The Texans are who we thought they were, but they need to be better than that

October 12, 1:56 AMHouston Sports ExaminerFred Faour

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Houston Sports Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Andre Johnson and the Texans were just short. Again. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Listen to Fred Faour  on the Blitz from 1-3 p.m. Central on ESPN 97.5 in Houston Monday through Friday. Catch the stream at 975theticket.com

------------------------------.

First off, let's clear up a misconception.

The Texans are not two yards away from being 4-1. They are two yards away from forcing overtime twice. In the Jacksonville loss, there was still over a minute remaining, and the Texans defense had not stopped the Jags all day.

Against the Cardinals, the Texans still would have needed a coin flip.

So the Texans are two yards away from being 2-3, which they are. Or 3-2. In a perfect world, 4-1. But since they could have easily lost at Tennessee, they could also be 1-4. So let's drop the fantasyland comments. This is the NFL. Games are tight. Every team could say that.

With that in mind, the practical points of the Texans 28-21 loss to Arizona on Sunday are this:

1) In the immortal words of Dennis Green, the Texans are who we thought they were. An 8-8 team with a chance to be better with a couple key wins.

2) There were positives. The defense made some halftime adjustments that shut down the Cardinals after playing soft in the first half. Third down defense, a bugaboo all year, was terrific, holding the Cardinals to just 2 of 9 in that key stat. The defense did was it was supposed to do -- put the offense in position to win the game.

3) The Texans showed they can come from behind and put themselves in position to win.

You would like to say that goal line stand was where the game was decided. But it was just as  easily decided when the Texans failed to score in the red zone earlier on fourth down. Or when Matt Schaub made an ill-advised pass that was picked and taken the other way after the Texans fought back to tie the game at 21.

Or when Kris Brown had a field goal blocked. If the Texans are up 24-21, maybe the pick six never happens.

The playcalling in the red zone continues to be abysmal. Going 3 for 5 will not cut it in this league. And the much talked about fourth down play call was terrible. The defense was stacked inside, waiting for that play specifically. Had they faked inside and tossed the ball to the outside, Chris Brown would have walked in.

Yes, the Texans are close to becoming a good team. But  they are not there yet.

If, if, if. That's what the Texans are reduced to again.

They are not a bad team. But they aren't good yet, either. They are not two yards away from being 4-1. They are, however, 2-3, exactly what they should be. They outplayed the Cardinals in all three phases of the game and won the war everywhere except where it matters most  -- on the scoreboard. They should be above moral victories at this point. Until they get there, and drop the "two yards" falsities, this is all they will ever be.

Right now, they are who we thought they were. There is still ample opportunity to be better than that.