Does the NFL really care about players? Let’s find out

The infamous Manziel “money” sign.

Earlier today Sashi Brown, EVP of the Cleveland Browns organization, released the following statement regarding QB Johnny Manziel’s future with the team:

We’ve been clear about expectations for our players on and off the field. Johnny’s continual involvement in incidents that run counter to those expectations undermines the hard work of his teammates and the reputation of our organization. His status with our team will be addressed when permitted by league rules. We will have no further comment at this time.

This statement follows yet another disturbing incident involving alleged assault against a woman, the second such incident in less than a calendar year. This particular weekend comes on the heels of yet another party weekend, this time in Dallas. His lengthy visit in Dallas has lit up social media over the past two weeks, strengthening rumors of a mutual interest to add Manziel to the Dallas Cowboys roster in 2016, but the latest incident could put that rumor on ice, as well as Manziel’s brief career in the NFL. And it should.

I’m not going to go on record for being an official Manziel hater. While I did feel that his talent was a bit exaggerated coming off his freshman season at Texas A&M University, and I was grateful the Texans overlooked him in the draft and instead drafted Tom Savage, I do feel he had some potential to be a QB in the NFL. That potential hinged (and still does) on his maturity, and his ability to let go of his past behavior. Thus far, he’s proven nothing more than to be the guy he said he would be shortly after the 2014 draft; a guy who wouldn’t change for anyone.

It appears he’s kept his word.

One question is, will the NFL and the other 31 teams in the NFL pay attention to what word Manziel has kept? We’ll likely know the answer sometime in March, but they should. The question I have is should the NFL and the other 31 teams do right by one of the players they brought into their fold in 2014? The answer to that is an emphatic YES. How do they do right by their player? Do everything within their power to get this player help, and to commit to keeping that player off the field until he does. The how, though, is the tricky matter.

The NFL has its hands tied by the Personal Conduct Policy and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Without official charges on any of Manziel’s incidents, there could be little that the NFL can do to keep Manziel off the field. The NFLPA will see to that. Now, this is where I think the NFLPA should step up to bat for Manziel’s true well-being, but it’s not gonna play out that way. Without charges, the responsibility to do the right thing by Manziel essentially comes down to the individual teams. Even with individual contracts, individual teams may be limited in their actions.

Luckily, individual team conduct policy can be slightly more vague and can include distractive off-field behavior as a violation of team rules. Again, this eventually falls into the lap of the NFLPA, in which the true well-being of their representative player should be the top priority. Unfortunately, with the way the rules are currently written, any individual team would have to take a moral stance, and likely a monetary hit. Some teams have been willing to do this – as we are likely to see within the Browns organization in March.

However, the teams willing to take this stance are not likely to be the teams wiling to take a chance on Manziel.

A case like Manziel’s should open up the discussion on how to better treat players with substance abuse problems, with or without an official charge or arrest. The incidents that have led to the impending release of Manziel show some clear problems with anger management and alcohol abuse, as previously foreshadowed by his parents prior to the 2014 draft. With our without official charges or arrests, it seems pretty clear where Manziel is headed, and it’s not pretty. But will this single player create that change within the NFL? He’s certainly not the first player to succumb to addiction.

I, for one, feel it is due time for the NFL and the NFLPA to step up and start treating its players like players, and not the current cash cows that they are viewed as. I feel it’s time for this billion-dollar organization to invest in their money into the very people that make this organization what it is – the players. Many businesses and organizations around the world do this, and their employees lead better lives because of it. The NFL certainly has the money to do this, so why don’t they? Instead of feel-good commercials and arbitrary rules, why don’t they actually get involved at the ground level?

This can start with a player like Manziel. Even without official charges levied against him, Manziel’s on-field performance and status as a teammate has been negatively affected by his off-field behavior. He’s been late to team meetings, and has skipped treatment for injury. Individual teams should have the authority to require treatment and rehabilitation for such behavior, or be allowed to cut ties without monetary damages. Currently, the Browns organization is likely to wait until the start of the 2016 season to cut ties with Manziel, due to salary cap issues, but they shouldn’t have to.

Manziel’s behavior as a player when he’s counted on being a team member should be cause enough to release him without a cap hit. Even if there are people that still don’t believe that Manziel has a problem, it is clear that his performance as a team member has been affected by his personal life. It’s also clear that the Browns organization stepped in and gave him opportunities to improve himself and improve his behavior, while still being a member of the organization. When that intervention failed, though, the Browns should have the option to break ties without a hit.

Without this option, few teams can be counted on to do the right thing by their players.

Houston Texans: What about Tom Savage?

As the Houston Texans settle into a week of practice with quarterback Brian Hoyer and new/old back-up TJ Yates, and hopefully the final roster changes to the QB position for the 2015 (barring, of course, any injury that has been seen in 3 of the last 4 seasons), the everpresent buzz of ‘will we get a franchise quarterback’ has turned into a roar from both fanbase and local sports media.  Texans beat writers all but have slotted out the first Texans draft pick to go to a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft.  Most fans agree.  No word from the organization.

Granted, the total disaster in QB shuffling was rather hard to ignore.  One would ask if O’Brien was perhaps having some college coaching flashbacks when creating this QB competition, and then switching starters in this season a total of 3 times in 6 games.  That was becoming tantamount to a circus act, and frustrated the fan base that wants a franchise QB. What we all forget, though, in getting all mixed up in the unfolding drama of the QB controversy in Houston that, frankly, garnered too much attention and took entirely too much attention away from some of the real problems of this team, is that we drafted a QB in 2014.

Quick note: difference in average points per game scored from last year is 1.3 points.  2015 average points per game: 22.  2014 average points per game: 23.3.  This year’s average is the same with or without the Atlanta/Miami games.  

It’s easy to forget that we drafted QB Tom Savage in 2014, as a 4th round pick, 7th QB picked overall.  Tom Savage is the 1st drafted QB in the Bill O’Brien era, picked at a time where the Texans needed an upgrade at the position.  However, if a QB was one of the top concerns going into the 2014 draft, why did we allow 6 QBs to pass us, and pick in the 4th round?  Obviously, we knew our #1 pick was going to be Jadeveon Clowney (top prospect, once in a lifetime talent, versus no QB that was ranked as a #1 overall pick), but why did we wait until our 5th pick to get the most obvious need for the team?

