June 25, 2025 • 46 mins
The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Alexander joined the show to share his thoughts on the Texans offense. Plus, the main storylines from the AFC South were addressed, along with some sizzling hot takes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, Texans, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Mark Vandermaer and John Harris with you, and we've got
a fun one for you tonight. Summer Show Mini Camp
way back, way back behind the car. We're driving through
this summer set of weeks here until we get you
to training camp. Jonathan Alexander is going to join us
in about thirty minutes from now from the Houston Chronicle.
(00:22):
We'll talk all things Texans and then some and Johnny
Good evening.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
How you doing good?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
It is really kind of an interesting part of the
year college Ruld series over which I loved watching.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
NBA finals are over.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
We do have the draft taking place, but the Rockets
obviously got rid of pick number ten, so don't really
have to pay attention until the last pick of the draft.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I think, if I remembering.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Correctly, they have mister Irrelevant in this NBA draft, which
is kind of interesting to have.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
But yeah, so.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
All that takes place and we're just kind of waiting.
June twenty fourth, we're getting close. I would think, well,
we're less than a month away from when we know
the rookies in veterans report the reporting July twenty second,
we know that we don't know what, they practice starts,
but we're less than a month from them reporting back here.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, well I'm thinking that. I'm thinking they practice the
next day.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think that's usually the situation, and that's been reported
by NFL Network that they report on the twenty second
of July. So I feel pretty safe to say that
we are within a month of the first scheduled practice.
How about that. That's pretty cool. I got a lot
to do before that, got a lot to do and
a lot to organize get ready. But it's a weird
time of your sports wise, because yes, the Astros are playing,
but it's just strange. You mentioned College World Series, some
(01:42):
of the other events, obviously the NBA Playoffs, the WNBA
aka Cobra Kai is very interesting, So.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, hold on Cobra Kai. It's kind of Cobra Kai.
Is it is?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Because there's a lot of infighting and rivalries. And she
said this, and she did that, Johnny, and who's all
of a sudden, Sophie Cunningham is a huge star, is
massive star, huge star.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And I thought, you know, she.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Looks like she's six eight or something. I know, but
she's not very six to one. Yeah, but she looks
but that's tall compared to a lot of women. Right,
of course she walks in like all legs and high
heels and everything on the arrival photos and videos.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Right, and my nieces actually look a little like her.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Okay, the Vander girls, because my brother's six seven and
my nieces are all three girls. They're like five eleven
through six one. You know, they're all volleyball players and
in their twenties.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And now everyone's gonna want their number.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
No, they're my nieces. And by the way, we've got
to clean up a couple of things from tomorrow show.
We'll get to hot takes in a moment. It's hot
take Tuesday and Jonathan Alexander at about six thirty. But
from yesterday, Drew Doherty wade in on a couple of things.
He said, you forgot about the Randy Johnson trade with
the ass I.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Wasn't gonna get all the trade. Well, you're gonna get
all of them. We mentioned the major ones. Yeah, I
wasn't get any.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Johnson was a big one. But they didn't do anything
in the postseason. They had a great regular season. They
went over one hundred games after they acquired Randy Johnson.
Also Clyde Drexler the second championship team, because you'll acquire
a Hall of Famer, you win a championship, that's pretty big.
And that wasn't all because of him, but he was
a key part of that team, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I wasn't gonna get all of them, but I wanted
to at least pay homage to a city that has made.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Some major, major deals.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I mean, the city has made a ton of really
big trades in the three major sports. And it was,
you know, yesterday kind of going back through like man
and some of them. James Harden the trade to acquire him,
the trade to let him leave, Deshaun Watson the trade
to acquire him, the trade to let him leave. Those
(03:49):
two trades, James Harden and Deshaun Watson. Now, the rebuild
was gonna take a little bit longer for the Rockets,
seeming not that much longer, but that deal to deal
Harden was what precipitated them kind of getting back going
in the right direction. Took a while where they could
(04:09):
go make a deal for Kevin Durant and be one
of the what two or three teams that are in
the mix by the odds makers to go win a
champion by the odds makers, I mean, it's incredible, by
the odds makers.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I mean think about the Rockets, you know, and it's
kind of like the Texans too. You know, in twenty
twenty two, nobody, nobody in their right mind could have
foreseen what we were going to be the next couple
of years and what we could be in twenty twenty five.
But if you go back and look at what the
Deshaun Watson deal did for the organization, that allowed them
to make the Will Anderson trade, and we know how
(04:41):
important that trade was to everything, and those moves have
paid off for those two organizations. Rockets in the Texas
for sure, But look, I wasn't meaning to leave out
the Astros, and that was a huge move for Randy Johnson.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Huge. Yes, seems so good.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Of all the trades that have been made, the players
that are acquired that we talked about have been good.
But I don't know if anyone was so good immediately
after the trade as Randy Johnson was here in Houston.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So he was incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, he was unbelievable. Yeah, he's Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson,
he was he also brought up Drew did Damarius Thomas
for the Texans. But that's not a huge trade, no,
but it was a needed trade. He traded a fourth
Brian Gain did for Damarius Thomas and went right back
to Denver with him where his banner was hanging on
the side of the building and opening drives a couple
(05:33):
of catches and it's a big win. Ye It was
very nice game winning streak for the Texans. That is
the longest winning streak in the history of the franchise.
Love to break that record this year.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Gave up a fourth a fourth and the timing of
that and what way fine fastening about fascinating about that
is the trade deadline was.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I think a Tuesday. I think it was a Tuesday. Okay, Tuesday, yeh,
that sounds right.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Tuesday. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
We had played the previous week on a Thursday night,
and because we had played on a Thursday night, unfortunately,
that's when Will Fuller.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Had gotten hurt. Dolphin game.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
The Dolphin game in the end zone, he gets pulled
down and I think it is Bobby McCain.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Either way, he gets pulled down.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
They know before the weekend is out he's torn his
acl and he's not coming back. They know they've got
the weekend to do something. Now, if that happens on Sunday,
you don't have money. Now you're waiting for Monday. So
not that timing is you know, timing is never perfect,
But in that unfortunate situation, the fact that we were
playing on that Thursday night gave GM Bryan Gain at.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The time, the opportunity to go and get Demarius.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
And they've been talk about the Marius being moved, so
I know the Broncos were were ready and I just
remember asking Brian about that move and the one thing
he said, this kind of stays with me, and it
makes every time we have Nick Cassario in here and
we talk about trades and dealing with the rest of
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I remember Brian said, yeah, John Elway made.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
It really easy to get this deal done, and they
just made me think about relationships.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Two to tango. Yeah, and obviously.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
You need two to tango, but just having relationships with
more people throughout the league are going to make those
deals that much easier. They trust you, they trust that
you're not trying to fleece them and that you're just
trying to make a deal that's good for the Texans,
it's good for your team, and we come together and
find out that right deal and a way we go. Yeah,
(07:29):
I mean Nick had no idea that Sean Watson was
going to go to Cleveland and look like that.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
No, you know, no, no way.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Years later you can look at it and go, you're like,
oh man, he fleeced the Browns. Yeah, well that's in
the Browns because Deshan Watson was hot garbage.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, but that was going to be a situation where
anything short of maybe a championship or at least an
AFC championship game, right, was going to look bad for that.
But because they least so much into it, we could
have at least.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Had a good twenty twenty three yeah, and gotten them
in what you.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Was at, well, you got hurt. It had flo Oh yeah,
Flaco and you.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Know last year that's the thing about at least played
like he'd played quarterback before.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
You know, well we mentioned it yesterday and that he
didn't for a.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Guy looked so good it's hard to fathom it's the
same individual. But the twenty twenty three Browns reminds you that, hey,
they had a winning season.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
They went to the postseason. Yeah, they the.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Regular Yeah, the regular season really good here, So that
was just a weird deal. And they had a horrible
year last year. But here they come again, and they
have Joe Flacco back, and we'll see standers and all that,
and they're part of a very interesting mix in the
AFC North. Let's get to this hot take Tuesday, love this.
We're gonna we're gonna rate the hot takes here. Joe, Oh,
(08:48):
this is my favorite year. We're going to get a change.
I get to give the sizzle fires. Yeah, you get
to give the sizzle fires. Analyze. I'll give you the
hot take. You tell me how hot it is. In
other words, the more sizzle fires, the hotter it is,
the more unlikely it is.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
If you will.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Hot take Tuesday, let's go. That's our hot take. Sounder
love it. Yeah, it's a blow torch that Okay, Okay,
here's your hot take, the first one in the AFC South.
Daniel Jones will have a better season than Trevor Lawrence.
How many sizzle fires on this one?
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Four and a half? Four and a half. Yes, that's
not that crazy. There's stats are very similar.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You see the graphic half I he's got Jonathan Taylor
running the rock.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I look it's all relative too, because Trevor can throw
for thirty nine hundred yards and thirty touchdowns and Daniel
Jones could throw for twenty eight hundred and twenty touchdowns.
It's still a better year just because he's been better
with the football, not as you know, yolo with it.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah, this could be a qualitative rating, right because I
think quantitative.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
It could might depending on how the Colts put together
their offense with Daniel Jones versus what Jacksonville I would
think is gonna try and do with Trevor Lawrence, and
look the Jacks get behind in games. Trevor's gom pad
some stats. I just have a feeling the Colts are
gonna play or gonna try and play bullyball all year.
Knowing look, Jones isn't great, but awesome play action, hitting
(10:21):
some short stuff, hitting the backs out of the backfield.
You know, he can do some safe stuff to keep
us in games. Our defense, our receivers are really talented.
Taylor can take control of a game. Run behind an
offensive line. I can see them taking that tack. I
just feel like in Jacksonville it is now or never,
and everybody knows it. Everybody knows it's got to be
(10:46):
Trevor Lawrence this year.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Like he's gotta be that guy.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
We can't have twenty eight touchdowns and seventeen interceptions or
a year like that. Like, he's got to produce. He's
got to produce at a high level. He's got to
take care of the football. He's got to hit open receivers.
I mean that first and foremost. How many times did
he miss an open receiver against US? Especially Week four? Yep,
he gonna put another couple of touchdowns on a board.
