1-0 to start
 

So we beat the Manning-less Colts and a lot of poster in the game day thread seem to be picking the team apart for not keeping the foot on the pedal in the 2nd half. Did they coast in the 2nd some what, but we also have to play this team again, and in the NFL there is a point where you do not embarrass your opponent, cause it comes back to haunt you.

Many of you guys do not remember the Glanville Oilers, they embarrassed the Bengals with a 40 point game in the dome, well when the Oilers went to Cincy the Bengal returned the favor, the Oilers never recovered from that ass whipping.

I do not see Kubiak being the dumb ass that Glanville was. He showed the proper respect, they played a lot of young guys in the 2nd half. Now they did try to maintain the shutout, which Tate's fumble gave away, but last year has taught this team that a fast start means nothing. They have to play one game at a time.

We have a tough early season schedule and are going to have a tough time securing a 4-2 start, but as last year again taught us, 4-2 does not get you to the playoffs.

All that cautionary talk aside, it was fun to see the 1st half of the game, offense, defense and special teams all looked solid, and we have room to improve. I liked it, now go out and prove yourselves against Miami.

Yeah, this whole thing about the second half and keeping the foot on the gas is absurd.

It's natural to take it easy a bit when you're up 34 nothing. That said, it was a bit concerning about the sloppiness. You can take your foot off the gas without being sloppy. I hope that much gets shored up.

Beating the team down for the second half is absurd. We were up and the def was still beating on the door.

My concern is, did we take the foot off the gas or did the team do what is has historically done, one good half of football?

I really wanted to see the egg, but oh well. I hope the turnovers get fixed next week.

All in all it was a great game. We dominated all phases of the game and I hope we see that same domination week in and week out.

Our DEs were fantastic. Watt lived in the backfield and Smith is a different man in the 34. He is great at getting off and collapsing the pocket, and he hand fights inside better than anyone we've ever had.

Our OLBs were pretty average. Mario played hard and picked up 2 sacks against Dallas Clark. It looks like he will be what he was last year, a big fast guy who plays hard. He doesn't really have pass rush moves or the lateral agility to turn the corner hard, but the fastest route is a straight line and he has to be accounted for. Barwin was not a factor and doesn't appear to have anything as a pass rusher but the inside move. Reed played but was about the same.

Demeco did not look very good. He is small and may be a guy who struggles in this defense where there are no DL to protect him. Cushing actually played great. Best game I have seen from him since his rookie year. He was the tackling machine and physical presence we need in the middle, and he blitzed well too. And I was glad Dobbins got a LB number.

CBs played well. Joseph was good all day and even had a nice hit in the run game. Jackson and Mccain looked like they have been coached for the first time ever. Allen got badly turned around on an out route.

Quinn was really good. Looks like a great move. Manning did not show up much which is probably a good sign.

Special teams was very good. No kickoff started past the 20. The only one we returned came past the 40. Jacoby Jones needs to stop shuffle stepping when he catches every punt. Just get upfield. He even did it on his TD for a moment before he realized there was nobody there and he could get upfield. But the run was a good one obviously.

Agree with Barrett about the defense: Demeco & Barwin were not impressive in the season opener whereas our DLine was very impressive and Cushing had an excellent game. I checked the stats afterwards and saw that Cushing led the team in tackles with 8, but I swear it seemed like it was twice that as he was very active. But here's the thing about DeMeco & Connar, I'm surprised
and relieved that both are playing (and starting) in the season opener after the season ending injury each suffered last year ?
And if I recall accurately DeMeco had the more serious injury and it's usually the type that a player doesn't fully recover from until the second year (if he experiences a full recovery at all ?). And Barwin is in a new position and didn't get the advantage of lining up on the weakside like Mario does, though I'm more than pleased with Marios initial RS game at OLB.
It will be interesting to see what they do at WR with the injury to Walters ? I hope they bring in the rookie Maehl off of the PS, but for sure we need JJ to step up as our #2 WR.

Personally don't have a problem with the second half performance other than the 2 turnovers. The offense still moved the ball and chewed up clock...exactly what good teams do with a 34 point lead. We absolutely domininated the line of scrimmage on both sides all day long...something I can't recall ever being able to say before and Manning doesn't play on either.

As for defense it's a team game and as a team they dominated in every facet...again something I can't recall ever being able to say. Not real concerned about individual performances because as a D we had constant pressure for the first time ever and were swarming the ball. It was a joy to watch. It was the first time in years I've been able to just watch the D at work without feeling compelled to fast forward through the torture.