Hindsight (which should never be used in evaluating draft picks, because draft stock hinges purely on potential) would tell us that all of our picks before Savage have not played up to their potential, as of yet.  But remember, draft stock evaluates potential, and drafts are always a gamble.  The Texans chose the safer bet in each pick that a QB was not chosen.  There is a far higher risk when drafting a QB as a higher draft pick (contract, cap considerations, etc.,) than virtually any other player on the team, period.  Then the Texans chose Savage.  But why?

There was virtually no discussion of Savage and what he would bring to the NFL during the 2014 draft.  That’s mainly because Savage did not have much of a college football career.  He was named starting QB at Rutgers University 2 games into his freshman season, and led the team to 9 wins and 4 losses.  His freshman stats were more impressive; he threw for 2211 yards, with a 52.3 completion percentage, 14 touchdowns, only 7 interceptions, and a 128.7 rating.   His second year at Rutgers started off similarly, but was sidelined with a hand injury after going 2-2, and subsequently replaced as starter.

In that season he was credited with 2 of the 4 total wins that season.  Perhaps Rutgers made a mistake benching him after injury?

With his being replaced as starter, Savage announced he’d be transferring to Arizona State for the 2011 season, but wouldn’t be eligible to play until 2012, due to NCAA transfer rules.  After a Head Coach change (and an offensive scheme change that he would not fit in), Savage announced a transfer to Pittsburgh for 2012.  He was redshirted in 2012, and was awarded the starting position for the Pittsburgh Panthers 2013 season.  That season, Savage had another impressive year, throwing for almost 3000 yards, with a 61.2 completion percentage, 21 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and a 138.2 rating.

In 2013, Savage also started getting glances from scouts around the country.

In his 2013 and before the 2014 draft, Savage went from unknown QB to a definite draft pick (albeit in the 6th or 7th round, officially).  However, many scouts felt his potential just in that single year could take him up to a 2nd or 3rd round pick.  His arm was arguably the strongest of the 2014 draft class, and had an accuracy, intelligence, and build comparable to Troy Aikmen.  In fact, up to 24 NFL teams met with Savage individually (New England had a very unofficial interest in him as Brady’s back-up and eventual replacement), and worked him out.

Savage’s lack of playtime in college (relegated to barely over 2 years) combined with his throwing strength, size, accuracty, and mobility put him in a risky pick category.  He could eventually be one of the greatest picks coming out of the draft, and he has all the potential in the world, but he’s got a lot to learn.  The Texans decided to take this risk in the 4th round and develop that potential.  A 4th round QB isn’t going to start in his rookie year – nor should he be expected to.  He spends that year in development.  In conjunction with that move, the Texans opted for a journeyman QB that’s smart enough to manage a game, and brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Additionally, Ryan Mallett, whose story has already been overtold, was brought in as a back-up and eventually a potential starter for the time necessary to develop Savage.  That would likely be a role in 2014, and possibly 2015.  When 2015 came around and it was apparent that Savage needed a little more time to develop (or maybe he didn’t, as O’Brien is beginning to show that he’s quite conservative with his younger players – maybe too conservative), it was apparent that the “interim” role of starting QB needed to be expanded.

So, O’Brien brought in Hoyer and cut Fitzpatrick for some reason that has yet to make any sense in the world, let Mallett and Hoyer compete for the starting job, and likely was poised to introduce Savage as the eventual starter for the 2015 season.  Savage performed better in the preseason than both Mallett and Hoyer, with a higher completion percentage and overall rating.  Why he was not included in the competion for starter has me baffled but, again, O’Brien seems to take a very conservative approach when introducing newer players to the field.

Whether Savage should have been in the fight or not, it all became moot when he was inured with a shoulder sprain, expected to miss 4-6 weeks, and inexplicably placed on season-ending IR.  Honestly, if a QB controversy case can be made, this one is it.  With Savage arguably performing better than the 2 battling it out for starting position (albeit with mainly 2nd and 3rd string players), the question to end his season, given the 2013 and 2014 season of utilizing every QB on the roster and then some, this will be the one that comes back to haunt O’Brien.

Not only did that same fate come to pass this year, with neither Hoyer or Mallett performing up to snuff, but O’Brien foolishly put off his first QB draft pick’s starter debut another year.  Which means we have to wait another year to see if this potentially good-to-great QB can actually cut it in the pros as a starter.  We’ve also got a fan base that has completely forgotten that we even drafted a QB, and is demanding a top QB draft in 2016.  O’Brien placed himself in a rather sticky situation with these moves, and it will be interesting to see how he plays it out.

My hope would be that, since Savage did show some potential in the preseason, the Houston Texans PR machine will start kicking out reports on Savage’s progress in injury, as well as reminding fans of why he was drafted in the first place.  I’d like to see the Houston sporting press begin to do the same.  This would simply be a foolish, foolish mistake to ignore Savage’s potential and look to a QB as the top pick in the 2016 draft.  Foolish would not be to draft another QB in the 2016 draft overall, but that should not be the top focus.

We already have one that is chomping at the bit, and this year has made it obvious that we’re going to need to plug in A LOT of holes in the upcoming season.  So, let’s start hyping up Tom Savage, and give him the shot he deserves.  That means starting him straight out of the gate in 2016.  No more conservative action for new players, O’Brien.  That sends the message that you don’t have confidence in them.  Experience on the field is what makes or breaks a player, and it’s better to learn if they’ve got what it takes sooner, rather than later.

Houston Texans: Getting back on track

At the start of the season, the Houston Texans were coming of a rebound 9-7 season, with upgrades at defense and a rebuilding offense.  Defense was supposed to be the powerhouse, forcing turnovers and holding the opposition to low scores, giving the offense the edge they so desperately needed.  Offense was supposed to be plugging in holes lost with a veteran leaving, finding an answer to the ever-present QB question, and managing the time on the field enough to keep the team in the game.

