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11 Sports BLOG |
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August 2009
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August 2008 ArchivesFirst off ...isn't it great to live in Houston?? Final pre-season game lost by Texans to Bucs 16 to 6. The Texans go 2 & 2 on the pre-season. I thought Petey Faggins had a standout game for the Texans on defense ....and Tim Bulman ...defensive lineman looked good. Texans call timeout .... it's 2nd and 9 at the Texans 20. Brandon Harrison shaken up for Texans .....he's helped off the field. Bucs back on offense ....and they could run the clock out with a first down or maybe two. Brink gets intercepted ....by Bucs ...and TB back in business .....in Texans territory. Bucs have the ball lback on their own 29 yard line .....Texans trail 13 to 6. Another matt Bryant Field Goal .....makes it 13 to 6....with 9:10 left in the 4th. Matt Bryant connects on 40 yard field goal ...Bucs lead 10 to 6. 13:28 left in the 4th quarter. here we go ...mercifully ...we've reached the 4th quarter.... 1:24 left in the 3rd ....and TB leads 7-6. yawn!! I personally like the way Shipp runs the ball ...better than Darius Walker. Sabby Piscitelli was shaken up o the play ....but now he's walking off under his own power ...but limping. 5:05 left in 3rd qtr ....Texans trail 7 to 6. Bucs get the first down ...on the great effort pass by Simms to his receiver and they pick up 12 yards. Turk punts it away ...and Bucs back on offense. Maddox is one of many guys fighting hard trying to make this ballclub. Anthony Maddox just did something that is rare for a defensive lineman for Texans. Brown makes a 41 yard field goal on the final play of the 2nd quarter ....Bucs lead at the half ....trimmed to 7-6. It's halftime ..... ...Boyd to Dreessen for pickup to the TB 41 ..and timeout called ..with :36 seconds left in the first half. ...The caffeine is flowing in the press box ......'cause this contest ....or is this a scrimmage?? ....this thing is a big SNOOZER........ Texans trail 7 to 3 ...the most impressive Texan so far ....I believe .... is cornerback DeMarcus Faggins. ...The guys in the pewter colored pants ....yes thats's the color ....hvae the ball. It gave him plenty of time to flex his might!! ...Simms gets the first offensive drive going for the Bucs .....then it stalled .....Matt Bryant their kicker booted a field goal attempt that missed and we remain TB 7 ...HOU 3: Just has never shown that he could be a huge success at the possession either in college or the NFL.....in my opinion. Let me just say ....veteran DeMarcus Faggins .... one of the few remaining original Texans is playing a good game tonight. ...The Bucs are going with Major Applewhite's UT nemesis on this series. they fumble the punt ....but somehow ...recover the fumble ...despite being outnumbered on the ball. TB ball at the Buc 37. 12:05 left in the half ....and TB leads 7 to 3. Tampa Bay return man ......Dexter Jackson just woke everyone up with an 83 yard punt return to give the Bucs their first lead. 7-3 Tampa Bay with 13:49 left in the first half. ...2nd year player Jacoby Jones lost the handle on another catch. This time though it was ruled incomplete and the Texans got a break. But Tim Bulman was the man who stopped the play for no gain. so instead of being first and ten inside the Texans 30 ....the Texans now will take over. ...He's playing against backups ....but Colvin ....the former Patriot is looking very active tonight. Already he has pressured the quarterback ...and two plays ago ...he knocked down a pass as he came through the line. ...Colvin pressures the passer and McCown has to scramble .....but the Bucs keep rolling ...Turk punts into the endzone ...and TB takes over at it's own 20 after the touchback. Last Friday night in Irving, Texas .....the atmosphere was nearly as energy-charged as a regular season game. Tonight's game in contrast .... is about as exciting as watching paint dry. ...Tampa Bay's Matt Bryant tries to tie the score on the Bucs first possession .... but Bryant was just short on a 54 yarder. Score stays the same 3-0 Texans. That's the question ... many NFL fans might ponder again this season .....as referee Ed "Did you get your tickets to the gun show?" Hochuli takes to the field. Hochuli is the man in charge of the officiating crew at tonight's snoozer ....er I mean pre-season game. I wonder if Hochuli is hacked off that he has to waste his time on this "backwater" contest ....where he's unable to show off his "guns" to a national audience. Texans defenders take the field ....and no "regular" starters are in the lineup. another Kris Brown field goal. TExans lead 3-nothing ...with 11:11 The Texans do have one starter playing ....the offensive guard on the right side ....Brisiel got the start. I really expected to see first round pick Duane Brown .....but he's not in the game. In his stead .. Rashad Butler started at left tackle. ...Wow ...I've seen small crowds here but this looks like a Rice/Louisiana Tech game from a few years ago. Neither team has a regular "starter" in the game. Kris Brown is the only one scheduled to play ...along with punter Matt Turk. ...Jacoby Jones returns kickoff to the Houston 19 yard line .... Hello again ...Matt Musil here and be prepared to see a lot of backups if you watch tonight's contest. As I just reported on 11 News at 6 ....Tampa Bay has already announced the Bucs will not play any of their regulars. The Texans still haven't announced who they'll start. But expect the starters who do play ...not to be in there very long. Injured Texans player Harry Williams is undergoing surgery today .... to fuse two of his discs together. According to team doctor Walt Lowe ...." On the field, he was alert, but paralyzed from the neck down. His spine was immobilized and he was taken in an ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital-Dallas for evaluation. During his transportation to the hospital, he began to regain feeling in his arms and legs. At the current time, he has regained almost normal neurologic function. The evaluation at the hospital revealed a fracture of the C-3 vertebra and a significant ligamentous injury to the neck. This injury wil... Blogging over for the night ..... Cowboys fans booing ....because they wanted pass interference ..... Dallas leads 20 to 16 with 5:26 to go in the 4th. It'll take something special for the Texans to come back and win this game. If they would ...they would go 3 & 0 for the first time ever in a pre-season. Cowboys wil take over at their own 20 yard line. They lead 20 to 16 with 8:22 left. Darius Walker on the carry ..and converting on a third down play ...Texans first and ten at their own 22 yard line. Sage Rosenfels is in ...Schaub is done for the night. Schaub completed 15 of 27 for 166 yards..and one touchdown ....no interceptions. Not a bad line ...but I just thought that with the added pass rush tonight from Dallas ...he was just a little off on multiple throws. But that's what pressure defense does to quarterbacks. ....too bad the Texans can't that part of their defensive game going. Kris Brown kicks a 29 yard field goal ...and the Texans have cut the lead to 20 to 16. Texans trail 20 to 13 ..... as the two teams move to the 4th quarter. Texans knocking on the door. ...Texans at the Dallas 39 yard line ....big pass play from Schaub to Walter. Now a nice completion to Andre Davis at the Dallas 25. Texans force fumble when Dallas gets close .....Mario Williams forces fumble ..and rookie Frank Okam ...credited with the recovery. Texans convert the gift to 3 points but it could have been more. Cowboys lead 20 to 13. Nick Folk just toed through a 42 yard field goal to put the Cowboys up 20 to 10 as the first half ends. The Texans had some moments on offense ....but defensively it hasn't been pretty. The one forced turnover in the endzone ...was about the only bright spot. ...Cowboys have the ball back at their own 25 yard line .... :34 seconds left in the first half. Converting on one play after another ... they've gotten to the Dallas 43. After Andre Davis took a knee in the endzone .... Texans begin this possession on their own 20 yard line. Dallas leads 17-10. ...Marion Barber scores on a one yard plunge ....Dallas goes up 17 to 10. Cowboys are poised to re-gain the lead ...sitting at the Texans one foot line ....on 3rd down. Cowboys are at the Texans 9 yard line ....first and goal ...Dominique Barber has been called for a low hit on the return .....15 yard penalty gives the Cowboys the ball at their own 32. Bad mistake...they were backed up in their own end of the field ....after the kickoff. ...Before Zac Diles intercepted that Romo pass .... the Texans looked half dead ....but that defensive turnover ..... apparantly woke everyone up ..and Schaub just drove the team 80 yards. Nice completions on the drive to David Anderson, Kevin Walter ...and outstnading running by rookie Steve Slaton. Score tied 10-10 with 7:47 left in the first half. ...Schaub to Kevin Walter ...11 yard TD pass ..... with the PAT .... 