State of the Union: Texans at the bye, 3-5 record

[barrett]

Kevin Johnson has looked good. Our run of mostly 1st round successes and failures 2-5 looks to continue.

Is Mercilous coming alive just in time to get overpaid? Or has he turned the corner?

Are we watching the end of Brian Cushing in Houston? Sad to watch what injuries have made him. He was such a complete LB 3 years ago.

And how depressing is it when your season is cooked and you have no QB but there isn't even a young QB on the roster to evaluate?

[Keith]

Originally Posted by barrett

Is Mercilous coming alive just in time to get overpaid? Or has he turned the corner?

Mercilus signed a 4-year extension in May, $10.8M guaranteed, $5.25M signing bonus. Roster bonus of $250k in 2016 and $500k the next three years after. So he's under contract thru 2019.

Base salaries through the extension:
2016 - $4.5M (guaranteed salary in 2016)
2017 - $4.5M
2018 - $4.75M
2019 - $5.75M

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

Mercilus signed a 4-year extension in May, $10.8M guaranteed, $5.25M signing bonus. Roster bonus of $250k in 2016 and $500k the next three years after. So he's under contract thru 2019.

Base salaries through the extension:
2016 - $4.5M (guaranteed salary in 2016)
2017 - $4.5M
2018 - $4.75M
2019 - $5.75M

So that answers that question. For some reason I thought he was in the final year. Thanks for clearing it up Keith.

That lends me to think he is finally figuring it out. Bad OL, Bad QB aside, he looked a bit like a Robert Mathis type (pure speed rusher, great value against the pass when the team is leading).

[WMH]

Definitely agree with you Arky on the D. If there is a major disappointment for me, that's where it lies. Figured the O would be mediocre at best, but the lack of production of the D is truly puzzling. It's not like RAC forgot schemes between last season and this one.

Since we're just as likely to win one we're supposed to lose as we are win one that we're not, truly a guess as to whether or not we can find 4-5 more wins for a home game in January.

Hopefully, they can at least make it entertaining for us.

[Keith]

Ted Ginn and family tried to screw it up for the Texans late with a worse-than-Nate-Washington drop, but the Panthers pulled it off in overtime to beat the Colts. As such, both the Texans and Colts are 3-5 with the Colts facing the Broncos next week while the Texans have a bye. So, entirely possible the Texans have the division lead in six more days.

The Bengals game against the Cardinals the week after facing Houston has just been flexed to Sunday Night. This means the Bengals have primetime games on either side of their match with the Texans (Thurs vs Cleveland, Sunday vs Houston, Sunday Night @ Arizona). The Bengals have laid some duds during night games, so maybe their game with the Texans becomes something of a trap game for them. Here's hoping, at least.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Keith

Ted Ginn and family tried to screw it up for the Texans late with a worse-than-Nate-Washington drop, but the Panthers pulled it off in overtime to beat the Colts. As such, both the Texans and Colts are 3-5 with the Colts facing the Broncos next week while the Texans have a bye. So, entirely possible the Texans have the division lead in six more days.

The Bengals game against the Cardinals the week after facing Houston has just been flexed to Sunday Night. This means the Bengals have primetime games on either side of their match with the Texans (Thurs vs Cleveland, Sunday vs Houston, Sunday Night @ Arizona). The Bengals have laid some duds during night games, so maybe their game with the Texans becomes something of a trap game for them. Here's hoping, at least.

Oy, that drop was awful. I had "interests" in the outcome but the big one was mainly that the Colts lose. As I watched the Panther defense fritter away the 17 pt. lead, I was thinking, "Don't they know? Don't they know about Luck + 4th qtr comebacks = smiling Colt faces in the end?"

But the Panthers hung on so maybe the worm has turned.....

Welcome to the new season. The AFC South is now officially wide open.... Opportunity is a-knockin'.... will the Texans answer the door?

