00:00the Texans, I think, are going to be able to run the football here.
00:03I do, too.
00:04What is your case?
00:05Because there's a couple things that just jump out at me.
00:07Well, first and foremost, I was obviously shocked by the 112-yard performance
00:11for Woody Marks and the 140-something-lot-yard performance
00:17from the offense running anyways.
00:19And one of the things that they did really well,
00:21obviously they had these duo blocks that they did,
00:23a lot of great combination blocks, a lot of inside zone as well
00:27when they were starting to uptick on the, oh, this is working,
00:29and we're just going to run it down your throat.
00:31And I had to go and ask one of my really football-knowledgeable friends.
00:37I can say his name.
00:39She threw it out to a Super Bowl-winning scout, Brian Broadus.
00:42I was like, hey, does inside zone have a natural advantage versus 3-4 fronts?
00:49He was like, yeah, actually, it does.
00:50I was like, okay, so this is something I had not considered.
00:52You know who runs a 3-4 front?
00:54That would be the New England Patriots.
00:55Yeah, the New England Patriots have a 3-4 front.
00:57So you know me, I had to go and see what are the statistics that I can use
01:00to maybe see what's been happening with this New England Patriots front.
01:05And I tried to go from week 10.
01:08Obviously, the full season isn't necessarily giving you the best idea.
01:10What does the last half of the season tell you?
01:12And since week 10, the New England Patriots,
01:15against inside zone in particular, allowed 4.8 yards per rush.
01:20It was good for 28th in the league.
01:23They were one of the five worst teams stopping inside zone.
01:28And you think defense with them.
01:30I mean, at least when you think of Vrabel.
01:31But this team has really been a lot of Drake May
01:34and a decent amount of a little bit here and there.
01:37Obviously, Christian Gonzalez on the backside is really good.
01:39On top of that, you talk about like a duo and man kind of things,
01:44which again are one of the concepts that the Texans did really well in this game.
01:47And they've done pretty well all season long.
01:48The Patriots allowed, interestingly enough, 3.4 yards per carry,
01:55which was fifth best.
01:56So, oddly enough, they were pretty good in those circumstances.
02:00But inside zone, which I know this team likes running, this Texas team,
02:03they're really bad at.
02:04And I was like, huh, maybe this is here.
02:07The interior of their defensive line can be moved.
02:10It's something that up in those parts, they've had some concerns about.
02:13Now, they did bring back Milton Williams,
02:16who was one of their D3-4 defensive ends.
02:20And he looked good in their game last week.
02:23And he's not in this sample of stats for a long time
02:26because he missed probably something like six weeks during the season.
02:28And then also their inside linebacker, Robert Spillane,
02:32who plays, obviously, linebacker.
02:34Getting up in the run, that matters.
02:36He just came back as well.
02:37So, does that change from being 28th versus inside zone to what?
02:4315th?
02:43Like, are they going to be average?
02:44That's about where the Steelers were.
02:46I think that you have a possibility.
02:48And if you're on your blocks, which it felt like they did pretty well,
02:51and with the schematic advantage that I think you can create
02:54using this inside zone, I think you could still probably run the ball.
02:57Maybe you don't run for, you know, have a running back run for 100 yards,
03:01but you can still have an effective run game,
03:04which is necessary, I think, for the best versions of this Texans offense.
03:07Yeah, no, look, I feel much the same way.
03:09And part of it is exactly what you said.
03:12When they, and it was a thing of beauty, to be honest,
03:15the way they were double-teaming the nose or the interior tackle in this game
03:20and being able to get to the second level in the Steelers game,
03:23it has just been, it's been a revelation.
03:27But I think two other things just flat out, you know,
03:29that have been more recent, kind of what you're talking about.
03:31You're looking at the, you know, the last third of the season
03:33or so, this offensive line is just better.
03:36This offensive line is just better at the outside positions, too.
03:39Ariante Urseri, I'm not going to say revelation
03:42because he's a rookie and it's just about a development,
03:44but he's played really, really well, you know,
03:46in the pass game for sure, but certainly in the run game as well.
03:49And Trent Brown has been doing much the same thing.
03:51He really held the edge with some help from Blake Fisher.
03:55He was throwing dudes out the club.
03:56Yeah, Blake Fisher had, you know, probably his best game as a Texan
04:00outside of the, you know, getting smoked on a pass rush.
04:02But that's going to happen occasionally.
04:04So I think the edges are real good, too.
04:06And then the other part that is truly a revelation is, you know,
04:11there is no more who's your number one running back.
04:14Woody Marks is your guy.
04:15Woody Marks has found that comfort level, that ability to, you know,
04:20the proverbial, the game has slowed down and knowing when and where to cut
04:24and being able to hit the ball, you know, at full speed when he knows it's there.
04:31So the combination of the offensive line, the ability to double team,
04:35how good they've been at that, and Woody Marks, you know,
04:37Nick Chubb has been a nice changeup, but Woody Marks is the running back.
04:41Sure, but I will say, though, seeing Nick Chubb look that effective as he has been
04:46put on the back burner for a lot of the latter portions of the season,
04:50that was deeply encouraging as well because I think there is something to be said for.
04:53I feel like we should name the blue tent, like the Woody Marks honorary tent
04:59because he'd be in there all the damn time.
05:02Somewhat to his chagrin, I don't know if you saw, he seemed like he was pretty upset.
05:05He posted something on his Instagram story that I imagine was about the way that,
05:10you know, the Pittsburgh Steelers ended up on his ankle with the time that he went
05:13into the tent this game.
05:15The possibility of Woody Marks missing a few plays, even though he'll come back and play,
05:19he'll tough through it.
