Houston Texans 2014 Thread

[eagle eye]

Houston will have the other Ryan, Fitzpatrick under center for the remainder of the season barring injury. That's okay. They were one game under .500 when Mallett replaced him two games ago and that's where Houston stands right now. They were two game behind the Colts two weeks ago and darned if they are 2 games back now. It's kind of like a no harm-no foul situation.

 

The Texans placed Ryan Mallett on injured reserve to officially end his 2014 season. In a rather surprising move the Texans signed veteran QB Thad Lewis who is in his 4th year out of Duke. The following article gives some details about Lewis and his connection to Bill O'Brien. There's also a practice video of Lewis and Arian Foster at practice.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/QB-Thad-Lewis-reunited-with-Bill-OBrien/9deb7fbe-80b0-4233-8108-9062a04b803f

 

As for Fitz, he shaved his beard. Not completely but he doesn't look like Grizzly Adams any more.

[eagle eye]

It was reported today that Arian Foster will be back in the lineup after missing several weeks due to a groin injury suffered against the Eagles.

 

Jadeveon Clowney, on the other hand, is out because of swelling and discomfort in the knee he had surgery on after the Washington game in Week 1. Bill O'Brien said this week that Jadeveon's situation amounts to bad luck both for Clowney and the Texans. It certainly isn't what Houston was hoping for when they drafted him with the first overall pick in this year's draft.

 

Cornerback Kareem Jackson will miss this week's game with a knee injury. Everyone else is slated to play which is actually pretty good for this time of year.

 

Houston is hosting the 2-9 Tennessee Titans at noon Sunday. For the 5-6 Texans this is a winnable game in a "must win" situation if they want to keep their hopes alive for the playoffs. They are relatively healthy and they are at home which should be enough of an advantage for Houston to even their record to 6-6. Unfortunately, the Texans probably won't get much help this week as Indianapolis hosts the Washington Redskins. The Redskins have decided to replace RGIII as the starting QB and give Colt McCoy another shot as the starter. In his first stint he worked a game and a half and led the Redskins to 2 of their 3 wins. RGIII has been really bad in his play in 2014 and it was obvious something had to change and McCoy has support inside the Redskins locker room. Maybe Colt can do what he did in Week 8 by going into Dallas on a Monday night and leading the Redskins to an upset of the Cowboys. I'm sure the ex-Texas Longhorn has plenty of fans in the Houston locker room this week.

[eagle eye]

I'm here on Saturday night thinking I'll just get this out of the way and tomorrow I can just sit back and enjoy some NFL football tomorrow. (How I love NFL Sunday Ticket!) Of course the featured game and the one with the most hype will be the Patriots at Green Bay. If the weather isn't a factor, you know colder than a well digger's backside or snowing like crazy or raining that frozen tundra rain they get in Wisconsin then it should be a good game. I'll certainly be watching because I will have Eddie Lacy on one side and Brandon LaFell on the other in my fantasy leagues but it should be a fun game to see. But we're not here to talk about the freaking Packers and Patriots are we?

Sorry, I got a little off topic but I'm back now. The Texans are the order of the day and the order is to win tomorrow. IMO it's a must win game as I've said before. The Texans have been playing pretty good defense the last couple of weeks, certainly good enough to win both games in Houston's two week battle with the state of Ohio. It wasn't until after the fact, that fact being a loss to Cincinnati, that we found out why Ryan Mallett was so bad in the game. It was because he suffered a torn Pec muscle in pre-game warmups. The fact his he probably hurt it the previous week against Cleveland but it was only a partial tear and he managed to finish the job in pre-game. Gotta give the guy credit though. Tearing your pec has to hurt and if it's as painful a tearing a rotator cuff, which I have done, he needs to be given toughness credit for gutting out playing last week. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the man in the hot seat now. He needs to be more consistant and IMO more aggressive this time around as the starter. Some of that aggressiveness could be play calling but whatever the reason he needs to push the ball down the field much like Mallett did. It will help having Arian Foster back giving the Texans a real nice one-two punch with Alfred Blue earning some carries after playing pretty well the last few weeks while Foster was out. The Texans are home, they are playing their division rivals. A team, by the way, that abandoned Houston over a decade ago, (Oiler fans will NEVER forget or forgive the evil Bud Adams) and the Texans are just plain better than Tennessee. All reasons enough for Houston to plant a big ole size 14 boot up their collective behinds. I really believe the Texans will do it too. Final score?

