In the movie Remember the Titans, Head Coach Herman Boone faced the challenge of bringing a diverse group of players together for a common goal. As part of this challenge, he had his players get to know each other better by showcasing their backgrounds & interests. When defensive back Alan Bosley plays some of his favorite music for burly lineman Darryl “Blue” Stanton, Blue replies “does the term cruel & unusual punishment mean anything to you?”
Well, Blue, we may have found a much crueler & even more unusual form of punishment – watching the Houston Texans. At least the version that took the field Saturday & was crushed 32-0 by the Arizona Cardinals.
The way the Texans played, they would have a hard time beating Scarborough High. For those not familiar with the recent football prowess of the Scarborough Spartans, they have lost over 40 games in a row…
While it is a painful task to relive the debacle in the desert, somebody’s got to do it. Welcome to our “Pick Six” recap, where we take a look at 6 notable storylines from Saturday’s game. And no, the recap is not named in honor of Matt Schaub:
Is Jadeveon Clowney already being misused by Romeo Crennel?
Before the draft, Clowney was commonly regarded as a 4-3 end prospect. With the Texans playing a 3-4, they opted to convert Clowney to linebacker. Regardless of scheme, Clowney shows all the signs of being problematic for opposing offenses. On the 1st series of the game, Clowney & J.J. Watt rushed from the same side & Watt sacked Carson Palmer. Later, Clowney raced into the Arizona backfield & dragged down Cardinals running back Stepfan Taylor for a big loss.
So why is this potentially elite pass rusher dropping into coverage? Clowney was burned badly for a touchdown by John Carlson, a player who will never be confused with elite tight ends such as Jimmy Graham & Vernon Davis. Fortunately for the Texans, the score was called back, although Larry Fitzgerald found the end zone shortly thereafter.
This already has the look of trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. I do not recall esteemed Steve Spurrier & his staff using Clowney as a pass defender during his days at South Carolina. Romeo has coordinated Super Bowl champions. He should be trying to find the best way to maximize Clowney, not accentuate his weaknesses.
The misuse of Clowney hurts an already shaky secondary.
Houston’s secondary was without Jonathan Joseph last night, so they will improve in future games. However, aside from Joseph, this is still largely a feeble group overall. Depth players such as Brandon Harris & A.J. Bouye struggled last night. They made Arizona rookie John Brown look like a superstar. A good pass rush & front seven can mask a weaker secondary. Just ask the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers. But if Clowney is out in coverage, the Texans are going to give foes the green light to go crazy on them. He needs to be at the line of scrimmage causing havoc at all times & relieving pressure on Watt.
Aside from Watt, Clowney, and receiver Mike Thomas, the running backs looked like the hungriest players on the field
With Arian Foster & Andre Brown sitting out, Alfred Blue & Jonathan Grimes carried the load. Already, there may be chatter that Brown might not end up as Foster’s backup. Fantasy owners, stay advised on that one as it will be important to target Arian’s handcuff given his recent history. Blue had an ugly drop, but averaged 6 yards a carry on 5 attempts. Although Grimes did not have a gaudy stat line, he ran hard & looked like an asset.
Was it just me, or did the right side of the line look better when Tyson Clabo was in there as opposed to Derek Newton?
I am sure it wasn’t just me, even though Clabo is past his prime. At least he had a prime, though.
Where’s the discipline Bill O’Brien was supposed to bring?
The Texans committed 13 penalties for 126 yards. Among the penalties was a missed horse collar by Shiloh Keo & a holding call on the frequently unreliable Newton. They looked like the same unorganized, undisciplined bunch they were the last time we saw them. The Texans lost a bunch of close games in 2013. They will do the same this year if they are unable to cut down on mistakes.
Case Keenum may be the best quarterback on the roster
The esteemed co-host of the podcast, Robert Land, is a gigantic believer in Keenum. We have had a few spirited chats debating the merits of the former University of Houston great. While I would have loved to have seen Keenum succeed last year, his struggles were evident & I believe those struggles cannot be ignored when evaluating 
Case’s prospects. Not all of them can be blamed on his poor supporting cast. That is why I am more lukewarm on Keenum & I can understand why the Texans sought to add new blood at the position.
However, last night he was the only quarterback who did not embarrass himself. Even if you cut Fitzpatrick some slack because Andre Johnson did not play, he was awful. Tom Savage took a dumb sack in the end zone for a safety. Yes, he was in with the offensive linemen who have the lowest spots on the depth chart, but he should have known to throw the ball away. Keenum at least completed some safe, outlet passes. Maybe O’Brien needs to wake up & give him an extended look. Having Fitzpatrick play the entire 1st half was counter-productive.
-HST Contributor Andy Rioux
