THE PALLILOG

Latest Texans drama, outrage, and a cloudy playoff picture

Texans Danielle Hunter, CJ Stroud, Tank Dell
Can the Texans overcome the loss of Azeez Al-Shaair? Composite Getty Image.

No Texans game this weekend. No Texans game for Azeez Al-Shaair for a month. Let’s state it simply up front. Al-Shaair's knockout shot of Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence was flagrantly illegal and obviously worthy of suspension, even more so with Al-Shaair's other personal fouls this season taken into account. He doesn’t get a three-game suspension without a track record. Well, he has one. As the saying goes, if you can’t do the time don’t do the crime. Silver lining, Al-Shaair should be fresh for the playoffs. He can return for the regular season finale.

Attacks on Al-Shaair's off-field character have ranged from unwarranted to offensive, but his on-field character can fairly be called out. Many players in such a violent sport have different personalities on and off the gridiron, but cheap shots are cheap shots and Al-Shaair is a recidivist taker of them. The hit on Lawrence was in one way the least egregious of Al-Shaair's three clear offenses this season in that, wrong as it was, at least it came in making a football play. He should have been kicked out of the Bears game in week two for throwing a punch on the sideline. Two Sundays ago he drilled Titans’ running back Tony Pollard in a blatant late hit out of bounds.

The argument that Lawrence slid late and hence Al-Shaair couldn’t stop himself is a weak lesson learned in an Excuse Making 101 class. Lawrence was a full four yards from Al-Shaair when he started to slide. Of course the action happens fast but that was enough time for Al-Shaair to react differently than by launching himself and leading with a forearm shiver. The claim that he was committed before Lawrence slid does not hold water. He’s not going that low against a runner (and making no effort to wrap and tackle) unless the idea was to go for the knees, also illegal. Any Texans’ player, coach, or executive alibi-ing for Al-Shaair would probably have gone ballistic if, say, Josh Hines-Allen had made the exact same hit with the exact same result against C.J. Stroud.

Fandom: where passion knows no bounds

I think doctors still take the Hippocratic Oath of integrity and pledging to always do what is best for the patient. For many sports fans there is a de facto Hypocritic Oath taken, by which a fan can gloss over wrongdoing when done by one’s preferred team, but want the book thrown at an opponent guilty of the same wrongdoing. The Astros’ cheating scandal was the classic exhibit of that here. Had the 2017 Dodgers been the team caught with hands in the same cookie jar instead of the Astros, many Dodgers fans would have scoffed that it was no big deal and “everybody was doing it.” Meanwhile many Astros fans would have been beyond apoplectic at the nefarious deed and wanted the Dodgers punished to the max. The way of the world.

If one wants to argue that quarterbacks are over-protected, so be it, but everyone knows they are heavily protected as the most valuable and expensive group of commodities in the game. If a defender can’t play accordingly, the defender is the problem, not the rules. There are those who romanticize what used to be allowed in the NFL, and lament what they consider the “wussification” of the game today. It’s a rather Neanderthal-ish perspective given the reality of CTE and the numerous sad stories of dementia and suicide.

Examining the ripple effect

While not a star, Al-Shaair will be missed. He’s been solid overall pretty much at the level of the guy he replaced (Blake Cashman). In the 10 regular season games he’s played Al-Shaair has been on the field for 85 percent of the Texans’ defensive snaps. His suspension does happen to coincide with the Texans’ toughest three game stretch of the season. He’ll sit out matchups with the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Ravens. The Dolphins will be here in desperation mode trying to keep playoff hopes alive, but when Tua Tagovailoa is healthy at quarterback, Miami is a better team than its 5-7 record indicates. The Chiefs are the Chiefs. The Ravens will have Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry ready to roll at NRG Stadium Christmas day.

Fortunately for the Texans they can lose all three of those games and still win the AFC South, but it could get dicey. To borrow from baseball, the Texans’ magic number is two. Any combination of Texan wins and Colt losses that reaches two wraps it up. The Colts also have their open week this week. Next week they play at Denver in a probable loss. Couple that with a Texans win over the Dolphins, and division title clinched. However, should the Texans go 0-3 in Al-Shaair's absence to fall to 8-8...

