The former Texans DB crushed the Texans and Fuller's absence could make perfect sense
Offense wasn't "horse----" and neither was Kareem's return
Dec 9, 2019, 11:04 am
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
3 Headlines, 2 Questions, 1 Bet as the Texans try to regroup after one of the worst losses under Bill O'Brien.
Kareem Jackson smashes in return
Kareem Jackson put it on his former team. He just absolutely smashed them. The former cornerback turned safety had everything going on Sunday. The pivotal two plays from him were the return of the Keke Coutee fumble and the huge shot on DeAndre Hopkins on the ensuing drive.
There is a solid argument to have Kareem Jackson still in a Texans uniform. He costs more than Tashaun Gipson but has played better than the current Texans safety. It always felt like this defensive staff felt he was more cornerback than safety. He clearly has excellent safety abilities. He was all over the field making every play for the Broncos. He isn't a cornerback anymore and should have been a full-time safety a while ago. Denver has afforded him that option.
"It wasn't horses--- on offense"
Bill O'Brien was wishy-washy on if there were positives for the Texans. He at first declared there were no positives but then later gave the above statement.
I don't agree or disagree with him.
They got worked in the passing game. The Broncos knew a lot of what was coming and the Texans couldn't get open. Their success late was all about Denver allowing them not what they did really.
I will say, they ran the ball pretty well and obviously couldn't keep running the ball when they were down big like they were early. Carlos Hyde averaged 5.2 a carry. The offensive line played decent.
The first quarter is a disaster for the Texans though. They have to score more and allow less or they can't be taken seriously. Simple.
The pattern continues
Loss - Win - Win
That has been the Texans pattern this season. A stark contrast from the team who fell behind early, rattled off a ton of wins in a row, and then faltered late.
Let's pretend the pattern holds up.
That's wins over the Titans in Tennessee and the Buccaneers in Tampa. A loss to the Titans at home. That's likely enough to make the playoffs and probably be the four seed as AFC South champions. That would likely mean a visit from the Bills.
Again, pretend with me the pattern holds.
Beat the Bills and you're likely on the road to Baltimore. Again. The pattern would have the Texans defeat the Ravens and then play on the road in the AFC Championship game, where they'd lose.
What did this tell us?
Nothing. Patterns are stupid and that's not happening. They're far more likely to drop two in a row and recover with back-to-back wins to sneak into the playoffs. They'll be the trendy pick to be upset at home should they play Buffalo.
Can Tunsil's issues be solved?
Sunday Laremy Tunsil said he is being picked on by officials for his false starts. Watching back the game against Denver, Tunsil had at least two that were missed by the officials and maybe a few more questionable that could have been calls.
I dug into the numbers on Tunsil yesterday. Look, it's ok to get a penalty here or there but in bunches and sometimes in key moments for the franchise left tackle that can't happen.
There has to be something with how the offense is run or called that has Tunsil jumping. He is too good to have to jump for a slight advantage. I wonder if there is extra work to be had with Deshaun Watson to make sure something like this doesn't keep happening.
He didn't commit this level of penalties last year, so he is capable of playing clean football. It is necessary for him to do so down the stretch.
Does Will Fuller mean that much?
I am convinced Will Fuller was in a situation like Jadeveon Clowney was in a few years ago. Clowney was pretty healthy, and could have played, but the team sat him on the road in Green Bay. The following week they played the Colts in a pivotal AFC South matchup. It worked as Clowney played really well and the Texans won on their way to securing another AFC South banner.
Seems to me if the Texans needed the game yesterday Fuller would have played. I understand the idea, and support it even, but there is a conversation to be had on how much better everything looks with him on the field. It didn't feel like anyone got deep, no deep shots were really taken, and when there were chances they were well covered.
Fuller is clearly a key to opening up this offense. It makes Hopkins more effective, the rushing attack (which played well yesterday) more effective, and Watson's legs are also more dangerous when Fuller is on the field. I expect he will be back Sunday giving the Titans fits.
I bet the Titans don't see Sunday's Texans in Tennessee
Ryan Tannehill HAMMERED the hit stick on this one at the end đđ pic.twitter.com/cecBcThFwR
â DailySportsDosage (@OfficalDSD) December 8, 2019
The Texans got caught by the sandwich game. Coming off the Patriots game and with the Titans next up the Broncos got the Texans. Fortunately for Houston they have bounced back well after stinkers this season. The Panthers debacle was followed up with a route of the Falcons. The disappointment in Indy saw them fully control Oakland in the second half the next week. The Baltimore blowout begat a Thursday night victory against the Colts four days later.
It would stand to reason Sunday's Texans are gone for at least a week. Credit to Bill O'Brien, they pull up their bootstraps after losses, regardless of the fact those losses are far to familiar.
Speaking of things that won't last, surely Ryan Tannehill's magical season can't continue.
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If the Astros were going to win one series and lose the other on their six-game road trip out of the All-Star break, they got it right in taking two out of three games at Seattle then losing two out of three to lousy Oakland. Had they inverted those results, the Astros would not be alone atop the American League West starting this weekendâs series against the Dodgers at Minute Maid Park.
