That's Football...That's Life: Matt10's Houston Texans

[Matt10]

Shit, how many seasons in are you? I remember this franchise from way back.

EDIT: Just read up on this a little bit. I'll have to catch up. I'm also gonna get back on 2K5.

Lol, yeah, i've definitely not kept up with this as frequently as I wanted originally - nonetheless, still going strong, and still getting my NFL fix.

This is season 3, btw.

[Matt10]

woops.

[Matt10]

Bubble Race: The 2010 season has literally flown by, and now it's time to take a look in week 16 of how the play off race is going. In the AFC race, Pittsburgh on the bubble for the first time in 5 years, and do not finish easily against the 7-7 Browns, then after that, fellow bubblee the 8-6 New York Jets. The NFC bubble is looking the same way, although the Seawks have what should be an easy matchup against the woeful 4-10 Washington Redskins, before finishing up a heavily anticipated matchup with the 7-7 Buffalo Bills. Philadelphia will have to get past the shaky 6-8 Ravens, and then summon all of Lincoln Field to aid in defeating the 9-5 New York Giants.

[Matt10]

Week 16: Texans (2-11) at Titans (7-8)

41 - 03

Kicked while we're down
Titans wallop pathetic Texans

by James Casselle

There was no hope in this game. I turned it off 20 minutes into it, I honestly wanted to turn it off when Chris Carr returned the opening kick off for an untouched 90 yard return for a touchdown. Thus would be the theme of the game, and if I was not forced by employment to follow these Texans anymore - I would become a Bungles fan. Not the team, the actual band - I hear there is a reunion soon.

Nonetheless, here we are, sitting oh so pretty at 2-13 on the year. We still have Kubiak occupying the headset, and Rick Smith playing mindgames in the background - when we all know Kubiak won't be let go at the end of this year, they are good friends and Smith can afford the good natured Texans fans to show up every game next year, just like they did this year despite the down fall.

Sam Bradford tried his best today, the kid just could not get things rolling his way, and in the 2nd quarter, after driving down the Titans field for almost 50 yards - the rookie quarterback slung in a hard one intended for Andre Johnson. Unfortunately, the slant play was the Texans money play - but the way this year is going, it was no surprise when Nick Collins jumped in front of the ball and robbed the Texans clean of scoring in this game - better yet, he returned the ball 94 yards and a Titans score to make it 28-zip at by halftime.

By the second half begun, it was the same theme. Bradford would throw another pick after a great drive - and the Titans would capitalize. After that, the defense rose up, but could not contain the explosive Armando Allen. Allen rushed for just over 140-yards and a touchdown. When Allen was not able to take advantage of the Texans fatigue, it was Vince Young's sharp awareness that got the Titans converting third downs.

At the end of the day, the running game was nonexistant - the nerves of Bradford were shot. On the plus side, Antonio Cromartie dished a vicious hit to Vince Young's throwing pinky finger in the fourth quarter, snapping it out of place. Sadly for the Texans, backup quarterback Rudy Carpenter railed off two more touchdowns before the merciful father time expired, sending Kubiak and the Texans back to where they aren't wanted, but are dealt with.

Player Stats:

TEN Passing: Young, 5/14, 94 yds, TD
TEN Rushing: Allen, 27 rush, 143 yds, TD
TEN Receiving: Williams, 4 rec, 56 yds, TD
---
HOU Passing: Bradford, 16/31, 187 yds, 2 INT
HOU Rushing: Jones, 16 rush, 36 yds
HOU Receiving: Johnson, 4 rec, 62 yds





Next Game:Week 17: Bengals (9-5) @ Texans (2-13) *schedule change*

[Matt10]

Week 17: Bengals (9-6) @ Texans (3-13)

22 - 21

Better than two
Texans win third and final game of season, Kubiak bids farewell

by James Casselle

On national television, Gary Kubiak announced his resignation as Houston Texans head coach after the worst season in franchise history.

"I want it to be known that I loved what I did here," he spoke to the ESPN cameras, "This is a job that is reflected only by stats - and even though this year they weren't in my favor - I hope you continue to respect me as an individual who just wants to get the job done. Thank you, Houston - all the best."

With that, the speculation began on who Ricks Smith was going to replace Kubiak with, but not before we reflected on what a great game Kubiak's men presented to Reliant Stadium, winning off of a Colt David field goal with no time remaining, 22-21.

The game itself was one that looked ilke all the others this season for the Texans. Solid running back, grabs extreme yardage - quarterback makes no error in judgement - finds receivers. However, that was the first half of the game - and by the time the second half rolled around, with running back Chris Perry injured for the visiting Bengals, the Texans woke up (always late) and proceeded to execute something that resembled a game plan.

