With the Texans training camp starting today, the HoustonTexans.com website has been doing a series of articles about various position battles: tight ends, running backs, receivers, defensive backs and linebackers so far. When an official website says statements like "the defensive backfield struggled at times last season," that is usually when your Extreme Understatement Alarm should go off. (The E.U.A. should not be confused with your BS Detector though they are related and located in the same region of your brain).Basically, the Texans have stayed fairly pat with their defensive backs and safeties. They added fourth round draft pick Fred Bennett at corner and fifth round pick Brandon Harrison at safety. The Texans continue to employ Jon Hoke as the Defensive Backs Coach, one of the few coaches who has been with the franchise since its beginning.
If you don't add high round picks, and you don't change coaches, then how do you expect improvement with the same group of guys? The Texans article on defensive backs has the answer for you:
"2007 will be at least the third consecutive season with the Texans for all four projected starters in the secondary. That continuity should lead to improvements over last season, when the Texans finished 22nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed and tied for 28th in the league in interceptions with 11."
It goes on to say that an improved pass rush should lead to better secondary play too.
I understand what they are saying, but I am guessing they should understand why that's not terribly comforting to Texans fans who watched last year's Redskins or Buffalo game, for example. If you are not afraid of some more Debbie Downer, check out Matt's entry at DGDB&D a while back about Dunta Robinson. Is there anything you'd like to add to this discussion? Interesting comments of both the hopeful and hopeless variety are welcomed.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-23-2007 @ 4:52PM
tdbrought said...
I do think this secondary is the worst part of our team, and probably the worst in football as of right now. I also think our front seven will help our secondary look better by forcing offenses into obvious passing situations and by shutting down the running game. Basically I'm hoping we can overcome our glaring holes here with improved play everywhere else. Call me naive. I admit I am hoping and not expecting this to necessarily happen.
I see our safety issue as having to SS and no FS. I think Brendan Harrison is being groomed as our next FS. Word is he's very smart, and should be along with Dunta our backfield lieutenants (following general DeMeco's orders of course).
Here's a theoretical reworking in our defensive backfield (if Harrison is a bust) I think might work long term, though I know it's totally unrealistic right now. Move Dunta to free safety. He's a little small, but I really see him being more of a hold back and hit defender than a stick like glue CB when I watch him play. I know CB's are like priceless diamonds in the NFL, and that we are already hopelessly shallow at the position, but a huge FA signing like Samuel combined with either Bennett working out or a 1st round pick next year might allow such a move, and from how I see Dunta play I really think he'd thrive in such a role, where he can sit back and follow the play, then lay a lights out hit a la Polamalu/Reed. Regardless, I think we need a better than average CB alongside Dunta, rather than the awful supporting cast we're currently forced to play.
Reply
7-23-2007 @ 6:27PM
Carlos said...
I was there at that buffalo game - I was like are you kidding - I was hoping for offensive pass interference on the final play of the game - when they scored the winning touchdown lol
Reply
7-23-2007 @ 6:02PM
patrick said...
i hate reading articles from the texans website. because during the off season after the 2004 7-9 season the texans website pumped me all up. then of course the next season happened. so now when i read texans info yours and dgdb&d come first while houstontexans.com comes last
Reply