[Joshua]

As I understand the draft rules, all of the non-playoff teams are slotted in front of the playoff teams regardless of record. So if the Texans win the division and make the playoffs, the absolute best pick we can get in the upcoming draft is No. 21. Making the playoffs despite an awful record could really drop us in the draft. Quite frankly, I'd rather have the high draft pick.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Arky

Oy, that drop was awful. I had "interests" in the outcome but the big one was mainly that the Colts lose. As I watched the Panther defense fritter away the 17 pt. lead, I was thinking, "Don't they know? Don't they know about Luck + 4th qtr comebacks = smiling Colt faces in the end?"

But the Panthers hung on so maybe the worm has turned.....

Welcome to the new season. The AFC South is now officially wide open.... Opportunity is a-knockin'.... will the Texans answer the door?

And it's not just the AFC South that's comparatively bad as I believe only 5 teams in the AFC are > .500, so much for parity in the NFL. It just goes to further demonstrate the extreme importance of a QB. Without one a team is pretty much out of it.
I've seen a couple stories suggesting the Texans should make a bid for the Bears QB Cutler before the trade deadline. He's got a great arm but of course he's also a real head-case.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by barrett

Are we watching the end of Brian Cushing in Houston? Sad to watch what injuries have made him. He was such a complete LB 3 years ago.

This is the last season where his salary is guaranteed and where it is cheaper cap-wise to keep him rather than cut him, so it very well may be.

[Arky]

I think the only good thing about the bye week is you can enjoy the other NFL games and not sweat how the Texans are doing.....

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Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (early) - Tennessee @ New Orleans -- Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

CBS (late) - Denver @ Indianapolis -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

FOX (early) - Green Bay @ Carolina -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

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Prime time:

TNF = Cincinnati @ Cleveland (NFLN)

SNF = Philadelphia @ Dallas (NBC)

MNF = Chicago @ San Diego (ESPN)

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Teams on bye: Detroit, Kansas City, Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston

[Nconroe]

So this last game the offense and defense both looked best they have looked all year. Hope that is Texans improving, not only a result of poor Titans.

Seems no trades by the trade deadline for Texans.

I thought Cushing is improving as time goes, he leads the team in tackles doesn't he.

If we manage to beat the Colts in Indy, that would be something, but Colts seem to be panicking. Shows the value of the Oline. and receivers who can catch.

Seems Texans OL is having lots of injuries and position changes and in game rotation this year. With an injury to rookie Greg Mancz
Texans picked up Eric Kush for OL depth this week, he was 6th round pick for Kansas in 2013.

And Ryan Griffin returns to practice this week, under the IR designated to return program. Not sure, hope he will help our TE production sometime soon.

I guess Chuck is still here.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

d Ryan Griffin returns to practice this week, under the IR designated to return program. Not sure, hope he will help our TE production sometime soon.

I guess Chuck is still here.

You know the Chuckster is still lurking. Actually he's probably in deep depression since he won't be able to see his beloved Texans this weekend because of their bye.
RE Griffin. Why or why didn't O'Brien use the designated IR thing on Savage this year after the QB was hurt in preseason instead of his third string TE ?

[popanot]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Why or why didn't O'Brien use the designated IR thing on Savage this year after the QB was hurt in preseason instead of his third string TE ?

I agree with wasting it on Griffin, but as for Savage, OB probably didn't use it on him because he knows Savage is nothing more than another wasted draft pick.

[popanot]

Albert Breer
Lions are out from under his guaranteed money, and he'd be a very valuable trade chip.
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Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
The future beyond 2015 for #Lions QB Matthew Stafford is very much in doubt, as I understand it.

I know there will some against this, but just posting it as another option if the Texans somehow manage to end up in the middle of RD1 and out of striking distance for one of the top rookie QBs. A #2 for Stafford is a gamble I'd likely make.

[WMH]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

RE Griffin. Why or why didn't O'Brien use the designated IR thing on Savage this year after the QB was hurt in preseason instead of his third string TE ?

Thinking that they were playing the odds. Likelihood that the QB3 will ever see the field is statically small. Especially vs. the starting TE.

Guessing he really did believe in the QB situation more than any other human being ........