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Skinny
08-05-2008, 01:14 PM
Texans will run the ball well, Denver…not so much. (http://mvn.com/nfl-texans/2008/08/05/texans-will-run-the-ball-well-denvernot-so-much/)


Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan is a made man. Of course, back-to-back Super Bowl wins with a team generally lends itself to a bit of job security. But how much longer will it hold up? After finishing last season with his first losing record in the past 9 years, should Denver’s ball coach really be worried?

Maybe.

Before you Denver fans grab the pitch-forks and come flood my post with excuses about last season, save your breath. I know. Cutler was sick (and I feel for the dude, seriously). Your running back went Ricky Williams on you. I know all this.

I pose the theory that Shanahan could someday find himself in the hotseat based on the fact that he’s continuing to implement an offensive gameplan that, well, he’s obviously not that good at running.

Let’s face it: the days of the mighty Denver rushing attack could be over.

Since Gary Kubiak left for Houston in 2005, the team’s rushing attack has steadily declined. The Broncos failed to gain over 2000 rushing yards last year for the first time since 2001, . This year they begin the season with second-year man Selvin Young starting and Andre Hall as his backup (at the moment; it isShanahan’s depth chart we’re talking about now). I watched Selvin last year and throughout college, and I’m just not buying into him being the next Clinton Portis. Take that into consideration and you could very well see another down turn in rushing production from the Broncos this season. Thanks to the NCES’ Kids Zone’s nifty graph creator, we can get a visual of the drop off in the Bronco’s rushing attack.

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans look poised for a breakout year on the ground. Kubiak has once again stocked up on running backs just as he used to in Denver, and all signs point to at least one of them making a huge impact on the ground for the Texans.

I’m a homer, I’ll admit. Skepticism is understandable when I say things like that, but the Texans are deeper than ever before in the backfield (injuries permitting), and they’ll be running behind the best offensive line the Texans have ever put on a field, hands down. And then there’s that Gibbs guy. I’ve heard good things.

Now I’m not saying that Denver is going to be terrible next season. You’ve got a re-energized young stud at QB with Cutler. You’ve got an extremely talented WR with Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler was a nice surprise as well. They have the tools to continue to produce on offense, but it’s evolved into a more pass-emphasized style. The line isn’t what it once was, and the talent in the backfield leaves something to be desired. I just don’t see the rushing attack returning to form any time soon.

This is a bold statement, considering that Denver has the opportunity to make me look stupid Saturday night when they take on the Texans. It’ll be interesting to see if Denver’s once vaunted rushing attack comes from the sideline opposite their own. If that turns out to be the case, Shanahan had better stop playing musical runningbacks or he could be playing his own game: musical coaching positions.*

*Speculation. Everyone knows Shanahan will never be run out of Denver. He will coach there until he dies, and then his body will be entombed like Vladimir Lenin in the foyer of Mile High Stadium.

LRtagger
08-05-2008, 02:21 PM
The Texans leading rusher last year was Ron Dayne with 773 yards. Their #2 runner was an undrafted rookie from ND. I would hardly consider either "the next Clinton Portis"...or any other guy on their roster for that matter...and they did not amass more than the writer's coveted 2000 yards as a team mark.

33 Mike Bell
22 Chris Brown
30 Ahman Green
20 Steve Slaton
27 Chris Taylor
37 Darius Walker

I feel more confident in our RB depth than I would were I a Texan fan. Of course I would feel even more confident were Gibbs and Kubes both on our sideline, but I wouldn't write off Denver's running game for that reason alone.

The guy mentions Cutler and Henry from last year, but the main thing that contributed to our running game last year was our OL injuries and inconsistancies. We should be much better in that respect this season.

Not to mention most of last year (and the year before) we were playing from behind in the second half and had to throw more (because our defense was terrible). I look forward to watching our rushing offense this year. So far our guys have looked outstanding in camp.

I am still confident we could plug almost any guy on the roster in at tailback and have him run for 1000+ yards.

And if we do end up being that bad, we just draft Moreno next year :)

PatricktheDookie
08-05-2008, 03:12 PM
As someone who lives in Houston, I can tell you that Denver's running back situation is better than the Texans'. That's less a compliment to Denver as it is a lack of confidence in Houston's roster.

turftoad
08-05-2008, 03:14 PM
As someone who lives in Houston, I can tell you that Denver's running back situation is better than the Texans'. That's less a compliment to Denver as it is a lack of confidence in Houston's roster.

