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Why the Cincinnati Bengals Should Be Hopeful About…

info — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:57:00 +0000

When the Cincinnati Bengals travel into Reliant Stadium to take on the Houston Texans, they have more than a few reasons to be confident. I might even go as far as picking the Bengals to win this game.

Much has been made about the Bengals inability to beat a good team —they’re a whopping 0-7 against those within the playoff field. While those numbers do raise some alarm, they’re not as bad as they look on the surface. With the exception of their Week 13 game in Pittsburgh, they haven’t lost a game by more than eight points. Additionally, they don’t have any “bad” losses —losing to teams they shouldn’t (Denver might be an exception, though it’s hard to make that argument when they’re in the playoffs). I’ll readily admit that you need to be able to take down better teams, but the Bengals clearly show where they fall on the quality spectrum. They’ve probably been one of the best teams to set your watch to. They win when they should and lose when they should. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens by seven and eight points, respectively. They lost to the Denver Broncos by two and the San Francisco 49ers by five. Their other game against Pittsburgh found them losing by only seven. Lastly, they lost to the Houston Texans by one. This is a team that can compete.

The Texans, on the other hand, do have a few mind boggling losses. That being said, they also have some impressive wins —Pittsburgh and Atlanta specifically. However, they also carry losses to the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. You can throw in the Oakland Raiders if you want as well. I’ll give a couple of those teams the benefit of being pretty decent, but they aren’t teams the Houston Texans should lose to. The Titans game gets a free pass because most of the starting Texans were on the bench. What’s more alarming for the Texans is their current three-game losing streak they’re riding into the playoffs —Carolina, Indy, and Tennessee. Being the Texans first ever trip to the playoffs, I’m sure the Bengals are going to run into a raucous crowd at Reliant Stadium. If Dalton and company can’t control that, it could get ugly.

What makes this game difficult is that you have two rookie quarterbacks. T.J Yates hasn’t thrown a touchdown in two-plus games and following Yates’ injury against the Titans, we don’t know if that shoulder will affect his performance. When you look at the numbers of the two teams, they’re relatively even. The slight edge goes to the Texans in most categories, but that also factors in the gaudy offensive numbers they were putting up prior to Matt Schaub’s injury. As it stands now, I think the game is pretty even.

Andy Dalton doesn’t give much more confidence. Despite Dalton having a stellar rookie season, you don’t often like the idea of rookie quarterbacks in the playoffs. In fact, the research I’ve found is that no rookie quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl. That’s an alarming trend for both Bengals and Texans fans.

We don’t need to talk about the Super Bowl yet. Yates and Dalton both have things to take care of before we start thinking about that. While I think it’s a virtual toss up, I think I like Cincinnati.

Bengals 20 Texans 17

Brian is a lifelong NFL fan, specifically of the Chicago Bears, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed the NFL throughout.

Sources

Bengals/Texans Preview

Bengals Schedule

Texans Schedule

T.J Yates Stats

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today.

Texans ready to move on from 23-22 loss to Titans

info — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:28:35 +0000

The Houston Texans didn’t spend much time worrying about
Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans.

They had much more important concerns with the first playoff
game in franchise history just six days away.

Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes and Houston botched a
2-point conversion at the end of Tennessee’s 23-22 victory at
Reliant Stadium.

The Texans (10-6) will play Cincinnati (9-7) on Saturday in the
first round of the playoffs.

“It’s going to be unbelievable,” said receiver Kevin Walter, a
former Bengal. “We are going to be ready, I tell you that for
sure.”

Tennessee (9-7) earned its first winning record since 2008 in
Mike Munchak’s first season, but its postseason fate depended on
the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver.

When the Broncos lost to Kansas City, the Titans were knocked
out of playoff contention.

“I was proud of the guys for bouncing back the last two weeks
and putting ourselves in the position to reach the playoffs,”
Munchak said in a statement, “But we also put ourselves in the
position of needing help and it didn’t work out for us today.”

Houston was locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs
before the game began. With the playoff position secured and
nothing to lose but more players to injury, coach Gary Kubiak
called for a 2-point conversion to avoid overtime and win the game
in regulation.

“You would never go for 2 there in any other situation,” Kubiak
said. “But where we were physically, at the end of the game, I had
a tight end (Garrett Graham) playing linebacker. Our team, I had to
get them to next week.”

Now the Texans will prepare for the biggest game in the team’s
10-year history.

