Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

[WizKhid]

A Madden 12 Franchise
Xbox 360
All Pro (with Slider adjustments)

After a disappointing 2010 campaign were head coach Gary kubiack and the Texans posted their second worse record to date in the kubiack era. Not only did they have a bad season but to also be ranked dead last in the league in pass defense is amazing. They quickly made some key moves during the off-season by firing defensive coordinator Frank bush (who is know the Defensive Coordinator for the Titans) and co. with the exclusion of defensive line coach Bill Kollar. Enter in former head coach of the Dallas cowboys and new defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans Wade Phillips who has a track record for turning around bad defenses. Now the Texans have even more questions to answer this year. Can they improve a defense that ranked dead last in pass defense a year ago? Is this finally the year that they make it to the playoffs? So many questions....so little time....


[This franchise will go hand and hand with my NCAA dynasty]

[tbasket20]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

im a houston texans fan, so ill be following

[WizKhid]

Texans Draft Review

Houston Texans 2011 Draft Review


Commissioner Rodger Goodell [left] & 1st rd. Pick J.J. Watt [right]

Going into the draft with the lockout still in place. There was no type of free agency or trades that could be done except for swapping of draft picks. Heading into the draft the Texans had to improve their pass defense somehow and the draft was the right place to do so.

-------------------

1st round pick: 11th overall DE J.J. Watt (Wisconsin)
Analysis Thoughts: A relentless player who gives it 100% all game long. Watt is an ideal fit for Wade Phillips 3-4 scheme because of his ability to push the pocket. Not only does he improve Houston's run defense but also gives them another high motor player in the pass rush department.

2nd round pick:42nd overall DE/OLB Brooks Reed (Arizona)
Analysis Thoughts: Reed is another guy who plays with a non-stop motor and who knows how to get after the quarterback. Being a defensive end in college reed will be asked to stand up and play outside linebacker in Wade's "34".

2nd round pick (via trade with patriots): 60th overall DB Brandon Harris (Miami)
Analysis Thoughts: Everyone was wondering when the texans were gonna take a DB. Traded back into the second round to select Brandon Harris. Harris gives the Texans an instinctive cover corner with amazing ball skills. He has experience playing nickel and should contribute right away.

4th round pick: 127th overall DB Rashad Carmichael (Virginia Tech)
Analysis Thoughts: Houston grabs another Corner to sure up their secondary problems from last year. Carmichael is a tough and scrappy corner with great skills. He will need some time before he could push for any starting spot but should see the field in sub-packages

5th round pick: 144th overall DB Shiloh Keo (idaho)
Analysis Thoughts: Keo will more then likely be a backup safety and Special Team contributor. He can cover the back end but he more of a in the box safety.

5th round pick: 152nd overall QB T.J Yates (UNC)
Analysis Thoughts: A highly competitive quarterback. Improved tremendously in his final season at UNC and could develop into a solid back-up for Houston.

7th round pick: 214th overall OL Derek Newton (Arkansas State)
Analysis Thoughts: Newton gives the texans some depth along the offensive line. He could fill in at the both guard positions or even at right tackle.

7th round pick and Mr. Irreverent: 254th overall DE Cheta Ozougwu (Rice)
Analysis Thoughts: Ozougwu is inconsitent and doesn't understand football that well. He does has quickness and some edge rushing ability so we will see if he can make a solid career in the NFL.

[WizKhid]

The Gridiron: 32 teams in 32 days - Houston Texans

Warren Sapp
________________

Associated Press
July 30,2011 @ 12:00Pm

32 teams in 32 days




(The Texans playoff hopes lies on their defense)



Since joining the league back in 2002. The Texans are the only team who has yet to make it to the playoffs. They have all the pieces to make a run in the AFC South division but can not seem to put things together each year. Year in and year out they rank among the top 5 in offense starting with star wide receiver andre johnson who is one of the best, if not thee best in the game today. Throwing him the ball is quarterback matt schaub who is coming off a back-to-back year with over 4,000yds passing. Now with the emergence of star running back in arian foster who busted onto the season 2010 after going undrafted back in 2009 and you would think you got a recipe for success right?


