Two offseason acquisitions come up big for Texans in win over Pats what's that mean for the future?

No GM, no problem for Texans

Cody Stoots
Dec 2, 2019, 2:16 pm
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3 Headlines, 2 Questions, and 1 Bet after the Texans beat the Patriots and get ready for the Broncos.

Jacob Martin finally breaks out

Jacob Martin had a big day for the Texans against the Patriots. I'm not breaking any news there, but as the above stats indicate this was finally a game he put it all together. The Texans desperately needed it too. Not to say he wasn't helped out, the rest of the line had their fair share of pushes and even Bradley Roby got a sack, but Martin was giving the Pats fits all night.

He has a lot of speed and Bill O'Brien mentioned as much when he said he sees Martin going "100 mph" and lauded his practice routine. This is what the Texans hoped for when they added Martin. A young player, under team control, that can grow into a key role player for this defense. I am sure he is slightly ahead of schedule in that regard.

Oh, and for the folks keeping track at home, Jacob Martin is healthy and a half a sack off Jadeveon Clowney's sack total on the year. Yes, Clowney plays Monday and can add to it, but he's dealing with a core injury that is expected to limit him.

Duke Johnson

This type of game is what we all envisioned from Duke Johnson when the Texans sent what is now a third round selection to the Browns. Up until this point Johnson hadn't put together a ground and air game that impressed at the same time. Last night he ripped off 90 total yards. It was his highest yardage total since week one in New Orleans. He was also targeted in the passing game a season-high six times.

If this is the Johnson the Texans are going to get going forward and the Carlos Hyde-led ground game is going to pick up watch out for what the Texans offense could be. Bill O'Brien intimated Monday Johnson's involvement was in the gameplan and if that is a mainstay going forward we maybe have just scratched the surface on Johnson's actual usefulness.

No general manager, no problem for me

Look, tell me the Texans have been managed poorly under the Bill O'Brien and company general manager leadership group and I will call you a liar. Plain and simple. Sure, there has been a hiccup or two, but the situation has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The Laremy Tunsil/Kenny Stills trade pays off week after week while additions like Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson have played well. The reshaping of the secondary on the fly through injuries has been impressive as well.

Is it the worst idea to let this crew operate a draft? No. You will know right off the bat if they can get it done though. It's not like they could hire Nick Caserio before the draft anyway so unless they were going elsewhere with that hire the current system was set to run free agency and the draft anyway .

I would be worried about the money. There is a possibility for a tremendous spend this offseason with Deshaun Watson potentially getting a new deal, Tunsil hunting money, and D.J. Reader and Bradley Roby expiring on the defense. I also expect J.J. Watt to want an adjustment on his deal.

Brian Gaine was a bargain hunter, I don't anticipate the current administration to be similar. The Texans have the money, and it leads to the star wideout, quarterback, left tackle, and pass rusher getting locked up for a few years there is nothing wrong with that.

Should the Texans try to get Bradley Roby locked up?

Bradley Roby has been as advertised in his role with the Texans. He is physically gifted and the flashes of first round talent are apparent in his play. Sure, there has been an issue here or there and he was hurt for a while but he played excellent against the Patriots.

I don't want to overreact to one good game, so let's see how he plays against his former team as well as the other games left on the Texans schedule. He is certainly on his way to achieving what he set out to do when he signed with the Texans. Roby intended to take a one-year "prove it" deal and enter free agency again hoping to cash in.

The right number might entice Roby to alter his strategy but it would be prudent for the Texans to see what else he can do this season now that he is healthy.

Can J.J. Watt come back? Sure. Will he?

I don't believe J.J. Watt is going to play again this season, regular season or the playoffs, but I would be happy to be wrong. His pectoral injury doesn't seem like it is anywhere close to as serious as the one Whitney Mercilus suffered in 2017. The thought and rumor was Mercilus was healthy enough by the end of the season, if the Texans had been in contention, to play.

It would stand to reason the same could apply to Watt. If by some chance he could return in week 17 for instance, the team could ease him back into the game and then ramp up his snaps in the playoffs for as long as they go.

Watt is third in QB Hits according to Pro Football Focus. He is the only player who has played in less than 10 games in the top ten. He obviously could help the Texans. For Watt though, there is a lot of risk.

There is no more guaranteed money on his contract. If he was hurt again that could hinder negotiations but at the same time a healthy-ish Watt could cause chaos and drive his tag way up. It is quite the risk if it gets to the decision.

As for the rumors, Bill O'Brien decided to take a pass on addressing it.

"I'm not going to get into all those things...we really need to focus on Denver."

