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Ashok Ayyar
. 20th December, 2005 - 5:06 am
 How bitter the brew of losing is. That made today’s 30-19 win against Arizona only a brief swig of the good stuff. Three previous weeks of narrow losses left Houston in a melancholy that sadly can’t be drowned in any drink—even with today’s win against a sorry, injured Arizona team.
A lot has been said in sports media about how bad the Texans are. So before I agree with them across the board, I would like to differ on three points: the Texans belong in the NFL, are playing to win, and can compete with the worse half of the league. Top to bottom, this team isn’t so different from last year’s—which of course makes 2005 tougher to swallow.
But the problems are legion and it will take more than an off-season fire sale to fix things in Houston. The last few weeks of disappointment brought some interesting points to mind. Let’s rewind and review.
Last week versus Tennessee, the boys from Houston controlled most of the game. We allowed a Pacman Jones 52 yard punt return TD, but you can’t expect much less when you punt out of your endzone. What was problematic was yet another late drive for the go-ahead score. That drive proved the Texans’ chief problem is defense: holding on to a lead rather than building one. Even Jeff Fisher, the most conservative guy in sports behind Rush Limbaugh, moved the ball in the hurry-up set. Anyone who has followed Jeff Fisher knows that he is the most painfully predicable play-caller in the sport.
The game was officially over when Kris Brown missed a last second field 31 yarder. Even a solid kicker like Brown slipped when the team needed him. “Obviously, we’ve done something to offend the football gods. They must really hate us now,” bemoaned center Steve McKinney.
The week before, 12/4, the offensively challenged Ravens edged the Texans 16-15. Domanick Davis did his job with 155 yards on the ground, keeping Houston ahead most of the way. In the waning moments, though, the Texans called blitz and Ravens WR Mark Clayton made them pay with a 35 yard reception, setting up the winning field goal. That call will cost defensive coordinator Vic Fangio his job. Texans players like Dunta Robinson and Gary Walkers brought this up, raising a good point.
We all know the offense isn’t the best. But, these two losses, and the one to the Rams, proved without a doubt that defense is the Texans’ primary concern. Hate to say it, but Reggie Bush won’t fix that. The rushing game is decent and so is Carr. With the right coaching staff, the offense can be potent. My recommendation is to make defense the off-season priority, because a new coach alone will automatically resolve many of the problems on offense.
Unfortunately, team owner Bob McNair does not consult with me before making decisions. He does consult with former NFL coach Dan Reeves (Broncos coach in the 80s, most recently with the Falcons), brought in by McNair to assess the situation. Jimmy Johnson gave his opinion this morning, appraising our team’s talent as “marginal.” You heard it there from the horse’s mouth. I doubt Dan Reeves will reach a different conclusion. The outcome, then, is predictable. Capers is on his way out, and Reeves’ will make the recommendation to axe GM Charley Casserly, too.
Or maybe Reeves will reach another conclusion. Maybe we have just displeased the football gods. With five losses of less than seven points, maybe a sacrificial offering will suffice. Anybody seen Dom Capers? May he please ye, O football gods.
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In my next post, expect a thorough analysis of the final three weeks (a three game winning streak in the making, possibly?), the season in review, and my thoughts on the draft. |
