Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time the top football though with Mark Vandermier, he's the
voice of the Texans and Mark, this is a much
better day for us to talk about a Texans win
finally and a good one twenty six and nothing shutting
out Tennessee on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
What were your takes from that game?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Well, an improvement in offense, Andy, no question about it.
They ran the ball a little bit better. Woody Mars
looked really good, caught a touchdown pass, ran for another touchdown.
Nicocollins did well. CJ played better. That's his highest quarterback
rating in over a year, so that was encouraging. And defensively,
(00:37):
I mean, you get a shutout. That's the first shutout
of the Texans in fifteen years. And they've had a
lot of good defenses in the last fifteen years. I mean,
they've had rankings as high as two, one, three. A
couple of years ago, they were top five, top six.
Now they are the number one defense in the league
in points per game allowed to the first four games,
and they lost three of those games and three of
(00:57):
the losses all three losses are to three and one
football team. So it's not like you've played scrubs here
that Tennessee Titans are not exactly a juggernaut, so you
can't really throw a parade over this one. But it
was a big step in the right direction to beat
them the way it did and get ready for the
next one at Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So talk about what he marks, because we know about
Damian Pierce who didn't play, and we know about Nick
Chubb from his days and other teams in the past.
But tell us about what he marks and his rise
to be able to get sixty nine yards rushing to
help out the Texans this weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Well, what he's been around in college, like all the
college athletes have these days, they transfer sometimes Mississippi State,
that USC at Mississippi State one year he caught a
bazilion passes. He can catch the ball out of the backfield.
We all know that. But one thing I noticed right
away in OTAs And you can't tell everything about running
backs then because they're not in pads, right, but you
(01:51):
could just see the size that he has, you know,
the size legs and everything. He's got the power that
you're looking for in any running back, and he's got
a lot twitch. You know, he can move side to side.
Lateral quickness is there along with straight ahead speed, and
he showed you that on Sunday. He showed you that
in the preseason two. I think he's going to get
the ball a whole lot more. I wouldn't be surprised
(02:12):
if he's the first guy getting the touch of the
rock on Sunday at Baltimore. Nick Chubb, I think is
certainly going to get his carries, and you know, maybe
he still starts, but what he's going to get the
ball an awful lot. He's just too good to not
have the ball in his hands, and you need all
the weaponry you can get when you have an offensive
line that's still in development.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Here's a stat I think that really illustrates how good
the defense is, which we can talk more about in
a second. But the offense ran sixty five plays and
the Tennessee offense only ran forty six. Out have to
have that big of a discrepancy. I think we saw
a similar situation in reverse earlier in the year when
Tampa was playing Houston. To be able to have twenty
(02:53):
more plays than the other team is huge.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, it's actually an excellent point you make there, because
time of possession was a big factor Texan's able to
hold out of the ball, being better on third downs.
You and I talked about that last week. They converted
six of them. I mean, it's nothing to shout out about,
really forty percent conversions, but it's certainly better than where
they were, which is last in the league. And being
able to score three touchdowns. They haven't scored three touchdowns
(03:17):
in a home game in about a year, and that's
amazing considering some of the success they have had. So
I love what I saw overall in terms of execution
against that team. Now you have to do it against
the Ravens team that's desperate and hungry, and you've got
to do it in a place where you've never won.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
What is the special about the Texans defense?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
In your mind? It's made them so good so far
this season.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
It's the combination you're always looking for. They're good in
coverage and they can get pressure on the quarterback without
sending extra people. Now they do send extra people from
time to time, no question they blitzed, but they also
like to get pressure with their front four. When you
have Will Anderson Junior and Danil Hunter on the edge
is you can make a lot of things happen. But
I think the guys in the miller are doing their
things too. Tommy TOGII looking good since they activated him
(04:07):
prior to the Jacksonville game. He was inactive the first
two games, and it's not like he's a household name,
but he tends to make things happen and fully fought.
Acasi Sheldon Rankins is having a nice season. Good rotation
in there. But when you can get pressure on the
quarterback at least pressure and cover well on the back end,
you're doing something. Plus, let's not forget about EJ.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Speed.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
They acquired him this offseason. I thought it was a
luxury acquisition former Colts linebacker. I thought they were stacked
already in linebacker. Well, now he's playing the bulk of
the snaps of anybody other than his He's al Shire,
so that's highly notable. They still like Henry Totoa and
Kristin Harris, but EJ. Speed is too good to keep
off the field. So that's a luxury problem. Keep that
(04:47):
luxury going, all right.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You mentioned you got the Ravens coming up next. They
are banged up. They've got seven starters that got hurt
in the game the other night, and now you're probably
there's a possibility to m Jackson doesn't play if you
were gonna get the Ravens and a chance to win
in a place you've never won before. The cards are
kind of stacked in the Texans favor for this, but
(05:10):
it's still a very rightful Ravens team you got to
beat on the road.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
It is because Derrick Henry is still playing and so
is Justice Hill. They can run the ball and Henry
is one of the very best who ever played the position,
so you gotta be careful with him, and the Texans
have had success against him at times. Two years ago,
they were phenomenal against Derrick Henry when he was still
a Titan. Now last year not so phenomenal when he
(05:34):
was a Raven, but that was with Lamar Jackson in
the backfield. So Lamar, according to the Baltimore Sun, is
not going to play. We'll see if they're right, Cooper Rush,
it'll be him. If Lamar can't go rush the former Cowboy.