Currently, the Houston Texans are 2-5, ironically tied for 2nd in the EPA superfund site that is the AFC South, and about to close out the 1st half of the season in a divisional game against a team with 1 less win.  They’ve been historically outscored in the first half and the defense seems to be circling the drain.  Offense, plagued with injury and a constantly changing O-line, as well as QB, has actually been pretty average.  The offense ranks in the top 5 for yardage, a little less than average in points scored per game (22) and is performing on par with what was expected.

However, we’ve concentrated on the drama of the QB train-wreck, which has ended in a fashion more befitting for a divorce court than an NFL organization.  Sorry guys, but if you thought Mallett was our problem and we’ll be smooth sailing from here on out, you are going to be disappointed.

But hey let’s look at the QB situation, again, and see where we went wrong.

In 2014, we brought in a consummate journeyman for a QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick, after cutting our previous “franchise” QB.  He did okay for the team, with a 6-6 record, but couldn’t manage to help bring home the competitive but close cames when we fell behind.  However, which need be stated, he was a place holder for Ryan Mallett, who was brought in to be a potential starter.  When Ryan Mallett got the opportunity to start, he wowed us.  However, a season-ending injury cost the Texans a pivotal game, and the team had season-ending injuries with both Fitzpatrick and rookie 3rd string Tom Savage, which left them scrambling to finish out the season (cue our beloved Case Keenum to finally swoop in and save the game).

For 2015, most figured that Mallett would come back from injury, Savage would continue to be developed, and we’d plug in another veteran as our #2.  What appeared to be happening was just that.  Mallett was resigned to a 2 year (really, 1 year and we’ll see) contract, and veteran QB Brian Hoyer was brough in on a 2 year (also, 1 year and we’ll see) contract.  However, at that same moment, Bill O’Brien announced that the starting gig was up for grabs and both QBs would compete for the job.  I’m not sure about you guys, but for me this was a head-scratching moment.  Mallett was brought in to eventually be developed to start.  He did just that in 2014.  He was injured, had a bad game due to injury, and ended his season because of that injury.

In my opinion, those factors are not enough to put a player’s job on the line.

Fast-forward to the pre-season and the decision to change QBs almost every game, along with the addition of a new play-caller, as well as a constantly changing o-line.  Those are some nasty conditions for any QB to survive in, much less flourish.  It speaks for a complete lack of confidence in your QB to hank him every time there is a struggle on the field.  There will be no consistency.  There will be no continuity.  The team will be lacking a leader if both guys go into the game knowing they could be pulled.  This style of coaching seems amateur at best, and a complete set-up for failure at worst.  The Texans got to see the failure.  The season’s record speaks for itself.  O’Brien should be embarrassed for having handled this so poorly.

One last thing about the QB drama – are we fully believing that Mallett had another bone-head “oops” moment when not catching the charter flight to Miami?  Did this former back-up in New England show the head coach of that organization the same attitude?  Think about that.  I hope the whole “just Mallett being Mallett” discussion doesn’t overshadow the fact that we had a coaching staff and front office that couldn’t keep a player in line and had to be embarrassed nationally in order to take some action.  Mallett came into the NFL with character and ego issues, but there was at least 1 team that kept him in line.

And now we’ve got what seems like the aftermath of a huge clash of egos that starts at the QB and coaching positions, and doesn’t stop.  It’s quite unfortunate that the QB drama that has unfolded has taken the spotlight on this team, when we’ve got failures in every aspect of the game, but maybe it’s for the best of the team (no pun intended) that essentially one of the least of our problems is the spotlight of this dysfunctional organization.  Let’s face it – QB struggles or not, the team was scoring the points necessary to win.  All things considered, the Texans offense should almost be commended for performing the way they have, considering the scrambling that has been done on that side.

Seriously – give them some credit.  An appropriate amount, at least.  They came in with an open hole where Andre Johnson used to sit.  The star running back, Arian Foster, was sidelined with injury (and is now out for the season, and likely for good with the Texans).  The O-line has been plagued with injury and has started a new rotation almost every game.  Offense, on a whole, has been a wreck. They’ve managed, though.  The lowest-scoring game so far has been on a win – 19 points.  With the adversity this group has faced, they’re performing a little better than expected overall. And coming into the season, they weren’t expected to really thrive.

The leadership in this organization is crumbling fast, and it shows on the field.  This isn’t a statement of the talent (or, arguably lack thereof) on the roster.  This is a statement of bad management overall.  This QB drama has gone on too long and has taken up too much attention – and action had to be forced by a (now former) teammate.

So how does the team get back on track?

There are 3 things to do.  First, and quickly, we need to assess and make adjustments on defense.  What I mean by this is we need someone other than Romeo Crennel.  Crennel has had a long history as defensive coordinator in the NFL.  He’s had this job with 3 different teams.  He should be able to do something with the names we’ve got on the field.  Instead, we’re almost putting up more yards in penalties than our opposing teams.  Penalties (averaging almost into the double digits per game) are a direct result of lack of discipline.  That’s a coaching problem.  Crennel should get 1 more week.  If defense doesn’t hold to a single digit score with Tennessee, that should be our cue.

Second, special teams needs an overhaul.  We were all impressed with what coordinator Bob Ligashesky did with 3 games left in 2013, but he’s done little to warrant being essentially the only coach brought over from the Kubiak era.  I wouldn’t even give him 1 more game to improve.  We probably will though, and maybe even beyond.  However, if this team’s about accountability, I would expect to see some walking papers during our bye week.  There’s just no excuse for the little production that has been seen with special teams over the past few years, and special teams has proven to be pivotal in the NFL when it comes to wins and losses.

Third, and most glaring, is our GM.  Rick Smith has been a source of heated discussion for several years now.  The big controversy has been how the Texans have handled their draft picks in the last few years, and why the organization hasn’t gone after QBs in the draft.  Well, the Texans did go after a QB in the 2014 draft, but he just wasn’t the QB that everyone wanted.  That’s for another column, though.  The real question is has Rick Smith been successful as a GM, with heavy scrutiny falling on the draft.  The answer, in short, is no.  Rick Smith can pick great players, but they end up playing their best games on another roster.