Well, the guy did admit to being a homer.

silkamilkamonico
08-05-2008, 03:42 PM
I like that.

Pass oriented offense.

I wouldn't mind Denver throwing the ball 35+ times a game in a ball control offense.

elsid13
08-05-2008, 04:02 PM
Denver going to run the ball no matter what. Denver rushed for 1957 last year, it wasn't like they that far off from 2000.

topscribe
08-05-2008, 04:10 PM
Well, the guy tried, I'm convinced, to be objective in his quasi-smack. But I
am a bit puzzled as to how he could have watched Selvin all that much. As a
Broncos fan, I had a hell of a time getting all the games in--although I did
manage most of them. Did he neglect the Texans so he could watch Selvin?

Also, Selvin spent most of his college career nursing a broken ankle, so there
wasn't much to watch then. I doubt the coaches there knew exactly what
they had in Selvin.

Moreover, even if this guy did watch Selvin last year, I'm having a hard
time imagining how he missed all Selvin's long runs and his 729 yards in a
partial season, as a rookie, when he was about eight pounds lighter.

I guess the Texans fan also is unaware that the Broncos O-line in no way
resembles that of last year.

Anyway, it will be interesting now how the Broncos match up. But if the
Texans are going to play the game in the Broncos backfield, as they did
last year, I don't believe it will be over the left side, as it was last year.

But then, I admit I am a Broncos homer, answering a Texans homer. We
all are intensely interested in what is going to happen Saturday night.

-----

Simple Jaded
08-05-2008, 04:18 PM
Apparently this guy has never heard of Ryan "ATV" Torain, The August 2007 Mel Kipers No2 Senior Runningback in the Country Award Winner......

Broncospsycho77
08-05-2008, 05:50 PM
Everyone's entitled to their opinion, no matter how wrong it is :coffee:...

denbroncofan26
08-05-2008, 06:48 PM
I live in Houston and I'm going to the game!!!!!!!! I can't wait to watch the Broncos whoop that a*s in person!
BTW how can that guy possibly compare last years rushing offense to this years? We now have entirely different backs and more importantly a totally different offensive line.

G_Money
08-05-2008, 06:58 PM
I know it's just a blog, but I really prefer my bloggers to bring more than "I feel" to a discussion.

That was one of the vaguest POVs I've read in a while. Denver's running attack will suffer, because...well, because it has. And the Texans will have a better running attack because...of a stockpile of unnamed backs. There's a better OL in Houston apparently, though no proof of this is given. Wonder Gibbs will wave his magic wand and make everything better (though this is actually likely).

And he's looking forward to seeing this preseason game to tell how the running attack is shaping up for both teams and whether Houston's is better?

Um...okay.

Here’s the outline for the article I think he meant to write:

The Broncos and the Texans are obviously built on the same archetypal blueprint. But the Texans will prove to be superior.

- Mention Denver’s OL woes, from Nalen’s age and injuries to Hamilton’s concussions to our OT inexperience. Make sure to skip over own questions, with Denver backup center as Houston’s #1, Salaam as LT, and a couple of other interesting but young parts. Mention only that Houston’s sack totals were tremendously improved and with Gibbs around now they'll be better still.

- Talk about Ahman Green and his multiple thousand yard seasons. Pretend he isn’t old enough in RB years to have walked with dinosaurs. Also Chris Brown might have a quarter inch left on his tire tread, Darius Walker could be estimated to be a tremendous change of pace back since he hasn’t proven NOT to be, Taylor is their Barrett-level darkhorse coming back from injury and Slaton is their Alridge.

- Now point out that the Broncos have no such veterans other than Pittman who is buried on the depth chart and that their running game is in the hands of the unproven kids Young (injury prone), Hall (“too small”) Torain (rookie and coming off injury) et al.

- Pump up their giant Uruk Hai of a fullback named Leach and how he’s much like Griffith. And he is good, make no mistake. If you mention fullback for Denver at all bring up Sapp and his lesser talents, and maybe mention Hillis in passing but how he’s too green to make an immediate impact.

- Talk about how awesome Schaub is. Compare him equitably to Cutler. Ditto for Johnson vs. Marshall. Talk about pass protection for Schaub but do not mention the games he missed last year due to injury. Explain that the great running game that Houson should be running with their superior backs and line will open up the play-action game for “wily vet” Schaub, who hasn’t started as many games as Young Cutler – but don’t mention that.