Of course. I just think it's gonna be tough no
matter what, because it's an NFL game. They have to
have this victory. They feel they cannot flip to one
and four with all their injuries but the Texans feel
(05:57):
the same way, so maybe you can go get this one,
and if you do, andy, If you do, you're two
and three heading into the buy, which is way too early,
but you take it when you get it, and all
of a sudden, the universe changes. All of a sudden,
you're right back into things and you feel a lot
better about your situation, especially after the Colts lost on Sunday.
The Jags could have, should have, would have lost, but
(06:19):
they're forcing turnovers like they're going out of style. There
the number one team in the league and turnover margin,
so you have a long way to go here, but
if you get this one, you're right back in the race.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I'm a big fan of stadiums.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I like to look at the architecture of them, and
obviously the importance of the radio booth, but also the
enthusiasm and excitement of the fans. So give us your
thoughts on what Baltimore has been like in the past.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
I'll tell you what the booth is in and an
outstanding position. You're pretty low, but not too low. It's
a perfect position. It's one of the best booths in
this league, and it really does enable you to sense
how crazy this Baltimore crowd is it is a very
tough environment. I don't think it gets discussed enough how
difficult it is to win a game at that stadium.
(07:05):
And obviously the way the Ravens play is a great
deal to do with it. I mean, think about this, Andy,
This organization was the Cleveland Browns, and Ozzie Newsome is
the architect of really everything they've done there. It's incredible
to know how far they've come. And it's got to
be a real thorn in the side of Cleveland Browns
fans that the Ravens have done this well and the
(07:27):
Browns are the Browns. It's just crazy to think about.
And I was talking to people in Baltimore. You know,
they still sort of celebrate the Colts existence there with
the Colts band and everything. It's a weird environment sometimes,
but look, they've had so much success at home over
the course of their history. I think they have the
top home field advantage, if it's not its top three
(07:47):
in the last twenty five years or so.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
All Right, Mark, let's see about another win this weekend
in Baltimore, and we'll talk about it next Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Andy, can't wait. Thanks a lot, all.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Right, that's Mark Vandermier. He's the voice of the Houston text.
Is that a noon game on Saturday on Sunday? Or
is that the league game noon? So they will eleven thirty.
I love how Mark Mark was just like and the Browns,
well they're gonna brown Well, okay, I'll give you a
quick thought on that. Art Modell was the owner of
(08:20):
the was the principal owner of the Browns back when
they were the Browns in Cleveland, and Modell and Ozzie
Newsom came to Baltimore because they would not build them
a stadium. It always comes down to the stadium thing.
And then after they the bluff got called and Cleveland realized, yeah,
they really are leaving. Then they and they decided, well,
if we build a stadium, can we get another team?
(08:41):
The NFL said, yeah, we can't go without a team
in Cleveland, very much like we can't go without a
team in Houston. So we'll we'll get We'll let you
keep the Browns and all their records, all the name
and the records and all that, and the Ravens become
become the Ravens named after Edgar Allen Poe and so
all of that brass it was in Cleveland, went to Baltimore.
(09:02):
And if Art model and Ozzie Knewson would have stayed
in Cleveland, they were good in the eighties. They had
Brian Sipe and they lost that game that Lwade marched
down the field to drive. But the Browns weren't the
Browns in the eighties and early nineties. And when that,
I can't remember the exact year all that took place,
but when it did, it was because Art Modell was
fed up with Cleveland not giving him the opportunity to win.
(09:25):
And it goes back to show you that when you
have the proper ownership, the proper leadership, the proper GM
and people that are football people running the show, that
things get done in a positive way. And when you don't,
then you're going to be the Browns. And just because
you're a billionaire owner, and just because you did something
great at whatever made you a billionaire, doesn't mean that
you're going to be a great owner in the NFL.
(09:47):
You have to let people who understand the game and
the management of the game actually work. And Ozzie Knewson
was one of the best general managers that ever played.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
He was a great tight end.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Too, and then he went into the front office became
an absolutely great front office person, and Art Modell was
kind of like one of the founders of the League,
of the modern part of the league anyway.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So that's the problem with Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
They got the bad owner in Baltimore got the good one,
and they've been trying to figure out the ownership situation,
the GM situation, and the coaching situation in Cleveland for
about twenty five thirty years. So there you go, Brown,
let's talk baseball next. It's five point thirty on the ticket.