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00:00Let's talk about this Texans team as we're continuing to look for win number two.
00:05Win number one is cool.
00:06I would like to be greedy and get win number two.
00:08This is a team that you're facing off against that has a very high profile in the Ravens.
00:14A team that we were looking at is very good, but they're going through the doldrums.
00:18They have a lot of injuries.
00:20Lamar Jackson is one that looks like, if you're the recent reporting, that he might not play
00:24or that it's likely that he will not play this weekend.
00:27So we're really looking at that closely as could this really and truly be the turnaround
00:32that we were looking at?
00:33However, John Lopez, you're saying we might be missing something here.
00:36Might be looking at it a little wrong.
00:38And by the way, I do want to mention this because it might just be the Ravens sort of trying
00:45to play coy or whatever.
00:48But Ian Rappaport did say today that Lamar Jackson's hamstring injury is more, quote,
00:54week to week than two to three weeks.
00:56Oh, goodness.
00:57And he will try to play this week.
00:59That's according to Rapp.
01:01Lamar Jackson was on the practice field.
01:02I don't know.
01:03NFL Network tweeted it out.
01:05Okay.
01:05Can we start?
01:06Because I saw someone tweet that, but I was like, I didn't see it substantiated.
01:08I'm glad that you've seen it from NFL Network.
01:11I kind of want to stay here for a second.
01:12Yeah, man.
01:12Because I feel very strongly about what I know about Cooper Rush.
01:17He's a solid quarterback.
01:19He can't do a good job that I don't want to try and slight him anyway.
01:23But we did this last year when we were headed to a Monday night game versus the Dallas Cowboys.
01:28And it was like, Cooper Rush, he's just a winner.
01:31He wins games.
01:32I'm like, all right, all that sounds fine and good.
01:33When he is in that pocket, he's not mobile.
01:35He's going to try and get the ball out quickly.
01:37He's got a little bit of a noodle arm, and all those things lean into the strengths of this defense.
01:41What, do you want me to lie?
01:42I'm going to be honest.
01:42He's got a little bit of a noodle arm.
01:44I said he wins games and stuff.
01:46What do you want me to do?
01:47He's got a noodle arm.
01:48He's got a good eye for the game.
01:51Smart guy.
01:51That's like saying someone's a little bit ugly.
01:55There's people that are medium ugly.
01:57Medium ugly is a thing.
01:59Medium ugly is absolutely a thing.
02:01And when it comes to arms, his arm is medium ugly.
02:03But with that being the case, that is clearly a big difference from Lamar Jackson 100%.
02:10We know that for sure.
02:11But is he even going to be that, and how long will he last?
02:13That's what I was going to ask is, what is Lamar Jackson at, let's say, 65%, which it feels like, just random number,
02:20but that would be my general guess on, okay, what does it look like if he plays?
02:24Lamar Jackson at 65%, 70%, especially with the way that he's had to run for his life this year
02:30because of the lack of protection that he's had.
02:33Let me tell you why I think the first report is more accurate in this case, because Rapp is awesome,
02:39than Ian Rappaport.
02:41Because I feel like Rapp, this has all the markings, my opinion,
02:45this has all the markings of a national reporter calling his source or sources with the Ravens saying,
02:51hey, this report just came out that Lamar Jackson is not going to play Sunday.
02:56What are you hearing?
02:57What do you know?
02:57And the Ravens play coy and make the Texans think a little bit, saying, oh, no, no, no, no.
03:05He's week to week.
03:05He's going to try to play this week.
03:06Those are very different game plans that you hear.
03:09Look, I know D'Amico talked about it.
03:11I still believe the first report.
03:12I do as well.
03:13But D'Amico talked about it week one, right, because we were going into the Matt Stafford of it all, right,
03:19at the back and all these things.
03:20And D'Amico's like, look, we're going to prepare for any possibilities if somebody has a possibility of playing.
03:26We're not going to just write this off.
03:29And so I imagine that they will.
03:31But this is a big difference when you're game planning for Cooper Rush compared to Lamar Jackson.
03:38It honestly makes you think he's a noodle arm for God's sake.
03:41That ain't even the same style.
03:42I heard Clint talking about it yesterday.
03:45That's a totally different type of offense.
03:47Right.
03:47It does make you think why they decided to go with that as the backup quarterback with Cooper Rush.