 

Houston 31 Tennessee 13

 

PS Houston has to hold up the state of Texas tomorrow because Lord knows Dallas didn't on Thursday!

[eagle eye]

The Texans are enjoying a week where JJ Watt is doing a fashion show and basking in the glow of a totally dominating win over another NFL team. It's been a while since that happened.

 

Among the basking I mentioned above is the Offensive Player of the Week award and, no, it wasn't Watt. It was none other than QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on the strength of the six, count em, six TD passes he threw. That six TD passes, by the way, is a franchise record. Fitz was 24-33 for 358 yds, the six TDs and ZERO picks. The Texans converted another franchise record 11 3rd downs and Fitz had a career high 147.5 passer rating. Pretty sweet.

 

For some Texans, one in particular, there wasn't much basking. Rookie LB Max Bullough was placed on season ending IR with a hamstring issue. Bullough was finally active for the first time this season and he messed up his hammy during the Titans game. To fill his roster spot the Texans promoted practice squad player tight end Anthony Denham. It is believed he was brought up as a precaution because of an injury to Garrett Graham's ankle last Sunday. Denham may be active as soon as this Sunday against Jacksonville. To fill Denham's spot on the practice squad Houston signed rookie WR Jace Davis a 6'1"/206 lb player from Northern Colorado. (Who says small school guys don't get a shot in the NFL?)

 

Heck, not only do the Texans get to enjoy a week as a winner it looks like they will get the opportunity to bask again next week as they square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. Houston does have to travel to Florida but honestly, if Houston's defense keeps playing the way it has, I don't see any possibility for a Jaguars win. (I'm knocking on wood here so I don't jinx the Texans!) Just as I believed that Houston is just a better team than Tennessee last week I feel the same about Jacksonville.

 

Houston has a pretty darn favorable schedule going forward. 2 games against Jacksonville should be 2 wins we can count on. A tough road game against the Colts but Houston's defense can harass the heck out of Andrew Luck and if the offense clicks like it did last week Houston can win that game. The other game is against Baltimore in Houston and frankly I don't like the Ravens, Joe Flacco in particular. Again, I believe that Houston's defense is going to cause the Ravens problems. So, projecting that Houston goes 4-0 in December they would end up 10-6 on the season and at least be in the discussion for a playoff spot. Take that Fred and AJ. You guys both said Houston would be lucky to win 6 games. Ha! Here we are talking about at least 8 with games against the Jags!

[eagle eye]

The best thing didn't happen in 2014 for Jadeveon Clowney. In Week 1 he messed up his knee in the first half of the game against Washington and next thing you know he's had arthroscopic surgery on that knee. He missed six games and upon his return his knee flared up and he got the flu which kept him out of a game. After a 2-3 week struggle to get back on the field his season is now done. Clowney will require a second surgery on the same knee and there's no way he can make it back after that. It sucks for Clowney and it sucks for Houston who didn't envision Clowney's rookie season coming after they made him the first over all pick in the NFL draft. Disappointed probably doesn't cover it.

 

One bright spot for Houston is that when they play the Baltimore Ravens in 3 weeks they won't have to deal with All Pro nose tackle Haloti Ngata. Ngata was suspended for violating the NFL substance abuse program for the last 4 games of the season. Ngata admitted using adderal which is sort of an old school type of PHD. Ngata has apologized to teammates, coaches and fans for his suspension but it rings a little hollow as Baltimore is in a dogfight within their division for a playoff spot. The Ravens run defense has been porous this season and losing their main man in the middle isn't going to help the Ravens one bit. As a Texans fan all I can say is---SWEET!

 

Sunday's game against the Jags won't be easy. Division games are one thing but division games on the road is taking hard to the next level. Houston is in good shape injury wise and with Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Houston offense displaying an aggressiveness they really hadn't before last Sunday against Jacksonville things look pretty good. Aside from losing Clowney, Houston was missing TE Garrett Graham, CB Jonathan Joseph and S Danieal Manning from yesterday's practice. There were a slew of guys listed as limited but looking at the list I feel like a lot of guys got some veteran day off type of treatment.

