CODY STOOTS: 3 headlines, 2 questions, 1 bet
Texans have plenty to be thankful for these days
Nov 19, 2018, 3:14 pm
The Texans winning ways continue and they have plenty to be thankful for ahead of Thursday. Here's three headlines, two questions, and one bet to get you ready for turkey week:
The Texans tied a record set by the 1925 New York Giants who won seven games after dropping their first three. Bill O'Brien joked he saw that team play but stressed the team hasn't "done anything" this season. He said they have done a great job of digging themselves out of the hole but they want to accomplish more. He stressed they have a big game coming up against the Titans and want to beat a team that already has a win over them.
"In the end, what have you done?" O'Brien said.
Right now, they have won seven straight which is the longest winning streak in the AFC and second to the Saints and their nine-game winning streak. They have a two-game lead over the Titans who they host in a week and the Colts who they host at home in a few weeks. They are nipping at the heels of the Steelers who currently own the third spot in the AFC.
What they still have to show is a consistent offense. Deshaun Watson threw two interceptions but O'Brien excused Watson on the intercepted screen. O'Brien said he would have liked the play call back. The other interception Watson failed to get a steady footing with the rush around him and didn't quite make it over the Washington defender to hit Keke Coutee.
Their rushing attack showed signs of life but they will need to get both elements of the offense clicking if they have designs on winning the AFC South and securing a playoff spot.
Justin Reid has played like a first rounder. That's what Tyrann Mathieu thinks of his play and it's what your eyes show you too.
His latest accomplishment is what Bill O'Brien called the "play of the game" as he took the ball back 101 yards for a touchdown on an interception to create what seemed like a 14-point swing.
Reid is consistently in the right spots and with the ever-changing landscape of the secondary due to injury, he has fit in just right wherever he has ended up. It's amazing in the current NFL he ended up a third round selection.
SportsMap and ESPN 97.5's Lance Zeirlein had a first or second round grade on him on NFL.com and an anonymous executive explained to Zeirlein he thought he could sneak into the first round.
"We're glad he isn't," Mathieu joked. The veteran safety said Reid didn't play or act like a rookie on the field.
"31 teams passed on me twice, it left a pretty big chip," said Reid. He's one of many rookies contributing to a great degree for the Texans but his play this season has put him in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Ka'imi Fairbairn missed two of his five kicks to bring his miss total to five field goals and one extra point. His last miss of 45 yards would have given the Texans a five-point lead and forced Washington to score a touchdown with backup quarterback Colt McCoy in for the injured Alex Smith.
There is plenty of conversation to be had about long snapper Jon Weeks and holder Trevor Daniel. Daniel is replacing Shane Lechler as the holder and it would appear sometimes he fails to get the ball in the ideal situation for Fairbairn be it proper laces placement or steadiness of the ball.
"He made a big kick. He missed a big kick. All right, so, we move on to the next and we try to correct maybe some technique issues and we move on to Tennessee," said Bill O'Brien. Later he added more about the burden for Daniel and Weeks.
"The operation is the key. It's gotta be a perfect snap. It's gotta be a perfect hold with the proper side of the ball, with the belly of the ball showing not the laces."
O'Brien said he liked the operation on the final kick was good but Fairbairn didn't get enough of it. The head coach also stressed there is a slim margin for error in the operation and though it may seem elementary they work on it hundreds of times a day.
Fairbairn maintains he just didn't strike the last attempt well. He said he's excited for the opportunity to kick again this week. He said he also trusts Weeks and Daniel to put in the work to improve and he trusts them to do their job each time and he worries about his part of the kicking game.
Quite simply, the kicking could cost the Texans a game and may have already cost them one. The miss in the Tennessee game looms as it was a three-point margin of defeat. His Colts miss is a miss for almost any kicker as he was no good from 59 yards and he did hit the game winner in overtime. His miss from 48 yards against Dallas helped send the game to overtime. His miss of the extra point in Denver nearly cost the Texans and would have had the Broncos made the kick.
Yesterday the big trade acquisition saw just one target bringing his total in two games to four targets with three catches and 61 yards. Bill O'Brien's offense has often been lauded as an offense that it is tough for wide receivers to pick up quick, but Thomas will need to do some catching up to be a factor.
"I think with (Thomas) we've got to look at that as an offensive staff," O'Brien said. He mentioned Thomas "did some good things" but the ball didn't find him.
If the Texans are going to win the AFC South Thomas will be a key part of their journey. With Keke Coutee's injury history they can't bank on him being there all season and at some point, they will have to find stuff for Thomas, even if there is a slight element of forcing it.
O'Brien mentioned the team would be off on Thursday this week and pointed out how often their players are out in the community giving back to the people of Houston and when the players go back home as well. He mentioned the team is very proud of the player's community effort.
O'Brien also revealed Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday.
"I think Thanksgiving is awesome. It's football. It's turkey. It's stuffing. It's a couple Coors Lights and watch some football."
Here are 11 things the Texans should be thankful for this year:
J.J. Watt is healthy.
Jadeveon Clowney is healthy.
Deshaun Watson is healthy.
Justin Reid fell to the third round.
Kareem Jackson plays safety at a high level.
Johnathan Joseph has stayed relatively ageless.
Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue have been good enough.
Keke Coutee is the first real slot threat in years.
The Texans didn't sign Nate Solder.
The Jaguars didn't draft Lamar Jackson.
Frank Reich handed them a win.
I bet the Texans are out for revenge against the Titans on Monday Night Football. This team has to know they let one slip away against Tennessee. The Titans have been somewhat impressive at times but the likelihood they hoodwink and confuse the Texans again is slim. The defense has settled into a better level than week two and the offense has started to solidify shaky parts as well. Getting one back against Tennessee would go a very long way towards winning the AFC South and securing a playoff spot.
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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