The Glutton Bowl

  Texans 34 Detroit 31 OT

          “I can’t wait for another chance,” Graham said. “That’s the first thing I said. I want another chance.” 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 collective gasp in the crowd that marks the Texans win. 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.

The Lions Offensive Struggles

         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.

Wade's Second Half Adjustments

          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%.

         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. 

        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.

The Review

         Despite Houston's great win this game will always be remembered by Forsett's franchise record setting, 81 yard touchdown run. 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.

Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team is prohibited from doing so: Loss of 15 yards.
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 cannot initiate a review of any ruling against a team that commits a foul that delays the next snap. 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.
"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"
          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 Schaub's groin 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. He took the blame for his mistake, the rule is dumb, but it is still his fault. This GIF pretty much sums it up. 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.

Field Goal Woes

          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.
        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.
        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.

          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. We need more performances like this). 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 that he is finally healthy.
         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.
          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.

Texans Vs Lions Week 12

Pies on Pies on Pies

          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. 

The Turkey

        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. 

        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. 

Potatoes, Stuffing, and Casserole

        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. 

        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). 

The Pie

        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. 

The Decision

         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.

Texans vs Jaguars Week 11

Raguars?

          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 100% chance to make the playoffs. 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. 

A Tale of Two Franchises 

          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. 

          That year, Leftwich went 8-3 as a starter, throwing for 15 tds, 5 int, a 57.9% completion percentage. His break out season turned into a nightmare in a week 12 win against Arizona. On his first offensive snap Byron was sacked by Adrian Wilson, the hit broke his ankle and he would miss the rest of the year.  David Garrard would take over the reigns and Jacksonville won in spite of him as they went 4-1 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 Gabbert 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).

Blaine Gabbert

          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 30.6 times 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.
          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 3rd worst QB 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 Brunell's glory days. The good news is Gabbert is only 23, the bad news is his greatest moment in his career is this.

The Prediction

          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.

         

Damn it feels good to be a Texan

Damn it Feels Good to be a Texan

          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 Kellen Davis on the following possession, set the tone for the rest of the game. 

          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.

          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 Tim Dobbins hit. 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. 

          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 the pressure would have been put on the offense's shoulders to answer back. 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.

          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 lineman 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. 

          Every week I watch the Texans I come away in awe. Whether they beat up on a bad team 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 end up being sucked into the vacuums of space, 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.

Jae Crowder Exceeding Expectations

Jae 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).
 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.
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.

X-factor's Against the Bears

From 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.

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.

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.

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.

Texans vs Bears: Week 10 Apocalypse

Texans vs Bears and the Week 10 Apocalypse

          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.

The MoNsTeRs of Midway vs. Bulls on Parade. 

          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 #2 against the run and stuffs as well. 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).
          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.

Smoking Jay Cutler
       
          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.

The Trenches 

          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 grounded to the ground.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 verbally assaulted by Cutler again. 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.

The Decision

          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.



       

What I Learned From The Rockets in Week 1

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

**Asik Watch**- we will keep track of the big man and see how he progresses in to the starting center role this year

If I was Jon Daniels for an Off Season

If I was Jon Daniels for an Off Season

          Despite being the best team in baseball the past three years the Texas Rangers have zero banners waving to show for it. The juggernauts in May that we were used to seeing, looked nothing like the sluggish self-entitled Rangers of September. Now the Rangers are at a cross roads, and have to make a decision on one of the greatest, most polarizing athletes of our generation. Most people will forever remember Hamilton for this and not this.  If it was up to most people Josh Hamilton would be tarred and feathered out of the metroplex after game 163, but thankfully they do not get to make the decision. Most sport fans prefer to focus on the negative and let their emotions cloud what really is occurring. The Rangers face the toughest off season in franchise history, but the window still is not closed. This team still has the assets to make deep playoff runs and have the money to keep the dream alive. If I was sitting in Jon Daniels' chair overlooking the Ball Park in Arlington this is what I would do.

