So that’s it.

A great season came to an end in a most disappointing fashion. The Texans defense was stellar, but TJ Yates’ rookie status was evident Sunday, as he threw about half as many interceptions as he probably SHOULD have.

Yates made some plays, but made some totally inexplicable throws, and of course Jacoby Jones is going to have a very, very rough week.

At no point did the Houston Texans ever appear to be satisfied with a playoff appearance. Though they were heavy underdogs against Baltimore, they nearly pulled the thing off – they SHOULD have pulled it off. Houston had a better defense and a better running game, but not having Matt Schaub was the end of everything.

Houston has a football team they can be proud of. Let the “Wade Watch” begin.

Stay, Wade. C’mon. Stay.

Thanks to the Texans for a most memorable season. Let’s do this again next year. What a ride it was.

MURDERFACE!!!

It’s been a while since I’ve done “keys to the game” for the Texans. I’ve pretty much already sprayed them all over Twitter, but for those of you that refuse to participate in social media:

1. Keep T.J. Yates out of 3rd & Long situations
The Texans won’t be able to get away with this against the Ravens. Terrell Suggs is just too good to not be spending some quality time in the Texans’ backfield on Sunday. If he knows ahead of time that Yates is going to throw the ball – things could get ugly.

2. Withstand the early onslaught of the Ravens and their home crowd
Houston must do everything they can to not let this game get away early. I don’t anticipate Houston’s defense giving up big plays so much as I worry about the Texans turning it over early on offense. If the game gets out of hand early and Houston has to scrap the running game, it’s going to be a long day for Houston even if they can keep Baltimore from scoring a lot of points.

3. Yates must be able to count on his veterans
I love Andre Johnson, but he absolutely cannot kill his QB with multiple drops as he did against the Bengals. I mean, I know it didn’t matter in the end – but these are the Ravens, not the Bengals – and for a rookie playing his first playoff road game Andre better be hauling everything in. Arian Foster needs to get over his early game jitters. Kareem Jackson needs to be left on the team bus locate the ball and not let receivers get behind him.

4. Please Gary Kubiak, don’t get cute
This is one aspect of Kubiak’s play calling that has always bothered me. Sometimes I feel like he gets away from what the team does in order to catch the defense off guard. Of course, it works sometimes – other times, not so much. The biggest example would be our inexplicably pass-happy effort in Indianapolis on Monday night last season. It hasn’t been as prevalent this year, but the danger is always there. It kind of ties into key #1. The running game MUST MUST MUST have success on first down in order to limit 3rd and long for Yates, and if the Texans don’t get cute on offense AND the O-Line can get it rolling on first down, the Texans will be in good shape.

Roughly 25 hours from now, it’s gonna go down. I want to pick the Texans so badly, but at some point you have to suffer when you lose arguably your two most important players on each side of the ball. The Ravens are built to succeed in the playoffs. They are playoff-tested and hardened. They are undefeated at home in 2011 (but hey, it’s 2012! Is that something?)

If the Texans still had Matt Schaub, I’d pick them to win in a second. Hell, if they had Schaub – this game would probably be played at Reliant. I think it all catches up with TJ Yates against the wily old veteran Baltimore defense. That said – with Houston’s defense, they have a GREAT chance to win every game, be it against Baltimore, Green Bay, New Orleans, or whoever. That’s just how it is when you have a top defense… but sadly, I am predicting that the run ends Sunday in Baltimore. I pray to Tebow above that I am wrong.

Ravens 17
Texans 13

The Texans have a chance to match the biggest win in the history of Houston NFL football on Sunday if they are able to pull the upset in Baltimore. In the 1979 Divisional Round the Houston Oilers beat the Chargers in San Diego 17-14, only to fall to the Steelers in the AFC title game in the infamous “Mike Renfro” game.

Obviously there’s a whole generation of fans who don’t remember that game (such as myself). For us, the Texans already created the new standard with their eye-opening blowout of Cincinnati last week.

Let’s be honest here – we aren’t NFL players or coaches. For us to say that we do not accept one playoff game as a success is ludicrous, especially with this group missing their key players. Even if the Texans get blown out by thirty points on Sunday, the 2011 Houston Texans have been a huge success. Everything we’ve gotten from them since Matt Schaub’s final game against Tampa Bay has been gravy.