By the schedule the Astrosâ sledding now gets tougher. The Dodgers are rolling toward their 11th National League West crown in 12 years, despite their pitching staff having been battered by injuries every bit as much as the Astrosâ. The Astros will face three rookie starters this weekend. National League Rookie of the Year candidate (non-Paul Skenes division) Gavin Stone goes Friday. Saturday itâs Justin Wrobleski making his fourth big league start, Sunday River Ryan makes his second. 325 million dollar addition Yoshinobu Yamamoto last pitched June 15. Tony Gonsolin is out for the year without throwing a pitch. Clayton Kershawâs first pitch Thursday marks the first of his season. Tyler Glasnowâs Wednesday return from the Injured List means the Astros wonât face him this weekend.
Aside: Astrosâ fan favorite Joe Kelly is back in the Dodgersâ bullpen. He was activated from the IL out of the break, so the opportunity to welcome him back to Minute Maid Park looms!
After the Dodgers, the Pirates hit town with Skenes slated to pitch Monday opposite Jake Bloss. Gulp. Hey, in one game, you never know. Skenes has been the most electric rookie pitcher since Dwight Gooden with the Mets in 1984.
Sleepless in Seattle
The Marinersâ unraveling has reached historic proportions. Itâs not easy losing six straight matchups with the lowly Angels but the Mariners were down to the challenge and pulled it off. The Mâs have stumble-bummed their way to a 9-20 record over their last 29 games. Thatâs actually a better winning percentage than the Astrosâ had after staggering from the starting gate to a 7-19 mark. Like the Astros did, the Mariners can right their ship, though if they donât add quality offense before Tuesdayâs trade deadline it seems unlikely. Seattle has scored more than two runs in one of its last eight games, the only win among those eight when the Mariners got to Ronel Blanco and Seth Martinez Sunday to avoid an Astrosâ sweep. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers whipping up on the laughingstock Chicago White Sox this week has their World Series title defense very much alive and a threat to overtake both the Astros and Mariners.
The trade deadline is this Tuesday
Tick-tock toward Tuesdayâs 5PM Central Time trade deadline. General Manager Dana Brown is on the clock. Letâs start with starting pitchers. Tarik Skubal! Garrett Crochet! Jack Flaherty! Any would be a fabulous addition. If Brown acquires one, he will have done phenomenal work cajoling the trade partner into thinking the Astrosâ offer the best. Frankly it seems impossible. The Orioles are in the starting pitcher market. Their farm system runs laps around what the Astros have. Numerous other teams on the hunt for pitching have higher rated minor league talent. The Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys are having a fabulous season, but until the Astros Thursday moved up soon to be 24-year-old Jacob Melton (who was batting just .248 with a .307 on-base percentage at Double-A Corpus Christi) there was not one non-pitcher of any consequence younger than 25 on the roster. Pedro Leon, Shay Whitcomb, Will Wagner, and include Joey Loperfido: it would be shocking if any of them can be the best player in an offer good enough to land one of the potential big trade fish. All four of them wouldnât be enough to land a Skubal or Crochet.
On the hitter side, if the Blue Jays shop Vlad Jr. and/or the Rays take offers for Paredes, of course Brown better try. Either would be a sharp upgrade over Jon Singleton, and Guerrero canât become a free agent until after next season, with Paredes under team control through 2027. Reality check time. Seattleâs offense is in dire straits. The Mariners have four prospects rated higher than any Astrosâ prospect. If the Mariners didnât make a winning offer over what the Astros proposed, Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto would look like a timid clown.
That said, there will be several second and third tier starters and relievers moved who would boost the Astros. If Spencer Arrighetti and Jake Bloss are both still in the Astrosâ starting rotation after the deadline, Dana Brown will have failed. That said, the Astros could well stand pat and win the Mild, Mild West. They could also finish third.
Go for the gold!
With the Olympics underway, a medal podium-style ranking of the Astrosâ greatest trade deadline acquisitions:
No medal but cannot be omitted: Randy Johnson. It was a brief fling with âThe Big Unitâ in 1998 but it was spectacular. It elevated Houston as a baseball city. In 11 regular season starts Johnson went 10-1 with a 1.28 earned run average. He threw shutouts in his first four Astrodome starts. He spiked attendance like no other player in franchise history. Even though the San Diego Padres beat Johnson twice (Johnson pitched fine, the Astros scored two runs total in the two games) and bounced the Astros in a National League Division Series, and prospects Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen included in the deal both went on to have excellent careers, it was a trade that in hindsight you make 100 times out of 100.
Bronze: Jeff Bagwell. Reliever Larry Andersen was outstanding in helping the Boston Red Sox win the AL East in 1990, but the BoSox got swept in the ALCS and Andersen left as a free agent. Bagwell has the greatest offensive resume in Astrosâ history (I know, I know, postseason aside) and is quite arguably one of the 10 greatest first basemen of all-time.
Silver: Yordan Alvarez. He has longevity to prove but to this point in his career, while not the all-around player Bagwell was, Yordan is clearly the more destructive force in the batterâs box. Throw in his three monstrously significant home runs in the 2022 Astrosâ title run, and his awesome 2023 postseason, and what could still lie ahead for him and the Gold could be his if we revisit this topic 10 years from now. Imagine the Dodgers if they hadnât gifted Yordan to the Astros for Josh Fields.
Gold: Justin Verlander. Astrosâ World Series championships pre-JV, zero. With him, two. Even though his World Series resume is terrible. The finishing piece to the Astrosâ initial championship winner in 2017 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts ahead of winning the 2017 ALCS MVP, a second crown in 2022, two Cy Young Awards and a Cy runner-up. Interesting decision to make for the cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. Much more body of work with the Tigers but the championships and legend cemented with the Astros.
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold âStros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I 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.