Tag Archives: Texans

The Hard Foul Podcast: Episode 67

The Bills must take advantage of the 12th Man to have a shot of taking down Arizona. (Getty Images)

The Bills must take advantage of the 12th Man to have a shot of taking down Arizona. (Getty Images)

Jim and Evan start the show with their thoughts on last night’s Patriots win over Houston. They then previewed Redskins/Giants and Cardinals/Bills before looking at the rest of the big games from the Week 3 NFL slate. Which teams will prove themselves contenders and quiet the critics? And who might need to hit the panic button?

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The Hard Foul Podcast: Episode 59

Jacksonville's roster should be greatly improved, but is Blake Bortles the right trigger man to get them out of the cellar?

Jacksonville’s roster should be greatly improved, but is Blake Bortles the right trigger man to get them out of the cellar? (Getty Images)

On a brand new episode of the Hard Foul Podcast, Jim Bearor and Evan Sally continue their NFL preview series, 32 Teams, 32 Questions. This time they take a flamethrower to the AFC South. This was a fun one.

Two Ways to Listen:

iTunes

SoundCloud

If you have an Android device and don’t want to use SoundCloud there are several apps on the Play Store that our show is available on. We recommend Podcast and Radio Addict. Continue reading

Stars Will Shine: An AFC Wild Card Weekend Preview

Kansas City at Houston Saturday 4:30pm

Alex Smith and the Chiefs entering the playoffs on a 10 game winning streak. (Getty Images)

Alex Smith and the Chiefs enter the playoffs on a 10 game winning streak. (Getty Images)

Both Wild Card Weekend and my preview starts with the most lackluster game of the opening weekend of the playoffs. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some interesting storylines to examine here. Both of these teams have had odd seasons that parallel each other in certain ways: both lost star running backs for the season due to injury (Arian Foster for Houston, Jamaal Charles for KC); each had horrible starts to the season (Houston started 2-5, KC 1-5) before finishing strong (Houston was 7-2 down the stretch, KC finished the year on a remarkable 10 game winning streak). Each team’s turnaround was sparked by their dominant defense returning to form (Houston gave up 13 points per game during their 9 game run to end the season, KC gave up 13 per game during their 10 game streak), and a dominant receiver making just enough plays on the outside to get each offense going (DeAndre Hopkins for Houston, Jeremy Maclin for KC).

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The Hard Foul 32: #30 Josh McCown/Johnny Manziel, #29 Brian Hoyer/Ryan Mallett, #28 Blake Bortles

Evan Sally

Manziel, McCown, Mallett, Hoyer, Bortles

Manziel, McCown, Mallett, Hoyer, Bortles

In Case You Missed It:

Intro to The Hard Foul 32: Ranking the NFL’s 32 Quarterbacks

#32 Matt Cassel/EJ Manuel/Tyrod Taylor, #31 Geno Smith


#30 Browns – Josh McCown/Johnny Manziel 

Josh McCown (#13) is the present for the Cleveland Browns this season but they hope Johnny Manziel (#2) is the future. (Ken Blaze/USA Today)

Josh McCown (#13) is the present for the Cleveland Browns this season but they hope Johnny Manziel (#2) is the future. (Ken Blaze/USA Today)

NFL teams are often afraid of uncertainty at QB. So much so that they’ll bring in a veteran for the illusion of stability rather than taking a chance on a young player with far higher upside. Such is the case of the Cleveland Browns. After moving on from Brian Hoyer, the Browns brought in 12 year vet Josh McCown to go along with Johnny Manziel at QB. Bringing in Manziel insurance makes a lot of sense for the Browns; while he is their future he didn’t appear anywhere near ready for primetime last season. His sole start last year, a 10/18 for 80 yards and 2 picks performance was one of the worst games you’ll ever see a quarterback play. But placing your faith in Josh McCown is a bit questionable.

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5 Teams: 5 questions at Quarterback

-Brian Wolf

Fives Teams With Big Questions at Quarterback

The quarterback position remains a question mark. Pictured: #16 Matt Cassell, #5 Tyrod Taylor, #3 EJ Manuel (Photo Credit: BuffaloBills.com)

The quarterback position remains a question mark. Pictured: #16 Matt Cassell, #5 Tyrod Taylor, #3 EJ Manuel (Photo Credit: BuffaloBills.com)

There is nothing like a quarterback battle to kick off training camp. It brings out the best in players. The repetitions, the rivalry, the competition. There are five teams with interesting story lines surrounding the quarterback position. Two teams have battles going on, while the other three have signal callers on the hot seat.

The Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans have battles going on right now. Rex Ryan has gone as far as to not name an opening week starter until the game, while the Texans have two QBs who will most likely not be a starter for the long term. Of all the QB situations, the Bills may have the best situation for success. All you need to do is look at the playmakers around the position including the additions of LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin, and Charles Clay. Whoever has the reins for Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts will have one simple task: manage the game and limit turnovers. Many believe Matt Cassel has the fast track lead to be the starter as the 33 year old is the perfect fit for the Bills current situation. Opposing defenses will know what they are going up against, as Cassel will not surprise anyone with his arm strength or accuracy. With new offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, look for the Bills to bring a rush heavy attack. While EJ Manuel may be more athletic, he is prone to mistakes, and Tyrod Taylor is more of an unknown at this time.

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