10 to 10 . early in the 2nd ...Former K-Stater Zac Diles intercepts Romo in endzone and Texans take over at their own 20. ...Dallas leads 10-3 ...already Cowboys have 10 first downs ...Can't move it ....Turk punts and Cowboys have the ball again ....at their own 44. Nick Folk ups the Cowboys lead to 10-3 ..on a 48 yard field goal. T.O. was open for a T.D. pass but it was overthrown. Former Cowboys cornerback Jacques Reeves was beaten on the play. ...Dallas is rolling .... two straight first downs ...and the Texans once again ...have not been generating a pass rush. T.O. Terrell Owens just made another 1st down play ..his catch gets it to the Houston 36. Unable to get anything going .... the Texans have to punt..and Thunder Foot ... Matt Turk ...drives one deep into Cowboys territory where Pac Man Jones ... returns to the Dallas 29 yard line. Cowboys first and ten ....and the Cowboys lead 7-3.. with 6:52 to go 1st quarter. ...Tony Romo hits Patrick Crayton ...a wide receiver ...streaking across the middle for the TOUCHDOWN. Will Demps was beaten on the crossing pattern. 7-3 Dallas with the PAT. Cowboys possession ....and after a nice Marion Barber run ...and an 11 yard pass completion from Tony Romo to Sam Hurd ...the Cowboys are in Texans territory and driving ....at the Houston 20. 3-0 Texans. ...They've brought the card in to put the injured player on a stretcher ...and drive him off the field. It's Harry Williams a backup receiver and special teams player who has been impressive in practice as of late .....but he's down after being hit in the head by one of his own teammates as they collided trying to make a tackle. Head coach Gary Kubiak is out with the training staff to check out the situation ...and it is not good. Some players are on their knees ....and others are crowding around trying to see how bad Williams is hurt. Again play is stopped with 12:49 left in the first quarter with the Texans lead... Texans break on top to begin game ....Kris Brown with a 44 yard field goal. Someone in the newsroom asked me this week who I thought would win Friday night's pre-season game featuring the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans. My response was,"I don't know ...does it matter." This decidedly strong Houston sports fan ..... didn't like my answer .....but the truth is ... this pre-season game doesn't matter much. ...Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has already proved to the world he's the fastest human on the planet. His performance winning gold in both 100 and 200 meters, while setting new world records was simply sensational. "First of all, I think he's working on a pretty good career in track and field," Smith said. "Anytime you have an athlete with exceptional speed, its attractive to you." "But the thing is , you don't kn... After the Astros won their 8th straight game Thursday .... the guys in the clubhouse were down right giddy. Manager Cecil Cooper says,"No doubt about it ... there's a little magic in that dugout right now." ...Ivan Ochoa pops out to 3rd .... one out. Pinch-hitter Michael Bourn hits a grounder up th emiddle ...and Ochoa makes a full layout stop and flips to 2nd for the out to retire the side. Astros score 3 times though ... to take a 7-4 lead into the 9th. Jose Valverde is coming on to close it out. Humberto Quintero is up with 2 out and Blum still at 2nd. Astros lead 6 to 4. Pence up with Blum on 2nd .... nobody out. Geoff Blum just blistered a Hinshaw offering to the wall in left-center .... just missing a homeun. The umpires rule it a double initially ....and Cecil Cooper is out to contest it. Lance Berkman just hit a bomb into the Crawford boxes. Tejada scores ahead of him and it's a two-run blast ...and the Astros lead 6 to 4.!! Miguel Tejada has been hitting over .300 since the All-Star break ..and he just singled to right field to start the bottom of the 8th. I spoke with Miguel yesterday ..and I told him that when I see him hitting solid liners to right field I know he's "on the ball" when he's swinging ...and he said,"Yeh you're right. I haven't really changed anything ....it's just that during a long season ....you can't be red-hot all of the time. Now I am." I guess so. Score Tied at 4-4. Ty Wigginton is the first batter that Yabu faces and after hitting a loud foul down the left field line ....he pops out to center to end the inning. Astros 4 ...Giants 4. Darrin Erstad ...who's in the leadoff spot today .... just singled up the middle scoring Newhan from 3rd ..and we're tied again .... this time it's 4 to 4. The Astros still trail 4 to 3 ...but David Newhan keeps his big day going ...by leading off the 7th with a single. No he doesn't look anything like that character off the old Seinfeld TV show ... but just like that annoying fat guy ..... Newhan ...David that is, just keeps popping up and contributing to the Astros cause .... just when you've forgotten about him. With the other utility guys on this team (Mark Loretta, Geoff Blum, Ty Wigginton & Darren Erstad) contributing so heavily to the Astros team this season ...... it's easy to forget about seldom used Newhan. Former Oilers/Titans offensive lineman, Bruce Matthews, was honored Wednesday night as Touchdowner of the Year by The Touchdown Club of Houston. Matthews was an amazing stalwart of a player ....starting in 292 of the 