(Can wade get the job done?)

Wrong! The offense could only do so much. Its the defense that keeps the Texans from getting over that hump. Last year the Texans ranked dead last in pass defense thanks to a woeful secondary. Now enter former head coach of the Dallas cowboys wade phillps who plans to get this sub-par defense on par with their offense. The big question here is how can wade improve this secondary that ranked dead last against the pass? How will mario williams adjust to playing the outside linebacker position. This is the year for the Texans. Its either go home or go to the playoffs!

[WizKhid]

5 things that can make or break the texans




Deion Sanders (@Primetime)
____________

Associated Press
August 5,2011 @ 3:00pm



What's up football fans! Primetime here and I'm gonna tell you five things that can make or break the 2011 season for the Houston Texans. We all know that the Texans are the only team that has not made the playoffs yet. They have some nagging questions that need to be answer before shining in the light of primetime! Alright let's get started....


5. Is wade phillips the guy?
- Just before the lockout was in place. The Texans quickly made some moves to their coaching staff firing frank bush(now DC for titans) and hires former head coach Wade phillps to be their defensive coordinator. Now the question is will he be able to work his magic and turn this defense into a competitor? They will be moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4 with no OTA or Mini-camp. It could be a long year for the Texans if they can not get the hang of things early.

4.Can Mario Williams play OLB??

- The biggest question on peoples mind is how will mario transition from having his hand in the dirty to standing up rushing the passer. Looking at what wade phillps did in dallas with demarcus ware (one of the premier pass rusher in the league, might I add) is exactly the same thing he plans to do with mario in Houston. Williams has a total of 48 sacks in just five season he been in the league and I believe he is prime to be the 2011 sack leader this year!

3. Can Foster repeat the 2010 season?
- Foster broke out in 2010 rushing for over 1,500 Yds, 16 touchdowns and capped off the season as the leagues leading rusher after going undrafted in 2009. Now in 2011 foster will have to prove to everyone that he not a one year wonder and that he is a star in the rising for the Texans.

2. Can the Texans make the move to a "34" defense?
- The Texans are moving from a "43" to a "34". Because of the lockout this team will have to learn wade phillps defense on the fly. Some of their key players are moving to new positions such as mario williams from DE to OLB, glover quinn from CB to FS and brian cushing from OLB to ILB. This transition could make or break the Texans defense and their chance at a playoff berth.

1. How will wade phillps improve this woeful secondary?

- This is the biggest task for wade phillips and his defensive staff. Will he be able to improve a team that ranked dead last in pass defense a year ago? They wasted no time in signing ex-Bengal cornerback Johnathon Joseph and ex-bears safety Daniel Manning to sure up their secondary problems. Only time will tell on how these two will have an impact on this defense and in the young secondary.

[Next: Preseason Position Battles]

[bichettehappens]

Re: 5 things that can make or break the texans

Excellent presentation so far. Definitely following this, keep up the good work! Excited to see the games get started

[WizKhid]

Pre-season position battle

By John Mclain
____________

Associated Press
August 10th, 2011 @ 2:00pm

Pre-Season Position Battle


This is John McClain reporting from the Houston chronicle.The lockout is over and the preseason is just around the corner. Which means we will take a look into the Houston Texans roster and pick out some of the important position battles to take notice of during the pre-season.

Pre-season Position Battle
NAME
James Casey
Lawrence Vickers

Position - Fullback
Playing time - Starter
James Casey Vs. Lawrence Vickers

Houston lost Vonta leach during free agency to the ravens and now look to re-fill that void. It will be hard to replace leach who paved the way for arian to lead the league in rushing. James Casey will move from the tight end position to fullback. He is very versatile and would give Houston a lot of new options. Don't be fooled on how tough this kid really is! On the other side Houston brought in Lawrence vickers who is in the same mold of Vonta leach. Vickers was released from the browns and signed with he Texans just a week ago. He will be competing with Casey for the starting job.

