The Houston Texans After Three Seasons

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JohnBM01

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Okay, they're not going to anyones playoffs this year, but I just wanted to commend the team from my hometown. In 2002, they pulled off something that had even myself would say "what the hell?" They beat the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 and went on to win three more games including a 24-6 beatdown on the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2003, they won one extra game to go 5-11. And all the while, improving and maturing as David Carr and his supporting cast stepped up. They had injury after injury, however. I think they had about... 15 or 17 people injured. In 2004, they finally win back-to-back games, and as Carr promised, he'd trim up or cut his hair if they won more consectutive games. The 2002 1st Overall pick out of Fresno State shown impressive promise with a bend-but-never-break style of play. And let's not forget the beautiful pick return of 103 yards from endzone-to-endzone without flags as the Texans beat the Kansas City Chiefs. So, I thought they really played like a playoff team. Also in 2004, they played at home against the Green Bay Packers. Even though they lost with a heartbreaking field goal, they really shown me what they are capable of on that Sunday Night.

So basically, this expansion team is an expansion team no more, and I really think they'll see a playoff between now and 2012. Maybe with some hard work, they'll maybe take home a Vince Lombardi. This is probably the first topic I've done committed to the NFL, so let's see how this goes. How far do you think the Texans can go? Can they win a Super Bowl even with a few Texans seeing the Pro Bowl this postseason? What's your assessment of how this team has done since Game One? Are they perhaps capable of stealing the spotlight from bigger and better teams? Let's see some replies.
 
Playoff team?

David Carr didn't play as well as everyone expected him to (16 TD, 14 INT, 83 QB rating), but Domanick Davis is a reallyy good running back (and one of the best receiving RBs in the NFL) and Andre Johnson is an elite receiver. On defense, Dunta Robinson looks like he could be a great corner in a couple years, and Jamie Sharper is a standout linebacker.

Maybe in a couple years they'll be a playoff team, but then again they are in a very tough division - they've got to contend with the Jags, Colts, and Titans. Any three of those teams could be playoff contenders next season.

Playoffs seven years in a row? I doubt it.
 
Carr looked good in the beginning of the season, but he kind of lost it in the end of the year. I'll give them 3 or 4 more years before they make the playoffs.
 
I think this would be the "checklist" for the Texans in terms of progress through the season. Accomplished objectives have pluses (+) and unaccomplished objectives have minuses (-):

+ win consectutive games
- finish a season at 0.500
- compete for wild card berth
- make the playoffs
- win in division (for them, AFC South)
(optional: - gain home field advantage)
- win the AFC Championship

and the ultimate goal:

- win the Super Bowl

Now, this is just about winning games and moving ahead in standings, not so much things like "defend the pass/run better" or anything like that. Going into their fourth year, they'll have to keep up their spunk if they want a chance at glory.
 
Texans' training camp opens today (I thought it would open Friday). The Texans believe that this season has some high expectations by Houstonians since the Texans improved in the win/loss department. They started 4-12, finished 5-11 in 2003, then worked their way to an impressive 7-9 this past season.

How do you think the Texans will fare this coming season?
 
JohnBM01
+ win consectutive games
- finish a season at 0.500
- compete for wild card berth
- make the playoffs
- win in division (for them, AFC South)
(optional: - gain home field advantage)
- win the AFC Championship

and the ultimate goal:

- win the Super Bowl
Click to expand...

First off, I love the Texans, always have since the day they came into the league. However, I think your list isn't as good as it could be... Obviously every team wants these things... It's not very Texan specific... know what I mean?

It should look kind of like this...

+ Build a more dependable and effective O Line (done, they've worked hard in making a few key choices in the off season as far as free agents and draft choices are concerned... this should allow Carr a bit more time to throw the ball, as well as keep his lanes open a little longer, which he needs as he's still not completly remedied that side slinging style of his).

