Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills REVIEW: 3-1 is definitely better than 2-2!!!

Audio Recording: 'EPISODE68 - Bulls On Parade Talk - Week 4 vs. Buffalo...' From 'Bulls On Parade Talk'

Turn down for WATT???!!!!

The Houston Texans returned home and have won their third win of the season.  It wasn't pretty at all but the bottom line is that the Texans are 3-1!!!  After only winning two games total last year, the fan base for the most part have to feel pretty good about this win especially considering our next opponent.

The game once again started really slow especially for the Texans.  The lack of rushing yards was the key to the slow start even with Arian Foster returning.  The Buffalo Bills scored the first 10 points of the game in the second quarter.  Near the end of the half however, the Texans scored the next 7 points closing the gap.  This gave the Texans major momentum at halftime which carried over into the second half.

The second half appeared to start in a similar fashion; however, the defense made a big play wiping out the tipped pass which resulted in a Buffalo interception which is how the Texans' first offensive series in the second half started.  With the Bills threatening in the red zone, the Texans brought the blitz and they left J.J. Watt UNBLOCKED!!!!  What do you think happened next?  J.J. Watt jumped up and picked off the pass intended for the running back and took it 80 yards for a PICK SIX!!!!  From there, the momentum was solely on the Texans' side.  They had to change their gameplan to more passing to move the ball down the field and score the last 6 points of the game which came courtesy of Randy Bullock.  Randy Bullock nailed a 55 and 51 yard field goals to increase the lead.  The defense for the most part did their job and held Buffalo in check for a major portion of the game overall.  

False start, pass interference, and illegal contact penalties need to be cleaned up as well as the running game.  Ryan Fitzpatrick was the team's leading rusher for the game.  That should pretty much tell you right there that the running game needs work.  The team will continue to monitor Arian Foster as he continues to recover from his hamstring injury.

Overall, the Texans did just enough to win the game: 23-17.  It wasn't pretty but a win is a win.  This positive momentum will be key as we look ahead to the next game which is against the Dallas Cowboys.

What do you want to see fixed immediately on the Texans right now?

Week 4 Preview + Prediction vs. Buffalo Bills

The Texans have quite a challenge in front of them in the Buffalo Bills.  There's plenty of speed offensively especially just looking at C.J. Spiller and Sammy Watkins alone.  The only question is can their quarterback, E.J. Manuel, make the right decisions and throw the ball accurately enough to give the Texans something to worry about.  The one thing working for them for sure is the running game.  Since the season began, the Texans have continuously struggled stopping the run.  Therefore, I look for the Bills to try and get their running game started early and often throughout the game.  The key for the Texans defensively is to keep E.J. Manuel in the pocket and make him read the defense.

It will be about assignment football.  Everyone needs to do their job and remember their fundamentals that they started working on with their position coaches in offseason workouts.  This particularly is fact especially as it pertains to tackling.  When you have an offensive player in your grasp, you can't let go.  Big hits are good for making highlights but you need to make sure you get the player down and stop him from getting extra yards after contact.

It will also be a game of reunions.  This will be Ryan Fitzpatrick's first game against Buffalo for the first time in a Texans uniform.  It will also be former #1 overall pick Mario Williams' return to Houston for the first since he tested free agency for two days in late March 2012.  Doug Marrone and Bill O'Brien were assistants under Coach George O'Leary at Georgia Tech many years ago as well.  So there will be several reunions to look out for in this matchup at NRG Stadium.

Overall it will be all about execution once again.  Who's going to get off to a hot start early and keep it going during the game?

Week 1 vs Redskins REVIEW: Texans Win Their First Game under Bill O'Brien

Audio Recording: 'EPISODE63 - Bulls On Parade Talk - Week 1 vs Redskins...' From 'Bulls On Parade Talk'

The Houston Texans have snapped their 14 regular season game losing streak after walking away from with a 17-6 victory over the Washington Redskins.