And now it's not even a ballgame and they're going home.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
With a W.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So I just feel like this is that year. This
is the make or break. You're ensure it's making break
for Daniel Jones in Indianapolis. But I think they're gonna
try and massage his way through games and just manage
everything really closely, nothing risky, not keep him out of
third and nine, those kind of things.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
He's gonna face a lot of.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Third and fours, third and threes, things he can pick
up with little short stuff, And I think that's gonna
be successful for them. But I think Jacksonville is gonna
have to roll the dice with Trevor and get way
more out of him. So from that standpoint, I'm going
four and a half. Trevor's gonna have a much better year.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Now. Look, you know I don't want him to. Yeah,
I know, I don't want him to.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
I want to be wrong about what I said about
Trevor years ago. But he could throw it and he
can move a little bit. And I think going for
rban Meyer to Doug that was good initially, then he
was banged up. We'll see what Liam Cohen's got. Liam
Cohen has made good quarterbacks out of guys that were
pretty good.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
He made him really good. I e. Baker Mayfield, and
I think he can do that with Trevor.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Unfortunately, do you think that Trevor had any season that
was comparable to what Baker did prior to hitching.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Up with Liam Cohene, Then I've word that correctly. I
think Trevor's twenty two was good.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Baker's years without Liam Cohen, Trevor's years without Liam Cohen.
I don't know that Trevor had anything better than Baker
in the twenty twenty two years. Interesting because he's not
he had he didn't do really well until about the
last seven games of the year.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Yeah, and then he kind of got hot in year two.
So second year quarterback, Okay, he kind of got hot
the first year to urban Meyer.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I mean, come on, but in all seriousness, twenty twenty one,
he's got urban Meyer there.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It's not a good year twenty twenty two for the
first nine ten games, it's just okay. He's good for
the last seven to eight and he's he's good in
the playoffs. Twenty twenty three, he was all over the map.
Twenty twenty four, he's hurt and all over the map.
So I don't know that we've really seen a good
Trevor Lawrence other than for about seven games.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
But he's never had Liam Cohen.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
And Liam Cohen turned Baker Mayfield into something I think
you can do with Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Okay, another hot take, Hot take Tuesday. How many saysel
fires for this? How crazy is this? Damian Pierce? More
yards because we're gonna stay in Jacksonville here, Okay, more
yards than Travis Etn now etn last year five point
fifty eight and he played in fifteen games. John he
(13:49):
played in a lot of games because tank Bigsby is
running the rock in Jacksonville. Yeah, Pierce two and change,
not three. Okay, he had that big game at the
end of the year. But let's say Piers plays a
bunch this year. He's not the number one guy. He
still racking up some yards. So you're dealing with two
number two guys here. And look, I don't know what
(14:13):
Nick Chubb's going to do, but let's say Pierce gets
his carries. I don't know how crazy is it, how
many Sizzle fires Piers gets more yards than traves Etn.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I feel like that's pushing the boundaries of four to
four and a half. Four to four and a half,
sayssle Fires.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yeah, I just I feel like you can't give up
on a first round draft choice.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Well, there's that part, But the other part is that
you didn't put in there is traves Etn the running
back for the Jaguars, Like, does he run the rock
for the Jaguars or at some point does get moved
in training camp? Oh, somewhere where he gets a little
bit more opportunity. So semantics, I know where you're going
with that.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
If he gets moved no way, Well, I mean, I mean,
I can't say.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
No way he lose, he might pierce somewhere. He might
go somewhere and then get more opportunity. And I think
that's the that's the only other thought. But as it sits,
I still think that ETN is still going to be
about that number four hundred and five hundred, and I
think in a I don't even know best case scenario
is the right way of saying this, but I feel
like if Damien makes this roster and his honest roster,
(15:20):
he's gonna be a mother you know what on kick returns,
and that is really gonna be where he picks up
a lot of his yardage. And the hope is that
Nick stays healthy. Okay, but I think kind of like
last year, I think Damien on this roster gets maybe
a game or two where Joe's banged up and it's
he and Nick. Maybe Nick's banged up, it's Joe and Damien.
(15:43):
But even at that point last year, even when it
was Joe and Damien, the staff really just went Nope,
it's Joe. Like it would be eighteen carries to two
or it would be twenty three carries to one, yea,
and it was like Damien didn't even get that opportunity,
So different eyes, different thoughts with Nick Kaylee Kopopovich, et cetera.
(16:03):
So I still think it's gonna be hard to pass
up Travis Etn. I think Travis Etn gets it about
four or five hundred. I My my hot take would
be Travis Etn takes back over the starting job by.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
The end of the year in Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Jacksonville, Okay, we'll see my hot fresh eyes there, yeah, Liam,
no doubt fresh eyes.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
All right.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Next hot take, the Dallas Cowboys make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
How many Sazzel fires?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I must say about three and a half because I
don't think it's crazy, but I think the division's tough
obviously with Commander's Eagles and the Giants are depending on
what they get from Russell Wilson, Jackson Dart Jamis.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Here's what has to do.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
I think the Giants and have been a tougher route
than people think. How bad were the Cowboys last year?
Kind of a rhetorical question.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
They weren't great.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
They won seven games last year. If they get to ten,
if they get ten wins, so guess what happened in
the NFC North.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
The Packers made the playoffs. With eleven.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
The Vikings had fourteen wins. They're not winning fourteen this year,
so there's some wins to give back there. One of
those two teams might miss the playoffs like Seattle did
with ten victories last year, so there's room that it's
not entirely crazy. Now the personnel's flipped a lot. Is
Schottenheimer calling plays? See, I don't like that. If he is,
(17:26):
I hope he is, so I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
That the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
The only way I saw that really working well, potentially working,
was he being a great delegator. That that that exactly
I think could lend itself to success.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
But if he's not, he's.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Got you know, he's got the connection with Dak not.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
That I ever got. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Clayton Adams is the offense score. I think he's got
an offensive line background. But I I think you're right.
I think Brian Schottenheimer ends up being a guy that
calls plays.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
That it's tough. That's tough. I mean, de Miko will
tell you that.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Just calling defensive plays and then being the head ball coach,
I mean, that's.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
That could be tough.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, he's calling the plays. I got it right here.
Yeah he's doing it. So I don't like that.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
But I think the addition of George Pickens in a
contract year basically along with Ceedee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, really
good wide receiver court.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
They got to protect him, they got to be better.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
But they drafted Booker, the guy that I lusted over,
but they got to replace.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
The Marcus Lawrence.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
I think it's a defense that gets unfortunately lit up
for the Cowboys. I think that defense gets lit up again.
I think that defense really struggles. I think teams focus
on Parsons, they slow him down, and there's really not
anybody else out there where you go, yeah, this guy's
gonna beat us. And I think that ends up getting
their secondary lit up again. I know there's a lot
of names in the secondary. I know that Diggs is
coming back. I still think you can let up that
(18:53):
team like a Christmas tree. But Dak is that important
to that team. He's that important. So I'm gonna I'll
go three three and a half says of fires an hour.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Okay, another hot take on Hot Take Tuesday, Xavier Worthy,
We'll have more catches than Travis Kelcey in Kansas City.
Now Worthy really good last year with sub sixty receptions.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Kelsey almost got to one hundred last year.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
But Kelsey's not getting any younger, and it's been amazing
for him what he's been able to accomplish.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
But were these on the rise now? He's not a
high volume.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Receiver of the football to word things the way Greg
Cosell might and Kelsey is. However, I was listening to
Bill Pullman Bill Pollyan. Rather, Bill Pullman is a different person,
an actor. Bill Pollyan on Serious XMNFL radio. He talked
about Dallas Clark when he was running the Colts. He
said Clark got to one hundred and ten or something
(19:51):
one year. He thought he was never the same afterwards,
and he was telling the co host vic Rucci, how
impressed he was that Kelsey could continually rack up huge
reception seasons because you take such a beating catching the football.
You're getting hit every play virtually and all of that.
(20:11):
And at his age, it's going to slow down at
some point and maybe it's time for Worthy to catch up.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
They want to spread it around.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
So how hot a take is that that Kelsey is
not the leading receiver for the Kansas City chiefs.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I think that's a four Okay, I think it's a
four guy. And I just think they've found the role
for Kelsey, and that is that all the short stuff,
you know, I need to go to you on third down,
third and four.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I can get that. You know, he can get that.
He can get that pass.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I think his volume is still I think it's going
to be like ninety for seven thirty five.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I think that's what he's gonna be.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
But I think Worthy he's got a chance to be
sixty five seventy for twelve fifty, whereas he's got less receptions,
but the yardage going deep screen that he catches and
takes for fifty yards, those kind of things, I think
xavier're Worthy is gonna have more so than Kelsey. So
I still think Kelsey leads them in receptions. I still
(21:15):
think that Mahomes wants to go to him. But I
think this is the last year that happens. I think
this is the last year. I do think by the
end of the year, you're really gonna see even more
decline from Kelsey, thankfully, and then one of those receivers
steps up, and maybe it's receiver by committee, maybe all
of them.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Catch you over.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
She Rice catches sixty Worthy has sixty five, and that's
how they go about their business the next few years.
But I think the yardage for Worthy is gonna be
a problem for teams, including the Texans. I think it's
gonna be five catches a game for one point twenty two.
It's gonna be four catches in this game for one
oh three, it's gonna be seven for ninety nine. He's
(21:55):
gonna have those kind of games. He might have a
game where he has two catches but it's gonna go
forty five yards and one on one for a touchdown.
He might have those games too. So I think it's
not the receptions for Worthy. It's gonna be the big
chunk plays in the yardage and the long touchdowns. So
for fantasy, you lose on on points per reception, but
you're gonna get it back in yards and touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think, Okay, here's another one for you as we
do hot take Tuesday, and this is gonna be a
good one, Final football one, and I'm gonna run this
by Jonathan as well when we have mine. In the
next segment, the Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the playoffs and
have a sub five hundred season with Aaron Rodgers at
(22:38):
the Helm, sub five hundred year Johnny eight and nine
or worse. I don't want to see it for Mike
Tomlin because I like Mike Tomlin and I like them
messing up the Ravens and Bengals and just clogging that
whole thing up in the AFC North to pave the
way for the Texans.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
A little bit. Think it's nuts.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Okay, I'm gonna say that.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
That's a two. I think that division is really good.
The Ravens are the most talented team in that division.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Bengals have everybody back offensively, defensively, I think they're that much.
They gotta have Trey Henderson back, so I don't know
how they how they work that. They need Shamar Stewart,
So they got to get out of their own way
and get that deal signed and get Shamar Stewart in
a training camp so he doesn't miss time and they
can get it an effective edge guy opposite Hendrickson.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
So if they can do that, yeah, the Bengals are salty.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Now.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you I believe
in the Bengals are going to be thirteen and four.
