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Posts Tagged ‘Houston Texans’

December 11th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Playoff dreams could be realized and could be smashed on Monday Night Football this week, and here at Cappers Info, we have all of the best news and notes to be able to make your NFL picks in the duel between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans this week.

Matchup: Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans
Date: Monday, December 13th, 8:30 ET
Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Game Line: Houston +3
Over/Under 46

Ravens Notes: This just seems like it is destined to be another one of those years where the Ravens have to come through a very tough path on the road if they want to make it to the Super Bowl, and as a result, it will probably be yet another year in which they fall just short of the biggest game of the season. Baltimore really should have had the AFC North on lockdown last week, but it let the Pittsburgh Steelers back into the game and eventually let them win it at the death. Now, instead of having a one game lead with the tiebreaker with four to play, the Ravens are one back and are probably in a position to lose the tiebreaker with four to play. The good news is that a win in this one leaves them two games up on safety for the last Wild Card spot in the AFC, thus they'll be in great shape to make the second season. However, a loss could open up Pandora's Box for all sorts of teams to feel like they have a chance at swiping that last bid to the playoffs, including these Texans. QB Joe Flacco is just a few passes away from being a 3,000 yard passer this year, and he should be in for a field day against a very suspect Houston secondary. WR Anquan Boldin already has 770 yards and seven TDs as a receiver this year, and he will be the prime focus for the offensive assault on Monday night. RB Ray Rice is a real dual threat, as he is the top rusher for the team with 847 yards and three TDs, and he is second on the team in receptions with 49 and fourth in yards at 410. Watch for WR Derrick Mason, who has 47 receptions and 598 yards this year, as this could be the biggest game of his season. No analysis of the Ravens would be complete without talking about LB Ray Lewis, SS Ed Reed, and this defense, though. This unit has played awesome ball for the majority of the year, as the unit is allowing just 305.8 yards and 16.8 points per game.

Texans Notes: Last season, the Texans were in this very familiar spot at this juncture of the season, and they probably needed a lot more help than this to get into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Houston did its job last year, running the table to finish 9-7, but it still was the first team left out of the playoffs, as the New York Jets stole that last spot on the last day of the season. Things seem to be gloomy, especially knowing that this is a very, very tough schedule down the stretch, but it's not all that bad for the Texans. They need to win out and get one more loss out of the winner of the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts battle next week, and that will most likely get the job done and win the division for the first time ever. However, on the darker side of things, a loss will make it virtually impossible to win the AFC South, as catching the Colts and Jags from two back, and perhaps three back, with just three to play is going to be a task too tough to tame. If Head Coach Gary Kubiak does end up getting fired at the end of this season, he can look back at his secondary and wonder why this unit was just so downright horrible this year. There really hasn't been enough consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as only really DE Mario Williams has any substantial numbers this year, and that has let QBs just sit in the pocket and pick the Texans apart. This unit ranks dead last in the league at 287.4 yards per game, and this is why this team has allowed at least 24 points to all but one foe this year. Offensively, we know that QB Matt Schaub, WR Andre Johnson, and RB Arian Foster are all potential Pro Bowlers this year, as all three are amongst the best at their trade in the game. Foster is arguably the most valuable player on this team, as he has 1,230 yards on the ground and 479 more as a receiver, and he has 15 total TDs on the season.

The Final Word: Houston is in a bad spot in this one, as the Ravens really can do anything that these please against this unit. The spirit of the fans at Reliant Stadium will be broken early, and when that happens and the crowd turns against Kubiak and company, things could get really, really ugly. Don't be shocked if this one turns into a romp and if Kubiak gets a pink slip shortly after the game for it.

Free Pro Football Picks: Baltimore -3
Prediction: Baltimore 31 – Houston 10

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December 1st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles both hope that the playoffs in their future, but only one of these teams is going to take a big time step in the right direction to start unlucky Week 13 in NFL betting action.

