[Arky]

Aight, the Texans finished the season 6-10 and looks as though no one got it right. Congrats to the ones that were close (painekiller and Roy P with 7-9)....Little did we know, eh? I'll respond to my earlier comments in red.

Originally Posted by Arky

OK, the 2010 preseason is complete and just a few more tweaks are needed for the final roster. So, it's time to reach inside and find your "inner Nostradamus" and post your prediction for the number wins for the Texans in 2010.

My reasoning:

a. I'm looking for Schaub to raise his game a notch. A few more TD passes, a few less INT's. Schaub didn't quite exceed 2009 TD totals (29) as he threw for 24 this year. He did better with a few less INT's - 15 in 2009, 12 in 2010. His QB rating dropped from 98.6 in 2009 to 92.0 in 2010. I've been critical at times of Schaub this year but I think he's been nursing an injury (knee, I think I read somewhere). The vertical game regressed this year and the stats show that - in 2009, he had only 9 more attempts but threw for 400 more yards. Tosses of 40+ went down from 15 in 2009 to 9 in 2010. Having said that and something nobody is talking about, he had arguably his best game of the year against the Jags Sunday - 18/22, 253 yards, 129.7 rating, 1 TD, 0 INT and no sacks.

b. Arian Foster - run, baby, run. Can't say enough about what this young man did... I had no idea he'd lead the league.

c. Defense gets the traditional slow start but finds their groove faster and ends up better than 2009's defense. Hooo boy, this is where it gets sticky, eheh. Baffling the way they hit bottom. Players "making plays" were few and far between. Cush and Pollard, two of the stars of 2009, both fell off the chart. No pick 6's (I think). The defense just never got it in gear.

d. Special teams - I see the kicking game as OK but I think all the new faces on the coverage teams as a weak spot for a time. Most important that the Texan offense covers up for them.... Big dropoff here, too. It's been attributed to a lesser quality of athlete on special teams due to the Texans having to dig deep on the depth chart and that may be right. I don't have the stats handy but I think they got a big fat zero for kickoff and punt return TD's.

For some reason, I'm getting a vibe that 9-7 just ain't gonna happen this year. I dunno why.... but I'm gonna go with it. Therefore, that leaves 8-8 (or worse) or 10-6 (or better). The optimist in me wants to go 10-6, the pessimist in me wants to go 8-8. Optimist wins. My predicition = 10-6. Never in my wildest, most negative self would I have thought 6-10. The Texans took the bizarre loss to the next level. LOL. Oh well....