6beb98d">collective gasp in the crowd that marks the Texans win</a>. He then gives a double finger gun point as the Texans celebrate. Just like Jacksonville the week before Graham missed his first chance to win the game only to get succeed on his second chance. His field goal gave Houston their only lead with 2:21 left in OT. Detroit could just not put away the resilient, stalwart Texans. The team made the adjustments necessary and answered back in the second half by (I include OT in the second half) outscoring Detroit 20-10. After last week's wild ride the Texans hopped back on the same roller coaster to win in overtime for the second week in a row. </div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Lions Offensive Struggles</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One would not think that a team that puts up 31 points and 525 total yards would be having problems offensively. The offense as a whole is not the concern, but the the play selection is. Detroit is a one-sided offense that has zero dimensions or tricks. The only thing that they do well or at all for that matter is throw the ball from the shotgun. Detroit ran 87 plays yesterday of which 70 were from the Shotgun formation. 70! That is 80.4% of their plays were run from the shotgun. Out of all Detroit's passing plays, I only counted 5 passes that were not from the shotgun. Detroit ran 6 running plays from the shotgun and 64 passing plays (numbers are off because of sacks and one or two runs from Stafford). Even though Detroit has all the talent in the world on offense it is impossible to run an efficient offense if a team is this one sided. They have the #1 ranked passing game in total yards (3437), #1 in total attempts (501) but are ranked 19th in yards per pass (7.2). They also have run 266 running attempts and average 4.2 yards a carry. The run to pass ratio is 1.88. The Lions do have a big bruising offensive line that they can run behind, but they do not utilize it. Their running numbers are inflated by big runs they gained from draws in the shotgun formation. They gained 66 of their 85 rushing yards from running backs using draws in the shotgun. In the first half they only ran the ball for 18 yards on 9 carries and ran only one draw. Instead, of throwing 61 times they should
throw more earlier in the game to open up the run and use the draw that
they are effective at. Stafford does have the ability to be a top quarterback, but needs to have less pressure put on him. He made some great throws in pressure, has an incredible arm and his side arm throws are ridiculous. The Lions are running an Xbox college offense that still yet to work in the NFL. All of the top teams in the league have some type of offensive balance. Detroit has yet to learn this and will continue to lose if they throw the ball 40+ times a game. </div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Wade's Second Half Adjustments</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After the first half of the game I thought it was only going to get worse. At the half the defense was on the path to do the impossible, play worse than they did against Jacksonville. After two quarters Detroit was 5-8 on 3rd down, 14-26 passing for 246, 9 runs for 18 yards, 12 passing first downs and Calvin Johnson had 5 catches for 103 yards. The biggest change Phillips made was put Kareem Jackson and Danieal Manning on Calvin Johnson instead of Alan Ball. With Jonathon Joseph being out with a hamstring, I understand the reasoning by putting the 6'2" on Johnson instead of the 5'10" Jackson. The problem is Alan Ball just is not that good. In the first half I counted Ball getting beat 4 times and dropped an interception in the end zone. He did not play awful, his coverage was good, but he has problems finding the ball. Jackson had an incredible second half playing coverage against Johnson and made up for his woes last week against the Jags. In the second half Calvin had only 3 catches for 37 yards on 8 targets. This change in coverage disrupted the Lions passing game and led to Stafford throwing for 173 yards and a completion percentage of 48.5%.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The other aspect Wade did a great job of fixing was third down defense. The Lions were converting third downs 70% of the time until their second drive of the first half. After the Lions' opening drive field goal they went 2 for 8, a rate of 25%. The biggest reason for this was the coverage change and the pass rush. Houston was finally able to pressure Stafford (7 total QB hits) and Watt had two huge third down sacks on a 3rd and 5 and on a 3rd and ten. Houston's defense on first and second down was stellar since they forced the Lions to an average of 7.77 yards on third down. Detroit converted 9 for 18 of them and averaged 6.05 yards on third down as well. Of the Lions third down conversions 6 of the 18 kept drives going that led to a total of 17 points. Phillips' defense was able to turn an infuriating aspect of their defense into a positive in the second half. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Houston+Texans+v+Detroit+Lions+WHCQrFY7vh3l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Danieal Manning #38 of the Houston Texans strips Brandon Pettigrew #87 of the Detroit Lions of the ball after a Pettigrew overtime catch at Ford Field on November 22, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. Houston won the game 34-31." border="0" src="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Houston+Texans+v+Detroit+Lions+WHCQrFY7vh3l.jpg" height="230" id="currentPic" title="Houston Texans v Detroit Lions" width="320" /></a> The two players that stood out on defense were J.J Watt and Danieal Manning. Watt had 5 tackles (all solo), 4 of them for a loss, 3 sacks (breaks the franchise record for most individual sacks in a season), 2 swats, and 5 quarterback hits. Phillips was creative with Watt and used a lot of stunts to create pressure. 2 of Watt's sacks came from great blitz packages that forced Stafford up into the pocket right into Watt. He led a defensive line that was able to dominate the Detroit's offensive line by coming off the ball and move the line of scrimmage back two to three yards consistently. Watt's performance should reignite those talks of him being the Defensive Player of the Year. Manning did it again and forced a huge fumble at a critical part of the game. Against Chicago, Manning stuck the tight end Davis to set the tone for the rest of the game. This week against Detroit Manning got the ball back for Houston when he stripped Brandon Pettigrew as the Lions entered field goal range. Even though Houston did not win the game on the subsequent possession it definitely saved the game for Houston. Manning played great coverage on Johnson when needed to and led the team with 8 tackles and had 2 passes deflected. The defense had a great all around effort, but these two stood out the most. </div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<u>The Review</u></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Despite Houston's great win this game will always be remembered by Forsett's franchise record setting, <a href="http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Forsett_collects_81yard_TD/69e9b6fb-0a82-4fa5-ba0c-4db6a5625137">81 yard touchdown run</a>. Even though he was down the refs let the play go on (which is what they should do) since they were going to go ahead and challenge the play anyways. </div>
<i>Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team is prohibited from doing so: Loss of 15 yards.</i><br />
<i>Replay Official’s Request for Review. After all scoring plays,
interceptions, fumbles and backward passes that are recovered by an
opponent or go out of bounds through an opponent’s end zone, muffed
scrimmage kicks recovered by
the kicking team, after the two-minute warning of each half, and
throughout any overtime period, any Replay Review will
be initiated by a Replay Official from a Replay Booth comparable to the
location of the coaches’ booth or Press Box. There is no limit to the
number of Referee Reviews that may be initiated by the Replay Official.
