Wow, so there is a sense of "want it" boiling in the cauldron of the Texans. Good for them. After the Jets debacle Texans fans everywhere questioned whether or not this team had the constitution necessary to be a winner. The answer, it appears, is yes. What they still lack is coaching ability, and talent at key positions.
Look aside all of the Texans cheerleading in the media this week and there are still huge questions that the Texans are going to have to answer. More of that as we hand out grades:
Quarterback: A-
Schaub had a career high in touchdowns and showed a spine by standing up in the face of the Titan's rush. He had a good, albeit not perfect, game. While an A+ (John McClain's grade) would ignore his early game struggles and missed reads it's not too much to say that this was Schaub's best game as a Texan.
Running Back: D-
Not only were the running stats anemic (63 yards on 22 carries) but their blitz pick-ups were spotty as well. Granted, some of this is on the O-line, but the running game needs to improve.
Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: B
Good game by Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and Jacoby Jones. David Anderson gets marks for providing the team with a much needed spark (and for taking on Vanden Bosch) but too many dropped passes prevent this group from getting an A.
Offensive Line: C+
Still can't figure out how to open holes for the running game. Did a better job with pass protection but Schaub was under a lot of pressure. High marks for rebounding from the Chester Pitts injury however.
Defensive Line: D
The Texans pass rush is non-existent. For most of the game Collins could have built a campfire and made s'mores for all the time he had. Run defense is a problem.
Linebackers: C+
The best part of a Texan's defense that is leaking oil. Cushing and Ryans were everywhere, unless Chris Johnson was outrunning them. To be fair though that will happen to a lot of people.
Defensive backfield: D+
Dunta Robinson was terrible early, and then the Titans stopped throwing his way which suggests his coverage improved. Bryce McCain shouldn't be on an NFL roster, and the busted coverage on the Chris Johnson waltz-in for the touchdown was inexcusable. Add to that the fact that the DB's seem to have no concept of proper pursuit angles for run defense, and you have the makings of some high-scoring games this season.
Coaching: D-
Once again the Texans came out flat, unprepared and faced an uphill battle. Does anyone know what Gary Kubiak was doing when Johnson went uncovered? Nose in the playbook not paying attention to the game? A real head coach would have seen that and had the presence of mind to turn to the sideline official and say "Time out". It's a testament to the new found heart of the Texans players that they won this game, not to the intelligence of the coaching staff.
Notes:
I was sad to see Chester Pitts go down with a knee injury in the 3rd quarter. Here's a guy who's been with the Texans since day one and has not missed a game due to injury. Good guy, good DL, and here's wishing him a speedy recovery.
Before you get too excited remember this: Most of the people making their season picks had the Texans winning vs. the Jets and losing this game. All this win does is get the Texans back on schedule. 9-7 is a reality again.
If there is anything sillier than Vanden Bosch and his red contact lenses I can't think of it right now. It was fitting that David Anderson was pushing him around by the end of the game.
The Titans defense is really missing Alert Haynsworth. I'll bet they wish they had that free agent decision back.