Straight from the kick off, it was a 40-yard return from Darren Sproles, which began a complete another 40 yard drive led by Houston's QB Sam Bradford. Bradford found Steve Smith on multiple occasions, allowing Smith to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark on the season. Even though Bradford found Smith on the 5-yard line, the gameplan was to bury the ball into the hands of Felix Jones, who was eventually stopped on all four downs - resulting in a turnover on downs within the 2 yard line.

With Chris Perry injured, in came ex-Texans, Steve Slaton for the Bengals. Slaton had showcased some strong runs early on as back up to Perry, but his first touch as the primary back was one he would soon want to forget. Backed up on their 2-yard line, Josh Freeman and the Bengals hinted at a run right up the gut. Instead, Slaton opted to take the hand off, cut hard left, trip - then get tackled in the endzone by linebacker Zac Diles to merit two points for the Texans.

"It was a play that had to be made," said Diles, "We had just given the ball away because we couldn't push harder than them - so just like it's been all season, the defense had to step it up."

Step up they did, and the kick return by Darren Sproles set up the Texans in great field position on the Bengals 40 yard line.

Sam Bradford went to work, and after pump faking for Smith on 3rd and 12, he launched a sky ball in the direction of Andre Johnson. Johnson clipped his way into the endzone and turned his head right in time to receive the catch - avoiding contact with corner, Leon Hall, for the score.

After the extra point, it was 21-19, the Texans needed the ball back with 5 minutes remaining to get Colt David into field goal position. Bengals quarterback, Josh Freeman had a great chance to seal the win on 3rd and 4, when instead of rushing into open space where he would have surely picked up the first down, opted to dink a pass to Slaton - who caught the ball, but corner Antonio Cromartie quickly slapped it out of his grip for a crucial incompletion.

What was even more crucial was Sam Bradford's decision making. Pinned back on the 26 yard line, Bradford found rookie tight end Wilfred Hanson down the middle for a 35 yard completion. The rookie tight end had his best game yet catching 3 passes for 59 yards.

From there, it was almost magical the way Felix Jones fooled the Bengals linebackers with his jukes and deceptive spped. When Jones couldn't get the run going, it was Bradford's smarts that bailed the Texans out of any big decisions by dumping off to able receivers in Jones and Chris Ogbonnaya.

Finally, it was 3rd and goal - Jones punched into the heart of the line - was stopped short, but it didn't matter. On fourth and goal, with 2 seconds remaining in the season, Colt David executed a chip shot to record one of the most memorable wins this season.

"A great way to end the season," states GM Rick Smith, "This was what we needed to see for the offseason. A lot of guys this year have underperformed - today they all performed like we were undefeated, and frankly - this is the first win of next year in my book."

Player Stats:

HOU Passing: Bradford, 25/38, 306 yds, 2 TD, INT
HOU Rushing: Jones, 39 rush, 118 yds
HOU Receiving: Smith, 9 rec, 109 yds, TD
---
CIN Passing: Freeman, 8/23, 101 yds, TD, INT
CIN Rushing: Slaton, 11 rush, 18 yds
CIN Receiving: Houshmandzadeh, 3 rec, 53 yds, TD





Next: Offseason

[Matt10]

RETIRING PLAYERS - Quarterbacks



1. Brett Favre - New York Jets
2. Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts
3. Trent Green - Arizona Cardinals

RETIRING PLAYERS - Receivers



1. Terrell Owens - Dallas Cowboys
2. Javon Walker - Green Bay Packers
3. Dante Hall - St.Louis Rams

RETIRING PLAYERS - Defensive



1. Ray Lewis - Baltimore Ravens
2. Brian Urlacher - Chicago Bears
3. Zach Thomas - Dallas Cowboys

RETIRING PLAYERS - Too Soon



1. Chris Perry - Cincinnati Bengals
2. Eric Wright - Tennessee Titans
3. J'Vonne Parker - Denver Broncos

[Matt10]

Still without a head coach, the Houston Texans have made the following resignings this offseason:

DT Travis Johnson (6/$21.24m)
DE Mario Williams (5/$18.70m)
SS Cory Brown (2/$3.67m)
LB Zach Diles (2/$1.76m)
OG Chester Pitts (4/$8.01m)
C Chris Myers (2/$5.52m)
LB Kevin Bentley (2/$1.54m)
G Kasey Studdard (3/$2.49m)
DT Amobio Okoye (2/$2.12m)
SS Michael Hamlin (5/$5.80m)
FB Chris Ogbonnaya (5/$6.42m)
PK Colt David (2/$1.71m)

And have renegotiated terms with:

WR Andre Johnson (2/$14.41m)
LB Morlon Greenwood (5/$9.48m)

During the FA signing, the Texans have signed:

DE Chris Ellis (3/$3.41m) - 76 ovr
DT William Joseph (4/$3.23m) - 71 ovr
SS Sha Reff Rashad (3/$2.57m) - 71 ovr
CB Aaron Hughes (4/$3.94m) - 66 ovr
WR Jacob Amie (2/$2.12m) - 74 ovr

[DJ Rhude]

This is epic stuff Matt.....what rosters did you originally start out with?