+/- Get more depth at the receiver position (partialy done Jerome Mathis can possibly be a good pick up if he can keep his personal life under control, and the resigning of Bradford won't hurt any, along with the cast of new faces at this postion... only time will tell if they made the right choices once training camp is done... a good receiving tight end would be a good fit in the kind of offence they run).

- Establish a stronger presence in the defensice back field (failed... IMHO. Letting Aaron Glenn go was a bad move... he could easily have been made into one hell of Nickel or Dime DB and although they brought in Phillip Buchanon from Oakland, I just don't feel they'll have very much luck at stopping some of the big guns in their devision).

Obviously getting to 0.500 is a primary goal, and quite possible this year, though anything else this year will be extreamly lucky and unlikely... What will help them however is that the whole cast of players on their roster appear to be healthy at this time... we'll see in a week or two once training camp is over...

P.S. Carr is a better QB then people give him credit for... it's hard to throw when you're not getting the time to do so... I wouldn't doubt if they're still working on getting his release times quicker... though he's realy come a long way, as have his receivers... they aren't the Colts by any means, but they could be lighting it up quite a bit more this year... Doubters be ware, you may soon be owning a Carr jersey before too long...
 
i'll give the Texans 3 yrs to go to the playoffs. i think that their offense is perfect and their defense is good too. but the only problem i have is that they are in the AFC and the AFC South with the Titans and Colts. OUCH!

GOOD LUCK HOUSTON! :)
 
JFM92_GTRacer
i'll give the Texans 3 yrs to go to the playoffs. i think that their offense is perfect and their defense is good too. but the only problem i have is that they are in the AFC and the AFC South with the Titans and Colts. OUCH!

GOOD LUCK HOUSTON! :)
Click to expand...

The Titans are done... Loved em, but alast, they're headed to the same place that Green Bay finds themselves... the bottom of their respective devisions...
 
Something my cousin says is that he'd rather not see the Titans EVER win a Super Bowl, since before the Tennessee Titans, they were the good old Houston Oilers. Titans are tough, but it was interesting to see the Texans sweep the Titans last season, not to mention win back-to-back games. If they want to see Detroit (the 2006 Super Bowl), all they've learned in three seasons will have to be put to the test and make their way into the dance for the Super Bowl. If they make it to the big game in the circumstance they do, it would be lovely to see them take on whomever the NFC champ is.

Do you see them winning more or less than 7 games?
 
JohnBM01
Something my cousin says is that he'd rather not see the Titans EVER win a Super Bowl, since before the Tennessee Titans, they were the good old Houston Oilers. Titans are tough, but it was interesting to see the Texans sweep the Titans last season, not to mention win back-to-back games. If they want to see Detroit (the 2006 Super Bowl), all they've learned in three seasons will have to be put to the test and make their way into the dance for the Super Bowl. If they make it to the big game in the circumstance they do, it would be lovely to see them take on whomever the NFC champ is.

Do you see them winning more or less than 7 games?
Click to expand...

I see 0.500 + 1 or 2... that's about it...
 
I like the Texans, I was mad to see the Oilers move to Tennessee, but I will have to say that the Buffalo Bills pwn their posteriors ;)
 
David Carr is out of Fresno State, the #1 Draft pick back in 2002. His first year- most memorable for getting sacked 76 times (NFL Record). He's a tough quarterback. I know the real Bulldogs are the Georgia Bulldogs, but the former F.S. Bulldog has had promise since being in the NFL. I can tell you that it's nothing like seeing David Carr connect to Andre Johnson in the passing game. I will admit that their offense is pretty good. My only concern is on defense. Kailee Wong is a crafty player out of Syracuse. I think if the defense can hold the other team's offense to 4th Down more efficientely, they'll probably be a better team down the line.

The best play I've seen from the Texans was a BEAUTIFUL interception in the End Zone, with one of the Texans running a beautiful 103 yards to score a touchdown on defense overthe Kansas City Chiefs. Second best was that QB Sneak on the 1 yard line, 4th Quarter, 2 seconds left, to take down the Jacksonville Jaguars. The worst play, was probably that one guy who was going to run the ball into the end zone and fumbled the ball by celebrating TOO early.

