Last Year:
Mrs. NFL had another baby in 2002 named the Houston Texans. It didn?t take them long to make the family proud as they pantsed their state-neighbor Dallas 19 ? 10 in week one. The Jekyll/Hyde potion wore off quickly, as the expansion Texans had to wait seven more weeks to get that sweet taste back in their mouths. The Texans, with few choices at QB, decided to start 1st overall selection David Carr right off the bat. A move that has looked decent to this point, but has also led to a lot of wear and tear on the young QB. Four wins is definitely an accomplishment for the new- borns as they had more wins than two other teams in the league, Detroit and Cincinnatti. With more protection and more offensive weapons on the way for David Carr, the Texans hope for continued growth in the year to come.
What we learned from Last Year:
David Carr was sacked more than any quarterback has ever been sacked in the NFL. Before you jump to conclusions and blame the offensive line, some of the fault should lie with David Carr?s indecisiveness. Although there were occasions where he didn?t have any time in the pocket, there were times where he took his pretty little time making decisions, and he payed for it. Also you should remember that the Texans were constantly losing in most of their games which means they had to pass the ball to get themselves back in the game. That, combined with a lack of a running game should also account for some of Carr?s punishment. One positive to take from all of this is the fact that this guy just kept getting right back up. Got sacked, got up. Got sacked, got up. He showed very good durability last year, but this type of sacking cannot continue if this team is to have any success. Obviously with Tony Boselli being injured, again, there was no real anchor on the offensive line. That led to the team?s failure on offense. A crumbling offensive line was not conducive for a running game of any sort. Carr had very little weapons to work with even when he did get the team moving. This team has a very long was to go offensively.
On the defensive side of the ball, they do have some talent. The first year defense ranked a respectable 16th in the league last year. Most of their ability to achieve anything defensively came from the solid cornerback play they got from Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman. As they shutdown receivers one on one, the Texans rushed linebackers to try to get pressure on opposing QB?s. The problem with using any stats for this defense is that the rushing defense might look worse because after teams had a comfortable lead, then they would just run the ball. How hard were teams really trying to score points after getting out to a nice lead? Will the defensive stats look better or worse if teams need to score points consistently against them? That is what makes this team so deceiving. They may be hard pressed on being injury free defensively again this year. Whether the defense is good or not is beside the point, if the offense is bankrupt each week then don?t expect the defense to come up with any answers.
What has changed?:
With their top draft pick this year the Texans put a big grin on David Carr?s face by selecting Miami standout Andre Johnson. For an offense that scored only three points five times last year he should be a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately the malfunction on the offense is rooted in the offensive line. For this team to have any success, they will need to get some kind of protection for David Carr. Carr has already been working out vigorously to ensure that his body is prepared for another beating, but I can assure that is not what he wants. Tony Boselli is supposed to return, but how many times have we heard that. It is uncertain whether he will be ready for opening day. The Texans have made it a priority to improve their offensive line bringing in Zach Wiegert and Greg Randall, both of who will upgrade the line. They also spent a third round pick on an OT to bring in another body that might fill a hole. The line definitely looks like it has improved, but here?s the problem: If Boselli will not be ready in time, then players will be shifted around on the line. Well you might think it is not a big deal because many linemen can play several positions, which is true, but it just kills team chemistry when the line hasn?t gelled. For a group of guys that played exceptionally poor last year they need all the time they can get together.
Question #2: For a team who?s running back?s accounted for just three rushing touchdowns last year, and a team who ranked 31st in the league in rushing, what have they done to improve? Bring on the committee. The job will likely begin with Stacey Mack, Fred Taylor?s ex-backup, who should be the most effective. He?s out to prove that he can be a feature back, but he may have picked the wrong place to do it. Mack has the second longest streak in the NFL of carries without a fumble, which is something that last year?s starter Butterfingers Allen might need to learn. Although he?s a nice third down back, and a good receiver, a couple more fumbles and he will be a forgotten man. Speaking of which, there is talk of Jonathon Wells being cut if he doesn?t show anything in training camp. Last year he was supposed to be the future but with Mack in, and a couple of new RB draft picks this team Wells will have to show some kind of positive signs pretty quick. With all these running back it should create a pretty good competition, but no one will be able to run the ball if they don?t get any blocks.
This team looks to have made the right moves in the off-season addressing several needs, and I expect their losses to be by a less margin than some of them were last year, but the team still needs help. My concern is if they produce better offensively then teams may play harder against their defense exposing some of the weaknesses there, such as the safeties. Carr looks to be developing nicely, and he will have some targets this year but the main concern once again is the men in the trenches.
O/U 5.5:
The Texans are on pace with their three-year plan, and if they can continue to improve, then next year they will be competitive. That being said, improving in the win column this year may be a difficult task. Indianapolis seems to have them figured out, Jacksonville is much improved but Houston may be able to steal one from Tennessee. They will still need 5 more wins against: @Dolphins, @Saints, Chiefs, Jets, Panthers, @Bengals, @Bills, Patriots, Falcons, @Buccaneers. That looks like a very steep hill to climb. Experience will be valuable to them this year, but wins may be few and far between.
Fantasy Sleeper:
The only player worth drafting on this team would be David Carr. If you are in a league where interceptions and times sacked doesn?t hurt you, then he could be a nice asset. The Texans will regularly be chasing from behind, which means plenty of pass attempts. The running game might improve, but it will be quickly abandoned once this team is down by 14 points. The line will has advanced, and Carr?s decision making also has perked up so you should be able to get at least a few good weeks out of this fantasy pool cast away.