03:52It could have been Shadour.
03:54Well, that was Shadour's fault.
03:55I didn't want to do that.
03:55I think that's a totally different backup, too.
03:57Yeah.
03:58That is fair as well.
03:59But, yeah, like in the years past, they had Snoot Huntley, who I felt like was – he was no Lamar Jackson,
04:05but they kind of had a similar style a little bit.
04:07Didn't have to change the offense as much.
04:08Yeah.
04:09Yeah.
04:09Yeah, so – and I don't know – well, yeah, you definitely have to change the offense a little bit,
04:13at least in the running facet of it with Cooper Rush.
04:15But, yeah, that's the thing I think about is how much stress does that then bring on the Texans
04:21in having to balance those two game plans simultaneously and trying to figure out how you handle this.
04:27I'm sure that that might be some of the reason why you bringing your media background,
04:31your reporting background, why it might be in the Ravens' favor to try and kind of –
04:37well, no, he's going to give it a go.
04:38Yeah.
04:39The Ravens are like, let's just tell him it's week to week and he might play this week.
04:44It seems like that's kind of the Ravens' MO, too, because even when Lamar got hurt in the game –
04:48Yes.
04:49You didn't even hear –
04:50People were like, oh, he brought himself – he took himself out of the game.
04:53What?
04:53No, people started saying they thought he was benched.
04:56Yeah.
04:57And it wasn't until later where they said, oh, it's a hamstring.
04:59So, it seemed like the Ravens kind of rolled a little different when it comes to how they get those injuries out.
05:05But that does tie in directly with what I was asking you guys in this segment.
05:09And, you know, we could be looking at this whole thing a little wrong, to be honest.
05:14We're sitting here going, man, if the offense can do this, if they can replicate what they did in the fourth quarter,
05:19if the offense is just, you know, serviceable, if they can score 24 points, 26 points like they did this past Sunday,
05:27you know, we're good.
05:29And I'm like, yes, we've talked enough about the offense.
05:33We've talked a lot about the offense.
05:34Yes, we want it.
05:36I don't know how much they really need it.
05:39You know, I really don't know how much – I mean, yes, you want offense.
05:42Whoa!
05:44Well, let me give you –
05:45Wait, did you try to repeat that?
05:46Yeah, I need to hear that one more time myself.
05:47We want the offense to be better consistently like they were in the fourth quarter.
05:51The Houston Texans.
05:52The Texans.
05:53We want that.
05:54What I'm saying is if they're not marginally better for four quarters,
05:59I don't know how much they really need it.
06:01And I'm talking about like four, five, six – the next four, five, or six games.
06:05Let me explain.
06:06The Texans face, I think, a backup quarterback on Sunday.
06:11They follow that with Sam Darnold.
06:14Whatever your thoughts are of Sam Darnold, it's Sam Darnold.
06:18They follow that up, Purdy, and the Niners, who has a foot injury, you know,
06:24and is limited.
06:25And for whatever – I mean –
06:26And didn't practice yesterday.
06:28He didn't.
06:28And last week –
06:29Because they have a Thursday night game.
06:30It looks pretty bad.
06:31But, I mean, again, we're multiple weeks out where that can change easily.
06:35And, again, but I'm just saying, look at the quarterback.
06:36Then Ben Bo Nix.
06:38I got a lot of respect for him, but he hadn't been playing that great.
06:41Then Trevor Lawrence and Cam Ward.
06:43That's the next six games.
06:45Of quarterbacks.
06:45Of quarterbacks.
06:47This defense, if they just continue to do what they're doing, you know,
06:51here's D'Amico Ryans talking about we're close, et cetera,
06:55and we know that got a lot of run.
06:57If this defense just continues to be what it is,
07:00it reminds me a lot of the 2011 Texans.
07:04And let me explain.
07:05That was a season in which, you know, the offense was good,
07:09but the defense really carried the weight.
07:12Linebackers were Brian Cushing and D'Amico Ryans.
07:16We know that.
07:17Defensive line, J.J. Watt, Antonio Smith, and Sean Cody.
07:21They were fourth in total defense, fourth in scoring defense,
07:28sixth in sacks, first in quarterback hits,
07:30and were really kind of middle of the pack in turnovers.
