FALCON POINTS
Why the Jets win is bad news for the Texans on several fronts
Dec 22, 2020, 8:00 am
2021 can't come soon enough.Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Can we finally put to bed some stereotypes in sports?
When the New York Jets shocked the world and knocked off the LA Rams, it improved their dismal record to 1-13, same as the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags, however, now have the inside track to the first pick in the draft, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. That is bad news for the Texans on two fronts.
First, they will have a generational talent in the division again, a player who could be every bit as difficult to beat as Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. While it will be fun seeing Lawrence and Deshaun Watson go after each other twice a year, the advantage goes to the Jags, who have better young talent, a plethora of picks and cap space to burn.
Interestingly enough, the two worst teams in the division in 2020 likely will have the two best quarterbacks moving forward. While Ryan Tannehill has done admirable work in Tennessee and Philip Rivers is still slinging away in Indy, no one in their right minds would take either over Watson or Lawrence moving forward.
The worst news for the Texans concerns their GM search. Jacksonville is now clearly the better job, and the Jaguars have an opening at GM. Who wouldn't want a team with Lawrence, several other high picks and lots of cap room? Compared to the Texans job, it is a no-brainer. The Texans can be fixed, but the Jags will be a much easier path to success. The Texans have Watson and Laremy Tunsil, but that is about it. The new GM will have to decide what to do with J.J. Watt, find free agent help on a terrible defense and do something about the worst running game in the NFL.
Jacksonville has work to do, too, hence the one win. But they have assets to use and are not hamstrung by some of the horrible contracts given out by Bill O'Brien. It would not be a shock if the Texans were the worst team in the AFC South over the next couple years. All because of a game they did not even play.
So while the Jets win might not have seemed to be a big deal on the surface, it was the second loss dealt to the Texans on Sunday after another fumblefest against the Colts.
And this loss could prove to be much more devastating moving forward.
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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.