All that said, I’m a Texans fan, just as I was an Oiler fan as a kid. The only difference is – when I was a kid and an Oiler fan, an Oiler loss would absolutely ruin my Sunday, and my week. Looking back, it sure was nice to have that as my biggest problem. Pretty much all I had to worry about were grades and the Houston Oilers. No bills, no car payment – that was it. Nowadays, we’ve all got bigger issues than football – but yeah, I’ll be crushed when Houston’s playoff run ends – IF it ends!

Thoughts on new Wade Phillips developments
Houston is set up to win for a long time now. Keeping Wade Phillips around would go a long way toward that, but I wouldn’t count on it. I think people are confusing Wade’s withdrawal of his “application” with the Tampa Bay Bucs as a full withdrawal of his interest in a head coaching job. I think it’s more about limiting distractions while the Texans are still alive, and knowingly taking a bullet by limiting himself to jobs that may still be available once Houston’s season is over be it Sunday night or after the Super Bowl.

Texans/Ravens preview still to come…

That game went exactly and not at all like I thought it would. Sloppy start? Check. Arian Foster wears the Bengals down late in the game and busts a long play? Check. 31-10 – WHAT?!?!

Incredible game, and there can be no doubt that the ridiculous, stupendous interception by JJ Watt was the play of the game. No matter how many times I watch that play, it’s still unbelievable to me.

I’m also fond of pointing out when other teams quit against the Texans. It happened several times in 2011, and in Saturday’s game, wow did the Bengals ever quit – in a PLAYOFF game, no less. On Arian Foster’s 42-yard TD in the fourth quarter, no less than two Bengal defensive backs just up and quit, gave up, wanted no more, and rolled over in a playoff game. Disgusting. But hey – it happened because the Texans wore them down and made them quit. I love it.

While Watt’s TD was the key play of the game, there was no better moment than seeing Andre Johnson score a touchdown in his first-ever playoff appearance. That was simply fantastic, especially since Andre needed to redeem himself after two drops earlier in the game.

The Texans will head to Baltimore next, where they weren’t able to win with Matt Schaub at the helm back in October. A lot has happened since then, and the previous game has nothing to do with the upcoming game. It’s certainly going to be a tall order for TJ Yates to make plays against the Ravens’ defense. A lot of people will dismiss the Texans’ chances in this game immediately, but the way Houston’s defense is playing, they have a chance in ANY game. The defense certainly didn’t feel dominant in this game as they did so often during the year, but in true bend-but-don’t-break fashion, they ended up only giving up ten points. Wade Phillps, man. What a hire.

I’m just giddy right now that the Texans cashed in their first-ever playoff ticket for a win, and it turned out to be a BEATDOWN.

It’s gonna be a fun week in Houston!

Hat tip to Stephanie for bringing my attention to this picture.

I don’t have anything else to say. I’m just ready. I think I probably need a helmet today to keep from hurting myself.

Roughly 48 hours from the time this entry was published, we will know if the Houston Texans have completed their best season with a playoff loss at home to Cincinnati, or if they’re headed to Baltimore to face former teammates Bernard Pollard, Vonta Leach, and the rest of the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round.

I have to say I don’t think it’s fully hit me that the Texans are about to play in their first-ever playoff game. It may have something to do with the fact that I’ve had no expectations since Matt Schaub went down against Tampa Bay. Or – it may have something to do with the fact that by this time of year, we have typically already been discussing what free agents to target, who looks good in the draft, and why the season went so wrong.

As for the game Saturday, I don’t think Houston’s gameplan is going to be much of a mystery. Run the ball, control the clock, smash fools in the face on defense. That’s the identity of the current Houston Texans with or without Matt Schaub.

It remains to be seen how much confidence Gary Kubiak will have in TJ Yates going forward. He didn’t play very well against Carolina or Indianapolis, and now he’s coming off a non-throwing shoulder injury against Tennessee. If the running game is clicking, you can bet Kubiak will stay as conservative as possible to avoid turnovers. If the Bengals are able to hold the run game in check, the Texans will have no choice but to see how far TJ’s arm can carry them. It worked out the first time against the Bengals, but I don’t know if I can take another finish like that.

Just to get on the record, I think the game will start off sloppy. There’s just going to be so much emotion. I expect the Bengals will take their shots early to quiet what will be the loudest home crowd in Texans’ history. If I’m the Bengals, I’m picking on Kareem Jackson early and often.

After a slow start by both teams, I think Houston’s running game will wear Cincinnati out over the course of the contest. I look for Arian Foster to break a big play or two in the second half and help the Texans to their first ever playoff win.