He must initiate a review before the next legal snap or kick and</i> cannot initiate a review of any ruling against a team that commits a foul that delays the next snap. <i>His
ability to initiate a review will be unrelated to the number of
timeouts that either team has remaining, and no timeout will be charged
for any review initiated by the Replay Official.</i><br />
"Cannot initiate a review of any ruling against a team that commits a
foul that delays the next snap" is the part that the
league is interpreting as "the review can not benefit the team that
illegally threw the flag"<br />
Jim Nantz was on to this from the get go," There is already a challenge flag out which you don't need to challenge a touchdown. All touchdowns plays need to be verified, but Scwartz has emptied out the pocket. You can't challenge a touchdown they get reviewed anyway." This all goes back to the head coach's hot headiness. We have seen this before with handshake gate and was seen again on Turkey Day. This culture is seen as well with Suh's stomp last year and the kick to <a href="http://www.diehardsport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Suhgroin.gif">Schaub's groin</a> this year (It looked intentional since is foot was in the air and he could sense Schuab near him. Then he kicks his leg out.) The jury is still out on Schwartz being a good head coach because of plays like this that he screws up and the way he let's his emotions get to him. <a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:8663542">He took the blame for his mistake</a>, the rule is dumb, but it is still his fault. This <a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/3745245/gunkick.0_standard_730.0.gif">GIF pretty much sums it up</a>. He gave the Texans a free touchdown that let them back into this game. Regardless, of this play if the Lions played better defense at the end of the game and did not throw the ball 61 times and stopped the clock, they probably would have won. <br />
<h3>
<u>Field Goal Woes</u></h3>
Both coaches really dropped the ball in overtime when it came to their chance to win the game with a field goal. After Manning's strip on the Lions' first OT possesion, Houston was able to move the ball into field goal range. They had the ball at the 28 and had a sequence of plays that went false start (32), 3 yard run (29), -2 yard run (31) and then another -2 yard run. In this sequence Houston went from the 27 yard line to the 34. That adds up to having to kick a 51 yard field goal instead of a 45 yarder. This year Graham is 1 for 4 from 50+ yards and 6 for 8 from 40-49 yards. That is a 50% change in kicking accuracy. When looking at his first kick it looked like it would have been good from 45 and he just barely missed his 51 yard one.<br />
After watching Graham miss his kick you would think Schwartz would have learned from Kubiak's mistake, but instead he did the exact same thing! After his miss Detroit got the ball back and was able to move the ball back into range again. On 3rd and 11 at the Houston 24 Stafford his Scheffler on a short pass in the right flat. Scheffler makes the catch and then heads up field, he hurdles a defender and gets knocked out of bounds at the Houston 28. From this exact spot it would be a 45 yard field goal. Detroit tries to run for the first time this over time only to have runs of 2 and then negative 3. Instead of trying to get some more yards Mr. Schwartz calls a time out on third down to bring in Hanson to try for a 47 yard field goal. His kick would bounce off the right post and fall weekly to the ground. His kick would have been good from 44, 45 or 46, but instead he played safe and kicked a 47 yard field goal.<br />
When Houston gets the ball back they learn their lesson. With 1st and ten at the Lions 24 Kubiak calls for the pass instead of running it three times. Schuab hits James Casey in the flat who runs for a gain of 11 yards and takes the ball to the Detroit 14. With that play Houston goes from a 41 yard field goal to a 32 yard attempt and the rest is history. <br />
<br />
It seems that nothing can beat this Texans team except for Aaron Rodgers. Just after winning their first OT win as a franchise they win their second just 90 hours later (the only thing that soured the win was how bad the half time show was. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrZ3A06Wkdc">We need more performances like this</a>). After they beat the Bears everyone was wondering if they could play from behind. They answered with two wins after being down by double digits. They were forced to play out of their comfort zone and were able to out duel the best passing offense. In his last 2 games Schuab has thrown for 842 yards, 6 touchdowns, three interceptions and a completion percentage of 69.3%. He is the epitome of the Texans cool style by the way he excels in pressure and does not let anything get to him. The greatest player in franchise history, Andre Johnson has caught 23 passes for 461 yards as Schaub's safety net and the scary thing is<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/11/19/week-11/1.html"> that he is finally healthy</a>.<br />
The last three weeks have not only brought wins, but injuries as well. Cody, Reed, James, Dobbins, Demps, Joseph and Newton all have gotten hurt these past three weeks. There depth will be tested the remainder of the year, but if there is any team that can fight through injuries it is this team. Hopefully, they can rest up during this semi bye and be ready for the Titans on December 2nd.<br />
This is a year of first times for the Texans that is showcased by record breaking performances. This year has seen Watt break the single season franchise record for sacks, Schuab throw for the second most yards in a game ever, the team's first 4-0 start, and the only team to ever win two OT games in 5 days. Hopefully the firsts continue and they clinch their first one seed, win their first AFC championship, and most importantly, go to their first Superbowl. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-15609428208197175252012-11-22T11:39:00.002-06:002012-11-23T18:41:55.559-06:00Texans Vs Lions Week 12<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u>Pies on Pies on Pies</u></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Coming fresh off the kookiest, zaniest, wackiest game in franchise history, the Houston Texans head up North to take on the Lions on Turkey Day. I remember growing up hating Thanksgiving football. The games were always awful, the match ups unbearable, and hoping the Cowboys would lose was the only fun thing to do. One thing I am thankful for is the reversal of this trend. Other than the 11:30 Houston game, RGIII makes his national game debut against the Cowboys and tonight the Patriots take on the Jets. The past couple of years has seen some notable games: the Suh stomp, Cowboys turnover parade in a 20-19 win against the Dolphins and the Harbaugh Bowl. The biggest reason for this is the emergence of the Lions as a playoff contender. After picking in the top ten year after year, the Lions made the playoffs last year for the first time since 1999 when they went 8-8 and Gus Ferotte was their starting QB. Despite all the talent Detroit has this year, they are sitting at 4-6 and are facing a must-win game to keep their feeble playoff hopes alive. Houston is playing 90 hours removed from their OT win looking sluggish and waterlogged. Regardless of the outcome in today's game, let's just hope it is more exciting than the Macy's Day Parade. So let's take out the turkey, smash some yams, mash some taters and delve into this one. </div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Turkey</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
