We still Suck: last week was a mirage

[Big Texas]

Well we have found that our team still sucks.
Last week was a fluke.

Keys to the Loss:

We seem to play to the level of our competition every game.

We cant beat the teams we are supposed to beat.

kubiak outcoaches himself, his team, and everyone else except the other team

We stop a top ranked running game last week, and then get manhandled by a far worst O-Line and running game.

Johnny Lee Who?

4th and inches, on the 3 yd line down 11...

Andre Johnson thrown to 3 or 4 times for 1 completion and an interception.

All I can say is Wow

[barrett]

you are never as good as you look in your highs or as bad as you look in your lows. This concept may be lost in the current ESPN era of instant over-evaluation, but it is still true.

Bottom line is "we are who we thought we were." An average 8-8 (likely) team who wins and loses at an equal clip. Funny how a 16 game schedule has a way of balancing all of that out and generally letting us know how good a team is far more accurately than a hot (or cold) month/week.

[Big Texas]

our record indicates that we are an average team. But I would go a step further in saying that we are an underacheiving team. How else do account for beating potentially the best team in the NFL and losing to one of the worst teams the next week all factors constant. No key injuries to either team. The only factor that seems to differ here would be the rainy weather. (and it wasnt all that rainy or muddy)

[gunn]

Originally Posted by Big Texas

our record indicates that we are an average team. But I would go a step further in saying that we are an underacheiving team. How else do account for beating potentially the best team in the NFL and losing to one of the worst teams the next week all factors constant. No key injuries to either team. The only factor that seems to differ here would be the rainy weather. (and it wasnt all that rainy or muddy)

Because they're physically worn out from the Tennessee game. This is a finesse team that is just not built to stand up with the physical teams in the league in my opinion. They're just beat up and on top have to travel to the west coast and play in cold, wet conditions. Soft teams loose those games.

They need to get physical up front on the interior offensively and also at every level of the defense.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by gunn

Because they're physically worn out from the Tennessee game. This is a finesse team that is just not built to stand up with the physical teams in the league in my opinion. They're just beat up and on top have to travel to the west coast and play in cold, wet conditions. Soft teams loose those games.

They need to get physical up front on the interior offensively and also at every level of the defense.

They are soft and not built to play physical games like the Raiders but they are physical enough to beat the Titans??? That makes sense.

More likely they just went out and played an awful game. Every facet. They laid an egg. Bad coaching, bad offense, bad defense, terrible special teams. Flat across the board.

We've played harder and cared more than our opponents for the last month and today the opposite was true. A poor and inexcusable effort, but it has nothing to do with being "tired" from last week's game.

[TheMatrix31]

It's ok. If consistency is all we have to worry about, then that's a good thing. It's easier to work out the kinks once everything is laid out. Right now, we're there, we just have to work on it. A couple years ago, we weren't even close.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Big Texas

Well we have found that our team still sucks.
Last week was a fluke.

Keys to the Loss:

We seem to play to the level of our competition every game.

We cant beat the teams we are supposed to beat.

kubiak outcoaches himself, his team, and everyone else except the other team

We stop a top ranked running game last week, and then get manhandled by a far worst O-Line and running game.

Johnny Lee Who?

4th and inches, on the 3 yd line down 11...

Andre Johnson thrown to 3 or 4 times for 1 completion and an interception.

All I can say is Wow

Wah wah wah. You freakin' brat. Talk about a fair weather fan.

The defense sucked today, but that has been the case most of the year. Today does not diminish what this team has done coming back from 0-4, and showing some guts to come back, beat GB and beat TN. Am I happy today? No. But this had "trap" all over it. 4 game win streak, playing on the left coast and a bad opponent. It happens. Move on.

[gunn]

Originally Posted by barrett

They are soft and not built to play physical games like the Raiders but they are physical enough to beat the Titans??? That makes sense.

More likely they just went out and played an awful game. Every facet. They laid an egg. Bad coaching, bad offense, bad defense, terrible special teams. Flat across the board.

We've played harder and cared more than our opponents for the last month and today the opposite was true. A poor and inexcusable effort, but it has nothing to do with being "tired" from last week's game.

Hmm...

I think you missed the point. So you are telling me that playing a tough, physical contest against a team such as Tennessee has no impact on the players and the way the team plays the following week?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by gunn

Hmm...

I think you missed the point. So you are telling me that playing a tough, physical contest against a team such as Tennessee has no impact on the players and the way the team plays the following week?

I'm telling you that whatever impact it has is no indication of a soft team.