Matchup: Houston Texans @ Philadelphia Eagles
Date: Thursday, December 2nd, 8:20 ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Game Line: Philadelphia -9
Over/Under 51.5

Texans Notes: It feels like we're saying that this is a do or die game every single week for the Texans, but this one really might not be an exception. Houston is just a game back of the lead in the AFC South, but it is going to be in tiebreaker Hell in all likelihood by season's end. The Texans have to feel fortunate that they didn't lose WR Andre Johnson this week, as he probably deserved to be suspended for his fist fight with DB Cortland Finnegan on the field last Sunday. He could be in for a really big game against the Philadelphia defense, and if he has that big time effort, he could make it to the 1,000 yard mark. QB Matt Schaub is probably going to become a 3,000 yard passer, as he already has 2,751 yards on the campaign. He has 15 TDs against seven picks on the year and would be well on his way to some MVP consideration if the Texans were in the playoff picture. RB Arian Foster is the best running back in the league this year, and that's shocking for a man that really needed to fight for his job in the preseason. The former Tennessee Volunteer already has 1,147 yards and a dozen TDs on the ground, but his real contributions are in the passing game, where he is the second biggest target on the squad with 48 catches, 453 yards, and a score. And then, there's the defense… This unit is coming off of a shutout against the Tennessee Titans in which DB Glover Quin picked off three passes. However, beating up a division rival with its third quarterback making his first career starts doesn't seem to strike the same type of cord as it would this week. Every other foe this year has scored at least 24 points on the campaign against the Texans, and six in a row before Tennessee had scored 29 or more points.

Eagles Notes: Fly Eagles, fly! Philadelphia might be coming off of a loss to the Chicago Bears, but it is still in first place in the NFC East in a tie with the New York Giants. QB Michael Vick threw his first interception last week, but the best remedy for throwing a pick is playing against the Houston defense! The former Atlanta Falcon really has to be salivating about this matchup on Thursday night, as it gives him a chance to shine against a bad defense and to showcase his skills on national television. Vick has thrown for 1,941 yards and 13 scores and has rushed for 419 yards and five more TDs. There are some potentially big time games out of both WR Jeremy Maclin and WR DeSean Jackson coming. Maclin leads the team with 752 yards and 51 receptions with eight TDs, while Jackson is averaging 19.4 yards per reception this year, one of the biggest averages on the campaign. The former Cal Golden Bear has caught 35 passes for 678 yards and five scores. WR Jason Avant is coming on strong right now, as he has 41 receptions for 479 yards and a TD. RB LeSean McCoy has caught 59 passes for 448 yards and a TD, and he has rushed for 779 yards and six trips to the end zone. Defensively, there are some superstars to watch out for. DE Trent Cole has seven sacks on the season, while DB Asante Samuel has seven picks. Both Nate Allen and Dimitri Patterson have three INTs as well, while Quintin Mikell has three forced turnovers to boot.

The Final Word: Here we go again for the Texans. They just continue to feel like they find ways to lose games, and now that they are playing a Major League team once again and not a bunch of has beens, they have a big time issue. Houston is every bit as good as Philly is, but with this game being on the road off of an Eagles loss, it's hard to see how the hosts are going to lose this one. The Texans will cover, but they'll find a way to get beaten in the end once again.

Free Pro Football Picks: Houston +9
Prediction: Philadelphia 31 – Houston 30

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November 18th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful for NFL Week 11 for pro football betting action!

Underdog Pick #1: Oakland Raiders (+290 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 1:00 ET: Hmm… You would've looked like a real genius last year had you taken the Raiders on the road at Heinz Field, wouldn't you? This is just a bad matchup for Pittsburgh the week after dealing with the New England Patriots. Last week, the Steelers had to really get ready for a big time passing game with the finesse and all of that that comes with New England coming to town. Now, after getting blown away, in comes Oakland off of a bye week to bring its physical game to the Steel City. The Steelers know that they are probably going to stop the run, but QB Jason Campbell has the ability to stretch the field and some awfully quick receivers with WR Jacoby Ford and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey to capitalize on his big arm. Remember, the Pittsburgh defense just doesn't look the same without DE Aaron Smith in there. It isn't going to help that QB Ben Roethlisberger's two offensive tackles from the start of the year are out as well. Last week, the first week in which OT Max Starks was out of the lineup, the Pats were making a living in the Pittsburgh backfield. If the turnstile blocking scheme continues, Oakland is going to make life hell on Big Ben. To make matters worse, you know that the defense is going to dare Roethlisberger to throw, but the difference between this Oakland team and that of some of the other squads in the league is that the silver and black have the corners to man up on these wide receivers, especially if WR Hines Ward doesn't play. We'll certainly take our chances.