Anyone who thought Demeco would come off injury AND missing most of camp and be sharp was delusional. I think it was a great game for him...no glaring mistakes and no injuries...he'll be fine. It was good to see Cushing playing with his old agressiveness and if Mario continues to get consistent pressure anything we get from the other side will be gravy b/c I'm pretty certain both Barwin and Reed will just get better...don'y forget Barwin is recoving from a gruesome injury and learning a new position. The DL ate up the colts line and while the DB's were not exactly tested, they didn't have any of the glaring mistakes we've become so used to.

All in all an excellent start...now let's kick some dolphin ass next week.

I didn't expect Demeco to come in and dominate, and I am not talking about rust issues like the tackles he missed. But without any injury concerns I would not expect a small MLB to be suited to the 34. He has never been good at taking on and fighting off blocks. It is asking him to be something he is not. I think he will fight hard at it this year, but I don't think he is a long term guy in this defense.

Barwin and Reed don't concern me at this point, I just stated that they were average on a great day. No mistakes and no times they really shined (like they did all preseason).

Regarding the offense I will say that our OL is ridiculously underrated. They kicked the Colts around all day, and not just in a zone blocking "we beat you" kind of way. They were moving the LOS 4-5 yards downfield. They don't get the credit they deserve, but they are a great group. Maybe the best run blocking pair of OTs in the NFL. Winston mauls guys and the whole group is great at getting to the 2nd level.

The rest of the offense had a ho-hum day, which says more about how fantastic they are and how regular this kind of performance is for them.

But WR is concerning. Where is DA at these days?

Standing around in an airport waiting to board a flight to Houston would be my guess.

Sam Mills.....

Serious questions here that I don't know the answers to. I really only remember the older Mills with the Panthers, but when he played in a 34 who did he have playing in front of him? How was he at fighting off blocks? I seem to remember him being undersized in terms of height, but very powerful and physical.

I just think Demeco has always struggled when the OL gets to him, and now he is playing with 1 DT in front of him, and that one is Sean Cody. And our DEs are living in the backfield. This means Demeco is going to playmost snaps in the run game with an OL getting to him pretty clean. This will minimize the things he does well (diagnose plays and flow to the ball), and will emphasize the things he struggles with (getting off blocks, holding ground at point of attack when blocked). I have always loved him but I think he is being asked to do some things he won't be successful doing.

Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Willis
&&&
And here's another moderately-sized guy, Patrick Willis, who is generally rated the best ILB in the NFL and they run a 3-4 D out in San Fran last time I checked ?

The Oline was fabulous yesterday, and yea we got a pair of very good, relatively young OTs.
They had a couple close ups of Duane B. battling Freeney, and he was having his way with the great (or perhaps formerly great ?), Colts DE for
most of the afternnon.

If they move J.J. to #2 WR, then make Bryant Johnson the #3, who will then return punts?

Demeco still had his elbow taped up, so I expect better things as the elbow gets healthy.

The regular season is a whole different ballgame. Connor Barwin will learn and become a beast later on in the season.

I guess we can lay to rest the 'ol question of can Mario Williams play OLB.

I personally would rather have Jeff Mael on the active squad than bring back DA.

Great start, happy to see it, but leery over the extreme one side or the other reaction. I've thought all along we would be very competitive this year, but I also thought the Colts would still show up. This is exactly why I stopped gambling :D We "should" handle the Fins close to the same manner. Maybe not to that degree, but we should dominate on both side of the ball again. Real test will come weeks 3 and 4 to see how we stack up with the big boys.

Encouraging to see the defense swarm to the ball.
Encouraging to see a S blitz that actually had an effect on the play.
Encouraging to see the RB spot truly use the next man up. We will need all 3 before the season is done.
And the O-Line.....WOW. If we can stay healthy up front, I can't see any reason why we can't be a top3 offense in yards AND scoring.

Also, BTW, Jabba's twittering that Walter's injury may not be as bad as reported, he's thinking a week or two. Should know more @ the 3:30 presser.

Once again, the national media proves it has NO IDEA what they are talking about. In the presser, Kubiak said it was just a bruise, and has not been ruled out for this week.

Our 1-0 start just got a little brighter in my eyes. Walter is a great blocker in the running game, and he will/would have been missed.

My only concern about "not keeping the foot on the gas" is that the Texans are notorious for not putting two good halves together. At some point, these guys need to learn to finish.

David Anderson was with the Broncos during the pre-season (remember, he's a CSU alum and the Broncos once signed him to an offer sheet) but I don't know if he made the team. I suppose we'll find out tonight.

