- 1 week ago
Did you know the Texans currently have the third-best odds in the AFC to reach the Super Bowl? ITL debates whether it’s time to fully buy in — and if not, what still needs to be seen before jumping aboard.
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00:00the conversation about this being a Super Bowl defense is well-established.
00:04I think that we've had that for a number of weeks now.
00:06We feel confident in that.
00:07Is this a Super Bowl team?
00:097-1-3, 5-7-2, 4-6-10.
00:12And if not, what do you still need to see to give you that confidence?
00:15Because John Gruden was actually talking about this,
00:19and he seems to be pretty convinced.
00:21And I'm going with the Houston Texans, man.
00:23I just think they are surging.
00:26They are special on defense, and it's not just the pass rushers.
00:30It's not just the corners.
00:31It's a collection of really good players.
00:35And Stroud has taken off.
00:36I think they're playing with great confidence.
00:38I wouldn't be surprised to see Seattle play Houston.
00:41I know the networks would love that.
00:43Feels weird, doesn't it?
00:45It feels weird given where we were, but you put it right.
00:49We all acknowledge, I think we all agree, this is a Super Bowl defense.
00:55Yeah.
00:55Yeah.
00:56Right?
00:57Yep.
00:57Is this a Super Bowl team?
00:59Is the question.
01:00And I started thinking about that because I saw the latest Super Bowl odds come out.
01:06There's only two AFC teams that have better odds to get to the Super Bowl
01:09than the Houston Texans.
01:11Those teams are the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills.
01:14Houston has the third best odds today.
01:17Over the Patriots.
01:17Over the Patriots.
01:18Over the Jaguars.
01:20You know, over everybody else in the AFC.
01:23I'm sorry.
01:23I'm just still sitting over here chuckling about John Gruden.
01:26No, John Gruden.
01:27Oh, I couldn't hear him read a phone book.
01:30Yeah.
01:30I got the Texans, man.
01:32And I'm the Houston Texans, man.
01:36Sorry.
01:37Like, everything you had said to that point, great points.
01:39But in my head, I was just like, I got the Houston Texans, man.
01:42He's the best.
01:43Again, he could just read anything and it would be worth listening to.
01:47But let's put it to the old studio audience here that's not in the studio.
01:52Our listeners, 713-572-4610.
01:55I'm kind of there.
01:59I'm not there all the way.
02:00Well, kind of there, but not there.
02:03Not all the way.
02:04Okay.
02:04Schrodinger's there.
02:06Yes.
02:06Because all I need to see, I'll put it that way, this way.
02:10All I need to see is another rushing performance like we saw this past weekend.
02:14That's it?
02:14Even against the Raiders.
02:15Just another 100-yard rusher.
02:17Another 134, whatever they got as a team, wasn't it?
02:20Yeah.
02:20Something like that.
02:21The second 100-yard rusher is all you need to see this season for the Texans.
02:25Yeah.
02:26No.
02:26That's it.
02:26I'm talking about rushing as a team.
02:28Just another performance like that.
02:31And I think I might be there.
02:32Because it's as much about who else is in this conference as anything.
02:36Right?
02:37I think that that's absolutely fair to make note of.
02:40I don't know where I was seeing this earlier today.
02:42But Drake May, and you know I'm not huge on quarterback wins and losses, because there's
02:49clearly a lot more factors, even though a quarterback determines a lot of what happens.
02:54They impact a lot of it, but it's not everything.
02:56So I don't really love it.
02:57However, if you value this, Drake May is one in, what was it, one in four in instances
03:04where he has to come back.
03:05Right?
03:05Like, where they're down, and that is going to be one of those things that I think speaks
03:11to when you're up against a tough team, as the Patriots have not been up against for very
03:15often in this season.
03:17That's going to be tough.
03:18The playoffs, we're only dealing with tough teams.
03:21We're only dealing with good teams.
03:22We weed out the bad ones.
03:23Yeah.
03:23For the most part.
03:24And so, yeah, I found that interesting there.
03:27But you talk about the Bills, whose defense is not sufficient.
03:29And you've seen that at least when it comes to playing this Texans team, you can make
03:33Josh Allen look downright average.
03:36Who else are we talking about?
03:37The Jags you were talking about.
03:40All these teams look like they're flawed and susceptible.
