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Two consecutive 8-8 seasons have Texans’ diehards on edge, as their beloved squad has yet to taste postseason play in its brief eight-year existence.

The team’s defense was the main culprit in preventing coach Gary Kubiak and company from playing in January. Not only did the unit rank 22nd in yards allowed per game, but the Texans were 23rd in defending the run.

As part of their effort to breath some life in the moribund group, former senior defensive assistant Frank Bush was promoted to defensive coordinator in place of Richard Smith.

While Bush will maintain Smith’s traditional 4-3 scheme, he promises to generate more pressure on quarterbacks with an attack style in which seven and eight-man fronts will dictate their will on the opposition instead of being reactive.

In a recent Q&A session with fans, the new coordinator identified the team’s failure to put offenses away on third and fourth down as a major hindrance.

“We're going to study more and work on how we do things and how offenses see us so that we can get ahead of the curve,” Bush revealed.

“We want our secondary to be more aggressive in coverage and get closer to the receivers, whether that's in man or zone. With Antonio and Mario on the defensive line, along with Amobi and the defensive tackles, we want to be more aggressive up front and pressure the quarterback. Everything goes hand-in-hand. We want to make more plays this year and get off the field on third down and fourth down.”

Houston hopes that the offseason additions of veteran Antonio Smith along with rookies Brian Cushing and Connor Barwin will help make Bush’s plans a reality.

The continued development of an impressive collection of young players, including Mario Williams, Amobi Okoye, Frank Okam, and Xavier Adibi will also be needed for the Red, White, and Blue to take that next step into the grand winter tournament.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: Starting signal caller Matt Schaub is one of the more gifted signal callers in the league, but he’s infamous for his tendency to miss games. In each of his two previous seasons, the 28-year-old Schaub has failed to suit up for five games due to injuries. His lack of mobility necessitates an air-tight offensive line that can keep him out of harm’s way. But when the Pittsburgh native is given enough time to survey the field, he can be lethal. Schaub ranked fourth among all quarterbacks in passing yards per game (277). In addition, he does a magnificent job of spreading the ball around and knows Kubiak’s system like the back of his hand. Backing up Schaub is former Lion Dan Orlovsky, who replaces Sage Rosenfels. On paper, Orlovsky may appear to be a step down from Rosenfels, but the UCONN product has a quality arm and actually acquitted himself reasonably well for Detroit last year. He outperformed both Duante Culpepper and Jon Kitna behind a porous offensive line. The fifth-year pro, however, does experience occasional bouts of inaccuracy. Weak-armed Alex Brink and error-prone Rex Grossman will battle it out for third-string duties.

Running Backs: Steve Slaton was a runaway train that kept picking up steam in his rookie campaign. After gaining 538 rushing yards and averaging 4.5 yards-per-carry in the first half of 2008, the young stallion finished the year by putting up 744 yards and upped his yards-per-carry average to 5.0. Blessed with outstanding vision, Slaton specializes in executing the stretch play and hitting his cut-back lanes. The second-year man is also a weapon catching the ball. Where he falls short, however, is as a goal-line runner. The 201-pound back did poorly inside the five-yard line in 2008 by only converting only four of 21 of those short-area carries into scores. Expect the Texans to look for a bruiser to fill in for Slaton in short-yardage situations. Veteran also-ran Chris Brown will be in the mix for those duties, as will Ryan Moats. Brown doesn’t seem like a good option due to his penchant for running upright and absorbing big hits. The smaller Moats, on the other hand, is very similar to Slaton…only slower. Relief could come by utilizing rookie free agent Arian Foster in a change-of-pace role. The 225-pound back uses a powerful leg drive and a good forward lean to gain yards after first contact. Fellow rookie Jeremiah Johnson has big-play ability, but is suffering from a shoulder injury that may stand in his way. Fullback Vontae Leach is an old-fashioned 253-pound bulldozer, who does his work without much fanfare.