But I think the Bengals are going to be a
solid ten and seven, and that's gonna put them on
the cusp of Okay wildcard, where they fit in the
wild card all that kind of stuff. I just think
the Steelers are a year older defensively.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
TJ.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Watt doesn't have his deal done. He was even banged
up last year. Alex Highsmith was banged up last year.
Cameron Hayward is like fifty eight years old now. Minka
is really their only other true like big time baller
and defense. So I'm like, I think team can take
advantage of that defense more this year, which puts more
pressure on Rodgers and the offense.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
And I don't think that's where that team wants to be.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
So I don't think it's out of the round possibility
of them being eight to nine. I really don't, even
though they want what they want last year ten with
Russell Wilson, I just don't. I don't know that this
offense can take a significant leap, even with Aaron Rodgers,
because I think there's gonna be too much pressure on
them that have to do it, because I think the
defense is gonna start to show some cracks in the Armor.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Okay, one final hot take on Hot Take Tuesday. Ted
Lasso is the best show on television to come out
since its release, and I'll add one to it. Cobra
Kai is second. I don't think it's as good as
ted Lasso, but it's really d Do you think it's
(24:49):
better than ted Lasso in some ways?
Speaker 3 (24:51):
No, I think ted Lasso is ted Lasso is ahead
of it barely, not by much. But I'll tell you
this show that I like more than those other two
since since uh tu Lasso came out?
Speaker 1 (25:04):
O the Bear? Oh you like that? Incredible? If that's
the cooking one? Yeah, yeah, it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Jeremy Allen White, who, by the way, Jeremy Allen White
gonna play Springsteen?
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I saw in the new biopic Parents. I saw this. Yeah,
And I haven't watched all of Dylan yet. I really
need you need to watch Sam is incredible. Jeremy Allen
White is Springsteen?
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Now, I don't know about the voice all that, I
don't I don't know, but the look and just him
on stage, and you know, it's just the way that
Springsteen moves and how energetic he is.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I can't wait to see that one.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
I love Jeremy Allen White because he's he is He's
the Bear, you know, he's he's that guy in the Bear,
and so I love Jeremy Allen White, but that show
has it has humor. The greatest single TV episode that
I have I can remember seeing in the last eight
to ten years, at least, going dating back to Breaking
(26:01):
Batter Better Call Saul is the Christmas episode I think
it was in season three of.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
The Bear of the Bear on Market's Unbelievable. It is.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
It's a Christmas episode that's got some guest stars in it,
and Jamie Lee Curtis plays their bipolar. She's their mother,
She's bipolar, and it is. I got done with the
episode and I literally just stood up. I started clapping.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
It's that good, It's I gotta watch the show. What's
the uh Hulu? I think Hulu is what I thought
on Yeah, it was a different platform.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Yeah, there have been some good TV shows, but I
do love those.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I do love those two Bears. Incredible. You know what
Cobra Kaya is It's our high school reunion. It is.
It is.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
It's a totally high school reunion show. And that's what
it feels like.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
You're seeing all all your high school kids, all the
kids of the kids, like their kids are over here
having their party, and the high school reunion is over
here having their party.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
It's wonderful. It's so good.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
It's a it's a blend of all of that which
has made it made it such a fun.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
And you know what else here here's another take on
Cobra Kai. It's kind of Jameis Winston like, they throw
some picks. I mean, there's some things where I'm like,
come on, but they score so much, they throw so
many touchdowns. You're just so pleased with so much of
what happens that you overlook some of the flaws in
the program, because there are some.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I mean, let's just be honest. But Ted Lasso is amazing. Okay.
Is there gonna be a season four? I don't know. Maybe, right,
I've heard rumors. Yeah, so let's get but I don't
know what rumors. Let's get it.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I don't know, And let's get Jonathan Alexander in here
from the Houston Chronicle, Talk Texans, It's next here on
Texans Radio. Back to it here on Texans Radio. Mark
Vandermer and John Harris with you, and it's Tuesday at
around six thirty, and you know what that means. It's
time for Jonathan Alexander from the Houston Chronicle and Jonathan Welcome.
I had this question thrown at me today from an
(27:59):
out of town media person, and they said.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
What's this offense gonna look like? What's it gonna look like?
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Hey, I got a new offensive coordinator and never mind personnel.
I get it, there's some new offensive linemen and whatever,
you drafted receivers, you signed Nick Chubb, But what's the
offense gonna look like?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
What's your answer to that question, Jonathan.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Yeah, I think that's the biggest mystery.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
You know Nick Kyley on multiple kasions, we've asked him
about that, and he did you to say it's gonna
be the Houston Texans offense. What I do know is
whatever this offense will look like, it'll be centered around CJ.
Stroud and insinuate in accentuating his strengths as a quarterback.
I think that was Damiko Ryan's primary objective and looking
(28:44):
for offensive coordinators. He was looking for somebody who could
help him, looking for somebody with a strong run game
and somebody who could who had experience in offensive lines.
And Kaylee obviously had that experience with tight ends and fullbacks,
So you know, I don't think it'll look dissimilar to
what we saw last year. I think it'll it'll be
(29:05):
probably look a little bit similar, but with Kaylee's own
spin to it.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Jonathan, it's been interesting the last I don't know, a
couple of weeks or so, as we've gotten into the offseason,
a lot of lists season, a lot of people talking
about quarterback rankings and where the quarterback's ranking, CJ's ranking is.
I don't say, all over the board, but it's been
interesting to hear the dialogue.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
And I can't remember who I heard said this.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I'm gonna ask you straight out because this person said,
I actually think his second year might have been better
than his first year. I don't know if I can
go all the way there, but is it overblown the
sophomore slump if you will, as I do fingers and
air quotes that CJ had that it was more about
(29:51):
what was around him not performing at that level and
CJ actually doing what he could to basically save any
situation he was in.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
How doe you kind of look back at that and
how do.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
You think it changes what's the key to changing it
is as simple as just getting him protected by a
good offensive line.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Yeah, I looking back, even in the moment, I think,
especially early on in last season, you know, I thought
CJ had taken his game as a quarterback to another level.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
You know, he was going through multiple progressions.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
He wasn't throwing as many risky balls as he did
in his rookie season, and his rookie season there were
a lot of interceptions that didn't get caught, So I
thought he had improved.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
As a quarterback.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
I thought as the year went on, and as he
began to get hit more and more and more, he
started to be a little bit hesitant in throwing some
of the certain passes that he was unafraid to make
when he was a rookie, and I think that contributed
to a lot of his struggles the offensive line. There's
so much pressure. There was a lot that he couldn't control.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
But overall, as a.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
Quarterback, I thought he was a lot more polished as
a quarterback.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
And I think if they can protect.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Him this year, you'll see a lot of that in
his improvements happen in year three.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Jonathan, we were going over the running back room during
a show last week and Johnny and I. I think
somebody mocked us as well a little bit, but they
sympathized as well. It's hard to figure out mocking us.
I don't know some dude on Twitter, who else, whatever,
X whatever anyway, but they were saying, oh, you like everybody,
(31:28):
you don't want to cut anybody. Well, yeah, I do
like everybody. Okay, it's May June, like everybody. We got
to see how it shakes out in training camp. But
I think this is going to be a really interesting
situation here because you drafted Woody Marks for a reason,
yet here's Dara still able to make plays for you.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
How do you see it? Not just those guys, but.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
The general group here between Pearce Chubb mix in. Assuming
everybody's healthy, this is gonna be a real tough cut,
tough decisions on the way.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Yeah. I think the only person guaranteed to make the
roster is Joe Mixon. You know, I think Woody Marx
has a good chance to make the roster, and now
would consider him the second best chance because he was
a fourth round pick. You invest so much into that
fourth round pick that you at least want to give
them one year and then after that. I think it's
(32:20):
almost equal at this point. You know, of course Dari
has a lot of value as a special teams guy,
can catch it out of the backfield. But you know,
with the addition of these extra guys, he's right now
he's only relegated to special teams. Damian Pierce number two back,
but Nick Chubb could also do it, also returns kicks,
(32:41):
but they now have multiple options. And Nick Chubb is
a potential number two back, but he doesn't really play
special teams. So all three of those guys, particularly Chubb, Pierce,
and the have strikes against them. I think it'll I
think it'll come down to training camp, who stands out more,
who can do multiple and who stays the healthiest.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Talking to Jonathan Alexander and Houston Chronicle, Jonathan a player
to me that is intriguing as I'll get out, because
I just I feel like we saw some much better
play out of him last year at a position. I
don't think people thought he's gonna play, and that's j Scruggs,
Juice gonna play center. He played center and then got
banged up, and then Jarrett stepped in, and then Juice
(33:25):
stepped in at guard when Shaq got hurt, and then
in the playoff.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Game they went back to Shaq. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
I would have gone with Juice, but that's I don't know.
So now Kolepopovich comes into the offensive line coach. Is
Juice as center? Is he a guard? He's a former
second round pick, And I know there's a lot there's
always talk about, well, you know, you can't go on
what they were where they were drafted. It's not getting done,
not getting done. But I feel like there were times
where Juice was doing some good things and getting some
(33:51):
things done, especially Week thirteen at Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Then he got hurt in that game, missed a couple
of games. Your thoughts about what the path.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Is for Juice Scrugs in twenty twenty five, What do
you forecast for him this year on an offensive line?
Speaker 5 (34:07):
Yeah, I think his best path to the field is
being multiple improving his game at both center and guard.
You know, I was very shocked to see them go
back to shak Mason because I thought Juwe Scruggs had
a couple of really good games the Titans game and
the Chargers game where the offensive line was at his best,
so to see Demico go back to or Bobby Swyk,
whoever made that decision to go back to shak Mason
(34:29):
was a little bit of a mystery. So I do
think he's put good things on tape at guard, and
I think they have the option there. I was a
little bit surprised that they've had Laken and Titus Hour
run first team and not see Juice Scrugs run with
the first team, but obviously training camp there's a long
(34:52):
way to go.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
Guys have to stay healthy.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
But I think he'll have a shot and I could
see him being one of the first guys up to
play that spot.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
And it's going to be important because.
Speaker 5 (35:00):
Off his lineman, with all the weight they have, they
tend to get hurt pretty often, so you're gonna need him.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Jonathan Alexander of The Chronicle joining us Jonathan linebacker. If
everybody's healthy, you got Christian Harris, you got Henry TOTOA.