First let's go over the main course for each of the teams. The Lions' most important component is their passing game. The Lions lead the league with 3,018 passing yards (3,160 not including losses), but it is extremely inefficient. The Lions use the passing game to gain most of their yards, but they do throw too much. They only average 7.2 yards a pass (19th in the league), complete 62.5% of their passes (13th in the league), and have given up 22 sacks. Detroit has one of the best quarterbacks to receiver combos with Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Johnson has caught 65 passes for 1117 yards, at an average of 16.2 yards a catch (ten yards more than the team average), and has caught 23% of the Lions' completed passes. Even though Calvin averages this much, the Lions have been just o.k. at completing the deep pass down the sidelines. They have a completion percentage of 37% on passes deep left and 43% deep right. Stafford has done a great job throwing deep down the middle, going 15/23 for 223 yards and three touchdowns. However, most of the throws the Lions make are short passes. They have thrown 346 short passes compared to only 243 rushing attempts. Detroit has yet to play a game where they have thrown less than 30 times and in 7 of their 10 games they have thrown for 40+ times. The Lions focus way too much on their passing game to move the ball down the field. Despite their gaudy numbers, the Lions passing statistics are not due to a great passing game, but an inefficient offense that overthrows. Their passing stats are as bloated as America will be after their second helpings today. It would be a great offense for fantasy football, but does not lead to results in reality. </div>
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Houston's offense is the antithesis of the Lions. Houston rams the ball down the defense throat to open up the pass. Houston leads the league with 350 running attempts for 1380 yards. Like the Lions' passing game, the Texans game is a little inefficient. One would like to see them throw the ball to open up the running game since they do have the ability to do so. Foster leads the league with 249 carries (37 more than #2 Marshawn Lynch), and is on pace to run 400 times this season. He will easily eclipse the haunted 370. His huge amount of carries is due to the Tate injury, but Forsett has really excelled as the #2 running back. Ben Tate is supposed to play today for the first time since week 7 against Baltimore. I hope to see Foster get limited carries since the Chicago game seemed to take a lot out of him. The running game will have its hands full trying to move Fairley, Suh and Vanden Bosch. Despite their talent, the Lions are ranked 14th against the run, and have given up 4.3 yards against the run. I hope to see Tate and Forsett take on the load and move the ball on the average Lions defense. </div>
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<u>Potatoes, Stuffing, and Casserole</u></h3>
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The Lions do have good pieces on offense other than Johnson and Stafford. Mikel Leshoure has been worth the second round pick they used on him. This year he has ran for 502 yards, averaging 4 yards a carry and has 5 touchdowns. Instead of throwing the ball short they should feed him the ball more often. Detroit has done a good job running the ball on the left side behind Jeff Backus who might have to sit out this game due to injury. Riley Reiff, their first round pick, will end up starting in his place if he does sit out. He should have his hands full in his first career start having to go up against JJ Watt and Antonio Smith. Titus Young has been a great #2 wide receiver for the Lions as the cranberry sauce to Calvin's turkey. This year he has caught 33 catches for 383 yards and 4 touchdowns. His play this year has made it difficult to double team Calvin Johnson. On defense Durant and Tulloch have been stout line backers as each has 59 and 44 tackles. Their secondary has been beat up this year. They have given up 2,140 yards passing and a completion percentage of 66.5%. Despite the pieces, the Lions have underperformed so far this year. Usually when this is the case it is because of the head coach. The Lions do have good sides, but they have yet to play up to their standards. </div>
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Houston has played great overall as a team. They have players who fill in at those complimentary roles that usually go unnoticed. Glover Quin has turned into one of the top nickle corners in the league, Martin has emerged into a threat on offense and James Casey does it all. Houston has 3 guys that can line up in the TE spot and make a difference. The defense has been so good that they still cannot find time for Whitney Mercilus to play. However, if the pass defense looks anything like it did last week, they are doomed. Kareem Jackson ended extinguished all momentum of him being the #1 corner he was drafted to be after last week's effort. His poor tackling led to a 67 yard Cecil Shorts touchdown and Blackmon beat him up all day. Watt, Barwin, and Reed should be able to get to Stafford with the rookie, making his first career start at LT. Hopefully, they shake him up and kill his confidence early in the game. Houston's complimentary pieces have been dominating every game so far this year (except for Green Bay). </div>
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<u>The Pie</u></h3>
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The Pie (X-Factor) of this game will be Keyshawn Martin. Last week he gave a jump start to the miserable Texans return game and he caught his first touchdown pass of his career when he beat Ross on a post route for the first score of the game. On kick off returns he had 5 returns for 162 yards at an average of 32.4 yards including a 54 yarder. On top of kick returns he returned a 71 yard punt only to be chased down by the punter. This jolt to the return game was a refreshing glass of milk after a piece of pumpkin pie. Thanks to his performance they went from last in the NFL to number 30 in special teams. The past couple of years Detroit has been terrible on special teams and Martin will get the chance to exploit this weakness. </div>
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<u>The Decision</u></h3>
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If last week did not happen I would have picked the Texans in a heartbeat. If they took care of business early, jumped to a big lead, and was able to rest their starters this would have been a different game. Chad, my favorite pasta is penne Henne, threw for 354 yards against a tired beat up secondary. If he was able to do that, Stafford has the chance to throw for 400. Thursday games have been extremely sloppy and the Texans looked beat up last Sunday. For Houston to win they need to let Stafford throw short and force field goals. They will have to run the ball then use play action to beat the shaky secondary, then suffocate the Lions offense with their pass rush after getting a two possession lead. I would love for this to happen, but I think after the short week and the toll the Bears game had on them, the Lions win 31-17. Houston drops to 9-2 and the Pats Texans game in week 14 becomes that much bigger. Regardless of who wins, eat until you can't eat anymore. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-33338232850323309952012-11-17T13:52:00.000-06:002012-11-17T13:53:39.380-06:00Texans vs Jaguars Week 11 <h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KZ2oYD1IyA&feature=player_detailpage#t=291s"><u>Raguars?</u></a></h2>