Spoiler

Analysis Thoughts: This is a tough one. Both of these guys bring something different to the table but I will go with James Casey winning this one.

Pre-season Position Battle
NAME
Derrick Ward
Ben Tate

Position - Runningback
Playing time - Back-up
Derrick Ward Vs. Ben Tate


Last year the Texans featured the leagues leading rusher in arian foster. Foster will be the primary back for houston but now that leaves a gaping hole at the #2 spot. Houston used a second round pick to draft former auburn tiger running back Ben Tate and was looking for him to have been their main back. He showed flashes during the pre-season last year but an ankle injury put his rookie season on hold. Now back 100% healthy Tate needs to show the coaching staff why they choose him in the draft! Derrick ward on the other hand has a slight edge over Tate. He served as foster back-up last year rushing for 315yds on 50 touches for 4 touchdowns last year. It will be interesting to see who will be foster's back-up this year. Both of these players bring a lot to the table and needs a strong pre-season to show what they have.

Spoiler

Analysis thoughts: I believe derrick ward will win the job over Tate.

Pre-Season Position Battle
NAME
Kareem Jackson
Jason Allen

Position - Cornerback
Playing time - Starter
Jason Allen Vs. Kareem Jackson

The signing of Johnathon Joseph sealed up the #1 corner spot but now who will play opposite of him? Now this should be one of the most interesting battles to watch this pre-season. Reason why is because both of these guys were first round picks. Ex-Dolphin Jason Allen who the Texans picked up off the wire last year to help improve their secondary. Allen who has been in between the safety and corner position while at Miami will finally get to play cornerback all season in wades "34" defense. The question is can he live up to his first round draft status? Just behind him is Kareem Jackson the Texans 1st round pick in 2010. One of the reason for the woeful secondary was because Jackson was thrown into the fire as the #1 corner. Now with Joseph in town he will compete for the job at the two spot. Which one of these former first round picks will emerge the victor?

Spoiler

Analysis thought: I'm going with Jason Allen because he brings a veteran leadership to go along with Johnathon Joseph. Giving the Texans a nice 1-2 punch in the secondary.

Pre-Season Position Battle
NAME
Shaun Cody
Earl Mitchell

Position - Nose Tackle
Playing time - Starter
Shaun Cody Vs. Earl Mitchell

One of the biggest question marks on defense for the Texans. They did not draft a nose tackle or pick anyone up in free agency to fill the void. Instead Wade Philips believes one of these two players can be his NT he needs. Earl Mitchell one of the draft picks from the 2010 class and has shown flashes of his atheism along the defensive line. Do not be surprised if he wins the starting job during the pre-season. Shaun Cody who is entering is 3rd year with the Texans after being drafted by the lions back in 2005. Cody is not known for his penetration ability but will put up a good fight for the starting position.We will be watching this position really carefully during the pre-season.

Spoiler

Analysis Thoughts: Hands down Earl Mitchell should win this job.I do not believe Cody can play the nose.

[WizKhid]

Re: 5 things that can make or break the texans

Excellent presentation so far. Definitely following this, keep up the good work! Excited to see the games get started

Thanks for following man I can't wait to get his underway it will be my first madden franchise i did a write up for lol hopefully it will be easy then doing one for ncaa since i don't have alot of teams to keep up with

[WizKhid]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

So good news is I just got madden 12 today! but I'm gonna wait till the 19th to start posting updates because that when I get my internet so I could get the updated rosters.

[WizKhid]

2011-2012 Pre-Season Schedule

The season is near......Football is back!

Come out and support your 2011 Houston Texans!

The pre-season is just a week away, as teams release their pre-season schedule for the next four weeks.

Houston has a tough pre-season schedule facing the likes of the jets and the saints. Then they hit the road to face the 49ers and vikings who both have new head coaches. It will be the debut of wade phillips new 3-4 defense here in Houston. The fans are excited to see the team that they love do well this season while the coaches hope they can make a playoff berth.