I bet the Broncos are fired up to be playing with Drew Lock

Drew Lock looked like more than a capable passer at times in his NFL debut against the Chargers. He hit Courtland Sutton twice for a score but passed for just 164 yards. He threw a really bad interception that almost cost the Broncos horribly in the second half. Not bad though for his first NFL action that matters.

There's life though. He is clearly the team's quarterback next year and there are young pass catchers who need to grow with him like Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, and fellow rookie Noah Fant. There's obviously still some talent on defense there as well. The Broncos are a live team compared to plenty of other teams who look like they've quit on their season.

O'Brien was emphatic on Monday he doesn't care about Denver's record he believes them to be a good football team. What I believe O'Brien has to drive home this week is the Texans beat the Patriots, but don't let beating the Patriots beat them against the Broncos.

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NFL Playoffs: Conference Championship

NFL Playoffs: Conference Championship good, bad and ugly

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The NFL Conference Championship Weekend is their Final Four. You don't get the games played in the same place, but there is a buzz in both stadiums because each team knows theyarethisclose to a Super Bowl. Here are my observations:

The Good

-Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the real deal. We gawk at his arm strength and ability to make throws in spaces and from angles that'll challenge physics. But his athleticism and escapability are underrated. Prime example was his 27-yard touchdown run right before halftime. Not only did he evade the rush and scramble to the outside, but he tightroped along the sideline, cut back inside, then carried a couple defenders across the goalline. He led the Chiefs in rushing yards with 56.

-49ers running back Raheem Mostert has played on five different teams in his five year career. In his second stint with the 49ers, he's turned himself into an valuable piece of that offense. Although they use a stable of backs, it was Mostert who set a new team postseason rushing record with 196 yards and there was still almost 20 minutes of football left to play!

-We will have a great matchup of coaches in the Super Bowl. Head Coaches/Playcallers: Chiefs' Andy Reid vs 49er's Kyle Shanahan; defensive coordinators: Chiefs' Steve Spagnuolo vs 49er's Robert Saleh. The meeting of the minds with two weeks to prepare should give us a good game. Key word: should. Please guys, no blowouts.

The Bad

-Derrick Henry was dubbed "King Henry" after his recent rushing performances. He was unceremoniously removed from his throne by the Chiefs' defense. 69 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown with a long run of 13 backed up the tough talk from Chiefs' defensive end Frank Clark who said earlier in the week leading up to the game that Henry wasn't hard to tackle.

-Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked a little off. He missed a few key throws, including an interception that ended any hope they had of coming back because it led to the 49ers having a short field and going up by four scores instead of the Packers being down by two scores. It was a minute before halftime, but the way the 49ers were running the ball, that pick was a backbreaker.

-The NFL fined Chiefs' offensive lineman Eric Fisher $14,037 for an unsportsmanlike conduct for his double-fist beer touchdown celebration during last week's win over the Texans. I thought they turned the corner when they started allowing more touchdown celebrations. So let me get this straight: you can choreograph a dance routine with the whole team, but can't pretend to chug beer from a league sponsor? Talk about hypocrisy.

The Ugly

-With the score 28-17 Chiefs with 7:44 left in the game, 3rd&6 on the Chiefs' 40-yard line. Titans' corner Tramaine Brock Sr. fell down and was called for a holding penalty on Sammy Watkins as he was falling. The worst part of that play: Watkins broke open and Mahomes found him for a 60-yard touchdown. Later when they were down by 11 with 3:59 left, Brock was called for a 41-yard pass interference on 3rd&10 with the Chiefs on their own 19-yard line. Those plays sealed the deal for the Titans.

-49ers running back Tevin Coleman was carted off the field in the 2nd quarter with an injury to his right elbow. An arm injury must be pretty damn bad if you're carted off. Thoughts and prayers to the running back I thought the Texans should've signed. Major props to him wanting to come back to the sidelines to be with his teammates wearing a sling.

-The 49ers outrushed the Packers 185 to 51...IN THE FIRST HALF! They were up 27-0 and had "only" passed for 40 yards. That's all they needed since the Packers couldn't stop the run. Mind you, they ran the ball 22 times to get the 185 yards. Packers defense looked like wet brown grocery bags trying to hold two gallons of milk.

And then there were two. Through all the strife and struggle, we have our Super Bowl 54 will be a matchup of arguably the best on their respective sides of the ball: 49ers and their defense vs the Chiefs high octane offense. However, don't sleep on the 49ers' ability to score, or how well the Chiefs' defense has been playing as of late. Ultimately, I have the sads. We only have one meaningful football game left. Hopefully the 49ers and Chiefs give us something to talk about. I won't mind seeing a 24-21 or 31-27 game. As long as we don't get a multiple score blowout, I'm good. Props to the Titans and Packers for putting up a good fight. It just wasn't good enough. From 32 to two. And there will only be one.

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