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<b> </b>Coming off fresh from one of the greatest wins in franchise history, the Houston Texans migrate back home to the greatest nation on Earth to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. This has been a tale of two season for each of these franchises. Houston is 8-1, has a top 5 defense, a punishing rushing game, an efficient passing game, and currently has a <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/playoffodds">100% chance to make the playoffs</a>. The Jaguars are the polar opposite. They are currently sitting in the basement of the AFC South, boast a -119 point differential, are last in total offense, passing yards, sacks, and are in the bottom half of every team defense category. The good news? The Jags have a 49.1% chance of snagging the #1 pick in the NFL draft and a 86.3% chance of drafting in the top 3. Jacksonville has been atrocious in every department of the game and it does not look like the sun will be peering out from the clouds anytime soon. Jacksonville last played Thursday night against the Colts, a game that they lost in prime time 27-10. Their heads should stay down against the Texans this week. </div>
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<u>A Tale of Two Franchises</u> </h3>
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In 2003, both the Texans and Jaguars finished with a 5-11 season, but the Texans seemed to be headed on the downturn and Jacksonville climbing its way back up. The Jaguars had just drafted their QB of the future, Byron Leftwich, and had a stout front seven headlined by John Henderson, Marcos Stroud, Hugh Douglas, and Mike Peterson. In 2004, the Jags benched Mark Brunell in favor of the rookie and the defense finished #7 in the league as the Jags went 9-7, and finished one game out of a playoff spot. Leftwich threw for nearly 3,000 yds, 60.5% completion and 15 Tds, compared to 10, and looked like an everyday starting quarterback that he was drafted to be. Fred Taylor carried the offense running for 1224 yards and two touchdowns. The infamous David Garrard also started his first game as a pro in place of the injured Leftwich. The following year in 2005, the Jaguars carried this momentum under head coach Jack Del Rio and went 12-4 finishing right behind the 14-2 Colts, landing them a wild card spot into the playoffs. While the Jaguars were in the midst of a dream season, the Texans nightmares continued as they went 2-12, earned the #1 pick and the annihilation of the Dom Capers' regime. </div>
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That year, Leftwich went 8-3 as a starter, throwing for 15 tds, 5 int, a 57.9% completion percentage. His break out season <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jitg-3xbmKU">turned into a nightmare</a> in a week 12 win against Arizona. On his first offensive snap <a href="http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/112805/jag_lede.shtml">Byron was sacked by Adrian Wilson</a>, the hit broke his ankle and he would miss the rest of the year. David Garrard would take over the reigns and Jacksonville <a href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GarrDa00.htm">won in spite of him as they went 4-1</a> to finish the season. The Jags would go on to lose 28-3 in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The following year Jacksonville went 8-8 and again Leftwich's season ended abruptly after having ankle surgery. Garrard would go on to be the starter since that point and Leftwich was cut the following season in training camp. David would lead the team to a 11-5 season, beat the Steeler 31-9 in the wild card round only to see the dream end against the 16-0 New England Patriots. Since the 2007 season the Jags have yet to have a winning season. For the 2007 season the Texans cut David Carr, traded for Matt Schuab and started building the framework for the team they have in place today. The Jags are a completely different franchise today, but their losing ways have continued. This is mainly because of their horrible drafts. The Jaguars do not have 4 of their last 7 first round draft picks on their roster and <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/photos/gallery/_/id/6437606/image/9/blaine-gabbert-nfl-draft">Gabbert</a> looks to be following the status quo. Since the Jaguars 2007 run they have a record of 26-47 and the Texans have gone 41-32 and are on the way to becoming an AFC South dynasty (barring Andrew Luck turning into Texans killer Peyton Manning 2.0).</div>
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<u>Blaine Gabbert</u></h3>
For someone to say Gabbert has been adequate is just lying to themselves. There are a lot of factors that go into a quarterback's success, like the play makers he has around him, an offensive line that can give him time, and a defense that has the ability to give him a short field to work with. The Jaguars plan was to cultivate him by letting him learn the tools necessary under David Garrard, however that plan was obliterated when they released Garrard a week before the 2011-2012 season began. Jacksonville went with Luke McCown as their opening starter, but pulled him in favor of Gabbert in the fourth quarter after being down 32-3. Gabbert was thrown into the fire and forced to learn on the go (It was Del Rio's last chance as the coach of the Jaguars and he went with trying to win now instead of letting Gabbert learn and sit). Last year the Jags ran the ball on average of<a href="http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/rushing-attempts-per-game"> 30.6 times</a> a game and tried to let Gabbert make throws only when necessary. During the 2011-2012 season They threw the ball only 469, compared to running it 489 times. During Gabbert's rookie year, he posted a 4-10 record, 50.8% completion percentage, threw for 12 TDs and 11 INTs for 2214 yards. However, Gabbert was sacked 40 times on 8.8% of his drop backs.<br />
This year has been most of the same except Gabbert has been throwing the ball even more. The Jaguars have ran the ball only 169 times and are ranked 31 in the NFL. The Jags have thrown the ball 319 times and a ratio of 1.88 throws per run which is very different than the .959 ratio they posted in his rookie year. This added pressure has made Gabbert's job even more difficult. This year he is 1-8 as a starter, thrown for 1638 yds (5.9 yds/attempt) has a completion percentage of 58%, 9 TDS, 6 INTs, an average quarterback rating of 76.9 and has been sacked 21 times. Gabbert's performance has been abysmal to say the least, but when you take in other factors he his even worse. Football outsiders have him ranked as the <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/qb">3rd worst QB</a> in the NFL, only above Weeden and Cassel. In his career he has thrown for 250+ yds once, never thrown for more than 2 touchdowns, and has finished a game with a quarterback rating of 26.7. When you watch him play he struggles making deep throws, looks scared in the pocket, takes off at the slightest sign of trouble and looks flustered all of the time. The NFL is a quarterback league now and the Jags have been volatile in this position every season since Mark <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjCcH5tNleo">Brunell's glory days</a>. The good news is Gabbert is only 23, the bad news is his greatest moment in his career is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDeRBwO_7U">this</a>.<br />
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<u>The Prediction </u></h3>