This is making me want to go dust 2k5 off

[RyanLeaf16]

Just went through all 32 pages! Awesome stuff man! I was going to say that it was time to fire Kubiak, but, too little, too late on that with his resignation. Any ideas on who you will bring in for the post?

[Matt10]

This is epic stuff Matt.....what rosters did you originally start out with?

This is making me want to go dust 2k5 off

Ya man, I keep it in my xbox all the time - it's only game I own for that system.

Rosters I believed I downloaded a franchise file by Gr18 on OS, it was 2 years ago, lol.

Just went through all 32 pages! Awesome stuff man! I was going to say that it was time to fire Kubiak, but, too little, too late on that with his resignation. Any ideas on who you will bring in for the post?

Thanks man, yeah I looked through all the pages too - brought back some good memories when this place was more active. The participation definitely went downhill once I had issues with the xbox drive (twice) and didn't update.

Now, I'm back into the swing of things and considering this is the best NFL game ever, I wont' be stopping - wont' be delaying.

Actually have an update in 3 secs.

Thanks guys.

[Matt10]

[Matt10]

Quick Offseason - Favre talks post draft thoughts, general aim for 2011 Texans

reported by Mark Ecksbocks

Houston,TX --- The initial thougth when Rick Smith signed Brett Favre as the new Houston Texans head coach was "Oh my goodness this is going to be rough." The perception is that Favre just retired from his playing days - and instead of taking it easy, he rushes right into a stint as a member of one of the worst standing franchises this generation.

"I don't deny the difficulty that is ahead of me," states Favre, "But when you believe in something enough to - you can turn any kind of ship wreck around."

ESPN was able to conduct an exclusive phone interview with Favre early this morning, the questions that were asked were answered outright - with no holding back. It definitely seems Favre is ready for the season to begin, but with only two months before preseason starts - does he have the personnel after draft?

------------

ESPN: Why did you accept the head coach position in Houston?

Favre: I want to stay in the game. I didn't want to become just another TV analyst, or help broadcast games. I have my thoughts on where the game should be - I've been there - so I wanted to spread my knowledge and experience the thrill of rebuilding a franchise.

ESPN: RIck Smith has constantly expressed how he despises the word "rebuilding", do you echo his sentiment?

Favre: I do. I am not one to accept defeat - and to say a team needs rebuilding is basically an excuse for how badly they performed over the years. This year will be different.

ESPN: How will it be different? The coaching staff is all that has really changed, you still have a group of guys that only won 3 games on the team.

Favre: If I had the mentality that nothing will change, I'd have never thrown a touchdown in the NFL - let alone become a potential Hall of Famer. The men who are on this team will give me everything they got - because by the time we've hit 55 on the roster, I will say a divisional championship is not a long shot.

ESPN: So you're guaranteeing a play off berth in your first year?

Favre: That's right.

ESPN: Excellent. Branching off on the personnel part - you increased your chances of a running back controversy by using your first round draft pick on Terrance Hunt, the oustanding Heisman runner up out of Stanford - has Chris Johnson had anything to say about this?

2011 Draftees (italicized = unsigned)


Favre: I'm sure he has. I hope it's nothing he will regret though, we couldn't pass on one of the best running backs I have seen in all of college football. I hope it sparks a heck of a controversy - give you guys something to write about this dull offseason (laughs).

ESPN: True that, sir. So with the personnel additions - have you given much thought about your offensive/defensive scheme for next year?

Favre: It's always on my mind. My OC (Offensive Coordinator) Chris Dominguez, is ecstatic with what quarterbacks we have on the team. Bradford is a heck of pickup from last year - he reminds me of a younger version of Archie Manning, I'm not sure how accurate that is - but that's how it feels. As for the defense, well DC (Defensive Coordinator) Grant Blanchet is really keen on trying a 3-4 defense. We have a strong mix of speed and strength at the defensive end position - but not as strong as I'd like to be when it comes to the tackles.

ESPN: Any trades we might see in the future?

Favre: I wouldn't think so, but we still have two months before we can really determine what we're working with. If there are some unhappy players for no good reason - I'll assess it, and kindly close the door behind them if necessary. I'm not going to be that type of coach that babies their star player, but I'm also not a hard nosed militant.