- Conclude with fall of Broncos and rise of Texans since Kubes left for Houston. Explain that maybe the mastermind of the Broncos offense no longer resides in the Mile High city, and that with Shanahan’s prior drafting woes and the Texans recent raft of decent talent, perhaps in both talent and scheme the pendulum has swung toward the Lone Star State’s version of the Broncos’ Super Bowl winning formula.

- Ride off into the sunset.

That sound about right?

~G

Bronco9798
08-05-2008, 07:00 PM
I live in Houston and I'm going to the game!!!!!!!! I can't wait to watch the Broncos whoop that a*s in person!
BTW how can that guy possibly compare last years rushing offense to this years? We now have entirely different backs and more importantly a totally different offensive line.

After the first two series it won't be much of the Broncos we'll be accustomed to seeing. Winning or kicking ass is nice for the scrubs in the 3rd and 4th quarter, but the main objective will be to see who looks like they can maybe contribute this year. Pre-season is nothing but fine-tuning for the regulars and finding a scrub or two that can impress and bring something to the team this year. Granted, I hope they play well and win. But the main thing is individual performances and who looks good.

Chidoze
08-05-2008, 07:05 PM
Well, to be fair, a Texans fan would know what a losing formula looks like.......:aetsch:

Northman
08-05-2008, 09:50 PM
I dont care how bad the Texans backfield may look on paper. Slaton scares the hell out of me. He has the kind of mojo to make people look real stupid on the field.

NameUsedBefore
08-05-2008, 11:17 PM
I just don’t see the rushing attack returning to form any time soon.

We were 9th in rushing last year...

Italianmobstr7
08-05-2008, 11:28 PM
I dont care how bad the Texans backfield may look on paper. Slaton scares the hell out of me. He has the kind of mojo to make people look real stupid on the field.

And we have Aldridge who has that exact same ability. So maybe they should be scared of us too...

Lonestar
08-05-2008, 11:33 PM
We were 9th in rushing last year...



between the 20's does not count...:laugh::laugh::laugh:.

OR I should say translates into wins..;);)

Northman
08-05-2008, 11:34 PM
And we have Aldridge who has that exact same ability. So maybe they should be scared of us too...

having the ability and doing it are two different things. I dont know much about Aldridge when it comes to his college career but ive seen what Slaton can do. If there is anyone on the Broncos that can replicate what Slaton does i would say Royal would be that guy.

rcsodak
08-05-2008, 11:51 PM
Texans will run the ball well, Denver…not so much. (http://mvn.com/nfl-texans/2008/08/05/texans-will-run-the-ball-well-denvernot-so-much/)

Skinny, skinny, skinny....



....remember, as a little boy, and you gave your big brother a noogie, and bragged to all your friends?


Remember getting your ass glued to the toilet seat, and after plenty of pics were taken by your big brother, being 'freed' by removing the seat and walking (?) down to the Fire Dept. and having it removed (along with some epidermis)?


Thought you might. :coffee:


The moral of this friendly reminder, should be apparent....


...but if you're cornfused.....



...feel free to....



....ASS me a question. :lol:

weazel
08-05-2008, 11:58 PM
I would hate to point out to this guy that the Texans are basically the Broncos practice squad. Half the Houston roster is ex-Broncos players that either didnt play well enough, or had personality problems.

Of all teams who should not be pointing fingers at the Broncos, its the freaking Texans, or as I like to call them, the baby bronc's.

Lonestar
08-06-2008, 12:02 AM
I would hate to point out to this guy that the Texans are basically the Broncos practice squad. Half the Houston roster is ex-Broncos players that either didnt play well enough, or had personality problems.

Of all teams who should not be pointing fingers at the Broncos, its the freaking Texans, or as I like to call them, the baby bronc's.

They have the better coaching squad.. and some cast off Broncos that got into Mikeys doghouse .. when was that a dis-qualifier..

Then they also have some stud draft choices..

but alas it is only preseason..

G_Money
08-06-2008, 12:11 AM
having the ability and doing it are two different things. I dont know much about Aldridge when it comes to his college career but ive seen what Slaton can do. If there is anyone on the Broncos that can replicate what Slaton does i would say Royal would be that guy.

Alridge:

YEAR ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD
2006 95 959 10.1 87 8 19 274 14.4 41 1
2007 259 1597 6.2 60 14 42 428 10.2 86 5

Those YPC numbers aren't misprints. When you get the ball in his hands he gets yards. In big chunks.