07:34This year's defense, first in total defense, first in scoring defense,
07:39ninth in quarterback hits, second in completion percentage,
07:42third in opposing quarterback rating.
07:44What I'm saying is the formula that they were close with might just win,
07:50you know, especially during this next six-game stretch,
07:53no matter how much better your offense is.
07:56It seemed like that's the type of offense they want to play,
07:58the type of game they want to play.
08:01Exactly.
08:01And by the way, D'Amico played then, coaching now.
08:03It's a very similar defense.
08:05No, I mean, that is the concept.
08:07Like, that is the idea that they wanted to come in with.
08:10I think that the margins get real thin on that.
08:12Of course.
08:13There's still that.
08:14Right?
08:14Because, I mean, I hear what you're saying about the quarterbacks,
08:16and I guess I will ask this as a question.
08:19Do you think we're out of the woods on big explosives on chunks
08:23versus this defense?
08:23I understand that it's about the offense generally,
08:25but I think what you're trying to highlight is how strong is this defense
08:29when they are playing the way that they're supposed to,
08:31and are they strong enough to be something akin to what you mentioned,
08:352011, or even on the really bold end, like the early aughts Ravens
08:40where you got Trent Dilfer over there just thumbing himself,
08:43waiting for, you know, the end of the game
08:46because it doesn't really matter that much
08:47because the defense has made things happen.
08:49Look, I feel like this defense with the secondary, you know,
08:53obviously Derek Stingley hobbled, but got a pick and played pretty well.
08:57I think that that's going to be the big question if they can just keep,
09:01like their scoring defense right now is just ridiculous.
09:0551 points through four games?
09:07It's four full points ahead of second place.
09:11And so let me go back to 2011.
09:14Again, that offense was okay, but this is the last six games
09:19of the regular season, what the defense gave up in points.
09:2313, 10, 19, 28, 19, and 23.
09:29The offense scored 20, 17, 20, 13, 16, and 22.
09:34You don't have to, you know, with this type of defense,
09:40nobody here is saying they don't need to score.
09:43Yeah, because I was like, you mentioned 2022 in there,
09:46and you won that game against the Titans with 26 total points.
09:50Yeah.
09:51Yeah, but again.
09:52And that was like, oh, man, wow, this offense has finally opened up.
09:5526 points.
09:55Last six games of the regular season in 2011,
09:58they scored more than 20 points once.
10:01Once.
10:02Once.
10:02The defense then and now, if you just replicate that,
10:06and oh, by the way, what happens if you start getting some more turnovers?
10:10What happens if you start getting some more turnovers on this defense?
10:12I think this would be fair to say if you know the offense is what the offense
10:17is going to be.
10:18Like, you're not expecting anything else, and you're just rolling with the defense.
10:22Yeah.
10:22And you, by the way, you got a quarterback like a, like a, I don't want to say over
10:27the hill quarterback, but just like an average quarterback that don't make a mistake type
10:32of quarterback.
10:33But it's kind of troubling knowing you got somebody like a C.J. Stroud, and you want him
10:38to be Brad Johnson.
10:40Look, I get it.
10:41Brad Johnson is the example that everybody uses.
10:44But again, just marginally better.
10:47I don't know how much more you really need.
10:48We talked yesterday, and this is what bothers me about this offense.
10:51You know, a lot of offenses want to play clean football and be perfect.
10:57The Texans almost have to be too perfect offensively.
11:00And I think D'Amico is kind of channeling that.
11:02You know, he's like, as long as we have this defense, you know, we can get by with 20 to
11:0726 points.
11:08Yeah, and look, I hear what you're saying.
11:10I think that you're right to some degree.
11:12Like, hey, this is the formula, and the defense looks a lot more capable of doing that, especially
11:17if there aren't these big plays.
11:20And you're asking, I mean, I think you're still in a place where, even though I feel
11:24like C.J. Stroud has gotten his arms a little bit more around what this offense is and what
11:29he's being asked of, I think that, I guess, rather, Figgy is right that I can't depend
11:34that that's absolutely going to happen and that they're going to be perfect on all these
11:37things, especially against different competitions.
11:39So, I don't know that I can place it on just, all right, now this is what the offense is
11:45and that means that this will turn it around.
11:46But if you can get that consistently, that is the formula that they wanted.
11:51It's a tough formula to replicate.
11:53I think that's the issue that both of us have with the way that they've decided to go about
11:58it.