Free Agents:

Mike Adams RP

Ryan Dempster SP

Scott Feldman SP/RP

Josh Hamilton OF

Mark Lowe RP

Mike Napoli C/1B/DH

Roy Oswalt SP/RP

Yoshinori TateyamaRP

2012-2013 Rangers Off Season Plan

Decision #1 What to do with Josh Hamilton?

          The Texas Rangers have not faced a dilemma this difficult since Cliff Lee (we all know how that went). Hamilton is 31 years old and is looking for a deal around 7 years 175 million. He has averaged 130 games a year in his 5 years wearing a T on his hat. Every year Hamilton misses time due to running into a wall, consuming too much caffeine, or goes through severe down turns by swinging at every pitch down and away in the zone. Based on his current routine streaks of time on the DL and past drug abuse where one can see his body breaking down more. The last thing one should do is give Hamilton 7 years. I would offer Hamilton three years 65 million with bonuses that could make the deal be worth 75 million. He would probably say no, but there is no way he will make as much money per year anywhere else. By getting Hamilton for 3 years you lose the risk of him shutting down when he is 38 and get the prime of one of the greatest players of the league. Despite his peaks and troughs Hamilton still had a OBP of .354, hit 43 home runs and 128 RBIs while amassing a WAR of 4.4. Whoever sign Hamilton will be getting at least 2 more years of production like this. Hamilton could very likely end up in a situation like Prince Fielder where he keeps his options open and does not sign until he gets the contract he wants by waiting until the end of January. Josh Hamilton could very well handcuff the Rangers if they wait for his decision and could lose out on some great players if sit by the phone and wait.

Decision #2 Where to fill the void?

If Hamilton leaves (which will probably happen) the Rangers have a sink hole in the outfield that needs to be filled, but his absence does come with a huge amount of flexibility. The rumors of late have been trading Andrus for one of the Upton brothers, sign Grienke, or Adam LaRoche. Each of one of these options can make up for the loss of Hamilton's 4.4 WAR. Craig Gentry was great last year in his limited playing time and Texas could roll out a very good platoon outfield of Leonys Martin, David Murphy, Craig Gentry and Nelson Cruz. However, I would sign Angel Pagan from the San Fransisco Giants. I would offer him a four year deal for 40 million. There is some risk with him after his output dropped after his break out year in 2010, but he picked it up in 2012 with the World Series Champion Giants. However, he batted .288/.338/.440 with a wOBA of .334 and 4.8 WAR. Also from what I have seen he has great range and glove and plays extremely hard every game and could bring some fire back to the Rangers (which I doubt they need after the way the season ended).

           Not only would I sign Pagan, but I would sign Grienke as well for 7 years 115 million. The Rangers would go from struggling to keep a number one ace pitcher to having two of them for the next 6 years. A rotation of Grienke, Darvish, Ogando, Harrison, and Holland and with the Colbra and Feliz coming back during the year this would be the top of baseball for the 2013 season. The starters on this team have shown to be an unselfish bunch as well by moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation and vice versa.

Decision #3: What to do with the Infield

First 4 Full years

Player A, Ages 21-24: 14 HR/341 Runs/197 RBI/123 SB/.286 AVG/.349OBP/13.9 WAR/UZR 28

Player B, Ages 23-27: 5HR/201 Runs/113 RBI/35 SB/.250AVG .388OBP/8.6 WAR/UZR NA

          Player A is the best young short stop in baseball, Elvis Andrus and player B is hall of fame short stop Omar Visquel (I took his first 4 full years, in 1990 he played only 81 Games). I understand baseball has changed immensely since 1990, but my point his Andrus still has yet to reach his ceiling and could make a huge leap like Visquel did in 1999. There is no reason to break the best defensive left side of baseball with Andrus and Beltre for one of the Upton brothers or an unknown outfielder.  Both of the Uptons are streaky unreliable players who would only be worth the trade if the jet stream in Texas could amplify their game. Now Texas' infield is crowded with Profar, Andrus, Young and Kinsler. If there is one of the group to trade it would be Ian Kinsler. If it was not for Michael Young (who is probably untradeable) they could use Olt and Profar as utility guys and get them ABs by being creative. 

