It's Not Going to Get Better Until......

[3andOUT]

This team has looked pedestrian for 3 weeks now and it's not going to get any better until we can show that we can battle in the trenches.

Our O-Line got manhandled and pushed around up front, and we couldn't generate any kind of steady offense.

Same for the D-Line, they got straight-up blown off of the ball--bottom line.

You can bring in Michael Turner, Asante Samuel, and draft safeties and running backs all you want but nothing is going to change until we can get it done at the point of attack. They got pushed around yesterday and I'm worried about next week because if you've actually seen the Titans play this year, they have an incredible D-Line. Their front seven have been the difference in every game they've won so far this year.

[outofhnd]

Looks like another adventure in the trenches for ephraim salaam, and the rest of the lost boys or the O line as you call them.

[sleepwalker]

The Charles Spencer issue really hurts. Kind of reminds me of the Boscelli deal. I also had no idea how bad our running game would suffer after losing McKinney.

The mediocrity top to bottom is depressing isn't it?

[3andOUT]

The Charles Spencer issue really hurts. Kind of reminds me of the Boscelli deal. I also had no idea how bad our running game would suffer after losing McKinney.

The mediocrity top to bottom is depressing isn't it?

Yep, I think alot of people are blaming the backs and not realizing how important and what an assett McKinney was to the run game.

If we ever establish a solid run game to go with our pass game we will put up crazy points

[3andOUT]

man if its only one guy then its the back who isnt good...it cant be ONE OLINEMEN...there is 5 on a line....so its either the whole oline or the one rb....

Again wrong. There are 5 offensive linemen and 1 back, but losing one guy who is a solid run blocker (at the center position, which is the most important line position in the straight-ahead run game) and replacing him with a poor run blocker is going to make a difference. If what you say is true, then it doesn't matter who they have on the line because there are 5 of them. That's not the case.

Just look at the first two weeks, we ran the ball well. Since McKinney's injury, we haven't run the ball. Granted Ahman was out, but yesterday should tell you that Ahman is not the problem

[outofhnd]

Yea Andre but if one man cant sustain block the other 2 on either has to slide to compentsate when they do that then tackles then too have to slide to help chip the guards man while they help with a chip on the centers man. thereby making the whole line suffer.

[outofhnd]

I see it but we havent had a 100 yard rusher because we took it out of Ahmans hands in the first 2 games and subbed in Dayne. The 100 yard rusher is going the way of the dinosaur. the 2 70-80 yard running backs by committee is the wave of the future.

[outofhnd]

Even Adrian Peterson and all his yards didnt get the bulk of the carries in the running game.
Heck he is the change of pace for Chester Taylor..

[ccfan]

....until we learn to TACKLE!! This is where Dunta Robinson placed blame this morning on his radio show segment On Houston "buzz" radio station and I could not agree more. Yes, the front line was relatively dominated but there was still plenty of plays made over 10 yards. How many times did I see first and second hits on a running backs happen without results?!! Arm tackles and hits above the waist, too many! Yesterday was about poor execution in the red zone and crappy tackling. If we cant stop a team on third down at least half the time in this league, you wont see many wins. I also saw a lot of plays when defensive players were blocked or moved way out of their lanes/positions so when the running back got past the front line he had ten yards in front of him before a single Jaguars jersey was there to hit him. A real train wreck!! Jacksonville played harder that we did and we played sloppy ball yesterday primarily on defense. This multi million dollar defensive line we have young or not
needs to take this loss on their shoulders. If I was head coach this week it would be time to slap both O & D lines around a little and demand that these guys find some heart. We better find it before Sunday or we will find ourselves in a deep hole in our division. I believe we are good enough to still be in it by the half way point if we can do better on 3rd downs even when the offense might not be running on all cylinders.

[outofhnd]

You try hanging out there for what amounted to a 35 play drive right before halftime. They were gassed. plus the offense never sustained a drive

[schaubisgod]

Look, we can argue about O-line and Running backs all day long, but in the end if we just would have given David Carr one more year I think he would have turned it around we would have gone 14-2 this season. Why can't you people see that.

Oh good god. I thought that the Carr lovers had finally died off after the first two games of the season. David Carr was a pansy who couldn't avoid the sack (regardless of how good his protection was) and only managed to throw for such a good completion percentage because he rarely threw the ball more than 3 yards down the field. He had absolutely no leadership skills and brought nothing to the QB position besides glam. To sum things up, Carr was a first round draft bust who couldn't get his head out of his daydreams long enough to lead a football team. He reminds me a lot of Jeff George, only with less arm strength and more hair.

[JO Texan]

Oh good god. I thought that the Carr lovers had finally died off after the first two games of the season. David Carr was a pansy who couldn't avoid the sack (regardless of how good his protection was) and only managed to throw for such a good completion percentage because he rarely threw the ball more than 3 yards down the field. He had absolutely no leadership skills and brought nothing to the QB position besides glam. To sum things up, Carr was a first round draft bust who couldn't get his head out of his daydreams long enough to lead a football team. He reminds me a lot of Jeff George, only with less arm strength and more hair.


Couldn't have said this any better. Carr was a complete wreck and still is in Carolina. When he has played its been the same old crap. Running around like a chicken with his head cut off and sacking himself for a loss. Please let DC rest in peace and never mention him in the Houston line up again. It makes me have bad flash backs!!! :eek:

[HydrOshocK]

ok still we have one 80 yd guy and one 20 yd guy...still i say its the backs not the oline as much

I'll agree that our back up RBs have been severely lacking but Ahman was productive when healthy. Unfortunately we got behind again last week and abandoned the running game and didn't give him a chance to get going. I hope that changes this week, but the Titans have a very stout run D so I suspect our struggles will continue. I'd like to see more screens and draws this week.

In the games that we have not been able to run the ball well one thing has stood out...there have been very few lanes to run through up the middle, as opposed to only a few times that I've seen one of our backs have space to work with and not gain positive yards. Maybe that can be attributed to McKinney being out but I suspect the entire O-line can do a better job sustaining blocks and opening holes, then it's up to our backs to capitalize. Overall a better effort is needed all the way around IMO

[Texas Bull]

Unfortunately we got behind again last week and abandoned the running game and didn't give him a chance to get going.

I agree. I am by no means saying our running game is good, but we were doing alright at first, til we got behind and started throwing.

[GT]

Ahman was doing good because he knows how to find a hole to run thru.Dayne can not find the hole, on several occasions, if he would've took 1 step left or right he would've had big gains.Dayne does not have good periphial vision.Instead Dayne tries to run right behind his lineman instead of peeling off when an opening appears.That is the diferrence between Ahman & Green.

[ROUGHNECKS]

This team needs a year or two of playing together to improve and then we will battle for the playoffs that said the o-line is the same as last year for the most part and should be better. After the first two weeks everybody love the line saying things like see it was Carr not the line and no I am not a Carr fan I thought he needed go but he should have to a few of his lineman with him if this year does not show the brass that they need to upgrade the o-line than nothing will. We have the pieces except on the o-line so memo to the front office:

WE NEED TO UPGRADE THE O-LINE WITH FREE AGENTS IF WE WANT TO WIN NEXT YEAR JUST WATCH THE FILM AND YOU WILL SEE IT.

SIGN, FAN WITH EYES