296 NFL games that he appeared in ..... and he's always been an even better citizen. ...A 25 yard Kris Brown field goal from the seven yardline gives the Texans a 19 - 16 win ...A five yard catch my Jameel Cook puts the Texans on the four yard line....1:30 remaining still tied at 16 - 16 ...Slaton bursts through the Denver defense to the 14 yard line on a 13 yard first down run. Rookie running back Steve Slaton, is showing off his speed, getting another Texans first down. A 26 yard field goal by Prater with just under six minutes left ...Denver takes over with 10:19 left in the 4th ...trailing 16 to 13. Boyd still in at quarterback and Darius Walker is in at running back. Obviously .. veteran Chris Brown ..the former Titan will not see action tonight. Ahman Green was in for one play before straining his groin. Steve Slaton out of West Virginia now in at RB. Looked good on first run ....got a first down. ...Matt Prater makes a 31 yard field goal and Denver draws closer .... 16 to 13 with almost the entire 4th quarter left. 14:52 remains in the 4th quarter. Thus far ..my player of the game is Texans receiver David Anderson. He has a TD catch ..plus a few other very nice plays. ...Quick Six ...Anthony Alridge has looked very good when he's had a chance for Denver. Boyd is in for Rosenfels at quarterback. Broncos get a 38 yard field goal from Matt Prater ...cutting the Texans lead to 16 to 10. ...Broncos punt the ball away ..... Jacoby Jones field it at his own 30 ...and then retreats ...and keeps going avoids several tackle attempts ..and then fumbles the ball away. Denver recovers ..and Jacoby ...is going to hear about this from his coaches. Quick Six ... Anthony Alridge ...the former UH standout ....looked good on his first carry ..then got hammered on his next lay ...on a pass reception ...fumbling the ball but one of his teammates recovered ..and Denver retains possession. ...Brown kicks his 3rd Field goal of the night ..this one from 23 yards ..and the Texans up their lead to 16 to 7. 9:39 left in the 3rd. ...Foiled on 3rd down ....the Texans have Kris Brown on the field to attempt a field goal. ...Steve Slaton on the return ...and Texans take over at their own 19 yard line. Texans lead 13 to 7. Let's take a break!! ...Denver takes over on downs ...as the replay shows Turk was one yard short of the 1st down. 1:00 left in the first half ...Texans lead 13 to 7 ...but the Broncos now have a chance to score. Now the officials put :42 seconds left on the clock. Rosenfels gets drilled by cornerback Chrisitna Morton ...and he fumbles the ball ..but the Texans recover. Then Matt Turk is brought in to punt the ball away ....but the rush gets through ...and Turk runs for a first down. Wow what a play for the 40 year old and the father of 5. ...Left Tackle Duane Brown is still in the game. From what I've seen ...he's held his own. 2:00 minute warning ....at 8:19pm ..which means this game may be over by 10pm. Matt Prater misses a 30 yard field goal attempt. Texans stay on top 13 to 7. ...Linebacker Zac Diles just drilled Michael Pittman along with DelJaun Robinson. Forcing a long pass on 3rd down ...incomplete. Field Goal try to come. ...Jamar Fletcher is flagged ...first and ten at the Texans 39 yard line. ...Andre Hall breaks one outside to the left ....but gets knocked out of bounds at the Texans 46 yard line ...after a 14 yard gain. Texans lead 13 to 7 with 6:39 left in the 2nd quarter. After the interception ... Sage Rosenfels ....rolls out to his left on the 2nd play from scrimmage ...and finds David Anderson ...in the left corner of the endzone. He knocks the pylon down ...and gets the score. Texans go up 13 to 7 on the extra point that follows the 26 yard TD pass. ...Veteran backup strong safety Nick Ferguson picks off Ramsey ..and returns to 26 yard line of Texans. ...Patrick Ramsey in to play quarterback for Denver. Brown looks to be in mid-season form. Brown's 52 yard field goal makes it a 7-6 game ... with Denver leading. 11:59 remaining in the 1st half. ...3rd and 8 ...and the ball gets knocked away incomplete on a throw to the running back. The stands are about 2/3rds full now ... as they play in the 2nd quarter. Texans trail 7-3 at the end of 1st quarter. Schaub apparantly is out for the night ....coach's decision ...no injury. Denver takes the lead on a 15 yard scramble and run by quarterback Jay Cutler. Jersey Village HS product Young ...looks good in the early going. Can you believe he went undrafted??? With his Type 1 diabetes apparantly under control ....Jay Cutler looks good early on. He just completed two straight swing passes to Selvin Young. 2nd and 5 to come at the Houston 42. ...Cutler thus far has spent most of the possessions handing off to former Jersey Village standout Selvin Young. On 3rd down .... they beat Fred Bennett on a pass play from Cutler to Marshall. 