I mean, you've got a lot of guys to choose
from here, obviously A Z's and our buddy Jake Hanson.
But you signed DJ Speed. How does ejs Speed fit
in to this defense with a fully healthy linebacker corps?
Speaker 4 (35:28):
Yeah, well, the fully healthy linebacker corps.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
I think he's the number four linebacker, could come in
on sub packages, probably on goal line type formations. He
was a guy who had a lot of tackles last year,
hundred and foy five tackles. He struggled a ton with
the Colts in coverage, so you won't see him obvious
passing downs unless there's a couple of injuries that you
(35:53):
need him to play, unless he's improved that significantly, but
I think that remains to be seen. I think he
was really valued for his special teams play, so I
definitely see him playing heavily on special teams. So I
see him as a big special teams player and a
guy who they can plug in if an injury happens
without missing too much.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
Of a beat.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Johnathan Texas signed David Arnett or the Roughnecks about a
week ago or so.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Do you think that's it?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
I mean, I know that's at the ninety man limit,
but do you think that's it going into training camp
for the Texans As far as signing people from outside
the building to come in for training camp betweeny twenty five.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Yeah, I think so, as long as there's no injuries.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
Between now and training camp that the Texans find out of.
I think this is what we'll see going into training camp,
and you'll see moves throughout the first and second week, and.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
As players get hurt.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
As a players struggle, they'll try to upgrade at certain
positions depending on what their weaknesses are. But yeah, Arnette
gives them an additional guy at cornerback.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
I believe that he'll probably be on a short leash.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
They'll want to see him be able to perform given
his history and of legal troubles.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
So yeah, I think for now this is who we see.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
So Jonathan story out this week Anthony Richardson, He's gonna
be okay for training camps. So he's going to be
just fine. Shoulder, just fine. So how does the suspect
fun the Colts quarterback situation.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Change your mind at all?
Speaker 2 (37:28):
How do you feel about how that's going to shake
out between he and Jones?
Speaker 5 (37:33):
It doesn't because I've been hearing nothing, but you know
the good things about Jones, Daniel Jones, and at least
the Colts are talking him up so to me, giving
the fact that he's a veteran, has started for a while.
I think they're going to give him a chance and
let him prove himself before Richardson.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
I think Richardson has a long start.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
Just based on what I've been reading and hearing and
seeing on Twitter, it just sounds like Sin's gonna probably
enter as the number two in this season.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
So I don't know if this is breaking news, but
this was how it was framed. Just shortly before lunchtime,
Jonathan Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Told the Pat mcavie Show, he's.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Pretty sure this is it one final ride in Pittsburgh. A.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Do you believe him? And B what can they do
with that one year?
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Yeah? I do believe him.
Speaker 5 (38:27):
You know, I don't think he would Maybe he would
say it if he didn't mean it, but you know,
I think his options are limited. I can't see him
really have such successful season this year. I think he
was just okay, and I think you've started to see
those statistic drops even from his last year in Green Bay.
You know, if you look at it, the production has dropped,
and I think this is more so him recognizing that
(38:50):
he's not playing at the same level that.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
He was playing at before three years ago.
Speaker 5 (38:56):
I think the injuries have slowed him down obviously, the
Achilles injury, and I think the rest of the league
doesn't place as high as the value on Aaron Rodgers
as well, so I do believe he'll retire.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I do think this will likely be his final year.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
All right, one more for you, but I want you
both to participate. Rate the Sizzle Fires. Pittsburgh finishes third
in the AFC North. They actually do worse with Rogers
relative to what the Bengals are going to do this year.
And obviously the Ravens Cleveland I have in fourth, and
I think everybody does Jonathan go first.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, I definitely believe they'll finish third.
Speaker 5 (39:32):
I just think, you know, I saw them have a
significant drop off towards at the latter end of the year.
I don't believe Aaron Rodgers and DK Medal alone will
carry this team. And I think the Ravens are much better.
And I think the Bengals will be really good this
year too.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
I think that's almost negative Sizzle Fires. Really it's just good.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
I mean, the Ravens are arguably most talent roster in
the league. The Bengals have all their pieces offensively coming back,
and it looks like they're making some headway with Trey Hendrickson,
now what they do as Shamar Stewart, that's a hold
of her story.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
But we're talking about Pittsburgh having made the playoffs the
last two years with Kenny Pickett and the exhumed body
of Russell Wilson.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
Get it, I get it. But that defense is a
year older. Cam Hayward's like fifty eight years old. Alex
Highsmith was banged up last year. TJ Wattson, he not
coming back until he gets his contract, and at that point,
that's the heart of that defense. After that, I mean,
it's Mika and like a lot of question marks. So
I think offensively they'll be better, but I think defensively
(40:31):
they might take half a step back. That said, I
still think they're I still think they're probably nine and eight,
ten and seven, and I think the Bengals are right there.
So I think it's probably about two to two and
a half sizzle fires. I'll give it just because I
do think there's a chance to get to say, no
way they're getting first, they get if they get first.
I'm doing this show from I don't know Hawaii because
(40:55):
I'm gonna go bet on the Bengals to win a
division over the Ravens and it's not happened. The Ravens
are that good, So you just not giving the Browns
any chance, and I just think.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
You're foolish in that.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Okay, Jonathan, what do you have going on in the
Houston Chronicle for us?
Speaker 5 (41:07):
Yeah, this week I'll have a story on Christian Kirk
and why he's intent on getting back to his previous
perform when he was at his best with the Jaguars.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Very nice. Thank you for joining us. We appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
There's our friend Jonathan Alexander from the Houston Chronicle coming up.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
We'll clean up things from around the league.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
I'll get to some stories including, but not limited to, Hey,
a team announces an alternate uniform date. Is this the
best alternate uniform out there among the thirty one other teams? Anyway,
we'll get into that, among other things on the way
out here on Texans Radio. Final segment on the show tonight.
Plenty of Aaron Rodgers talk on the Show tonight. Is
that too much? Probably too much? Considering the Texans don't
(41:49):
even play the Steelers this year unless it's in the postseason,
It's gonna be tough for Pittsburgh getting there again. I'm
pretty impressed they got there each of the last two years.
And remember the Texans took it to them in twenty
twenty three on what day in front of the home fans.
That was so awesome that afternoon seems like a long
(42:10):
time ago now, man, And that was like two or
three quarterbacks ago for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And it's just
bizarre that they have Aaron Rodgers, who, by the way,
will work out in Malibu with Steelers players. So you
have the Steelers having an unofficial workout with Rogers and
players in Malibu. You had the Rams staging mini camp
in Maui this past offseason.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
Man, that's pretty nice. But I'm fine with Houston.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
This is great. It's okay. It wasn't that hot during
OTA's in mini camp. The players who thought it was hot,
just wait and see, wait and see how that's gonna go.
And we're all gonna be out there for training camp
when it starts in that week of the twenty first.
At some point, training camp will start, and I would
expect a training camp practice schedule announcement pretty soon. It's
got to come out soon, right, So let's all wait
(42:56):
on that together other things happening around the NFL. Well, oh,
the Bucks are going to wear their creamsicle uniforms week fifteen.
Now that's one of the sweetest uniforms out there, right that.
A lot of people like the old Patriot uniforms. They
wore those when the Texans were up in Foxborough last year. Eh,
the older uniforms. We're not going to talk about that
(43:17):
right now, are we.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
No.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
We saw those each of the last two years and
guess what when andre ware said put them in the
trunk in twenty twenty three when Fairbairn won it on
a late field goal, that was awesome. Now they kept
them out of the trunk for last year, but after
Damian Pearson company ran all over them in the final
week of the season, I guess they decided enough is
enough and they put those uniforms away. But the creamsicles
(43:42):
very sweet. However, all these retro uniforms share one thing.
I think that if you wore them all the time,
the fans will get tired of them.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
Again.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
I lived in New England when the Patriots wore those
old pat Patriot on the side of the helmet red uniforms,
and believe me. The local fan base at the time
was we got to make a change here. So I
doubt the Oilers were thinking we got to make a
change because the team was moving, so that was a
very different situation. I think the Bucks they were thinking,
we got to make a change. They clearly did make
a change, and it meant a lot for their franchise.
(44:14):
It changed the fortune of the franchise now, not the
uniform change, Tony Dungee coaching, having Lovey Smith their's defensive coordinator,
that obviously really helped the talent improvement Sean King, et cetera.
But it all went along with the rebrand right and
the Texans just underwent their own rebrand in twenty twenty four,
and it was very cool to see the new uniforms unveiled.
(44:36):
And yes, there will be a day, not anytime soon,
but there will be a day, I'm sure when the
Texans have their own retro day and where the similar
look or the same look they had in their early
oh's And.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
You're thinking, well, wait a minute, Mark, it didn't change.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
It kind of did a little bit because the white
uniforms in the early early days. If you look at
the Dallas game highlights for instance, you can see more
red trim. I think socks were red or something like that.
I don't have an image in front of me, but
those old old it's weird to say that.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Now, huh.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
I mean two thousand and two, those old white uniforms
were a little bit different than what they would eventually
start wearing.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
But you know what I really like though, that really
never got its run.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
The red helmet that was unveiled in twenty twenty two
on a Thursday night game November third, I believe was
the date. Now a not so good memory as far
as the game went, with the Philadelphia Eagles and the
Astros playing a World Series game on the same night.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Let's forget about that part.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
But that was the night they unveiled the red uniform,
or the red helmet rather for the first time. And
then they wore the red helmet on Battle Red Day
in twenty twenty three with Demiko Ryans obviously, and they
wore the red helmet and the blue uniform. What game
was that was that Denver? That was a really cool look.
Maybe that was Tampa Bay, whatever it was, it was
(45:54):
a really cool look at the red helmet and the
old deep steel blue uniform, so we never saw much
of that. But I'm fine with the uniform change. It's
just that we never saw that red helmet much. Just
two seasons of the long awaited red helmet, and now
I know what you're wondering, where's the white helmet? Not
gonna happen anytime soon, but you never know, maybe there
is a white helmet coming.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
You never know.
Speaker 4 (46:15):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
The league is getting way more lenient.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
They're getting way more flexible with uniform adjustments, changes, special occasions.
