Legal Commentary

2009 Weekly local football review

By Tom Kirkendall

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson photo; previous weekly reviews for this season are here).

Texans 16 Rams 13

It is a reflection of the Texans (7-7) endearing mediocrity that they can out-gain the Rams (1-13) by almost 200 yards and struggle to win by a field goal.

Now the Rams have been playing reasonably well over the past month and a half (only one blow-out loss during that span), but come on. They are still the Rams.

Although most sports talk hosts and fans think the Texans are underachieving, my sense is that their record is an accurate measure of their ability at this point in time.

For a variety of reasons, the Texans do not run the ball well. They do spray the ball reasonably well in the passing game, but they lost their second-most explosive receiver (Owen Daniels) to injury several games ago.

The defense has improved steadily during the season, but the lack of a consistent pass rush still puts too much pressure on the secondary, which is the weak link in the unit. The fact that 2007 first-round draft choice DT Amobi Okoye is doing a good imitation of former first-round DT bust Travis Johnson isn't helping matters on the defensive line.

Finally, kicker Kris Brown has been so inconsistent that he looks as if he has all the confidence of a professional golfer undergoing a swing change in an effort to save his career.

Thus, with two games to go (the Dolphins at Miami and home against the Patriots), the Texans still have a chance to register the best record of their tortured eight-season existence. As a team, the Texans don't seem to play with much confidence, which is probably attributable in good part to the overall youth of the team.

But the reality is that the Texans continue to improve. Just not as fast as their followers prefer.

The issue that Texans owner Bob McNair has to resolve is whether it is more likely that such improvement will continue under Gary Kubiak? Or is it more likely to continue under another head coach?

The answer is not clear.

Full post as published by Houston's Clear Thinkers on December 21, 2009 (boomark / email).