*****Note: I had to change my Panthers/Vikings pick due to the injury to Peterson, and the return of Smith. The information I received on those two players was after I posted my picks on 09/16. Thanks***********
With the first week of the new season in the books, is the AFC South now up for grabs? Could we be watching the fall of a dynasty, and the emergence of a new team wanting to be crowned "King of the South"? Tough to say, especially with all the injuries that seem to be unfolding.
I know most people will disagree right off the bat, that it is way to early do answer that type of question. Well, maybe it is? But, let me point out a few reasons why I think (at this point in time) the AFC South is no longer the power house that it has been in years past, and it's wide open for whatever team wants to step up!
1. Payton Manning is not 100% and I think his knee is bothering him a lot more then what he is leading us to believe. Without any preseason games under his belt this season, his timing was off and it showed. 30/49, 257 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 2 sacks. Puting pressure on Manning is going to be key for any team, and trust me they are going to be chasing him! Add to that, Addai (RB) is questionable for next week and Harrison (WR) had another fumble resulting in a TD.
2. David Garrard had a shaky game at best. Not the Garrard that we watch against the Steelers in the wildcard game. 23/35, 215 yards, 1TD, 2 INT's, 7 sacks? Jones-Drew (RB) & Taylor (RB) combined for 57 total yards. If that wasn't bad enough 3 of thier offensive linemen are going to be out for 5 weeks. It doesn't get any easier facing the Bills after the big win their coming off of.
3. Vince Young is waiting on the results of an MR done on his knee today. They have not released any other information at this point. There were however reports that Police were called to try and help locate VY when he went missing earlier today. Go figure? He was said to be "emotionally down". This doesn't seem very promising for Titans fans, who booed him off of the field anyway. He went 12/22, 110 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 1 sack.
4. Matt Shaub is suffering from Carr-itis. He didn't have a good opening day against a stellar Steelers defense. He seemed uncomfortable from the begining and was rushing almost everything he threw. He finished 25/33, 202 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 5 sacks. Green (RB) is day-to-day with an ankle injury and Slaton (RB) rushed for 43 yards on 13 carries. Without a running game, and not allowing Shaub time in the pocket, the Texans best weapons (WR) are not being utilized.
So, with that said.........We might be seeing a changing of the guard at the top spot, but only time will tell at this point!
With the start of the new season only 24 hours away, the Texans find themselves in uncharted territory. Just two years removed from a dismal 2-14 record, the Texans finished with a franchise best 8-8 last year. Most would agree that the Texans would have made it into the play-offs if injuries didn't play a key role in stopping them. They lead the league last year with 17 people on the injury list. Despite having so many people out last year, only 3 remain on the IR from last years team. Good news heading into the new season.
There are, however, a few key things the Texans are going to have to do if they want to improve from last years record and take the next step in becoming a play-off team. It's not going to be easy, but it can be done.
1. Division wins- The Texans finished 1-5 in divisional games last year. Granted the AFC South is probably the toughest division around, but you need to improve on your win/loss record within your own division. This is the overall breakdown since 2002. Colts 1/11, Jaguars 7/5, Titans 2/10
2. Stay Healthy- Schaub (QB) missed 5 games and part of two others last year. Johnson (WR) missed 7 games. Robinson (CB) missed 7 games. Green (RB) only 216 yards. Still, even with all the injuries the Texans had, they still managed to set franchise records in- points, average yards per play, touchdowns, passing touchdowns, total yards per game, kick-off returns, punt returns, and sacks. Not bad!
3. Protect the ball- We all know that turnovers kill a team, and the Texans have had problems in the past with turning the ball over.
4. Touchdowns not Field Goals- Not to take anything away from Kris Brown, who is probably the best Kicker out there, but the Texans need to score touchdowns in the red zone to compete with higher caliber offenses.
Expectations could not be higher for this team and the fans. Coach Kubiak has made some good moves, but there are still a few pieces missing from the puzzle. Dunta Robinson will be a big help on the defensive side when he returns in six weeks. Steve Slaton (RB) has shown some skills in the preseason. I think he will be a difference maker and help the running game out tremendously. Mario Williams is coming off a season high 14 sacks and should only improve on that. The addition of some new key players are going to make this a team to watch. 2 months ago I said the Texans would finish 8-8 again this year. I hope they can prove me wrong.
Oh the drama! Yes, it's happening once again. Another season in the books, but the question remains the same.........Is T-mac one and done......again?
One and done? Come on people, your not really buying into this #### are you? How could you honestly say that one person controls the destiny of an entire team? Is he a magician? I don't see T-Mac holding a crystal ball in his hand before each game! Think about it! That's like saying you will go ahead and play every game of the season 1 on 5. (T-mac vs. your team) If you lose against our five players then you don't have what it takes to win in the playoffs!