Just for the record, Sam Mills was 5'9" 229lbs (I know you are listing Willis)

I do not remember Mills NT.


And I want to say Ryans will be OK in the 3-4

David Anderson is a vested veteran, and in the NFL a team has to pay the full salary to all vested vets on the their rosters week 1. Now if a vested vet is signed after week 1, the signing team is only responsible for the weeks the player is on the roster.

So guys like DA, will be signing all over the NFL this week.

On to another topic, we've seen what a real team does with the Dolphins in the first half and then in the second half. Let's see what the Texans do.

LOL. "real team".

The Patriots were never up 34 points on the Dolphins.

Miami is one place where the humidity equals or maybe even exceeds what it is in Houston, so it's going to be brutal out there this Sunday afternoon.
I remember a game the Texans played there a couple years ago when they got gassed from the heat & humidity (even though they won), and that game was in December not September, IIRC ?
They talked about the conditioning of the Miami players last night, but their defense was the one that was subject to the grueling pace of the Pats hurry-up offense. I just hope the 'Phins D and not ours is the one that's out on the field, in the blazing sun most of the afternoon Sunday ? Maybe it's just as well that Houston is back to 100 degrees and muggy conditions this week in preparation for Sundays game ?

Wish we could swing a deal with the Broncos for Eric Decker. Virtual unknown, but that kid is big and strong and a player. I'd love to see what that he could do in Walter's role.

walter only has a bruised shoulder. should be back in a game or two

If you think that the Texans are anywhere in the same area code as the Patriots in terms of talent and leadership you are nuts. The Patriots are indeed a real team. They have a very, very real chance at winning the AFC. The Texans are just hoping to back into the playoffs in a seriously weakened division.

But hey, if we look up and the Texans are 10-2 you'll be welcome to mock me all you want. I'll be here and I'll gladly accept it.

With the exception of QB, I would say that we have equal talent, if not better in some areas.
Leadership.....not so much.

One game played and 15 to go, next is Miami.

From last night looked like their offense wants to do lots of passing this year, so hopefully our front seven gets lots of pressure on Henne. Miami had 25 first downs and 488 total yards, and scored 24 pts against the Pats, and had more time of possession than Pats, so a test for our defense.

On defense, Miami did get one interception against Brady, but gave up 622 total yards of offense, 517 yds through the air. Brady did look great as his oline gave him lots of time to pass and receivers were pretty wide open most of the time. As time went on, seemed the Miami defense wore down as Brady used a lot of hurry up offense.

Should be a good game, looks like Texans are a slight 3 point favorite.

I don't think we need to add DA, TO, RM, or any other WR right now, keep it like it is, as KW will be back pretty soon. Maybe Slayton could be a backup slot receiver? Seems we see Slayton there sometimes anyways in the past.

Texans offense does need to be more careful on limiting turnovers, loosing turnover battle can sink you in any game.

I don't think we can go into the game with 2 WRs. Or even 4 including a dinged Walter. We pretty much have to add a WR if only for this week.

Offensively, I totally agree. After QB, when WRs, running backs, TEs, and OLine are compared we stack up favorably in terms of talent to the Pats IMO.
I honestly don't know where we are defensively, as the current Indy offensive unit we saw Sunday without Manning is kinda an unknown factor right now ? Is Indy now a really bad offense or just average ? We'll know soon what we've got under Wade this year ?

The upcoming Dolphins game, 9/18/2011
 

Doh!

..........

The Texans have the best wide receiver in football and enviable depth at RB. There's really no other area where you can say the Texans are clearly ahead of any elite team. Mix Kubiak's inevitable in-game slapdickery into the equation and you may well end up with a good team, maybe even a playoff team, but I fear not an elite team.

Anyway, I'm not really trying to be an ass, just pointing out that we'll have a nice opportunity to see how the Texans handle the Dolphins in south Florida after watching an elite team do the same yesterday.

We have never lost to Miami!! I remember the last time we played them there. It was far more hot and humid than it is here. Then they had their daily rain and it felt like inside a giant steambath.

The Patriots are, and have been, one of the dynasty teams in the NFL over the past several years. But even they started somewhere. To say we are not in the same league is very easy to say........right now. Let's just let this simmer awhile and bring it up again after, say the 10th game of the season.

Thoughts on Week 1
 

Opening Week was crazy. A total of 752 points were scored along with 8 kickoff-return tds. I would’ve thought the defense would have the edge after a short offseason.