Soft/tough comes into play when beating Tennessee. Not in some idea of recovery time. If anything you are talking about mental toughness which is not what you started out talking about with interior line and each level of the defense.
Either way the Texans are plenty tough physically and mentally. Just not very consistent.

[gunn]

Originally Posted by barrett

I'm telling you that whatever impact it has is no indication of a soft team.

Soft/tough comes into play when beating Tennessee. Not in some idea of recovery time. If anything you are talking about mental toughness which is not what you started out talking about with interior line and each level of the defense.
Either way the Texans are plenty tough physically and mentally. Just not very consistent.

They are certainly not a team that anyone would confuse with a physical team. Outside of a handful of individual players there's not one unit of this team that would be considered physical as a whole. Physical teams control the los and it's clear that the Texans lack this, and it's highlighted in the redzone both offensively and defensively.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by gunn

They are certainly not a team that anyone would confuse with a physical team. Outside of a handful of individual players there's not one unit of this team that would be considered physical as a whole. Physical teams control the los and it's clear that the Texans lack this, and it's highlighted in the redzone both offensively and defensively.

and yet they did exactly that for the last month. Even against teams like Jacksonville and Tennessee who are confused with physical teams.

A bad game this week doesn't erase the four good ones. Just like the four good ones don't erase the bad start. you can't take a loss to the Raiders and declare them soft.

The Texans have been just fine physically up front this year. They've run the ball fine and held up against the run more often than not.

[sinnister]

Originally Posted by barrett

The Texans have been just fine physically up front this year. They've run the ball fine and held up against the run more often than not.

I am not sure which games you have been watching. If you mean they have held up physically, as in little injuries, then yes. As far as being physical, at times they have been, but it hasn't been a consistent effort. The only game where we played a very physical game was last week against the Titans.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by sinnister

I am not sure which games you have been watching. If you mean they have held up physically, as in little injuries, then yes. As far as being physical, at times they have been, but it hasn't been a consistent effort. The only game where we played a very physical game was last week against the Titans.

The Texans came into the game having outrushed their opponent in 5 straight. How else would you define playing physical?

How about putting away Jacksonville (who prides themselves on being physical and stopping the run) with two 4th quarter TD runs where everyone in the stadium knew we were running the ball.

The Texans are plenty physical. If I'd tag them with a single issue it would be playing dumb, not soft. From the HC down to the players (turnovers, blown challenges, wasted TOs, bad clock management, costly defensive penalties, special teams unpreparedness, etc...). I would definitely characterize their problems as more mental than physical.

Even on the line. Our OL struggles with speed way more than size. Only Meyers gets pushed around. Every other OL is very physical and better in run blocking than pass protection. On the DL the same is true. We hold the point of attack just fine, we just struggle with getting penetration against the pass and run.

After the first two weeks of the season the Texans have won the physical battles way more than they have lost them.

[gunn]

Originally Posted by barrett

and yet they did exactly that for the last month. Even against teams like Jacksonville and Tennessee who are confused with physical teams.

A bad game this week doesn't erase the four good ones. Just like the four good ones don't erase the bad start. you can't take a loss to the Raiders and declare them soft.

The Texans have been just fine physically up front this year. They've run the ball fine and held up against the run more often than not.

If you think this team controls the los on either side of the ball, I don't know what to tell you. I've been saying that they need to get more physical for a while now... They're just not that.... I don't need a loss to the Raiders after a tough game against Tennessee to tell me that.

Find some redzone statistics both on offense and defense....
They're bad on 3rd down defense and even worse trying to create a stop on 4th. Physically, they don't stand up.

[Big Texas]

Originally Posted by Mike

Wah wah wah. You freakin' brat. Talk about a fair weather fan.

First of all I am in no way shape form or fashion a fair weather fan. I saw need for improvement in the Titans win and the Packers win. Call me pessimistic, but never fair weather.

Originally Posted by Mike

The defense sucked today, but that has been the case most of the year.

Wow, big discovery. So this point brings you to what conclusion. That the topic of this thread was true. We still suck.

Originally Posted by Mike

Today does not diminish what this team has done coming back from 0-4, and showing some guts to come back, beat GB and beat TN.

What did that prove? That we are a highly unpredictable and inconsistant team. Something we have been since our inception. Or does it prove that we "play to the level of our competition"? We dont blow out scrubs. But we put up a fight "sometimes" against major opponents. What other conclusion do you have? How do you define stopping one of the top running back tandems in the league, to getting killed by the raiders. Wow.

Originally Posted by Mike

Am I happy today? No. But this had "trap" all over it.

What is "this". You mean the thought that for once you could have a bullseye on your back after winning 4 straight and beating the best team in the league the previous week. Im sorry but it happens. Winners get used to it and still "WIN". Ask New England.

