It looks as if Jared Zabransky will make the Texans final roster even though he’s done nothing to really deserve it.  In his defense he hasn’t got to play much to prove what he can or can’t do as he has completed 1 of 4 passes for 19 yards (46.9 QB Rating).  He likely will get a shot to show what he can do in the last pre-season game tonight.  The Texans have released his competition getting rid of Bradlee Van Pelt and Quinton Porter.  Van Pelt only completed 1 of 7 (14.3%) passes for 8 yards (39.6 QB Rating) in the pre-season and Porter didn’t get to play a down.

The Texans pushed around the Cowboys over the weekend as they continue to look sharp in the pre-season.  Matt Schaub was outstanding as he completed 12 of 16 passes for 109 yards with 2 TD passes.  Sage Rosenfels finished up the game completing 8 of 13 passes for 62 yards with 1 TD pass.  RB Ahman Green was outstanding as he carried the ball 8 times for 65 yards (8.1 ypc).  Samkon Gado (4 car, 32 yards) and Ron Dayne (8 car, 25 yards) both looked good against the Cowboys running the football.  Andre Johnson looked sharp snagging 4 passes for 39 yards with a TD.  Rookie WR Jacoby Jones was also electric catching 2 passes for 26 yards including a TD and he also returned a punt 91 yards for a TD.  The Texans rushed for 142 yards on 26 carries (5.5 ypc) and they also completed 20 of 29 passes for 164 yards.

The defense played well against the running game as they held the Cowboys to 57 yards rushing on 21 carries (2.7 ypc).  But, the Cowboys passed pretty well against the Texans completing 19 of 28 passes for 234 yards.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270825034

The Houston Texans acutally looked like a good football team for once on Saturday Night.  Matt Schaub was pretty sharp when he was in the game as he completed 9 of 12 passes for 108 yards.  Sage Rosenfels replaced Schaub and he even played better as he completed 8 of 13 passes for 125 yards and a TD (a 40-yarder to Charlie Adams).  Jared Zabransky made a brief appearance and he completed 1 of 4 passes for 19 yards.  The Texans worked on their running game Saturday Night and they did it by spreading the football around.  Samkon Gado (8 car, 29 yards), Wali Lundy (8 car, 26 yards), Ron Dayne (6 car, 23 yards) and Ahman Green (6 car, 19 yards) all got their work in but no one really stood out.  TE Owen Daniels led the way for the Texans on the receiving end with 3 grabs for 45 yards.  Rookie Jacoby Jones was the star of the show Saturday as he returned a punt 80 yards for a TD and he also caught 2 passes for 32 yards and carried the ball 2 times for 24 yards.  The Texans finished up the game with 143 yards rushing on 32 carries (4.5 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 29 passes for 248 yards in a solid all-around effort on offense.

The Texans defense has a lot to work on after Saturday’s performance as the Cardinals seemed to do whatever they wanted to Saturday Night.  The Cardinals rushed for 141 yards on 26 carries (5.4 ypc) and they also completed 26 of 40 passes for 295 yards.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270818022

The Texans have a solid set of TEs.  Owen Daniels is the best receiver, Mark Bruener is the best run blocker and Jeb Putzier is a combination of the two.  Daniels was a pleasant surprise as a rookie.   He played in 14 games (12 starts) and he caught 34 passes for 352 yards (10.4 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  Look for the Texans to expand his role in the offense which could result in 50+ catches. 

Mark Bruener is an excellent blocker and he’s made a nice NFL career because of that.  He played in 15 games (4 starts) for the Texans last season and he caught 9 passes for 62 yards (6.9 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  He has now played in 173 games (138 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 152 passes for 1,333 yards (8.8 avg) with 18 TD grabs. 

Jeb Putzier was brought over last season as a free agent from surprise…..the Denver Broncos.  He was a bit of a disappointment which led to Owen Daniels overtaking him for the starting job.  Putzier played in 14 games (5 starts) for the Texans last year and he caught 13 passes for 125 yards (9.6 avg) with 0 TD grabs.  I would think he will show some pride this season and rebound somewhat.  He has now played in 53 games (15 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 90 passes for 1,212 yards (13.5 avg) with 2 TDs.

The Houston Texans will never learn.  Until they find a WR to patrol the other side of the football field that the opponent must respect….Andre Johnson will continue to get double and triple teamed!   Andre Johnson is still a fantastic WR but he would be so much more with just a little bit of help.  He has it all as he is a big target with soft hands and good speed.  He played in 16 games (all starts) last season for the Texans and he caught 103 passes for 1,147 yards (11.1 avg) with 5 TD grabs and he also carried the football 3 times for 14 yards (4.7 ypc).  Look for similar type numbers from Johnson unless rookie Jacoby Jones is ready to handle the WR job on the other side.  Johnson has now played in 61 games (all starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 311 passes for 3,953 yards (12.7 avg) with 17 TD grabs and he also has carried the football 18 times for 26 yards (1.4 ypc).

