Official Texans @ Titans Game Thread, 12/15/2019

[Keith]

I haven't disliked a divisional opponent's head coach as much as Vrabel since Jack Del Rio.

Another nice game from Cunningham and Reader. Hyde has had a few good games this season, too, but this might have been his best.

Once again, a healthy Fuller makes the offense go. Stills benefitted with the two scores, but tough to imagine those happening without Fuller and Hopkins on the field with him.

I had hoped the redzone/endzone INTs by Watson were a thing of the past, but they made a comeback today. Watson has shown a great deal of development as a pro, but there are still these lapses. Throwing the ball away under 4 mins instead of keeping the ball and staying in bounds to run more clock is another example... I have no doubts about him continuing to learn though.

Another game with another critically wrong officiating decision, namely the one late where the official granted the Titans receiver forward progress for the first down but also stopped the clock. Can't have both. Clock should have ran. Coupled with Watson throwing the ball away a minute earlier, and all that drama to run out the final two minutes of the game are moot. Honorable mention to the unnecessary roughness call on Scarlett for an otherwise very clean hit.

Would like to think the Texans are mature enough to take care of business at Tampa to win that game against an inferior opponent and make Week 17's outcome meaningless. But we know better.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Keith

I haven't disliked a divisional opponent's head coach as much as Vrabel since Jack Del Rio.

Another nice game from Cunningham and Reader. Hyde has had a few good games this season, too, but this might have been his best.

Once again, a healthy Fuller makes the offense go. Stills benefitted with the two scores, but tough to imagine those happening without Fuller and Hopkins on the field with him.

I had hoped the redzone/endzone INTs by Watson were a thing of the past, but they made a comeback today. Watson has shown a great deal of development as a pro, but there are still these lapses. Throwing the ball away under 4 mins instead of keeping the ball and staying in bounds to run more clock is another example... I have no doubts about him continuing to learn though.

Another game with another critically wrong officiating decision, namely the one late where the official granted the Titans receiver forward progress for the first down but also stopped the clock. Can't have both. Clock should have ran. Coupled with Watson throwing the ball away a minute earlier, and all that drama to run out the final two minutes of the game are moot. Honorable mention to the unnecessary roughness call on Scarlett for an otherwise very clean hit.

Would like to think the Texans are mature enough to take care of business at Tampa to win that game against an inferior opponent and make Week 17's outcome meaningless. But we know better.

I think we are almost to the place where tacklers are getting flagged for takling a ball carrier/receiver too hard no matter how clean the hit my be.
That play was a key in gifting the Taks a first down and it could have been consequential in the outcome of the game which turned out not to be the case.

[HPF Bob]

Missed the game for a church function but watched the "highlights". A win is a win, particularly on the road and particularly in Nashpatch. We now cannot lose the tiebreaker to Tennessee but we can still lose out if we lose the last two and Tennessee wins the next two. Don't forget, the Tampa Bay game is a Saturday.

The old Dennis Green "they are who we thought they were" applies to this team. The Texans just grind and (almost) never make it look easy. Ever the fourth seed, doomed to be crushed in the second round, if not sooner. That's our Texans.

Saw the "farewell" tribute to Eli Manning at the Meadowlands. He's as good as retired. It sure looked weird watching 30-somethings Fitzpatrick and Eli running offenses for three-win teams this late in the year.

Big shoutout to Greg Ward, Jr. - the former Houston Cougar quarterback who played with San Antonio of the AAF this spring as a receiver - who caught 7 passes Sunday including the gane-winner as the Eagles edged the Redskins.

Buffalo-Pittsburgh should be good viewing on SNF with winner likely being our first-round opponent. If the Colts are already eliminated, they will be after the Saints stomp them on MNF tomorrow.

And, for you gamblers, the final play of the Eagles-Washington game is why you shouldn't wager.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

If he had a navy blue Members Only jacket he would pass for a Bushwick hipster's parody of a guy exactly like himself.

It’s probably a bad sign when you look like a parody of yourself.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

I think we are almost to the place where tacklers are getting flagged for takling a ball carrier/receiver too hard no matter how clean the hit my be.
That play was a key in gifting the Taks a first down and it could have been consequential in the outcome of the game which turned out not to be the case.