Houston is in the midst of a dream season as every part of their game has excelled. They dominate the running game, make the big passing plays when needed to, and their defense is one of the best in the league. Jacksonville has been as useful as a poopy flavored lollypop. Their running game has been non existent since Jones Drew has been injured. Justin Blackmon, their first round pick, still has yet to make an impact and their defense is always on the field (30th in Time of possession an average of 26:53). After Sunday's game, Houston faces a short week since they are playing Thanksgiving night in Detroit. Houston should take care of business and jump to a big lead. The offensive line will control the game from the first snap, Foster will cut through the line like a ninja and Schuab will make big throws when the time is right. The Defense will force long 3rd downs which will lead to turn overs and the game should be over before the half time show. Hopefully, they can rest Foster for the second half and let Forsett take on the load. Houston will go up 21-0 in the first half, let their starters sit and get ready for the Detroit Lions on Turkey Day. Texans win 28-10. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-51828981316898322032012-11-12T18:43:00.003-06:002012-11-13T23:37:08.326-06:00Damn it feels good to be a Texan<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk3W-Us7XmM"><u>Damn it Feels Good to be a Texan</u></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> On a sloppy, swampy, sloshy Soldier Field the Texans grinded and out hit the Bears and silenced their doubters by winning what might be a preview of that little known game in Febuary. Houston found a way to win in a hostile environment and the Bears' will look back on the game pondering about what coulda, shoulda, woulda happened if a few breaks went their way. The game was a defensive battle from the start as the Bears forced a three and out on Houston's first possession and Danieal Manning's brain rattling, fumble forcing hit on <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000093481/Bradie-James-recovers-Michael-Bush-fumble">Kellen Davis</a> on the following possession, set the tone for the rest of the game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The Texans offense as inept as it seemed at times, was able to do what the Bears could not, that being crossing the plane of the end zone. Arian Foster was masterful last night gaining 102 yards on 29 carries and 5 catches for 15 yards, including an angelic diving catch that would be the game's only touchdown. Foster was not as effective as the stats may indicate by gaining only 3.5 yards per carry, but the Bears defensive line was consistently in the back field and it seemed that most of his carries came after first contact. His touch down catch was instrumental to the win because it gave Houston a lead that it never lost for the rest of the game. That touch down allowed Houston to stay committed to the running game instead of having to keep trudging along with their woeful passing game. Duane Brown was the man on the offensive line. Houston ran 8 times for 65 yards behind him. Their ineptitude stemmed the lack of yards gained on first down which put them in the hole on third down. On the 23 first down plays the Texans had, they averaged only 2.91 yards per play and they ran the ball on 15 of those plays compared to only 8 passing. These 2nd and long, and third and long situations stalled the offense severely. Houston averaged 9.69 yards to have to pick up on third down to get the first. They only picked up three of the thirteen first downs on third down as a result. The Bears are second in the NFL on third down by giving up a first only 31.6% of the time (Houston is number one with 25.2%). These long downs are extremely scary against a Bears defense that is able to rush the passer and force turnovers. As a result, Houston played it safe on third down instead of feeding the Bears turnover machine. Despite the offenses failures they were able to take advantage of the defenses turnovers and do just enough to get the win. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Being down 10-3 entering the second half the Bears had to run Jason Campbell out to try and even the score. Cutler had a vintage stink bomb going before he left the game after getting caught under the chin from an illegal <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000093552/Cutler-injured-on-illegal-hit">Tim Dobbins hit</a>. Cutler went 5 for 9 for 36 yards and one interception before his demising hit that caused a concussion. The worst of his throws was a throw to Kellen Davis (notice a trend yet) in double coverage that Manning picked off which wasted some great field position after a Tim Jennings interception. Cutler forced it because of the pressure brought on by Antonio Smith hailing from the Shaolin Temple. Post Dobbins' hit, Cutler was 2 for 5 for 4 yards and one pass complete to the wrong team. His second interception was the result of Kareem Jackson peeling off his coverage to undercut a pass to Brandon Marshall. What Cutler did well was use his legs to gain yards. When no one was open and the pocket collapsing Cutler was able to run for 37 yards on three carries. The Bears O-line was able to keep a clean sheet and not give up a sack, but there looked to be many occasions where they had gotten away with holding. Cutler was largely ineffective for the entire game and whether he played or not in the second half it probably would not have made much a difference against the suffocating Texans D. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE7GPWOOsp3qtJFYM4rAAqMIc6oGTV2xlOau_T3X_lud2oQ7Q4U7yPUxv1sLrzm5dv6dJtG1djUSH2jxOECg26cXzolIzzcjMCUV-1lNIiIjZAV63xzD2OaXGonVrIxU6-bhyphenhyphen2Uxg1HU/s1600/i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE7GPWOOsp3qtJFYM4rAAqMIc6oGTV2xlOau_T3X_lud2oQ7Q4U7yPUxv1sLrzm5dv6dJtG1djUSH2jxOECg26cXzolIzzcjMCUV-1lNIiIjZAV63xzD2OaXGonVrIxU6-bhyphenhyphen2Uxg1HU/s320/i.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a> Today the Bears' players and fans should be wondering and thinking about all the "what ifs" from last night that swung the game. The Bears had a couple of plays that would have shifted the momentum in their favor. What if Tim Jennings did not get knocked down by his own player and touched down by James Casey? This play was infuriating because he was called down by contact and Jennings ran toward the end zone while Houston was heading to the sideline. After the mass confusion Lovie Smith challenged the play only to see the ruling on the field stand. If Jennings did not get knocked over he could have very well scored on that play which would have changed the outcome entirely. What if Michael Bush did not fumble on the 4th and one run? Up to that point the Bears' had 26 total yards and were looking to answer the a Houston field goal. If he did not fumble, Chicago would have had the ball at the Houston 32 and probably would have gotten at least 3 on that drive and <span style="font-size: large;">the pressure would have been put on the offense's shoulders to answer back.</span> What if Brandon Marshall did not drop a touchdown pass in the second quarter? The Bears would have taken a 7-3 lead instead of settling for a Gould 51 yard field goal. If the pass was completed the Texans might have thrown the ball more to try and make up the lead instead of sticking with the running game. Momentum was going to be on the Bears side and the running game might have opened up more as a result of having to focus on Marshall more often. This would have led to more opportunities for Earl Bennet and the other secondary recievers. Regardless, of the what ifs, the Texans Defense made the big plays necessary to turn the tides on the Sunday night slugfest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The NFL is a league full of parity and every game can come down to a few plays. Since the talent level is so high most wins come down to the little things. These little things are tough gritty plays like diving head first for a first down with a defender barreling toward you, a wide reciever getting up field making a block that springs a touchdown, or a defensive linem<span style="font-size: large;">a</span>n not giving up on a play by screaming after a ball carrier, and making a touchdown saving tackle. This weeks gritty play of the game goes to Garret Graham. Houston was up 10-6 on Chicago's 35 with 5:35 left when Matt Schuab hit Graham for a short pass to the middle on a 3rd and 19. He turned to run up field only to see Urlacher raging toward him. Garret lowered his shoulder, trucked Urlacher over and was able to gain extra yards that led to a much more manageable field goal. His catch and run led to a 42 yard field goal that put Houston up by a touchdown. Just 5 minuets before Graham dropped a first down pass that hit him right in the hands that should have been caught. He had the resolve and character to not let his mistakes get to him and ended up making a game changing play. These little plays usually go unnoticed, but they do have a huge outcome on the game. Instead, of maybe having to punt or kick a 50+ yard field goal Houston was able to capitalize. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Every week I watch the Texans I come away in awe. Whether they beat up on a bad <span style="font-size: large;">team</span> by 3 touchdowns or do just enough to win like last night, they always manage to impress the league. After being scrutinized when they lost to the Packers, they were ready for their chance at redemption. They came out from the get go and got a huge win, in awful weather against a Super Bowl contender. Houston beat the Bears in every aspect of the game and proved who really has the best defense in the NFL. If the Mayans were right and the world really does <span style="font-size: large;">end up being sucked into the <span style="font-size: large;">vacuums of spac<span style="font-size: large;">e</span></span></span>, one of the biggest travesties will be not being able to see them healthy in the post season, vying for a Super Bowl. Damn it feels good to be a Texan. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-41427952860987355952012-11-11T19:45:00.002-06:002012-11-11T19:45:32.782-06:00Jae Crowder Exceeding ExpectationsJae Crowder is doing something no other rookie has done for coach Rick Carlisle. He's earned his way into the Mavs' rotation. Not only that, but he's a legitimate contributor to the team's success this year. Seven games into the season Crowder is averaging almost 8 points and 3 rebounds per game and playing about 22 minutes each night. But his biggest contributions don't show up on the stat sheet. Crowder has played as if he's the second coming of veteran Shawn Marion, quickly becoming arguably the most versatile player on the team. At 6'6'', 235 lbs, Crowder has the body build and athleticism to cover virtually every position on the floor. Coach Carlisle described Crowder as “a good scrambler,” which means he’s able to pick up any assignment after being picked off his man, regardless of the offensive player's position. He also had more bench press reps (20 reps of 185 lbs.) than any other rookie at the NBA draft combine. But Jae isn't just one of those raw, defensive minded scrappers. He's been extremely efficient with his shot selection, shooting 46% (including 42% from behind the arc).<br />
The Mavericks’ health issues have undoubtedly played a factor. Marion and Dirk Nowitzki are currently both out, but Crowder won’t necessarily retreat to the bench when they return. Whereas it’s hard to find minutes for most rookies (Jared Cunningham and Bernard James have barely played), it’s even harder to keep Crowder off the floor. His distinct edge is that he knows how to get on the floor and stay there. A lottery pick player plays because the team used a significant resource to acquire that player, presumably because they believe he shows promise. Jae Crowder was not only a second round pick, but he wasn't even hand selected by Dallas. He was the 2012 Big East player of the year, but his draft stock was nothing special. Scouts were unsure what position he would play professionally and doubted his style of play would translate well into the NBA. He came into training camp with everything to prove, and so far he has worked his ass off to get out of Carlisle's rookie doghouse. He's even started the past two games, which is completely unheard of by a Carlisle-coached first year player.<br />
The Mavericks have traditionally not had the most successful draft day moves. Rolando Blackman, Mark Aguirre, Jason Kidd, and Dirk Nowitzki are probably the only indisputed draft day acquisitions that have proven to be beneficial to the franchise. Four players. Out of a 22 year period, that's it. A case could possibly be made for Devin Harris and Josh Howard, who helped the Mavs reach the 2006 Finals, but their time in Dallas fizzled out shortly after with very little to show for it. Jae Crowder could break that pattern. He doesn't play like a rookie. Even though it's only been 7 games into the season, it's obvious the dude knows the game of basketball pretty damn well. He's poised, disciplined, and looks cool with his dreads. Jae Crowder gives Mavs fans something to look forward to all season, and hopefully much longer than that.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321686936323597532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-81320906980384310772012-11-11T16:43:00.001-06:002012-12-10T00:47:43.848-06:00X-factor's Against the BearsFrom the dismal things I've seen over the past 8 weeks, I have decided that there is a few players that can maximize the offense and defense against the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5-GWJJCikdcHrpYI9ygmDx_96wzXs3oWMEZHiR9KvlmkimQz2qPceys1omafW7Gq9B9-Oo7DcqtofAlQqMnumj8b4QdDwldxivpLIoAicTlNowFsFYzAJv2ig5zY-Z3uf8-tFpYdoys_/s1600/james-casey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5-GWJJCikdcHrpYI9ygmDx_96wzXs3oWMEZHiR9KvlmkimQz2qPceys1omafW7Gq9B9-Oo7DcqtofAlQqMnumj8b4QdDwldxivpLIoAicTlNowFsFYzAJv2ig5zY-Z3uf8-tFpYdoys_/s1600/james-casey.jpg" /></a>James Casey can make a big influence out of the FB/TE spot with a bunch of versatility. We have seen the offense over the last few weeks tend to sputter but they made plays to Casey when it matters. I will always say that James is the most athletic player in Houston with his unique ability to stretch the field and make defenders rely on him. I'm not saying he is the best player on the team but the offense tends to work a little easier when he is coming out on play-actions or in the flat waiting to make a play. The reason I picked him for the x-factor this week is simple; Owen Daniels is a game-time decision which means that Casey will likely get some good time at the TE spot. On the year Casey has been thrown to 26 times and he has reeled in 21 of those for 211 yards and a TD. Pretty mediocre stats for the year but in the balance of the offense he isn't going to be catching 7 passes a game. The real stat that stuck out with me is yards-after-catch which Casey has 128 of his 211 receiving yards. He is able to get on the move after the catch and make plays with his feet which is not what you normally see from a FB/TE, although the tight ends in the NFL are becoming more versatile as you see with Jimmy Graham in New Orleans, Gronk in New England and Gates in San Diego. We will just have to wait and see how they plan to use him tonight. Back-up tight end Garrett Graham will also get some time tonight where he can show his versatility and hopefully make some plays when he gets his chances tonight.<br />
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Whitney Mercilus is my pick to be the defensive x-factor for tonight's game. I picked Mercilus simply because the involvement in Wade Phillips scheme and the plays he has been making in the last two games against Buffalo and Baltimore. Three weeks ago against the Ravens we all saw how effective Whitney is as he made one of the plays of the day in my opinion when he came off the edge and sacked Flacco and caused a fumble. Although the Ravens got it back it was one of the many hits we got on the Flac-daddy that day which led to one of his worst days as a QB since he came in to the NFL. Last week against the Bills he got his opportunity again and took full advantage by sacking Ryan Fitzpatrick 2 times and also knocking down a pass which has seemingly become part of the defensive scheme as well. His stellar performance over the last two games has given me confidence in selecting him as the x-factor the game against the Bears. With that weak offensive line the Chicago is throwing out there look for Mercilus and the rest of the solid Texans LB's to get to Cutler early and often in this showdown. I also think that with Connor Barwin heating up, there is a good chance the Bulls on Parade are going to be pounding the offensive line of the Bears.<br />
