Tag Archives: Houston Texans
2012 NFL draft: Possible selections for the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans tenth NFL season was the first time they have earned a playoff berth and Houston’s first home NFL playoff game since 1993.
2012 Mock Draft: AFC South edition
The mock draft journey in the NFL lands us in the AFC South today where things took a turn that nobody saw coming. The Indianapolis Colts have dominated the AFC South for a long time but thanks to Peyton Manning’s neck, found themselves almost going 0-16 before turning it around and finishing 2-14. Not only did the Colts finish 2-14, but they also cleaned house as they fired Bill Polian and Head Coach Jim Caldwell. They are now ready to go in a new direction under new General Manager Ryan Grigson and new Head Coach Chuck Pagano, all led by Andrew Luck. The Jacksonville Jaguars had a ok season but they got a new Owner during the season which is leaving some to speculate if they are going to move to Los Angeles. The Tennessee Titans under first year coach Mike Munchak had a pretty good year finishing 9-7 and coming close to a playoff spot. The big winner of it all, the Houston Texans finished 10-6, and not only hosted a playoff game but also won their first playoff game before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round. How can each team look to build or rebuild off last season?
Indianapolis Colts
Round 1, Pick 1: Andrew Luck QB Stanford: The Colts did their best this past season, it sure had to be tough beating the Titans & Texans late in the season but hey they lost to Jacksonville and secured the # 1 pick in the 2012 Draft. Just how ironic is this, last year Peyton Manning advised Luck to stay at Stanford for another year and what do you know, Luck is about to be drafted by the Colts. Luck is the best QB prospect to come out since well, Peyton Manning and no doubt will be replacing Manning as the Colts look to start a new era in Indy. Out of all the times for the Colts to struggle, it just happens when Peyton has neck surgery, maybe Peyton should have advised Luck to stay in school for another year once again.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Round 1, Pick 7: Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois: The Jaguars love drafting defensive lineman, in fact they have drafted defensive lineman every other year in the first round since 2008. So since they took Blaine Gabbert last year, it’s time for another defensive lineman. Whitney Mercilus will be this year’s Aldon Smith and shoot up the draft boards by April. Whitney led the nation in sacks and forced fumbles last season with 16 and had 22.5 tackles for loss, and that will upgrade the Jaguars pass rush and improve the defensive line.
Tennessee Titans
Round 1, Pick 20: Devon Still DT Penn State: Still is currently BPA for the Titans at the moment as they get lucky he falls to them. The Titans haven’t had a real force on their defensive line since Albert Haynesworth. Still ended the season with 55 tackles and 4.5 sacks as he was a true dominant force on Penn State’s defensive line. Standing at 6’5, Still has amazing power and speed to be a true play maker in the NFL and the Titans are lucky he drops to 20 in my mock.
Houston Texans
Round 1, Pick 26: Alshon Jeffery WR South Carolina: There were so many concerns about Jeffery heading into the combine that he was one of the players guaranteed to have a draft night fall. His slide ends at 26 as he gets to go play opposite of Andre Johnson in Houston. Jeffery had a down year compared to his 2010 season but is ready to show teams that he can be a number one receiver in the NFL. The Texans offense gets much better with the pick of Jeffery at the bottom of round one and should make Matt Schaub one happy quarterback.
Sign up for TPF’s Daily Newsletter and enter to win a TPF T-Shirt
Mike Presley is a NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. He is a graduate of the Carolina School of Broadcasting and hosts a weekly NFL show on the schools radio station 89.3 The Storm entitled “The Front Seven.” Mike also writes for the racing website www.hardcoreracefans.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikepresley64.
Related articles
- 2012 Mock Draft: NFC North edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- 2012 Mock Draft: AFC North edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- 2012 Mock Draft: AFC East edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Possible Destinations For Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace has emerged as a rising star for the Pittsburgh Steelers ever since being drafted in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. It seems that he would be the new receiver for Ben Roethlisberger to grow with but things aren’t exactly going the way Pittsburgh wants it to. As if the playoff loss to the Denver Broncos seemed bad, it will only get worse in a couple weeks when there is a real possibility that Pittsburgh could lose Mike Wallace. The Steelers are $11 million over the cap currently and are working hard in trying to get under the cap for the 2012 Season. They do not have cap room to slap the Franchise Tag on Wallace while tendering him will leave him vulnerable to a team willing to give up their first round pick to take Mike Wallace away. Now who would be willing to part with their first round pick to take Mike Wallace away, here are some possible destinations for Mike Wallace.
