What About Schaub?

While the team has regained Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub coming out of it's bye week, which turned out to be at just about the right time after all, the injury report saga that has been Ahman Green's 2007 will continue this week. Originally expected to play after his visit with famed specialist James Andrews was said to turn up nothing significant in his troublesome right knee, it came to light about an hour and a half before the time of this writing that Superman will be sitting out against New Orleans. This will be the fourth time he's missed a game as a Texan.

Whatever illusion any of us Texans' fans were maintaining of some stability at running back on the back nine of the season is pretty much dead. Ahman Green is no savior, of course, but he at least gave us a recognizable name at the head of the depth chart. Looking at the alternatives, I'd held out hope that he'd be able to resume the 15-carry quasi-starter role he served in the first two games. Now we're left to brace for the worst, and hope he dons a helmet and pads again this year at all.

The alternatives I spoke of are Ron Dayne and Adimchinobi Echemandu, and to their credits, both of them have put forth quality efforts in recent games. Oakland waived Echemandu earlier this fall, something he's grown used to in his career. He's typically been a training camp hero since he came on to the NFL scene as a seventh-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2004 draft. Houston is his fourth stop.

Honestly, I don't know much about this guy, the San Diego game was the first time I'd seen him play. He ran the ball 10 times for 62 yards, a respectable output. However, when a guy at a skill position is still bouncing from team to team when he's 26, very rarely does that guy turn out to be a difference maker for a team. Echemandu can't be viewed as anything but depth at this juncture.

And then, there's the human landslide, Ron Dayne. Dayne's been a notorious bust since he was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants as the NCAA all-time most prolific rusher. At 5'11", 245 lbs., he simply doesn't have the speed needed to create big plays. Even when he does break into the second level of the defense, he's bouncing off defenders and on his way to the ground. He's also not as much of a load to bring down as you would think from looking at him, as strong tackling defenses have historically kept him from breaking away from many defenders. Daynewas very productive relieving Green in Week 9, when he finished up with 122 yards rushing and a TD against Oakland, but even that display showcased his weaknesses: Oakland has been lousy against the run to begin with, and were sloppy and wreckless trying to bring him down, which constantly added yards to Dayne's runs. Dayne is starting this week against New Orleans, who has played the run far better than Oakland. Dayne's yards per carry ratio will not be pretty in this game.

Although Ahman's injury is the most pertinent at the moment because we'll probably be getting him back soon, having Dunta Robinson placed on IR last week with a torn right ACL and torn right hamstring will end up being the one injury that could sink the Houston Texans this year. Not only because it rips the best player out of our secondary and leaves a gaping hole, but because of the personnel shuffle that will follow. Von Hutchins, who's done a fine job at free safety to date, will have to swing to cornerback so that DeMarcus Faggins can be kept in his nickelback role. Houston's now been hit with the loss of Robinson, SS Glenn Earl, and SS Jason Simmons for the season, and is now missing former first-round pick Jamar Fletcher, who underwent an appendectomy after Week 9. Will Demps, who was signed in September after the Giants cut him loose, takes the free safety job vacated by Hutchins. Demps does offer more size than Hutchins opposite SS C.C. Brown, but he has been used very sparingly since coming to Houston. We'll have to see what he can bring to the defense in two days.

The new look of the Texans' secondary will receive the trial by fire treatment, drawing New Orleans right off the bat. No team in football has taken to the air more consistently than the Saints (not even Houston), and they'll only push the pass more, now. The one positive in that is the lingering possibility that Drew Brees' throwing arm isn't 100%, which has been a moderately popular rumor, albeit only during or after New Orleans losses this year. The Saints are the popular pick in this one because they have more of an identity than Houston, but coming off an outright humiliating loss at home to the Rams and going on the road against a team that's been resting for two weeks? That is enough for me to favor Houston. Both teams like to throw and both teams stink at defending it, so it will be death from above for one of these two. I'm banking on it being New Orleans. The pick: Houston - 40, New Orleans - 32. Maybe next time, Big Easy.

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• #1 Comment from cdphillies62 
  11/16/07 7:57 PM | Permalink

  Well, if I were the Texans' head coach, I'd be handing the ball off to Adimchinobi/Adimchinobe (whatever) Echemandu a bit more than that has been, never was, and never will be waste of life who goes by the name of Ron Dayne. Let's at least see what Echemandu can do with more of a workloard, before he's labeled as nothing more than simply depth at the RB position.
  
  -Charlie Hill-