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This game tonight should be a true test for the Texans defensive unit that gets another chance to show up on Sunday Night Football and redeem themselves for the beat-down they suffered from the Green Bay Packers in week 6. Let's hope Schaub and CO. bring it tonight.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875479551208617404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-38118406604720016842012-11-10T17:37:00.001-06:002012-11-12T15:04:56.179-06:00Texans vs Bears: Week 10 Apocalypse<div style="text-align: center;">
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<u>Texans vs Bears and the Week 10 Apocalypse</u></div>
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As a lifelong Texans fan, sitting here today it is still difficult for me to fathom that the team is 7-1 entering week ten, but here we are. This is new territory for this overlooked team from Houston that has slowly turned into a powerhouse. At this moment last year Houston was in the middle of their seven game winning streak and were a week away from Haynesworth ripping Schuab's foot in the bottom of the pile. Off to its best start in franchise history, Houston is making up for the "what ifs" of last year. This week, the top two defenses in the NFL are thrown into a pit to battle it out, and the team coming out alive will finally have a legitimate big win against a top ten team. Despite being the top two defenses, each one is great at different aspects of the game. This game has numerous possibilities, but I think I have a good grasp of what will occur.<br />
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<u>The MoNsTeRs of Midway vs. Bulls on Parade. </u><br />
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Both of these teams have incredible defenses, but each excels at different aspects. The Bears have the #1 Pass Defense and Houston has the #2. The Bears strength against the passing game is due largely to their secondary. Patrick Tillman is having one of the greatest years by any cornerback and is the cornerstone of a passing D that has 17 interceptions. The Bears utilize a boom or bust defense that does allow yards (#13 in passing yds, #6 rushing) and big drives at times, but has forced 28 turnovers this year. The large split in passing yds against, and rushing yds against is the result of the big leads they have jumped to which forces teams to pass. When you watch the Bears every tackle is an opportunity to force fumbles as every player comes in gang tackles looking for the ball. Not only do they create turnovers, the Bears know what to do with the ball as well. Chicago has 7 interceptions returned for 6 and Houston is second in the league with three. The rush defense is stout as well, being <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/dl">#2 against the run and stuffs as well</a>. Short yardage situations will be huge in this game because touchdowns will be hard to come by. The Bears have allowed only 9 touchdowns compared to Houston's 13 (all passing).<br />
While the Bears defense has stemmed from high turnover rates, Houston's defense is based on their pass rush. Houston has 25 sacks, swatting balls left and right at the line of scrimmage, sending 5 or more rusher 44.5% of the time. This swarming pass rush forces Qbs to make quick decisions which often leads to mistakes (unless you are Aaron Rodgers). Interceptions are not hard to come by for the Texans since they have caught 9, but when watching them play it seems they drop a lot of potential picks as well. Houston does give up a substantial amount of rushing yards, which is due to the loss of Cushing and is the poison apple that most 3-4 defenses face. Forte should be able to break some runs up the middle against Houston. The defense is the best in the league against a team's #1 WR. This does not bode well for the Bears since Marshall accounts for 45% of Cutler's total passing yards this year. Both offenses will be out of their comfort zone. <br />
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<a href="http://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/tumblr_maifujtzd41rge9rdo1_500.jpg"><u>Smoking Jay Cutler</u></a><br />
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Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, and Eli Manning are all extremely skilled quarterbacks that can make any throw on the field and plays that leave you in awe, but all three also have games where they leave a skidmark all over the stats sheet. Each one of the bunch has great games one week followed by incompetence. I went back and looked at all of Jay Cutler's games and rated them as great, average, and poor. I rated his starts by looking at passing yards, Tds compared to Ints, quarterback ratings, and completion percentage. A great game is based off of +250 passing yards, TD>INT, QB rating+ 100, and a completion percentage greater than 65%. An Average game is classified as 200-250 yds, TD=INT, Rating 70-100, and 60-65% completion percentage. A poor game is everything else below. After ranking each of his games I came up with the following out of 79 career games Cutler has played 43 great games (54.4%), 17 average games (21.5%), and 19 poor games (24%). This compares favorably to his 46-33 career record. So far this year Cutler has played 4 great games (57%), 2 average games (28.5%), and 2 poor games (28.5%). This year Cutler has played the same as he has historically and his shaky offensive line has not helped him any. His great games this year have come against Indy, Dallas, Jacksonville and Tennessee. Each of the four do not have a defense nearly as good as Houston's. It will be interesting to see which Jay Cutler we see this Sunday night.<br />
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<u>The Trenches </u><br />
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Both teams have elite defensive lines, but Houston's offensive line is colossally better. I previously discussed Houston's pass rush that loves to blitz and forces QBs into making quick throws. This is much different than the Bears who have 25 sacks all by their front 4. Duane Brown has yet to give up a sack this season and he should be matched up against the All-Pro Peppers. On the flip side J.J Watt will line up all over the place as he looks to build on his NFL leading 10.5 sacks and is wanting to add Cutler to his list of QBs he has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKRiCsZfx4k">grounded to the ground</a>.The Bears O-line has the worst sack rate in the NFL, giving up a sack rate of 10.5% and 28 total. Based on this I could see poor J'Marcus Webb getting <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nU6rRIuVww&feature=player_embedded">verbally assaulted by Cutler again</a>. Despite the Bears O-line's pass block failures they are a decent run blocking team that gets stuffed often, but is good in short yardage situations. Houston's offensive line has been awesome to say the least even after losing pieces to it. They have a sack rate of 4.5%, number 6 in the NFL and has only given up 10 sacks all year. Most football games come down to the line of scrimmage and this game should be no different. <br />
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<u>The Decision</u><br />