03:44It's one of the things that feels like it makes this team different than some of the
03:47other teams that you have had that have been great.
03:50So are you there?
03:51I don't.
03:52I want to be there.
03:53I want to be there, but the offense, I'm still learning to trust it.
03:57I believe that it has capability, but I can trust the defense.
04:01I feel confident, not just that the defense will be really good through a game, even more
04:06so now that you get to a big moment and I know the defense will make that play.
04:10There was times early on in the season where you were like, ooh, are you going to have a
04:13quarterback run for a third and 14 and pick it up?
04:16Right.
04:16Now I'm like, even those moments, I'm not worried about it.
04:19There is a fair text that comes in where that interior defensive line thing does raise
04:24now some red flags for you in your head where you go, okay, are you going to be able to
04:28sustain this with fewer guys in there?
04:30I think that's one of the things that I would like to see to give me maximum confidence.
04:34But defensively, I'm there.
04:36Offensively, I'm with you.
04:37I still need to see them run the football because what they did putting up 40 points this weekend
04:41was because they were able to run the football well.
04:43We've known that that's a foundation for what this offense wants to be.
04:47If they don't run the football nearly as well, I think they're back in the place where
04:50it's like, are you scratching and clawing for 20 to make sure that you meet with that
04:5416 that the Texans' defense gave you?
04:56Here's where it gets interesting.
04:57Figgy, I'm curious where you are.
04:58Are you there yet?
04:59Simply because we all who followed this team from its inception, we carry the battered Texans
05:07syndrome virus.
05:08I mean, we're carriers.
05:10We're patient zero, if you will.
05:13And yet, if you acknowledge this is a Super Bowl caliber defense you can get to and maybe win
05:19the Super Bowl with this defense, there's a team.
05:24Yeah, I think, honestly, I feel like you made a good point, and I was going to make this
05:30point, too, of who's in the AFC that you got to go through.
05:34And the teams that have been giving Houston, Texas a hard time are pretty much out.
05:39I mean, the Buffalo Bills never really gave the Houston Texans a hard time, but the Chiefs,
05:44the, I want to say the Ravens, I don't think you have to worry about them.
05:50And so, I feel like they are.
05:52I'm kind of there.
05:53And for some reason, I said it yesterday, this year just feels so different.
05:57It's not like a yeah, but type of deal.
06:01I feel like they can really stand toe-to-toe with anybody.
06:04And I'm not saying they're going to get to a Super Bowl, but it ain't going to be the
06:09same old, just spit the bit, Bill O'Brien, you know, you know what, down his lid type
06:15stuff.
06:16Well, part of the reason for me, Reggie, that I'm kind of starting to get there, well, number
06:20one, Vegas says they have the third best odds.
06:23Vegas tends to be pretty good at this.
06:24So, they're definitely, you know, seeing things that maybe convince them to bring them that
06:31high on the odds board.
06:32But also, these last three games, we talked about it earlier in the show, the way they've
06:36changed the offense, in essence, to fit something that can help C.J. Stroud make bigger and more
06:42bigger plays.
06:43Sure.
06:44I'm not, like I said, I want to see more of the running game.
06:47Fair point.
06:48I want to see from the 979, I want to see more of the red zone.
06:51Yes.
06:51I mean, those are fair, but it's weird.
06:55We're getting there.
06:56No, that's absolutely the case.
06:58Like, that's something that needs to be recognized and appreciated, is that they are making strides
07:05towards it.
07:06I mean, for probably the last six weeks, seven weeks, maybe, I want to make sure that I have
07:13the timeline better, because I know they've won six in a row, but you could probably start
07:15seeing some of the pieces begin coming together a little bit earlier.
07:20They have made progressive steps towards being a team that can contend and now feels more
07:27comfortable saying that they can win a Super Bowl.
07:31And so, I know that progress isn't always linear, but if it was to be, I think that by
07:37the time we end the regular season, I'll feel a lot more comfortable.
07:39But there are some things like being better in the red zone.
07:42And we talked about the red zone circumstance, where being below 50% or even at 50%, that's
07:49not where the best teams are when they're going and actually attending for a Super Bowl.
07:54You need to be more efficient in those circumstances.
07:57And even in this game, where they put up 40 points, they were still at 50% once they got
08:01into the red zone.
08:02That needs to, I think that that needs to show itself a little bit more.
