Are Texans What Bucs Hope To Be?
November 11th, 2011
The Texans are beneficiaries of a pattycake schedule and a soft division, so Joe is hardly sold on 6-3 Houston as a Super Bowl contender.
Joe’s heard Bill Cowher, Pat Kirwan and more gush over these Texans this week. Take a deep breath, fellas.
Sure, Houston had a great week 4 win against the Steelers. But their five other Ws come against Miami, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee, none with a winning record. Their losses were at the hands of the Saints, Ravens and Raiders.
One interesting take on the Texans came from esteemed NFL writer eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune. Speaking on WHBO-AM 1040 on Wednesday evening, eye-RAH said the Bucs aspire to be like Houston but haven’t gotten it done.
“Here come the Texans. In a pass happy league, they’re a run first team. In fact, I might argue they are what the Bucs hope to be but are not,” Kaufman said. “Josh {Freeman] throws too many balls, and they have a very balanced offense in Houston.
“They’re 6-3. They smell the playoffs. There’s no way that team’s not going to win that division. Wade Phillips is doing a heck of a job with that defense. But they are a running team, and you are going to get a little smashmouth football. And [the Bucs] are hoping and praying Albert Haynesworth has something left in the tank.”
Despite the Texans’ No. 1 ranking on defense, (fewest yards allowed in the NFL) Joe’s still not sold. Houston’s allowed 94 points in their three losses.
This is a very winnable game for the Bucs. They’ve established what seems to be a legitimate home field edge this season, and Joe still remains convinced the Bucs have the tools on offense to outgun the Texans.
November 11th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Texas has beaten: Indy, Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh.
Except for Pittsburgh, that’s a pretty soft schedule they’ve had.
November 11th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Oh wow, totally skipped the paragraph where Joe said the same thing, that’s kind of embarrassing.
November 11th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Yeah,I don’t think the Texans are better than the Bucs…..
I’m thinking the Bucs are what the Texans want to be…..Young and Talented
November 11th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
The thing about the Texans is Schaub. He’s a good QB. But he’s not elite. He can easily be pressed into making mistakes. And if you can hit him a few times, it gets to him.
November 11th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Helps when you have a top 3 running back, a top 3 receiver, and a top 3 pass rusher.
November 11th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
“Joe still remains convinced the Bucs have the tools on offense to outgun the Texans.”
Must be on shrooms…. no way is our offense better than Houston’s.
The only chance we have in this one is winning the turnover battle and establishing good field position to get easy points. The Texans are going to put up 28+ and run for about 200 yards, lets hope we can force a int or two, along with forcing a fumble….
November 11th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Texans have a heck of an OL. Their RT is one of the best, if not the best(unlike ours who is one of the worst, if not the worst). I’d take Penn over Brown, but I’m not sure they would take Penn over Brown. I would kill for Chris Myers. I’m not sold on either of their guards. I’m not sold on their Guards(as I’m not sold on ours) but their Tackles and Center more than make up for it.
Put Blount and Free behind their line and we’d be tearing it up as well.
Price, Haynesworth and Bennett all have their hands full. Clayborn may be the lone bright spot on the line this week.
November 11th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Well I know Andre Johnson normally gets ronde a couple times but with him shaky and a game time decision it should be a good game. I look forward to seeing there next man up mentality on offense against our next man up mentality defense. Hopefully we can get some penetration and hurry shaub a couple times. He’s very inaccurate when he’s hurried.
November 11th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Mauha not sold on OUR guards. So Davin Joeseph is a nobody? he’s already being considered one of the best in the league? and THE best during run plays. Zuttah has been playing very well this year. The only 2 true holes i see is our center and RT. I agree Trueblood just downright sucks. and Faine is mediocore at best. But Penn, Zuttah, and Joeseph are really really good players.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Not sold on our guards? Davin Joseph is probably the biggest bright spot on this team this year. He is having a killer year.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Actually, take away the ‘probably’. Davin Joseph has been the best player on this team through the first half of the season.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Amazing how the opposing teams won loss record is reviewed in light of strength of schedule, but the the ten wins in 2010 by the bucs isn’t.
Interesting.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Without McCoy, our run defense reminds me of the horrendous Jim Bates experiment. I don’t see any way we stop Houston from gaining 200 total yards on the ground. Plus, our offense is so one dimensional and predictable, and lacking in dynamic play, that the #1 defense in the NFL should have no problem containing it.
As far as points allowed, the defenses we’ve played so far and lost to are ranked #1 (49ers), #6 (Lions), #15 (Bears) and #19 (Saints). You really believe the Bucs are going to fair any better against the #3 ranked defense in points allowed (Texans)? Not likely.
We’re playing a top defense using an offense that scares no one, not even the Colts. And our defense cannot stop the run, but we’re playing a Houston running game that ranks #3 in the NFL in rushing yards. I could be wrong…and I hope I’m wrong…but I can’t figure out how the Bucs win this one.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Texans defense > Bucs offense
Texans offense > Bucs defense
Am I missing something here?
November 11th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
We’re going to have to go all in to stop the run. The problem is if we do that Schaub is going to have a field day the way our secondary is playing this year. Pick your poison.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
No Joe. I am not even going to watch this game to get heart broken. It will get close at the end like it always is but be not enough to contain them. I dont trust the Bucs inconsistencies.