 

LIMITED PARTICIPATION

 

ILB Brian Cushing Knee

TE Anthony Denham Illness

ILB Akeem Dent Neck

RB Arian Foster Groin

CB Kareem Jackson Knee

WR Andre Johnson Not Injury Related

P Shane Lechler Biceps

NT Ryan Pickett Back

 

(list from Texans.com)

[eagle eye]

Houston is playing Jacksonville in Jacksonville. It's going to be cloudy and cool with the same norther affecting their weather the same as it affected us yesterday. Windy for sure but the thing is, Houston is going to depend on their run game. Arian Foster and Alfred Blue are going to be counted on to lead the Texans charge today. That's okay, that's who Houston is. Throw in some passes to the NFL's #1 receiving duo Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. That's not me with a homer's bluster, it was reported earlier this week on NFL.com. I can't tell you how important it has been for Hopkins to step up in his second year and it adds an important dimension to the Texans attack. Jacksonville is not a very good team but they play hard and they don't give up as evidenced by their come from behind win over the NY Giants last week. It was a nice win for them but it IS the Giants and they aren't very good this year. Houston is good, better than most give them credit for. I know you are going to say, "well didn't Houston lose to those Giants?" and I would have to say yes they did but it was early in the season and neither team is the same as they were then. Houston should have won but no Arian and Ryan Fitzpatrick had a lousy game and all that adds up to no offense which equaled a loss. Houston is again on the east coast but Fitz seems to have found another gear in his game and we are hoping he doesn't down shift. Let's hope he stays aggressive and willing to take his shots down field. The defense is playing really well so I am confident that our Texans will go above .500 and stay on point in their chase to catch Indianapolis in the AFC South race. Just like they took care of business against Tennessee last week I feel they will do the same today. Final score?

 

Houston 30 Jacksonville 17

[eagle eye]

Houston took care of business today but it wasn't as easy as the 27-13 final score might seem. The Jags actually took a 13-10 lead into halftime but the Texans defense made some nice adjustments and shut the door on the Jags in the 2nd half. Nice but not unexpected win. It's going to be an uphill climb to the end of the season and, as the TV commentators rightly pointed out, Houston needs to win out to have a shot at the playoffs. Here's the AFC playoff situation as it sits right now with the Pats and Chargers game over (Pats won).

 

Division Leaders

AFC East - New England - 10-3

AFC North - Cincinnati - 8-4-1

AFC West - Denver - 10-3

AFC South - Indianapolis

 

Wild Card Contenders

Pittsburgh - 8-5

Baltimore - 8-5

San Diego - 8-5

 

Miami - 7-6

Buffalo - 7-6

Cleveland - 7-6

Kansas City - 7-6

Houston - 7-6

 

As you can see there's a cluster bomb of teams vying for two spots. As for the AFC North all four teams could end up winning the division. THAT is a tight race. Houston is the one we are concerned about. First, it is mathematically possible for Houston to win their division. No kidding. They play Indy next week in Indy. If they can manage to beat them Houston would be one game back for the division lead. Then, Houston would be the Dallas Cowboys biggest fans as Indy plays them the following week. While that game is in progress Houston hosts Baltimore. Now the division picture would be a little rosier if Cleveland hadn't blown a two score lead in the 4th quarter and let Indianapolis win. This was like the fourth week in a row Brian Hoyer looked like dog doodoo. The final score was 25-24 but 14 of those points came from the defense. Cleveland pretty much shut down Indy all game except for the final game winning drive as the Browns allowed Indy to go 90 yards in 11 plays scoring the winning TD with :32 left in the game. (Insert curse words here directed at whoever you want.) So, it's pretty clear Houston has all kinds of shots but not if they don't win and it all starts in Indianapolis next week. Houston fell to Indy on Oct 9 33-28 at home so we know Houston can get it done. Indy had looked strong ever since a Week 11 smackdown by New England until today's dogfight with the Browns. It's going to be interesting and should be a nerve-wracking, fun filled ride.

