Official Texans @ Cowboys Game Thread, 10/5/2014

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Arky

IMHO, the OL is not the #1 problem with the offense but the whole group can be very dysfunctional at times...

No, clearly the main problem with the offense is that we don't have an elite quarterback, or even a top-half quarterback. Again, I harp on the OL because this is an area of concern and the team has done a poor job trying to address it. The team obviously agrees with me that their interior line play sucks otherwise they wouldn't have drafted Disappear-O. Hell, the interior line play is so poor that we haven't even had time to bitch about Newton (who's been playing pretty well, actually).

[Arky]

Originally Posted by chuck

No, clearly the main problem with the offense is that we don't have an elite quarterback, or even a top-half quarterback. Again, I harp on the OL because this is an area of concern and the team has done a poor job trying to address it. The team obviously agrees with me that their interior line play sucks otherwise they wouldn't have drafted Disappear-O. Hell, the interior line play is so poor that we haven't even had time to bitch about Newton (who's been playing pretty well, actually).

I thought that is what I suggested (no QB).

Re: OL, in pass protection you may have a point but Foster is one of only two RB's that's averaging 100+yds/gm. They're doing something right.

Who's your gripe against specifically on the OL? Brown, Myers and Newton (these days) are usually steady. B Jones? B Brooks?

[Nconroe]

Maybe I'm wrong but I think Duane Brown has the most penalties this year with either 7 or 8.

[nunusguy]

Foster got > 150 yards and Fitzgerald was not sacked a single time, so that's not a shabby performance by the OLine by anybodies definition.
But our QB obviously has limited passing skills, but if he and Foster were just on the same page when it came to passing plays to Foster, that could have been the difference in the game on two very critical plays.

[popanot]

95% of the time Fitzpatrick's throws are off target. It's hard for me to even recall maybe 2 or 3 passes where he actually lead the WR in stride. The worst part about him is he has played just well enough to stay on the field.

I'm fairly certain Mallett isn't the long-term answer, but it sure would be nice to see him get some snaps just to see if he's any better and to see what we have in him.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by popanot

95% of the time Fitzpatrick's throws are off target. It's hard for me to even recall maybe 2 or 3 passes where he actually lead the WR in stride. The worst part about him is he has played just well enough to stay on the field.

I'm fairly certain Mallett isn't the long-term answer, but it sure would be nice to see him get some snaps just to see if he's any better and to see what we have in him.

I agree. I find myself secretly rooting against Fitzpatrick, who I kind of like as a player, just because I am eager to see (and likely dismiss), the other 2 QBs on the roster. At least a young, unproven guy offers hope. An older, mediocre guy is only ever going to be mediocre. Although Lovie Smith was able to convince himself a mediocre 30 something year old (McCown) was secretly good despite a decade that proved otherwise.

[Keith]

I get it, Fitzy is limited. But I am not ready to say things like y'all are posting until the team starts losing a couple division games.

The Texans are 3-0 vs. AFC opponents right now and get the Colts at home on a short week in a couple days. Why experiment so soon?

Y'all are posting like the 2014 season is already fait accompli. They've played five games and have been competitive thru 4.5 of them, only losing road games to non-conference opponents. Don't throw dirt on them yet.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

I get it, Fitzy is limited. But I am not ready to say things like y'all are posing until the team starts losing a couple division games.

The Texans are 3-0 vs. AFC opponents right now and get the Colts at home on a short week in a couple days. Why experiment so soon?

Y'all are posting like the 2014 season is already fait accompli. They've played five games and have been competitive thru 4.5 of them, only losing road games to non-conference opponents. Don't throw dirt on them yet.

I don't want it to happen yet. I am happy to watch competitive football. I am glad we are over achievers for the first time in Franchise history. I hope we can watch meaningful football all season. Last year was terrible. If we never get a chance to look at the rest of our QB roster because we are playoff competitive to the end I'll be happy. I just think no matter how well coached, or high effort we are this year, no matter how many wins we steal, it's a bit of a lame duck season. Foster, AJ, and Fitz are the cornerstones of this offense, and the odds of any of them being on this team in 2 years are almost zero. It is hard to really invest in a team of place holders, no matter how likable those place holders are.