So we'll learn more as we go. All right, that's
gonna do it for the show tonight Tomorrow night. Plenty
of activity. We're gonna get Ejspeed on the program. New
Texans linebacker, among other things happening on the show. Don't
(46:41):
miss it tomorrow night at six. John McClean. Thursday, more
Texans interviews on the way. Have a great night. Area
forty five coming up. Go Texans,
Hello, Texans, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Mark Vandermaer and John Harris with you, and we've got
a fun one for you tonight. Summer Show Mini Camp
way back, way back behind the car. We're driving through
this summer set of weeks here until we get you
to training camp. Jonathan Alexander is going to join us
in about thirty minutes from now from the Houston Chronicle.
(00:22):
We'll talk all things Texans and then some and Johnny
Good evening.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
How you doing good?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
It is really kind of an interesting part of the
year college Ruld series over which I loved watching.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
NBA finals are over.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
We do have the draft taking place, but the Rockets
obviously got rid of pick number ten, so don't really
have to pay attention until the last pick of the draft.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I think, if I remembering.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Correctly, they have mister Irrelevant in this NBA draft, which
is kind of interesting to have.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
But yeah, so.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
All that takes place and we're just kind of waiting.
June twenty fourth, we're getting close. I would think, well,
we're less than a month away from when we know
the rookies in veterans report the reporting July twenty second,
we know that we don't know what, they practice starts,
but we're less than a month from them reporting back here.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, well I'm thinking that. I'm thinking they practice the
next day.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think that's usually the situation, and that's been reported
by NFL Network that they report on the twenty second
of July. So I feel pretty safe to say that
we are within a month of the first scheduled practice.
How about that. That's pretty cool. I got a lot
to do before that, got a lot to do and
a lot to organize get ready. But it's a weird
time of your sports wise, because yes, the Astros are playing,
but it's just strange. You mentioned College World Series, some
(01:42):
of the other events, obviously the NBA Playoffs, the WNBA
aka Cobra Kai is very interesting, So.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, hold on Cobra Kai. It's kind of Cobra Kai.
Is it is?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Because there's a lot of infighting and rivalries. And she
said this, and she did that, Johnny, and who's all
of a sudden, Sophie Cunningham is a huge star, is
massive star, huge star.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
And I thought, you know, she.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Looks like she's six eight or something. I know, but
she's not very six to one. Yeah, but she looks
but that's tall compared to a lot of women. Right,
of course she walks in like all legs and high
heels and everything on the arrival photos and videos.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Right, and my nieces actually look a little like her.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Okay, the Vander girls, because my brother's six seven and
my nieces are all three girls. They're like five eleven
through six one. You know, they're all volleyball players and
in their twenties.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And now everyone's gonna want their number.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
No, they're my nieces. And by the way, we've got
to clean up a couple of things from tomorrow show.
We'll get to hot takes in a moment. It's hot
take Tuesday and Jonathan Alexander at about six thirty. But
from yesterday, Drew Doherty wade in on a couple of things.
He said, you forgot about the Randy Johnson trade with
the ass I.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Wasn't gonna get all the trade. Well, you're gonna get
all of them. We mentioned the major ones. Yeah, I
wasn't get any.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Johnson was a big one. But they didn't do anything
in the postseason. They had a great regular season. They
went over one hundred games after they acquired Randy Johnson.
Also Clyde Drexler the second championship team, because you'll acquire
a Hall of Famer, you win a championship, that's pretty big.
And that wasn't all because of him, but he was
a key part of that team, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I wasn't gonna get all of them, but I wanted
to at least pay homage to a city that has made.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Some major, major deals.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I mean, the city has made a ton of really
big trades in the three major sports. And it was,
you know, yesterday kind of going back through like man
and some of them. James Harden the trade to acquire him,
the trade to let him leave, Deshaun Watson the trade
to acquire him, the trade to let him leave. Those
(03:49):
two trades, James Harden and Deshaun Watson. Now, the rebuild
was gonna take a little bit longer for the Rockets,
seeming not that much longer, but that deal to deal
Harden was what precipitated them kind of getting back going
in the right direction. Took a while where they could
(04:09):
go make a deal for Kevin Durant and be one
of the what two or three teams that are in
the mix by the odds makers to go win a
champion by the odds makers, I mean, it's incredible, by
the odds makers.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I mean think about the Rockets, you know, and it's
kind of like the Texans too. You know, in twenty
twenty two, nobody, nobody in their right mind could have
foreseen what we were going to be the next couple
of years and what we could be in twenty twenty five.
But if you go back and look at what the
Deshaun Watson deal did for the organization, that allowed them
to make the Will Anderson trade, and we know how
(04:41):
important that trade was to everything, and those moves have
paid off for those two organizations. Rockets in the Texas
for sure, But look, I wasn't meaning to leave out
the Astros, and that was a huge move for Randy Johnson.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Huge. Yes, seems so good.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Of all the trades that have been made, the players
that are acquired that we talked about have been good.
But I don't know if anyone was so good immediately
after the trade as Randy Johnson was here in Houston.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So he was incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, he was unbelievable. Yeah, he's Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson,
he was he also brought up Drew did Damarius Thomas
for the Texans. But that's not a huge trade, no,
but it was a needed trade. He traded a fourth
Brian Gain did for Damarius Thomas and went right back
to Denver with him where his banner was hanging on
the side of the building and opening drives a couple
(05:33):
of catches and it's a big win. Ye It was
very nice game winning streak for the Texans. That is
the longest winning streak in the history of the franchise.
Love to break that record this year.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Gave up a fourth a fourth and the timing of
that and what way fine fastening about fascinating about that
is the trade deadline was.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I think a Tuesday. I think it was a Tuesday. Okay, Tuesday, yeh,
that sounds right.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Tuesday. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
We had played the previous week on a Thursday night,
and because we had played on a Thursday night, unfortunately,
that's when Will Fuller.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Had gotten hurt. Dolphin game.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
The Dolphin game in the end zone, he gets pulled
down and I think it is Bobby McCain.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Either way, he gets pulled down.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
They know before the weekend is out he's torn his
acl and he's not coming back. They know they've got
the weekend to do something. Now, if that happens on Sunday,
you don't have money. Now you're waiting for Monday. So
not that timing is you know, timing is never perfect,
But in that unfortunate situation, the fact that we were
playing on that Thursday night gave GM Bryan Gain at.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The time, the opportunity to go and get Demarius.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
And they've been talk about the Marius being moved, so
I know the Broncos were were ready and I just
remember asking Brian about that move and the one thing
he said, this kind of stays with me, and it
makes every time we have Nick Cassario in here and
we talk about trades and dealing with the rest of
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I remember Brian said, yeah, John Elway made.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
It really easy to get this deal done, and they
just made me think about relationships.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Two to tango. Yeah, and obviously.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
You need two to tango, but just having relationships with
more people throughout the league are going to make those
deals that much easier. They trust you, they trust that
you're not trying to fleece them and that you're just
trying to make a deal that's good for the Texans,
it's good for your team, and we come together and
find out that right deal and a way we go. Yeah,
(07:29):
I mean Nick had no idea that Sean Watson was
going to go to Cleveland and look like that.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
No, you know, no, no way.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Years later you can look at it and go, you're like,
oh man, he fleeced the Browns. Yeah, well that's in
the Browns because Deshan Watson was hot garbage.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, but that was going to be a situation where
anything short of maybe a championship or at least an
AFC championship game, right, was going to look bad for that.
But because they least so much into it, we could
have at least.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Had a good twenty twenty three yeah, and gotten them
in what you.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Was at, well, you got hurt. It had flo Oh yeah,
Flaco and you.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Know last year that's the thing about at least played
like he'd played quarterback before.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
You know, well we mentioned it yesterday and that he
didn't for a.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Guy looked so good it's hard to fathom it's the
same individual. But the twenty twenty three Browns reminds you that, hey,
they had a winning season.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
They went to the postseason. Yeah, they the.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Regular Yeah, the regular season really good here, So that
was just a weird deal. And they had a horrible
year last year. But here they come again, and they
have Joe Flacco back, and we'll see standers and all that,
and they're part of a very interesting mix in the
AFC North. Let's get to this hot take Tuesday, love this.
We're gonna we're gonna rate the hot takes here. Joe, Oh,
(08:48):
this is my favorite year. We're going to get a change.
I get to give the sizzle fires. Yeah, you get
to give the sizzle fires. Analyze. I'll give you the
hot take. You tell me how hot it is. In
other words, the more sizzle fires, the hotter it is,
the more unlikely it is.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
If you will.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Hot take Tuesday, let's go. That's our hot take. Sounder
love it. Yeah, it's a blow torch that Okay, Okay,
here's your hot take, the first one in the AFC South.
Daniel Jones will have a better season than Trevor Lawrence.
How many sizzle fires on this one?
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Four and a half? Four and a half. Yes, that's
not that crazy. There's stats are very similar.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
You see the graphic half I he's got Jonathan Taylor
running the rock.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I look it's all relative too, because Trevor can throw
for thirty nine hundred yards and thirty touchdowns and Daniel
Jones could throw for twenty eight hundred and twenty touchdowns.
It's still a better year just because he's been better
with the football, not as you know, yolo with it.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah, this could be a qualitative rating, right because I
think quantitative.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
It could might depending on how the Colts put together
their offense with Daniel Jones versus what Jacksonville I would
think is gonna try and do with Trevor Lawrence, and
look the Jacks get behind in games. Trevor's gom pad
some stats. I just have a feeling the Colts are
gonna play or gonna try and play bullyball all year.
Knowing look, Jones isn't great, but awesome play action, hitting
(10:21):
some short stuff, hitting the backs out of the backfield.
You know, he can do some safe stuff to keep
us in games. Our defense, our receivers are really talented.
Taylor can take control of a game. Run behind an
offensive line. I can see them taking that tack. I
just feel like in Jacksonville it is now or never,
and everybody knows it. Everybody knows it's got to be
(10:46):
Trevor Lawrence this year.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Like he's gotta be that guy.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
We can't have twenty eight touchdowns and seventeen interceptions or
a year like that. Like, he's got to produce. He's
got to produce at a high level. He's got to
take care of the football. He's got to hit open receivers.
I mean that first and foremost. How many times did
he miss an open receiver against US? Especially Week four? Yep,
he gonna put another couple of touchdowns on a board.