New England Patriots: If there was any team wanting to give up a first round pick it would be a team with two first round picks at their disposal. The Patriots are one of the few teams who do have two picks in the first round. Wes Welker is a Free Agent and even if they put the Franchise Tag on him, it would only be a one year deal. Mike Wallace meanwhile is young and fast who can contribute to helping the Patriots get back to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers want to upgrade at receiver in free agency and the draft. Why not essentially use the 30th pick in the 2012 Draft on a proven Mike Wallace rather take a chance on a late round receiver. Not only would they have the pick to give up, but the money to give Wallace a long term deal, something the cap tight Steelers can not do. They are $35-40 million under the cap, plenty of room to not only re-sign Alex Smith but give Mike Wallace the money he would be looking for.
Houston Texans: The Texans desperately need to upgrade across from Andre Johnson. Why not use it on speedy Mike Wallace? The Texans offense would be even better than it has ever been with teams having to decide between double covering Andre or Wallace. They would instantly become Super Bowl favorites and once again be a top contender in the AFC.
Denver Broncos: If the Broncos ever want to take my advice on how to build around Tim Tebow, using their first round pick on Mike Wallace would be a good start. With the exception of Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos have nothing at receiver. Tim Tebow, whether you want to admit it or not, is improving as a quarterback and if he is to improve even more, he’ll need the receivers to do so. The Broncos know first hand what Wallace can do when they played the Steelers in the wild card round and would do wonders for Tebow.
Baltimore Ravens: In my AFC North mock, I gave the Ravens Rutgers Wide Receiver Mohamed Sanu with the 29th pick in the 2012 Draft. Like other receiver needy teams in this article, why not use a late round pick on a proven player. Baltimore is probably already enjoying the fact Pittsburgh is over the cap and they will have little room to improve on while Baltimore will have cap room to make improvements. So why not one up Pittsburgh by taking their young star receiver away from them. I know Ray Rice is a free agent but he is likely to be Franchised and Anquan Boldin is 32 and isn’t getting any younger. The combination of Torrey Smith and Mike Wallace would help Joe Flacco out tremendously and since they got over the hump of Pittsburgh last season, adding Mike Wallace may be the ingredient needed to get them over the most important hump and into the Super Bowl.
Sign up for TPF’s Daily Newsletter and enter to win a TPF T-Shirt
Mike Presley is a NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. He is a graduate of the Carolina School of Broadcasting and hosts a weekly NFL show on the schools radio station 89.3 The Storm entitled “The Front Seven.” Mike also writes for the racing website www.hardcoreracefans.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikepresley64.
Peyton Manning: 5 Teams That Should Take a Chance to Win it All
While Peyton Manning’s future continues to be a dominant topic there is no doubt that each NFL team, owner and fan base is taking a look at their current situation and asking themselves could we win with Peyton?
Teams like the Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and even the Tennessee Titans have to be wondering what it would like to have the future Hall of Fame quarterback in a number 18 jersey.
Peyton Manning refuses to retire and because of that the Indianapolis Colts are stuck in a predicament with the number one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
According to Newsday.com Manning stated when asked about retirement, “I have no plans on doing that,” Manning said Tuesday after a promotional appearance. “All the other talk, it is what it is. But my plan hasn’t changed. I’m on track with what the doctors have told me to do. I’m rehabbing hard and I’m enjoying this week.”
Argue all you want, but Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game. With his skills and the book of knowledge he provides, he is invaluable to any organization.
Adam Schefter suggested on ESPN’s The Insiders program that Manning is destined to become the most decorated and high-profile free agent in NFL history, but who are the teams that will trade it all to win the Super Bowl in 2013.
1. Houston Texans
No this isn’t Madden or fantasy football and Houston can’t afford Peyton’s skyrocketing salary, but if Peyton wants to win he might need to look no further than his own division.
A pay cut might be worth a chance at Indianapolis and Jim Irsay twice a year. Not to mention, he also would have wide receiver Andre Johnson and one of the premier defenses in all the NFL.
Houston fans might not like it after watching year after year of Peyton dominating the Texans, but is Matt Schaub or T.J. Yates going to take you to a Super Bowl?
The Texans would dominate a weak division with an excellent run game and Gary Kubiak who has a strong offense mind.
