Week 1 – Texans At Chargers: My Thoughts

Geeee….! For all those that stayed up for the game last night (like myself), we are probably feeling a bit tired right now but boy was it worth it! After going down 28-7 early in the second half, the Texans scored 24 unanswered points, including a game-winning 42-yard FG by Randy Bullock.

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What I Liked

For about 35 minutes of gameplay, this section was going to stay empty, but that’s why you play the whole 60 minutes.

• J.J. Watt – Though his stats were not sexy, he played a great game. Missed a big 4th and 1 stop in the first half, but was a force on the d-line, and had a big tipped pass on 3rd down to get the defense off the field.
• Johnathan Joseph – Played pretty well throughout the night. Was on Malcolm Floyd tight on his 47-yard catch, but Floyd made a great catch.
• Brian Cushing – Looked rusty early on, but made an incredible diving interception and returned it for 6 to tie the game.
• Joe Mays – Sure tackler, played well when in the game.
• Matt Schaub – This is the Matt Schaub that Texans fans wanted to see. Made great throws throughout the night. He missed a few open targets here and there, and forced himself to give up the ball a bit early sometimes, but he made some big time throws and kept the offense moving throughout the second half.
• Andre Johnson – 12 receptions for 146 yards. Need I say more?
• Ben Tate – While Foster looked a bit rusty, Tate provided a nice spark for the running game. Foster’s carries will likely go up, but Tate should continue to be involved in the running game.
• Right side of the offensive line – Though the left side is considered the better side, the Texans were able to run successfully to the right side throughout the night.
• Shane Lechler – Difference maker at the punter position. Love it!
• 2nd Half Luck – Few penalties called, big SD penalty on FG attempt.

What I Didn’t Like

• Duane Brown – Got destroyed by Dwight Freeney throughout the night. Freeney has always had success against Brown, but never to the extent of total domination like last night.
• Keshawn Martin – A few dropped returns, and not much success.
• Pass rush – Pretty much non-existent throughout the night. Mercilus and Manning each had a sack, Watt got some nice push at times, but otherwise Rivers had a lot of time to throw.
• Brice McCain – Was beat on big plays throughout the night. Lucky that Royal dropped a key 3rd down pass.
• First Half – Pathetic play all the way around
• Officiating – Certainly some interesting replay calls and missed calls. Missed key false start on 3rd down play.
• First Half Luck – Tipped pass picked off on first play. Penalties. Reviews going wrong way. Nothing working early.

Interesting Notes Via Twitter

The Turning Point

So many different turning points that it’s hard to just choose one. Once the game was at 28-7, lots of things went the Texans way. Schaub’s big throw to Andre Johnson on 3rd-and-18 was huge. Cam Thomas‘ penalty for “attacking” Jon Weeks on a FG was huge. DeAndre Hopkins diving catch on 3rd down was huge. But I think it has to go to Brian Cushing’s pick-6. The Texans were down just 7 at the time with about 9 minutes to go and they had all the momentum. If Cushing doesn’t make the pick it’s possible the Texans still come out with the victory, but Cushing’s pick-6 tied up the game and gave the Texans the best chance to win.

Final Thoughts

What could have been a very disappointing night, turned out to be a lot of fun (at least for Texans fans). Though the Texans looked rusty and flat in the first half, they turned it around big time in the second half, showing the nation that they are capable of making these types of comebacks. There are still things to worry about however. The pass rush needs to improve in the future. Philip Rivers is a good quarterback but the Texans will be playing better ones, especially in the postseason. Allowing quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady that much time will kill the Texans. I expect the Texans to improve all across the board as man of the Texans key players are either injured or didn’t play many (if any) snaps in the preseason.

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