08:05And again, as much as I love what Jawar Jordan did, I think that there were some instances
08:09of them running the football pretty well.
08:12There was definitely plays that was blocked out well, while there was also plays where
08:16you had issues holding up in the offensive line.
08:19Finding some level of consistency there, especially running the football against a team that is
08:23not poor stopping the run.
08:25Yeah.
08:25I think that that will help my confidence level.
08:27Not that that matters a lot to them in the building off of Kirby.
08:30Well, we're asking us.
08:31But that'll help my confidence level a lot more because again, that's, those are the
08:34things that are going to be sustainable and not put as much pressure on the shoulder
08:38of the quarterback to, to make all of those plays.
08:42I also feel, you know, it's not just like a hot take that John Gruden, you know, had
08:47there yesterday.
08:48Albert Breer has said the Texans could get to the Super Bowl and it would be his pick.
08:54Dan Orlovsky, I believe, said that the Texans would be his pick.
08:58Uh, these are, these are well-respected guys that, that watch the, a lot of football of
09:02from, from around the NFL.
09:04I, I also running game has mentioned red zone has been mentioned.
09:09I'd like to see some clarity and production from Christian Kirk and or Jalen Noel, especially
09:15if you're going vertical more often, which we've talked about, you know, Christian Kirk,
09:19you would think could, could be, that would be in his wheelhouse a little better, you know,
09:24I just hadn't been there.
09:25It's a lot of weeks, man.
09:26It's a lot of weeks.
09:26It's a lot of weeks we've gotten to this point with a dude who I thought that the, the argument
09:31for Christian Kirk was he's a veteran player that will be able to grasp, grasp what you're
09:36doing faster.
09:38It's been a lot of weeks and it hasn't felt like there's been a full, um, grasping and
09:43I don't know, manifestation of an understanding or a appreciation for what they're doing with
09:49this offense, even as the offense has grown and changed.
09:52So I don't know.
09:54I don't know that I'm holding out hope that the Christian Kirk portion of this will show
09:57up better.
09:57I think that he definitely shows up when you're trying to block, you see that the willingness
10:01there and that's cool.
10:03But I guess, let me ask this in a question for you, Lopez, which of these guys, what's
10:08the confidence level that you have on either of these guys showing you what you're looking
10:12for, uh, as you continue for Christian Kirk and Jalen Noel?
10:16Well, uh, I believe it or not, I think I'm going to go with Christian Kirk because they
10:21just refuse to, to take him off the field.
10:23To what degree?
10:24Like what degree is the confidence that you'll actually see the performance that you're looking
10:26for?
10:27Not just him on the field.
10:28Oh, not just him on the field.
10:30Yeah.
10:30Not high.
10:31Uh, you know, one to 10, six, I guess.
10:34Yeah.
10:34It feels, honestly, I feel like you get more from Xavier Hutchinson.
10:39Obviously Nico, I think Higgins is finding his own.
10:42That's three dudes that at least I feel comfortable there.
10:44And that's a good thing.
10:45I think in addition to having your tight ends, that leak out that they've been utilizing
10:49where your tight end is, you know, getting a chip and then leaking out into the flats.
10:53That's worked out pretty well for them.
10:54Yeah.
10:55I think that those things, having those established is good.
10:57And maybe that's the thing that I want to see them continue to do the things that
11:01work.
11:01Right.
11:02Um, I was texting you guys.
11:03I don't know if you guys were annoyed because y'all didn't text back.
11:05It's cool.
11:05I'm not upset.
11:06Um, when I was watching the all 22 last night, um, the, the three going back to the red zone,
11:12the three red zone runs where you ultimately get a fumbled snap that Woody marks takes
11:16in the first one you're running and I need to go back and check my notes, but you're
11:20running one scheme.
11:21The second one you're running with Dara.
11:23You're running like a counter out of the wildcat.
11:25And then finally you get to power running on the third one, which you actually move, move
11:30guys on.
11:31And it feels like that's kind of been the case for them running the football to tie
11:34all these things that we're talking about is when they go to power running schemes, they
11:38can get double teams and push guys out of the way.
11:40When they get to some of these zone guys don't necessarily move as much guys are shedding
11:44blocks and making tackles.
11:45And I'm like, how about, and I know it might be a novel concept, do the things that you
11:50do well.
11:51Right.