Texans 24
Bengals 20

AFC Playoffs
Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
Saturday, January 7
3:30 PM Central (Date and time according to this article – it’s not yet official)

Here are some paraphrased statements from Gary Kubiak regarding today’s game against the Titans from last week:

“We are going to approach this game like any other game.”

“We have to get a win to get some momentum going into the playoffs.”

“We’re gonna go out there, battle, and try to get a win.”

Also, I don’t recall him saying it this past week, but we might as well include “Kareem Jackson looked great in practice this week.”

So, obviously none of the above were true. The Texans got some reps for their depth players on both sides of the ball, and in the end it took Gary Kubiak almost literally trying not to win the game for the sorry, no account, quitting, mouth-breathing, barefoot, musket-polishing, Sudafed-cooking, sister-humping, foothill-dwelling, coon skin cap-wearing, banjo-picking, civil war-reenacting, wood-whittling, tobacco-spitting, cross-burning, inbred hillbilly Titans to win.

It was an ugly game to watch, for sure. So ugly, that I’m done talking about it. Mainly because THE HOUSTON TEXANS WILL HOST THEIR FIRST PLAYOFF GAME EVER ON SATURDAY!!!

Yes, the three-game losing streak has been ugly – UGLY. I hate backing in to the playoffs like this, but Sunday’s Texans aren’t the Texans we are going to see on Saturday. The Bengals are going to be a tough matchup for the Texans, especially with all of Houston’s injuries, but I couldn’t be more excited.

We will get down on this playoff matchup as the week wears on. Gotta run for now and finish a bit of late New Year celebrating.

I’ve been at this blog since 2007, and while I can’t devote as much time to it as I used to be able to – I do appreciate every single one of you who take the time to read and post. Happy New Year to every one of you, and I hope 2012 is a great one.

Also – PLAYOFFS!!!!

The Texans got another bitter mouthful of reality Thursday night against the Colts. The offense has been a sad sack since Matt Schaub went down, but up until the last two games, the Texans were able to get away with it. I assume Gary Kubiak will now stop with his “I call the game the same way as I would for Matt Schaub or Matt Leinart” because obviously that is completely false.

Right now, the Texans certainly have the look and feel of a team that is headed for a one-and-done turn in the playoffs, but as long as the defense doesn’t fall apart, they have a shot to be in every game. But hey – the big takeaway from Thursday’s loss to Indianapolis is “if TJ Yates can’t move the ball against the Colts, then which playoff team is he going to move it against?” Really, you could have said the same about last week’s game against Carolina as well.

The fan base also has to accept the fact that at some point all these injuries were simply going to catch up to the Texans. Houston’s defense is also slipping a bit, but I can’t put this loss on them. They certainly share the blame, but if not for Brian Cushing’s sack/strip/fumble play on Dan Orlovsky to start the game, the offense wouldn’t have had a touchdown for the entire game. Arian Foster’s early TD was a gimmie courtesy of the defense.

I hate that it’s finally happening, but I’ve been prepared for this since Matt Schaub got hurt. Hopefully the “Return of Wade” will get the defense back to where they need to be (even though they’re not that far off).

The 2011 Houston Texans are only going to go as far as their defense can carry them, but realistically how much more can we expect from that group? Houston has one more shot to right the ship and get some positive mojo going again before the playoffs, and it will be against the hated Titans.

The final game against Tennessee may or may not end up meaning anything for Houston as far as playoff seedings go, but they absolutely must get the offense going. I’ve never been a big believer in game-to-game momentum being a big factor in wins and losses, but the Texans could certainly benefit from some right about now.

Oh, and hey – let’s definitely put Kareem Jackson in man-to-man coverage with Reggie Wayne. What could possibly go wrong aside from A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST.

*A brief pause as I let out a heavy, heavy sigh*

I’m not comfortable with the fact that Dan Orlovsky has been inappropriately stuffed into my Christmas stocking. Dan Orlovsky!??! Incredible.

Well, that was totally unsurprising. I fully expected the letdown part, but did not expect that the Texans wouldn’t respond in the second half. That part was a surprise.

Houston was faced with a brutal truth on Sunday. A truth that we were all expecting to be told at some point. TJ Yates played like a rookie. He completely overlooked receivers as they ran free through the secondary, he turned the ball over, and he made some bad decisions. Yates had done all these things in previous games, but this time the end result was only 13 points.

Today, clearly the biggest problem was the defense. Cam Newton had an excellent game, and the Texans rarely had an answer for him. As is human nature, Texans fans this week will be looking for someone to blame. You’ll hear that Yates had a bad game. Foster had the early turnover. The defense couldn’t stop Newton. The Texans missed Wade Phillips. The Texans got a bit full of themselves as the division champions, and thought they’d coast to victory, etc. Some of those are true, and some played a part in the loss.