[eagle eye]

Think this trip to Indianapolis this coming Sunday isn't important to the Texans? All you have to do is listen to the head coaches comments in today's presser on Texans.com.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/OBrien-This-is-a-playoff-game/e9c83457-bf2c-4543-835e-bd8be68ba1e4

 

Andre Johnson is being considered day-to-day as he goes through the NFL concussion protocols after taking a rather cheap shot inside the 5 yard line in Jacksonville Sunday. Hopefully, Johnson will be back in time to travel to the House of Luck and help the Texans win that "playoff" game Coach O'Brien talked about. If Johnson can't go then Keshawn Martin and/or Demaris Johnson has to step up their game if Houston hopes to beat Indy.

[eagle eye]

The Texans and Jadeveon Clowney got some really bad news yesterday, or rather, they released some bad news yesterday. I seems that Clowney has had to undergo microfracture knee surgery. This is maybe the most devastating surgery a person has to go through, especially and athlete. The surgery Clowney had in September on the same knee was both and Texans and Clowney's hope that the knee would respond well to that surgery but despite all their hopes it did not solve the problem in his knee. He continued to have issues with it and in the press release the Texans indicated that this microfracture surgery was a real possibility. Clowney injured the knee when he landed awkwardly in the first game of the season against the Redskins. Microfracture surgery is often difficult to impossible to come back from with the same speed and quickness the player had before. Anthony Spencer of the Dallas Cowboys underwent the surgery last year and he is still struggling to find the speed and quickness he had before the surgery. There are some who doubt whether Spencer will ever get back to where he was before the surgery. This is such a huge disappointment for the Texans after having spent the coveted #1 pick in the draft on Clowney especially when they also were in dire need of a quarterback. Ironically enough the Texans, or I should say Bill O'Brien, got what they wanted anyway when they made a deal for ex-Patriots backup Ryan Mallett. But after only 2 starts he was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle in his chest. Despite all this adversity it's a wonder that Houston stands a 7-6 with an outside shot at the playoffs.

[eagle eye]

The Texans needed a linebacker back in October and the player personnel department found a guy on the Raven practice squad they liked. Not only that but linebackers coach Mike Vrabel was the defensive line coach for Ohio State in this kid's junior and senior year when he was a team captain and a standout DE. Okay, I'll stop teasing you, the player's name is John Simon and he's made solid contributions for the Texans defense right from the start of his tenure in Houston. Here's an article from Texans.com about him.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/OLB-John-Simon-making-most-of-opportunities/22aebc1e-b8b4-4e73-a3f2-5a731146261d

 

Again, from Texans.com, there is an article about the road to recovery for OLB Jadeveon Clowney following microfracture surgery. Texans GM Rick Smith is putting the positive spin on this situation that you'd expect. You certainly would expect Smith to say, "OMG! After an injury as serious as microfracture surgery Jadeveon is royally screwed!". Rick Smith would not say anything like this but an article on NFL.com written by Kevin Petra quotes OL Gosner Cherilus, who went through the same surgery and rehab Clowney is facing, said strait up. As with anything else it's all about doing what you need to do and having the dedication and discipline to actually do it.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000442599/article/colts-ot-jadeveon-clowney-screwed-after-surgery

 

Here's the Thursday injury reports for Houston and Indy.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Thursday-Injury-Report-Texans-vs-Colts/c6f882ba-ef03-4b7b-9940-4fdda74a869d

[eagle eye]

Every year a player from each NFL team is voted to be the Ed Block Courage Award winner. The year that award was bestowed upon OL David Quessenberry. DQ was drafted last year and looked to have a promising career ahead of him but he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma over the summer and he has been undergoing treatment since.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/David-Quessenberry-voted-Ed-Block-Courage-winner/2d2be1de-0f86-4bc7-a405-7d5a1cefa30e

 

With the Colts game coming up Sunday here is an article from Texans.com from Drew Dougherty about the 5 Things to Watch in this week's game.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-at-Colts/8387f2f0-143f-4b82-a806-23196388f0dd

[eagle eye]

There are 3 reasons I want Houston to win tomorrow.