November 11th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Eric, great point how strength of schedule doesn’t make a difference for us when we have a surprising winning season, but when we lose or when other teams win – strnegth of schedule becomes such an important part of the result.
Now, listen guys: the Texans are talented but a very flawed team. They are good in the run game, very inconsistent in the passing game even when Johson plays. The Texans have made a remarkable improvement defensively especially in pass defense – but some of that is due to to weakness of opponent. Anyone who has played the Colts offense has been gifted some improved defensive stats; please see the Bucs and Gerald McCoy.
The Texans are very beatable on the road. The bucs have huge problems all over this team, except O Line where we have been better than good. Some have determined DJ to be the best inside O-lineman this year. The bucs will have difficulty stopping the run but we should be able to move the ball well.
If the bucs can’t win this game at home, they have quit and suck. I am picking them to win because I know how flawed the Texans are and how vulnerable they are on the road.
Don’t get me wrong, after this game we have some trouble a head – but Bucs win Sunday. Watch how ell Price plays if Okam is able to play healthy or if Albert is interested enough to put forth some effort.
Consider: we all thought it was strange when Dom drafted 2 very similar tackles in the 2010 draft back-to-back and we know GMC was amazingly weak at the combine for a man his size. Was Dom for some reason concerned that McCoy was an injury risk?
If so, I give Dom credit for drafting Price (All NFC South Tackle for the first half of 2011) who turned out to be the better player anyway. That Dom may just be more clever than we thought.
November 11th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Hey Joe,
How can I contact you for you to take a look a story on Haynesworth.
November 11th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Kyrq:
joe@joebucsfan.com
November 11th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Andre Johnson is a definite scratch and will be out until the bye week. Of the 4 analyst on Espn Countdown, Ditka, Keyshawn and Jackson picks the Bucs, as does Mike Golic and Adam Schefter. So does Mike Silver of Yahoo to name a few. While most pundits and experts are picking the Texans, not everybody thinks we’re chopped liver. By the way, Thomas 2.2 makes some salient points. Truth and wisdom remain as such regardless of who utters it! Thomas, I hope you’re right!
November 11th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
@Meh I would ague hat Joseph hasn’t been the best guard on the team this year. Perhaps his lack of consistent play, in part, has something to do with Trueblood being absolutely terrible. Perhaps Zuttah’s solid play is due, in part, to being next to Penn. But so far, Zuttah is out performing Joseph.(at least when he has been playing LG).
Joseph has allowed 6 QB hits and14 pressures on 555 snaps, while Zuttah has allowed 2 QB hits and 4 pressures on 350 snaps. But like I said, Trueblood is absolutely terrible and that may be playing a role.
There is a reason our team has given up more QB pressures than almost any other team in the league. It is mostly due to our OL.
Penn without a doubt is playing better than the rest, but Zuttah is not far behind. Next I’d put Joseph then Faine.
But if you really want to look at who has been the best player on this team all year. Hands down, it is Bennett.
November 11th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Actually muah deeb football outsiders (whose stats I question nearly as much as PFF) conclude that you are dead wrong at least re rushing stats.
When the Bucs run to the left tackle gaps: we rank 31st in the NFL. When we run to the right tackle gaps we rank 20th – however when we run to the right guard center A gap we are 11th in the NFL. According to FO, we are much worse running left.
November 11th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Also interestingly, in sacks allowed we are 3rd overall – so to say we aren’t pass blocking well is a product of your imagination.
Anyone who has paid attention notices how good DJ and JT do as a tandem in run blocking. Yes, JT can struggle with a speed rusher but he is excellent in run blocking.
November 11th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
How am I wrong? I never said anything about the run.
Thomas, will not debate anything with you as you do not understand the idea of metrics and multi-layered stats. It is pointless. You say you don’t trust football outsiders and in the same sentence you use them as a source. Ridiculous.
November 11th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
I enjoy discrediting your arguments with your statistics.
November 11th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
I’ve been wondering thomas (or Thomas), what’s the deal? Are there two of you, one lowercase and one uppercase?
November 11th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
It would be really cool if the Bucs rally around Haynesworth, and he plays like he can play, or could once play for us.
As much as Albert will be out to impress his teammates, hopefully they will also be out to impress him.
I smell upset for Tampa, in this game.
I sure hope so!
November 12th, 2011 at 6:31 am
Still stuck up here in north west Florida where I have been able to watch every Bucs game on local Television. I am amazed that they show the Bucs so often! That said, I am hoping for a Bucs victory Sunday! Just one question, Haynesworth ?? Really ???
November 12th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
I know more about the Texans than ya’ll do, being that I’m stuck in Texas. I’ve been watching them almost every weekend for the past couple of years. They’ve always beaten good teams with the very same unit that we’ll be facing Sunday. Their offense is a top 5 unit. This is probably the best they’ve ever been as a team.
But I agree with Thomas and the others. They DO have flaws. In all the times I’ve watched them, they’ve blown several games. Sometimes they have big leads and then end up losing them just like that. I could give a couple more examples. While Matt Schaub is a very good QB, he’ll make some bad decisions with the football. However, Andre Johnson could be in for a big day against Biggers and Talib, who have been getting beat all year. But let’s hope that Andre Johnson still might not play
Go Bucs!