Both teams started off very slow offensively yet were very successful in establishing their running games.  Alfred Morris was given the ball 14 times for 91 yards rushing while Arian Foster carried the ball 27 times for 103 yards.  Both offenses rely on the running game and it was really good to see Arian Foster on the field running like his old self especially after having gone through back surgery.

For the most part, both defenses did a very good job especially in the first quarter making each team work for each first down.  However, after the blocked PAT by J.J. Watt after the Redskins' first and only score as well as a blocked punt by Alfred Blue which led to a touchdown, the Texans' defense held Washington to 0 points for the rest of the game.

This was due to two red zone turnovers (both fumbles) by the Redskins thus giving Houston a chance to hold the lead and perhaps extend it.  They extended the lead indeed to seal the deal by kicking a field goal late in the fourth quarter.

Overall, the Texans showed that they can win in close game situations.  Now the question becomes, can the Texans put up more than 17 points when they face teams that can put up lots of points?

Latest Depth Chart Released for the 2nd Preseason Game: Arian Foster's New Backup

The latest depth chart for the Houston Texans has been released.  Speaking of releases, now that Dennis Johnson, Tim Cornett, and Andre Brown, we now see that Arian Foster has a new running back as his backup.  That spot is well deserved based on his performance in the first preseason game.  Time will tell if what we saw in the first preseason game from the running backs consistently improves.

Houston Texans' 2014 NFL Organized Team Activities (OTA's) Review

This article will consist of week-to-week reviews based on the the OTA schedule the Houston Texans currently use.

Week 1: May 27-29th

The first week was all about getting everyone (rookies and veterans) together, continuing on improving their craft, and continuing to get acclimated to the new regime and their system/culture.  Right away, you see changes when the offense took the field for the first time.

The biggest factor that head coach Bill O'Brien emphasized to his offense is PACE!!  Based from what we have heard to Bill O'Brien, the offense's tempo will be not be the same every time.  It might change game-to-game, offensive series-to-series, or even between offensive plays.  This increased pace will also help the Texans' defense since the biggest struggle they faced the previous two seasons were teams that ran no-huddle such as the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.  With the up-tempo offensive style being run in practice, this will help the defense improve communication which is key against teams that run up-tempo, no-huddle offensive systems.  

The hands-on approach by this coaching staff will definitely help this team along the way.  Everyone on this coaching staff, from head coach to positional coaches, is out there on the practice field drilling the players on the little details that make all the difference in the long run.

Bill O'Brien, being the quarterback guru, takes his hands-on coaching approach towards his quarterbacks as he will give them more freedom within the offense.  As it has been explained on numerous occasions, Gary Kubiak's offensive system only allowed the quarterback to run one of two plays called in the huddle.  Well in this new offensive system, the quarterback will be responsible for protection schemes and call plays based from what the defense is showing him thus taking advantages of potential mismatches.

Speaking of adapting, that is exactly what Romeo Crennel's defense is going to be doing throughout the season.

Week 2: June 2-3, June 5th

The first week was all about everyone getting used to each other: players and coaches.  The second week was all about continuing to show progress while learning something new based on the installment schedule in place.  Everyone seemed to be more comfortable on the field and even in the classroom during this second week.  Two of the biggest names talked about this second week of OTA's are RB Arian Foster and CB Kareem Jackson.

There has been much talking about the slot corner spot which is THE key when playing nickel defense which calls for 5 defensive backs in the alignment.  This week, Kareem Jackson who looks as confident as ever was placed as the "nickel" corner.  Bill O'Brien and his coaching staff is all about versatility.  With the ability to move players around the formation on all sides of the football, it just creates several more opportunities to do even more things on offense and defense and get the best out of their players.

