How critical Houston Astros learning moment can help them right now
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15 August 2023
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The Houston Astros had some big decisions to make last offseason after securing another World Series championship. The team had parted ways with general manager James Click, leaving no GM in place to handle free agency.
One of the most important calls the front office had to make was how they would handle the future of Yuli Gurriel. Gurriel had a disappointing regular season, but came through big time for Houston in the postseason.
Ultimately, the Astros decided to let Gurriel to walk and opted to hand out a 3-year, $58.5 million contract to White Sox slugger Jose Abreu. Early in the season, many Houston fans pointed to Yuli's production with the Marlins as evidence the Abreu signing was a mistake. Yuli was signed to a one-year deal at $5 million, which was a fraction of the cost of Abreu.
Even though Yuli was outperforming Abreu early on, most believed he would heat up in the summer and justify his massive contract. Well, here we are in the middle of August, and Abreu (currently injured) still hasn't lived up to expectations. Meaning, it's official, the Astros would have been better off holding on to Yuli and allocating Abreu's money to some other free agent options.
While the Astros can't go back in time and undo the deal, perhaps they can learn from the mistake and make the best of the situation going forward. One of the reasons Abreu might be dealing with a lingering back injury could very well be due to Dusty Baker starting the 36-year-old in almost every game.
If Dusty is willing to give Abreu more days off when he returns from the injured list, Jose will likely perform better when he's healthy and rested. Plus, Jon Singleton can add some pop in the lineup while helping to keep Abreu fresh.
Playing Singleton against right-handed pitching and Abreu against left-handed pitching could be a nice plan of action moving forward. However, there is one issue with this idea, Baker may want to play Abreu on a daily basis just so he has Singleton's left-handed bat available to pinch hit late in games.
But is that the right plan of action in the big picture? Be sure to watch the video to find out.
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C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson found themselves in the same spot when they met in Week 2 last season.
Both quarterbacks were top-five draft picks, lost their season openers and seemed to be facing a steep learning curve.
Richardson won Round 1 in Houston, although he didn't finish the game.
Stroud took Round 2 in Indianapolis with the injured Richardson watching from the sideline as Texans clinched the AFC South title and Stroud locked up his runaway selection as NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Sunday, each QB begins his second pro season — with a lot still to prove.
“I’m excited. First official game back with my guys and my teammates,” said Richardson, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last October. "I want to win. So, whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m going to do it.”
Winning a season opener certainly would be a welcome change for a franchise that last started 1-0 in 2013. The 10-game winless streak is easily the NFL's longest active streak.
But that's just a start for Richardson.
He needs to improve his accuracy after completing a pedestrian 59.5% of his throws in 2023 and must demonstrate he can finish games. He missed 13 last season and only finished one of his four starts because of an assortment of injuries, including the concussion that knocked him out of that Week 2 matchup at Houston after he ran for two scores.
Stroud, meanwhile, is coming off one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history.
He became just the third player in a half-century to lead the league in yards passing per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6 to 1), won a playoff game and made hist first Pro Bowl appearance.
How can he improve on a season like that? By showing last season was a building block — not a fluke. He has a stronger supporting cast, too, with Joe Mixon, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, and Stefon Diggs, who has four straight 100-catch seasons, now in the mix.
The long journey begins Sunday in Indianapolis.
“I want to just start fast,” Stroud said. “It doesn't have to do with a certain game, just in general this season. Last year, we started off really slow and just kind of had to build our way back. It's not an easy thing to do, so I would say this year we want to start fast.”
Houston receiver Nico Collins had two of his biggest games last season against Indy — catching seven passes for 146 yards and one TD in the Week 2 matchup only to outperform those numbers with a 195-yard day that included a 75-yard TD catch in Week 18.
He could play an even bigger role this time with Indy's young secondary trying to match up not only with Collins but also Diggs, Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz.
“Nico is a playmaker,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Every time I see him, he’s a true playmaker. So, you just have to get Nico the ball in any way, shape or fashion. Just find a way to get him the ball just to see how explosive and how dynamic he is.”
Injuries and a contract dispute prevented Jonathan Taylor from replicating the form he used to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Starting against the Texans could be just what he needs.
In six games against Houston, Taylor has rushed for seven TDs and 135.2 yards per game — his highest average against any team he's faced multiple times. And in that rematch with Houston in Week 18, he finished with 30 carries for 188 yards, the NFL's highest single-game total all season.
Houston defensive end Will Anderson, last season’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, will play Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury that limited his training camp snaps.
The No. 3 overall pick in 2023 had 45 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 1/2 sacks as a rookie. He expects to be even better this season.
“I’m way more comfortable,” he said. “Just going into Year 2 knowing the scheme better, knowing what to expect a little bit more and knowing what’s going to happen gives you more confidence.”
The Colts lost their 2023 sacks leader, Samson Ebukam, with a torn Achilles tendon during training. But they may have the perfect replacement.
Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player taken in April's draft, at No. 15 overall, and he's shown coaches that the moves he used to record 23 1/2 sacks over his last two college seasons can work in the NFL.
“We know that there’s going to be a learning curve there," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "We know there are going to be plays that we’re going to come in and say there were some good plays, and there were plays he wishes he had back — we understand that. But just his overall mentality and skill set, we’re very excited to see.”