Wide Receivers: Arguably the most talented receiver in football, Andre Johnson can be flat-out unstoppable when he’s on his game. During a four-game stretch, the 6’3” Johnson averaged 10 receptions for 148 yards. In addition he also posted a 207-yard performance versus a quality Tennessee squad. The 28-year-old’s height, large frame, and long arms make him a nightmare for secondaries to match up with. His acceleration after the catch allows him to turn the most harmless of screen passes into long touchdowns. A.J.’s trusty sidekick Kevin Walter is a sure-handed possession target, who runs well after the catch. Walter is a master at taking advantage of the extra coverage that rolls Johnson’s way, as evidenced by his eight touchdown grabs last year. The speedy Andre Davis is a stretch-the-field weapon, while slot man David Anderson is a reliable target, who’s very quick in short areas. The Wes Welker clone may gain preference as the third receiver over Davis. Third-year man Jacoby Jones is a talented return man, but has yet to establish himself as a receiver due to a lack of focus in taking his game to the next level. The 5’10” Darnell Jenkins is an undersized wide out, who’ll have to earn his keep by playing well on special teams. Former Bronco Glenn Martinez is a decent return man that has never fulfilled his potential.

Tight Ends: Owen Daniels is a major weapon who routinely blows by linebackers and gains big yardage after the catch with his elusiveness. The ex-Badger has always been more effective with Schaub under center, and could very well reach 1,000 yards if the inury-prone signal caller plays a full 16-game season. It’s a mystery why the Texans don’t feature Daniels more near the end zone. Rookies Anthony Hill and James Casey bring different skills to the dance. Hill is a primarily a blocking tight end, who can lineup in the slot or with a hand on the ground. Casey is a raw, but gifted, all-around athlete that catches the ball away from the frame of his body and shows a knack for finding holes in zone coverage.

Offensive Line: If continuity is the key to building a solid offensive line, the Texans may be on their way to having a top-10 starting five. Houston started each one of its first-string lineman in all 16 games in 2008. The league’s top offensive line coach Alex Gibbs has turned his men into one of the better zone-blocking units, which averaged 4.4 yards per carry. Leading the way was right tackle Eric Winston whose toughness and athleticism were instrumental in opening holes in the running game alongside right guard Mike Briesiel. Both Winston and Briesiel, however, have shown a tendency to commit penalties and could use some improvement in their pass blocking, as can the rest of the line. Denver import Chris Myers is a master technician with decent lateral movement. On the left side, guard Chester Pitts is a reliable option with good feet and tackle Duane Brown is an extremely skilled and fluid athlete. The second-year man could show more strength in warding off outside pass rushers. Backup tackle Rashad Butler heads the reserves corps, as a lineman with some upside. The others include Chris White, Kasey Studdard, and rookie Antoine Caldwell. The latter of the three was a third-round pick with outstanding quickness off the ball and great strength to drive the opposition backwards. Caldwell may see time at both guard and center.

DEPTH CHART

	CB	FS		SLB	MLB	WLB	SS	CB
	DUNTA ROBINSON	NICK FERGUSON		ZAC DILES	DEMECO RYANS	BRIAN CUSHING	EUGENE WILSON	JACQUES REEVES
	ANTWAUN MOLDEN	TROY NOLAN		CHAUN THOMPSON	KEVIN BENTLEY	XAVIER ADIBI	DOMINIQUE BARBER	GLOVER QUIN
	FRED BENNETT	BRANDON HARRISON		CATO JUNE	TODDRICK VERDELL			BRICE MCCAIN
	K				BUSTER DAVIS			DAVID PITTMAN
	KRIS BROWN		LDE	LNT	RNT	RDE		MATTERRAL RICHARDSON
	P		ANTONIO SMITH	AMOBI OKOYE	TRAVIS JOHNSON	MARIO WILLIAMS
	MATT TURK		CONNER BARWIN	SHAUN CODY	FRANK OKAM	TIM BULMAN
	COACH		DELJUAN ROBINSON	JOSH LEONARD	JAKE VISSER	STANLEY MCCLOVER
	GARY KUBIAK					JESSE NADING
	WR	LT	LG	C	RG	RT	TE	WR
	ANDRE JOHNSON	DUANE BROWN	CHESTER PITTS	CHRIS MYERS	MATT BRISIEL	ERIC WINSTON	OWEN DANIELS	KEVIN WALTER
	ANDRE DAVIS	JASON WATKINS	KASEY STUDDARD	CHRIS WHITE	DAN STEVENSON	RASHAD BUTLER	JOEL DREESSEN	JACOBY JONES
	DARNELL JENKINS	DOUG DEDRICK	JASON WATKINS	ANTOINE CALDWELL	ADAM STENAVICH	CLIFF WASHBURN	ANTHONY HILL	DAVID ANDERSON
	GLENN MARTINEZ	FB		BRETT HELMS		RB	JAMES CASEY	AUBREY BELL
		VONTA LEACH		QB		STEVE SLATON	CLARK HARRIS	MIKE JONES
		BOOMER GRIGSBY		MATT SCHAUB		CHRIS BROWN	JAMES CASEY
				DAN ORLOVSKY		RYAN MOATS
				ALEX BRINK		JEREMIAH JOHNSON
						ARIAN FOSTER