And now it's not even a ballgame and they're going home.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
With a W.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So I just feel like this is that year. This
is the make or break. You're ensure it's making break
for Daniel Jones in Indianapolis. But I think they're gonna
try and massage his way through games and just manage
everything really closely, nothing risky, not keep him out of
third and nine, those kind of things.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
He's gonna face a lot of.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Third and fours, third and threes, things he can pick
up with little short stuff, And I think that's gonna
be successful for them. But I think Jacksonville is gonna
have to roll the dice with Trevor and get way
more out of him. So from that standpoint, I'm going
four and a half. Trevor's gonna have a much better year.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Now. Look, you know I don't want him to. Yeah,
I know, I don't want him to.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
I want to be wrong about what I said about
Trevor years ago. But he could throw it and he
can move a little bit. And I think going for
rban Meyer to Doug that was good initially, then he
was banged up. We'll see what Liam Cohen's got. Liam
Cohen has made good quarterbacks out of guys that were
pretty good.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
He made him really good. I e. Baker Mayfield, and
I think he can do that with Trevor.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Unfortunately, do you think that Trevor had any season that
was comparable to what Baker did prior to hitching.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Up with Liam Cohene, Then I've word that correctly. I
think Trevor's twenty two was good.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Baker's years without Liam Cohen, Trevor's years without Liam Cohen.
I don't know that Trevor had anything better than Baker
in the twenty twenty two years. Interesting because he's not
he had he didn't do really well until about the
last seven games of the year.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Yeah, and then he kind of got hot in year two.
So second year quarterback, Okay, he kind of got hot
the first year to urban Meyer.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I mean, come on, but in all seriousness, twenty twenty one,
he's got urban Meyer there.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It's not a good year twenty twenty two for the
first nine ten games, it's just okay. He's good for
the last seven to eight and he's he's good in
the playoffs. Twenty twenty three, he was all over the map.
Twenty twenty four, he's hurt and all over the map.
So I don't know that we've really seen a good
Trevor Lawrence other than for about seven games.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
But he's never had Liam Cohen.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
And Liam Cohen turned Baker Mayfield into something I think
you can do with Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Okay, another hot take, Hot take Tuesday. How many saysel
fires for this? How crazy is this? Damian Pierce? More
yards because we're gonna stay in Jacksonville here, Okay, more
yards than Travis Etn now etn last year five point
fifty eight and he played in fifteen games. John he
(13:49):
played in a lot of games because tank Bigsby is
running the rock in Jacksonville. Yeah, Pierce two and change,
not three. Okay, he had that big game at the
end of the year. But let's say Piers plays a
bunch this year. He's not the number one guy. He
still racking up some yards. So you're dealing with two
number two guys here. And look, I don't know what
(14:13):
Nick Chubb's going to do, but let's say Pierce gets
his carries. I don't know how crazy is it, how
many Sizzle fires Piers gets more yards than traves Etn.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I feel like that's pushing the boundaries of four to
four and a half. Four to four and a half,
sayssle Fires.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yeah, I just I feel like you can't give up
on a first round draft choice.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Well, there's that part, But the other part is that
you didn't put in there is traves Etn the running
back for the Jaguars, Like, does he run the rock
for the Jaguars or at some point does get moved
in training camp? Oh, somewhere where he gets a little
bit more opportunity. So semantics, I know where you're going
with that.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
If he gets moved no way, Well, I mean, I mean,
I can't say.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
No way he lose, he might pierce somewhere. He might
go somewhere and then get more opportunity. And I think
that's the that's the only other thought. But as it sits,
I still think that ETN is still going to be
about that number four hundred and five hundred, and I
think in a I don't even know best case scenario
is the right way of saying this, but I feel
like if Damien makes this roster and his honest roster,
(15:20):
he's gonna be a mother you know what on kick returns,
and that is really gonna be where he picks up
a lot of his yardage. And the hope is that
Nick stays healthy. Okay, but I think kind of like
last year, I think Damien on this roster gets maybe
a game or two where Joe's banged up and it's
he and Nick. Maybe Nick's banged up, it's Joe and Damien.
(15:43):
But even at that point last year, even when it
was Joe and Damien, the staff really just went Nope,
it's Joe. Like it would be eighteen carries to two
or it would be twenty three carries to one, yea,
and it was like Damien didn't even get that opportunity,
So different eyes, different thoughts with Nick Kaylee Kopopovich, et cetera.
(16:03):
So I still think it's gonna be hard to pass
up Travis Etn. I think Travis Etn gets it about
four or five hundred. I My my hot take would
be Travis Etn takes back over the starting job by.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
The end of the year in Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Jacksonville, Okay, we'll see my hot fresh eyes there, yeah, Liam,
no doubt fresh eyes.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
All right.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Next hot take, the Dallas Cowboys make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
How many Sazzel fires?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I must say about three and a half because I
don't think it's crazy, but I think the division's tough
obviously with Commander's Eagles and the Giants are depending on
what they get from Russell Wilson, Jackson Dart Jamis.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Here's what has to do.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
I think the Giants and have been a tougher route
than people think. How bad were the Cowboys last year?
Kind of a rhetorical question.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
They weren't great.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
They won seven games last year. If they get to ten,
if they get ten wins, so guess what happened in
the NFC North.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
The Packers made the playoffs. With eleven.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
The Vikings had fourteen wins. They're not winning fourteen this year,
so there's some wins to give back there. One of
those two teams might miss the playoffs like Seattle did
with ten victories last year, so there's room that it's
not entirely crazy. Now the personnel's flipped a lot. Is
Schottenheimer calling plays? See, I don't like that. If he is,
(17:26):
I hope he is, so I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
That the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
The only way I saw that really working well, potentially working,
was he being a great delegator. That that that exactly
I think could lend itself to success.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
But if he's not, he's.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Got you know, he's got the connection with Dak not.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
That I ever got. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Clayton Adams is the offense score. I think he's got
an offensive line background. But I I think you're right.
I think Brian Schottenheimer ends up being a guy that
calls plays.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
That it's tough. That's tough. I mean, de Miko will
tell you that.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Just calling defensive plays and then being the head ball coach,
I mean, that's.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
That could be tough.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, he's calling the plays. I got it right here.
Yeah he's doing it. So I don't like that.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
But I think the addition of George Pickens in a
contract year basically along with Ceedee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, really
good wide receiver court.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
They got to protect him, they got to be better.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
But they drafted Booker, the guy that I lusted over,
but they got to replace.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
The Marcus Lawrence.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
I think it's a defense that gets unfortunately lit up
for the Cowboys. I think that defense gets lit up again.
I think that defense really struggles. I think teams focus
on Parsons, they slow him down, and there's really not
anybody else out there where you go, yeah, this guy's
gonna beat us. And I think that ends up getting
their secondary lit up again. I know there's a lot
of names in the secondary. I know that Diggs is
coming back. I still think you can let up that
(18:53):
team like a Christmas tree. But Dak is that important
to that team. He's that important. So I'm gonna I'll
go three three and a half says of fires an hour.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Okay, another hot take on Hot Take Tuesday, Xavier Worthy,
We'll have more catches than Travis Kelcey in Kansas City.
Now Worthy really good last year with sub sixty receptions.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Kelsey almost got to one hundred last year.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
But Kelsey's not getting any younger, and it's been amazing
for him what he's been able to accomplish.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
But were these on the rise now? He's not a
high volume.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Receiver of the football to word things the way Greg
Cosell might and Kelsey is. However, I was listening to
Bill Pullman Bill Pollyan. Rather, Bill Pullman is a different person,
an actor. Bill Pollyan on Serious XMNFL radio. He talked
about Dallas Clark when he was running the Colts. He
said Clark got to one hundred and ten or something
(19:51):
one year. He thought he was never the same afterwards,
and he was telling the co host vic Rucci, how
impressed he was that Kelsey could continually rack up huge
reception seasons because you take such a beating catching the football.
You're getting hit every play virtually and all of that.
(20:11):
And at his age, it's going to slow down at
some point and maybe it's time for Worthy to catch up.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
They want to spread it around.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
So how hot a take is that that Kelsey is
not the leading receiver for the Kansas City chiefs.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I think that's a four Okay, I think it's a
four guy. And I just think they've found the role
for Kelsey, and that is that all the short stuff,
you know, I need to go to you on third down,
third and four.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I can get that. You know, he can get that.
He can get that pass.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I think his volume is still I think it's going
to be like ninety for seven thirty five.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I think that's what he's gonna be.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
But I think Worthy he's got a chance to be
sixty five seventy for twelve fifty, whereas he's got less receptions,
but the yardage going deep screen that he catches and
takes for fifty yards, those kind of things, I think
xavier're Worthy is gonna have more so than Kelsey. So
I still think Kelsey leads them in receptions. I still
(21:15):
think that Mahomes wants to go to him. But I
think this is the last year that happens. I think
this is the last year. I do think by the
end of the year, you're really gonna see even more
decline from Kelsey, thankfully, and then one of those receivers
steps up, and maybe it's receiver by committee, maybe all
of them.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Catch you over.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
She Rice catches sixty Worthy has sixty five, and that's
how they go about their business the next few years.
But I think the yardage for Worthy is gonna be
a problem for teams, including the Texans. I think it's
gonna be five catches a game for one point twenty two.
It's gonna be four catches in this game for one
oh three, it's gonna be seven for ninety nine. He's
(21:55):
gonna have those kind of games. He might have a
game where he has two catches but it's gonna go
forty five yards and one on one for a touchdown.
He might have those games too. So I think it's
not the receptions for Worthy. It's gonna be the big
chunk plays in the yardage and the long touchdowns. So
for fantasy, you lose on on points per reception, but
you're gonna get it back in yards and touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think, Okay, here's another one for you as we
do hot take Tuesday, and this is gonna be a
good one, Final football one, and I'm gonna run this
by Jonathan as well when we have mine. In the
next segment, the Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the playoffs and
have a sub five hundred season with Aaron Rodgers at
(22:38):
the Helm, sub five hundred year Johnny eight and nine
or worse. I don't want to see it for Mike
Tomlin because I like Mike Tomlin and I like them
messing up the Ravens and Bengals and just clogging that
whole thing up in the AFC North to pave the
way for the Texans.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
A little bit. Think it's nuts.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Okay, I'm gonna say that.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
That's a two. I think that division is really good.
The Ravens are the most talented team in that division.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Bengals have everybody back offensively, defensively, I think they're that much.
They gotta have Trey Henderson back, so I don't know
how they how they work that. They need Shamar Stewart,
So they got to get out of their own way
and get that deal signed and get Shamar Stewart in
a training camp so he doesn't miss time and they
can get it an effective edge guy opposite Hendrickson.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
So if they can do that, yeah, the Bengals are salty.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Now.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you I believe
in the Bengals are going to be thirteen and four.