Originally Posted by Mike

4 game win streak, playing on the left coast and a bad opponent.

All of this equals a win, in my book.

Originally Posted by Mike

It happens. Move on.

As you suggest I have been moving on. Every season.

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by barrett

and yet they did exactly that for the last month. Even against teams like Jacksonville and Tennessee who are confused with physical teams.

A bad game this week doesn't erase the four good ones. Just like the four good ones don't erase the bad start. you can't take a loss to the Raiders and declare them soft.

The Texans have been just fine physically up front this year. They've run the ball fine and held up against the run more often than not.

Texans have run the ball pretty well lately, but I don't think that alone indicates that they are physical. Physical running shows up in short yardage and in the redzone, and the Texans are horrible at both.

As for stopping the run, right now, the Texans are ranked 25th and give up 105 yards a game with a 4.5 yard average. Throw in the fact that they are one of the worst redzone defenses and I don't see how they can be characterized as a tough, physical defense. Aside from Mario and Dunta, I don't think anyone else on the team is an above average player from a physical/toughness standpoint (and I also don't think this is one of those cases where the sum is greater than its parts).

Like you said, one game doesn't make you something, and the only game I truly thought the Texans appeared to be physical was Tenn. (While Jacksonvile has historically been a pretty physical team, this year's team just doesn't bring it like year's past (middle of the road 14th against the run)).

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Joshua

Texans have run the ball pretty well lately, but I don't think that alone indicates that they are physical. Physical running shows up in short yardage and in the redzone, and the Texans are horrible at both.

As for stopping the run, right now, the Texans are ranked 25th and give up 105 yards a game with a 4.5 yard average. Throw in the fact that they are one of the worst redzone defenses and I don't see how they can be characterized as a tough, physical defense. Aside from Mario and Dunta, I don't think anyone else on the team is an above average player from a physical/toughness standpoint (and I also don't think this is one of those cases where the sum is greater than its parts).

Like you said, one game doesn't make you something, and the only game I truly thought the Texans appeared to be physical was Tenn. (While Jacksonvile has historically been a pretty physical team, this year's team just doesn't bring it like year's past (middle of the road 14th against the run)).

so we are more physical than a middle of the road physical team. I agree completely. We are not a physical team, but we are not losing games because we get pushed around. We are just fine in that department. We lose games from stupid play.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Big Texas

First of all I am in no way shape form or fashion a fair weather fan. I saw need for improvement in the Titans win and the Packers win. Call me pessimistic, but never fair weather.

You must have it really tough with your prefect dreams and ideals in this imperfect world. If you could not enjoy the Packer win and Titan win then you have bigger issues that should be addressed by a trained medical professional.

[Big Texas]

Originally Posted by Mike

You must have it really tough with your prefect dreams and ideals in this imperfect world. If you could not enjoy the Packer win and Titan win then you have bigger issues that should be addressed by a trained medical professional.

I never said that I did not enjoy a win. Everyone enjoys a win.

But what makes champions and winners, something this team is not and obviously with you at the helm would continue not to be, is a team that realizes that there is always room for improvement. If there was not anymore room for improvement then both teams that beat the Titans would not be watching from home in January.

Its statements like the one you just made that keep us in the current predicament that we are in. Contentment with mediocrity.

Just because you win a game does not make you a winner. A winner is defined as a person who wins more than they lose. We have not. So there for we are losers. And at best this season we are mediocre, average, and in my book after so many years unacceptable.

Now take that and do what you will. I choose not to converse with the likes of someone who chooses to ignore the losses of today to focus on the irrelevant wins of yesterday. And yes they were irrelevant because they have no bearing on today or our future. All that win did was decrease our chances of a good draft pick and settle the spirits of a person like you.

So you and your loser buddies can start a thread called "A" for effort where you can discuss the great things Dom Capers, George Bush, and Jeff Skilling have done.

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by barrett

so we are more physical than a middle of the road physical team. I agree completely. We are not a physical team, but we are not losing games because we get pushed around. We are just fine in that department. We lose games from stupid play.

No disagreement from me that we lose games from stupid play, whether from the coaches or the players. I do think we have lost several games by being pushed around. Off the top of my head, we were pushed around severely by Pittsburgh and Baltimore (although they are the 2 best at it and do it to a lot of people). We also were somewhat manhandled in the first Tenn. and Jacksonville games as well as the Minnesota game. I will acknowledge that we are getting better at playing tougher. However, I'm not convinced we're there yet. And up until the second half of this season, I don't know how you could characterize the Texans as anything but a soft team.