“It’s a different platform that we’ve never played at before,”
linebacker Brian Cushing said. “We’re really excited to showcase
what we’re about as a team and as an organization to the city and
to the fans. This is huge and from here on out this is big-time
football and we’re excited for it.”

Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series and was
replaced by Jake Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates had a bruised left
shoulder but could’ve returned if necessary.

“Obviously, I didn’t want him to go back in the game,” Kubiak
said. “We’ll know better where we’re at (Monday) at this
point.”

The 36-year-old Delhomme, signed Nov. 29 in the wake of
season-ending injuries to starter Matt Schaub and backup Matt
Leinart, completed 18 of 28 passes, including a 5-yard touchdown
pass to Bryant Johnson with 14 seconds left.

Kubiak called for a 2-point conversion at the end. But after a
false start penalty, backup center Thomas Austin snapped the ball
over Delhomme’s head and the game was over.

The Texans certainly weren’t happy about losing, but won’t spend
any time thinking about what happened on Sunday.

“We’re ripping off the rear-view mirror,” tight end Joel
Dreessen said. “The regular season is over with, and the Texans are
officially invited to the postseason. We open up at home, in one
week. And that’s our focus right now. It’s a whole new season, and
we have to play at our best.”

Chris Johnson ran for 61 yards, and Rob Bironas kicked three
field goals for Tennessee. The Titans needed a Bengals loss and
victories by Oakland and Denver to earn a postseason rematch with
the Texans back in Houston next week.

The Texans had other concerns after the loss.

Yates was sacked on Houston’s first snap by Jurrell Casey and
Derrick Morgan. He completed passes to Dreessen and James Casey for
first downs, before Tate and Derrick Ward started alternating
touches for the rest of the drive.

Tate finished that drive with a touchdown, but Yates came off
the field favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker
room.

Titans defensive end Dave Ball sacked Delhomme and knocked the
ball loose, and safety Chris Hope recovered at the Texans 33.
Hasselbeck threw a 25-yard pass to Jared Cook, then found Donnie
Avery in the corner of the end zone to move Tennessee in front.

Delhomme threw a 16-yard pass to Andre Johnson to get Houston
moving again. Johnson caught two passes and sat out the second half
after missing the previous three games with a strained left
hamstring.

Neil Rackers kicked a 52-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the
first half, but Bironas booted a 43-yarder on the final play before
the break to put Tennessee up 13-10. Bironas extended his own NFL
record by kicking a field goal of 40 yards or longer for the 10th
consecutive game.

The Texans rallied to tie it at 16-all, but Kubiak had most of
his defensive starters on the bench in the fourth quarter. Nate
Washington got behind rookie cornerback Brandon Harris and
third-string safety Quintin Demps for a 23-yard touchdown with 4:31
remaining.

Texans linebacker Jesse Nading recovered a fumble by Ahmard Hall
with less than two minutes left, and Delhomme completed 5 of 6
passes to drive Houston for the late touchdown.

Notes: Wide receiver Andre Johnson played about 20 snaps. Kubiak
said he isn’t ready to play 70 plays next week, but that he should
be able to go 45-50. … Kubiak said Houston OLB Bryan Braman has a
stinger. … Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips worked from the
press box after missing two games following kidney and gall bladder
surgery.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Titans, Texans have different incentives in finale

info — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:52:46 +0000

HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different
objectives in mind heading into today’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant
Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving
Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their
first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first
round of the postseason right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no
scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the
couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible —
regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive
defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first
AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of postseason positioning.
The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host
a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what
happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s
first postseason game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,”
defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t
hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t
matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the
playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will
happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory
in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of
the regular season, despite playing most of their games without
star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week,
and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale.
Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that
required minor surgery, started the next two games and then
strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three
games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can
regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played
football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run
around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive coordinator Wade Phillips
back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the
sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after
undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker
Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter
what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of
contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes
because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost
to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now
looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their
home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their
divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were
physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in
the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the
past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he
said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and
they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest
game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one
thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it
to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s
had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson
needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the
fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed
said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he
doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s
dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster
also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the
second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has
topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both
victories.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Andre Johnson Ready to Play in Week 17: Fantasy…

info — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:08:00 +0000

Receiver Andre Johnson could actually put up some good fantasy numbers on Sunday. His Houston Texans go up against the Tennessee Titans in the last game of the regular season and Johnson looks to get in on a number of plays. He missed the last three games due to a strained left hamstring, further compounding his issue with injuries during the 2011 NFL season. For fantasy football owners he became one of the most frustrating players to have this year.

In Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons, Johnson had 9.7 fantasy points in the 17-10 win. It was only the sixth game that he had played in 2011, but the 4 catches and 97 receiving yards really helped out the Titans. It ended up just becoming a big tease to those that play fantasy football, because he would then miss the next three weeks.

After starting out the season with three good games, it really looked like Johnson was going to put up some of the best numbers of his career. He had 21 catches for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns heading into Week 4, showing that he could threaten the 100-catch 1,600-yard mark for the year. It didn’t go according to plan though, and injuries caused him to miss nine games of the fantasy season. Now he returns in Week 17 during a time when many fantasy leagues have actually already finished.

There are some Texans fans frustrated with the news that Johnson is even returning before the playoffs, simply because a hamstring injury is one of the easiest to worsen on the football field. One bad cut or misstep and Johnson could miss the playoffs, likely taking away one of the best weapons that the Texans have on offense. This is where the risk also comes in for fantasy football owners, because while Johnson has the opportunity to make a big play or two, he might have very limited playing time. If the quarterback(s) can’t get him the ball early, then he may not post very good stats for the day.

Consider Johnson a risk as a fantasy starter in Week 17, though he does have the potential to put up big numbers on the first two drives alone. Starting a receiver that will play a full game in Week 17 is definitely a safer bet at this point, but most league champions know when to play it safe and when to bet on a talented player trying to prove something.

More From YCN:

Best_Week_16_Players

Best Fantasy Tight Ends

Best_Week_16_Defenses

Best_Five_Fantasy_Players

Tim_Tebow_Beats_Tom_Brady

Sources:

Week 16 NFL Scores

Defensive Team Leaders

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Titans cling to playoff hopes, while Texans seek…

info — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:51:18 +0000

HOUSTON – The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different objectives in mind heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first round of the post-season right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible — regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of post-season positioning. The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s first post-season game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of the regular season, despite playing most of their games without star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week, and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale. Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that required minor surgery, started the next two games and then strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both victories.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Cam Newton leads Carolina Panthers over Houston…

info — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:13:06 +0000

HOUSTON — Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes, DeAngelo Williams ran for a score and the Carolina Panthers ended Houston’s seven-game winning streak with a 28-13 victory over the Texans on Sunday.

Newton completed 13-of-23 passes for 149 yards, outplaying opposing rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. The Panthers (5-9) built a 21-0 halftime lead, then ended Houston’s second-half rally when linebacker James Anderson intercepted Yates in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.

The Texans (10-4) are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs after clinching the AFC South last weekend.

But their top-ranked defense looked vulnerable without coordinator Wade Phillips, who’s on medical leave after kidney and gallbladder surgery last week. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring made the defensive calls Sunday.

Houston gave up only 316 yards, but Carolina converted two Texans turnovers into 14 points.

“I just think the overall theme of the day was, we gave up big plays and there were discipline parts of the game that we were not very disciplined on, as we have been throughout the year,” Herring said. “We obviously didn’t execute very well.”

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Houston Texans clinch AFC South, earn franchise’s…

info — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:45:48 +0000

Originally published December 11, 2011 at 8:34 PM | Page modified December 11, 2011 at 8:38 PM

CINCINNATI — Eighty yards to cover, little more than two minutes left, no timeouts to help. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates faced his biggest challenge as he lined up for the snap.

With savvy and a scramble, he pulled it off.

Yates led the biggest drive in Houston Texans history on Sunday, one that put them in the end zone and into the playoffs. He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left for a 20-19 victory over Cincinnati that sent the expansion team into the playoffs for the first time, as AFC South champions.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Yates said. “A lot of people in this organization have waited a long time for this. This is a special day for this team and this organization.”

Locker fills in well for Hasselbeck

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jake Locker knows he should have thrown the ball away or given a teammate a chance to make a play. The rookie wound up sacked on the final play with the ball in his hand.

“I am not going to second guess anything he did,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said.

Locker, the former Washington Husky and eighth overall draft pick, came off the bench early in the second quarter when former Seahawk Matt Hasselbeck strained his left calf. Locker threw for 282 yards and a touchdown while he ran for 36 yards and a TD.

But the Titans (7-6) lost 22-17 to the Saints (10-3), who clinched a playoff berth when Chicago lost in overtime to Denver.

With no timeouts left and the final seconds ticking off, Locker scrambled to his right looking for a teammate before being sacked by Jo-Lonn Dunbar to end the game. Locker said he thought about running.

