Since its establishment, the Houston Texans have continued to find a path to success. In the past few years, the defense has taken the lead in finding the direction, while the offense has always been ups and downs.
It's easy to understand why, quarterback.
Although football is a collective sport, and without players in any position, it will be difficult for the game to continue; but in the offensive group, the importance of the quarterback is unparalleled. Every team needs a cornerstone quarterback to build the entire offensive system around. This also makes the quarterback's position in the league particularly special.
But the problem is that among the more than 100 quarterbacks in the league, not to mention top quarterbacks or excellent quarterbacks, even quarterbacks above the standard are extremely popular. A cornerstone that can build a dynasty. The quarterback is definitely something you can meet but cannot find, which also makes the team inevitably feel urgent when facing the quarterback.
Look at last year's draft, the Washington Redskins were willing to spend a lot of money for Robert Griffin III and traded the second pick from the St. Louis Rams. This is the best proof.
Although industry professionals are complaining that the Washington Redskins are stupid and have too much money, they can actually understand the eagerness to seek talents, because this is the current situation of the entire league. There are only a handful of outstanding quarterbacks who can enter. Quarterbacks in the transfer market are extremely popular as long as they reach average standards; in comparison, the price in the draft is already very low and cost-effective.
The Washington Redskins are in dire need, and the Houston Texans feel the same.
After the team was established, the Houston Texans' record has always been poor. In the first five seasons, they won two No. 1 picks and one No. 3 pick. They were also struggling to find a cornerstone quarterback, but unfortunately, either Either the timing was wrong or the draft strategy was wrong. After going round and round, the right quarterback was never found.
In 2002, the Texans selected quarterback David Carr with the No. 1 pick. Unfortunately, Carr's performance has never been able to meet expectations. He can only be regarded as mid-range in the league, and the team's record is also poor. There wasn't much improvement; in 2007, the Texans had no choice but to give up on Carr and then turned their attention to the free market.
They found Matt Sabu.
Matt Sabu was a player selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 90th pick in the third round in 2004. After entering the league, Sabu served as the substitute for the Falcons' starting quarterback Michael Vick at the time. Unfortunately, he did not get much. More opportunities to play; and after transferring to the Texans, Sabu initially showed his abilities. Although he is not top-notch, he can reach the average level.
In 2009, Sabu reached the first peak of his career. He passed for 4,770 yards in the regular season and became the passing yard leader. The quarterback's season average score reached 98.6, setting a career high; despite touchdowns and interceptions The interception ratio remained high, with 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, already exceeding "1:1." However, Sabu was nominated for the Pro Bowl as a substitute for the first time and won the Pro Bowl MVP.
In 2011, the Texans made drastic changes to the defensive team based on the draft and the free market, and their strength was comprehensively improved. Nibu also set a career high. In the first ten weeks of the regular season, the team recorded seven wins and three. In losses, leading the league; and with more than half of the schedule, Sabu's personal data has also reached a new high, especially the touchdown and interception ratio, which has reached a career low.
Unfortunately, Sabu was injured for the season and could only watch rookie quarterback TJ Yates lead the team to the playoffs for the first time in history.
In 2012, that is, last season, Misaki ushered in a contract year and also a breakout year. Although the relevant data did not refresh his personal best, the Texans' offense and defense achieved a perfect balance, and the player's personal ability The team's strength has also been accurately matched. Among the entire league, the Texans are the team most praised by analysts and commentators except the San Francisco 49ers.
Sabu even became a strong candidate for regular season MVP.
But why is Sabu still not a good quarterback?
Mistake!
Sabu's pass turnover rate remains high. In six of the past seven seasons, the number of interceptions has reached double figures. The only exception was the 2011 season when he missed six games due to injury. The number of interceptions also reached six; correspondingly, Misaki's layout and execution ability in attacking touchdowns in the red zone are also weak, and the number of touchdowns is never high. More often, ground attack is still needed to complete the fatal blow. , which also further highlights the heavy cost of interception errors.
In addition, Misaki's passing success rate has always been low, with the season average generally remaining at around 66%.
After experiencing the highlight of last year's contract year, Sabu's status has declined significantly this season. In the four games so far, passing success rate and turnover rate are still the key words, which has also made it difficult for the offensive team to open up. situation.
At the same time, Sabu's offensive weapons also encountered problems of varying degrees, making matters worse.