What Rick Smith can’t seem to do is pick the right coaching staff to assemble these players into a championship team.  The closest we ever came was in 2011, and that was primarily because we were unknowns.  Rick Smith has pretty big voice when it comes to picking talent on both the playing and coaching roster, and he’s failed to line them up effectively.  He’s also been given 9 years to do this.  It’s time to let him go, whether it be to outright fire him, or give him another job in the front office that has nothing to do with building a team.

Anything short of these 3 steps, and we’re looking at another top pick in the draft.

RANT: NFL shouldn’t reward criminals for a job well done

The NFL Comeback Player of the Year award celebrates a single athlete’s triumph over adversity each year, due to one of a number of possibilities.  Most of us fans think season-ending injury or bad season with the wrong team.  Those are certainly qualifiers for this prestigious award, but you can apparently qualify if you miss a previous season for any reason at all, including being suspended for abusing your own 4-year-old child.

Today, the NFL.com decided to update and retweet its story from June 2015 about the leading candidates for this award, apparently due to lack of controversy for its original release.  This was most likely because it was clouded by the scandal of Roger Goodell’s finest work to date – deflategate.  And what a fine job that was, Goodell.  In a commissioner’s tenure that has seen instances of domestic violence, drunk driving, and abuse taken like a grain of salt (until the backlash of what the ever living what hit the media), the biggest case you take on involves deflated balls.

The ten picks, previously announced in June of this year, are as follows, from NFL.com:

1. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs safety: The only defensive players to win are Lyle Alzado (1982), Bryant Young (1999) and Joe Johnson (2000). After beating Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Berry will have a strong case to join that trio. He has not only returned to the field, but has also assumed his rightful place as one of the NFL’s best safeties.

2. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals quarterback: Recently described as a “godsend” to the organization by general manager Steve Keim, Palmer should remain in the MVP hunt all season long. Against all odds, a 35-year-old quarterback written off as a washed-up journeyman two years ago is currently exhibiting more arm talent, better footwork and a higher understanding of the game than his career year of 2005. Bruce Arians believes Palmer is playing as well as any quarterback ever has under his watch, high praise coming from a coach who has worked with Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck.

3. Chris Johnson, Arizona Cardinals running back: Johnson merits legitimate consideration simply because he had fallen so far from his 2,000-yard heights of 2009. He was signed as an afterthought in mid-August, five months after taking a bullet to the shoulder. With Johnson leading the way as the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher, the Cardinals are averaging 4.7 yards per carry, a dramatic improvement from their league-low 3.3 yards per carry last season.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver: Fitzgerald’s disappointing production from 2012 through 2014 was due to a confluence of injuries, poor quarterback play and an adjustment to the slot in Arians’ offense after playing the outside “X” position his entire career. That didn’t stop the football world from jumping to the conclusion that the eight-time Pro Bowler was not just past his prime, but also bordering on liability status.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Palmer has a league-best 148.7 passer rating on throws to Fitzgerald, who leads all receivers in touchdowns, yards per route run and receptions of 20-plus yards. In his 12th season, he’s on pace for career highs in receptions (108), yards (1,458) and touchdowns (15).  And now for a not-so-random anecdote: “It’s a funny thing,” World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player said last week. “I met Fitzgerald yesterday and he reminded me so much of [Nelson] Mandela. He had such love in his heart and warmth … I know he’s a real superstar, but he really made an imprint on me.”

5. Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals defensive back: “Honey Badger” is a litmus-test player, just as Jordy Nelson was early in 2013 and DeAndre Hopkins in 2014. Their week-to-week excellence is so obvious that the only skeptics remaining are those not watching the games. The best all-around defensive back in football this year, Mathieu was one of a handful of no-brainer picks for our quarter-season All-Pro team two weeks ago.

6. Brandon Marshall, New York Jets wide receiver: Acquired on the cheap after playing through a high-ankle sprain and fomenting dissent in the Bears locker room last season, Marshall is the first Jets wide receiver since Don Maynard in 1968 to generate four consecutive games of 100-plus yards. One of the NFL’s most effective red-zone threats, Marshall is averaging 102 yards and nearly a touchdown per game.

7. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back:This year’s version of the Mark Ingram career renaissance, Martin is a former first-round pick running with renewed purpose and elusiveness after the organization declined to pick up his fifth-year option in the offseason. His tackle-breaking three-touchdown performance versus the Jaguars in Week 5 was one of the most impressive by a running back this year.

8. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings running back: Peterson’s per-game average of 86.4 rushing yards ranks first among running backs who have started all of their team’s games. With flashes of 2012 MVP form, Peterson has bounced back in resounding fashion after missing the final 15 games last year.

9. Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys linebacker: Entering this season, Lee had appeared in just 11 of 32 regular-season games since signing a seven-year, $42 million contract in August of 2013. After missing the entire 2014 campaign with a torn ACL, theCowboys shifted him from the middle to the weakside. The transition has been an unqualified success as Lee has been Dallas’ best defensive player, highlighted by Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2.

10. NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco 49ers linebacker: Whereas Lee is playing as well as ever, Bowman is still working his way back to dominant pre-injury form. Although he racked up 15 tackles versus the Ravens in Week 6, he doesn’t move quite as well in coverage as he did when he was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2013.

Intersting picks, NFL.  We have a player who suffered from cancer included in a list of a player who beat his four year old bloody.  Triumph over adversity seems to have a different meaning for some, I guess.

The timing couldn’t be more right, either, coming on the heels of a new allegation and investigation of another NFL player allegation of another domestic violence issue.  I mean, what better time to re-release an article discussing the possibility of a child abuser getting a comeback award than right after another NFl player makes the news for a heated altercation that could or could not have included assault?  Maybe we should also include an opinion poll on whether or not it’s time to bring Ray Rice back into the fold?

I don’t feel it’s necessary to get into the discussion of what was so wrong with Peterson’s disciplinary actions of his child, nor do I wish to repost any damning images of the multiple cuts and bruises on his four year old son to nail down my point.  It’s not necessary because the coverage of this incident was immense when it occurred last year.  The suspension for the entire year was appropriate.  Does it really mean we should consider him for an award for coming back, though?