The fun part about adding weapons in the making like Royal and Alridge to our collection of Scheffler/Marshall/Stokley and potentially Young/Hall/whomever is the crazy matchup problems we can create.

I would love to see us try a 5 wide this year with some of those 4.3 speedsters. I want Shanahan to show me he hasn't forgotten those other 300 pages of the playbook we used to use, back when we had consistent weapons. If the line can give Jay time, I'm really looking forward to seeing if these potential weapons can become actual ones.

~G

Northman
08-06-2008, 12:18 AM
Alridge:

YEAR ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD
2006 95 959 10.1 87 8 19 274 14.4 41 1
2007 259 1597 6.2 60 14 42 428 10.2 86 5

Those YPC numbers aren't misprints. When you get the ball in his hands he gets yards. In big chunks.

The fun part about adding weapons in the making like Royal and Alridge to our collection of Scheffler/Marshall/Stokley and potentially Young/Hall/whomever is the crazy matchup problems we can create.

I would love to see us try a 5 wide this year with some of those 4.3 speedsters. I want Shanahan to show me he hasn't forgotten those other 300 pages of the playbook we used to use, back when we had consistent weapons. If the line can give Jay time, I'm really looking forward to seeing if these potential weapons can become actual ones.

~G

Those are some pretty nice stats, what college did he attend?

shank
08-06-2008, 12:24 AM
because the texans are my 2nd fave team (kubes) i was not happy when i saw them draft slaton. he scares me not.

G_Money
08-06-2008, 12:35 AM
Alridge went to Houston. Their final bowl game against TCU he got snuffed - but he was the singular focus of the TCU gameplan. They planned their whole strategy around shutting him down, and they did.

As merely one of our potential weapons I would think that would be harder to accomplish. But he's gonna have to understand how to be a weapon in the pro game and not in that funky spread everything system that Houston employs, a variant of the Texas Tech crazy-ass scheme. I need him to run better routes if we use him as a wideout, and to understand how to hit a hole in a zone blocking scheme and block a little if he's gonna run some for us.

I'll be really interested to see how we use him, but I'd sure like to see us put those unique skills to some sort of impactful use.

~G

omac
08-06-2008, 01:07 AM
I like the Texans, and I root for them as long as they're not playing the Broncos. They're almost a mirror image on offense. Who's better?

QB: Wash - They're a lot alike, with Cutler having a little more of the physical skills, while Schaub having a little more poise that comes from being in the NFL much longer.

OL: Denver - there's a reason Shaub's been getting injured, despite him getting rid of the ball real fast.

RB: Denver - Houston's #1 & #2 backs are ridiculously injury prone; maybe their best hope is their rookie Slaton, or even backup Bell. Both our current #1 and #2 have had 100 yard games.

WR: Houston - I'd give them the slight edge with Johnson being one of the best in the game, and Marshall still approaching his first full season as the #1. Also, when Johnson went down last season, a whole bunch of their receivers picked up the slack, each week featuring a different one.

TE: Denver - Daniels is really good, but Denver's got 2 very solid ones in Scheffler and Graham.

DEFENSE: ALL HOUSTON! This is the advantage of picking near the top of the draft consistently.

topscribe
08-06-2008, 01:30 AM
I like the Texans, and I root for them as long as they're not playing the Broncos. They're almost a mirror image on offense. Who's better?

QB: Wash - They're a lot alike, with Cutler having a little more of the physical skills, while Schaub having a little more poise that comes from being in the NFL much longer.

OL: Denver - there's a reason Shaub's been getting injured, despite him getting rid of the ball real fast.

RB: Denver - Houston's #1 & #2 backs are ridiculously injury prone; maybe their best hope is their rookie Slaton, or even backup Bell. Both our current #1 and #2 have had 100 yard games.

WR: Houston - I'd give them the slight edge with Johnson being one of the best in the game, and Marshall still approaching his first full season as the #1. Also, when Johnson went down last season, a whole bunch of their receivers picked up the slack, each week featuring a different one.

TE: Denver - Daniels is really good, but Denver's got 2 very solid ones in Scheffler and Graham.

DEFENSE: ALL HOUSTON! This is the advantage of picking near the top of the draft consistently.

Quarterback is a wash?? :faint: Cutler doesn't have a little more skills.
C'mon. Cutler is at a different level. And one thing that really, really
impressed me about Cutler last year was his remarkable poise. Schaub
doesn't belong on the same field, IMO.