Here is what head coach gary kubiak said after the teams practice


Make it or break it season for kubiak

" We really would love to get into the playoffs this year. I told the team let's just take it one game at a time and see where it will get us this year."


Pre-Season Schedule

Week 1 Mon, Aug 15, 8:00pm (0-0)


Week 2 Sat, Aug 20, 8:30pm (0-0)

----------------

Week 3 Sat, Aug 27, 6:30pm @ (0-0)

Week 4 Thu, Sep 01, 7:30pm @ (0-0)

[WizKhid]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

The Jets steal the show!

Houston, Texas - The Texans opened their 2011 pre-season in losing fashion on Monday night. Both of these two were locked in the game until [Matt] Leinart threw a bad pass into end-zone and which got picked off by OLB [Jamaal] Westerman.

"It was a bad decision on my part. I looked down my receiver and their defense just managed to capitalize on the opportunity at hand." said Leinart after the game.

Houston's offense looked in mid-season form here tonight. [Matt] Schaub connected with [Andre] Johnson on a slant which he took to the house for a 63yrd touchdown pass. The main focus was on their defense tonight as wade phillips introduced a new Texans squad. They picked off the jets three times tonight and came up with a sack also. There is a cause for concern though, as the texans gave up 136 yards on the ground which was the only way the jets scored tonight.

The Texans will host the saints next week and looks to put on a better performance!

New York Jets at Houston Texans
Aug 15, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New York Jets (1-0)	0	7	0	7	14
Houston Texans (0-1)	7	0	0	0	7

Team Stats Comparison
	NYJ	HOU
Total Offense	192	246
Rushing Yards	136	51
Passing Yards	56	195
First Downs	11	8
Punt Return Yards	7	0
Kick Return Yards	50	39
Total Yards	249	285
Turnovers	3(-1)	2(+1)
3rd Down Converstion	2-5	4-7
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-2	0-3
Penalties	4-40	2-15
Posession Time	14:33	9:27

New York Jets PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Mark Sanchez 2/6 31 0 1 Kevin O'Connell 3/3 31 0 0 Mark Brunell 0/2 0 0 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Joe McKinght 9 62 6.8 1 Shonn Greene 5 23 4.6 0 Ladainian Tomlinson 5 36 7.2 1 Bilal Powell 3 16 5.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Jeff Cumberland 2 18 9.0 0 Santonio Holmes 1 20 20.0 0 Derrick Mason 1 11 11.0 0 Jayrone Grant 1 13 13.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Deonte Randle 3 0 0 0 Bart Scott 3 0 0 0 Lyndell Henderson 2 0 0 0 Brodney Pool 2 0 0 0 Jamaal Westerman 1 0 1 0

Houston Texans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Matt Leinart 11/17 131 0 1 Matt Schaub 2/2 64 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Ben Tate 6 27 4.5 0 Derrick Ward 4 4 1.0 0 Arian Foster 2 17 8.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Garrett Graham 2 13 6.5 0 Ben Tate 2 9 4.5 0 Joel Dreessen 2 14 7.0 0 Derrick Ward 2 21 10.5 0 Andre Johnson 1 63 63.0 1 David Anderson 1 6 6.0 0 Jeff Maehl 1 58 58.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Brandon Harris 3 0 0 0 Brooks Reed 2 0 0 0 Darryl Sharpton 2 0 0 0 Bryan Braman 1 1 0 0 Dominique Barber 0 0 1 0 Brice McCain 1 0 1 0 Danieal Manning 1 0 1 0

[WizKhid]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

First Cuts of the Pre-Season Week 1

Houston, Texas - The first week of the pre-season is done. Which means teams have to make cuts to trim their roster down for the regular season. Here are the Texans cuts for the first week of the pre-season.

Quarterback: M. O'Neal
- No need for a fourth QB

Tight End: Z. Vincent
- Not much playing time

Left Tackle: S. Polk
- Inconsistent block

Right Tackle: J. Shepherd
- Not much playing time

[WizKhid]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

Taking it to the air!