ESPN: Last question, with nothing proven on your own as a head coach yet - but as the best quarterback ever to grace the tundra...are you afraid the quarterback in you might want to just strap up the helmet - and jump in?

Favre: It's always up in the air with me, Mike. I can tell you without hesitation though, I'm here to stay as long as the Texans want me.

Less than two months away, and the Houston Texans have preseason hype - and for once it's not in regards to a player. Can Brett Favre really accomplish a play off berth for the Texans? Or will it be another forgotten season. My money's on Brett.

[Matt10]

2011 Roster/Depth
92 off, 96 def, 96 ovr
Playbook - Pittsbrugh, Defense - 3-4



Analysis: There will be no excuses for Brett Favre to take this team into the post season. With a well conditioned Sam Bradford starting the majority of last season's train wreck. However, last season is far behind now, and with preseason just about to start, Favre is in "full swing" with the team, stating that there is virtually no problem position for the Houston Texans. The controversy, if any, arrives at the running back spot. The Texans used their number one pick for an elite running back in Terrance Hunt, who will battle against the injury stricken Chris Johnson. It is possible that Johnson could be used as trade bait in the coming weeks, however Favre has officially stated if he's healthy, he will be the starter.

[Matt10]

The Houston Texans have waived the following players that participated in training camp and preseason roster preliminaries:

CB Brad Osoborne - 72 ovr
SS Alvin Freeman - 57 ovr (r)
FB Jamie Lamb - 61 ovr (r)
OLB Ian torres - 65 ovr (r)

Due to significantly (-$13.06m) limited cap room, the following contracts were terminated after preseason:

HB DeDe Dorsey - 76 ovr
DT William Joseph - 71 ovr
QB Bruce Gradkowski - 83 ovr
TE Owen Daniels - 90 ovr
FB Vonta Leach - 75 ovr
OLB Kevin Bentley - 72 ovr
OG Kasey Studdard - 78 ovr
DE Chris Ellis - 80 ovr

[Matt10]

Alan Burge, Houston Texans Examiner
Perfect season expected now
Favre takes Houston to 4-0 in preseason



The feeling in the air of Houston is a sense of relief for some reason. After the pathetic display last season, and the exit of Kubiak (thank you), this team is really starting to turn some heads. Now do all thanks go to Brett Favre himself - or is he truly teaching the students of the game the proper fundamentals to become a winning side?

My thinking is that Favre is on the right track. He's molded Sam Bradford into an incredible quarterback - took advantage of the young man's progression, and showed him how to regain confidence after a tough season last year. Doesn't hurt when Favre abandon's the practice and opts to throw a couple of balls himself to prove his theories at work.

The brilliant preseason was something of a blurry bliss. While it is preseason - it was definitely a great preview to what we are expecting to see this 2011 season. Despite some tough waives and terminations of solid players, I truly believe that a post season berth is not impossible this year.

Do we expect perfection? Absolutely.

On paper, the Texans are stacked at almost all positions except the linebacking core and safety. You think Chris Johnson is going to start over rookie Terrance Hunt? Think again, Johnson has been named back up - but don't throw the torches just yet, he's also the team's kick/punt returner - are you kidding me? Can you think of what kind of weapon that is for us in regards to field position?

Devin Hester will have nothing on CJ.

With that said, the rook Terrance Hunt has lived up to his name in the preseason - and it was no surprise to anyone here that he passed by Johnson. With zero history of injuries - not even a sprained ankle - the most durable back in the league wil wear #34 - the number of the kid's idol, none other than Walter Payton himself - and without knowing that, you'd definitely think that when watching him carry the ball - it's eerie.

Favre has weapons galore now. Only he can be responsible on what he does with them. He's already made some great decisions in switching up to a more balanced playbook, but most importantly a defensive 3-4 brings an extra sense of excitement throughout the fans. The linebacking core is fast, the secondary is agile.

The first game of the season is next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the first game of the season in Reliant last year, and this year they'll swap - KC beat us good - but this year is going to be a completely different story.

The Schedule
Win every game, Brett

Up first is Kansas City - last is in the same sate of Missouri - but different team

Week 1 - @ Kansas City
Week 2 - vs San Diego
Week 3 - vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 4 - at Indianapolis
Week 5 - Bye
Week 6 - at Tennessee
Week 7 - vs Cincinnati
Week 8 - at New England
Week 9 - vs San Francisco
Week 10 - at Seattle
Week 11 - vs Indianpolis
Week 12 - vs Tennessee
Week 13 - at Jacksonville
Week 14 - at Oakland
Week 15 - vs Denver
Week 16 - vs Arizona
Week 17 - at St. Louis