With the Texans, what do you like most about the Houston Texans?
 
Did I say the Texans are the Patriots? No, I didn't. Do I think they are? Of course not. Will they ever be? Probably not.

I have respect for the Houston Texans. I don't plan on seeing them as the next NFL dynasty within the next 10 years. I may have this Español version of the Texans' schedule from my mother, but here is a schedule of the Texans preseason games and regular season games (all times Central Daylight and Central Standard):

-PRESEASON-
8/13/2005 @ 7:00 PM; vs. Denver Broncos
8/20/2005 @ 7:00 PM; vs. Oakland Raiders
8/27/2005 @ 7:00 PM; at Dallas Cowboys
9/1/2005 @ 6:30 PM; at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

-REGULAR SEASON-
9/11(?)/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Buffalo Bills
9/18/2005 @ 12:00 PM; vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
---Bye week for 9/25/2005---
10/2/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Cincinatti Bengals
10/9/2005 @ 12:00 PM; vs. Tennessee Titans
10/16/2005 @ 7:30 PM; at Seattle Seahawks
10/23/2005 @ 12:00 PM; vs. Indianapolis Colts
10/30/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Seattle Seahawks
11/6/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Jacksonville Jaguars
11/13/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Indianapolis Colts
11/20/2005 @ 7:30 PM; vs. Kansas City Chiefs
11/27/2005 @ 12:00 PM; vs. St. Louis Rams
12/4/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Baltimore Ravens
12/11/2005 @ 12:00 PM; at Tennessee Titans
12/18/2005 @ 12:00 PM; vs. Arizona Cardinals
12/24/2005 @ 12:00 PM; vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
1/1/2005 @ 3:05 PM; at San Francisco 49ers

Keep it moving.
 
Okay, we're cool then, Canadian Speed.

For those of you who seen the Texans' schedule that I posted above, do any games stick out at you? Anything you're maybe looking to see?

A game I liked last year was the game between Green Bay at Houston. Texans QB David Carr admires Brett Favre. To me, it was a great game, even though the Texans lost by a game-winning field goal. I think the Texans really kind of shown they were able to stand up to any or all teams. I think during Season 3 for the Texans, there was a statement that held true: "We are not an expansion team anymore." The Texans have one record, and that's the most Opening Day wins in a row. They beat Dallas at home in 2002, then beat Miami on the road the next year. Before the Texans, no expansion team has won consecutive Week 1 games. I like the Texans. They really seemed to have come together within three seasons. The next goal is a playoff spot. If you've seen NFL Europe's "World Bowl," you may remember seeing the QB for the NFL Europe runners-up (can't recall the team). But David Ragone is going to be a pretty nice QB for our squad. Only thing is, can he deliver during 16 weeks of NFL action, pending that he even gets starts?

As an off-topic note, the first-ever football game I been to was at Reliant Stadium. I may not see a game at Lambeau Field, Arrowhead Pond, Heinz Field, or wherever, but I really think Reliant Stadium is a very great stadium. I thought it was pretty small on the inside, but the facilities and such are pretty nice. It's a beautiful place just a mile or so away from the historic Astrodome. I kind of wish I was into football at an earlier age so I could see the Houston Oilers play home games. Of course, the Houston Oilers are now the Tennessee Titans. The other Texans, Dallas, is now the Kansas City Chiefs. Times have changed, yes? The Houston Texans franchise has a bright future ahead. I wish them all the best this season and many more to come. If you are in Houston, don't forget to see the Preseason Games on ABC 13.
 
Well, the Texans had a late surge after going silent, but they end by not stopping the Broncos when the Broncos got the ball inside the 4th Quarter's Two Minute Warning. They fall to Denver 20-14 and are 0-1 in the preseason. A loss like this is okay because this is the preseason, not the regular season.