1st down Denver at their own 38. ...Texans take a 3-0 lead ...on a short 23 yard field goal by Brown. Schaub throws into traffic ..and they'll go for the field goal. ...Green gives a thumbs up ...and is assisted off the field. Fans applauding. ...Denver linebacker Louis Green is being tended to on the field .....and play has been suspended with 8:49 left in the 1st quarter. They are putting Green on a stretcher. ...Texans just announced it's not Green's Hammy ....but instead it's a strained right groin. Right now though play has been suspended due to a Denver player being injured ...After catching a pass ..and going down he left the playing field. Jacoby Jones returns his first punt ...and doesn't fumble and doesn't get hurt. Broncos unable to advance the ball on the first two plays ...and on 3rd down ....Broncos penalized ....and then on 3rd and 20 ....no gain. first punt of the night. Jacoby Jones on to return. Once again local TV stations are along the front row of the Texans press box here at Reliant Stadium. I'm wedged in between Ch-2 producer Adam Clanton ...and sports interns Keena Blackmon and Emily Villere. Denver has won the toss and will receive. Denver in dark blue uniform tops and white pants .... and the Texans have white jerseys and blue trousers. Winston Dutchin just stole my binoculars ...but I will have them back by kickoff. ...It's another partial sell-out for this pre-season game .....that's right ....only about 1/4 of the seats are occupied as we get ready to kick this game off. So much for football frenzy!! Nonetheless .I know you're interested in what's happing ...so I will be here. The indoor pyrotechnics are about to begin ...as they introduce the Texans starting lineup. By the way indoor fireworks .... are not a good idea ....never were and still aren't. Kickoff moments away!! ...Are you kidding me?? How did our ancestors get by without air-conditioning?? My son and I were playing basketball outdoors earlier today ..... and we felt fried .... I don't even want to think about how hot it would be in shoulder pads and helmets in this heat. As tough as NFL football players are .... believe me when I say ..... they are thrilled to be playing this pre-season game indoors!!! ...At least that's what Texans offensive guard Chester Pitts said this morning when it was revealed that his buddy Ephraim Salaam had to have a troublesome knee scoped. "I mean the guy is 430 years old, it's nothing to him. He'll be back in three weeks." ...When Gary Kubiak left the Broncos to become Head Coach of the Texans, it opened up a pipeline from Denver to Houston bringing in players, coaches, and front office personnel. It wasn't long before Rick Smith followed becoming the General Manager. After that the floodgates opened for a host of their former players. But right now the Team has more of a Ft. Collins flavor to it. The Texans have 5 players from Colorado State on the roster, as they prepare to face the Broncos in their preseason opener on... New U.H. head football coach Kevin Sumlin let it be known on the Cougars media day ... that he's excited to be "just coaching" now .... instead of spending most of his time shaking hands, attending banquets and talking to the media since his arrival in H-Town. ...Texans head coach Gary Kubiak summed it up best,"DeMeco (Ryans) and Morlon (Greenwood) are the mainstays back there .... but they finally see that there's some quality help for them." Recently I caught up with Texans running back Ahman Green after practice. For some reason our conversation shifted from football to the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight". As it turns out, Green is a huge Batman fan. He's seen all the movies and read most of the comics. According to Green, "He's the only super hero out there who doesn't have any radioact... The Texans pushed both of their workouts to the late afternoon to avoid Tropical Storm Edouard. Thankfully the storm didn't pack a punch, but the Texans practiced with a lot of intensity. The goaline sessions were really lively. They also did a lot of work on special teams, paying a lot of attention to returning punts. The U.S. Men's Gymnastics team has high hopes headed into the Beijing Olympics. But before they can go for the gold .... they would like to be able to shoot a little hoop!! ...I could sense something different in the air this morning .... and it wasn't so much all the talk about Edouard the Tropical Storm/Hurricane ..... it was more about the intensity of this morning's Texans' workout. Then a fight broke out .... and at that point ... I realized ... no matter what Gene & Dr. Neil's tracking charts showed ... The eye of this storm was on the practice field at Reliant Park. ... |
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