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This will be a hard fought game as each time tries to silence doubters and beat a big name opponent. If Houston wins it will be a huge step towards a #1 seed in the playoffs and more breathing room over the Colts. For this game the Bears have the opportunity to keep the NFC North lead as the Packers are hitting another gear and are looking more like their 13-0 selves from last year. After looking sluggish against the Bills last week I think Houston will come out firing against the Bears. The play action will be effective against the risk/reward Bears defense. J.J Watt and company will get to Jay Cutler early and often, leading to mistakes and another talking head debate of "will Cutler ever completely get it?" Regardless, it will be a close game since both defenses will dominate. As long as Houston does not turn the ball over and feed the Bear's defensive touchdown total, they will win this game and improve to 8-1. Houston wins 24-13 and is a step closer to the #1 spot. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15229173856310774521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443826225477380513.post-80701375123624232342012-11-09T00:39:00.000-06:002012-12-10T00:45:11.788-06:00What I Learned From The Rockets in Week 1<br />
So week one for the new look Houston Rockets started with a bang after the 105-96 thumping they put on a pretty young Pistons team that is still some good seasoning away from being in the playoff hunt. James Harden started off his rockets career the best way possible by dropping 37 points, 6 rebounds, a whopping 12 assists, 4 steals and a block just to ice it. He also shot 56% from the field and gave Rockets fans like myself a hope that we have finally landed a player that is on his way to being a superstar. He showed us that night that when he is in the game he means business and that he is going to take shots and make shots. **Asik Watch** Asik finished with 12 pts/9 rebs/ 2 blks on the night with one of those being the seperation blocks to seal the game for the Rockets. Solid debut for the new guys.<br />
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Most of the social world was blowing up after that win as I saw my twitter feed go nuts over the newest addition to Space City. Although I enjoyed the praise, I also wondered in the back of my mind how he was going to follow that performance up on Nov. 2nd against the Hawks in Atlanta. His response went as follows: "Don't Doubt Him".....He put up an astonishing 45 Points with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. I know that most would have liked to see him put up more assists to facilitate the ball more but when the "bearded one" is on, don't take the ball from him. He shot 14-19 (73%) for the night and made 15-17 from the charity stripe. He showed the doubters that night that he can control a basketball game and make the other team put in work to keep up with him. Jeremy Lin also got pretty involved in this game as well by putting up 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Just shy of the triple-double but at that point in the night, getting out of ATL with that win was a big accomplishment mainly because winning on the road in the association is tough so being able to mark down 2-0 for the road record to start the season put it in the right direction.**Asik Watch** Asik also looked great on the defensive end with a career high 19 rebounds (10 defensive, 9 offensive) which shows that money we put in to him has provided the rebounding so far.<br />
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The vibe was good after Friday night flying out of Atlanta, with a return home to play the revamped Blazers in Houston on Saturday night for the home opener. The situation sounded pretty good to me although the outcome did not turn out as expected. James Harden started out hot from the field making shots from all over and scored 18 points in the first half. Going into halftime with an 8 point lead seemed promising for the second half. That good feeling was whipped away in the second half when the Blazers began to make their run and the Rockets let their lead slip away. Harden also tweaked his ankle in the 3rd quarter which also probably did not help his current minutes increase since becoming a starter. Needless to say, he struggled in the second half while only scoring 6 more points and ending the night with 24. The game was well in reach but a clutch three in the final minutes by Portland ended up tying the game and sending it to overtime. The Blazers had found the stroke as the Rockets had lost theirs and managed to only muster 4 points in the OT period. A 95-85 loss to start the home kick-off was not what the boys had in mind but losses happen for a young team searching for their identity in this league. **Asik Watch** Asik again added 4 pts/15 rebs/2 blks while he continues to grab the boards he still shows slow development for an offensive game.<br />
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A few days off sounded great for this team that traveled and has only practiced all-together twice since the James Harden Trade. The practice however did not do the wonders just yet as the Rockets dropped their second in row at home to the extremely athletic Denver Nuggets. I watched most of this whole game and there was a common theme with this entire game and it was that Denver abuses people with their athleticism and deep bench. For the first time this season James Harden was held to under 20 points where he scored a mediocre 15 on a pretty off shooting night with 5-15 and no three's made along with 6 turnovers. The Rockets did not go down without a fight though with Carlos Delfino scoring 19 off the bench and Patrick Patterson finally starting to get into an offensive groove that he has been looking for. They got within 2 points in the 4th before Denver turned on the little extra juice and got a lead big enough to where the Rockets had to foul. The final ended at 93-87 and left most fans with a bitter taste in their mouths after starting the home part of the schedule 0-2. To Denver's credit, Kenneth Faried is a beast by all means and is a gifted athlete that can be one of the cornerstone pieces in the mile-high for years to come. **Asik Watch**Asik had 10 pts/13 rebs on Wednesday and showed the ability to get the ball in the bucket a little more and was a little quicker on the floor.<br />
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The First week has shown what the Rockets can be on two completely different levels. The high end shows them being a playoff contender with a chance to surprise some teams in the first round and then the low side where you can see them losing games because of poor shots and turnovers which can send a team like this to the end of the tough western conference. Though it is only 4 games in and at 2-2 there is a lot of season left and much progress to be made for a team with the average age of 23.5 and nobody in their prime yet. Some things I would like to see moving forward would have to be the emergence of some rookies and also using some of them. McHale has yet to use the versatile Royce White who can provide a unique use of all the tools on the basketball court. Terrance Jones showed a lot of promise in preseason but that is just preseason and we need to see him get some minutes at the 3 or 4 spot. D-Mo is the main one I am waiting to see with his unique talent of passing and athleticism while being a true 7-footer as well, not to mention he also has a pretty good stroke not just inside the circle but from beyond the 3 point line as well. Like I said though there is a lot of season left and time will only tell for this young team of new comers waiting to make their mark in the best basketball league in the world. We will see game 5 of the season Friday night in Memphis and hopefully the last two losses will have just been stones on the path to getting some W's.<br />
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**Asik Watch**- we will keep track of the big man and see how he progresses in to the starting center role this yearAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875479551208617404noreply@blogger.com0