Battle Red Blog
That’s much better. Let’s review.
The Day After the Day After...when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of Week 11:
This was the year to get an experienced top-tier running back. Arguably, the best free agent running back signing rests between Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry. Right behind them, you must put Houston’s acquisition of Joe Mixon. Where would this offense be without him? 20 carries/109 yards/three TDs, to go along with two receptions for 44 yards. Mixon is the focal point of this offense. As he goes, so goes Houston. Plus, he’s brought a bit of arrogance that isn’t always great, but for a team like Houston, is not a bad thing. This season, the NFL is all about the running game, and a top-tier back is as valuable an asset as a team can possess.
Stroud in this game...was. Perhaps our views of 2023 Stroud cloud his 2024 perceptions. His Monday Night debut wasn’t horrible (23 of 34 for 257 yards, 1 INT), but it could have been so much better. In particular, he missed several easy, high-payoff throws. His 1st quarter INT never should have happened. He throws that even close to Collins, Houston not only converts on 4th down, but it is likely a Collins TD. He missed another open throw to Dell that would have extended a drive in the 4th quarter, when he faced little pressure. The Cowboys only sacked him once, and Stroud had more time to set and throw than he has in weeks. If the line can offer a bit more stability, it is possible that Stroud could regain his top form. If that can happen in time for the playoffs, look out.
The 2024 Cowboys, the slow-moving trainwreck you can’t look away from (and the national sports media won’t let you). Not trying to get into the whole media conspiracy about the Cowboys, but it was telling that most of the initial headlines about the game focused on the Disaster in Dallas, the FG taken off the board, the roof tile collapsing as metaphor, Jerry Jones commenting on anything, Dallas, Dallas, Dallas Only after reading the 1st paragraph or two do you get to the whole “Houston Texans, led by Joe Mixon...” Oddly enough, the main non-Houston based media source that focused more on the victor came from the BBC. Granted, there is little better sporty-ball schadenfreude out there than watching the Cowboys derp bigly yuuuggggeeee. Sure, Houston hasn’t done much to move the national discussion, but the imbalance of the Cowboys’ coverage is a bit...much.
Ref-ball...back with a vengeance. Houston opened the season with 40 penalties in their 1st four games. The six games since saw only 34 flags, which nearly halved the penalties/game rate (10.0/game to 5.6/game) Then we had Monday Night. The 1st offensive snap...an illegal receiver downfield penalty on Tunsil, negated...