If that’s the case, why stop there?  Maybe we should start awarding NFL players who successfully finish their prison terms.  Michael Vick is still waiting for his recognition, guys.  Of course, maybe we should wait to unveil that one until 2018, when convicted murderer and former NFL player Rae Carruth is set to be released from prison.  We should call it the Comeback Felon of the Year Award (no offense, Vick).  I mean, what person would be more worthy than a man who conspired to murder his pregnant girlfriend, right?

In all seriousness, though, I think the NFL should examine some of the brutality and violence that some of its players have dished out over the past several years and give an honorary award every once in a while.  This year’s honorary Comeback Player of the Year Award should go to a 16 year old boy named Chancellor Lee Adams.  Chancellor Lee, if you do not know, is the son of Rae Carruth and survivor of the gunshot that killed his mother.  Chancellor Lee lay oxygen deprived in his mother’s womb because of this attack, and was born with cerebral palsy.

While the NFL had no hand in doling out punishment for Carruth (as he was almost immediately arrested and charged), it seems like they’ve made some real slip-ups in handling present day cases of nefarious behavior within the organization.  Wouldn’t it be nice, for once, for them to recognize real triumph over adversity within their organization, instead of making lame acknowledgments and commercials, with hope that it just all goes away?

Houston Texans: Maybe there is a QB controversy

Ryan Mallett attempts a pass against Atlanta Falcons.
Photo credit: AP

In the wake of the devastatingly embarrassing loss against the Falcons this past Sunday (a final score of 48-21 only begins to tell the tale), the question of Ryan Mallett’s competency as an NFL quarterback has resurfaced.  After an interception and numerous turnovers, as well as a flurry of under/over thrown passes, Mallett was benched and Brian Hoyer came into the game.  Hoyer went on to complete a successful touchdown drive in his first series, after the Falcons pulled their starters.  He then led the team on a couple of additional successful scoring drives, well after the game even mattered.

In the aftermath of the game, this led to the shouts and chants to permanently bench Mallett in favor of the QB he replaced at the beginning of the season; Brian Hoyer.  The Houston Texans fan base was further disappointed with the announcement that Mallett would again be starting Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts.  Given his poor performance (which has only been matched in his second start with the Texans, against the Cincinnati Bengals, while suffering from a torn pectoral muscle), many fans hit social media boards, questioning the sanity and competency of the Texans organization.  Rightly so, given the circumstances.

However, one such tidbit, barely announced and not even covered by local sports media, has surfaced to question Mallett’s play that should not be overlooked.  Last Thursday’s injury report included that Mallett was limited in practice due to a chest injury.  Even with his limited practice, he still suited up and started for the Texans game in Atlanta.  His performance was poor and was eerily comparable to his 2nd start with the Texans in 2014, while playing with an injury.  In fact, the game logs are almost identical.  Let’s take a look:

If you look at these stats (completions, attempts, percentage, rating), they’re close to being identical.  After the 2014 game, when fans starting chanting “off with his head,” the pectoral muscle injury was disclosed, and Mallett was reported to have a season-ending injury. The on-field play, where we saw Mallett consistently throwing at the feet of receivers, was suddenly understandable.  He was given a break because, well, a chest injury like that is certain to affect a quarterback’s performance.  The question was why was he allowed to finish the game?  Clearly, something was wrong, but he never left the game.

That question wasn’t really answered.  The Texans organization announced his season-ending injury after the fact, and that was that.

This time around, however, the chest injury that was disclosed in last week’s injury report, which had Mallett listed as “questionable” for Sunday’s game, was largely treated by Houston sports media as a fairly unremarkable event.  Most of the focus was on whether or not Foster would return to the game on Sunday.  Foster did return, and was noticeably rusty.  In rushing yards, he had 8 carries for 10 yards, averaging 1.3 per carry, plus a fumble caused by teammate Derek Newton (and by him as well, for carrying the ball so loosely).

In the aftermath of the game, nothing is being reported about Mallett’s chest injury that had him limited in practice, or whether or not it could have affected his play.  The Texans haven’t made an official statement after the fact, nor has it been explored by local sports media.  I’m not being a conspiracy theorist here, but I will have to say that it begs to question whether or not a more serious issue is being hidden from the media and fans.  If I were Head Coach or General Manager for this team, and there was a question about the competency or ability of the QB I chose, I’d be addressing some things right now.

So, moving forward here, we have a pretty big question concerning Ryan Mallett’s health.  Is Mallett injured?  Has he re-aggravated his torn pectoral muscle?  Did it affect his play?  Is this a different injury?  If so, how did it happen?

Since nothing has been reported, we are simply left to speculate.  My personal speculation is that we’ve overused the passing game in the short amount of time that Mallett has been in as the starter.  In the 4 games we’ve had this season, the Texans offense has utilized the passing game over 65% of the time, which is the 3rd highest percentage in the league (not so ironically, the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions (ranked higher on the list) have similar records this year for their one-dimensional offense).  If you look at our passing game percentage in 2014, we’ve doubled our passing game almost 20%.

Have we overused Mallett’s “cannon arm” and weakened his play?  Have we created another problem in our bare-bones, injury-riddled offense?  Is Bill O’Brien taking this competitive nature a little too seriously, and possibly to the detriment of our team players?  Of course this is all speculation, but I don’t think such speculation is unwarranted.  This team has been derailed, and they’re falling apart at the seams.  O’Brien’s typical Belichick-inspired secrecy concerning the team is not justified right now.  Belichick can pull it off because his team wins.  O’Brien can’t keep ducking the media, because he’s got some explaining to do about this team.

Hopefully we’ll get some clarity to this situation.  It’s bad enough that Mallett is having his name drug through the mud after a poor game.  It’s even worse if injury is to blame, and it’s not being discussed.

Houston Texans: The QB Situation, part 2 of 2.