Kevin Walter was penciled in at the start of Training Camp as the starter opposite of Johnson but he’s no more than a #3 or #4 WR.  Walter has good hands but he has no speed and that’s why he shouldn’t start.  He played in 16 games (2 starts) last season for the Texans and he caught 17 passes for 160 yards (9.4 avg) with 0 TD catches and he also carried the ball 1 time for 3 yards.   Walter has now played in 59 NFL games (4 starts) in his career and he has caught 47 passes for 456 yards (9.7 avg) with 1 TD grab and he has carried the ball 1 time for 3 yards.

The Texans need Jacoby Jones to win the starting job opposite of Andre Johnson.  He has the speed and size to get the respect of the defense as long as he can handle the huge jump in competition as he played at baby Lane College.  He will be the player to watch in the pre-season for the Texans.

Veteran Keenan McCardell reminds me a lot of Eric Moulds who was brought in last season because he was once a really good WR but now he’s just trying to hang on.  With that being said I could still see him possibly beating out Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones for a starting job.  McCardell played in 14 games (11 starts) last year for the Chargers and he caught 36 passes for 437 yards (12.1 avg) with 0 TD grabs and he also carried the football 1 time for 8 yards.  McCardell would be best used as the #3 WR for the Texans providing someone else steps up for them.  He has now played in 199 games (167 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 861 passes for 11,117 yards (12.9 avg) with 62 TD grabs and he also has carried the ball 5 times for 20 yards (4.0 ypc).

Jerome Mathis will have a fight on his hands to keep his job as kickoff returner/#5 WR because the Texans have brought in Andre Davis and Bethel Johnson to challenge him for his job.  Mathis played in 2 games (0 starts) last season and he returned 7 kickoffs for 192 yards (27.4 avg).  He’s an electric return man but he has never played up to his ability on offense.  He has played in 14 NFL games (0 starts) and he has caught 5 passes for 65 yards (13.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He also has returned 61 kickoffs for 1,734 yards (28.4 avg) with 2 TD returns and he also has returned 12 punts for 68 yards (5.7 avg).

Bethel Johnson can do a little bit of everything but his bread and butter is returning kickoffs.  He played in 11 games (2 starts) last season with the Vikings and he caught 9 passes for 156 yards (17.3 avg) and he also carried the ball 4 times for 8 yards (2.0 ypc).  Johnson did a good job of returning kickoffs last season as he returned 45 for 1,054 yards (23.4 avg).  Johnson has had more success as a WR than Mathis but not as much as Davis so this will be a very interesting battle in Camp.   Johnson has now played in 50 games (9 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 39 passes for 606 yards (15.5 avg) with 4 TD grabs and he has carried the football 7 times for 4 yards (0.6 ypc).  Johnson has returned 147 kickoffs in his career for 3,611 yards (24.6 avg) with 2 TD returns and he also has returned 6 punts for 21 yards (3.5 avg).

Andre Davis is probably a better all-around football player than either Mathis or Johnson because he also has been a good WR in his career.  He didn’t get to do too much last season for the Bills despite played in all 16 games (1 start) as he only caught 2 passes for 13 yards (6.5 avg) and he returned 6 kickoffs for 99 yards (16.5 avg).  Davis has had a decent NFL career despite his off season in 2006.   He has played in 64 games (24 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 104 passes for 1,615 yards (15.5 avg) with 14 TD grabs and he also has carried the football 9 times for 32 yards (3.6 ypc).  Davis has also returned 97 kickoffs in his career for 2,078 yards (21.4 avg) with 1 TD return and he also has returned 8 punts for 40 yards (5.0 avg).

At this point in Tyrone Poole’s career he’s probably nothing more than a backup but the Texans needed depth after their latest bout with injuries in the secondary.  Poole played in 12 games last season with the Raiders and he made 15 tackles, defensed 4 passes, had 1 sack and 1 interception.  He will likely try to win a job in the nickel or dime defense for the Texans this season.  He has now played in 142 games in his career and he has made 477 tackles, defensed 121 passes, has 6 sacks, forced 9 fumbles and intercepted 18 passes.