And speaking of moving players around, that is exactly what Arian Foster will be doing in this offense as head coach/offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has plans to include Arian Foster in passing situations.  The first season where the Texans had the #1 rushing attack in the NFL (2010), Arian Foster not only led the league in rushing but also had the second most reliable hands on the Texans' offense.  Unfortunately, due to injuries and time missed, his overall numbers (passing and rushing) haven't been what they used to be despite the Texans' success offensively before the 2013 debacle.  But now with a healthy Arian Foster, who has been reported as looking better than ever, there is plenty of reason to be excited about the upcoming season for a guy like Arian Foster.

And the group that looked even more comfortable and in control this week were the quarterbacks.  All four of them had shown good progress based on how they demonstrated their better understanding of the offense.  Tom Savage did struggle his first day back this week since he missed the last practice from the previous week.  But just like the other quarterbacks, he started to get his feet underneath him once he got back out there on the field.

Overall everyone on the team seems to be getting more comfortable, even guys like Brooks Reed and Jadeveon Clowney, that are basically learning how to play a new position.  Even guys like C.J. Fiedorowicz look really impressive and are adapting well.  The sky is definitely the limit for all of these players as they enter the 3rd week of OTA's.

Week 3: June 9-10, June 12-13

The third and final week of OTA's were filled with headlines.

The first one occurred on Monday, June 9th where Bill O'Brien made it clear that the system in place is suited mainly for 3 quarterbacks at most.  So therefore the question concerning the quarterbacks is which of them will be gone before training camp?  The two that people immediately look at are T.J. Yates and Case Keenum.  Both have been alternating reps during the last two weeks.  Last week, T.J. Yates got all the reps with the second team.  This week, Case Keenum received all the 2nd team reps.  Tom Savage is set at the 3rd spot of the depth chart unless he outright beats out Ryan Fitzpatrick and whoever the 2nd string QB will end up being in camp.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is thought to be the starting quarterback at this point.  So overall it feels like a rerun of last year when Case and T.J. were competing for the backup spot behind Matt Schaub last year.  As we enter Mandatory Mini-Camp, we shall see which QB will be looking for a new team?

The other big headline reported on Tuesday was the one stating that OT David Quessenberry has been diagnosed with lymphoma.  This all began after it was reported that he "experienced fatigue and a persistent cough over the past week and sought a medical evaluation to find the cause."

With that being said, this brings us to the next big headline that came out of this week.  Derek Newton, who according to Bill O'Brien has had a solid offseason and looks much more healthier and in shape, has been named the Texans' starting right tackle.

The other big headline concerning #1 overall pick DE/OLB Jadeveon Clowney.  On Thursday, he had sports hernia surgery.  Head Coach Bill O'Brien said that Jadeveon Clowney has experienced issues with his groin.  He will miss the Mandatory Mini-Camp scheduled for next week (Tuesday-Thursday June 17-19th).

Overall though, the team appears to be getting very comfortable with each other as well the system and culture that Bill O'Brien and his staff are putting into place.  And now that everything has been covered, the goal for Mandatory Mini-Camp is simply review and putting it all together: offense vs. defense.  At that point, we will definitely see how these competitions for roster spots shape out.

  

Installation Schedule Prior to Training Camp

According to Houston Texan's head coach Bill O'Brien, the team remains on track with their installation schedule throughout the 3 week OTA period.  Here's an overview of the schedule the Texans have been under since OTA's started:

Week 1 (May 27-29):  1st down & 2nd down offense

Week 2: (June 2-3, June 5):  1st & 2nd down situations, third down, backs up against your own end zone, and red zone situations.  Finally, they'd learn five man protection schemes to use against Romeo Crennel's blitzes.

Week 3: (June 9-10, June 12-13): Focusing mainly on red zone situations as well as two minute drill and four minute offense.

Mandatory Minicamp (June 17-19): This is the time where everything that was learned in OTA's will be reviewed and brought altogether.

What do you think of this schedule and what are you most excited about?