So I will enjoy our relevance all season, and maybe into a first round playoff game in the weak AFC. But I am already more excited about guys like Blue and Morris than Foster and JJ. I already want answers about Jones as a Center more than I want to see 11 more games of Myers being reliable. Like you said, this team is far from dead, but I am just much more excited about the limitless future than the surprisingly above average present.

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by barrett

I don't want it to happen yet. I am happy to watch competitive football. I am glad we are over achievers for the first time in Franchise history. I hope we can watch meaningful football all season. Last year was terrible. If we never get a chance to look at the rest of our QB roster because we are playoff competitive to the end I'll be happy. I just think no matter how well coached, or high effort we are this year, no matter how many wins we steal, it's a bit of a lame duck season. Foster, AJ, and Fitz are the cornerstones of this offense, and the odds of any of them being on this team in 2 years are almost zero. It is hard to really invest in a team of place holders, no matter how likable those place holders are.

So I will enjoy our relevance all season, and maybe into a first round playoff game in the weak AFC. But I am already more excited about guys like Blue and Morris than Foster and JJ. I already want answers about Jones as a Center more than I want to see 11 more games of Myers being reliable. Like you said, this team is far from dead, but I am just much more excited about the limitless future than the surprisingly above average present.

I can agree with most of this and, unlike Chuck, I haven't given up on this year's draft class. Nix may wind up being the next Joppru and Clowney could become ordinary as soon as he loses that quick first step but I still like most of what was done in the draft even though, as usual, these weren't the guys I was pinning my hopes on.

And, yes, we'd all love a super QB to lead the team but it's likely there were no great QBs in this year's draft and I'm not gobsmacked by any of the ones I see coming out of college next year either. I got to watch Mariota and Hundley last weekend and wasn't greatly impressed by either one in losing efforts. The great ones pull those sort of games out down the stretch.

[popanot]

I don't think saying Fitz sucks and is painful to watch is saying I give up and want the season to tank like last year. I'll even go so far as saying I'd rather watch a .400 team of young potential than a .600 team knowing it'll never achieve anything but mediocrity.

We have 3 W's. All three against crappy teams and two of which were because of good D and in spite of our offense. In our two losses, save for one half of Foster-of-yore running game, the O was again pathetic - especially the QB and passing game play. I'm wanting more. Can Mallett give us more? I don't know, but I'd certainly be excited in watching and finding out. Maybe he's not ready yet. But when he is, which will hopefully be before or after the bye, we traded for him so let's see what he's got. I can't imagine he'd be any worse than .500 or more boring to watch than Fitz. I'll have to admit, watching Fitz is a little less boring than watching the David Carr era after Year 1. Worst case is Mallett sucks and we go back to Fitz knowing for sure we need a new QB next year.

Foster, AJ, Meyers are a little different, IMO, because I can envision a scenario where they're still here next year if we can get some decent QB play or have hope at QB. No way Fitz is here next year, so let's move on with the QB progression. Next man up!

[popanot]

And let me just add, I highly doubt we'll see Mallett until after the bye or unless something happens to Fitz or he just totally stinks up the joint.

[barrett]

Foster has a $9 million cap hit next year. If he is cut it would be $4 million in cap savings (9 minus the 5 million in dead money). He will also be 29 before next season starts. It is possible he survives one more year, but probably not. And either way he is gone by 2016. So even though I love Arian Foster and would probably call him my favorite offensive Texan ever, I am ready to see him move on since he is not a part of the plans for when this team is winning 2nd round playoff games and beyond in the glorious Bill O'Brien future I see through my Battle Red colored glasses.

Myers could easily be back. I just mentioned him because Ben Jones stands in the way of Su'a-Filo, but there is a chance Jones could play center (didn't he play it in college). The perfect scenario is the rookie develops into a great LG and Jones is far better at C than he is at LG. Now I am not even sure we have 1 good interior OL, let alone 3, but this is the type of season where I want to see that question answered definitively. The same is true with Morris/Bouye, Nix, Mercilous, Mallet, Savage, etc... I want to know beyond any doubt whether these guys belong in our future plans. And since the answers are more relevant to our future than the present is, I am more excited about those answers than I am about wins/losses.