“Once I got outside the pocket there were a lot of guys there,” Locker said. “It ended up that I didn’t throw it anyway but … I should have.”

Note

• Atlanta coach Mike Smith is expected to return to Atlanta after being examined in a Charlotte hospital. The Falcons said in a statement that Smith was examined for a “non-emergency matter” but did not release details.

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NFL: Houston Texans earn their first playoff berth

info — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:09:45 +0000

Eighty yards to cover, a little more than two minutes left, no timeouts. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates faced his biggest challenge as he lined up for the snap. With savvy and a scramble, he led the biggest drive in Texans history.

Yates threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Walter with two seconds left for a victory over Cincinnati (7-6) that sent the Texans (10-3) into the playoffs for the first time.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Yates, who was making his second start. “A lot of people in this organization have waited a long time for this.”

Yates scrambled 17 yards on third-and-15 to keep the final drive going. A pass-interference penalty put the ball at the 6-yard line with 12 seconds left. After an incompletion, Walter cut to the middle of the field and was uncovered at the goal line.

Houston 3 0 7 10–20

Cincinnati 6 10 3 0–19

FIRST QUARTER

Hou — FG Rackers 46, 9:51.

Cin — FG Nugent 22, 4:54.

Cin — FG Nugent 47, 2:31.

SECOND QUARTER

Cin — Simpson 17 pass from Dalton (Nugent kick), 3:02.

Cin — FG Nugent 49, :06.

THIRD QUARTER

Hou

– Dreessen 6 pass from Yates (Rackers kick), 12:27.

Cin — FG Nugent 28, 2:07.

FOURTH QUARTER

Hou — FG Rackers 33, 5:31.

Hou — Walter 6 pass from Yates (Rackers kick), :02.

Hou Cin

First downs 25 16

Total Net Yards 412 285

Rushes-yards 28-144 29-101

Passing 268 184

Punt Returns 4-30 0-0

Kickoff Returns 5-59 3-47

Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-23

Comp-Att-Int 26-44-1 16-28-0

Sacked-Yards Lost 5-32 1-5

Punts 2-51.5 4-46.5

Fumbles-Lost 4-3 2-2

Penalties-Yards 5-50 3-27

Time of Possession 31:44 28:16

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Houston rushing — Tate 8-67, Foster 15-41, Yates 5-36.

Cincinnati rushing — Benson 21-91, Scott 6-4, Hawkins 1-4, Dalton 1-2.

Houston passing — Yates 26-44-1-300.

Cincinnati passing — Dalton 16-28-0-189.

Houston receiving — Daniels 7-100, Walter 6-76, Foster 4-33, Jones 3-39, Tate 3-30, Dreessen 3-22.

Cincinnati receiving — Green 5-59, Gresham 3-45, Simpson 2-38, Scott 2-15, Caldwell 2-10, Hawkins 1-22, Benson 1-0.

Missed field goals — Houston, Rackers 47 (WR).

A — 41,202.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Houston Texans Week 12 Injury Report: Andre…

info — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:00:02 +0000

Read More: Matt Leinart (QB – HOU), Andre Johnson (WR – HOU), Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars

The good news for the Houston Texans, Andre Johnson was a full participant in practice and looks ready to go for Sunday’s contest versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. The bad news, the quarterback he’s been used to throwing him passes for the majority of his career is out for the reason of the season.

Matt Schaub’s injury has forced Gary Kubiak to install Matt Leinart into the starting lineup, and at 7-3, the buildup of the former USC quarterback will be key to getting the Texans into the playoffs. A win over Jacksonville would provide tons of security in locking up a playoff spot.

Here is the injury report for the Houston Texans on November 23rd:

DId Not Practice

Limited Participant In Practice

Full Participant In Practice

For the latest news and notes on the Texans, check out Battle Red Blog. For more on the Jaguars, check out Big Cat Country.

Leave your comments on the news below.

Pat Yasinskas’ QB Watch

info — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:38:50 +0000

Don’t feel too sad for the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.

Sure, they each have lost their starting quarterback to injuries. But the Texans still might be on a path to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history even without Matt Schaub. The Bears were in the playoffs last season, but, at least in the short term, they’ll have to go on without Jay Cutler.

Schaub suffered a foot injury that’s likely to keep him from playing again this season. Cutler reportedly will have surgery on his thumb Wednesday and the Bears say there is some hope he could return sometime around the end of the regular season.

AP Photo/Steve StarrEarl Morrall (15) filled in for an injured Bob Griese during the Miami Dolphins’ 1972 Super Bowl run.