Hidden Value of Organized Team Activities (OTA's): Technique

EPISODE57 - Bulls On Parade Talk - Hidden Value of OT... From Bulls On Parade Talk

Now that the Houston Texans have wrapped up their first week of OTA's, we will take a look at certain things that NFL players focus on during OTA's.  Technique is something that is overlooked by various people.  This qualifies, not just in the world of sports, but in various other professional worlds.  It's one of those little nuances that people forget about sometimes, not just when they are watching a sporting event, but their own profession.

When one works to get better at something, the tendency generally is to look at the little pieces that can inevitably complete the bigger puzzle.  Normally once the little things are figured out, people see big-time improvement in their overall skill-set.

So as you are watching a professional athlete perform, do you think about what you can improve on skill-wise when it comes to your own profession?

Houston Texans' 2014 NFL Draft Review

Overall, the Houston Texans had a very solid 2014 NFL Draft.  Lots of versatility and development to go around for the Texans' coaching staff.  Training camp is going to be filled with plenty of competition.  A promising future lies ahead short terms as well as long term.

Do you feel the Texans' had a good Draft?

McNair let the bulldogs out??

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair spoke with FOX 26 in Houston about the plans the Texans have for the 2014 NFL Draft.  He apparently couldn't stop talking and probably gave too much information.  Here are a few quotes from the interview with FOX 26 in Houston:

Really at this point we don’t know and we really won’t know until right up at the time we have to make a decision because people are talking to us about the possibility of trading down and it’s a question of what people offer, whether their offer is such that it’s worthwhile to trade down.

He continues letting the bulls loose by saying:

You take a guy like Clowney.  He’s obviously the best player in the draft, but he’s a defensive end.  He’s not a quarterback.  If he’s a quarterback and the best player it’s easy, but that’s not the case.  So can that defensive player have a greater impact on the success of your team than one of these quarterbacks?  It’s not a sure thing that he is. . . . If somebody wants you to drop down and they give you two or three more picks that would let you get two or three more quality players, are you a stronger team dropping down a little bit, getting these additional picks and getting more depth?

Basically, the negotiations for the #1 overall pick have begun and it seems they are certainly looking to trade the pick for a lower spot in the first round and get a quarterback.  However, even if the Texans do pick a quarterback, which Bill O'Brien has said will definitely happen, Bob McNair is still concerned.

You got three quarterbacks and all of them have some holes in their resume.  A quarterback that goes out and performs for you and is a franchise quarterback is more valuable than a player playing another position, but there’s a lot more risk there.  It’s a more difficult position to play and there are lot more failures. 

You drop down and there’s another group close behind, not exactly where they are, and maybe one of those quarterbacks will become better than one of these other three. There are no slam dunks. There are no Andrew Lucks out there, no Peyton Manning's. If there were it would be an easy decision, but that’s not the case.

Despite all of that, Bob McNair continues having the mindset that no matter what happens, the Houston Texans will come out of this NFL Draft as a better team.

I think that we’re going to greatly strengthen our team as a result of the draft.  We’ve got 11 picks now in the draft and it’s a deep draft. So we’re going to get some good players regardless as to what we do.  If we trade down and pick up two or three more players, we’d have 13 or 14 [draft picks].  So you’re going to see some significant strengthening of our team as a result of this draft. 

Bob McNair also pointed out in the past that he has learned a huge lesson about starting a young rookie before he is ready referring to the David Carr experiment.  We shall definitely see how much the Texans have learned as we approach a big day in Texans franchise history: May 8th, 2014.

Who should the Texans draft with the 33rd overall pick (the first pick in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft)?

With all the attention on the #1 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft that the Houston Texans just happen to own, not a lot of attention is drawn to the rest of the picks the Texans have, particularly in the second round.  The Texans have the 33rd pick in this year's draft, which is the first pick in the second round.  This is important, due to the fact that there is plenty of 2nd round talent at the quarterback position in this year's draft.  In fact, there is a starting quarterback in the NFL today that was taken at the top of the 2nd round.  His name just happens to be Drew Brees.  This year's quarterback class that have 2nd round value consists of players such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Zach Mettenberger, A.J. McCarron, and others.  Many believe that it is with the first pick in the 2nd round where the Texans will draft a quarterback.  Are you one of them?  Or do you feel that the pick will be traded or used on another position of need?

