Drop the Ball by Flickr user rkimplejr used via a creative commons license.So Saturday was bad, real bad. Not only did the Texans seemingly lose the fight during the scrimmage, but their defensive reputation was the real loser in Saturday's 38-14 drubbing by the New Orleans Saints. A drubbing that I believe will be very telling regarding the Texans 2009-2010 season.
- The Defensive backfield: Let's just be honest here: They're not that good. Slow to react and unsure of themselves on the field the DB's for the Texans would not be on the roster for almost any other NFL team. (We exclude the Lions, although they probably wouldn't start.) This is a bigger problem than can be solved by the return of Dunta Robinson. It's a roster issue across the board in the defensive backfield that's not going away anytime soon. Especially when you consider....
- The Defensive line: That's right. Unless they do something in free agency the Texans are going to have to do something in the draft to shore up defensive tackle. Okoye gets pushed around more than a shopping cart on Saturday, and Travis Johnson is one step away from being out of the league entirely. Bust after Bust after Bust.
- Cushing's knee: What was originally listed as a 2-3 week thing is now offically listed as "out indefinately". Way to draft the wrong USC LB there Texans. How long before the sports section over at the Chron owns up to the fact that this guy is a walking triage?
I've got some confidence that the Offense is going to be average at least, above-average if everything falls correctly. Kris Brown's stats will tell you the health of Chris Brown, the latter is going to be a good barometer as to the overall health of the offense. If CB goes down, then KB becomes the team's MVP for yet another year. And Andre Johnson faces down the reality of missing the playoffs yet again.