WR to Houston?? :faint: :faint: Omac, Johnson had 60 receptions for 851
yards and 8 TDs last year. Marshall had 102 for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs.
And you are giving Johnson the edge over Marshall? And what do they
have to match Stokley, D-Jack, and Royal behind BMarsh?

And the defense is alllllll Houston? Robertson, Thomas, Dumervil, Boss, D.J.,
Champ, Dre, Foxy? Maybe Houston has a little edge in talent up front, and
maybe they don't. (Granted Super Mario is a beast.) But it isn't as if
Denver has a bunch of bums out there.

BTW, you forgot Jackson at TE. He has been tearing it up this year.


I'll give the Broncos a big edge at QB, RB, WR, and TE, and Houston a little
edge on defense, not because they are so much better in terms of
personnel, but because the Broncos are still gelling. But the jury is still out
on defense, IMO.

-----

omac
08-06-2008, 01:48 AM
Quarterback is a wash?? :faint: Cutler doesn't have a little more skills.
C'mon. Cutler is at a different level. And one thing that really, really
impressed me about Cutler last year was his remarkable poise. Schaub
doesn't belong on the same field, IMO.

WR to Houston?? :faint: :faint: Omac, Johnson had 60 receptions for 851
yards and 8 TDs last year. Marshall had 102 for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs.
And you are giving Johnson the edge over Marshall? And what do they
have to match Stokley, D-Jack, and Royal behind BMarsh?

And the defense is alllllll Houston? Robertson, Thomas, Dumervil, Boss, D.J.,
Champ, Dre, Foxy? Maybe Houston has a little edge in talent up front, and
maybe they don't. (Granted Super Mario is a beast.) But it isn't as if
Denver has a bunch of bums out there.

BTW, you forgot Jackson at TE. He has been tearing it up this year.


I'll give the Broncos a big edge at QB, RB, WR, and TE, and Houston a little
edge on defense, not because they are so much better in terms of
personnel, but because the Broncos are still gelling. But the jury is still out
on defense, IMO.

-----

Hehehe, I like your thinking top! :cheers:

Johnson's been injured a whole lot of the season, and that's why his totals were down. In our team, the only other consistent receiver was Stokley; Martinez was a liability. With the Texans, when Johnson went down, Walter and Davis took turns picking up the slack.

That defense of the Texans, specially with Williams and Amoebe ... that has the makings of a star.

No matter, I really like the enthusiam, and I do agree this new Bronco bunch have a whole lot of potential. :cheers:

Tned
08-06-2008, 07:11 AM
I would love to see us try a 5 wide this year with some of those 4.3 speedsters. I want Shanahan to show me he hasn't forgotten those other 300 pages of the playbook we used to use, back when we had consistent weapons. If the line can give Jay time, I'm really looking forward to seeing if these potential weapons can become actual ones.

~G

Time is the key. It has been a LONG time since a Denver offensive line could consistantly give a QB time to scan the field and let the coaches go to 3 wide on a regular basis, not to mention 4 or 5.

MOtorboat
08-06-2008, 07:45 AM
Johnson played in 9 games and had those stats. He was on pace for 106 receptions, 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns. He's a legit No. 1 (if not the best receiver in football) if he is not injured this year. Meanwhile, Marshall is already sitting out the first two games.

Northman
08-06-2008, 10:53 AM
Quarterback is a wash?? :faint: Cutler doesn't have a little more skills.
C'mon. Cutler is at a different level. And one thing that really, really
impressed me about Cutler last year was his remarkable poise. Schaub
doesn't belong on the same field, IMO.

WR to Houston?? :faint: :faint: Omac, Johnson had 60 receptions for 851
yards and 8 TDs last year. Marshall had 102 for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs.
And you are giving Johnson the edge over Marshall? And what do they
have to match Stokley, D-Jack, and Royal behind BMarsh?

And the defense is alllllll Houston? Robertson, Thomas, Dumervil, Boss, D.J.,
Champ, Dre, Foxy? Maybe Houston has a little edge in talent up front, and
maybe they don't. (Granted Super Mario is a beast.) But it isn't as if
Denver has a bunch of bums out there.

BTW, you forgot Jackson at TE. He has been tearing it up this year.