If you’re thinking the Texans and the Bears will fall apart with Matt Leinart and Caleb Hanie as their respective starters, you might be wrong. There’s a moral to this story. It’s the story of Earl Morrall.

This story of a backup stepping in for a long haul and the team not missing a beat would not apply to just any team. But the Texans and the Bears fit the profile quite nicely because they’re already 7-3.

Morrall wasn’t the most talented backup in the history of the world. He got traded several times, started and backed up, but never really did much of anything until finding the perfect landing spot — twice.

In 1968, Johnny Unitas got hurt and Morrall stepped in and led the Baltimore Colts all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to Joe Namath and the Jets. Don Shula was the coach of that Baltimore team and was coaching the Miami Dolphins in 1972 when he spotted Morrall’s name on the waiver wire. Shula spent $100 and claimed Morrall.

“I happen to have a good memory,” Shula said at the time. “I remember what Earl did for me in 1968.”

When Bob Griese went down in October of 1972, Morrall stepped in and helped the Dolphins complete an unbeaten regular season. Morrall started a couple of playoff games before Griese returned to lead the Dolphins to a Super Bowl victory.

The best news of all for the Texans and Bears might be that Schaub and Cutler certainly never will be confused with Unitas. Maybe not even Griese. They’re decent quarterbacks who’ve looked good this year because they have good teams around them.

Year of the Quarterback

ESPN has dedicated 2011 to examining one of the most crucial positions in all of sports — the quarterback.
Year of the QB »

Leinart and Hanie could be confused with Morrall, who, when it came right down to it, was “just a guy.” Morrall worked his magic with excellent players all around him.

You could even draw parallels to when Jeff Hostetler took over for an injured Phil Simms late in the 1990 season and led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl win. Hostetler also was “just a guy” who suddenly found himself playing quarterback for a good team.

It’s not all that difficult to imagine Leinart taking the Texans into the postseason. He’s got Arian Foster to hand off to, and Foster’s presence means that Leinart, who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since 2009, should get some wide-open shots at Andre Johnson. Plus, Houston’s defense isn’t going to give up a lot of points. Even if the Texans go 3-3 the rest of the way, they probably make the playoffs.

Hanie faces a similar situation. Although he has only minimal NFL experience, he can rely on running back Matt Forte and a very good defense.

Leinart and Hanie don’t have to carry the Texans and Bears. They can hop on the backs of their teammates and, as long as they hold on, everything could work out just fine.

TRENDING UP

Week 11 vs. TEN (W, 23-17)

CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	AVG	LNG	TD	INT	QBR
22	32	316	68.8	9.88	43	1	0	89.8

Week 11 vs. BUF (W, 35-8)

CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	AVG	LNG	TD	INT	QBR
14	20	160	70.0	8.00	46	3	0	98.0

TRENDING DOWN

Week 11 vs. PHI (L, 17-10)

CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	AVG	LNG	TD	INT	QBR
18	35	264	51.4	7.54	47	1	1	23.0

Week 11 vs. SEA (L, 24-7)

CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	AVG	LNG	TD	INT	QBR
20	40	181	50.0	4.53	30	1	1	13.7

What are your opinions.

Dear Lord! The Texans Are Gonna Be The AFC’s Top…

info — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:08:16 +0000

Man, football is weird, huh? If the season ended today, the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals would be the two top seeds in the AFC playoffs, and that’s peculiar. Neither of those teams made the playoffs last year, if you’ll recall, and neither one has won a playoff game in a long time. (Houston has never even appeared in a playoff game in its nine years, and Cincinnati hasn’t won a playoff game in 20 years.)

Thing is, Cincy has four games left against the Steelers and Ravens, two teams better than the Bengals, per Football Outsiders’ rankings. They also have a game against the Texans. The Bengals could pretty easily lose all five and wind up 9-7, perhaps out of the playoffs.

But how ’bout those 6-3 Texans? Remaining, for them: Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Carolina, Indianapolis, and Tennessee. Atlanta and the Bengals are the only ones in that bunch with winning records. Per the Outsiders, Houston’s better than all of those teams. The Texans haven’t lost since a spanking in Baltimore, four games ago, and it’s likely that they won’t lose again. Many of their wins have been big—they beat the Colts by 27, Titans by 34, and Browns by 18—and many of their losses close—by five to Oakland, in the wacky Al Davis Memorial game, and by seven to the Saints.