As far as the regular season goes, I think many people have pretty high expectations for the Houston Texans. Unless another expansion league is formed in a city like San Antonio, Tulsa, Salt Lake City, Boise, Sacromento, or some other major or minor city, the Texans still hold the record for most consectutive wins by an expansion team. They beat Dallas in 2002 19-10 (memorable here in H-Town), then the beat the Miami Dolphins a year later. As their regular season opens up at Buffalo on September 11th, the Texans will have to hold together to make at least a wild card appearance. As long as Peyton Manning plays solidly, I don't think the Texans are going to win the AFC South this year. Only way that would happen is if Houston does impressive while other teams in conference just simply fall apart. At this point, the Texans will still decide who will play 16 games this coming season.

The 1st Unit offense and defense package was pretty solid. The 2nd and 3rd Unit packages kind of blown what could have been easy plays. But, it's just the way I feel about making free throws in basketball and field goals/extra points in field- don't take them for granted or think they are easy all the time. Preseason football is a learning experience for all. Texans play next Saturday to Oakland.
 
I think the first two weeks of the regular season will be good tests for the Texans offense, going up against two of the top defenses in the league. My Bills will beat them though. ;)
 
I couldn't see all of the game because my parents wanted to go with my brother and his friend to go bowling. The thing is, I was shocked as hell to see that the Texans pulled it out against the Oakland Raiders. Now their home preseason games are done. Now the Texans will head to the Dallas Cowboys this coming Saturday, then hit the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hey, Auburn Tigers fans! Cadillac's in the house for TB, who should end up being as solid as he played for the Auburn Tigers. Of course, his real name is Carnell Williams, better known as Cadillac.
 
This Saturday is the NFL's youngest rivalry as it will be the Houston Texans at the Dallas Cowboys. Do you remember 2002? Sunday night. Reliant Stadium. Houston beating Dallas 19-10. Well, this preseason battle will signal the first Away game of the pre-season as they head into Irving, TX, USA.

As you may imagine, I'm even opening this thread to discussing the Houston Texans as they enter their fourth season, not to mention Texans games, Texans stats, and all that good stuff. Of course, good luck to Dom Capers' team. That team including Fresno State's David Carr, Andre Johnson, Kailee Wong, The NFL Edition of Insiders' Football News has the Texans finishing 8-8 in the season, usually meaning no postseason. Still though, I have a lot of faith in my hometown NFL brand. I think the thing Carr and company needs is a better defensive package in short yard gains and in 20+ yard situations. Andre Johnson is perhaps my favorite player on the Texans squad other than David Carr. If they can win at least a Wild Card position, I'll be happy.

I think the Texans know that three seasons in the NFL, it's time to make a push and become part of the winning 8 teams who play each other for the ultimate prize in the business, the Vince Lombardi trophy. I'm not saying they'll be the next dynasty, I just think that the Texans have to really look at the big picture, work hard to get to the very next level, then go out and perhaps be the ultimate dark horse. So last but not least, GO GET 'EM TEXANS!
 
The Texans have all the components to have a very solid offense for years to come. David Carr, Andre Johnson, and the biggest key in my opinion, Domanick Davis are all impact players already, and are all very young. They just really need some help on the defensive side of the ball. Losing Jamie Sharper was a huge blow to them, as well as losing Aaron Glenn. They do have two very young, up and coming corners in Dunta Robinson and Philip Buchanon though, so if they can add 1 or 2 more players on the defensive side of the ball every year, they could be a contender in the upcoming years. Could.
 
Sadly, the Texans lost to the Cowboys. I forget the score, but I think the Texans were ruining their own momentum with several penalties. I sure hope the Texans can look beyond this game, study film, and get ready to go to Tampa Bay this Thursday. Also hope the weather can hold up at Raymond James Stadium. On top of that, I'd like to see how they would do against (if he still makes the cut) Tampa Bay's "Cadillac." That's right, Carnell "Cadillac" Willams of the undefeated 2004 Auburn Tigers.
 

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