But I think the Bengals are going to be a
solid ten and seven, and that's gonna put them on
the cusp of Okay wildcard, where they fit in the
wild card all that kind of stuff. I just think
the Steelers are a year older defensively.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
TJ.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Watt doesn't have his deal done. He was even banged
up last year. Alex Highsmith was banged up last year.
Cameron Hayward is like fifty eight years old now. Minka
is really their only other true like big time baller
and defense. So I'm like, I think team can take
advantage of that defense more this year, which puts more
pressure on Rodgers and the offense.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
And I don't think that's where that team wants to be.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
So I don't think it's out of the round possibility
of them being eight to nine. I really don't, even
though they want what they want last year ten with
Russell Wilson, I just don't. I don't know that this
offense can take a significant leap, even with Aaron Rodgers,
because I think there's gonna be too much pressure on
them that have to do it, because I think the
defense is gonna start to show some cracks in the Armor.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Okay, one final hot take on Hot Take Tuesday. Ted
Lasso is the best show on television to come out
since its release, and I'll add one to it. Cobra
Kai is second. I don't think it's as good as
ted Lasso, but it's really d Do you think it's
(24:49):
better than ted Lasso in some ways?
Speaker 3 (24:51):
No, I think ted Lasso is ted Lasso is ahead
of it barely, not by much. But I'll tell you
this show that I like more than those other two
since since uh tu Lasso came out?
Speaker 1 (25:04):
O the Bear? Oh you like that? Incredible? If that's
the cooking one? Yeah, yeah, it's incredible.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Jeremy Allen White, who, by the way, Jeremy Allen White
gonna play Springsteen?
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I saw in the new biopic Parents. I saw this. Yeah,
And I haven't watched all of Dylan yet. I really
need you need to watch Sam is incredible. Jeremy Allen
White is Springsteen?
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Now, I don't know about the voice all that, I
don't I don't know, but the look and just him
on stage, and you know, it's just the way that
Springsteen moves and how energetic he is.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I can't wait to see that one.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
I love Jeremy Allen White because he's he is He's
the Bear, you know, he's he's that guy in the Bear,
and so I love Jeremy Allen White, but that show
has it has humor. The greatest single TV episode that
I have I can remember seeing in the last eight
to ten years, at least, going dating back to Breaking
(26:01):
Batter Better Call Saul is the Christmas episode I think
it was in season three of.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
The Bear of the Bear on Market's Unbelievable. It is.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
It's a Christmas episode that's got some guest stars in it,
and Jamie Lee Curtis plays their bipolar. She's their mother,
She's bipolar, and it is. I got done with the
episode and I literally just stood up. I started clapping.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
It's that good, It's I gotta watch the show. What's
the uh Hulu? I think Hulu is what I thought
on Yeah, it was a different platform.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Yeah, there have been some good TV shows, but I
do love those.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I do love those two Bears. Incredible. You know what
Cobra Kaya is It's our high school reunion. It is.
It is.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
It's a totally high school reunion show. And that's what
it feels like.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
You're seeing all all your high school kids, all the
kids of the kids, like their kids are over here
having their party, and the high school reunion is over
here having their party.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
It's wonderful. It's so good.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
It's a it's a blend of all of that which
has made it made it such a fun.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
And you know what else here here's another take on
Cobra Kai. It's kind of Jameis Winston like, they throw
some picks. I mean, there's some things where I'm like,
come on, but they score so much, they throw so
many touchdowns. You're just so pleased with so much of
what happens that you overlook some of the flaws in
the program, because there are some.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I mean, let's just be honest. But Ted Lasso is amazing. Okay.
Is there gonna be a season four? I don't know. Maybe, right,
I've heard rumors. Yeah, so let's get but I don't
know what rumors. Let's get it.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
I don't know, And let's get Jonathan Alexander in here
from the Houston Chronicle, Talk Texans, It's next here on
Texans Radio. Back to it here on Texans Radio. Mark
Vandermer and John Harris with you, and it's Tuesday at
around six thirty, and you know what that means. It's
time for Jonathan Alexander from the Houston Chronicle and Jonathan Welcome.
I had this question thrown at me today from an
(27:59):
out of town media person, and they said.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
What's this offense gonna look like? What's it gonna look like?
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Hey, I got a new offensive coordinator and never mind personnel.
I get it, there's some new offensive linemen and whatever,
you drafted receivers, you signed Nick Chubb, But what's the
offense gonna look like?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
What's your answer to that question, Jonathan.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Yeah, I think that's the biggest mystery.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
You know Nick Kyley on multiple kasions, we've asked him
about that, and he did you to say it's gonna
be the Houston Texans offense. What I do know is
whatever this offense will look like, it'll be centered around CJ.
Stroud and insinuate in accentuating his strengths as a quarterback.
I think that was Damiko Ryan's primary objective and looking
(28:44):
for offensive coordinators. He was looking for somebody who could
help him, looking for somebody with a strong run game
and somebody who could who had experience in offensive lines.
And Kaylee obviously had that experience with tight ends and fullbacks,
So you know, I don't think it'll look dissimilar to
what we saw last year. I think it'll it'll be
(29:05):
probably look a little bit similar, but with Kaylee's own
spin to it.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Jonathan, it's been interesting the last I don't know, a
couple of weeks or so, as we've gotten into the offseason,
a lot of lists season, a lot of people talking
about quarterback rankings and where the quarterback's ranking, CJ's ranking is.
I don't say, all over the board, but it's been
interesting to hear the dialogue.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
And I can't remember who I heard said this.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
I'm gonna ask you straight out because this person said,
I actually think his second year might have been better
than his first year. I don't know if I can
go all the way there, but is it overblown the
sophomore slump if you will, as I do fingers and
air quotes that CJ had that it was more about
(29:51):
what was around him not performing at that level and
CJ actually doing what he could to basically save any
situation he was in.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
How doe you kind of look back at that and
how do.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
You think it changes what's the key to changing it
is as simple as just getting him protected by a
good offensive line.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Yeah, I looking back, even in the moment, I think,
especially early on in last season, you know, I thought
CJ had taken his game as a quarterback to another level.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
You know, he was going through multiple progressions.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
He wasn't throwing as many risky balls as he did
in his rookie season, and his rookie season there were
a lot of interceptions that didn't get caught, So I
thought he had improved.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
As a quarterback.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
I thought as the year went on, and as he
began to get hit more and more and more, he
started to be a little bit hesitant in throwing some
of the certain passes that he was unafraid to make
when he was a rookie, and I think that contributed
to a lot of his struggles the offensive line. There's
so much pressure. There was a lot that he couldn't control.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
But overall, as a.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
Quarterback, I thought he was a lot more polished as
a quarterback.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
And I think if they can protect.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Him this year, you'll see a lot of that in
his improvements happen in year three.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Jonathan, we were going over the running back room during
a show last week and Johnny and I. I think
somebody mocked us as well a little bit, but they
sympathized as well. It's hard to figure out mocking us.
I don't know some dude on Twitter, who else, whatever,
X whatever anyway, but they were saying, oh, you like everybody,
(31:28):
you don't want to cut anybody. Well, yeah, I do
like everybody. Okay, it's May June, like everybody. We got
to see how it shakes out in training camp. But
I think this is going to be a really interesting
situation here because you drafted Woody Marks for a reason,
yet here's Dara still able to make plays for you.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
How do you see it? Not just those guys, but.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
The general group here between Pearce Chubb mix in. Assuming
everybody's healthy, this is gonna be a real tough cut,
tough decisions on the way.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Yeah. I think the only person guaranteed to make the
roster is Joe Mixon. You know, I think Woody Marx
has a good chance to make the roster, and now
would consider him the second best chance because he was
a fourth round pick. You invest so much into that
fourth round pick that you at least want to give
them one year and then after that. I think it's
(32:20):
almost equal at this point. You know, of course Dari
has a lot of value as a special teams guy,
can catch it out of the backfield. But you know,
with the addition of these extra guys, he's right now
he's only relegated to special teams. Damian Pierce number two back,
but Nick Chubb could also do it, also returns kicks,
(32:41):
but they now have multiple options. And Nick Chubb is
a potential number two back, but he doesn't really play
special teams. So all three of those guys, particularly Chubb, Pierce,
and the have strikes against them. I think it'll I
think it'll come down to training camp, who stands out more,
who can do multiple and who stays the healthiest.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Talking to Jonathan Alexander and Houston Chronicle, Jonathan a player
to me that is intriguing as I'll get out, because
I just I feel like we saw some much better
play out of him last year at a position. I
don't think people thought he's gonna play, and that's j Scruggs,
Juice gonna play center. He played center and then got
banged up, and then Jarrett stepped in, and then Juice
(33:25):
stepped in at guard when Shaq got hurt, and then
in the playoff.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Game they went back to Shaq. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
I would have gone with Juice, but that's I don't know.
So now Kolepopovich comes into the offensive line coach. Is
Juice as center? Is he a guard? He's a former
second round pick, And I know there's a lot there's
always talk about, well, you know, you can't go on
what they were where they were drafted. It's not getting done,
not getting done. But I feel like there were times
where Juice was doing some good things and getting some
(33:51):
things done, especially Week thirteen at Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Then he got hurt in that game, missed a couple
of games. Your thoughts about what the path.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Is for Juice Scrugs in twenty twenty five, What do
you forecast for him this year on an offensive line?
Speaker 5 (34:07):
Yeah, I think his best path to the field is
being multiple improving his game at both center and guard.
You know, I was very shocked to see them go
back to shak Mason because I thought Juwe Scruggs had
a couple of really good games the Titans game and
the Chargers game where the offensive line was at his best,
so to see Demico go back to or Bobby Swyk,
whoever made that decision to go back to shak Mason
(34:29):
was a little bit of a mystery. So I do
think he's put good things on tape at guard, and
I think they have the option there. I was a
little bit surprised that they've had Laken and Titus Hour
run first team and not see Juice Scrugs run with
the first team, but obviously training camp there's a long
(34:52):
way to go.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
Guys have to stay healthy.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
But I think he'll have a shot and I could
see him being one of the first guys up to
play that spot.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
And it's going to be important because.
Speaker 5 (35:00):
Off his lineman, with all the weight they have, they
tend to get hurt pretty often, so you're gonna need him.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Jonathan Alexander of The Chronicle joining us Jonathan linebacker. If
everybody's healthy, you got Christian Harris, you got Henry TOTOA.
I mean, you've got a lot of guys to choose
from here, obviously A Z's and our buddy Jake Hanson.