Give me a break! Anyone who says that one player is responsable for the outcome of an entire team is mad! If you have followed Basketball long enough, it goes without saying that it requires a team effort to win and to lose! If you do not have a supporting cast around you, chances are you are not going to get far in the playoffs.(umm.....first round exit) Plan and simple!
The media should give T-Mac the credit he deserves. Not dwell on the fact that he has had some early exits. Do your homework, he has been close on several occasions. If the Rockets were healthy this season it would have been an entirely different question facing T-Mac right now!
Let me begin this blog with the famous words of Michael Vick "how many times can you beat a dead dog". This is exactly how I felt about answering this week’s blog competition question. With all the media attention that has been surrounding the Cowboys since their loss Sunday, and the names Romo and Simpson circulating in blogs and chat forums like it was headline news. It’s no wonder why I (like the hundreds of other sports fans) have become tired of hearing about Romo and his “bad game”.
Anyone who knows Football will be quick to point out that the Quarterback is the main component of a team. Like the engine of a car so to speak.(I know some people will tend to differ) but if your engine is not running correctly then everything else falters. Simply put, this was the case last Sunday for the Cowboys and Romo. We are so used to the fact that as a professional team/player you are supposed to come out and play a perfect game. Somewhere along the way we have forgotten that these players are human and are entitled to make mistakes. In Romo’s case he just made one after another, after another. You can just look at his stats and agree that he had a bad game. A QB rating of 22 says it all. Throwing 17 passes and completing only 5 in the first half is horrible. Throwing 3 interceptions….well, in his case he threw 5 before and still won, so you can’t say that’s too bad for him. Even after it was all said and done he still managed to finish the game with 214 yards.
Sure Simpson was there in her pink Romo jersey smiling at the camera and pointing to the number nine on her jersey. But do I blame her for adding more pressure to Romo? Heck, no! I credit the Eagles defense for that. Do I blame the thumb injury Romo sustained in the third quarter for the outcome of the game? No, but it may have played a small part in it. So to answer the big question “Do I blame Romo for the Cowboys loss Sunday?” Damn right I do! He is the engine of that team and had a complete breakdown Sunday. From start to finish he was terrible. You can argue that it was a team effort, but if your a QB your the main focal point. Do I think he will rebound this week? Of course he will!
It’s funny now that I look back on the game most of what I remember are the comments people were making about Romo and his personal life. Sadly, I hardly remember anything else about the game except for Jessica. Have we let “Reality T.V.” become such a factor in our lives that we let it influence our decision making? Has it become second nature to us to play judge and jury and hand out verdicts before knowing the truth about a case, maybe so? Will this “bad game” affect the Cowboys future? No way! It was only their second loss of the season. Thanks to Seattle’s loss to Carolina, Dallas still gets a first round bye in the playoffs and that's huge.
We all know how Romo can bounce back from a disappointment. We just need to see how quick he can do it this time. Even though he has not practiced at all this week, the coaching staff said he would be back for Saturday’s game against the Panthers. Watch out Carolina!
When the Texans started off the season 2-0 things were looking rather good. Finally, we would have a chance in the hardest division around. The AFC South. But like every good dream you have to wake up and face reality. Injuries were the Texans reality, and they began to take place on a regular basis. What started out so promising, slowly began to fade away. What was once a dream became a nightmare that we couldn't wake up from. With each lose came another injury, and they began to pile up. Most of them at key positions.
To date the Texans have 17 people on the injured list. (9 on offense, 8 on defense) The most in the NFL, but not a record any team would want to be noted for. With that said, the Texans back-ups stepped in to fill the shoes of their fallen teamates. Through the first few games you could see the lack of experience and leadership. We were given a glimpse of the all to familiar Texans of old. Could this be a repeat of what we were used to seeing the previous years? Would we have to wait again and say to ourselves that this is a team being built from the ground up? I don't think so. The back-ups stepped up in a big, big way. They have showed a desire to win and have proven to themselves, to us, that they could do it. The dedication and the heart to win as a team was shown against Tampa Sunday.
Tampa Bay came into Houston with a chance to clinch their division.(without help) and couldn't do it. The Texan's played like they played at the begining of the season, but this time it was with most of their back-ups. This wasn't the Texans of old I was watching, but a much more improved team, that played like a team. Finally! I was the first to write the Texans season off because of all the injuries they have sustained. But when you look back at the positive things that have happened, this is one you could really build off of.
Hello all, my name is P_REZ. I have always been involved in sports. From playing, to coaching, to watching, and betting. I am a native Houstonian. Which means I take Houston sports very seriously! The Astro's, Rocket's, and Texan's (Oiler's) are my favorite Teams! I don't always agree with some of the moves they tend to make (via trades, play calling, moving a franchise) but I do support them. Make no mistake about that! I think I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to sports. I have written a few blog's and will be writting a lot more in the future (or at least when I think certain things need to be addressed) I'll let you be the judge. So feel free to post a comment on my blog's and let me know what you think. Thanks! T/C until next time......... ..........PEA CE!
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