              It's a difficult spot to be in with so much talent and not enough positions. I would bat Michael Young  in the line up only in the bottom half against Lefties. I would put Profar at second, Andrus at SS and keep the almighty Beltre at third, but I would move Kinsler to an OF spot. This is only hypothetical and I am basing this solely on Kinsler has the speed to play corner outfield but I do not know much about his arm since he plays 2B or if he would even switch. 

         Now what to do with Mike Napoli. I agree with the Rangers not giving Nap-O-Li a 13 million qualifying. I would give him a 3 year 18 million contract since the catching market is thin and Soto is not an everyday starting catcher. A line up that in order that would go Andrus, Profar, Pagan, Beltre, Cruz, Kinsler, Napoli, Moreland, Young/Olt and Murphy/Gentry to come off the bench against lefties would be unstoppable. 

The Bullpen:

          Now this is the area that I am most worried about with this team. Despite this fact, the bull pen can be rebuilt cheaply and craftily. Adams will likely walk because a team will give him a big deal even though nobody should give big money to relief pitchers. Koji needs to be resigned as the set up man after shutting everyone down at the end of the year. Feldman, Lowe, Dempster, and Oswalt all will be gone even though they will not be missed. With Ogando in the rotation and Adams and company gone there are spots to be filled. Now two more spots would be given to Grimm and Martin Perez. I would sign a fringe starter, like Feldman, who had a high BABIP last year to pitch in the bull pen to be let loose after watching Tommy Hunter throw 100 coming out of the pen. Then I would sign lefty killer LaTroy Hawkins and veteran Kyle Farnsworth to shore up the pen. This bull pen would take some time to get in the pieces in place and would probably need some help at the trade deadline, but the money would be better spent on Grienke and Pagan than Jonathan Broxton.

          The past 3 years have had some incredible highs and the lowest of lows for any time I have ever seen during my time on Earth. There has been some great moments like beating the Yankees to clinch the pennant in 2010, Adrian Beltre's 3 home runs in one game to clinch the ALDS against the Rays and Derek Holland's performance in game 4. These great joys have been scarred like the craters on Venus after the heartbreaks in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Despite the gut wrenching losses it is still much better than the mediocrity and terrible teams from 1998-2009. The team still has it's title window open, players who know how to win and the resources to do so. The organization as a whole has some difficult choices, but there is no ownership I would trust more to make them. I, like everyone else should, have faith that one day a World Series Champions banner will hang over The Ball Park in Arlington for us to bask in it's glow. As the weather keeps getting colder the stove gets warmer.

The Astros New Uni's and a Few Other Thoughts

On Friday, November 2, 2012, the Houston Astros began their long journey into a new division and league with the hopes of turning around what has been a beaten and broken baseball club. With this new move to the AL West, the Astros are going to change everything up the best way possible and that starts with the swanky new uniforms they showcased Friday at the launch party inside Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. Orange and Blue are back and they represent the rebirth of the Astros and the move to the new division.

There is a new excitement in Houston and this is just the start of bigger things to come in the Space City. Free agency is about to be in full swing and there are some good players that are affordable and could provide good value for a team rebuilding and waiting for the young guns to move up the ladder. Hopefully we can see the emergence of Jonathan Singleton into the Astros major league roster this season. He can finally be the future first baseman that we have been waiting for since Bagwell's shoulder died. Also with exciting guys like Altuve and Justin Maxwell lead this team on offense/defense and the surprising Lucas Harrell on the mound. Its gonna be an exciting time leading up to April 2nd when our new rival Rangers roll in to MMP where the Astros will most likely looking to upset. We'll see what the next few months bring.

Also thought that a possible Lance Berkman return to Houston would be pretty good for the city as well. Bringing back an outstanding team guy like Berkman to the place where he tore it up for years will be good for this extremely young team looking for emergence. He would also provide a great bat in the DH if he can hit like the world series year where he cranked 31 homers and 94 rbi's and .301 the Astros would be extremely better. If the knee is good i say it's a win-win because we could save some dollars and he gets to play in Houston again where he also resides in the offseason.

Any thoughts from anyone on the uniforms?