Will the critics of the Texans and Mario in particular please SHUT UP now?
Well, I have held off writing on much of anything this football season simply because it has become obvious that the number of fools and uneducated sports fans in Houston far exceeds those that know what they are talking about. Now I realize that true fans of a team tend to make statements that are impassioned or influenced by the moment; however, the amount of crapola that has been flowing through the media about the Texans and Mario Williams since he was drafted ahead of those other two guys, has been insane. But then the same people who have been saying that VY or Reggie would have been the savior of this franchise are the same ones who think that Steve Francis is still an All-Star and capable of scoring 30 points a night. But that is another article.
Here is what you have right now with the Houston Texans, starting at the top:
An owner who wants to win and is willing to do/pay what ever it takes to get the right people in here to do the job;
A GM who is smart and has learned how to find players who have both talent and the desire to work hard to improve;
A Coach who has stayed on message and has found the right buttons to push to get players who want to perform and are willing to do what is needed to reach the next level;
A core group of players who have bought into both the system and the mindset necessary to become a winning franchise. This includes the young leaders on this team -- Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Owen Daniels, DaMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, and, yes, Mario Williams.
All Mario has done since being drafted #1 is play his WHOLE rookie year with a foot injury that kept him from practice and required shots to allow him to play. This year you can see the progression that he has made, both from being in the league a year and knowing what is needed to be a success, to the improvement on the field because he has been able to PRACTICE. Yes, PRACTICE makes all the difference in the world when it comes to any position on the football field. The numbers speak for themselves. For the season so far 13 sacks, 53 Tackles and 2 Forced Fumbles, and in the five games since the bye week he has been a monster, 9 Sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles and 30 Tackles. Add to that the team is 3-2 and at .500 the latest in the season in franchise history.
Finally, in closing, there are going to be some people who say I am dreaming and am not in my right mind; however, I said when Kubiak and Smith were brought in that they needed 3 years and they could have this team in the playoffs. Well here we are at the end of year 2 and not only do the Texans still have a chance at the playoffs but they are doing it with 17 players, including half their secondary and offensive line on IR.
So to all those critics of the team, I say to you, it is time to shut up and start looking at this team for what it is: a young, hard working, and good team that is on the edge of being a playoff contender. It is also time to stop calling for Vince and Reggie because it is becoming more obvious that despite their enormous talent they are not Superstars.
Posted by bweldon @ 12/14/07 09:07 AM | Print | Comments (4)
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