Jason Simmons will battle Von Hutchins and Brandon Harrison for the starting job at free safety for the Texans.  Simmons is a little short at 5’9″ but he weighs 204 pounds which should help him against the running game.  Simmons played in all 16 games last season for the Texans and he made 47 tackles and intercepted a pass.  In his NFL career Simmons has now played in 120 games and he has made 227 tackles, has 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, defensed 8 passes, forced 6 fumbles and recovered 3 fumbles.  This will be a battle to focus on the rest of Training Camp and the Pre-Season for the Texans.

The Houston Texans have placed starting strong safety Glenn Earl and reserve DB Jason Horton on the Injured Reserve list ending their seasons.  Earl has a Lisfranc Injury in his foot and that’s ended a lot of players’ careers.  Earl played in 15 games last season for the Texans and he made 74 tackles, had 2 sacks, 1 interception, defensed 3 passes and forced a fumble.  Jason Horton did not play last season and he was trying to make the Texans as a reserve defensive back/special teams player.  He has played in 23 NFL games in his career and he has made 27 tackles and forced a fumble.  The Texans won’t miss Horton too much but losing Glenn Earl is going to leave a big mark in the secondary.

The Texans are going to move last season’s starting free safety (C.C. Brown) to strong safety to replace Earl.  Brown is a solid football player and he should be able to handle the switch easy.  Brown played in 15 games last season for the Texans and he made 76 tackles, had 1 sack, 1 interception, defended 4 passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.  He has been a solid player in the NFL over his career which now covers 31 games.  In those games he has made 155 tackles, has 1 sack, 2 interceptions, defensed 5 passes, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 1 fumble.  The Texans are expected to start Von Hutchins at free safety to replace Brown there.  He is a small guy who likely won’t help much at all against the run.  He is only 5’9″, 181 which will also cause him problems in defending TEs.  He only played in 3 games last season and he made 5 whole tackles.  He has now played in 22 games in his NFL career and he has made 56 tackles, has 1 interception (he returned it 77 yards for a TD) and he has defensed 1 pass.  Rookie Brandon Harrison out of Stanford could put up a fight with Hutchins for the starting job.  Stay Tuned.

The Texans just couldn’t hold on last night as the Bears scored the last 13 points of the football game.  A big part of the problem was the play of Bradlee Van Pelt as he only completed 1 of 7 passes for 8 yards late in the game which allowed the Bears a chance to come back.  Matt Schaub made a brief appearance at the start of the game and he completed 3 of 5 passes for 25 yards.  Sage Rosenfels was definately the QB that looked the best for the Texans last night.  He completed 16 of 26 passes for 138 yards with a TD pass and he also ran the ball 1 time for 11 yards.  Wali Lundy was the leading rusher for the Texans last night with 24 yards on 8 carries (3.0 ypc).  Samkon Gado looked o.k. last night as he carried the ball 4 times for 14 yards (3.5 ypc).  Rookie WR Jacoby Jones led the way for the Texans with 4 grabs for 47 yards.  TE Jeb Putzier pitched in with 4 catches for 40 yards and a TD.  The Texans appear to have a lot of work to do on offense after watching last night’s game.  They ran the ball 25 times but only got 75 yards (3.0 ypc) and they completed 20 of 38 passes for 160 yards.

The defense played good against the run as the Bears only rushed for 57 yards on 21 carries (2.7 ypc).  But, the Bears completed 30 of 42 passes for 264 yards.  Lucky for the Texans that they have three weeks to clean up the pass defense.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/live/NFL_20070811_CHI@HOU

The Texans appear to be deep at fullback on paper.  Vonta Leach would be the starter if the season started right now.  He played in 12 games (5 starts) last season for the Texans and he has caught 6 passes for 61 yards (10.2 avg) with 1 TD catch.  For his career Leach has played in 34 games (10 starts) and he’s never carried the football but he has caught 11 passes for 80 yards (7.2 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Jon Abbate is converting to fullback from linebacker so it will be interesting to see how he does.  Jameel Cook has had a setback in his recovery from knee surgery so there’s no timetable for his return to action.  He played in 11 games (6 starts) last season for the Texans and he carried the ball 3 times for 18 yards (6.0 ypc) and he caught 18 passes for 107 yards (5.9 avg).  Cook has now played in 83 games (23 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 6 times for 19 yards (3.2 ypc) and he has caught 73 passes for 446 yards (6.1 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Patrick Pass is a veteran that could move up the depth chart given his experience.  Pass played in 3 games (0 starts) last season for the Patriots and he carried the ball 6 times for 21 yards (3.5 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 24 yards (12.0 avg).  Over his NFL career, Pass has played in 78 games (11 starts) and he has carried the football 128 times for 526 yards (4.1 ypc) with 3 TD runs and he has caught 66 passes for 570 yards (8.6 avg) with 1 TD grab.