Running back Adrian Foster, who was at his peak after signing a big contract last season, has seen huge fluctuations in his attacking ability this season. Especially his domineering power in the red zone seems to have been forgotten in Miami during the offseason. In the warm sunshine, there was no trace of the arrogance that he had when he scored 15 touchdowns last season.
Tight end Oen-Daniels, who performed well last season, was immediately reimbursed for the season due to injury. Before the injury, Oen-Daniels' performance also showed a significant decline. The pick-and-roll confrontation in the short passing area and the difficulty of receiving The ball ability cannot provide effective firepower output, further weakening the team's frontcourt confrontation ability.
Andre Johnson, the wide receiver who has entered his eleventh season this year, is still working hard and can be said to be the most stable link in the entire offensive team. However, it is difficult for him to defeat four hands with two fists. The decline in his passing ability has made Andre Lie was trapped in a situation without artillery support, and other receiving players were almost invisible. No matter how hard they tried, they could not help the team complete the offense.
This is the current state of the Texans offense.
Of course, at the beginning of the season, the problems exposed in just four weeks may be more serious than imagined, or may be milder than imagined. The focus still lies on the subsequent adjustments: the season has only started a quarter, and the team is still There is enough time to find the state again, and it is far from reaching the bottom yet.
Every game in October is crucial!
Today, facing the San Francisco 49ers who are also in jail, the Houston Texans have every hope of turning the situation around and finding the winning formula again.
However, this does not seem to be an easy task.
Just now, the Texans defensive team encountered a sap. In the face-to-face confrontation, they repeatedly lost the opportunity and missed the opportunity again and again. It was less than a minute into the game and they just lost a touchdown in a muddle. It seemed that Watt had completed it. The sack was still fresh in my mind, and then they were already trailing.
It's not scary to be scored by an opponent; the scary thing is that they have no idea how it happened.
Now, the entire Candlestick Stadium is boiling, and the mighty and scorching sound is coming like a tsunami, and it is crushed unreasonably in an instant, so that every player of the Houston Texans can clearly feel the wave. The ferocity and ferocity of the bared fangs and claws could not help but reappear in the mind of the bright golden ocean before the game started. The helplessness and panic of the away game quietly disturbed the thoughts.
Matt Sabu led his teammates into the court, and the offensive players formed a circle. Then Sabu stood in the center, knelt on one knee, and prepared to start arranging tactics; but the deafening shouts from the audience did not stay. He was hoarse at the top of his lungs, but his voice still couldn't break through the overwhelming waves of air and pass through any gap. The feeling of powerlessness really made people a little irritated.
In the end, Sabu could only complete the transfer of tactics through gestures and mouth movements.
The Houston Texans offensive team completed their formation. Raising his eyes slightly, Sabu could see the golden ocean surging throughout the field. It was boiling and raging, reflecting the bright halo of the sun, rippling brightly in his field of vision. , although they chose the venue on the backlit side, at this time Nabu felt that the entire venue was filled with gold, almost engulfing him.
"Defense! Bang bang!"
"Defense! Bang bang!"
The uniform shouts of support came down like a waterfall, leaving Sabu breathless. He could only force himself to take a long breath, focus on the defensive team in front of him, calm down, and start reading the defense.
calm.
calm.
calm.
Sabu was no longer a rookie who had just entered the league. His mood and state quickly calmed down. After completing all the actions step by step, he calmly announced the kickoff.
While his hands felt the rough leather texture of the rugby ball, the huge red wave built by the defensive front hit him unreasonably and unreasonably. The burning sensation could be clearly felt on the surface of Nabu's skin, which also forced him to His steps had to retreat continuously to regain time and space for himself to observe the pass.
During the step back, Sabu quickly scanned the entire field with his peripheral vision, and could faintly catch it. The defensive team used a five-man pass rushing tactic, and there were two linebackers roaming in the short passing area. This was also It means... there are only four players on the defensive second line, and at most it is only a one-on-one defensive matchup.
Chance!
But the premise is that Sabu can use his legs to get rid of the pass rush from the defensive front!
Sabu quickly made a judgment on the situation on the court, moved toward his right side, left the pocket with a quick lateral movement, and then swept his eyes across the field, taking in a panoramic view of the second-line confrontation.
Central ground, one on one. A wide receiver takes on a safety.
Right area, one to two. A wide receiver takes on a safety and a cornerback.
There seems to be something wrong with the matchup, which is somewhat different from his prediction. So how should he choose to pass the ball?