Underdog Pick #2: Houston Texans (+250 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ New York Jets, Sunday, 1:00 ET: It feels like it was just yesterday that Houston was 3-1 and the talk of the town in the AFC South. However, things have clearly fallen apart with three straight losses that have the team on the verge of total collapse. A couple factors come into play in this one. The Texans, assuming that QB Matt Schaub plays after his bursa sac injury suffered this week, has the ability to both stretch the field with WR Andre Johnson and work the inside with RB Arian Foster. Neither need to really have a ton of success, but both need to at least have some. We're worried about the New York offense, though. The Jets are going to try to run, run, and run some more at Houston, and we know that the way to really torch this 'D' is by going after its secondary. If the Texans can creep one more player into the box to try to stop the run, it might make life very uncomfortable for QB Mark Sanchez as well. Now factor in the fact that the Jets have played back to back overtime games on the road and that the Texans are really playing for their lives. Houston has never won a game against the Jets in its lives (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS), but this might just be its lucky day in the Meadowlands.

Underdog Pick #3: Detroit Lions (+230 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 1:00 ET: Look, do you really trust the Cowboys right now? C'mon, be honest with us here. Congrats to HC Jason Garrett for locking down his first win ever as a head coach at the Meadowlands last weekend against the New York Giants. However, it's going to be a heck of a lot harder to get up for this lowly game at home against the Lions than it was to go on the road against a divisional rival. Detroit is feisty and is taking its best shot at everyone. Sure, the Lions are covering spreads but finding ways to lose outright, but this might be the ultimate panacea. No one in the NFL continues to invent more ways to lose games than the Cowboys have. We'll take our chances that the longest road losing streak in the NFL's history (25 games) can withstand the fact that the Cowboys are playing for their first home win of the campaign (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS).

Underdog Pick #4: St. Louis Rams (+140 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 4:05 ET: Let's do some simple math here for just one second. The Rams are 4-1 at home. The Falcons are 2-2 on the road. St. Louis has been a dreadful road team that has really fed off of its home crowd. Atlanta is a team that has used its QB Matt Ryan to his fullest at home, but he hasn't been nearly as sharp in his career away from the Georgia Dome. The Falcons haven't won a game here at the Edward Jones Dome since 1998 SU (0-5) and only have one cover in that stretch as well. In that stretch, the Rams have scored at least 28 points all five times and have averaged 35.0 points per game. Atlanta has only scored more than 16 once in those meetings and has gotten shellacked by at least 12 all five times. Does anyone need to stay after class from this history lesson?

Underdog Pick #5: Indianapolis Colts (+180 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ New England Patriots, Sunday, 4:15 ET: Everyone get off of your high horse with the Pats and wake up! Recognize that these two teams are basically on level playing fields and giving us these types of NFL odds is absurd. We talk about all of the injuries in the Indy offense, right? Quick, name us New England's running backs? That's right, the top three are all on IR. What about the struggles for the Colts at DB with Bob Sanders and Melvin Bullitt out of the lineup. Any idea who is playing those positions for the Pats? Besides, which of these two defenses have single handedly won games this year? Indy's has come up large. New England's is still rated one of the worst in the league. Wide receivers? So what if Austin Collie and Dallas Clark are out of the lineup? The only consistent man that QB Tom Brady has is WR Wes Welker. Here's the deal with the Colts: Everyone says that they are a one man team, and they're all right. QB Peyton Manning is the heart and soul of this squad. Indy is nowhere without Manning even if every single other person in the world is perfectly healthy and playing at 100%. But as long as "The Sheriff" is on the field and calling the shots, all of the players around him have the ability to become Pro Bowlers. That's precisely why the Colts are going to march into New England and take care of the Patriots to keep their lead in the AFC South.

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November 1st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Indianapolis Colts will look to avoid a second straight NFL betting defeat at home against a divisional rival when they take on the Houston Texans on MNF.

