Petey Faggins Discusses Texans Locker Room [ESPN.com AFC South blog]

[Keith]

Courtesy of Kuharsky's blog:

"Right now in this locker room, it's a lot more laid back -- players, coaches, the organization. In Houston, it's a little bit tense. I don't know if that's good or bad, but being there seven years, I experienced a lot. We were just trying to get a win, make the playoffs and do things like that for the first time that had never been done. ...

I think it's harder to play tense, it's like walking on egg shells. You never know when it's going to break down on you or you're really not concentrating on what you've got to do, you're worrying too much about what a coach is going to say, if you're going to lose your position or your spot. ...

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcsouth/...to-Texans.html

I wonder how much of this is attributable to departed DB coach Jon Hoke?

Found this extra tidbit from the blog entry interesting, too, regarding Faggins needing to improve his backpedal:

"Coming from Houston, we just always did press, no matter what the call was.

[NBT]

I think that guy Faggins is more about sour grapes & bad apples than things being "tense" in the locker room. He never could cover a receiver.

[barrett]

The Texans' locker room may be tense. They also may have had bad backpedal coaching in the past. But I don't really care to here from Faggins on this.

He is currently trying to make the Titans roster as a little regarded vet. If he said anything other than Tennessee is the best place to play and it's superior to all other places, then I'd be shocked. Not to mention he was just let go by us. This is totally different than a retired player impartially looking back on two different experiences on two teams. There is definitely motive here.

[HPF Bob]

Most of the time Petey was here, the secondary was substandard and the pass rush was lacking so I can understand being tense, The corners were often toast and the last guy in the line of defense trying to chase the receiver down from behind often gets the blame.

Of course, part of the secondary being substandard was Petey...

[coloradodude]

And why wouldn't they be tense?

The offense stunk and the defense was on the field most of the game.

[nero THE zero]

I wonder when fans will stop disregarding what ex-players have to say because that player wasn't an all-pro or simply because that ex-player is an ex-player. It seems to be a consensus amongst ex-players that our locker room/team chemistry is not as amiable as it is amongst other teams.

C.C. Brown got the same reaction when he spoke about the NY Giants having better team chemistry.

Our fans need to drop the inferiority complex and realize that maybe these guys aren't spouting off just to spite their ex-team. What they're saying just might have some substance.

And, who does it really surprise that a team that has never had a winning season might not have as relaxed locker room as a team a year removed from a SB ring or a team coming off a division championship?

It's a chicken-and-egg argument, but I'm of the thought that team chemistry is the result of winning football. Sure, winning football is also the result of team chemistry. But, I assure you that if this teams puts up double digit wins, a lot of these types of report will stop.

But, being a fan of a team doesn't mean you have to dismiss any possibly negative aspect of that team. Our team might have a bad locker room, there's no reason to dismiss that fact because it's being told by C.C. Brown or Petey Faggins.