Official Texans @ Patriots Game Thread, 9/24/2017

[chuck]

What a bunch of goddamned retards.

[barrett]

I've been pretty negative the last year or so. And there was enough to complain about if I wanted to, but that was a heck of an effort by the Texans.

We looked like an NFL offense for once. Our terrible WRs other than Hopkins looked competent with a competent QB. Our patchwork OL even looked competent when the defense had to deal with a little fear and uncertainty. Our defense was not the 85' Bears, but that's 59 really good minutes against Tom Brady in Foxboro. The sack where Watt and Clowney converged from opposite sides and Mercilous came late up the middle was a thing of beauty.

But this is the NFL and it's a QB league, and for the first time in 5 years we didn't look like we brought a knife to a gun fight. We looked like we were trying to win games instead of trying to steal them. Watson did incredible things and he did them all without taking much punishment. His scariest moment was a non-contact cut he made. He did enough with his arm, mind, and legs to show a ceiling much higher than any Texans QB ever. The play he made to Foreman was amazing and there haven't been a dozen guys in NFL history that could have done that.

Losing a week 3 game in Foxboro won't hurt us (although it would have made up for the week 1 embarrassment). And for the first time ever I actually think we could go win that game 4 months from now in the playoffs.

[Arky]

Early line for next week has the Titans favored by 2½.

Get some sunglasses because the future looks bright......

[chuck]

I thought Deshaun was incredible. The first touchdown throw I said Touchdown! just as he released it. Although you could see a very small part of the field, it was just blindingly obvious that he saw someone open and that he was throwing it to the end zone. By the way, how typical is it that the team has thrown all sorts of picks at the WR position and the best receiver on the team not named Deandre is a guy they signed off the street?

Despite some egregious clock management issues and some typically terrible play calling, I thought the game plan was more or less exactly what it needed to be. Play action worked great, the roll outs were great and I'd like to see more of them, you can do a lot with the split back sets and I'd like to see them use that formation more both for pass protection and for rushing plays. Other than the first possession we didn't see much running towards the sideline, and I think with Watson's legs you can use an option pitch out of the split back set to great effect once or twice a game.

In a similar concept to isn't it amazing how much smarter your father gets as you go from 17 to 25, isn't it amazing how much better the OL gets when you employ a decent game plan? Sure NE's front seven is at best nothing special, but still.

The bad news is the team's secondary is horrific. The good news is most teams don't have Tom Brady to exploit it.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

I thought Deshaun was incredible. The first touchdown throw I said Touchdown! just as he released it. Although you could see a very small part of the field, it was just blindingly obvious that he saw someone open and that he was throwing it to the end zone. By the way, how typical is it that the team has thrown all sorts of picks at the WR position and the best receiver on the team not named Deandre is a guy they signed off the street?

Despite some egregious clock management issues and some typically terrible play calling, I thought the game plan was more or less exactly what it needed to be. Play action worked great, the roll outs were great and I'd like to see more of them, you can do a lot with the split back sets and I'd like to see them use that formation more both for pass protection and for rushing plays. Other than the first possession we didn't see much running towards the sideline, and I think with Watson's legs you can use an option pitch out of the split back set to great effect once or twice a game.

In a similar concept to isn't it amazing how much smarter your father gets as you go from 17 to 25, isn't it amazing how much better the OL gets when you employ a decent game plan? Sure NE's front seven is at best nothing special, but still.

The bad news is the team's secondary is horrific. The good news is most teams don't have Tom Brady to exploit it.

I almost think Kareem Jackson should skip safety and move straight to LB. The guy is an amazing tackler. He made a beautiful tackle on a wide run that made me shout for joy, and then like 2 plays later he was called for holding. The past 2 weeks I've seen him up near the LOS so often and he's been awesome. But he still can't find the ball when it's in the air if his life depends on it. Make him a Nickle ILB like they used to do with Glover Quinn.

And yes, Watson is very talented. It's almost as if the QBs drafted early in the draft are more talented than if you sign an unwanted veteran backup.

