Friday, September 25, 2009

What's Wrong With the Texans Defense?

A critical Texans deficiency last year was defense on first down; the Texans were last in the National Football League (NFL). An important reason why I expect a better record this year is that I expect better performance on first down this year. Believe it or not, so far we're getting it; first down is not the problem.

IMHO, the first (and second) down defense is considerably improved. We're creating significantly more 3rd and longs than previous years. However, Sanchez killed us on 3rd down in week one. And, while the 3rd down efficiency was better against the Titans, two of the back-breaker plays were on 3rd and long.

So, the defense is indeed creating the 3rd and longs that have been missing for so long -- but not capitalizing on them. Why is that? Third and long means

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Houston Texans 2009 Kickoff


I'm ready for some football. This year, I'm comfortable including the words "Texans" and "playoffs" in the same sentence -- but not quite in the way I had hoped.


Houston Texans Deficiencies


The Texans ended last season with three obvious deficiencies:
  1. Red zone offense: The Texans ranked third in the National Football League in total offense in 2009 and yet were only 17th in scoring. One of the best offenses in the NFL consistently bogged down in the red zone.
  2. Turnover ratio: A season that began with reducing turnovers being a point of emphasis ended with the team giving up 10 more turnovers than it caused -- not exactly what coach Kubiak had in mind, and not playoff level performance.
  3. Defense: The Texans were 22nd overall, a below average performance that must be improved if they are to become a playoff team.

The team's success in 2009 will hinge on how well they have addressed those deficiencies.

Texans Offensive Improvements


The improvements on offense will come from