But you signed DJ Speed. How does ejs Speed fit
in to this defense with a fully healthy linebacker corps?
Speaker 4 (35:28):
Yeah, well, the fully healthy linebacker corps.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
I think he's the number four linebacker, could come in
on sub packages, probably on goal line type formations. He
was a guy who had a lot of tackles last year,
hundred and foy five tackles. He struggled a ton with
the Colts in coverage, so you won't see him obvious
passing downs unless there's a couple of injuries that you
(35:53):
need him to play, unless he's improved that significantly, but
I think that remains to be seen. I think he
was really valued for his special teams play, so I
definitely see him playing heavily on special teams. So I
see him as a big special teams player and a
guy who they can plug in if an injury happens
without missing too much.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
Of a beat.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Johnathan Texas signed David Arnett or the Roughnecks about a
week ago or so.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Do you think that's it?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
I mean, I know that's at the ninety man limit,
but do you think that's it going into training camp
for the Texans As far as signing people from outside
the building to come in for training camp betweeny twenty five.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Yeah, I think so, as long as there's no injuries.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
Between now and training camp that the Texans find out of.
I think this is what we'll see going into training camp,
and you'll see moves throughout the first and second week, and.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
As players get hurt.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
As a players struggle, they'll try to upgrade at certain
positions depending on what their weaknesses are. But yeah, Arnette
gives them an additional guy at cornerback.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
I believe that he'll probably be on a short leash.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
They'll want to see him be able to perform given
his history and of legal troubles.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
So yeah, I think for now this is who we see.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
So Jonathan story out this week Anthony Richardson, He's gonna
be okay for training camps. So he's going to be
just fine. Shoulder, just fine. So how does the suspect
fun the Colts quarterback situation.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Change your mind at all?
Speaker 2 (37:28):
How do you feel about how that's going to shake
out between he and Jones?
Speaker 5 (37:33):
It doesn't because I've been hearing nothing, but you know
the good things about Jones, Daniel Jones, and at least
the Colts are talking him up so to me, giving
the fact that he's a veteran, has started for a while.
I think they're going to give him a chance and
let him prove himself before Richardson.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
I think Richardson has a long start.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
Just based on what I've been reading and hearing and
seeing on Twitter, it just sounds like Sin's gonna probably
enter as the number two in this season.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
So I don't know if this is breaking news, but
this was how it was framed. Just shortly before lunchtime,
Jonathan Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Told the Pat mcavie Show, he's.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Pretty sure this is it one final ride in Pittsburgh. A.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Do you believe him? And B what can they do
with that one year?
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Yeah? I do believe him.
Speaker 5 (38:27):
You know, I don't think he would Maybe he would
say it if he didn't mean it, but you know,
I think his options are limited. I can't see him
really have such successful season this year. I think he
was just okay, and I think you've started to see
those statistic drops even from his last year in Green Bay.
You know, if you look at it, the production has dropped,
and I think this is more so him recognizing that
(38:50):
he's not playing at the same level that.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
He was playing at before three years ago.
Speaker 5 (38:56):
I think the injuries have slowed him down obviously, the
Achilles injury, and I think the rest of the league
doesn't place as high as the value on Aaron Rodgers
as well, so I do believe he'll retire.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I do think this will likely be his final year.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
All right, one more for you, but I want you
both to participate. Rate the Sizzle Fires. Pittsburgh finishes third
in the AFC North. They actually do worse with Rogers
relative to what the Bengals are going to do this year.
And obviously the Ravens Cleveland I have in fourth, and
I think everybody does Jonathan go first.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, I definitely believe they'll finish third.
Speaker 5 (39:32):
I just think, you know, I saw them have a
significant drop off towards at the latter end of the year.
I don't believe Aaron Rodgers and DK Medal alone will
carry this team. And I think the Ravens are much better.
And I think the Bengals will be really good this
year too.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
I think that's almost negative Sizzle Fires. Really it's just good.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
I mean, the Ravens are arguably most talent roster in
the league. The Bengals have all their pieces offensively coming back,
and it looks like they're making some headway with Trey Hendrickson,
now what they do as Shamar Stewart, that's a hold
of her story.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
But we're talking about Pittsburgh having made the playoffs the
last two years with Kenny Pickett and the exhumed body
of Russell Wilson.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
Get it, I get it. But that defense is a
year older. Cam Hayward's like fifty eight years old. Alex
Highsmith was banged up last year. TJ Wattson, he not
coming back until he gets his contract, and at that point,
that's the heart of that defense. After that, I mean,
it's Mika and like a lot of question marks. So
I think offensively they'll be better, but I think defensively
(40:31):
they might take half a step back. That said, I
still think they're I still think they're probably nine and eight,
ten and seven, and I think the Bengals are right there.
So I think it's probably about two to two and
a half sizzle fires. I'll give it just because I
do think there's a chance to get to say, no
way they're getting first, they get if they get first.
I'm doing this show from I don't know Hawaii because
(40:55):
I'm gonna go bet on the Bengals to win a
division over the Ravens and it's not happened. The Ravens
are that good, So you just not giving the Browns
any chance, and I just think.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
You're foolish in that.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Okay, Jonathan, what do you have going on in the
Houston Chronicle for us?
Speaker 5 (41:07):
Yeah, this week I'll have a story on Christian Kirk
and why he's intent on getting back to his previous
perform when he was at his best with the Jaguars.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Very nice. Thank you for joining us. We appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
There's our friend Jonathan Alexander from the Houston Chronicle coming up.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
We'll clean up things from around the league.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
I'll get to some stories including, but not limited to, Hey,
a team announces an alternate uniform date. Is this the
best alternate uniform out there among the thirty one other teams? Anyway,
we'll get into that, among other things on the way
out here on Texans Radio. Final segment on the show tonight.
Plenty of Aaron Rodgers talk on the Show tonight. Is
that too much? Probably too much? Considering the Texans don't
(41:49):
even play the Steelers this year unless it's in the postseason,
It's gonna be tough for Pittsburgh getting there again. I'm
pretty impressed they got there each of the last two years.
And remember the Texans took it to them in twenty
twenty three on what day in front of the home fans.
That was so awesome that afternoon seems like a long
(42:10):
time ago now, man, And that was like two or
three quarterbacks ago for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And it's just
bizarre that they have Aaron Rodgers, who, by the way,
will work out in Malibu with Steelers players. So you
have the Steelers having an unofficial workout with Rogers and
players in Malibu. You had the Rams staging mini camp
in Maui this past offseason.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
Man, that's pretty nice. But I'm fine with Houston.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
This is great. It's okay. It wasn't that hot during
OTA's in mini camp. The players who thought it was hot,
just wait and see, wait and see how that's gonna go.
And we're all gonna be out there for training camp
when it starts in that week of the twenty first.
At some point, training camp will start, and I would
expect a training camp practice schedule announcement pretty soon. It's
got to come out soon, right, So let's all wait
(42:56):
on that together other things happening around the NFL. Well, oh,
the Bucks are going to wear their creamsicle uniforms week fifteen.
Now that's one of the sweetest uniforms out there, right that.
A lot of people like the old Patriot uniforms. They
wore those when the Texans were up in Foxborough last year. Eh,
the older uniforms. We're not going to talk about that
(43:17):
right now, are we.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
No.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
We saw those each of the last two years and
guess what when andre ware said put them in the
trunk in twenty twenty three when Fairbairn won it on
a late field goal, that was awesome. Now they kept
them out of the trunk for last year, but after
Damian Pearson company ran all over them in the final
week of the season, I guess they decided enough is
enough and they put those uniforms away. But the creamsicles
(43:42):
very sweet. However, all these retro uniforms share one thing.
I think that if you wore them all the time,
the fans will get tired of them.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
Again.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
I lived in New England when the Patriots wore those
old pat Patriot on the side of the helmet red uniforms,
and believe me. The local fan base at the time
was we got to make a change here. So I
doubt the Oilers were thinking we got to make a
change because the team was moving, so that was a
very different situation. I think the Bucks they were thinking,
we got to make a change. They clearly did make
a change, and it meant a lot for their franchise.
(44:14):
It changed the fortune of the franchise now, not the
uniform change, Tony Dungee coaching, having Lovey Smith their's defensive coordinator,
that obviously really helped the talent improvement Sean King, et cetera.
But it all went along with the rebrand right and
the Texans just underwent their own rebrand in twenty twenty four,
and it was very cool to see the new uniforms unveiled.
(44:36):
And yes, there will be a day, not anytime soon,
but there will be a day, I'm sure when the
Texans have their own retro day and where the similar
look or the same look they had in their early
oh's And.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
You're thinking, well, wait a minute, Mark, it didn't change.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
It kind of did a little bit because the white
uniforms in the early early days. If you look at
the Dallas game highlights for instance, you can see more
red trim. I think socks were red or something like that.
I don't have an image in front of me, but
those old old it's weird to say that.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Now, huh.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
I mean two thousand and two, those old white uniforms
were a little bit different than what they would eventually
start wearing.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
But you know what I really like though, that really
never got its run.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
The red helmet that was unveiled in twenty twenty two
on a Thursday night game November third, I believe was
the date. Now a not so good memory as far
as the game went, with the Philadelphia Eagles and the
Astros playing a World Series game on the same night.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Let's forget about that part.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
But that was the night they unveiled the red uniform,
or the red helmet rather for the first time. And
then they wore the red helmet on Battle Red Day
in twenty twenty three with Demiko Ryans obviously, and they
wore the red helmet and the blue uniform. What game
was that was that Denver? That was a really cool look.
Maybe that was Tampa Bay, whatever it was, it was
(45:54):
a really cool look at the red helmet and the
old deep steel blue uniform, so we never saw much
of that. But I'm fine with the uniform change. It's
just that we never saw that red helmet much. Just
two seasons of the long awaited red helmet, and now
I know what you're wondering, where's the white helmet? Not
gonna happen anytime soon, but you never know, maybe there
is a white helmet coming.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
You never know.
Speaker 4 (46:15):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
The league is getting way more lenient.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
They're getting way more flexible with uniform adjustments, changes, special occasions.
So we'll learn more as we go. All right, that's
gonna do it for the show tonight Tomorrow night. Plenty
of activity. We're gonna get Ejspeed on the program. New
Texans linebacker, among other things happening on the show. Don't
(46:41):
miss it tomorrow night at six. John McClean. Thursday, more
Texans interviews on the way. Have a great night. Area
forty five coming up. Go Texans,
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.