Time for the Critics to shut up!!!!
Well I have held off writing on much of anything this football season simply because it has become obvious that the number of fools and uneducated sports fans in Houston far exceeds those that know what they are talking about. Now I realize that true fans of a team tend to make statements that are empassioned or influenced by the moment, however the amount of crapola that has been flowing through the media about the Texans and Mario Williams since he was drafted ahead of those other two guys, has been insane. But then the same people who have been saying that VY or Reggie would have been the savior of this franchise are the same ones who think that Steve Francis is still an All-Star and capable of scoring 30 points a night, but that is another article.
Here is what you have right now with the Houston Texans, starting at the top.
- An owner who wants to win and is willing to do/pay what ever it takes to get the right people in here to do the job
- A GM who is smart and has learned how to find players who have both talent and the desire to work hard to improve
- A Coach who has stayed on message and has found the right buttons to push to get players to want to perform and are willing to do what is needed to reach the next level
- A core group of players who have bought into both the system and the mindset necessary to become a winning franchise. This includes the young leaders on this team Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Owen Daniels, DaMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, and yes Mario Williams.
All Mario has done since being drafted #1 is play his WHOLE rookie year with a foot injury that kept him from practice and required shots to allow him to play. This year you can see the progression that he has made, both from being in the league a year and knowing what is needed to be a success, to the improvement on the field because he has been able to PRACTICE, yes PRACTICE makes all the difference in the world when it comes to any position on the football field. The numbers speak for themselves. For the season so far 13 sacks, 53 Tackles and 2 Forced Fumbles and in the five games since the bye week he has been a monster, 9 Sacks 2 Forced Fumbles 30 Tackles. Add to that the team is 3-2 and at .500 the latest in the season in franchise history.
Finally in closing there are going to be some people who say I am dreaming and am not in my right mind, however I said when Kubiak and Smith were brought in that they needed 3 years and they could have this team in the playoffs. Well here we are at the end of year 2 and not only do the Texans still have a chance at the playoffs but they are doing it with 17 players including half their secondary and offensive line on IR.
So to all those critics of the team, I say to you, it is time to shut up and start looking at this team for what it is, a young, hard working, and good team that is on the edge of being a playoff contender. It is also time to stop calling for Vince and Reggie because it is becoming more obvious that despite their enormous talent they are not Superstars.
December 14th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
bweldon,
If you have your “way back machine” handy, you’ll find that I said, upon drafting Mario Williams that the Texans did it because they felt losing 21-10 was better than losing 35-10, or something to that effect.
However, after watching last night’s game against the hapless Denver Broncos, I had my epiphany, before reading your “fan spanking” post above.
How did this happen? Because I couldn’t see the screen, was involved in a conversation, and had no volume, I saw the Denver Broncos rolling over the Texans without any real opposition. They were being spanked like a wayward stepchild, and it was early in the first quarter.
And, later, I realized the Texans were in the RED jerseys, and they were the ones DOING the spanking.
Finally, they proved themselves to be an NFL team. Any real NFL team should spank a bad team. Until last night, when a spanking was dished out, it was the Texans receiving it.
December 14th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
I gave up on Pro sports years ago and no longer give a S who does what. I refuse to take out a loan to finance season tickets, meals, and drinks for any team.
Now Hockey… Tickets still reasonable, and no rip off once you get there.
I will stick to non pro sports also, although, they are getting a bit commercial too.
December 14th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
What a great game last night! I’ve seen several great games and I’ve seen some stinkers and they looked like two diferent teams at those times. I hated the red uniforms - looks like red flannel underwear! What’s with that? Mario is doing just great, since he has been coming at the quarterback from the other side. Finally, we have a good quarterback and a good backup quarterback (why or why did we keep Carr for so freakin’ long?), it is all coming together. Not to mention Andre Johnson, who has been playing great all year. Is it just me, or are they now playing as a team for once? I used to get so frustrated when they would get down to the goal line and screw up time after time. Lately, they have been coming together, like they have confidence that it can be done. Congrats to the Coach and his staff for the improvements. It makes fans feel better when they can see actual improvement year by year. JMO.
BTW, I truly enjoyed beating New Orleans and putting Reggie in his place! He was truly frustrated that day and Mario showed him who was the better pick for Houston.