Matchup: Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
Date: Monday, November 1st, 8:30 ET
Location: Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis, IN
Game Line: Indianapolis -5.5
Over/Under 49.5

Texans Notes: The argument could be made that this is the most important game in the history of the Houston Texans. They have never won game in Indianapolis in franchise history, going 0-8 SU in eight tries, and they have never swept a season series against the Colts. At 4-2 coming into Week 8, Houston is a half game behind the Baltimore Ravens for the last Wild Card spot in the AFC and a half game in the rears of the Tennessee Titans for first place in the AFC South. A win could put the team back in first place of the division by itself and will give it a one game lead on the Colts with the tiebreaker for the rest of the season. A loss will almost certainly make the task virtually impossible to get into the postseason, especially with a very difficult schedule left to contend with. There are a number of suspensions and injuries that the Texans have to cope with as well. LB DeMeco Ryans, once a Rookie of the Year in the NFL, was put on IR last week with an Achilles tendon tear, and LT Duane Brown is going to be sitting this one out with a suspension. In the Week 1 meeting of these teams, a 34-24 win for the host Texans at Reliant Stadium, RB Arian Foster went absolutely bananas, running for 231 yards and three TDs on 33 carries. Foster has calmed down quite a bit since that point, but still is in the Top 5 in the NFL in rushing with 635 yards. WR Andre Johnson is well on his way to another 1,000 yard campaign for Houston, as he has 488 yards in just five games and will certainly be a threat to go off for a huge day in Indy on Monday Night. The problem is going to come with a secondary that many think is the worst in the league, averaging allowing 306.2 yards per game.

Colts Notes: QB Peyton Manning had a field day against Houston seven weeks ago, throwing for 433 yards and three TDs in one of the best days of his career. His problem this week is going to be that 22 of his receptions from that Week 1 loss are out of the lineup. WR Austin Collie is listed as doubtful with a hand injury, while TE Dallas Clark's season is over with a wrist injury that he was put on IR for last week. The injury woes continue with DB Jacob Lacey and RB Joseph Addai, both of which are doubtful as well. P Pat McAfee has been suspended to boot. We already know that long term absentees S Bob Sanders, DT Antonio Johnson and S Melvin Bullitt are out for this one as well. Needless to say, Manning has a lot of problems to contend with on both sides of the ball. Still, he'll have WR Reggie Wayne and WR Pierre Garcon, and should be getting back WR Anthony Gonzalez for the first time in well over a season's worth of play. RBs Mike Hart and Donald Brown should get the majority of the carries, though we know that Manning is probably going to be throwing the ball 50+ times in this game against this secondary. The rush defense for Indy is about as woeful as the pass defense is for Houston. However, this is no surprise for any NFL historians, as the Colts have always struggled trying to stop the run. This year is no exception, as they are conceding 137.3 yards per game in that department. Up front, this offensive line has kept Manning relatively clean this year with just six sacks allowed, but three of those six sacks came against these Texans. Someone is going to have to figure out how to put a hat on DE Mario Williams, who only had one sack that day, but did wreck a ton of havoc in the Indy backfield.

The Final Word: Manning knows that this is a game that could start the decline in his career, as a loss would make the road to the postseason incredibly difficult, especially at 0-3 already in division with two games against Tennessee to go. No. 18 won't let it happen. However, this game is still that important to Houston, and we have a feeling that this will be one of these games that Manning leads the troops down on a game winning drive to break the Texans' hearts. We'll take the points.

Free Pro Football Picks: Houston +5.5
Prediction: Indianapolis 27 – Houston 24

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September 6th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NFL betting campaign is just about here! In order to get you revved up for the action beginning on Thursday night, we are making our playoff picks here at Cappers Info! (Odds to make the playoffs courtesy of BetUS Sportsbook)


Complete List of Odds to Make the Playoffs Can be Found Below

 

In the AFC, we reasonably probably have three teams fighting for two playoff berths in the AFC East and two teams fighting for one playoff berth in the AFC South unless someone can come out of nowhere in the AFC North or West. Simply put, the San Diego Chargers (-700 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the Baltimore Ravens (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) are getting into the playoffs as division winners. Both of these teams are likely head and shoulders above the rest of their competition in their respective divisions, and neither should face a challenge. Yes, this means that we feel as though the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns are pretty much out of luck in 2010.