1. I want Houston to win. I'm a fan and I want a team I root for to win. Simple as that.

2. I want Houston to be able to win out and have a chance to make the playoffs and it all starts against the Colts.

3. I want to listen to Fred and AJ on The Blitz on ESPN radio have to eat their words about the negative things they have said about the team all season. I want to hear a caller phone in and just rip both guys for their lack of faith in the team and blast them for not seeing the potential in the Texans. Eat Crow Suckas! They have already bested the win total that Houston was supposed to get according to the Dynamic Dipsticks. 6 wins, that's it. That's all they said Houston would get and that was if they maxed out their wins. Shame on you guys. I realize they were being honest in their assessment of the team but c'mon guys, 6 wins max? Really? For Houston to be still the playoff hunt in Week 15 is sweet. A win over the Colts would be so great on so many levels I can't even list them all.

So, there you have it. Total homer-dom at its finest. I'm all in on the Texans. The Browns gave you the formula to win. Play badass defense and you do that by pressuring Andrew Luck, stuffing the run game which doesn't scare anyone anyway. Neither Trent Richardson or Dan Herron are going to beat you and put your best CB on TY Hilton and give him help whenever possible. The offense has a better outlook than the Browns had. They have a better running game and since he came back into the starting lineup Ryan Fitzpatrick has been much better than before. Certainly better than Brian Hoyer has been for Cleveland. Even if Andre Johnson doesn't clear the NFL concussion protocols and misses the game DeAndre Hopkins has emerged at no less than the WR 1-A on the roster. Keshawn Martin, DeVier Posey and CJ Fiederowicz will need to step up. The one clear advantage Houston has is the running game. Arian Foster and Alfred Blue are the engines that drive the offensive machine. Foster is the 6th leading rusher in the NFL despite playing on only 10 games and Blue has been a pleasant surprise who gained a lot of needed experience in Foster's absense. Houston will step up and win for the first time in Indianapolis. The Texans have lost 12 straight games, one for every year of their existence in the NFL and it's high time that trend ceases. Houston is going to do it and the final score will be...................

 

Houston 31 Indianapolis 27

Edited December 13, 2014 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Dammit. Now you have to wonder what is going to happen the rest of the season. The saving grace is "the rest of the season" is only two games. The other saving grace is the Texans will get to have the opportunity to see what they have in Tom Savage. Don't know what I'm talking about? Okay, let me back up. Yesterday the Texans lost to the Colts in Indianapolis for the 13th time in 13 tries. To make matters worse, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was lost for the last two and a half games because of a broken leg that was injured when he scrambled for 3 yards in the 2nd quarter. Cowabunga. In came rookie QB Tom Savage who showed promise on one hand and he looked like a rookie with that deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes in the other hand. Even so, the defense did it's job even scoring the only Texan TD of the day in the first quarter on a strip sack of Andrew Luck. Early in the game it looked like Houston may finally do it but they called a game that looked like an attempt not to lose rather than win. That is without taking into account 2 4th down runs by the Texans. By the 4th quarter the game was at a manageable 14-7 when Houston moved the ball to around the Indy 20 and on 4th-and-1 Houston went for it on a pitch around the right end to Arian Foster who went the distance for the tying TD. But it was all wiped out by a holding call on WR DeVier Posey who wasn't even close to the play. Posey didn't have to hold and it cost Houston dearly. Instead, they had to settle for a Randy Bullock field goal. 14-10 is okay but getting the tie could've made things a lot different including giving Savage and the offense a boost of confidence.

You can't cry because Fitz got hurt because he and the Texans offense weren't doing that well before the injury. I'm sad because I really thought Houston could go to Indy and win that game. The Colts win clinches the AFC South for them and for all intents and purposes eliminates the Texans from the playoff race. I believe they have a mathmatical shot but the odds are slim and none with smart money on none. Going forward you hope that Houston can smooth out some rough edges to Savage's game and they can finish the season strong with home games against Baltimore and Jacksonville.