DEFENSE

Defensive Line: Houston’s defense ranked among the league’s bottom half in yards allowed per play and yards allowed per game, as well as doing poorly in defending the run and pass. The unit’s shortcomings were in no way the fault of all-world end Mario Williams. The 6’6” 291-pound maneater has silky-smooth pass rush moves he uses to get around blockers, as well as the brute strength to push them into the backfield. The former number-one draft pick is also a tremendous run defender who can stand up his man and easily shove him aside to get to the ball carrier. The front office has enlisted the services of former Cardinal Antonio Smith to give Williams some much-needed help. Smith raised his level of play in the playoffs last season by showing off superior hand skills and quickness in gaining penetration. The sixth-year pro will reportedly be shifted inside in passing situations. Backup Stanley McClover has flashed some explosiveness in the past, but lacks the power to be a consistent, every-down lineman. Tim Bulman is a pass rushing force who’s used as a nickel option off the edge. Rookie Connor Barwin will join the end rotation, but should only be viewed as a work in progress due to the converted tight end’s inexperience on defense. In time, Barwin may provide some heat with his solid array of spin moves. The situation at defensive tackle doesn’t look as promising with both Travis Johnson and Amobi Okoye underperforming in 2008. Johnson has failed to provide any sort of consistency. The 303-pound Florida State product doesn’t have the girth to fight off double teams at nose tackle. Okoye, on the other hand, has lacked the burst to bring down the quarterback, causing his sack total to fall from six to one. The Texans hope the gigantic Frank Okam (6’5” 339 pounds) can help push the pocket. The young tackle shed 25 pounds in the offseason to add quickness to his game. With better technique, Okam should be able to occupy multiple blockers to free up linebackers. Veteran Shuan Cody is neither stout nor disruptive, but adds another big body to the mix.

Linebackers: Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans is an all-effort striker in the Texan three-linebacker alignment. The high-energy defender knows exactly where he needs to be and gets there in a hurry. In addition to being instinctive, Ryans will often put his stamp on the opposition by delivering jarring hits. Weakside linebacker Xavier Adibi will square off with Zac Diles for starting duties. Both players are similarly built and both have the speed to cover large areas, as well as drop back into coverage. Adibi’s arm reach allows him to make plays on live balls. Buccaneer castoff Cato June is another speed option, who’s versatile and moves like a safety. Rookie Brian Cushing will man the strong side. The USC product is an aggressive player that knows how to disengage from blockers and get to the quarterback. The New Jersey native can be prone to biting on play action and has been susceptible to injury. Kevin Bentley is a reliable reserve that does his job, but isn’t much of a playmaker. Buster Davis is a limited run stuffer with little athleticism.

Secondary: Cornerback Dunta Robinson made a successful comeback from an ACL tear last year, and was slapped with Houston’s franchise tag. The 27-year-old has the speed, toughness, and ball skills to prosper in any coverage. Fellow corner Jacques Reeves gives up lots of yardage, but also has the instincts to anticipate plays. The former Cowboy recorded a career-high four interceptions. Antwaun Molden has lockdown-corner ability, but still falls a bit short in his technique. Fred Bennett’s play tailed off after an auspicious rookie year. While Bennett has eye-catching closing speed, his consistency hasn’t been up to par. Rookie Glover Quin is both a strong and physical defender, who knows how to wrap up in run support. He should contribute in one form or other as either a corner or safety. Gone is hard-hitting C.C. Brown, who’ll probably be replaced by Dominique Barber. The coaching staff likes Barber’s range and nose for the ball. Nick Ferguson is strictly a run enforcer. He’ll be joined by rookie Troy Nolan among the reserves. The Arizona State man can be overaggressive at times, but has some ballhawking potential and good-looking hops. Converted corner Eugene Wilson possesses great coverage skills at free safety. The 29-year-old journeyman is superb at recognizing plays. Robinson’s health and the development of Molden will be important factors in the success of the defensive backfield.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Kris Brown continues to improve and should be counted on to connect on his fair share of long-distance field goals. The 39-year-old Matt Turk will handle punting duties due to his ability to put some serious air under his attempts. Jacoby Jones is an explosive punt returner, who’s hard to catch once he’s in the open field. Kick returner Andre Davis is a north-south rocket with little creativity in his runbacks.