[Arky]

The second guessing post-game has been through the roof on radio, TV and internet.

"Get better each day." "An improvement league." "Gotta coach better." "Gotta do a better job in that situation." While these mantras are OB's go-to expressions in post-game pressers, one assumes that one has a basic level of competence to start with.... So, hearing these mantras repeated over and over, it really gets annoying when Coaching 101 errors are made.... OB has been on the job for three years and change, now, so when he says, "it's on me", you better believe it......

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Would have been quite a feather in Watson's cap to be the one rookie who defeated the Pats at home. Next time the Texans play the Pats, win or lose, I hope they beat 'em up....

Bottom line: The game vs the Pats could have gone either way. The Pats just had the lead when time expired....

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Good news: We got a QB and (so far), a FG kicker.

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Three home games scheduled next: Titans, Chiefs (SNF) and Browns and then the bye. I'd take 3-3 before the break, of course, 4-2 would be better. I had no hope of a winning record after Week 1 but that now may be achievable....

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

And yes, Watson is very talented. It's almost as if the QBs drafted early in the draft are more talented than if you sign an unwanted veteran backup.

You know what, I'm starting to lean in that direction.

KJ has always been very good in the slot and terrible outside. Ha- I was going to rehash what we could be doing if we had a competent GM but I won't bother; we all know.

Arky makes a good point I've been meaning to make - the team's coverage has yet to give up a long return when Fairbairn kicks off and the ball goes out of the back of the end zone. That's another weird rule that as a Texans fan I was previously unfamiliar with.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by chuck

some typically terrible play calling

There of course was some typically terrible playcalling. That series in the middle of the 4th quarter with three straight pass plays, at a time when it was unseasonably warm and the Pats D was gassed, at a time when the Texans finally had a late lead and you knew you didn't want to give Brady extra time, just inexcusable. Keep pounding with Foreman.

Honestly, I was pleasantly shocked until then at how the offensive playcalling was going. It accentuated Watson's talent. I really never thought O'Brien would open it up as much as he did in - gasp - the rookie's second start. As Watson's downfield accuracy improves, he will really elevate this team. It made everything look better on Sunday, from the OL to the running game.

But yes, some typically terrible playcalling might have cost the Texans the opportunity from winning.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

There of course was some typically terrible playcalling. That series in the middle of the 4th quarter with three straight pass plays, at a time when it was unseasonably warm and the Pats D was gassed, at a time when the Texans finally had a late lead and you knew you didn't want to give Brady extra time, just inexcusable. Keep pounding with Foreman.

Honestly, I was pleasantly shocked until then at how the offensive playcalling was going. It accentuated Watson's talent. I really never thought O'Brien would open it up as much as he did in - gasp - the rookie's second start. As Watson's downfield accuracy improves, he will really elevate this team. It made everything look better on Sunday, from the OL to the running game.

But yes, some typically terrible playcalling might have cost the Texans the opportunity from winning.

I don't have a big problem with the 3 passes other than it didn't work. I like being aggressive there. I would have had a bigger problem with 3 straight runs in that situation. And I have a much bigger problem running Lamar Miller on 3rd and 1 and then kicking the FG on 4th and 1.

[Keith]

It was an interesting strategy given how conservatively O'Brien called plays down the stretch in Cincinnati. I expected he would do something similar at New England once he had the lead to maintain time of possession, especially since it seemed like a 3-headed rushing attack of Watson, Miller, and Foreman would be tough to contain.

As for running Miller on 3rd and 1, agreed. Either run Foreman on that play or perhaps throw something short, esp if you plan to go for it on fourth down anyway.

I was absolutely in favor of kicking the FG though. What Brady had to accomplish to win that game was not a given; it was not easy. In fact, he nearly blew it if Corey Moore hangs on to that pick. And I'm still not sure the scoring catch is still ruled a catch outside of Massachusetts. The odds are in the Texans defense's favor to keep the Pats out of that end zone.