Teddy Bridgewater's football IQ in question? Some say yes, many others would say no.

Ever since Teddy Bridgewater's pro day, his draft stock has dropped significantly.  Before the season started, almost everyone said he and Jadeveon Clowney would be the two players worthy of the #1 overall pick.  Now, there are some that feel he (Teddy Bridgewater) shouldn't even be drafted in the top 10 or even the first round all together.

After reading an article titled "Bridgewater's football IQ in question", some people seem to have just a bad taste about Teddy Bridgewater for some reason.

Do you have any concerns about his football IQ?

Texans GM Rick Smith apparently prefers Khalil Mack or Jadeveon Clowney??

To those that have listened to my simulcast, I have repeatedly said that Jadeveon Clowney is the most deserving prospect for the #1 overall pick.  Pretty much everybody's mock drafts have Clowney as the #1 overall pick taken by the Houston Texans.  However according to Peter King, a writer for MMQB.si.com, has been told by a "friend of Rick Smith" that the Texans GM is more interested in Buffalo's outside linebacker Khalil Mack than Jadeveon Clowney.

If this is in fact true, the question then becomes: are the Texans willing to take him with the #1 overall pick or do they want to trade that pick for a spot later the in first round to take Khalil Mack?  Both Khalil Mack and Jadeveon Clowney would be good fits for the Houston Texans' defense and would fill a position of need should either of them be drafted by the Houston Texans.  Romeo Crennel, the new defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, will definitely find ways to get the most of these two very talented football players no matter who the Texans pick.

One thing is for sure, other teams that perhaps are interested in Clowney are reading Peter King's report and planning their negotiations with the Houston Texans for the #1 overall pick.  If the Houston Texans do decide to pass up on Jadeveon Clowney, they will most certainly want as many assets in return as possible.

Better fit for the Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack?

There are some that feel that Khalil Mack would be a better for the Houston Texans than Jadeveon Clowney.  The argument used mainly is the fact that Romeo Crennel runs a 3-4 defense, Clowney is more of a 4-3 defensive end, and Khalil Mack played his entire college career as a 3-4 outside linebacker showing versatility in coverage and pass rushing.  Well, in this latest episode, I examine Khalil Mack's skill set and give you my take on who I feel would be a better fit for the Texans.

Do you agree with the analysis from this latest episode?

Thoughts on Houston Texans Town Hall Meeting

Yesterday (March 31), the Houston Texans held a closed Q&A session at the Houston Texans Grille located in City Centre open only to media and Houston Texans season ticket holders.  He was asked about various topics including the draft and free agency.  Most are addressed in this latest episode of Bulls On Parade Talk.

Houston Texans sign veteran safety Chris Clemons || Danieal Manning asked to take a pay cut

The #Texans are signing S Chris Clemons to a 2-year deal.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) March 28, 2014

The deal is worth $2.7 million over two years with $450,000 guaranteed.  Seeing as how the new director of pro personnel, Brian Gaine, used to work for the Miami Dolphins, it should be no surprise that he decided to bring him in to Houston.

This leaves Danieal Manning's future up in the air.  No pun intended.  Manning was approached by the Texans to take a pay cut.  Nothing has been confirmed just yet if he has or not, however we do know that Clemons' contract equals the amount that Manning was offered in his pay cut.

The safeties on the current roster are as follows: Danieal Manning, Eddie Pleasant, Chris Clemons, D.J. Swearinger, Jawanza Starling and Shiloh Keo.

More than likely one of these players will not be on next season's final 53 man roster.  Some say it's Manning but what do you say?

Will the Texans trade another of their current quarterbacks from last year's roster?