It’s a match made in heaven if Peyton wants to win another Super Bowl.
2. Tennessee Titans
Let’s not forget what Peyton Manning did for the University of Tennessee during his college years.
Sure the Titans would have to part ways with Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker would have to sit on the bench but who better to learn and grow behind than Peyton?
The Titans have a strong offense line that could protect a more fragile Manning and with a healthy Kenny Britt and explosive running game featuring Chris Johnson the offense takes a major step forward.
3. Denver Broncos
Peyton could instantly take the heat off John Elway and “Tebow-Mania.” After all, no one in their right mind would start Tebow over Peyton Manning?
The Broncos wouldn’t need to release Tebow and could still send him in to run every now and then, but Denver would give Peyton something he has never had…defense.
Taking it a step further and signing free agent Reggie Wayne to Denver’s young receiver class would add familiarity and instantly the Broncos become a legitimate force.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Ask anyone in the NFL and they will tell you that almost doesn’t count. Alex Smith may have had his best season as a pro but what about the other six years he struggled?
No one knows what to expect from Smith in 2013, but if Peyton is healthy then we know what to expect and that would instantly make the 49ers the best team in the NFL.
The 49ers might be the sleeper pick for the Manning sweepstakes, but one thing that Manning does well is make average receivers seem or look good.
A stingy defense and a dependable Frank Gore could give him all he needs to win another Super Bowl.
5. Seattle Seahawks
Might not be able to take the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in the first year but an ideal location to play and a weak division would help his chances.
Head coach Pete Carroll would be exactly the type of coach he would flourish under because of his enthusiasm and willingness to listen.
Seattle has some free agents to take care of, notably Marshawn Lynch who would take pressure off Manning, but with over $60 million of free cap space the Seahawks could not only sign Manning they also could work on the defense and make a splash with Mario Williams.
Sign up for TPF’s Daily Newsletter and enter to win a TPF T-Shirt
Click Here to SubscribeRelated articles
- Enough Already: Eli Manning asked Repeatedly About Peyton (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Broncos Columnist Wants Denver to Think Manning (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Peyton Manning has Emotional Meeting with Polian (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Could Jim Irsay’s Antics Cost Indy Andrew Luck? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- CSU’s College Hottie of the Week: Nicole Alexis (College-Sports-University.com)
Questioning Wade Phillips’ Loyalty
On Saturday, the Houston Texans not only hosted their first home playoff game, but also won their first playoff game in Franchise history. The Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 on Saturday and now advance to Baltimore next Sunday to play the Baltimore Ravens. While the Texans are celebrating their first playoff win and game planning for the Ravens, there maybe some questions on where the loyalty of Wade Phillips are. It has come out that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have called the Texans to receive permission to interview Wade Phillips for their Head Coaching vacancy. Now while I find it odd that the Texans would allow Wade Phillips to interview with the Buccaneers, the thing that makes it even more odder is the interview is Friday, two days before the game against the Ravens.
Of course you can blame the Texans for allowing Phillips to do the interview in the first place, but that is where I question Phillips’ loyalty to the Texans team. Why is Phillips going on an interview in the middle of a playoff run? Two days before a game and you’re interviewing down in Tampa while your team is trying to prepare for a big road game. Before the Bengals game, it came out that the Jaguars were interested in Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden but what you heard was that Gruden couldn’t interview until after the playoffs per NFL rules.
Houston is still in the playoffs, so under the rules Wade shouldn’t even be going on this interview regardless Houston granted Tampa permission or not. This is what Phillips had to say about the interview, “I’m gratified somebody noticed,” Phillips told John McLain of the Houston Chronicle. “I don’t want to leave Houston, but I want to be a head coach.”
Wade, right now you shouldn’t be worried about being noticed and becoming a Head Coach, you need to notice the schedule and realize that you play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. You should be focused on building a game plan on stopping Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, not worried about being a Head Coach. You should be preparing your team and getting your team ready in practice, not flying to Tampa. It seems the true colors of Wade Phillips is being shown, only worried about himself and not worried about the Texans playoff run.
Mike Presley is a NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. He is a graduate of the Carolina School of Broadcasting and hosts a weekly NFL show on the schools radio station 89.3 The Storm entitled “The Front Seven.” Mike also writes for the racing website www.hardcoreracefans.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikepresley64.