Houston, Texas - It does not seem as if the texans are on the same page in the pre-season so far. Last week they kept it close in the jets game but still walked away with a lose. This week brees and the saints aerial attack got the best of Houston. Brees finished the game 6 of 9 for 171 Yrds and a touchdown. On the other hand Houston only completed five passes combined.

The texans seemed to struggle passing the ball and defending the pass this week. Going from three interceptions to none this week. It's only the pre-season and hopefully they can turn things around before the season opener in just a few more weeks.

Texans travel to San Francisco to take on 49ers


[Forgot to save a highlight]

New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans
Aug 20, 2011 1 2 3 4 F NOR (1-1) 7 3 7 5 22 HOU (0-2) 0 3 0 0 3 Top Performers PASS: Drew Brees - 171 Yds and TD RUSH: Arian Foster - 8 Car. 45Yds REC: Robert Meachem - 2 rec, 48 Yds	Team Stats Comparison NOR HOU First Downs 8 7 3rd Down Efficiency 2-6 1-7 4th Down Efficiency 0-0 0-2 Total Yards 298 136 Passing Yards 196 -20 Rushing Yards 66 65 Penalties-Penalty Yards 6-50 0-0 Turnovers 0(0) 0(0) Time of Possession 11;07 12:53
New Orleans Saints PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Drew Brees 6/9 171 1 0 Chase Daniels 2/2 100 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Mark Ingram 13 29 2.2 1 Darren Sproles 5 37 7.4 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Robert Meachem 2 48 24.0 0 Darren Sproles 2 44 22.0 0 Marques Colston 2 83 41.5 0 Jimmy Graham 1 4 4.0 0 Lance Moore 1 25 25.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Scott Shanle 2 0 0 0 Roman Harper 3 0 0 0 Jonathan Vilma 2 0 0 0 Will Herring 2 0 0 0 Malcolm Jenkins 2 0 0 0 Shaun Rodgers 2 2.0 0 0 Sedrick Ellis 2 2.0 0 0 Jeff Charleston 1 1.0 0 0 Houston Texans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT T.J. Yates 1/3 3 0 0 Matt Schaub 2/3 3 0 0 Matt Leinart 2/3 3 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Arian Foster 8 45 5.6 0 Ben Tate 6 25 4.1 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Ben Tate 1 7 7.0 0 Joel Dressen 1 10 10.0 0 Jeff Maehl 1 14 14.0 0 James Casey 1 1 1.0 0 Owen Daniels 1 6 6.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Johnathan Joseph 3 0 0 0 Byran Braman 2 0 0 0 Darryl Sharpton 2 0 0 0 Danieal Manning 2 0 0 0 J.J. Watt 1 1.0 0 0

[WizKhid]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

Houston Texans - Just days before the game in San Fransisco. Head Coach Gary Kubiak announces some roster movements. " It was a tough decision but it was necessary that we made these moves." said kubiak after today practices.

Released

RE - C.Pearson
* Ineffective when on the field

OLB - D. Manning
* Ineffective when on the field

SS - J. Aaron
* No playing time

K - B. Forster
* No playing time

LE - T. Maxwell
* Was not consistent when playing

DT - A. Morris
* Did not play well when time was giving

OLB - J. Nading
* No Playing time

CB - S. Mcmanis
* No Playing time

[WizKhid]

Re: Enter The Bull Pen: A Houston Texans Franchise (Madden 12)

Breaking News!

Sharper takes flight!


Sharper found a new home

Renton, Washington - It looks like veteran safety Darren Sharper finally found a home but who would expect it to be with the Seattle Seahawks? It boggles alot of people's mind to why the signing. Sharper and the seahawks agreed to a 1-year deal worth $850last week. Here is what Pete Carroll had to say about the matter.

" I personally love the signing. Yes I know we have a young star in earl thomas at the FS position but who can pass up on a vet like sharper. Thomas will still be the starting free safety which gives us the option to move sharper to the strong safety position. Having those two ball-hawks back there will give us a chance to rush the passer even more now!."