The three teams in the AFC East to watch are the New England Patriots (-175 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the Miami Dolphins (+140 at BetUS Sportsbook). We realize that we are conventionally leaving out the Jets from this equation, but we just don't have all that much confidence in QB Mark Sanchez and we tend to believe that someone is going to figure out how to beat this defense at some point. The Pats came out of the blocks in the preseason incredibly angry. We know that their offense is amazing, as the starters just continued to run up and down the field on just about everyone that they ran into. The questions are on defense. Still, we can't picture a Bill Belichick team getting left home from the postseason for the second time in three years. Miami is a trendy sleeper this year and for good reason. If RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams can stay healthy, the Fins are clearly better than last year's team that narrowly missed out on the postseason. HC Tony Sparano is a great manager on the sidelines, and he is going to get Miami back to the playoffs once again this year. 

Reasonably speaking, the Indianapolis Colts (-250 at BetUS Sportsbook) are going to get to the playoffs. The only way that doesn't happen is if something really happens to QB Peyton Manning that keeps him out of the playoffs for a lengthy period of time. That being said, the Houston Texans (+120 at BetUS Sportsbook) should get into the dance this year. This is a make or break season for a franchise that was just on the verge of making special things happen last year. They won their final four games of last season to be knocking at the postseason door, and this is the year that QB Matt Schaub and company kick it down. It's going to be a year of second guessing for the Titans, who might win ten games but fall just short of the playoffs.

In the NFC, things are significantly harder to decipher. The East probably has three contenders this year, and we tend to believe that two of the three are going to find their way to the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) might be the best team in the NFC if QB Tony Romo keeps his head on straight. We tend to like what we have seen so far from the New York Giants (+100 at BetUS Sportsbook) as well. At some point, QB Eli Manning is going to put this team on his back and become one of those truly elite competitors at this level. The Giants should be fine. This leaves the Eagles on the outside looking in for the first time in seemingly forever. 

In the North, we are convinced that the Green Bay Packers (-200 at BetUS Sportsbook) are even better than they were last season when they went 11-5 and ended up as a Wild Card out of this division. The West and South we are handing to the San Francisco 49ers (-175 at BetUS Sportsbook) and the defending champions, the New Orleans Saints (-250 at BetUS Sportsbook) respectively.

This basically leaves us with the Eagles (whom we already deemed out of the mix with their new QB Kevin Kolb taking some lumps this year), Vikings, and Falcons fighting for one playoff spot. Minnesota might have QB Brett Favre back, but is there really any hope for him limiting his interceptions this year? Besides, that 40 year old body is going to take a huge beating once again in front of an offensive line that is starting to have some question marks, and we aren't so sure that even Favre, the consummate ironman in this league, is going to figure out how to make it through this season. That leaves the Atlanta Falcons (-120 at BetUS Sportsbook) to finish up the postseason roster. RB Michael Turner has to be in for a better season this year than he had a year ago, as 1,000 yards should be the bare minimum for this fantastic back. QB Matt Ryan is only getting better as well. There should be four slam dunk wins in the division against Carolina and Tampa Bay. The only question mark is whether the defense is good enough to put games away or not. The addition of DB Dunta Robinson should really help. We love the red and black getting back to the postseason.


Odds To Make the NFL Playoffs @ BetUS Sportsbook… Get a 100% Deposit Bonus Just By Clicking Here

Pittsburgh Steelers -120 
New England Patriots -175
Dallas Cowboys -200
New York Giants +100
Indianapolis Colts -250
San Diego Chargers -700
Baltimore Ravens -200
Philadelphia Eagles -110
New Orleans Saints -250
Minnesota Vikings -200
Carolina Panthers +300
Tennessee Titans +150
Atlanta Falcons -120
Green Bay Packers -200
Denver Broncos +300
Jacksonville Jaguars +325
Arizona Cardinals +165
New York Jets -175
Miami Dolphins +140
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +550
Buffalo Bills +650
Chicago Bears +175
Washington Redskins +175
Seattle Seahawks +225
Houston Texans +120
San Francisco 49ers -175
Cleveland Browns +600
Oakland Raiders +350
Cincinnati Bengals +160
St. Louis Rams +650
Detroit Lions +600
Kansas City Chiefs +375

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August 27th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Lone Star State will have its two teams meet in NFL preseason betting action on Saturday night in a nationally televised duel on CBS. The Houston Texans will look to get the bagel out of their win column in the preseason as they take on the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans (-3)
Saturday, August 28th
8:00 ET, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

