Houston Texans/Facebook
1. As the Texans now dead winning streak grew, the opponents they could make a "statement" against were few and far between. Now, some games ended up looking better and better. The Cowboys are legit and so are the Colts. The Bills are far better than first believed. Still, the winning streak didn't earn the Texans a lot of credit and the loss to the Colts elicited plenty of "I told you so's" from doubters. The defending champions were potentially the last opponent the Texans would face who was partially relevant. Even that was in danger, but then Nick Foles stepped in, did Nick Foles things, and now the Eagles are a legit opponent. Even most doubters will give Houston credit for a road win against a hot Philly team.
2. Keke Coutee and Lamar Miller remained in the limited participation part of the injury report for the Texans on Thursday. The playoffs are very close to being a lock and Houston might be locked into at least a playoff spot come Sunday's game anyway. If the Chargers down the Ravens the Texans have the playoffs to look forward to in January. That is where the focus should be for both these players. Especially if D'Onta Foreman is somehow ready to contribute. Don't be shocked to see the inactive list include Coutee and Miller or at the very least one of them. Speaking of injuries, Fletcher Cox has been missing practice this week for the Eagles. Cox is one of the best interior players in football and would be a great test for the Texans offensive line. He isn't the type of player who has to practice to play. If he isn't 100 percent he is still better than most. He could destroy the Texans offensive plan with his inside prowess.
3. Jadeveon Clowney embracing his role with the Texans is refreshing.
"Probably moving around a lot more," Clowney said as an answer to what he has improved on this year. "They move me around more than I've probably ever moved. I've played more linebacker this year than I've played in the past four years, but whatever I can do to help this team, I'll do it. I'll line up over the nose, guard, anywhere."
I can remember it wasn't that long ago Clowney said, somewhat joking and somewhat serious, he didn't love mixing it up with guards and centers. He's dominating those players regularly and the Texans have moved him all over the place and let him just wreck offenses. It has been really fun to watch one of the freakiest athletes in the NFL play free and ferocious.
4. Pay very close attention to the New England Patriots this weekend. If the Patriots are going to be the typical Patriots they should run through their last two opponents which are the Bills and Jets. Both games are at home and despite some late season life to two teams headed nowhere in 2018 the Patriots, and Tom Brady specifically, should handle both of them if they are getting back to their usual level of play. If you see New England struggle in both of these games it may be a sign they're more vulnerable than ever. Especially important in keeping the the bye for the Texans and a potential divisional showdown with New England.
5. The Dallas Cowboys went from comfortable to nervous in just one week. They turned in a horrid performance against the Colts, albeit with little to play for in that game having seemingly locked up a home game in the playoffs. Philadelphia made it interesting though beating the Rams and putting some pressure on the Cowboys. Now, Dallas has to lose out and the Eagles have to win out for Dallas to slip out of the playoffs. It would be important to show a little more life on offense than last week against the Colts. The Buccaneers aren't very good; it should be a bounce-back for the Cowboys.
6. I hope you are playing in your fantasy football championship this weekend. I believe the fantasy season is so crazy at the end of the year it should end week 16 of the NFL season, not the final week. Most teams aren't resting players before the last week. I also believe you should get some, if not all, of your entry fee back for making the fantasy playoffs. It is a fun wrinkle my big league added years ago and it keeps people who start slow in the hunt all year. Most of all, have fun with fantasy football and enjoy watching football.
How latest reports abruptly shift Houston Astros rotation x-factors
Mar 18, 2024, 7:23 pm
Bruce Bochy doesn’t ever want the Texas Rangers to let go of those memories of their first World Series title.
“We just don’t want to lean on them,” said Bochy, whose first season with the Rangers ended with the first World Series championship for the 63-year-old franchise, and his fourth as a big league manager.
While Texas has the opportunity to be the first team in a quarter-century to win back-to-back world championships — the New York Yankees were the last, with three in a row from 1998-2000 — the Rangers aren’t even defending champs in their own division.
And they aren’t favored to win the AL West this season.
Houston is again the odds-on favorite in the division it has won each of the last six full MLB seasons since the Rangers finished on top in 2016. The Astros won their regular season finale last Oct. 1, matched Texas at 90-72 and won the AL West since they were 9-4 head-to-head.
