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(2:58pm) Texans offense gets the ball back with 7:17 on the clock and are able to take the clock just under the two-minute warning, before getting the 3rd Brown FG of the day to make it 23-10. Saints have no timeouts left and need two TDs to steal the win. Up to this point this is unquestionably the best defensive game I can recall seeing from the Texans. The Saints are a legitimate offense with an above average passing game and the Texans have shut them down.
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(2:50pm) Fred Bennett, Dexter Wynn & Von Hutchins have all had outstanding days. Bennett makes a key 4th down stop, knocking the ball away from Lance Moore. Wynn has been a massive improvement from Faggins and Hutchins has one of the D's 3 three turnovers.
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(2:40pm) Sure is nice when you have a kicker that can routinely blast 53-yarders. Kris Brown gives the Texans a ten-point lead. I said before the game they needed TD's not field goals, but I had no idea they'd keep the Saints to just 10 pts. Too bad there are still 11 minutes left in the game.
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(2:31pm) Texans defense comes up large again. Both Danny Clark and Ryans get into the backfield to hurry Brees. He throws to Eric Johnson, off his hands and for the 2nd time and Greenwood hauls in the teams' 3rd turnover of the day. Now it's the Texans turn to take advantage of the short field and put a touchdown on the board.
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(2:11pm) Both teams go for it on 4th down to open the 2nd half. The Saints do so on 4th and 10, Brees throws behind Colston and DeMeco Ryans breaks it up easily. The Texans had a 4th and 1 and give it to Dayne. For some reason he tip-toes to the line searching for a hole that isn't there. Not surprising with zero forward momentum, he comes up woefully short of the 1 needed yard. Weak. He's got to realize of all people he has got to hit the line hard.
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(1:45pm HALFTIME) Time to give the Texans D some props. They have completely shut down the Saints on the ground. Thirteen rushes for 20 yards in the first half and they forced 3 fumbles and have a pick. Mario picked up his career best 5th sack and has been in on 4 tackles, all at or behind the Saints line of scrimmage. They are playing their best game of the season and it comes without Dunta Robinson (without Petey Faggins also who has not seen a single defensive snap yet). It won't matter if they don't perform similarly in the second half.
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(1:34pm) This is getting old. Kubiak is just plain terrible with clock management. They wasted a timeout on the Saints non-fumble, then Schaub called their last timeout with :37 seconds left and the ball on the Saints 31-yard line. That's when you spike it. Even worse after a completion and spike at the Saints 18-yard line there are 12 seconds remaining in the half. Kubiak elects to kick right there, leaving 8 seconds left. This is getting tired, but he'll have to answer that question again in his postgame presser and at the Monday presser and on his coaches show tomorrow at 5pm on SportsRadio 610. This is his 26th game as a head coach and about 200 others as an active non-playing participant on the sidelines. He has got to improve in that area or when the team is actually playing for something it's going to bite him in the butt.
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(1:25pm) The hits just keep on coming for referee Carey and crew. The Texans are forced to call a timeout to get the referee to rule on another botched fumble call. Mario smacks the ball free and when ND Kalu comes up with the ball after outmuscling Matt Stinchcomb for the football, they award it to Houston. Then Carey corrects himself and says the Saints recovered. An incensed Kubiak calls timeout since it's under two minutes but because of the call on the field the play cannot be reviewed. Texans force a punt anyway. But they get the ball with one less timeout and on their own 39-yard line instead of at the New Orleans 11-yard line
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(1:14pm) Probably about time to mention that Schaub looks extremely sharp today, two completions to open the ensuing drive makes him 9-of-11 for 183 yards and the score. Very, very accurate so far. His 2 incompletions were on a quick slant to Johnson that got knocked away and a deep pass to Davis, who wasn't expecting the ball and was never able to locate it. UPDATE - His next pass went for a beautiful 10-yard TD pass in the back of the endzone in traffic to Joel Dreesen and the Texans lead again, 14-10.
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(1:11pm) Turnovers are killers. The Saints took a short field and turned in their only productive drive of the half. Nice throw in the back of the endzone to Devery Henderson to give the Saints the lead again. It was yet another 3rd down conversion for the Saints, they're 5-for-8. Houston is 0-for-3.
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(1:03pm) I've been calling for anyone other than Ronnie Dayne for weeks, but when the back-ups can't hang on to the football then they can't be out there. After forcing a punt, Adimchinobe Echemandu began the series, on his first carry he fumbled and the Saints recovered.
Also, it looks like the team is being very careful with Andre Johnson. He makes his 2nd catch of the day on Jason David, but they bring him to the sidelines after the play, which resulted in the turnover.
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(12:53pm) It's all about making plays and Von Hutchins just made one. Brees threw a pass that hit Eric Johnson in the hands, but bounced off and Von plucked it out of the air. That's 2 turnovers in 20 minutes. How many more times can I say this - Win the turnover battle = win the game.
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(12:45pm) Mario Williams has been standing up again, lining up as a rush end on either side. From the left side, he (and Morlon Greenwood) pressured Brees and forced a hurried throw and an incompletion. He's also moving around again along the line, which basically means the coaches trust in him more that he has a stronger grasp of the scheme.
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(12:33pm) Carey is one of the NFL's best referee, he and his crew are having a terrible day. For the second time today, there was no immediate call on the field, but several minutes later he pops on his microphone and says the call on the field is a Reggie Bush fumble and Texans recover. Payton is challenging. Did I mention this was on the Texans 1-yard line? Just make a call please. These refs are becoming way to hesitant to make calls on the field. But of course it would work out well for the Texans if they can't overturn - and it doesn't look like there's enough video to change the call. Ruling stands - Texans ball. At the 1!!
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(12:21pm) Welcome back Andre Johnson. He burns, torches, chars Jason David and hauls in a 40 yard pass from Schaub and coasted in for a 73 yard touchdown, He had the 77-yarder against Carolina in Week 2. Schaub still underthrew Johnson a bit, but he was just that wide open. I was mentioned to those around me in the press bow that the Texans gave the ball to Leach, Dayne and Daniels on the first 3 plays - arguably the 3 least talented skill players on offense - that makes no sense.
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(12:05pm) Why is it so hard for Kubiak to emphasize the passing game?? Why would you ever throw to Vonta Leach? They had two weeks to prepare and that was the first play of the game. Stunning. He fumbled, but it went out of bounds. On 3rd and 4, Owen Daniels caught a 4.1 yard pass, then got crunched and fumbled - Saints ball. Great start. 3 plays - 2 fumbles. Officials ruled Daniels fumbled and Saints recovered, Kubes challenges and is now 1-for-7 on challenges as he loses again. Lubiak is giving referee Mike Carey the business
2 comments:
Hey wex when he was arguing with the officials about the non-fumble it looked like one of the other coaches was trying to call timeout and Kubiak pushed him away. Did he not want to call a timeout at that point, or was he just frustrated about the clock?
I'd have to go back and check on that, but we'll ask Kubes after the game today hopefully. If not I'll get him tomorrow at 3:30.
-WEX
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