I know, I know what you’re saying. Houston shits the bed every year and goes 8-8. Matt Schaub is so bald and bland. Andre Johnson’s still injured. Mario Williams will be injured for the entire season. Gary Kubiak is Gary Kubiak. But, jeez, look at that bunch of games remaining. Maybe the guy with that tattoo knew what he was doing. Houston’s real.

Real enough to lose to the Jets or Ravens in the divisional round, anyway.

Comment Below!.

Saints brace for Texans team bearing similarities…

info — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:00:11 +0000

NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees can relate to the sense of reinvigoration and optimism surrounding the Houston Texans.

The quarterback recognizes some similarities between how the Texans are evolving now and what New Orleans experienced in 2009, when the Saints won their first NFL title.

Both teams have had prolific quarterbacks for a while, and like the Saints of 2009, Texans have brought in a new defensive co-ordinator in hopes of no longer seeing their gaudy offensive statistics go to waste in seasons that fall short of a playoff berth.

“Any time there’s struggles (and) you make a change, there’s renewed enthusiasm,” Brees said in reference to Houston’s addition of defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips, who’ll be trying to slow down Brees when the Texans (2-0) visit New Orleans (1-1) on Sunday.

“Wade has a great reputation as a defensive co-ordinator and a lot of respect from quarterbacks like me,” Brees added, noting he has not only played against Phillips’ defences, but practised against them when Phillips and Brees were together in San Diego. “You see that renewed enthusiasm and confidence on the defensive side of the ball that maybe hasn’t been there in the past.”

The Saints missed the playoffs in both 2007 and 2008 despite having one of the best offences in the league. Coach Sean Payton then hired defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams, who instituted an aggressive, hard-hitting, blitz-heavy scheme. The Saints wound up near the top of the NFL in takeaways with 39, and opened their championship season with a 13-game winning streak.

Houston, which has never made the playoffs, is trying to improve to 3-0 for the first time. The Texans would not only hit that mark with a victory at New Orleans, but also prove they are good enough to win on the road against a team that has won 11 or more games and made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

“It’s a great test for us and we’re excited about it,” Houston quarterback Matt Schaub said.

Houston started last season 2-0, then stumbled against Dallas, marking the beginning of six losses in an eight game-stretch from which the Texans never recovered.

This time, the Texans aren’t getting ahead of themselves after a season-opening victory over an Indianapolis team without Peyton Manning, followed by a win over a struggling Miami squad.

“There’s definitely a lot more maturity,” Houston linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. “Guys are taking a businesslike approach each week. I’m loving that about the guys. No one’s overly excited about being 2-0. No one cares.”

It’s hard to knock the performance of Houston’s defence so far. Having switched from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4, the unit ranks first in points allowed per game (10) and yards passing allowed per game (162.5). The Texans also have produced four turnovers.

“I know it’s only two weeks in, but it’s an entirely different defence than in years past,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “Wade has done a really good job, really in a short period of time considering we didn’t have an off-season (because of the NFL lockout), of installing this package and the players understanding the nuances of it.”

The Saints’ defence, by contrast, has been inconsistent, giving up five TDs and nearly 400 yards in a loss to Green Bay before sacking Chicago’s Jay Cutler six times and holding the Bears to one TD in a win. New Orleans played both of those games without suspended defensive end Will Smith, who returned this week.

Against Houston, the Saints might not have to worry as much about running back Arian Foster, who has been slowed by a sore left hamstring lately. But the Texans’ zone-blocking run scheme has functioned fine with Ben Tate rushing for 100-plus yards in each of the first two games.

“We have an offensive line that’s been together now for a few years,” Schaub said. “The continuity that they have goes a long way for what we do in the run game as well as in the passing game.”

These teams met as recently as the pre-season, with Houston dominating in a 27-14 win. Houston coach Gary Kubiak said the basic schemes and mixing of personnel makes it hard to predict any kind of carry-over from a pre-season win at Houston to a regular-season meeting in New Orleans.

This weekend, the Saints will have a home advantage with an added twist. Sunday marks five years since the Saints played their first game in the rebuilt Louisiana Superdome after it — and much of New Orleans— had been wrecked by Hurricane Katrina.

The Superdome has been a tough place for some visiting teams to function when emotions have run high in the crowd, and that could be the case again Sunday.

The reopening of the dome “represented the coming back and the return of not just a team, but more importantly, a region and a city,” Payton recalled. “The significance of that season and us playing well in 2006 mattered a lot. … 2009 was important because you won a championship, but ’06 for many was just as important, if not more.”

That’s all the news for today.