Edited December 15, 2014 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Good grief, what next? Fitz struggles and Mallett comes in. No sooner does Mallett get on the field and he tears his chest muscle. Reenter Fitz and he is rejuvinated and in his first game he tosses 6 TDs. He wins his first two games back and the third game toward the end of the 2nd quarter Fitz breaks his freaking leg of all things. Done for the season. Now, after Mallett was hurt Houston signs career backup Thad Lewis. Fine and dandy but when Fitz got hurt it was rookie QB Tom Savage that came into the game. On Monday as Houston was licking it's wounds after being edged out of the playoff picture in a close loss to Indianapolis they poached the St Louis Rams practice squad and got none other than Case Keenum. Now comes the dilemma, who is going to start? If Houston is worried about winning maybe it will be Lewis. He's a veteran who has game experience in the league. Maybe it will be Keenum who also has game experience but he was also benched twice last season too. Then there is Savage who made his NFL debut last week. He did okay but he also looked pretty rookie-ish too. Bill O'Brien has a heckuva decision to make. For my money, I think he should play Savage. It is a prime time to see just what you've got in what could be a future franchise QB while you can. Test him under fire so to speak and see what the kid is made of. It should help a lot that Andre Johnson is expected back this week from his concussion. Give the kid his shot because one thing you know for sure, Houston won't be hanging their future hopes either Lewis or Keenum.

 

Speaking of Andre Johnson, he was the Texans nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. A player from each NFL team receives the nomination and each nominee receives $1000 for the charity of the player's choice. The winner of the award will be announced on January 31st, 2015 at the Fourth Annual NFL Honors award show. The winner will receive an additional $20,000 for his charity. The award is given to the player who showed outstanding service to their community in the past year.

 

JJ Watt gets a lot of fan mail as you might expect but one in particular caused a bit of a stir. Check this out from Texans.com.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/The-7-year-old-JJ-Watt/6468e6f6-d227-47eb-a31c-eecc87a34791

[eagle eye]

Well, one thing we know, we know we don't know who will start against the Ravens on Sunday. Bill O'Brien is not leaking anything early although it doesn't look like it will be Tom Savage. Oh well, I can't help but think this game won't go well. It could be gas but I don't have much faith in the Texans right now. The cool thing is, if they jump up and beat the Ravens the surprise will be just too cool for school. I can't think of anyone I'd rather see Houston beat than Baltimore except for maybe Indy. Anyway, I think Houston will lose and I've got a premonition that it won't be pretty. The final score will be.............

 

Baltimore 38 Houston 13

[eagle eye]

Man, you leave town for a 4 day cruise on Thursday and all hell breaks loose! When I left it looked like a tossup between Thad Lewis, who was signed after Ryane Mallett tore his pec, and newly signed Case Keenum, home town hero who sort of got run out of town. Apparently, Bill O'Brien chose Keenum. The same Keenum who was 0-8 as a starting QB for the Texans, hell in the NFL! It makes you wonder what the coaches saw that Tom Savage wasn't even in the conversation and how bad Lewis must have looked. Or, maybe, Keenum just looked that good. Let's not get crazy here. Besides six field goals made by Randy Bullock the only TD came on pass from Arian Foster of all people. Foster added 96 yards rushing to help the Texans cause. Bill O'Brien did something that Gary Kubiak did when he was Case Keenum's head coach last season---O'Brien unleashed the NCAA all time leading passer giving him 42 attempts in the game. Keenum only completed 20 for a mere 185 yards but danged if it didn't work. The defense has been playing lights out the past six weeks. Houston could easily have had 2-3 more wins if the offense had taken advantage of the stellar play of the defense. It's kind of staggering to see what could have been for Houston if only they had consistent QB play all season.

Kudos to Andre Johnson who among his 6 grabs on the day became only the 10th player in NFL history to catch 1,000 balls.

JJ Watt didn't get an interception Sunday but he did add to his season sack total by 1 when he sacked Joe Flacco and he also picked up a roughing the passer which ain't all bad if you know what I mean. The stars of the defense on Sunday were AJ Bouye who picked off Flacco once and Kareem Jackson who picked the Flac-meister twice. Tis the season for giving after all. Kids, altogether now, "Thank you Mr Flacco!!". Not only does this throw a big ole monkey wrench in the Ravens playoff hopes it gives Houston a glimmer of a possibility for making the playoffs.