Cowboys Notes: Even though the Cowboys are 2-1 in the preseason both SU and ATS, HC Wade Phillips really can't be all that happy with the way that his team has played, particularly on offense. The team only has accounted for two offensive touchdowns, both of which came in the passing game. In a span of three games, that simply isn't going to cut it. He'll hope for better this week when Houston's putrid defense comes to town, especially with the first team offense expected to play at least a half of football. Dallas ranks 27th or worse in every major offensive category thus far in the preseason, including an average of a woeful 251.3 yards and 13.7 points per game. The only blessing that has saved Dallas' skin has been its defense. The Boys rank fifth in the league in scoring 'D' at 12.7 points per game and are only allowing the sixth fewest yards in the NFL to boot (263.3 YPG). Twenty four of the 38 total points scored by opposing teams have come in the fourth quarter, where Dallas had been dominated before beating San Diego 9-0 in the fourth in last week's 16-14 victory. The battle at the wide receiver positions is once again going to be tense this week, as QB Tony Romo will probably be throwing the pigskin to a plethora of different targets. WR Sam Hurd leads the team in receiving with nine catches and 100 yards, but the likelihood is that he needs a big game to avoid being put on the taxi squad once the preseason is over.

Texans Notes: For a team that usually tries incredibly hard in the preseason, the Texans have been a bit of a disaster this season. It's not that the first team offense has really struggled, but the defense is having major lapses. We saw that clear as day in the 19-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in which all 19 points were scored in the final nine minutes of the game. Last week, the New Orleans Saints jumped out and put 28 points on the board in the first half as well en route to a 38-20 win. The good news is that QB Matt Schaub and his starting offense will take the field for probably the majority of three quarters on Saturday night. Schaub has been fantastic, completing 13-of-16 passes for 81 yards with a TD and no turnovers. He has done his job, putting the offense in the end zone in each of his first two games. It will be very interesting to see what HC Gary Kubiak does with his running backs. Arian Foster has started the first two games of the preseason, rushing for 59 yards and a TD, but Steve Slaton has gotten more looks with 15 rushes for 41 yards. With both Justin Griffith and Ben Tate already out for the season, this is a running back corps that can't afford many more knocks. Look out defensively for the performance of the front seven. Kubiak was very upset with how poorly the unit played against the Saints all game long, and the starters are expected to do significantly better this week in the home opener.

The Final Word: This is a good recipe for success for the Texans. It is their home opener, and the crowd at Reliant Stadium is going to be thrilled to see how good this team could be in a year which the playoffs are an expectation. Houston also has yet to record a win, something that doesn't typically sit well with coaches in the preseason as much as the outcomes really don't matter. Kubiak is likely to use his starting offense for more time that Phillips will, especially since Phillips has gotten an extra look at his team courtesy of the Hall of Fame Game. Sprinkle in a tad bit of the Texas sized rivalry these two teams have a bit of, and the Texans should be revved up as if this were a game of legitimate importance. Expect them to walk away with a relatively comfortable 'W'.

Prediction: Texans 28 – Cowboys 20

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August 19th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Crescent City will get its first look at its defending Super Bowl champions this season when they debut at the Superdome, as the New Orleans Saints play the Houston Texans.

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints (+1)
Saturday, August 21st
8:00 ET, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Texans Notes: Things appear to be set for the passing game for the Texans in 2010. Perhaps there was never really much of a doubt after they finished with the top rated passing unit in the league last year. QB Matt Schaub came out of the blocks and completed five of his six passes against the Arizona Cardinals, including a 44 yard touchdown strike to WR Andre Johnson. Johnson, who is significantly happier now that he has a new contract, had three catches for 59 yards and that touchdown in the opening quarter. The defense looked sharp as well, as DE Mario Williams picked up two sacks as a part of an effort in which the 'D' was pitching a shutout for three quarters. However, there wasn't much else to be happy about. RB Ben Tate suffered a potentially serious ankle injury after just two carries, which could put his 2010 season in danger. Between Tate's injury and the fumbling problems of Steve Slaton which reared their ugly head once again last week, HC Gary Kubiak is running out of rushing options. Expect to see more out of RB Arian Foster after his strong ending to the 2009 season and could be in line for a big year this season in the Lone Star State. On the injury front, both LB Xavier Adibi and WR/KR Trindon Holliday are questionable. Holliday had a decent debut for Houston, returning four kicks for 86 yards in his professional debut. The Texans blew their 16-0 lead through three quarters by allowing 19 unanswered in the fourth.

