Skip to main content
Advertising

Urgent | Vandermeer's View

This isn't just the title of an old Foreigner song. It's the scene facing your Texans.

But while we're on the subject, it is a great song, isn't it? And Junior Walker's saxophone solo is amazing.

I digress.

Bill O'Brien was asked during the post-game press meeting whether his team was panicking. He said that it's a sense of urgency the team is feeling more than panic.

At 0-3, it isn't like we haven't seen this before. Two years ago, Houston was 0-3 and reeled off nine straight. But that's not something you see every day. In fact, it was unprecedented.

The common theme in all three losses this year is second halves that see way too many rushing yards allowed and not enough conversions on offense to fill up their side of the ledger.

Last week I used the analogy of timely hitting in baseball. That the Texans hadn't strung their big plays together, like getting hits with men on base.

Against the Steelers, they looked good in the first half, putting up 21 points, a season high for an entire game.

But in the second half, they got shut out, the bullpen didn't deliver and the Steelers took over in the 'later innings.'

Okay, enough of the baseball metaphors.

The defense made some key plays in the first half and it looked for a while like it could be the Texans' day. Will Fuller and Randall Cobb caught touchdown passes as Watson and the passing attack was starting to get into rhythm.

The second half began a bit like it did in the Baltimore game. The opponent put together a long drive but the Texans held, giving up three instead of seven. It was anybody's game but you knew Houston's offense would have to hold serve.

Then Pittsburgh's defense did a Steel Curtain tribute and prevented the Texans from getting beyond the Steeler 43-yard line. Other than that, it was three 3-and-outs and 11 Pittsburgh points as the game slipped away.

Now comes Minnesota. The Vikings played a high scoring game with Tennessee, which is now 3-0 (say it ain't so!). Someone is going to be winless after next week's NRG showdown and the Texans will do everything they can to avoid only the second 0-4 start in the history of the franchise.

The situation is, shall we say, urgent.

Check out some photos from the Texans Week 3 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Related Content

Advertising