The Texans entered the off-season with 2 Quarterbacks signed to 2-year contracts: Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer.  At first glance, this seemed like a reasonable option for the Texans.  This allowed the Texans to trade then-back-up Ryan Fitzpatrick to the Jets for conditional draft picks (7th round compensatory picks, which could become 6th round based on Fitzpatrick’s playing time – it bodes well for Texans that Fitzpatrick is starting for the Jets this season and into the future w/ Geno Smith injury).

The signing of Hoyer, by all appearances, made it clear that the starting position was up for grabs again.  Hoyer, who was at the end of his contract with the Cleveland Browns and was a free agent, had just finished off a 2-year stint where he was named starter on a week-to-week basis in Cleveland in 2013, until an injury ended his season.  Hoyer went into 2014 as the starter for the Browns, but lost his starting job to the newly-drafted Manziel after his 6-3 start turned into a 7-6 record with a playoff spot on the line.

When looking at Hoyer’s recent track record, one would question why a former back-up-turned-starter, largely by default, just finishing off a downward spiral season and being benched for a drafted rookie would be the Quarterback signed to compete for the starting job in Houston.  Fitzpatrick would have been an immediately-cheaper option (negotiable, considering the future compensatory draft pick), and already knew the system.  Fitzpatrick had given the Texans an even split, 7 wins, 7 losses, in the games he played.  However, Fitzpatrick was never brought in to be a potential starter, long-term.

So, why was Hoyer considered?  His career playtime didn’t outshine that of Fitzpatrick.  By all appearances, Mallett was firmly considered to be the eventual starter for the immediate future back in the 2014 season.  QB Tom Savage was drafted in 2014, and given a 4-year contract, leading one to believe that Savage would eventually be given a real shot to compete for the starting position.  With the Texans recent record of QB woes, it certainly made sense to have 3 QBs on the roster, and Head Coach Bill O’Brien’s philosophy was one of direct competition for each and every roster spot.

The competition aspect is why Hoyer was chosen to compete with Mallett for the starting position, instead of letting Fitzpatrick ride out his contract.  Both Hoyer and Mallett, as mention previously, competed for the back-up position for the New England Patriots after Mallett was drafted in 2011.  Hoyer eventually beat Mallett out for the spot, until his release (essentially pre-determined with the drafting of Mallett).  Mallett then took over and was back-up QB until the 2014 draft yielded another back-up QB for the Patriots.  Essentially, Hoyer was meant to light a fire under Mallett and get him to perform at the level expected when he was going into the draft.

This wasn’t a bad angle to try.  After all, Mallett had originally been considered to be the top QB of the 2011 draft class by the Patriots (a draft class that also included first overall pick Cam Newton, as well as current starters Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick, who were all eventually picked up before Mallett) but had some character and maturity concerns heading into the draft. This most likely dropped his draft stock from the originally designated likely 1st round pick to his actual 3rd round position.  In fact, 6 other QBs were drafted before him.  Even with this dramatic fall-off, the Patriots were lauded with his pick.

So, was it character and maturity issues that made Mallett’s draft stock slide, and were these character issues still a lingering factor for Mallett?  When enough rumors about his past drug issues were too loud to be ignored, Mallett opened up to NFL teams before the draft about his past drug use. This may have turned some teams away.  Other character issues, such as ego and attitude, also came into play pre-2011 draft, which likely further sullied his reputation as a potential long-standing talent in the NFL.  He was still eventually picked up by a team that was already building a reputation on having a keen eye for QBs, and that can’t be discounted.

If Mallett was chosen to be the starter, and now his former teammate and competition was brought on to be his new competition for the starting position, one could surmise that perhaps Mallett still had some “intangibles” to check before assuming the leadership position for the Texans.  If Mallett’s ego and attitude still needed to be corralled, then bringing back a former competitor that beat him out for a spot makes perfect sense.  If Mallett still needed to step up his game and throw with more accuracy, who would be better than a former competitor to make him rise to the occasion or fall flat?

Bill O’Brien knew exactly what he was doing when bringing in Hoyer to compete with Mallett.  This move was not so much about the potential that Hoyer could bring to the Texans organization.  This move was all about pushing Mallett to the next level that he could go to, and beyond.  This was as much of a psychological move as it was a physical move, because the NFL is as much of a mind game as it is a body game.  O’Brien didn’t see anything in Hoyer that made him think Hoyer could eventually be a starter after a long-standing career as a back-up with several teams, and a short stint as a starter by default.

When Hoyer was picked in the preseason to start the 2015 season, it wasn’t because Hoyer out-performed Mallett.  The common fan could see this in their direct competition on field in the preseason, and Hoyer was named starter half-way into the preseason.  The most telling aspect that everyone saw (in-part, thanks to the Texans starring role in HBO’s Hard Knocks) to why Hoyer was chosen over Mallett was the now-infamous incident of Mallett missing practice due to oversleeping after being knocked out of the starter position.

Perhaps his days of partying are over (Mallett has never tested positive for any substance, both in college and in the NFL), but perhaps he still needed to build upon his overall character.  One can certainly argue that his attitude and ego were put in check when he lost his starting position to a mediocre-at-best Hoyer, who also beat him out in a previous challenge.  One can also argue that Mallett has done an about-face, as far as discipline, in practice after being bumped and after being told to go home when he arrived late that fateful day in practice.

Also, one can easily surmise, after watching both Hoyer and Mallett play in the first game of the season, that Mallett has a clear talent and physical force on field that Hoyer lacks.  We also saw a thankful and humble Mallett during that game (stepping up next to Hoyer and congratulating him, as well as standing in for the post-game presser with a stone-cold sobriety that one would expect after such a game), which could mean that he’s turned a page in his book of character.  So, if we are to assume that perhaps, just perhaps, Bill O’Brien was trying to build a formidable player in Mallett, could we assume that Mallett is finally going to get it?

Only time will tell.  However, starting out the season 0-2, after a heart-breaking loss in Carolina, the time-clock is ticking.