11:51And I understand you're trying to, during the course of a season, see if you can find more
11:55things to do well and have more variety.
11:57But I think you might be getting to the point of the season where hone in on the things
12:00that you do well and maybe do more of those things.
12:03I think you've done that somewhat in the passing game where we talk about in breakers.
12:06I think the running game could maybe stand to do that and maybe see if we could squeeze
12:08more out of it there.
12:09If that helps in the run game, if that helps in the red zone, so on, so forth.
12:12Well, I think part of that also is the running back room has been in flux.
12:18Yeah.
12:18And what you can do with Nick Chubb versus Woody Marks versus Dare versus now Juar Jordan
12:26might change.
12:28But no, I do agree with you.
12:29And I think the creativity part of the red zone might have taken a step back in this last
12:36game.
12:36We had been seeing a few things in the red zone that were maybe a little more creative,
12:41a little more successful for one.
12:43It might have taken a step back.
12:45So I do, I do want to see more.
12:46It kind of thinks that you're in a good way that you're playing the Cardinals here because
12:53people are still not going to be convinced after a Raiders.
12:56They only have two wins.
12:56You know, aren't they like two and 11 or something like that?
13:00And, and so I believe that's correct.
13:02There's still going to be some doubt, but just in general, I'm, I'm starting to get there.
13:07You know, cause you, that's the other part with this defense, which we all acknowledge
13:11is there, what they're doing offensively.
13:15If they can just translate that to other teams that are better, it's going to be enough.
13:19And that it's beautiful because again, you go back a number of weeks and I couldn't have
13:24imagined that I'd find myself in this place.
13:26Oh, not even close.
13:27Uh, so it is great that they're here.
13:29One more that I appreciate and I want to read from the text line.
13:33I want to see Mixon and Tankdale.
13:35Uh, and I, I, yeah, I, I, you're not getting it.
13:38I don't, I don't want to be a jerk, but you're just not getting that.
13:41But I do think that that speaks to, I want to see, you know, that consistency in run game
13:47and the ability to do that.
13:48And for one, over the next few weeks, I want to see Woody Marks actually throttled back a
13:52little bit to give him an opportunity to be the maximum version of Woody Marks.
13:55That's the best back you have right now.
13:56You're going to rest guys, uh, because you can't, uh, you're still in the hunt, but are
14:00you going to be more prudent this week?
14:02And that's, that's what I'm hoping for, right?
14:04That's I'm hoping for maybe this thing bounce out, which maybe that is being lofty of me.
14:10Cause again, you were still competing for something and you don't want to take any of your opponents
14:14for granted.
14:14But I also want to make sure that Woody Marks, who again, feels pretty confidently like your
14:18best back right now has the best opportunity to be his best version of himself.
14:23But also I want to see that, like, I'm starting to seeing that, uh, that 57 yarder on that
14:28second play.
14:28I'm starting to second play.
14:30I'm starting to get fiend for that, man.
14:31I'm starting to get accustomed to the nice things of explosives.
14:34And that's, I think that's what tank Dell represents there.
14:36Like, obviously you're not getting tank Dell in this instance.
14:39And I can't wait to see tank Dell back with these receivers.
14:41Can you imagine them figuring out how to use Nico, they're sneakily getting a lot more
14:45production at the wide receiver position.
14:47And that, that, if I could see more of that, more of those explosives, that'll also make
14:50me feel better.
14:51Even if you don't have a increase in the run game or even a performance like you saw from
14:55Juwar in this one, if you can show me that you can have, in addition to, you know, staying
15:00on track and moving down the field, the instances where you take shots, you can have big plays.
15:04The game's about chunk plays on top of that.
15:06If you can add chunk plays, yeah, I feel great about the possibilities of this team winning
15:09a Superbowl.
15:10Listen to what he just said.
15:13Yeah.
15:13No, that's why the question I think is relevant.
15:16Yeah.
15:16Yeah.
15:16And there's, there's a few, there's a few ifs in there, but it's now it's, it's less
15:20of, I don't know, but there, there's a path.
15:23And that's, that is why you have to be dogging in your way, in your way of coaching this from
15:27D'Amico's standpoint.
15:28And that's why you can't take for granted this game versus the Raiders coming up this week.
15:32I don't know.
15:37I don't know.
15:39I don't know.
15:39I don't know.
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