After Denver, the Colts’ final three games are versus the worse, worser, and worsest Titans, Giants, and Jaguars. If Indy upsets the Broncos, winning out becomes quite viable. That would mean a 10-7 final record, forcing the Texans to win two of their remaining four games. A loss at Denver and three wins closing the Colts at 9-8 would mean the Texans need one victory. The Texans’ regular season finale is at...Tennessee.

Food for thought

Two-time former Texan Kareem Jackson last season got separate two and four-game suspensions for his repeated illegal and/or dirty hits. The 36-years-old Jackson is still hanging on to his career. He's been on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad this season.

For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube

The Astros are always in season for discussion. Our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts drop Mondays: Click here to watch!

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Who can the Astros turn to? Composite Getty Image.

In Houston, the winning standard has been set so high that anything short of World Series contention now feels like failure. And yet, the 2025 Astros find themselves at an unfamiliar crossroads—caught between the fading brilliance of past stars and the uncertain promise of what comes next.

Jose Altuve is at the center of this issue. His early struggles (-0.5 WAR) may indicate more than just a temporary slump. And when he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had just endured a grueling 33-pitch inning on Sunday, it raised a bigger question: who has the influence to talk to Altuve?

The Astros’ culture has long been praised for its accountability, but who inside the clubhouse has the standing to challenge or counsel Altuve or other vets when needed? With so many veteran voices gone, there’s a growing sense that no one does—and that’s a problem. That’s why the idea of bringing back Michael Brantley—not as a player, but as a respected voice—could make some sense. Brantley was always viewed as a quiet leader, and his presence could restore some of the guidance this roster desperately needs.

Batter up?

While the Astros have built a reputation for reviving pitchers' careers, their track record with hitters is far less impressive. There are few, if any, examples of a bat joining Houston and unlocking a new level. That failure in development becomes especially stark when considering how much they’re currently leaning on homegrown youth.

Which brings us to Zach Dezenzo. The 24-year-old rookie is showing he belongs—his .737 OPS makes him one of the more productive bats in a lineup that desperately needs stability while Yordan Alvarez nurses an injury. While Victor Caratini provides the Astros with the ability to switch hit, he's hitting just .217. Dezenzo should be starting every day in left, with Yordan out. Jose Altuve, who has already played too many innings this year, should be shifted to DH duties to ease his physical burden. The Astros should go with Cam Smith in right and keep Jake Meyers in center to round out the outfield.

GM Dana Brown has made clear that he views Dezenzo as a first baseman or left fielder for the future. So why not get him in the lineup while Yordan's out and see what he can do with consistent playing time?

Of course, losing Yordan Alvarez is always going to hurt. But the numbers tell a surprising story. Yordan currently holds a -0.4 WAR, right there alongside Altuve and Christian Walker as the only Astros with negative marks. On paper, the team hasn’t lost much production. But let’s not kid ourselves—Yordan’s mere presence alters how opponents pitch to this team. The lineup without him lacks fear factor, and the margins get razor-thin.

Speaking of margins, one move that may haunt this front office is the decision to sign Christian Walker. The veteran first baseman is hitting just .205 with a .617 OPS—far below the level expected from a player earning $20 million annually through 2027. Compare that to Jon Singleton, who posted better numbers in 2024 and currently boasts an .880 OPS in Triple-A with the Mets organization. Walker's defense is strong, but it's hard to argue that justifies the price tag. Singleton might not be a Gold Glover, or anything close, but he came much cheaper and was quietly more productive with the bat.

No regrets?

There’s also a broader question looming: if fans had known that Altuve’s massive contract extension would potentially cost the team the ability to re-sign current MVP candidates Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, would they still have supported the deal? Hindsight is cruel, but with Altuve’s decline and Tucker and Bregman thriving, it’s a fair debate. Houston might have paid for the past instead of securing its future.

Big deals on the horizon?

All eyes now turn to owner Jim Crane. This winter, Houston's payroll will have considerable room to maneuver. But will Crane commit to restocking the lineup with All-Star-caliber bats, or will his reluctance to offer long-term deals keep the Astros stuck in a holding pattern? It’s one thing to let players walk. It’s another to fail to replace them.

The Astros still have the bones of a contender, but the road back to dominance is getting steeper. The team can’t simply rely on what used to work. It’s time for difficult conversations, bold lineup changes, and a rethinking of how this organization develops—and retains—offensive talent.

We have so much more to get to. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

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