I see it like this – the Texans have been playing with house money since Matt Schaub got hurt. This seven game winning streak has been pretty extraordinary, culminating in the franchise’s first ever division title. Now, it’s done and the Texans showed (again) that they are a much, much less dynamic offense without Matt Schaub at the helm. To simplify things further – if the Texans’ defense doesn’t hold an opponent to under 20 points, they are going to have a really hard time winning games. That will hold especially true when the playoffs begin.

This was certainly a disheartening loss, but I don’t think we’ll be jumping off any cliffs this week. Some will, of course. I’ve already seen people asking if we are going to go with another quarterback (come on guys, really??)

It would have said a hell of a lot about the Texans if they would have come out and smashed the hell out of Carolina. The loss did say a lot about the Texans, but not what we want to hear. They’re very young. They don’t have any sort of history of how to deal with success. They may have thought a bit too highly of themselves after their division-clinching win in Cincinnati. The offense may have been expecting the defense to continue their dominant run and bail them out. I’m sure it was bits and pieces of all these things.

Let’s also not leave out the possibility that the Texans just had a bad game. They hadn’t lost since October. Hell, even the Packers lost on Sunday. The COLTS won a game. The COLTS! It just happens. Better now than in the first playoff game.

Cam Newton sure looks like the real deal. I have to admit, I did not think he would be a great pro. I thought he would be okay – but I didn’t expect him to do it right away. Turns out, he’s pretty great right away – and he didn’t make the mistakes in this game that he’d been making previously.

The Texans should beat the Colts on Thursday night, but until they get that running game revved up again, I’ll never say they should beat anyone easily. Though you’d always like more time to heal up and gameplan, I’m sure a lot of the players are glad they will have a chance at redemption a bit earlier. With this kind of loss, really all you can do is get back on the field, kick someone around, and get that bad taste out of your mouth.

Well, you know, aside from losing all those starters and their defensive coordinator.

The Texans and (and their fans) are in uncharted territory. I was having half-serious “Twitter fights” all week with people who say that Texans fans need to act like we expect more and shouldn’t go nuts over a division championship. My problem with that is that you have to separate the FAN reaction, and the PLAYER reaction. The fans can go nuts over anything – it doesn’t really matter. It’s what we do. It’s the PLAYERS that need to have long since moved on from the big win in Cincy and the division title.

I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous about this game. Not enough to pick against the Texans, but Carolina’s offense is definitely legit. Houston hasn’t seen anything like Cam Newton all year, and he becomes even more dangerous in the red zone. Plus, the Texans HAVEN’T been here before, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they don’t “act like they’ve been there before.”

Luckily, the Panthers are extremely vulnerable to the run game. Both of their starting defensive tackles are out, and you have to believe the Houston O-Line and running backs are motivated to get it rolling the way it was rolling several weeks back. On paper, this SHOULD be a “get well game” for Houston’s running game. If they can’t roll up some serious rushing yardage against the Panthers, I may start worrying that they’re not going to return to form. Houston struggled to get the running game going against the Bengals, but ended up with 144 rushing yards. Not dominant by any stretch, and 36 of those yards were collected by TJ Yates.

You have to believe that human nature is going to play a bit of a role on Sunday. Will any of us be surprised if the Texans come out flat and look like they expect to coast a bit? I won’t be – but maybe the loss of Wade Phillips will give them a bit of a wake-up and some renewed focus. Or, the more likely fallout – the team loses their halftime defensive adjustments, which were TREMENDOUS against the Bengals. Something else that should shake the Texans into realizing how dangerous this game may be would simply be watching Cam Newton on film. There isn’t anyone on the Texans’ roster who can simulate in practice what Cam can do.

Fortunately for the Texans, Cam is also prone to turnovers. Johnathan Joseph had a bit of a rough go against the Bengals. His reward? Shadowing the aging but still very effective Steve Smith. After dropping a sure-thing interception for TD against his old team, hopefully Joseph will be locked in on Cam for one of his inevitable bad decisions (Newton is tied for 3rd-most in the league with 16 interceptions).

I expect the Texans to get the running game revved up Sunday, freeing up TJ Yates to make his bootleg throws, but keeping him from having to work more late-game magic. Houston comes out flat, struggles early, and has some issues on defense in this game. However I just can’t see their roll getting slowed this week.

Texans 23
Panthers 17