Cushing Out, Texans Done?…Next Man Up!!

Written by : Chance Bond

Brian Cushing is out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. New York Jets Left Guard Matt Slauson blocked Cushing below the knee and then rolled into Cushing not allowing him to avoid being pinned up. The block was one, a clip ,and two illegal. Matt Slauson should receive a league fine. As a Texans fan it’s easy to call it dirty, but I’m not sure it was. Head Coach Gary Kubiak commented on the block ” ;He (Brian Cushing) got cut on the play. Obviously, cutting is part of football but the rule says you can’t come back to your own goal line and cut. So the question is, is the guy coming back to his own goal line? That’s in the League’s hands.”Cushing waited in the tunnel after the game to congratulate the team on the win. The leadership he possesses my be a hard part of his game to replace, but not impossible with the locker room the Texans have. We my see ; JJ Watt in that role, Antonio Smith, Connor Barwin. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jonathan Joseph took the reigns.

Texans In Unfamiliar “Elite” Status

Written by: Chance Bond

The Houston Texans are in the unfamiliar territory of being an “elite” team. The fans are new at dealing with the loss of good players. The front office is new at putting a positive spin on the situation. Fans are complaining how we lost our “best players.” Who’s gonna replace them? Why are “they” so cold about it. The front office didn’t realize how sensitive the situation was, and carried on with business as usual. The Texans just came off the most succesful season in franchise history. They gained a lot of new fans. The new fans know the names of Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, and Eric Winston. They we’re the identity of the franchise, and the names to the face. Losing such “great” players is the sign of going backwards. The administration has to remember Houston fans always expect the worst.Truth is they were good players that were paid more than their production. Proof the team won’t pay for names. Great teams go through this every off season. They cut 3 or 4 players to maintain cap numbers. This is Texans fans first experience with that. We’re use to sitting around talking about who we’re gonna draft, and what free agents we’re gonna get. Fans are seeing what’s happening and are at a loss. The new fan doesn’t know Mario hasn’t been healthy an entire season since 2009. DeMeco Ryans only played on 1st and 2nd down. Eric Winston had trouble pass blocking on 3rd and long situations, and with holding penalties. The Texans have replacements. Brooks Reed and Conner Barwin are as good of a pass rushing tandem as there is in the league. Together they combined for 17.5 sacks last season. Darryl Sharpton is ready for a starting role at inside linebacker. Rashad Butler and Antoine Caldwell have played on the offensive line all last season in spots and are ready to start. The Texans go into the draft this April with cap money to sign the players they draft.The fact they aren’t signing free agents is good, suggesting the team has a few holes that the draft can fill. The rare air of winning goes down rough when you have never breathed it before. Can’t wait till next season when we are talking about replacing An….