Houston Texans GM seemed to tip his hand on Super Bowl blueprint, HOF coach co-signs
YOU GOT MOSSED!
03 June
How do the Texans compare to one of the best offenses in NFL history? Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Texans caught a lot of people off guard last week by rewarding receiver Nico Collins with a three-year contract extension worth up to $75 million.
Collins was terrific in 2023, but there are some concerns about his ability to stay healthy, as he has never played a full season in his three-year career.
Texans GM Nick Caserio joined Kay Adams last week on her show Up & Adams to discuss the deal. During the interview, Adams asked Caserio about the 2007 Patriots, as Nick was the wide receivers coach for New England that year.
That was the season the Pats went 16-0, and lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl. One could argue they had one of the best offenses in NFL history. Tom Brady threw for 50 touchdowns, and Randy Moss caught an NFL record 23 of them. Caserio said in the interview that the team was looking to upgrade their roster after the Colts eliminated them from the postseason in 2006.
That offseason, the Patriots traded for both Moss and Wes Welker. This conversation got us thinking about some similarities between the Texans and the 2007 Patriots wide receivers. Modeling this Texans receiving group after one of the best in NFL history sounds like a pretty smart move. And who would know more about it than the guy who coached those receivers?
At the time, many believed Moss was no longer the explosive player he was earlier in his career. It turns out Moss (age 30) still had plenty left in the tank once he was traded from Oakland to New England.
There have been similar questions about Stefon Diggs (age 30), who saw a dropoff in his production over the second half of the 2023 season.
But when it comes to body type, the easiest comparison to Randy Moss on the Texans' roster would be Nico Collins. Both Collins and Moss are 6' 4, weigh around 210-215 pounds, and can beat defenses on deep routes.
If we were to compare a player on the 2007 Patriots to Diggs, Donte Stallworth makes the most sense. Both players are 6 feet tall and weigh just under 200 pounds.
What about Tank Dell? Dell's body type is very similar to Wes Welker's. The Texans list Dell at 5'10, 165 pounds, and Welker was listed at 5'9, 185.
Caserio talked about how the receivers on the 2007 team really complemented each other in size and skill set. So by looking at how Bill Belichick and Caserio put together and implemented that historic receiving corps, maybe we can learn some things about the 2024 Texans receivers.
These players have more in common than just size, let's look at their receiving yards per reception. Collins posted 16.2 Y/R in 2023. Moss came in at 15.2 in 2007.
Welker playing mostly out of the slot averaged 10.5 yards per catch. Diggs had 11.1 Y/R last season.
And Tank Dell's numbers looked pretty similar to Donte Stallworth's. Dell recorded 15.1 yards per catch last year, compared to 15.2 for Stallworth in 2007.
One thing that could really work in the Texans favor is Tank Dell's ability to win on short routes in the slot, and take the top off a defense down the field. In fact, Diggs and Dell both have that ability, so the Texans can mix and match with those guys, putting defenses in a bind. Teams didn't fear Welker getting behind them on deep routes, but that's a different story for Diggs and Dell.
Finally, the comparisons to the 2007 Patriots don't stop at the wide receivers. Brady and Stroud have some interesting comps as well!
Don't miss the video above as we dive deep into the numbers to see how the 2007 Patriots compare to the 2024 Texans, and what that reveals about Houston's offensive blueprint moving forward.
Plus, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy weighs in on the Texans, and if they have what it takes to win the Super Bowl this season.
How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
