Post KC Thoughts

[cland]

Just re-watched the game in HD (bastards, it should have been HD live) I'll break it down to pros, cons, and decents. Please add in your thoughts.

Pros

Schaub - Great control of the game, 7/7 on his passing attempts, showed good confidence, and no near-missed interceptions. I do want to see this guy throw the ball away more though--I'd be curious how Kubiak teaches that concept.

Connor - Connor did exactly what they asked him to do. He's little and can get engulfed on the inside, but he definitely filled the situation pass-rusher (play-maker). Damn good for his NFL game.

Okam - I agree with Lance's assessment that I'd like to see him bring max effort every down...that being said, let's not get too greedy...if he did that he'd be Haynesworth. Okam brought some heat, and stood out on that Dline.

Frank Bush - I liked what I see from a scheme/attitude standpoint. He addressed almost all of my concerns with previous defenses. In no particular order: Better pass rush from the front four, defensive backs that were in position to put their hands on the ball!!! (very glad Hoke is gone,) and plays made in the backfield...even on runs.

Chris Brown - Damn impressive...which also equals 'Kinda Scary' with his injury history, cause there's no way he's getting unseated unless he gets banged up.

Decents

Okoye - Okoye did get some penetration, but nothing that would be called a QB pressure. He also got swamped by the running games on a few plays, but his technique looks better.

Smith - Smith is the anti-Barwin. Run stopper at end, pass rusher in the middle. He has to be used properly in the scheme; his pass rush from end is moderate at best, and he can get swamped by run blockers on the inside.

Cons

Chris White - I analyzed the lack of our inside running game early, and realized Chris White was either getting destroyed by the DL--allowing penetration--or missing second level blocks on linebackers that crammed the intended hole/cutback lane. White's been around long enough to have reached a level better than what he showed yesterday. If I'm a coach Caldwell is instantly promoted so he can learn, and I'm calling about Myers health every day.

Studdard - I loved the effort to recover the fumble, but the DL penetration (a no-no in the zone scheme,) came through the gap between he and White.

Richardson - Ummm...his game tape should be copied over to the 'How to go from the Fringe, to the Dumpster.' He looked really bad... I'm really hoping Molden's leg will let him get some pre-season CB time.

Injury to Adibi - Arrrggg, this guy needs a break. I know it's just a broken finger, but this guy needed to get his game up during the pre-season without any nagging medicals. I did like his performance however.

Overall

Pretty damned Pro. The fact that our 1st AND 2nd team defense held their KC's 1st team offense scoreless really makes me optimistic. Red-zone score by Schaub and Brown and the overall crispness of play in miserable conditions. The few flaws were made by non-starters (White, Studdard, etc.) Getting Myers and Pitts back healthy, and Chris Brown staying healthy (K.O.W) could push this offenses scoring, up to where their offenses yardage was last year.

[Nconroe]

Well, it was great to see a little football, it was rainy, and we hung on to win, but it was just the first preseason game.

Overall DL was more disruptive so I hope that continues to improve.

There were some injuries http://www.houstontexans.com/news/St...?STORY_ID=5467

For me, I was hoping Grossman would make it, I thought he was looking real good at practice, maybe he'll make a faster than expected recovery.

In the pro's

I think I'd add Casey both as TE and on special teams coverage.

and in the decent's

I guess I would put Studdard here, for one, I thought Brown and Moats got a lot of their yards running over Studdard, plus he made the fumble recovery, good hustle.

The receivers did well.

The starting DB's actually looked fairly good.

Con's

Some of thiird and fourth string DB's, seemed to give up some silly prnalties and big plays, but it was late, rainy and we won so maybe they would do a lot better in good weather and another week of good coaching.

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by cland

Just re-watched the game in HD (bastards, it should have been HD live) I'll break it down to pros, cons, and decents. Please add in your thoughts.

Pros

Schaub - Great control of the game, 7/7 on his passing attempts, showed good confidence, and no near-missed interceptions. I do want to see this guy throw the ball away more though--I'd be curious how Kubiak teaches that concept.

Connor - Connor did exactly what they asked him to do. He's little and can get engulfed on the inside, but he definitely filled the situation pass-rusher (play-maker). Damn good for his NFL game.

Okam - I agree with Lance's assessment that I'd like to see him bring max effort every down...that being said, let's not get too greedy...if he did that he'd be Haynesworth. Okam brought some heat, and stood out on that Dline.

Frank Bush - I liked what I see from a scheme/attitude standpoint. He addressed almost all of my concerns with previous defenses. In no particular order: Better pass rush from the front four, defensive backs that were in position to put their hands on the ball!!! (very glad Hoke is gone,) and plays made in the backfield...even on runs.

Chris Brown - Damn impressive...which also equals 'Kinda Scary' with his injury history, cause there's no way he's getting unseated unless he gets banged up.