Houston Texans: The QB Situation, Part 1 of 2

If you’re a fan of the Houston Texans, then the word “quarterback” has almost become a swear word to you, making you cringe and take offense.  In our short history in the NFL, we’ve had a lackluster bevy of :”franchise” quarterbacks on the roster.  David Carr started it out, and his sac-tastic start and failure to bring wins (which, of course, one could argue were heavily influenced by lack of offense, and one would be correct) brought us Matt Schaub, a back-up from Atlanta who, arguably, could have taken us all the way in 2011 if not for a season-ending injury, but relied more on his team’s strengths than his own when it mattered.

In between, we’ve had a scattering of forgettable (unless you’re a Cougar alum) back-ups and placeholders.  With former Head Coach Kubiak’s insistence that he could turn both Carr and Schaub, successively, into formidable players, we held onto both perhaps a few years too long.  Of course hindsight tells us that a little more clearly, as nobody could have predicted the downfall of Schaub.  However, the colossal meltdown that was our 2013 season brought in an urgent need for a new game plan.  We didn’t even wait until the season end to bring an end to the Kubiak era in 2013, and Schaub followed shortly in the off-season.

O’Brien came in to build a new team in 2014 and all eyes turned to the quarterback selection.  Widely known in the football world as a quarterback guru, although primarily for his work in the defiled Penn State football program and not for his role in building Tom Brady in New England, O’Brien would surely turn his attention to the top quarterback prospects in the 2014 NFL draft, and use his influence to turn away from the purported “once in a generation” Defensive End talent, Jadeveon Clowney, slated to go #1 overall.  Certainly, O’Brien would manufacture a trade to nab any one of the propects in the saturated Quarterback class, in which few were arguably 1st round material – if not, that is, for the veritable need to fill holes in the NFL.

But, lo and behold, we signed consummate journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick as Quarterback, drafted the #1 overall projection, Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney, and yanked up Tom Savage, Quarterback from Rutgers/Pittsburgh.  A questionable pick, as it seemed that Savage spent as much time transferring schools than starting in the NCAA, but a pick that also made it clear that we were going shopping elsewhere (or, to a few diehard fans, maybe we were keeping fan-favorite Case Keenum, who came out and dazzled with his passes, but just couldn’t get a win).  Rumors pointed haphazardly around the league, but one such rumor seemed legit – a possible trade with the New England Patriots for back-up Quarterback Ryan Mallett.

The move made sense – O’Brien had a year with Mallett in New England in 2011, and knew what he could do as a first year rookie back-up. He was there in the backroom discussions when the Patriot chose Mallett in the 2011 draft (3rd round, 74th overall).  The Patriots knew they’d have an aging back-up on their hands if and when Brady finally retired, and were looking to release Mallett from his contract (a move made obvious with a 2nd round QB pick in the 2014 draft). So, the Texans worked up a deal, including trading a compensatory draft pick (6th or 7th round, depending on Mallett’s playtime), and added Mallett to the roster. Finally, we had a possible contender.

A contender, though, who had less than a game’s worth of experience in his 4 year career in the NFL.

The move was lauded by some and questioned by others.  Fans started chanting “New England South,” excited by all the Patriot throw-backs the organization was collecting.  Skeptics started pointing out other failed Head Coaches from the Belichick era coaching staff. Hopefuls celebrated his success in turning around a heavily-sanctioned college program in the span of a couple of years.  Everyone pointed out this was his first jab as a Head Coach in the NFL, so nobody really knew what we were getting into. And now we have a new, and relatively unknown, Quarterback.

However, Mallett was not relatively unknown in the 2011 draft.  He was widely discussed as a potential future starter in the NFL, and was even projected as a 1st round pick.  His weaknesses included consistency and footwork, but also a few off-field concerns.  Nothing, physically, that could not be worked out with some training and work in the NFL.  What made his draft stock fall, however, could have been his “other” concerns.  He was arrested on a public intoxication charge his sophomore year, and rumors of partying and drug use were rampant (but unconfirmed).  College antics, perhaps, but nothing should be overlooked when picking up a player for the NFL.

So, Mallett would be groomed to be the future starting Quarterback for the Houston Texans.  Fitzpatrick held down the fort while Mallett was trained into form (and for as long as he could without doing too much damage so we would lose a 7th round pick instead of a 6th round), and Mallett finally got his start in the 10th game of the season against Brian Hoyer and the Browns. It was a great time to start, as Mallett would be competing against another former Patriots team member, whom he competed against and lost the #2 back-up quarterback position to in 2011.

Mallett won that quarterback shootout, and played a great game against a Cleveland Browns team that wasn’t yet collapsing on itself.  Mallet completed 20 of 30 passes, throwing a long one at 42 yards, and finished with 2 touchdowns, an interception and a 73.1 quarterback rating.  Not elite level, but a sound start for a first game – and he looked good on field.  Unfortunately, due to an injury during warm-ups for the next game against the Cincinnati Bengals, his stats wouldn’t hold, and he’d be knocked out for the season when it was discovered that injury was a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery.

This is where things get interesting.  And no, I’m not going into the scramble we had in the last few games of the season, burning through 3 different Quarterbacks.  The interesting story begins in March, when Mallett was re-signed to a 2 year deal, and Brian Hoyer inked a 2 year contract with the Texans right on his heels.  Hoyer, the former rival in Mallet’s first start, and former teammate with whom he competed for a back-up role to Brady (and lost) was coming in to compete with him again.  What brought about this about-face?  Did O’Brien lose his confidence in his former choice?  Was there more to the story?

Houston Texans: Is there really a QB controversy?

The season opener for the Houston Texans yesterday was anything but optimistic.  The team did not look ready to start the season, on any front.  In fact, the 3rd game of the preseason with a mixture of starters and players trying out for the squad looked like a more intact, complete team on field than we did yesterday against the Kansas City Chiefs.  It didn’t start that way, though.

Texans won the coin toss, and in what has become routine fashion, deferred.  The opening drive for Chiefs offense was shut down, and Hoyer and co hit the field.  First play and first pass of the 2015, and Hoyer throws an interception.  In the red zone.  Commence the flashbacks of the Schaub era, and the disaster of the 2013 season.  In almost an instant, the Chiefs were up by 7, and were the first team in the NFL to score on Sunday.