Related articles
- Questioning Wade Phillips’ Loyalty (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Peyton Hillis Wants to Stay in Cleveland (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- CSU’s College Hottie of the Week: Brooklyn Winn (college-sports-university.com)
- Should the Jets Even Bother? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Titans Holding on to Playoff Hopes, Will Beat Texans
The Tennessee Titans are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs just yet. To even have a fighting chance they must beat the Houston Texans Sunday, and then hope the win’s and losses in the rest of Sunday’s games go their way.
The playoff breakdown that sends Tennessee to the postseason involves at least five games, most of which are scheduled for the afternoon. Not to say it’s going to be miraculous if Tennessee gains a playoff berth, but a little luck wouldn’t be a bad thing.
The Titans have a few advantages heading into Sunday. One, they have the momentum of a win, while Houston is coming off two embarrassing losses to the Carolina Panthers and inferior Indianapolis Colts, who also beat the Titans.
The matchup is slightly lopsided stats wise. Houston has the second best rushing offense in the NFL, and are third in passing defense and fourth in rushing defense. Which is bad news for the Titans, who are ranked twelfth in passing and thirty-first in rushing offense.
Matt Hasselbeck was mediocre in the Titans 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. The aging play-caller was 24-for-40 on passing attempts for 342 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Not horrible against the seventh best passing defense Jaguars, but Hasselbeck will have to step it up a notch against Houston.
Tennessee’s ground game show signs of improvement. Chris Johnson was their biggest handler, rushing for 56 yards on 15 carries, which has been his average yards for the year. Considering he averaged over 100 yards a game last year and ended the 2009 season with over 2,000 rushing yards, this year’s numbers are insufficient for his talent.
The most optimistic factor for the Titans offense was the increasing number of passing targets for Hasselbeck. The big tight end Jared Cook could be one of Tennessee’s best weapons in the future. In the win over Jacksonville, Cook racked up 169 yards on 8 receptions and one touchdown, for not only his best game of the season, but the best game of his three-year NFL career.
Along with Cook, Damian Williams racked up 83 yards on 8 receptions and Nate Washington picked up 71 yards on 4 receptions in the win over the Jaguars. To have a chance at beating one of the best defenses in the league this year, Tennessee and Hasselbeck will need to constantly switch up the offensive schemes, in order to throw-off the Houston defense.
If they take full advantage of all their offensive weapons (much in the same way the Green Bay Packers do), they have a good chance at beating the Texans. In their loss to the Colts last week, Houston allowed 16 passing first downs, and 244 yards of passing offense, a good stat for Tennessee.
Another big key for Tennessee will be shutting down Arian Foster. The University of Tennessee alum has over 3,000 rushing yards this season and in the last two losses put up over 100 yards rushing.
A win against Houston does send the Titans to the playoff’s, but without it they don’t even have a chance after the debilitating loss to the Colts in week 15. A lot relies on how effectively they will be able to use what they have. The talent is there. The experience is there. They can beat the Texan’s and exact retribution for the 41-7 loss in October. It’s all a matter of whether they show up Sunday or not.
Joshua Peacock is a freelance writer and sports journalist based out of Savannah, Georgia. Original from Tennessee, he follows the Tennessee Titans in the AFC and the New Orleans Saints in the AFC. He is also an accomplished playwright, published poet and exuberant musician. He can be contacted at jpeacock@thepenaltyflagblog.com
Related articles
- Tennessee Titans’ Future is Bright (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Locker’s Time Will Have to Wait for the Titans (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Peyton’s Place no More as Yates, Texans Clinch AFC South (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- The Colts Win: Almost Too Good to be True (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Is T.J. Yates the Future in Houston?
The University of North Carolina has always had a great Football program and has produced many NFL players from Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, to current players such as Jeff Saturday and Julius Peppers. UNC continues to produce many great talents as 17 players from UNC have been drafted from 2009-2011, with many more top talents are sure to come in future drafts. Now for as talented of a football program that they are, it seems one position has always eluded UNC in terms of being a high draft pick. For as great of a scouting department they have in bringing in great talent, they seem to have trouble producing NFL starting quarterbacks. Yes, that could be a knock on them and their scouting department for the fact they never have had a quarterback drafted in the first round, and it can say a lot about the other scouting departments at being better at scouting quarterbacks. The more telling fact is that UNC has had trouble producing an NFL starting caliber QB, is the fact that a UNC QB has NEVER started in the National Football League. Yes, that’s right, for as much talent as they have at the school, they never have had a quarterback start in the NFL.