Decents

Okoye - Okoye did get some penetration, but nothing that would be called a QB pressure. He also got swamped by the running games on a few plays, but his technique looks better.

Smith - Smith is the anti-Barwin. Run stopper at end, pass rusher in the middle. He has to be used properly in the scheme; his pass rush from end is moderate at best, and he can get swamped by run blockers on the inside.

Cons

Chris White - I analyzed the lack of our inside running game early, and realized Chris White was either getting destroyed by the DL--allowing penetration--or missing second level blocks on linebackers that crammed the intended hole/cutback lane. White's been around long enough to have reached a level better than what he showed yesterday. If I'm a coach Caldwell is instantly promoted so he can learn, and I'm calling about Myers health every day.

Studdard - I loved the effort to recover the fumble, but the DL penetration (a no-no in the zone scheme,) came through the gap between he and White.

Richardson - Ummm...his game tape should be copied over to the 'How to go from the Fringe, to the Dumpster.' He looked really bad... I'm really hoping Molden's leg will let him get some pre-season CB time.

Injury to Adibi - Arrrggg, this guy needs a break. I know it's just a broken finger, but this guy needed to get his game up during the pre-season without any nagging medicals. I did like his performance however.

Overall

Pretty damned Pro. The fact that our 1st AND 2nd team defense held their KC's 1st team offense scoreless really makes me optimistic. Red-zone score by Schaub and Brown and the overall crispness of play in miserable conditions. The few flaws were made by non-starters (White, Studdard, etc.) Getting Myers and Pitts back healthy, and Chris Brown staying healthy (K.O.W) could push this offenses scoring, up to where their offenses yardage was last year.

Great post and I agree pretty much with everything you said... I'd like to add a few:

PROS

Caldwell- played a ton and only got beat badly once or twice. In addition, he moved people in the run game. He got to the second level very well, and he executed a number of backside cuts.

Duane Brown- I think he missed an assignment early or got caught leaning. Otherwise, he was a beast! Watch the TD. He washed out the DE and then totally pancaked the LB. Chris just layed on his back for a TD.

Bentley- I thought he was our best LB last year, when he got in the game. He was excellent. I think he should be playing the SAM ahead of Diles, particularly if we are going to be running the 4-3 Under.

TEs - good grief! Casey and Dressen both had very nice grabs and were excellent in ST. OD ain't bad either, and Anthony Hill did a nice job blocking in the run game.

DECENTS

Shaun Cody- seemed to not lose any battles and got some moderate penetration a few times.

Quin- didn't get beat and made some nice tackles

McCain- ditto.

CONS

Brandon Harrison- can't tackle. doesn't have a clue. He needs to go away!

4th Tackle - after Rashod Butler there isn't much. Washburn and A. Jones both looked pretty stiff and sloppy, IMO.

[Bigtinylittle]

The constant rain made it difficult really evaluate much, but here are some of my thoughts:

1. Beat me up for this, but I think Slaton is a bit overrated. Yes, he is the best we have had under Kubiak, but to me a RB should be judged primarily on how much sucess he has when everyone in the building knows it's going to be a running play. Slaton is not the kind of back to go to in that situation. Brown showed that he IS that kind of back. I think it is going to be very important for Brown to stay healthy if we are going to have a strong red zone attack.

2. I was disappointed in our pressure on the KC quarterbacks. Yes, there were some good plays, like Barwin's, but too many times the QB was in his comfort zone, and that would have been much more obvious if we we had been up against better quarterbacks. I'm really anxious to see whether Cushing can add to our pressure. I know we ran a vanilla defense, but I still expected a better pass rush.

3. At long last, I am starting to wonder whether JJ makes this team.

4. The play where Deljuan got his stinger was a thing of beauty. He surprised me with his burst. If he really does weigh 320 and has that kind of quickness, he may be a really solid player for us for a long time. It would be ironic after all the money we have spent and high draft picks we have spent, that we find someone essentially off the street.

5. I have heard that Moats has gained a little bit of weight. Is that true? If so that's great because he sure hasn't lost any quickness.

6. Orlovsky didn't look as good as I thought he would. Too many of his passes were either underthrown or else they sailed. And he threw one sideline pass that almost went for a pick-six. The physical ability is there, though, so maybe Kubiak can bring him along.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Bigtinylittle

The constant rain made it difficult really evaluate much, but here are some of my thoughts:

1. Beat me up for this, but I think Slaton is a bit overrated. Yes, he is the best we have had under Kubiak, but to me a RB should be judged primarily on how much sucess he has when everyone in the building knows it's going to be a running play. Slaton is not the kind of back to go to in that situation. Brown showed that he IS that kind of back. I think it is going to be very important for Brown to stay healthy if we are going to have a strong red zone attack.

There are many types of RBs. There isn't one mold, and to use one criteria to judge them is foolish. If all you want is a RB who gets a yard when "everyone in the building knows it's going to be a running play", then nobody would want a guy like Brian Westbrook or Marshall Faulk. But thankfully they give you 50+ roster spots and you are allowed to use multiple RBs.