I'll give the Broncos a big edge at QB, RB, WR, and TE, and Houston a little
edge on defense, not because they are so much better in terms of
personnel, but because the Broncos are still gelling. But the jury is still out
on defense, IMO.

-----

Actually, Schaub is better than you give him credit for. But im biased. :lol:

Northman
08-06-2008, 10:55 AM
Johnson played in 9 games and had those stats. He was on pace for 106 receptions, 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns. He's a legit No. 1 (if not the best receiver in football) if he is not injured this year. Meanwhile, Marshall is already sitting out the first two games.

Johson is a beast but his proneness to injury is disturbing. If he can just stay healthy that guy would be all world out there. Also, i like their new kid Jacoby Jones. Fast as all get out.

topscribe
08-06-2008, 12:04 PM
Actually, Schaub is better than you give him credit for. But im biased. :lol:

No, I'm not saying Schaub is a bad QB. He looks like a good one, along with
a dozen or two other QBs. What I am saying is that Cutler is an HOF caliber
talent. There aren't many of those. The only active QB whose raw talent
matches Cutler's is involved in a dispute with the Green Bay Packers right
now. Yes, Cutler still has a lot to develop and show, but Schaub could only
dream of doing some of the things Cutler can do.

-----

topscribe
08-06-2008, 12:14 PM
Johnson played in 9 games and had those stats. He was on pace for 106 receptions, 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns. He's a legit No. 1 (if not the best receiver in football) if he is not injured this year. Meanwhile, Marshall is already sitting out the first two games.

:confused: Including the Broncos' next game with Houston?

Okay, so five-year veteran Johnson was on pace for those figures. Marshall,
in his second year, had 102 receptions, and he wasn't injured.

So what is the argument here? I forget . . .

-----

denbroncofan26
08-06-2008, 05:23 PM
After the first two series it won't be much of the Broncos we'll be accustomed to seeing. Winning or kicking ass is nice for the scrubs in the 3rd and 4th quarter, but the main objective will be to see who looks like they can maybe contribute this year. Pre-season is nothing but fine-tuning for the regulars and finding a scrub or two that can impress and bring something to the team this year. Granted, I hope they play well and win. But the main thing is individual performances and who looks good.

Hey I only get to go to one preseason game every once in a blue moon so sue me if I get all excited. I really wish I lived in Denver or could afford to see a regular season game in Mile High.

SmilinAssasSin27
08-06-2008, 05:37 PM
I won't worry about Houston til the SuperBowl. Who cares how good their running attack is or isn't?

topscribe
08-06-2008, 05:41 PM
Hey I only get to go to one preseason game every once in a blue moon so sue me if I get all excited. I really wish I lived in Denver or could afford to see a regular season game in Mile High.

If you want to see a regular season game at Invesco, methinks you need
a good friend with season tickets. To just buy a ticket and get in, you
have about as much chance of that as you do going on vacation with the
Royal Family.

Now, if you could climb into a time machine and go back to, say, 1962,
you wouldn't have a problem getting tickets. :laugh:

-----

rcsodak
08-06-2008, 07:59 PM
Alridge went to Houston. Their final bowl game against TCU he got snuffed - but he was the singular focus of the TCU gameplan. They planned their whole strategy around shutting him down, and they did.

As merely one of our potential weapons I would think that would be harder to accomplish. But he's gonna have to understand how to be a weapon in the pro game and not in that funky spread everything system that Houston employs, a variant of the Texas Tech crazy-ass scheme. I need him to run better routes if we use him as a wideout, and to understand how to hit a hole in a zone blocking scheme and block a little if he's gonna run some for us.

I'll be really interested to see how we use him, but I'd sure like to see us put those unique skills to some sort of impactful use.

~G
Well, the problem with him, and his size, is he reminds me of Q. If Shanny had used him to his abilities, and not as an everydown back, he could possibly still be playing ball.

I remember how Steve Sewell was used almost exclusively outside, and he excelled at it.

Aldridge between the tackles is gonna get him the same thing it got Q. Hurt and gone.

G_Money
08-07-2008, 11:31 AM
I think of 3 guys when I think of what Alridge COULD be:

Glyn Milburn
Eric Metcalf
Dave Meggett

However, all 3 were jack-of-all-trades who excelled in the return game. I personally think Royal is not long for the return game with us, but we'll see. That depends on his growth as a receiver - hard to be running back all sorts of punts and kicks if you're also running dozens of routes and taking a pounding while playing starting receiver too. But since I don't think he'll be running back kicks and punts for more than a year or so, I'd like to see Alridge make his way up the depth chart at least as a KR in order to fully take advantage of his potential.