The Astros have made the AL Championship Series the past seven seasons, even when not division champs in the 2020 season shortened to 60 games because of the pandemic. They made four trips to the Fall Classic and won two titles in that span.
Dusty Baker retired days after Houston lost ALCS Game 7 at home to the Rangers last fall, finishing with 2,183 wins over 26 seasons as a big league manager with five teams.
New Astros manager Joe Espada, their bench coach for six seasons, is certainly familiar with a lineup that has big hitters Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, and a loaded starting rotation.
Espada isn't the division's only new manager. Ron Washington, who took the Rangers to their previous World Series in 2010 and 2011, was hired by the Angels, who still have Mike Trout but not two-way star Shohei Ohtani, now with the other team in Los Angeles.
Seattle again revamped its roster without big spending in free agency and hopes for a quicker return to the playoffs. The Mariners missed by one game last season, a year after its first postseason appearance since 2001.
And just like last year, the Athletics go into another season not knowing if it will be their last in Oakland.
HOW THEY PROJECT1. Houston Astros. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, reacquired in a deadline trade last July, will start this season on the injured list. But the 41-year-old’s IL stint is expected to be a short one. The Astros still have lefty Framber Valdez (12-11, 2.45 ERA, 200 strikeouts and a no-hitter) and right-hander Cristian Javier. Eight-time All-Star second baseman Altuve signed a new $125 million, five-year contract that goes through 2029. But two-time All-Star third baseman Bregman, the only other position player to make all seven ALCS trips, is at the end of a $100 million deal.
2. Texas Rangers. After going from six losing seasons in a row to a World Series title, the Rangers should be playoff contenders again. They return ALCS MVP Adolis García and most of the lineup that hit 233 homers and scored an AL-high 5.4 runs per game. But World Series MVP and AL MVP runner-up shortstop Corey Seager (sports hernia), Gold Glove first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (oblique strain) and All-Star third baseman Josh Jung (calf) missed significant time in the spring. All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi tops a rotation still missing injured multiple Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
3. Seattle Mariners. The front office put together a roster that might be better than last year, but everybody has to stay healthy. Seattle should be better offensively with the additions of Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger, Jorge Polanco and Luke Raley to go with young superstar Julio Rodriguez. If J.P. Crawford can replicate last season at the plate and Ty France returns to his 2021-22 form, the lineup will be deeper. Couple a better offense with one of the best rotations in baseball led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, the Mariners should once again contend in the division.
4. Los Angeles Angels. They feel like they’re starting over yet again and still haven't been to the playoffs since 2014. Ohtani left after six seasons for a record $700 million with the perennially contending Dodgers. The Halos added almost nothing in free agency, only revamping their bullpen again and taking low-cost flyers on Aaron Hicks and Miguel Sano. Trout and Anthony Rendon are back, and an open DH spot will allow them to rest their injury-prone bodies more regularly. Their rotation is last year’s group minus Ohtani. The 71-year-old Washington brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm, which should benefit an exciting crop of young talent ready to break through in the majors.
5. Oakland Athletics. This could be the final season playing at the Coliseum with a lease set to expire. So the A's are still trying to figure out where they will play beyond this year with a new ballpark and move to Las Vegas scheduled for 2028. Manager Mark Kotsay has been committed to keeping his team focused on what it can do to be better on the field after two years with a combined 214 losses (112 last season). The A’s acquired Ross Stripling from the San Francisco Giants and added Alex Wood to the rotation.
OLD SKIPPERSWhen the 74-year-old Baker retired, Bochy became the oldest manager in the majors. That lasted only a few weeks until the Angels hired Washington. Bochy will turn 69 on April 16, just 13 days before Washington turns 72. Bochy, with 2,093 wins going into his 27th season, is one of six managers with four World Series titles, his first three coming in San Francisco (2010, 2012 and 2014). Washington won a franchise-record 664 games in eight seasons with Texas from 2007-14. He was on Atlanta's staff the past seven years, and part of the Braves' 2021 World Series title.
RELIEF HELPSeveral new relievers are in the AL West, including hard-throwing lefty Josh Hader with the Astros, veteran right-hander David Robertson and former All-Star closer Kirby Yates in Texas, Gregory Santos and Ryne Stanek in Seattle and Robert Stephenson with the Angels.
Hader's $95 million, five-year deal was the biggest after becoming a first-time free agent. The 29-year-old, once in the Astros' minor league system, turned down a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from San Diego.