HOUSTON TEXANS OFF-SEASON TRACKER

Acquisitions
QB Dan Orlovsky: UFA Lions; $9.15M/3 yrs, $2.4M SB
QB Rex Grossman: Not tendered as UFA by Bears; $620,000/1 yr
RB Clifton Dawson: FA Colts; terms unknown
FB Boomer Grigsby: FA; terms unknown
OG Adrian Jones: UFA Chiefs; terms unknown
DE Antonio Smith: UFA Cardinals $35.5M/5 yrs, $12.5M guaranteed
DT Shaun Cody: UFA Lions; 3 yrs, terms unknown
LB Buster Davis: FA Colts; $445,000/1 yr
LB Cato June: FA Buccaneers; $1.5M/1 yr, $500,000 SB
DB John Busing: Not tendered as RFA by Bengals; terms unknown
Drafted
OC Antoine Caldwell, Alabama
TE James Casey, Rice
TE Anthony Hill, North Carolina St.
LB Brian Cushing, USC
LB Connor Barwin, Cincinnati
CB Glover Quin, New Mexico
CB Brice McCain, Utah
SS Troy Nolan, Arizona State
Undrafted Free Agents
RB Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon
RB Arian Foster, Tennessee
WR Mike Jones, Arizona State
WR Aubrey Bell, Mississippi State
OT Doug Dedrick, Iowa State
OT Jason Watkins, Florida
OG Brandon Walker, Oklahoma
OC Brett Helms, LSU
DE Tim Jamison, Michigan
DT Josh Leonard, Hawaii
DT Jake Visser, Ferris State
LB Toddrick Verdell, Florida State
P Justin Brantly, Texas A&M
Re-signed
WR David Anderson: RFA; $4.5M/3 yrs, $1M SB (Texans matched Broncos offer sheet)
TE Owen Daniels: RFA; $2.792M/1 yr
TE Joel Dreessen: RFA; tendered at $1.01M; $3.6M/3 yrs, guarantee unknown
OT Rashad Butler: RFA; tendered at $1.01M; terms unknown
OL Chris White: UFA; terms unknown
DE Stanley McClover (not tendered as RFA); terms unknown
SS Nick Ferguson: UFA; terms unknown
DB Eugene Wilson: Potential UFA; $11.3M/3 yrs, SB unknown
Unsigned
RB Cecil Sapp (not tendered as UFA June 1)
WR Harry Williams (not tendered as ERFA)
TE Mark Bruener (not tendered as UFA June 1)
OL Scott Jackson (not tendered as UFA June 1)
DT Jeff Zgonina (not tendered as UFA June 1)
DT Earl Cochran (RFA rights terminated after being tendered at $1.01M)
CB Jimmy Williams (not tendered as UFA June 1)
Departures
QB Sage Rosenfels (traded Vikings)
RB Ahman Green (released)
TE Courtney Anderson (released)
OT Ephraim Salaam (released)
DE Anthony Weaver (released/failed physical)
LB Morlon Greenwood (released)
CB DeMarcus Faggins: UFA Titans; 2 yrs, terms unknown
DB C.C. Brown: UFA Giants; $1.4M/1 yr, $400,000 SB/$300,000 base guarantee
DB Will Demps (released)

PROJECTION

With all its pieces in place, Houston will put up enough yardage and score enough points to stay in most ball games, but postseason play will be determined by the Red, White and Blue’s defensive play. More consistent pressure upfront will enable the back seven to come up with turnovers, which were previously in short supply. Moreover, an experienced coaching staff and manageable schedule give the Texans an added edge over other AFC teams. A favorable slate of games in the first half should catapult the team to five wins in the first seven weeks, giving Houston a 10-6 record and its first trip into the grand winter tournament.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (USC, Rice)