Here's how. Houston will need to beat Jacksonville at home. I think we can all agree that can happen without too much wishing. The next two things that have to happen are less likely. First Cleveland must travel to Baltimore and figure out a QB who can beat the Ravens. I think the Browns have the defense that could shut down the Ravens but the offense is severely disabled. Carolina hosted these Browns and barely escaped with a 17-13 win. The other thing is even more difficult. Houston needs the Chiefs to beat the San Diego Chargers who stole a victory in OT against the 49ers in San Fran. The Chargers will have to go to Kansas City to play the Chiefs who took one on the chin in Pittsburgh Sunday. It's weird but I am suddenly a HUGE Browns and Chiefs fan. First things first though, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOR ALL.

[eagle eye]

It's pretty simple really only so many things have to happen for Houston to sneak into the playoffs. First and foremost, Houston will need to beat Jacksonville at NRG Stadium. Lose that game and nothing else that happens will matter as far as Houston making the playoffs. At the same time San Diego will be square off against the Chiefs in Kansas City. KC needs to win to their own playoff hopes alive the only thing is, KC's QB Alex Smith is out due to a lacerated spleen suffered against Pittsburgh last week. KC will start former Missouri QB Chase Daniel. It will be the second season in a row the Chargers and Chiefs close out the season against one another and the second season in a row that Daniel will start Week 17. Daniel lost to the Bolts last year and he's hoping to turn that around this week. San Diego has their own issues at QB with Phillip Rivers dealing with a bad back. Flip a coin here but as Texans fans we are definitely rooting for the Chiefs here. Next Cleveland needs to figure out who will be their QB this week and it looks like undrafted free agent from South Carolina, Connor Shaw, will be under center for the Brownies. Now the Browns need to travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens and Houston fans are definitely rooting for the men from the great state of Ohio. The Ravens need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive and Cleveland just needs to play well because jobs in Cleveland for 2015 may depend upon it. That's it. Simple right. Houston beats Jacksonville and hopes like hell two prohibitive underdogs pull off upsets. If you're thinking, "No way in Hades can Houston make the playoffs!", I point out the fact that the lowly Washington Redskins beat a prohibitively favored Philadelphia Eagles team last Saturday night. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and who's to say he won't deliver a couple of late gifts to the Texans?

 

The Pro Bowl rosters were named this week and, not surprisingly, JJ Watt and Arian Foster were named to the squad. Unfortunately, they were the only Texans to make the Pro Bowl.

 

Kicker Randy Bullock, on the strength of his six for six field goals last week in the Texans win over the Ravens won him the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

 

Starting right guard Brandon Brooks was back at practice today and according to Bill O'Brien he will play this week. O'Brien also commented in his press conference today that Houston will need to play well to beat the Jags. He said that despite their record (3-12) the Jaguars have a good team. He has seen it in game film, the Jags are a good football team, so Houston will have to play it's best to win. In their first meeting 3 weeks ago Jacksonville actually led 13-10 at the half before Houston came back in the second half to hand the Jaguars a 27-13 defeat.

[eagle eye]

This is, in all likelihood, the last weekend for Houston in the 2014 season. I believe Houston showed everyone that the 2-14 team of 2013 was an anomaly and not who this team was and is. Uneven quarterback play stifled what could have been better season but still the cut of this new head coach is pretty good. The only team more underrated is the Cowboys and if Houston had a QB the caliber of Tony Romo 12 to 13 wins would not be a stretch. They can close out the season with a winning 9-7 record with a win over the Jaguars tomorrow and I really think they will. After all they are still playing for a possible spot in the playoffs and in Bill O'Brien's first season you can be your bottom dollar he will want to finish strong. He will have to do it by turning 2nd year QB Case Keenum loose. In last week's game he threw 41 times and it may take that many attempts again to win. If that's what it takes I have no doubt O'Brien will give Keenum the reins and let him see what he can do. Keenum is looking for a job in 2015 so it's in his best interests to show a little something. I'm proud of the way the Texans have competed game in and game out. They have represented Houston and their fans very well despite the lack of success. It's all out in front of them now. The only thing they really need is a franchise QB and he may be on the roster right now although he's likely on IR. Houston has a defense that can play with anyone and with an upgrade or two on the O-line and the aforementioned QB Houston will give Indy a run for their money in 2015. In my opinion it really starts tomorrow. Guys are playing for a roster spot in 2015 and the train has left the station. It all begins with a Houston win at home over Jacksonville and final score will be......................