They need to err on the side of caution and call it when it’s close. That’s a matter of guys being vegetables at 50 or not. So I get the way it’s called. But if you’re going to guess every time it looks bad then you need to review them all like college. It’s another example of the NFL having the worst possible replay rules. No other league uses helpful technology to make things worse quite like the nfl.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

And, for you gamblers, the final play of the Eagles-Washington game is why you shouldn't wager.

Eheh. Guess who had Washington +5? Good lord, that was brutal. Most of the early afternoon, my three picks (Wash, Den and Miami) were in the green. I watched as Denver and Miami fell off the planet so I figured, well, at least Washington's got it. Nope. Eheh. A contest, so no money lost but still.....

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Early line has the Texans @ Bucs game on Saturday as a Pickem to Texans by 1. Seems a little light to me - I would have figured Texans by 3 or so.... I think even the bookmakers are having a hard time figuring which Texans they will get.... Maybe the Texan defense can get bad Jameis to show up.... or not... Bucs are now at a respectable 7-7.

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The Texans could make the season finale vs. Titans moot with a win @ Tampa. Eheh, yeah, right....

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by Arky

Early line has the Texans @ Bucs game on Saturday as a Pickem to Texans by 1. Seems a little light to me - I would have figured Texans by 3 or so.... I think even the bookmakers are having a hard time figuring which Texans they will get.... Maybe the Texan defense can get bad Jameis to show up.... or not... Bucs are now at a respectable 7-7.

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The Texans could make the season finale vs. Titans moot with a win @ Tampa. Eheh, yeah, right....

The number should climb as news spreads that Tampa WR Chris Godwin is likely done for the season with a pulled hamstring. Their other star wideout, Mike Evans, the former Aggie great, pulled his hammy the week before and may be back to play the Texans but is unlikely - particularly with one less day of practice due to the Saturday start.

Breshard Perriman is the next target for Winston after that. After the way the Texans were abused by Jonnu Smith, I would not be shocked to see more 2 TE sets for the Bucs.

Meanwhile, the Houston MO this year has been a loss followed by two wins:

L @ NO, W vs Jax, W @ LAC
L vs CAR, W vs ATL, W @ KC
L @ IND, W vs OAK, W vs JAX @ London
bye
L @ BAL, W vs IND, W vs NE
L vs DEN, W @ TEN, ? @ TAM

This tells me we're due to beat the Bucs but lose the home finale to TEN. That's okay because we clinch if we beat Tampa and may rest some players in Week 17 should that happen (McCarron at QB?).

Astonishingly, if the pattern continues, it means we win two playoff games before falling in the AFC Championship Game.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

The number should climb as news spreads that Tampa WR Chris Godwin is likely done for the season with a pulled hamstring. Their other star wideout, Mike Evans, the former Aggie great, pulled his hammy the week before and may be back to play the Texans but is unlikely - particularly with one less day of practice due to the Saturday start.

Breshard Perriman is the next target for Winston after that. After the way the Texans were abused by Jonnu Smith, I would not be shocked to see more 2 TE sets for the Bucs. ......................

Yep, already seeing some Texans by 2½ to 3. Good info on the Buc wide receivers.... Breshard Perriman will be a concern....

At one point, Tampa Bay was a horrible 2-8 ATS but has since covered the last 3 of 4 for an overall of 5-9 ATS. They are on a 4 game winning streak straight up and have won 5 of their last 6. They smoked the Lions yesterday 38-17 but I don't know if I would make too much of that - the Lions were supposedly missing 10 starters....

Once again, it's a game the "good" Texans should win and cover. But you never know with this team...

[Keith]

Meant to point out Reid in my earlier post. His hit caused the ball to pop up for Mercilus to snag and rumble-bumble-stumble just short of a touchdown. Reid has been something of a first for the franchise - a young playmaking safety. He has struggled this season to stay healthy... paired with the health of Fuller, it is seemingly key for the Texans to win Week 16 at Tampa on Saturday to ensure they can rest these guys for Week 17 for their best shot at a healthy-ish playoff run.