11:58But if they can, sure, that could be the turnaround.
12:01And that's what makes it viable is that the defense looks like they're going to be stifed.
12:04It was just interesting when I said, all right, what is the best defense they've had?
12:08It was that one.
12:09And I started thinking, boy, that sure does look a lot like this one.
12:12And that team went, again, not exactly the best record, but they went 10-6, won a playoff
12:17game.
12:17And we want more than that.
12:19But I think that's what they're looking at.
12:21That's what they're looking for.
12:22Sure.
12:23But then also, how little or how slim is the margin?
12:28Because let's say the offense, it looks exactly the same, but the scoring happens later.
12:33Like, if you are having slightly, I mean, if you're punting the football and allowing
12:38the other team to, are you going to be able to pitch a shutout every game?
12:41No.
12:41And I think all of us agree on that, too.
12:43It's too, the margins are thin everywhere, a little too thin here.
12:47But that's what they're looking at.
12:49And that might be the formula, especially these next six games, when you're not facing
12:52a murderer's row of quarterbacks.
12:54There's no Matt Stafford out there.
12:56You know?
12:58I guess, you know, you're probably right in that regard.
13:02Presuming Lamar Jackson is.
13:04Lamar Jackson is a player.
13:05Because you went Lamar, you went Sam Darnold, Purdy, you mentioned Bo Nix.
13:11Trevor Lawrence and Cam Ward.
13:12Trevor Lawrence.
13:13You're right.
13:13There's not, but I think.
13:15It's a pivotal stretch.
13:16A number of them are capable of having a good game.
13:20And even with the defense, the defense has been phenomenal.
13:22I still wonder, like, is this a thing where, I guess they've kept it to 17, 19.
13:30You know what?
13:31You might be selling me to some degree.
13:33This next six games, very gettable with the formula they already have.
13:38Let me put it that way.
13:39Yeah, but of course, the formula that they have is still, it's not an easy one.
13:42Yeah, I'm just worried about the offense, man, because I know the defense is good, but the
13:48defense can't hold you but so long, man.
13:52And if the offense is going three and out a lot and not really giving you a chance, I
13:57mean, I don't know how long that can hold up.
13:59Yeah.
14:00It's, the formula is still going to, like, I understand what you're saying.
14:03Are we looking at this wrong?
14:05I think we were coming to expect the defense to do this, though.
14:08So I think we were looking at it, right?
14:09It's still going to fall on.
14:10Can this offense bring their portion of complimentary to this?
14:14And I think there's questions still within that, right?
14:16Obviously, you could talk about the Titans.
14:17One of the things that we didn't talk about is there's a lot of changes happening at the
14:21line.
14:21I think we were talking about in the break that the, I'm going to call him the Jerry Snead,
14:26Justin Simmons getting a sack in 0.3 seconds or getting across the line in 0.3 seconds is
14:31because Ed Ingram stepped the wrong way because he didn't get the call.
14:34What happens if you're playing on the road in a noisy state?
14:36For sure.
14:36Right?
14:37For sure.
14:38I don't know if this, even if you're saying they were able to do this against the team,
14:43whether it's the Titans or not, does this play on the road with all of the checks and
14:47changes and alerts that have to happen?
14:48Can they do that in a noisy environment?
14:50That's a question that still pops up, too.
14:51100%.
14:52So, yeah, I'm still viewing the idea of a turning point on the side of, can this offense
14:59be able to do this in more and more adverse circumstances, whether it's more difficult defenses,
15:06pass rushes that are better, run-stopping defenses that are better?
15:10Like, there's still permutations that they have to answer to determine if this is something
15:14that they can use to turn around the season.
15:16Yeah.
15:16But you're right.
15:17It's there because the defense is so damn stout.
15:19Yeah.
15:19I think so.
15:20Yeah.
15:20All right.
15:20You're in the loop here on Sports Radio 610.
15:22Appreciate you guys rocking with us.
15:23And, yes, the Texas defense will be drooling uncontrollably if it's Cooper Rush at quarterback.
15:28I also think that, hey, man, linebackers, you know, cornerbacks, this is the time to
15:32also eat because he'll get that ball out quick.
15:34If there's people that are jumping, jumping routes, he'll throw it to you.
15:38He'll throw it right to you.
15:39It'll get there.
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