Saints Notes: You don't normally end up getting revved up for a preseason game, but this could be a big exception this week for the Saints. They aren't exactly hanging their banners for their Super Bowl triumph quite yet, but to come home for the first time after the city's first championship has to be exhilarating, especially for the first teamers. QB Drew Brees got his campaign this year off to a good start, as he completed nine of his 13 passes for 55 yards in limited action in a 27-24 defeat at the New England Patriots. Things for backup QBs Patrick Ramsey and Chase Daniel didn't go as well, but both were able to put points on the board. RB Reggie Bush notched the first score of the season on a two yard touchdown run in the second quarter. However, that was the only New Orleans score on a 24-7 run by the Pats that opened the game up. Still, the backups were good enough to bring the team back to a 24-24 tie with right around two minutes to play. A field goal with less than a minute left sent the Saints to defeat, though. New Orleans was outgained 329-305 in the game, but the offensive line looked okay, giving up just one sack. The defensive line picked up a pair of sacks, but the 'D' as a whole failed to force a turnover. For a defense that thrived on taking chances and creating turnovers last season, seeing a goose egg on the board in that department, even if in the preseason, is unacceptable.

The Final Word: There is just going to be too much riding in this one for the Saints to be beaten. There is no reason for them to be underdogs in this game, even if the defense does end up looking shoddy at best. Expect Brees and the offense to stay on the field just a tad longer than most starters would at this juncture of the season, as the city of New Orleans would love to open up with a 'W' by the Bayou. Expect the fans clad in black and gold to see just that with a comfortable NFL preseason betting triumph.

Prediction: Saints 27 – Texans 14

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February 23rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 It's not often that you see a sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Famer unceremoniously released from his team at the age of 30. Yet, that's what happened on Monday when the San Diego Chargers cut RB LaDainian Tomlinson after nine years of tearing up opposing defenses.

The release was clearly something that was going to happen after the way LT's career just decayed in his last few seasons. In his first seven seasons, Tomlinson rushed for at least 1,200 yards, carried the ball at least 313 times, and touched it a minimum of 23.4 times per game. In 2008, he "only" rushed for 1,110 yards on 292 carries, and he averaged almost two fewer touches per game from his career-low at that point.

That year was a trip in comparison to 2009. San Diego only ran Tomlinson 223 times and threw him 20 passes in 14 games. His 3.3 yards per carry was easily a career-low, and his 12 total touchdowns was his fewest since his rookie campaign.

Still, when you look at LT's body of work, it's hard to see why the Chargers would cut him loose. Tomlinson has rushed for 12,490 yards and 138 touchdowns, and he also caught 530 passes for 3,955 yards and 15 more scores. You know how many players have scored 150+ touchdowns in their careers? Two: Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith.

Pretty good company, eh?

Are you paying attention, Houston Texans?

The Texans have only really had one legitimate running back in their team's history, and the signing of RB Ahman Green never really panned out. The Houston franchise has been around just one fewer year than Tomlinson, and the team's all-time leading rusher is Domanick Williams (aka Domanick Davis).

When you're talking about fans in the Lone Star State, they never forget about their college football. No, Tomlinson wasn't a Longhorn, but he was a TCU Horned Frog and is still an icon in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Remember, we're talking about fan base that booed its own team and cheered when Tennessee's QB Vince Young marched into Reliant Stadium and beat the Texans in his rookie season.

HC Gary Kubiak made no bones about the fact that he hates the running back situation for his team. RB Steve Slaton was benched for his fumbling problem before getting injured at the end of the season. Aside from that, does anyone have confidence in Chris Brown or Arian Foster or any of the other boards with angry faces that Houston is trotting out there behind QB Matt Schaub?

There's a reason that Schaub threw the ball 583 times last season. Houston ranked 30th in the NFL in rush offense.

GM Rick Smith was one of the many that came over from the Denver Broncos when Kubiak was hired in Houston. Everyone on this team is familiar with what LT can do.

This is a match made in heaven. Houston, this is your man.

Don't be surprised if that dark visor and the infamous #21 are playing in Houston when the NFL kicks off in 2010.

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