Mrs. NFL had another baby in 2002 named the Houston Texans. It didn?t take them long to make the family proud as they pantsed their state-neighbor Dallas 19 ? 10 in week one. The Jekyll/Hyde potion wore off quickly, as the expansion Texans had to wait seven more weeks to get that sweet taste back in their mouths. The Texans, with few choices at QB, decided to start 1st overall selection David Carr right off the bat. A move that has looked decent to this point, but has also led to a lot of wear and tear on the young QB. Four wins is definitely an accomplishment for the new- borns as they had more wins than two other teams in the league, Detroit and Cincinnatti. With more protection and more offensive weapons on the way for David Carr, the Texans hope for continued growth in the year to come.
What we learned from Last Year:
David Carr was sacked more than any quarterback has ever been sacked in the NFL. Before you jump to conclusions and blame the offensive line, some of the fault should lie with David Carr?s indecisiveness. Although there were occasions where he didn?t have any time in the pocket, there were times where he took his pretty little time making decisions, and he payed for it. Also you should remember that the Texans were constantly losing in most of their games which means they had to pass the ball to get themselves back in the game. That, combined with a lack of a running game should also account for some of Carr?s punishment. One positive to take from all of this is the fact that this guy just kept getting right back up. Got sacked, got up. Got sacked, got up. He showed very good durability last year, but this type of sacking cannot continue if this team is to have any success. Obviously with Tony Boselli being injured, again, there was no real anchor on the offensive line. That led to the team?s failure on offense. A crumbling offensive line was not conducive for a running game of any sort. Carr had very little weapons to work with even when he did get the team moving. This team has a very long was to go offensively.
On the defensive side of the ball, they do have some talent. The first year defense ranked a respectable 16th in the league last year. Most of their ability to achieve anything defensively came from the solid cornerback play they got from Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman. As they shutdown receivers one on one, the Texans rushed linebackers to try to get pressure on opposing QB?s. The problem with using any stats for this defense is that the rushing defense might look worse because after teams had a comfortable lead, then they would just run the ball. How hard were teams really trying to score points after getting out to a nice lead? Will the defensive stats look better or worse if teams need to score points consistently against them? That is what makes this team so deceiving. They may be hard pressed on being injury free defensively again this year. Whether the defense is good or not is beside the point, if the offense is bankrupt each week then don?t expect the defense to come up with any answers.
What has changed?:
With their top draft pick this year the Texans put a big grin on David Carr?s face by selecting Miami standout Andre Johnson. For an offense that scored only three points five times last year he should be a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately the malfunction on the offense is rooted in the offensive line. For this team to have any success, they will need to get some kind of protection for David Carr. Carr has already been working out vigorously to ensure that his body is prepared for another beating, but I can assure that is not what he wants. Tony Boselli is supposed to return, but how many times have we heard that. It is uncertain whether he will be ready for opening day. The Texans have made it a priority to improve their offensive line bringing in Zach Wiegert and Greg Randall, both of who will upgrade the line. They also spent a third round pick on an OT to bring in another body that might fill a hole. The line definitely looks like it has improved, but here?s the problem: If Boselli will not be ready in time, then players will be shifted around on the line. Well you might think it is not a big deal because many linemen can play several positions, which is true, but it just kills team chemistry when the line hasn?t gelled. For a group of guys that played exceptionally poor last year they need all the time they can get together.
Question #2: For a team who?s running back?s accounted for just three rushing touchdowns last year, and a team who ranked 31st in the league in rushing, what have they done to improve? Bring on the committee. The job will likely begin with Stacey Mack, Fred Taylor?s ex-backup, who should be the most effective. He?s out to prove that he can be a feature back, but he may have picked the wrong place to do it. Mack has the second longest streak in the NFL of carries without a fumble, which is something that last year?s starter Butterfingers Allen might need to learn. Although he?s a nice third down back, and a good receiver, a couple more fumbles and he will be a forgotten man. Speaking of which, there is talk of Jonathon Wells being cut if he doesn?t show anything in training camp. Last year he was supposed to be the future but with Mack in, and a couple of new RB draft picks this team Wells will have to show some kind of positive signs pretty quick. With all these running back it should create a pretty good competition, but no one will be able to run the ball if they don?t get any blocks.
This team looks to have made the right moves in the off-season addressing several needs, and I expect their losses to be by a less margin than some of them were last year, but the team still needs help. My concern is if they produce better offensively then teams may play harder against their defense exposing some of the weaknesses there, such as the safeties. Carr looks to be developing nicely, and he will have some targets this year but the main concern once again is the men in the trenches.
O/U 5.5:
The Texans are on pace with their three-year plan, and if they can continue to improve, then next year they will be competitive. That being said, improving in the win column this year may be a difficult task. Indianapolis seems to have them figured out, Jacksonville is much improved but Houston may be able to steal one from Tennessee. They will still need 5 more wins against: @Dolphins, @Saints, Chiefs, Jets, Panthers, @Bengals, @Bills, Patriots, Falcons, @Buccaneers. That looks like a very steep hill to climb. Experience will be valuable to them this year, but wins may be few and far between.
Fantasy Sleeper:
The only player worth drafting on this team would be David Carr. If you are in a league where interceptions and times sacked doesn?t hurt you, then he could be a nice asset. The Texans will regularly be chasing from behind, which means plenty of pass attempts. The running game might improve, but it will be quickly abandoned once this team is down by 14 points. The line will has advanced, and Carr?s decision making also has perked up so you should be able to get at least a few good weeks out of this fantasy pool cast away.
