Lori Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: 1-1 PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: November 16, 2003 – Houston 12, Buffalo 10 The defense did just about everything they could – holding Domanick Davis under 70 yards rushing and knocking QB David Carr out of the game - but a woefully inept offensive performance cost the Bills a badly-needed win. Late in the first quarter, Jeff Posey sacked Carr and forced a fumble in the Houston end zone. Sam Adams narrowly missed falling on the ball for a TD, but the safety put Buffalo on top 2-0. The Bills drove inside the Houston 25 on each of their next three possessions but Rian Lindell missed two of three FG attempts, and Texans backup QB Tony Banks hit Andre Johnson for a 46-yard TD to put Houston ahead 6-5 at halftime. The Texans added two FGs in the second half; following an Antoine Winfield interception, the Bills couldn’t put the ball in the end zone from the Houston 20 and settled for a 20-yard Lindell FG. With the score 12-8, the Bills drove down to the Houston 31, but Jamie Sharper sacked Drew Bledsoe and forced a fumble that was recovered by Texans LB Shantee Orr. The Texans then ran out the clock for the victory. TEXANS OVERVIEW OFFENSE: There’s talent at the skill positions. Davis is a tough, hard-to-bring-down runner who also caught 68 passes last year – second only to big-play WR Johnson, who earned his first (but most likely not his last) trip to the Pro Bowl in 2004. Carr has the skill set to be a quality NFL QB, but he’s paid the price for being the first overall pick of an expansion team - he’s been sacked 140 times in his 44-game career (an average of over 3/game), including an NFL-record 76 in 2002. The offensive line remains a source of concern. The Texans made a run at several big-name LTs in the offseason, but were unsuccessful; Victor Riley (a natural RT) opens the season on the left side. RG Zach Wiegert missed the last part of the preseason with an ankle injury – he’s not listed on the injury report as of Wednesday, but Milford Brown could also see some time there. Overall, the line is big, but slow. We’ll see how well they pick up the Bills’ multiple blitzes… DEFENSE: Following a 2004 season in which their 24 sacks ranked dead last in the league and only Green Bay gave up more passing TDs, this unit went through a major overhaul in the offseason. Former starters Jamie Sharper, Aaron Glenn, Eric Brown, and Jay Foreman have moved on. CB Phillip Buchanon – remembered by Bills fans for his 81-yard interception return/TD on his last visit to Ralph Wilson Stadium – came over via trade from Oakland, and LB Morlon Greenwood was signed as a free agent. 2004 #1 pick Dunta Robinson is the other CB; he led the team with 6 interceptions last year. Sixth-round pick C.C. Brown appears to have won the starting SS job. DEs Robaire Smith and Gary Walker combine with NT Seth Payne to form a stout 3-4 line, but not much of a pass rush. OLBs Antwan Peek and Jason Babin should provide plenty of speed off the edges; both have the potential to be impact players, but still have to prove it on the field. 2004 leading sacker LB Kailee Wong returns to his natural inside-backer spot. SPECIAL TEAMS: Mediocre, although I’d probably trade Rian Lindell for Kris Brown. Last season’s leading PR/KR, J.J. Moses, is gone; Buchanon and rookies Jerome Mathis and Vernand Morency are the most likely candidates to fill those roles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Wait until September – we won’t know how good (or bad) the Bills will be until the games actually count.” That starts this weekend. Time to rip the wrapping paper off the Christmas presents, and find out if they were worth waiting for… Links: NFL.com injury report Ourlads.com - Texans depth chart HoustonProFootball.com, a very good fan site/message board Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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