 

Houston 27 Jacksonville 16

Edited December 28, 2014 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Houston had a helluva season all things considered with JJ Watt having one of those seasons that defy description. 4 TDs, a safety, 20.5 sacks (2 shy of the NFL record held by Michael Strahan), 10 passes defensed (remember he's a defensive END!), 1 INT and 4 forced fumbles. Sheesh, is it any wonder people have him in the conversation for NFL MVP? He will certainly win his second Defensive Player of the Year Award. Lord knows he deserves it. Another good draft with Bill O'Brien's imput and settling their quarterback situation is a must.

 

My question to you guys is what do you think needs to happen to get Houston back into the playoffs considering they missed it by one game this year?

[eagle eye]

JJ Watt's accolades just keep coming in. First he's named a unanimous selection for All Pro defensive end AND he's received votes enough to be alternate All Pro at defensive tackle! Then to put a cherry on top of his season he is named Defensive Player of the Year. I haven't seen a vote for MVP yet but in my mind there are 3 choices and the first one I don't have to tell you who that is. Aaron Rodgers is a no-brainer in most people's minds. He's damn good, don't get me wrong but in several statistical categories Tony Romo is better. So now you know who my 2nd choice is. I don't think Romo has a shot but he should be in the conversation. The last and certainly not least is Watt. If ever there was a player who made a huge difference on his team it's JJ Watt. Think where this Texans defense would be without him. A rudderless ship lost in a sea of NFL offenses is where and that is no exaggeration. Hopefully, Jadeveon Clowney can come back next season and be a factor and I'd hate to think how good this defense could be. Let's not forget about who Houston could pick up in the 2015 draft to further lift this team's defense.

Needless to say, I have high hopes and expectations for Houston in the next year. I really expect us to be talking about Houston and their chances in the division round of the playoffs this time next year.

It's been a good season and certainly better than most expected. I have to say this team didn't go as far with Ryan Fitzpatrick than I really thought they might but when Fitz was benched in favor of Ryan Mallett and after Mallett was lost for the season with a torn pec Fitz did a good job and he was really looking like a guy who said "eff it" and was playing with some abandon until he got leg whipped and broke his leg. The biggest surprise for me and I'll bet a lot of people was how well QB Case Keenum did winning his only two starts in 2015 after being on another team's practice squad all year. BTW, they were the first and second career wins for Keenum who went 0-8 last year as a starter. I think Bill O'Brien did a good job in his first season and I really think this team will be better going forward.

That's it. 2014 is over for the Texans and, as of 6:30 yesterday, 23 other teams as well. The NFL season is down to the Elite 8 to use NCAA basketball terms. Six teams are looking for a head coach as we speak and two of those teams need a GM too. So, for me, the book is closed on this thread. Time to start looking forward to what 2015 is going to bring. I still can't believe the NFL season is over. It was a good ride Houston. Thanks for a fun and frustrating season!

[eagle eye]

Among the coaching changes taking place in the NFL you can could Houston as one of the teams who are tweaking the coaching staff. On Thursday of this week offensive line coach Paul Dunn was fired. No real reason was given for the firing after just one year other than the old "going in a different direction" blah-blah. Whatever, but Dunn did coach the Texans line to be good enough to have the Texans become the 5th best rushing offense in the NFL and 4th fewest sacks. As those of us who watched the Texans all year it probably seems that these stats are a little misleading. There is no denying that G Derek Newton got noticeably better this season. The bottom line is, it's obvious that Bill O'Brien and Dunn just didn't see eye to eye. Again, whatever.

 

On Friday the position of OL coach wasn't vacant long. The Texans hired former NY Jets O-line coach Mike Devlin. Devlin was the longest tenured coach for the Jets and despite having a year left on his contract the firing of Jets head coach Rex Ryan made Devlin's decision to skip town pretty easy. Here's a short article for SB Nation about the hire.

 

http://www.battleredblog.com/2015/1/9/7520279/houston-texans-hire-mike-devlin-as-new-offensive-line-coach

 

JJ Watt has been named the best player in the NFL by ProFootballFocus.com. Here's the article about the award from Texans.com.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/JJ-Watt-named-best-player-in-NFL-by-PFF/8bfc1c0a-e7cd-4449-aba6-3457cb498943