In other words, league rules allow us to use Slaton just like last year. We run him in the space created by our great passing attack. We run him in the middle of the field for tough yards out of 3 WR sets where the defense is spread. We let him help in the passing game by catching screens and flares. We even split him out wide to create mismatches on LBs and Safeties and then watch him catch 40 yard TDs.

And then league rules allow us to use a different RB in the red zone when things get crowded. There is no reason why one should not support the other. And no reason why we should try to shoe horn a guy into every role when we don't have to. So I agree that it would be big for us if Brown is healthy (or if Foster can be that guy), but I don't see how this downgrades Slaton in any way outside of Fantasy Football.

[Big Texas]

Originally Posted by barrett

There are many types of RBs. There isn't one mold, and to use one criteria to judge them is foolish. If all you want is a RB who gets a yard when "everyone in the building knows it's going to be a running play", then nobody would want a guy like Brian Westbrook or Marshall Faulk. But thankfully they give you 50+ roster spots and you are allowed to use multiple RBs.

In other words, league rules allow us to use Slaton just like last year. We run him in the space created by our great passing attack. We run him in the middle of the field for tough yards out of 3 WR sets where the defense is spread. We let him help in the passing game by catching screens and flares. We even split him out wide to create mismatches on LBs and Safeties and then watch him catch 40 yard TDs.

And then league rules allow us to use a different RB in the red zone when things get crowded. There is no reason why one should not support the other. And no reason why we should try to shoe horn a guy into every role when we don't have to. So I agree that it would be big for us if Brown is healthy (or if Foster can be that guy), but I don't see how this downgrades Slaton in any way outside of Fantasy Football.

totally agreed. Slaton possesses something that all good backs in the league have: big play and break away potential.

I don't think anyone expects slaton to be a 30 carry back.

He just possesses that quality to hit a home-run on any given play. That's why we have been looking for that complimentary back to go along with him. But in no way does C. Brown's brief success demean the potential of Slaton. He was a vital piece to our 3rd ranked offense last year. With a healthy C. Brown we can be that much greater.

[coloradodude]

Did we try to run any version of the sweep? If so, how'd we do?

Thanks

The reason I ask is because when the Broncos were really good Terrell Davis ran that regularly and I'm wondering if we're going in that direction yet.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by coloradodude

Did we try to run any version of the sweep? If so, how'd we do?

There was a play where Moats ran for about 12 yards and got knocked out of bounds refusing to go down after several hits.

Moats, IMO, is a very good RB if utilized properly. I think he could handle 6-8 quality carries/game and give max effort to take the load off Slaton and Brown. More carries than that, I think you get diminishing returns.... Moats' problem is that he's physically a Slaton copy. Sort of "Slaton Lite".

I think the Texans really need to keep 4 RB's on the 53-man roster due to Brown's track record. Slaton, Brown, Moats and Foster. Casey could be the emergency back-up for Leech....

[papabear]

-I saw Caldwell make a a couple of nice cut blocks

-Run Blocking was VERY sloppy on that first series. I know someone thought Slaton looked sluggish, but to me he didn't have anything to work with. On one play Brown (who looked good otherwise) completely wiffed and a LB came unblocked to meet Slaton in the backfield. The key for running backs is slow to, and then fast through the hole...that can't happen if the O-line is getting pushed into the backfield or letting guys come completely free at the RB. Slaton runs much tougher than I ever would have thought, but he is what he is. Which is fine with me.

-Studdard is much improved since last year. Not a pro bowler, or even starter, by any means, but he has shown improvement.

-Barwin is getting some good experience,and you can see why he has so many people excited. (He's already proven himself in the new Madden ). He left the chiefs starting LT in the dust on that sack. If I remember correctly Albert was a guy that plenty of people around here wanted.

-Okam had some really nice moments. He might be a guy that can only handle 10-15 snaps a game...but he could huge force in those plays.

-Okoye got some good penetration at times. No sacks or even really heavy pressure....but enough to keep the QB from being to step up in the pocket away from Mario. Which is all you really need.

-I've heard conflicting theories on the sack Schaub took. Wrong protection was called(White's fault), Slaton missed his assignemnet, and that Schaub was waiting for DA to break off his route like he was supposed to.. Could be some truth to all three, but the angry little cherokee will get it straightened out. Other than that I thought the pass blocking looked fine.

-Pre-season football is sloppy. I should know that, but for some reason I'm shocked every year at how much different it is in the pre-season. It is what it is and I still don't have a solid grasp on what this team is going to look like this year.

[NBT]

Pretty good assesments from all of you. CB Matteral Richardson has to go, prefferably this week. I was impressed with CB's Glover (with a hard O) Quin, and McCain. You can see coach Gibbs stamp on the secondary already - much better.