Finally, fake football is over for another season. For most fans, the preseason is far too long and far too boring to give it their full attention. As a former coach, I completely understand the need for this. You want to experience as many game situations as possible. That’s why there are so many joint training sessions in addition to the preparatory games. Coaches can’t get enough of it.
There are always two main goals in any preseason game. The most important goal by far is to come out of it healthy. The Texans have largely accomplished that. We’ll get into that in more detail later. The second goal is to find the guys to fill the last few spots on the roster. As I write this, no decisions have been made on that, but by the time you read it, some news will be leaking out.
Notice that I didn’t say win or lose. Of course, we’d all rather win games than lose, but preseason win-loss records predict success about as well as good handwriting in stock car racing. So I present the following numbers not because this single game is important, but to examine what influences win and loss.
The most important figures
Total length in yards: Houston Texans 329, Los Angeles Lakers 193
Running yards: Texans 27/155, Rams 34/121
Passing yards: Texans 36/174, Rams 16/72
Sacks: Texans 0, Rams 0
Turnover losses: Texans 1, Rams 0
Penalties: Texans 9/85, Rams 6/64
Time of possession: Texans 31:22, Rams 28:38
We’ll get to the good, the bad and the ugly in a minute, but it’s pretty clear that the final score didn’t reflect how much the Texans dominated this game. Part of it was because of that one botched punt. Part of it was crucial penalties that stalled drives. Part of it was just the result of a game where third and fourth line players played the game out.
The good
If there was one nagging question on the offensive side of the ball this training camp, it was the nagging question of whether the Texans will ever be an effective running team. We won’t know the definitive answer to that question until we see Joe Mixon in action, but this game at least did a lot to make people feel good about potentially having more depth behind him.
Granted, this was largely a battle of backups versus backups. I’m not going to freak out about Cam Akers potentially leading the NFL in rushing. The fact is, he can be a useful option to replace Mixon on occasion. The linemen in the game actually opened up a few gaps, but this was a demonstration that we need backs who can outsmart guys. The days of having a gap you could drive a Buick through are over and probably won’t be coming anytime soon.
All of the other backs had good runs as well, even if their overall numbers weren’t as impressive as Akers’. Another encouraging aspect of this preseason was the commitment to receiver runs, which give the defense a different look. Steven Sims attempted a 38-yard run. This shouldn’t be a regular feature, but one or two of these per game can keep the defense on its toes.
The bad
I mentioned avoiding injuries, and I should just say I meant “major” injuries. The Texans didn’t leave that game without injuries. Thankfully, no starters were on the field, but that doesn’t mean you’re OK with someone getting hurt. Sometimes those injuries are real, and sometimes they’re just winks at players you want to keep but don’t have room for.
Of course, I’m not blaming the Texans or any particular player. That would be irresponsible and inflammatory. Let’s just say it’s happened. The secondary in particular has been hit pretty hard, as Kris Boyd, Brandon Hill and Lonnie Johnson all appear to have been injured in the game. Boyd and Hill were carted off the field, so those injuries look worse.
I have no way of knowing if any of these three players would make the team, let alone be part of the rotation. Perhaps their injuries just provide the Texans with acceptable insurance to move on from. Perhaps it means they will search the waiver list for quality players. The next few days will tell us a lot.
The Ugly
There are certain rules of thumb I like to apply in life. One of them is that you can’t be a good person if you’re enjoying this week in the NFL. Is it fascinating on any level? Is it something we want to pay attention to? We can answer both questions in the affirmative, but I can’t enjoy it. We should take a moment to consider that hundreds of players across the league will see their NFL dreams dashed. Others will be kept alive as they may have to travel across the country to a new team and a new city.
Yes, some of them make a lot of money. Yes, it’s the business they’ve chosen. I don’t shed a tear for them, but I also don’t rejoice over whether a player makes the team or gets sent away. Something can be interesting and important without being fun. We at BRB are ramping up our regular season coverage and enjoying things at this level. We don’t hope that NFL dreams die.