With little guys my worry is always hands. Little guys don't necessarily have trouble holding onto the ball...but smaller hands do make for more fumbles in general. But if Alridge can hold onto the ball and we can get him the ball in the flat, or on draws, or as an occasional wideout in addition to having him contribute in the return game, then I'll be satisfied.

I just want to see him on the field. It's up to him to make that happen.

~G

ObsiWan
08-08-2008, 06:25 AM
I would hate to point out to this guy that the Texans are basically the Broncos practice squad. Half the Houston roster is ex-Broncos players that either didnt play well enough, or had personality problems.

Of all teams who should not be pointing fingers at the Broncos, its the freaking Texans, or as I like to call them, the baby bronc's.

hmmm...
last time we played, when it counted, 31-13.
details here (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29403)

who's the baby again?

Italianmobstr7
08-08-2008, 12:18 PM
hmmm...
last time we played, when it counted, 31-13.
details here (http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29403)

who's the baby again?

Congratulatons on your win last year. You beat us. Yay! No one gives a rat's ass if you beat us last year. You're roster is still half full of scrub Denver Broncos ex players. We got outcoached and outplayed last year, but every team has a bad game. You played us when we had a banged up o-line and our qb was playing with undiagnosed diabetes. Not to mention we didn't have Javon Walker, and Travis Henry was a shell of his former self. No we've got rid of a few players we don't need (and you guys picked them up...shocker!) And we've improved our team, especially on defense. So the Houston Broncos, I mean Texans are still the BABY BRONCOS. Even more so this year than last year, because they've picked up more ex Broncos in the offseason.

Italianmobstr7
08-08-2008, 12:23 PM
A list of former Broncos that are now texans.

Greg Eslinger
Mark Fenton
Chris Myers
Mike Bell
Nick Ferguson
Ephraim Salaam
Jeb Putzier (at least he used to be)


Just saying. That's a ton of ex Broncos players.... Texans are where all the player who can't cut it as Broncos go.

Lonestar
08-08-2008, 12:29 PM
A list of former Broncos that are now texans.

Greg Eslinger
Mark Fenton
Chris Myers
Mike Bell
Nick Ferguson
Ephraim Salaam
Jeb Putzier (at least he used to be)


Just saying. That's a ton of ex Broncos players.... Texans are where all the player who can't cut it as Broncos go.

more like 1967 pounds


No it is more like mikeys doghouse player go..

Remember this team did not exist a few years ago..

And just might have a great GM and HC that have an eye for talent of others castoffs because when Gary went there this place was one of the worst in the league.

They both have done a great job in turning it around..

Davii
08-08-2008, 12:40 PM
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/119975213_64e2c55a87.jpg?v=0

atwater27
08-08-2008, 12:57 PM
I think of 3 guys when I think of what Alridge COULD be:

Glyn Milburn
Eric Metcalf
Dave Meggett

However, all 3 were jack-of-all-trades who excelled in the return game. I personally think Royal is not long for the return game with us, but we'll see. That depends on his growth as a receiver - hard to be running back all sorts of punts and kicks if you're also running dozens of routes and taking a pounding while playing starting receiver too. But since I don't think he'll be running back kicks and punts for more than a year or so, I'd like to see Alridge make his way up the depth chart at least as a KR in order to fully take advantage of his potential.

With little guys my worry is always hands. Little guys don't necessarily have trouble holding onto the ball...but smaller hands do make for more fumbles in general. But if Alridge can hold onto the ball and we can get him the ball in the flat, or on draws, or as an occasional wideout in addition to having him contribute in the return game, then I'll be satisfied.

I just want to see him on the field. It's up to him to make that happen.

~G

Eric Metcalf popped into my mind as soon as we drafted Aldridge. The good thing is that Aldrige looks faster. So our little jitterbug could be the cutting edge of a new trend in the league, kind of like an evolution of Devin Hester. Hoping of course.

Nature Boy
08-08-2008, 05:12 PM
Texans will run the ball well, Denver…not so much. (http://mvn.com/nfl-texans/2008/08/05/texans-will-run-the-ball-well-denvernot-so-much/)

This Texans fan does make sense. If Mike Shanahan misses the playoffs this season, he's totally out of scape goats and he'll definitely feel the heat coming from under him.