What a way to start.

The next series had the KC offense and Travis Kelce (who seemed to go uncovered a majority of the game) putting up another 7 on board, and the Chiefs led 14-0 in the first quarter.  Defense looked terrible on this run, and KC quickly learned out to immobilize our front 3 and put them out of the game with a very well-executed quick release passing game, led by Alex Smith.  One would begin to wonder whether it was Crennel who knew more about his former team’s coaching, or his former team knew a little more about his.

However, it is worthy to note that this would be the only touchdown drive KC had without explicit help from the Texans offense.  As much as our defense left people wide open and helped Smith build up a stellar QB rating, KC scored on only 2 more full drives, and were held to field goals both times.  You could give some props to defense for making adjustments along the way, but leaving key players open and and having a number of missed tackles shows a need for improvement in one of the supposed top-rated defenses of 2015.  They certainly did not earn that distinction yesterday.

I am somewhat loathe to credit the 14 points off turnovers in the red zone to defensive points allowed, because that type of turnover is a momentum killer for both offense and defense.  However, outside of a pick-6, defense still has at least a single opportunity to stall a touchdown drive on a turnover in the red zone, and hold the opposing team to a field goal.  This isn’t an easy task for even the best defense, when the opposing team gets amped up and ready to take quick advantage of such a scoring opportunity, but it can be done.  This is where some of our rookies will need to simply learn from experience, shake it off and keep playing.

After a quick 14 by the Chiefs, the Hoyer-led Texans offense finally seemed to wake up and start playing by executing an almost perfect 80 yard, 10 play touchdown drive.  Almost perfect because the passing game opened up, pass protection was solid, and the team effectively and efficiently marched down field with the confidence we were waiting for.  That drive made the Texans offense look outstanding.  Then we had another first of the game – the first extra point missed with the new extra point rule of moving the extra point back to the 15 yard line.

Interestingly enough, in a league where only 8 extra points were missed in the entire 2014 season, there were a total of 4 extra points missed on Sunday.  Bullock was the first, but her certainly wasn’t the only victim.  So lay off the kid.  He was likely one of the best Special Team performers on field yesterday. And Special Teams yesterday was almost a new level of disastrous for the Texans – Marciano level disastrous.  But that’s another story.

That successful drive by the offense was followed by a pitiful return to the running game, after defense held KC to a field goal.  Three and out, and a punt, and another series held to a field goal by KC.  From this vantage point, I began to worry about offense and defense collectively, as offense was no longer producing and defense was allowing points with every KC drive.  Adjustments were not coming quick enough for the Texans, and KC was taking full advantage.  The next drive by the Texans offense made it perfectly clear, however, why we switched back to the running game.

Hoyer started the series with a pass attempt.  Well, he was in the process of a pass attempt, and was sacked, fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by KC.  Another turnover in the red zone that turned into a touchdown.  It wasn’t until this fumble that I saw just how long Hoyer was holding onto the ball during pass plays.  In the first half, Hoyer had the pass protection needed to remain comfortable in the pocket and make plays.  However, he wasn’t quick enough with the release.  A few times it was due to coverage on the field, but more often than not he simply wasn’t quick enough to zero in on eligible receivers during the play.

Our O-line protection has been an issue for a few years.  This is how you get record sacks and injured QBs.  It has improved this year, but a quick way to deplete your O-lines effectiveness in a game is to make them work longer than they need to.  The protection was there in the first half.  It began to fall apart in the second, and I’m confident enough to state that one reason for this was Hoyer veritably setting up camp in the pocket with every passing play he made.  This is the only reason that I can see for going back to the run, run, pass every other series.

After the 2nd touchdown due to turnover, defense seemed to catch on with the game plan, for the most part, and effectively neutralized the KC offense.  That last touchdown was the last scoring drive KC would see in the entire game.  So, we can give a few props to defense for turning it around on their side.  What we wouldn’t see from Hoyer again, save 1 last drive in the half for a field goal, was another successful scoring drive.

The second half, offensively, was mired by incomplete passes, three-and-outs, and a bevy of sacks.  Hoyer’s head was no longer in the game, the O-line was rendered useless to protect him in the pocket, and it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to take advantage of a second half of defensive production that kept KC from scoring.  I understand the choice to let Hoyer continue and give him the opportunity to get himself and the offense out of the hold they dug in the first half.  It never happened, though, and in the final 6 minutes of the 4th quarter (after a sizable percentage of people switched to the Astros game) Mallett was put in under center.

Part of me really wonders if that move was done to get people to switch back to the Texans game, as the change was literally made 10 minutes into the first pitch of the Astros game.  I’d like to see the ratings chart on that.  Seriously, though, this was a chance to see how Mallett performed in a clutch situation.  I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it seems pretty apparent that Mallett is being conditioned to be the potential long-term starter.  Whether it be consistency issues since his injury, personnel issues, or a combination of both, one cannot seriously take stock in the idea that we’d bring in a QB in the off season who has been on 4 team rosters in 5 years to be a legitimate contender for the starting job in the long term.

That makes no sense.  Nobody would consider a veritable journeyman/back-up for such a role, long term.

I personally feel that Hoyer was brought in to boost competition, and to be the placeholder for Mallett while the coaching staff did the work with Mallett behind the scenes.  Work on his consistency, and let Hoyer cover until he’s ready.  In theory, this idea works.  In application, I think it’s the wrong plan.  I think O’Brien made a mistake by starting Hoyer, because it’s clear he’s not the long-term solution.  He never was.  The best experience is gained on field in the season, and that’s precisely why Mallet should have started the season.

I could be wrong about why Hoyer was brought in, but I really doubt this is the case.  it’s not logical to consider a QB that has jumped from roster to roster so many times as a legit contender for the starting role, in the long term, and I think our Head Coach is smarter than that.   For this reason, I don’t really think we have a QB controversy in Houston.  I think we have a plan that failed, and now we have to look at plan B.  Plan B is to end this whole Brian Hoyer experiment, and continue with Mallett for the rest of the season.  If he’s going to be our potential starter in the long run, we need to let him make or break his future with this team.