How Astros still have ace in the hole against new challengers to the crown
STONE COLD 'STROS
28 August 2023
The Houston Astros currently sit one game back in the AL West and hold the final Wild Card spot as we approach the final month of the season.
After the Astros face the Red Sox and Yankees this week, they begin a 3-game series against the Rangers next Monday that could have massive playoff implications.
One thing going for the club right now is that the bats appear to be getting hot at the right time. Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena had some spectacular performances against Detroit over the weekend. The offense has been uncharacteristically middle of the pack for most of the season, but they are now in the Top 10 for team slugging, OPS, and home runs.
Dropping 17 runs on the Tigers Sunday certainly helped to pad the stats.
The Astros schedule could be their ace in the hole
The other thing working in Houston's favor is the schedule. They have a more favorable schedule than the Mariners and Rangers as we approach the final stretch of the season. The 'Stros have two series with the Royals and one with the lowly A's during the month of September.
Those three series could be the difference between making the postseason and going home. It's been a long time since these games in late August and September have meant so much to the team.
Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss what the Astros have in front of them with the regular season quickly coming to an end.
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) every Monday on YouTube!
And be sure to listen to ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM for Houston's best sports talk.
NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
