Houston @ Arizona

[alcstarheel]

Houston @ Arizona
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium
Time: 4:15 PM ET
TV: CBS

[Texan]

The Texans are easily the softest team in the league, there isn't another team in the league with less push and drive than the Texans, and it's precisely why they will not make the playoffs. The offense has been in a group of 2nd and 1, or 3rd and 1 situations, and they couldn’t pick up the first down. Their offensive line has gotten no push all, they couldn’t run the ball just one yard. They are simply to small and to soft to be effective in short yardage situations and it has been that way all year.

 

Defensively, the way their defense is set up, they are meant to be a soft defense. They have smaller lineman that are one gap type lineman, which makes those guys easier to block on running plays and clear out running space. Much like we have seen with the Colts over the years, the smaller guys trying to pressure the quarterback make for worse in run defense on the line. That offensive line has been getting pushed around by a Cardinals offensive line that frankly hasn’t been good to date.

 

We have the skill position players offensively, they have the linebacker play, what they don’t have is the ability to control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball and it is what will cause them to miss the playoffs this year

[Texan]

WTF? Did a great job to battle back, it was really a tale of two halves, scored 21 unanswered points just to throw a big time pick-6. Was tied 21-21, had the ball and was on the move then Schaub made a huge mistake in going over his progressions and made it easy for Rogers-Cromartie to jump the route and take the ball to the house. Unbelievable, but when you have to pass the ball 45 times to win the game because your running game sucks, that is going to happen.

[ChosenOne]

On the one yard line and they could not get a TD?

 

What happened to Slaton?

[Texan]

At the goal line they have liked using Chris Brown better, because he is stronger and can muscle his way in there, or atleat that is their thinking. I think they are also worried about Slaton being a smaller back, can he handle the punishment down there on the goal line. I personally would rather Slaton, because the holes close up so quickly at the goal line, I like speed to get in there quickly before it closes.

 

The problem is that the offensive line is getting no push, so it really didn’t matter who we have back there running the ball, whether it be Slaton or Brown. On the fourth and one play where they tried to run right between center and right guard, people were in the backfield almost before Schaub could even hand the ball off. The offensive line did absolutely nothing to create a whole, they just wilted. It's utterly pathetic that they couldn’t get convert with just one yard to go at any point in the game.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Texan

[Warren2ThaG]

Your spose' to pass at the goal line. Defense knows your running to play action it,

[The Great iBoldin]

Good win. I got nervous down the stretch, but DRC had a bounce back game. It may not look like it with Andre having 8 receptions for 100 yards or so, but he had considerable success.

 

And we stayed on par with Seattle, and got a game back on SF.

[Texan]

Your spose' to pass at the goal line. Defense knows your running to play action it

 

You don‘t just line up and pass from the one yard line. Your to close for the fade route, or a jump ball to the corner with Johnson, and dropping back for an actual pass could lead to a sack or an interception because there are less throwing lanes that close to the goal off of a normal pass. The Texans on that last possession actually played it right, as far as running on second and one, play action on third and one and then a run on fourth. They actually had a chance to score on 3rd and goal at the one with the play action, but Schaub put the ball just a bit to high and the receiver ended up going out of the end zone. That said, on two runs from 2nd and 1 you would expect your team to pick up enough of a push to get just one yard. Just about any offense in football would have went for a run there.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Texan