Teams

Preseason Lowdown : Houston Texans

What’s the story?

The Houston Texans are relevant. The first decade was rough on the new(ish) franchise with no winning season to be seen until 2009. But they’ve made it to the divisional round of the playoffs for the past 2 seasons and have continued to rise as the star in a division whose only real competition comes from the Colts (we’ll talk about the Jags and Titans tomorrow…prepare to not be amazed). Now that they’ve proven they can play with the big kids, they need to start consistently beating the big kids. This could be a make it or break it season for the Texans.

Leader and commander:

Gary Kubiak, who, after 7 seasons with the team and much success, could find himself looking for a job if this season falls on the “break it” end of the spectrum. He has a reservation for one on the hot seat unless the Texans advance further into the playoffs than ever before.

New kid on the block:

Ed Reed, former Ravens stalwart, will be holding down the defense at safety. Which means with J.J. Watt up front and Reed in the secondary and Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator…well, good luck, offenses of the world.

Last year was…

…under appreciated, only because the Texans are capable of so much more than losing two consecutive divisional title games. They started off fast and furious and ended with the best record in franchise history at 12-4. Not too shabby, but also not fully living up to potential.

Survey says:

The Texans can win the division. They’ve proven that. But they’ll need to prove more than that to solidify their status as a real threat in the AFC (and for everyone to keep their jobs at the end of the season).

Side note: be on the lookout for current defensive player of the year, J.J. Watt, to break Michael Strahan’s sack record. Just for practice, he also breaks the laws of physics, as seen here.

Preseason Lowdown Roundup : AFC East and North

It’s been so good to return to normal around here. If you missed any of this week’s Preseason Lowdown posts, here’s the roundup:

Preseason Lowdown : Buffalo Bills

Preseason Lowdown : Miami Dolphins

Preseason Lowdown : New England Patriots

Preseason Lowdown : New York Jets

Preseason Lowdown : Baltimore Ravens

Preseason Lowdown : Cincinnati Bengals

Preseason Lowdown : Cleveland Browns

Preseason Lowdown : Pittsburgh Steelers

ALSO:

If you find yourself needing a refresher on something specific before the season gets underway, be sure to check out the Sitemap to quickly find what you’re looking for! All of the posts are laid out clearly and organized by category. From advanced to basics to definitions to teams and beyond, you’ll find a whole heap of information from previous posts.

Looking for something that isn’t in a previous post? Tell me! Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email. I’d love to learn more about your question and answer it in an upcoming post.

Hope everyone is having a great Friday! See you all next week for the lowdown on AFC South and West.

Preseason Lowdown : Pittsburgh Steelers

What’s the story?

The Steel Curtain might be showing some signs of rust. The team is aging. Big Ben is banged up. Free agents fled like the building was on fire. And they’ve decided to subject fans to the vertigo suits again…which just seems like cruel and unusual punishment. But in Pittsburgh, as in most franchises with a history of prolonged success, the framework is solid and the “next man up” philosophy reigns supreme. The potential for catastrophic failure is low.

Leader and commander:

Mike Tomlin (who is always a favorite of mine when he’s wired for SoundFX)

New kid on the block:

Rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones has quite the shoes to fill. He’ll likely earn now-Bengal James Harrison’s starting spot. But he’s a great fit for their system, and with coaching from the legendary Dick LeBeau, he has a chance to shine in his NFL debut.

Last year was…

…a surprise. The Steelers missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record – the first losing season for the Black & Gold since 2006.

Survey says:

This year could be similar to last year. The Steelers are currently holding down the 16th spot – smack dab in the middle of the pack – in the preseason power rankings. The division is getting tougher for the perennial contenders, and they’ll need to prove that they are still the team to beat.

Preseason Lowdown : Cleveland Browns

What’s the story?

What is the story with the Browns? On one hand, things look bleak. Their owner could be facing federal charges and they’re starting over (again) with a new head coach (again). But on the other hand, the Browns have a real opportunity to excel this season. It might not seem like it at first glance, being in the same division as the reigning Super Bowl champions, legendary Steelers, and popular pick Bengals, but all of those teams have exposed Achilles’ heels. This could be the Browns time to shine – and they just might have the talent to do so.

Leader and commander:

First-year head coach (with the team and the position) Rob Chudzinksi, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.

New kid on the block:

The new moves around Browns headquarters are probably bigger than the moves on the playing field. They brought in an all-star lineup on coaches – Norv Turner on offense, Ray Horton on defense – and also hired Mike Lombardi, who had been with the team way back when the franchise was moved to Baltimore, to be the GM.

Last year was…

…second verse, same as the first. The 5-11 season was the Browns fifth consecutive with 5 wins or less. And not to pour salt in the wound, but it extends further than that. They’ve only had one winning season (above .500) in the past decade.

Survey says:

The Browns schedule isn’t doing them any favors – in the first month along they face the Dolphins, Ravens, Vikings, and Bengals. They are currently ranked 28th, but don’t count the Browns out just yet. It seems like some well-deserved optimism is brewing.

Preseason Lowdown : Cincinnati Bengals

What’s the story?

Take heart, Bengals fans; your time has come. Over the past few years the Bengals have consistently increased their talent level and are now considered to have one of the best rosters in football. However, having good players is one thing. Having a team that wins is another. This could be the year that the Bengals make the leap from great talent to great team.

Leader and commander:

Marvin Lewis, who is actually the 2nd-longest tenured coach in the NFL right now at 10 years with the team.

New kid on the block:

Offensively, picking up Tyler Eifert in the draft should do well to solidify the team at tight end. Defensively, the Bengals picked up former Steelers defensive star James Harrison. It’s probably safe to assume that if Harrison played angry as a Steeler, he’ll play a heck of a lot angrier after getting booted by Pittsburgh and picked up by division-rival Bengals.

Last year was…

…disappointing. For the second year in a row, the Bengals met the Texans in the first round of the playoffs. And for the second year in a row, they got shellacked.

Survey says:

When talent transforms into team, the Bengals will be a force to be reckoned with. That could happen this year, and one would hope it would translate into a long awaited playoff win. Until then, they’ll still be sitting pretty in the upper middle of the pack at number 9 in the preseason power rankings.

Preseason Lowdown : Baltimore Ravens

What’s the story?

The Ravens are the reigning Super Bowl champs, but the team that takes the field on September 5th will barely resemble the team that hoisted the Lombardi trophy last February. If there was a name you recognized on the Ravens roster, chances are he’s no longer there anymore, save for quarterback Joe Flacco, who earned a whole lot of cash money on his new contract. Repeating as Super Bowl champs is a tall order for any team – the Patriots were the last to do it, and that was a decade ago – but it might be even more of a challenge for the newly reshuffled Ravens.

Leader and commander:

John Harbaugh (or the Harbaugh brother who is not likely to be seen doing this).

New kid on the block:

Um, all of them?

Last year was…

…the best a year can be: Super Bowl Champions.

Survey says:

A repeat performance will likely be an uphill climb. On top of losing a whole lot of talent from their roster, Joe Flacco just signed a mega contract, and that can occasionally cause quarterbacks to freak out and try to prove their worth on the field (often unsuccessfully). No reason to sound the alarms yet, but be on the lookout for a season that looks a little different from the last one (even though the last one was unexpected, too).