Now that Matt Schaub has been traded to the Oakland Raiders, that now leaves 3 quarterbacks on the current roster.  Those quarterbacks are T.J. Yates, Case Keenum and newly signed free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Bill O'Brien, in an interview with NFL Network, made it clear that the Texans will draft a quarterback.  The uncertainty remains about the spot at where the Texans will target a potential quarterback.  In addition, O'Brien stated in an interview with Marc Vandemeer on Texans All Access on SportsRadio 610 that all the quarterbacks will all compete for the starting job.

“I don’t see why we couldn't have four guys, including a drafted quarterback, in our camp.  Those guys have been told it’s a competition.  They’ll get reps and everybody is there to compete.  We are trying to put together a very competitive roster."

This does not, however, dismiss the possibility of T.J. Yates or Case Keenum getting trade before training camp.  The other possibility is that either of these quarterbacks could potentially be cut during the preseason as the roster is set to the final 53.  This leaves the question of where they could potentially land.

Two possibilities I can see are the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens.

Cleveland is looking for a quarterback.  While they are being patient with Brian Hoyer, I don't see why they can't look at either of these two as other potential "quarterbacks of the future."  One factor that people might forget is the current offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.  That man is Kyle Shanahan.  He was the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans when Matt Schaub first arrived on the scene in Houston.  Around this time, Matt Schaub was putting up good numbers resulting in more wins even though they never really gave us a playoff berth.  That, however, has more to do with the fact there wasn't much of a team around Matt Schaub at the time.  But Case Keenum and T.J. Yates have both spent their young careers learning the Shanahan West Coast system that Gary Kubiak continued running in Houston during his tenure.  This is the one reason I believe it would be a good fit for both of them.

Baltimore presents another possibility but not in terms of being a starting quarterback.  That job belongs to Joe Flacco.  However, the new offensive coordinator is very, very familiar with Case and T.J.  Either of them could potentially battle with Tyrod Taylor for the backup spot behind Joe Flacco.

So could we trade Case Keenum or T.J. Yates before or after the draft?  We most certainly could.  But the better question is: will we?

Matt Schaub traded to the Oakland Raiders for a 6th round pick

The inevitable move in free agency that almost every Houston Texan fan has been waiting for has come to pass.  Matt Schaub and his expensive contract has been traded to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a 6th round pick.  This leaves Case Keenum and T.J. Yates along with newly signed free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick on the current roster.  Whether or not you like Matt Schaub or not, you have to at least recognize what he has done for the city of Houston during his time here.  Since the Texans acquired Matt Schaub from the Atlanta Falcons, the Houston Texans' offense started improving.  Matt Schaub led the league in passing during two of his seasons as the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans.  Now 2013 wasn't Matt Schaub's best year by any stretch of the imagination.  However, the fault can't be placed solely on the quarterback, and not because there were 3 different starting quarterbacks, but because everyone on the roster in some way was at fault.  The offensive line wasn't protecting well or creating running lanes for the running backs and injuries once again plagued the team forcing younger and inexperienced players to see action prematurely including Case Keenum and Dennis Johnson.  

Just because a player has one bad year or one bad game, it doesn't make them a bad player or a bad person.  Everyone has bad moments in their lives at some point.  It's what makes us human.  Do I like Matt Schaub?  I sure do.  Now do I feel that getting rid of him was a good move?  I do as a matter fact.  But it's probably for different reasons that some of you might think.  His contract would cost us cap space for the next two seasons and the fans have completely turned against him after last season.  Just ask the guy that went to his house and threatened his family.  The same can be said about Randy Bullock after missing several field goals during the Sunday Night game against Indianapolis which was Case Keenum's first start as well as the night which Gary Kubiak had that mini-stroke.

Overall, the season didn't turn out as planned for the Houston Texans.  But, I'd still like to take this time to thank Matt Schaub for everything he and his family have given to the city of Houston.  He is nothing short of a class act and I'm sure he will be successful no matter where he goes.