05:20He did it this past week.
05:21But the possibility of him missing a few plays to maybe knock on wood
05:24wherever you are, missing substantial time because of one of these types of injuries,
05:29it's mitigated a little bit, especially if Nick Chubb looks, you know, useful in
05:34especially those inside zone reps, those duo reps where he has an opportunity to,
05:39you know, read the blocks and use his feet well and kind of dance in the space
05:43like he did.
05:44I think that that is helpful.
05:45Plus, we're another week removed from what Jawar Jordan was dealing with.
05:49Is this something where Jawar Jordan will be back?
05:51And now you have a three-man compliment, and you can give them all a little bit of burn,
05:54see who's doing the best, and just let them go.
05:56That's a great point on Jawar Jordan.
05:56I hadn't even really considered that.
05:58I thought high ankle sprain, he'd be still out, but we don't know.
06:01By the way, they'll be taking the practice field here in a little bit more than an hour,
06:05so we will get some early looks.
06:06If you look at that thing, we wouldn't expect to see him out there.
06:10If you see Nico Collins out there, honestly, I might call the NFL and the Texans myself
06:14because there ain't no way.
06:16Wait, what?
06:17That guy was loopy.
06:19But no, Jawar Jordan might be something.
06:21And D'Amico Ryan's actually addressed this, and I played it for you before the show.
06:25So I think just the confidence level in how physical they can be on the front
06:33and what Woody Marks is doing has kind of been off the charts.
06:35When it comes to the run game, if we want to have success, it's going to be us.
06:40It's about having that desire and that will to truly stay on your blocks,
06:45to truly trust your technique, trust the fundamentals, things you worked all offseason,
06:51all training camp, all those things you worked.
06:53You've got to put it on display, and you know the other team.
06:56Like you mentioned, the Patriots are a really good run defense,
06:59so it's never easy running the football, right?
07:03And that's what I like about it because it's not easy.
07:06It's hard.
07:07A lot of people shy away from doing hard things.
07:09But if you want to have success in the playoffs,
07:12I feel like you have to be able to control the line of scrimmage
07:14and run the football really well.
07:16So that's what we have to do versus a really good run defense,
07:19and that's what it is at this time of year.
07:21You've got two good teams going at it, and that's how it should be.
07:25Yeah, just the transformation up front reached its peak, really, I think,
07:31against the Steelers.
07:32I mean, they were just mauling fools.
07:33They took the life out of them.
07:35They tired them out.
07:38And then Woody Marks was tiring them out, and Nick Chubb,
07:40but tiring them out the way they were finishing runs.
07:44I feel very confident that they're going to be able to run the ball here.
07:46And if that very much bodes well for what this team's capability of winning it,
07:52especially because if you can get rid of those major turnovers,
07:56we know the idea of finishing, that is one of the keys to them finishing,
08:01is being able to run the football and take the life out of a team.
08:04It also kept the defense off the field.
08:05You limited possessions in that game, and you had those long 14-play drives
08:11that allowed that defense to be maximum fresh.
08:13This is important not just to the offensive side because, for one,
08:18you give yourself good third down circumstances, right?
08:22And third downs make the difference.
08:24That was the most glaring disparity in this game, in the wild card game,
08:28is that you were, what, 10 of 15 on third down, and they were 2 of 14.
08:32That was a glaring disparity in the game and what made it the blowout that it was.
08:37If you can run the ball, you give yourself thirds and shorts,
08:40like what we saw in that game.
08:42Remember, 5.5 yards was the average on third down in that game.
08:46You do that, again, you give yourself a chance to win on offense,
08:48but then you give the defense an opportunity to be maximum fresh,
08:51get themselves into those long third downs on the other side,
08:54and beat the hell out of Drake May, which I think we're all invested in.
08:56Yeah, I mean, we know why the 2 of 14 happened,
08:59because this defense was playing out of its mind.
09:02The 10 of 15 points directly to the run game and the offensive line.
09:06Ultimately, it comes back down to what you just said.
09:09You know, if C.J. Stroud can just eliminate any of the half,
09:14just do half the turnovers that you had, they'll be able to get it done.
09:17Yeah, so I think that they will be able to run the football,
09:20but ultimately, like D'Amico Ryan was saying,
09:22there's a level of want to involved with it,
09:24and I think you saw that really show up in Pittsburgh.
09:28I mean, it's not like I'm doubtful by any means,
09:30but I would love to see what they're capable of doing in that moment,
09:33and just to add a little bit of spice to the idea of the potential
09:38if the Texans run the football.
09:40You want to know what the success rate allowed is for the Patriots on third down?
09:46I think we all do.
09:4747.2%.
09:49It is the fifth worst in the NFL.
09:51If you can give yourself good, manageable third downs,
09:53you will continue drives versus the Steelers, not Steelers, this Patriots team.
09:58So run the ball and run it well.
10:00Run the damn ball.
10:01And you have an opportunity to really very much win this game.
10:03Yeah.
10:04I'm with you.
10:04All right.
10:04You're in the loop here on Sports Radio 610.
10:06Somebody said, do the Texans still have to draft a running back high?
10:09That's a good question that we'll have to talk about
10:11because I've for the while said that Woody Marks still probably profiles
10:16as like a running back too.
10:18Is he changing that narrative in your mind at all?
10:21No.
10:22Okay.
10:22All right.
10:22I just wanted to see.
10:24And look, hopefully we'll have three more games to make that decision-based offer,
10:28right?
10:29But we'll have that conversation when we get to the offseason.
10:31Right now, we're still playing playoff football, baby.
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