Official Texans @ Ravens Divisional Playoff Game Thread, 1/15/2012

[Nconroe]

Heck of a game, we'll be even better next year.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

Why are we throwing a hail Mary to jacoby jones with :20 left?

That is a fantastic question. The funny thing is Walter could have (should have) caught that if he'd had his head out of his ass.

[Big Texas]

What the FU...was that? WE NEEDED 2 FREAKIN YARDS...

[barrett]

In the end it came down to tj Yates is tj Yates and Ed reed is Ed reed.

[HPF Bob]

I disagreed with the deep ball on the last two possessions but not because they didn't work. On the one to AJ that was intercepted, it was poor clock management and, even if successful, would have left too much time for Baltimore to come back with the winning FG.

On the second one, it's fourth down. Go get your two yards and spike the ball. Then you have at least two more shots to take down the field. I blame the OC for those decisions.

Still, it was a good game and a good season. We made great strides and next year we'll be better. With any luck, next year we're the ones hosting games like this and we can march deeper into the playoffs.

[jcp]

Looked to me like Walter just whiffed on that hail Mary. Hit him in the hands without being touched.

Tough loss as we outplayed them in every aspect but special teams. We should come back real solid next year but this one hurts.

[Arky]

Incredible game by the defense... Jeminy, JJ Watt = 12 tackles, 2.5 sacks....

Too many turnovers....

[HPF Bob]

Road teams are 0-7 so far in the playoffs. THAT'S why home field is critical.

[Big Texas]

I blame the last two drives on the offensive coordinator...it seemed as though TJ had no clock awareness...we kept making last second lob passes...BUT IT WASNT THE LAST SECOND IN ANY OF THE THROWS...

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

I disagreed with the deep ball on the last two possessions but not because they didn't work. On the one to AJ that was intercepted, it was poor clock management and, even if successful, would have left too much time for Baltimore to come back with the winning FG.

On the second one, it's fourth down. Go get your two yards and spike the ball. Then you have at least two more shots to take down the field. I blame the OC for those decisions.

Still, it was a good game and a good season. We made great strides and next year we'll be better. With any luck, next year we're the ones hosting games like this and we can march deeper into the playoffs.

I am guessing the thinking is that they are up closer to the line on 4th down, and that is your best chance to get them deep. Obviously didn't work, but with how bad Yates had played, I don't mind trying to steal a TD. We hadn't come close to earning one all half.

As for the first deep ball for INT, there is no way you can blame the play call. You are going to have a guy running a deep route on almost every play and your QB has to be smart enough to not throw it into double coverage with Ed Reed over the top.

Yates could have had about 6+ INTs today. He lobbed the ball into coverage repeatedly and only some great DB play by AJ and Walter saved him.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Big Texas

I blame the last two drives on the offensive coordinator...it seemed as though TJ had no clock awareness...we kept making last second lob passes...BUT IT WASNT THE LAST SECOND IN ANY OF THE THROWS...

I thought the play calling in the second half was an abomination.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Big Texas

I blame the last two drives on the offensive coordinator...it seemed as though TJ had no clock awareness...we kept making last second lob passes...BUT IT WASNT THE LAST SECOND IN ANY OF THE THROWS...

How is TJ Yates throwing the ball up for grabs a play calling issue?

Our play calling got us 315 yards on the road, against Baltimore, with a rookie QB. Yates got a great running game, great defense, a full strength AJ, and balance all day. But in the end he is a rookie in his 7th game and he just isn't good enough to win that game. I'm not down on him for his effort, but he was terrible.

What is depressing is how bad the AFC is. If we are close to healthy I think we might have walked to the superbowl this year.

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by barrett

As for the first deep ball for INT, there is no way you can blame the play call. You are going to have a guy running a deep route on almost every play and your QB has to be smart enough to not throw it into double coverage with Ed Reed over the top.

Yes I can blame the play call. You're on their side of the field with two minutes left and two time outs. You can still work the middle of the field. You can still run screens and draws. Foster would have all sorts of running room if he can get through the first wall.

The INT play was a bad call even if AJ had caught it for the reasons I explained above. You leave the Ravens with too much time to come back. If you work the ball down the field and score, you're guaranteed to send it to overtime.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

I thought the play calling in the second half was an abomination.

Chicken and Egg I guess, but I think the issue was we were calling plays for a QB who threw it at the wrong colored jerseys all day.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Yes I can blame the play call. You're on their side of the field with two minutes left and two time outs. You can still work the middle of the field. You can still run screens and draws. Foster would have all sorts of running room if he can get through the first wall.

The INT play was a bad call even if AJ had caught it for the reasons I explained above. You leave the Ravens with too much time to come back. If you work the ball down the field and score, you're guaranteed to send it to overtime.

The play call does not throw it down field. Every play has a guy running deep. If you have all of your guys go short nobody gets open because they have a smaller area to cover. The best way to get a guy open short in that situation is AJ deep taking two defenders with him.

That is %100 user error on that play. Awful, awful decision. And it was Yates' decision. He had short routes he could have chosen and he did not. He forced it like he did all day.

[HPF Bob]

Alright, well if you are saying that Yates blew the play call, we'd have to wait for post-game confirmation. I'm presuming Yates wouldn't throw deep unless the receiver was much more open than AJ was. We need to find out more before applying the goat horns.

Maybe it all boiled down to rookie impatience. Very possible.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

Chicken and Egg I guess, but I think the issue was we were calling plays for a QB who threw it at the wrong colored jerseys all day.

My point is simply that in the second half the team asked far too much of TJ and far too little of Arian.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

My point is simply that in the second half the team asked far too much of TJ and far too little of Arian.

Until the final drive with :45 left we had 13 passes and 12 runs in the 2nd half.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Alright, well if you are saying that Yates blew the play call, we'd have to wait for post-game confirmation. I'm presuming Yates wouldn't throw deep unless the receiver was much more open than AJ was. We need to find out more before applying the goat horns.

Maybe it all boiled down to rookie impatience. Very possible.

I agree. If they told him to look deep no matter what it is not his fault. But it didn't look like a max protect, 1 man route. I believe he had other options but never came off of AJ.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

Until the final drive with :45 left we had 13 passes and 12 runs in the 2nd half.

I know, I went back and looked at the play by play in the second half. Still, I stand firmly by my point. I don't see how anyone could argue otherwise.