This has to be the most interesting path to becoming a starter. T.J. Yates was invited to the combine, but not to show teams what he could do, he was invited to throw to defensive backs on the last day of the combine. He didn’t hear his name until the fifth round of the 2011 Draft where he was selected by the Houston Texans. Being a fifth round pick, and being the third stringer on a team with a quarterback in place wasn’t going to help UNC have a quarterback start in the NFL for the first time. Then injuries to both Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart propelled Yates into the starting job and gave UNC their first quarterback to ever start in the NFL. Now Yates has done a pretty good job as he has thrown for 558 yards and three touchdowns. Oh did I mention that he has helped keep the Texans on track for the playoffs by clinching their first ever AFC South crown and he can also help them potentially get a first round bye, host a playoff game and be the Top Seed in the AFC.
T.J Yates has gone from combine arm to third string quarterback to soon to be playoff starter. This is going to give UNC much more to brag about as not only do they finally have a quarterback starting in the NFL, but they also have a starting QB who has the chance to win some post season games.
From there, what does the future hold for Yates? Matt Schaub will be 31 next season and that is still pretty young so don’t expect anything to change regardless of what Yates does the rest of the season or in the playoffs. Being 31, it is likely that Schaub plays a couple more years and Yates could be groomed to be the franchise quarterback for the Houston Texans in the near future.
Mike Presley is a NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. He is a graduate of the Carolina School of Broadcasting and hosts a weekly NFL show on the schools radio station 89.3 The Storm entitled “The Front Seven.” Mike also writes for the racing website www.hardcoreracefans.com.
Related articles
- Houston Texans: Who is T.J. Yates? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Peyton’s Place no More as Yates, Texans Clinch AFC South (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Matt Leinart’s Injury Ends Texans Playoff Hopes (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- CSU Hottie of the Week: Laurie Fine (Photos) (college-sports-university.com)
- TPF’s Hottie of the Week: Olivia Wilde (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Peyton’s Place no More as Yates, Texans Clinch AFC South
In their nine-year franchise history the Houston Texans have never participated in an NFL postseason. Whether it was the shortcomings of their teams or the fact that they play in a division that is headlined by Peyton Manning, for some reason or another the Texans continuously fell short. Since the Texans inauguration, Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have won seven consecutive AFC South Championships dating back to 2003. That all changed on Sunday afternoon.
The Texans kept pace for a possible first round bye as they improved their AFC leading record to 10-3 on Sunday with a 20-19 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. T.J. Yates completed 27 of 44 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans rallied late to get the win. With time running out in the fourth quarter Yates, a rookie, led the Texans on an 80 yard drive down the field knotting the game at 19 on a six yard touchdown pass by WR Kevin Walter. The extra point gave the Texans the lead with two seconds remaining.
For Yates and the Texans the win was half of the equation necessary for the Texans to clinch the AFC South in Week 14. The other half would come as the Tennessee Titans fell at home to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. And just like that, for the first time in seven years, someone other than the Colts was crowned division champs.
Going forward, Texans’ fans have to wonder how their team will fair for the rest of the season and in the playoffs with Yates under center. Could the Texans indeed get that coveted first round bye? Can they actually make a Super Bowl run with a rookie quarterback? Those questions are still to be answered but one thing is for sure. Yates is playing with the poise and confidence of a veteran quarterback. As long as he continues that type of play, given the team’s ability to run and play defense, the Houston Texans are going to be just fine.
Aaron Moon is the CEO and a Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. An active duty Navy Chief and avid writer, Aaron is a lifelong Bears’ fan who writes about his team from a critics’ point of view. You can contact Aaron on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @DA_Bear_Truth. Contact Aaron directly by emailing him at amoon@thepenaltyflagblog.com.
Related articles
- Houston Texans: Who is T.J. Yates? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Matt Leinart’s Injury Ends Texans Playoff Hopes (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- TPF’s Hottie of the Week: Alyssa Milano (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Boeheim Apologetic After Syracuse Edges Florida (college-sports-university.com)
Fantasy Football Week 13: 3 Players Not to Pick Up
The time has come with five weeks left in the NFL season to prepare your fantasy rosters for what could be the final push before your fantasy football playoffs. Deciding who will fill out the remaining spots in your roster could either leave you sitting pretty or sitting on the sidelines. While many will give advice of who to pick up this week here are three players not to pick up that could leave you out of the playoffs.
1. Philadelphia Eagles, WR Jason Avant
Don’t get excited…Avant was the Eagles top receiver Sunday, but it took Vince Young a career high 48 pass attempts and 400 yards of offense for him to achieve those numbers. Let’s also not forget he was also going up against a Patriots secondary which ranks in the bottom of the league. As Michael Vick, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson return his value only declines more.
During a playoff push you need someone who is going to be consistent and when you enter him into your lineup will produce. Jason Avant is not that guy.
2. Buffalo Bills, RB C.J. Spiller
Despite everyone screaming at you to hurry and pick up Buffalo’s starting running back, hold your horses. Just because he is a starting back doesn’t mean that he is going to give you production to your starting lineup. Look, C.J. Spiller is not your answer to losing Fred Jackson. The guy was 40% of the Buffalo Bills offense. The main difference between Spiller and Jackson is C.J. looks to always run and bounce the ball outside while Freddy Jackson grinds it up the gut and wears you down. Spiller might be a home run hitter but right now there is no consistency or value.
3. Houston Texans, QB T.J. Yates
Don’t do it. Just because he is the starting quarterback and has a receiver like Andre Johnson in his arsenal doesn’t mean he will put up god-like numbers. Even though Yates put in a solid performance while Matt Leinart went out he is not an answer to Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub or Michael Vick going down. He may have a few good weeks but there will be road bumps along the way. Think of Yates value like a Tim Tebow without the rushing touchdowns to spike up his numbers. The Texans will heavily rely on the run and take the game out of his hands. Look for Carson Palmer who is still available in a number of leagues if you are desperate.
Related articles
- C.J. Spiller Needs to Show His Worth for Bills (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Houston Texans: Who is T.J. Yates? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- An Open Letter to Ralph Wilson Regarding Fred Jackson (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- The Real (LeSean) McCoy (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Houston Texans: Who is T.J. Yates?
It was a devastating blow for the Houston Texans when they lost Matt Schaub for the season. The Texans finally had everything going for them and didn’t have to worry about Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts winning the division. The Texans turned to Matt Leinart, but with one play his season ended and rookie T.J. Yates is now the face of the team and the foreseeable future.
T.J. Yates a former North Carolina Tar Heel quarterback who holds the UNC school records for total career passing yards, single-season passing yards and single-season total offense.
Yates started 44 games for the Tar Heel’s, including 29 consecutive. He was not a highly recruited quarterback but drew interest from Carolina’s coaches who were in Georgia in 2006 to watch a player of the opposing team. Yates impressed the scouts and was offered a scholarship, which he accepted before visiting the campus. He also turned down numerous basketball scholarships to play football in Chapel Hill.
The Houston Texans selected T.J. with the 152nd pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft and no one thought he would be seeing his first game action in a November playoff run.
Gary Kubiak stands behind his rookie, “He just plays the game fast,” the Texans coach said. “He’s shown me all of the characteristics you want to see in this league. He can move. He has a good arm. But the bottom line is this is the first reps the kid’s gotten. He can only get better and I know the team will do everything they can to rally behind him.”
The Texans don’t have a choice.
If Houston plans on making the playoffs they must rely on the rookie after missing out on Kyle Orton who was released by the Denver Broncos and signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. There aren’t many options out there including the asinine Brett Favre rumors.
Yates will be helped by a top-ranked defense and a potent running game that should take some pressure off the rookie.
No matter, the new starting quarterback of the Texans has thrown a total of 15 passes in the NFL and now has two tough opponents in front of him as the Texans welcome the Atlanta Falcons and then travel to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team stands behind him and after a solid performance replacing Matt Leinart, why not?
“We all saw what T.J. did right before the half,” outside linebacker Connor Barwin said. “He can throw the ball around a little bit. Give him another week to prepare and I think we all feel confident about him.”
GB Bongiovanni is a syndicated sports writer and owner of The Penalty Flag Sports Blog and can be contacted at GBongiovanni@journalist.com and found on Facebook and Twitter @GBBongiovanni
Related articles
- Matt Leinart’s Injury Ends Texans Playoff Hopes (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Remember the Titans: Is Tennessee Primed for a Playoff Run? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Jeff Garcia among quarterbacks working out for Texans (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
