Tag: Bradley Roby

4 pending free agents for Cardinals fans to watch in Texans-Chiefs playoff game

The Arizona Cardinals could target a few players who will be free agents playing for the Texans or Chiefs.

While the Arizona Cardinals are not in the playoffs, their fans can certainly watch the two Sunday playoff games with the Cardinals on their minds. Free agency approaches in a couple of months and the Cardinals are expected to be active players in adding talent.

There are some potential free agent targets for the Cardinals in the early postseason matchup on Sunday between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs.

Who are the pending free agents to watch?

Chiefs DT Chris Jones

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Jones is going to be one of the big-ticket free agents. The Cardinals need to upgrade the defensive line and Jones would be a huge upgrade. He had nine sacks this season and 15.5 in 2018 from the defensive interior.

The Cardinals could have drafted him in 2016 but took Robert Nkemdiche instead.

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Bills at Texans: 5 matchups to watch

The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs and will be facing the Houston Texans.

The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs for the second time in three years, and will be facing the AFC South champions Houston Texans. After a surprising 10-6 season, the Bills will be going to Houston to face Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, and DeAndre Hopkins on Wild Card weekend.

Here are the five matchups to watch against Houston on Saturday:

Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Tre’Davious White vs. DeAndre Hopkins 

Let’s not beat around the bush here, this is the biggest test in the young career of Tre’Davious White. These two locked horns last season and White had an underrated performance. He held the Pro Bowl receiver to five catches, 63 yards, and one touchdown. White was in a great coverage, but Hopkins made an exceptional back shoulder grab that only a few players can make in the NFL. 

White has had the best season of his career, with six interceptions, and 17 pass breakups the most important stat for White though, is that he’s allowed zero touchdowns this season. Putting him in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. 

DeAndre Hopkins on the other hand, has been having a down year by his lofty standards. The Pro Bowler has 104 catches, 1,165 yards, and seven touchdowns. His past two seasons saw him go over 1,300 yards, and go into double digits for touchdowns as well. 

With fellow wide receivers, Will Fuller V and Kenny Stills both listed as questionable for Saturday the offense will run through quarterback Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. 

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A telling stat that proves the Texans upgraded their secondary in 2019

The Houston Texans are reaping the benefits of bringing in new secondary members, as four are allowing less than the league average passer rating.

The Houston Texans entered the 2019 offseason with a major concern, among others: their secondary.

In 2018, Houston’s secondary struggled mightily, no matter the personnel or schematics. They sought to fix that in the offseason by bringing-in numerous members to the group. Four of those new members have paid off as coverage players.

The Texans boast four secondary members allowing below the league-average in passer rating (90.9). All four of those players were not on the roster in 2018.

Safety Tashaun Gipson has allowed a 47.4 passer rating in coverage in 2019, per Pro Football Reference. Cornerback Bradley Roby follows with a 79.4. Corner Keion Crossen follows Roby with an 81.9. Rounding out the group is safety Jahleel Addae with a 90.8.

Cornerback Gareon Conley nearly made the group; he allows a 92.4 in coverage.

Perhaps the most telling statistics are Gipson’s and Roby’s, who are both starters in the Texans’ defense. Houston plucked both of them in free agency, signing Gipson to a three-year deal and Roby to a one-year contract. Both have proven to be revelations in the Texans’ secondary.

Crossen has not seen a start in the Texans’ defense. His third-ranked, for the Texans, passer rating allowed comes while playing 103 snaps in Houston’s secondary.

Addae rounds-out the list. Though not a starter, he plays an integral role as Houston’s third safety behind Gipson and Justin Reid. The former Los Angeles Charger has 489 defensive snaps on the season.

The Texans remain to be a leaky pass defense, allowing the third-most passing yards per game (270.9). However, that may not be due to the secondary. The pass-rush has struggled mightily throughout the year, acting like the NFL’s worst since J.J. Watt’s torn pectoral in Week 8.

Houston’s secondary may not be all-world. However, it’s not one of the biggest wholes on the roster. They targeted help in the offseason and found just that. If the pass-rush can improve, the Texans can slowly build-up a pass defense that can hold-up.

Is Texans CB Johnathan Joseph heading for a career change?

With father time laying the inevitable double move on Houston Texans CB Johanthan Joseph, is it time for the Pro Bowler to look for a career change?

There is no joy in saying Johnathan Joseph is getting old.

The two-time Pro Bowler is a stalwart of this Houston Texans defense and essentially another coach on the field for this young unit, but while the 35-year-old former Cincinnati Bengal is continuing to deliver on the field despite father time, his age seems to be catching up with him.

Since the arrivals of former first-round cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves earlier this season, Joseph’s playing time has been declining especially of late. Throw into the mix rookie Lonnie Johnson and former Denver Bronco Bradley Roby, and suddenly the future for Joseph as a starter in this Texans defense looks less likely.

A consummate professional and consistency embodied, Joseph still has 13 defended passes and an interception on the year despite his age. And while he logged both an interception and a defended pass during their recent 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, these came during just six defensive snaps in total for the night, a decline which has been rapid the prevailing trend the latter half of this season.

Having started just 10 games so far this season and with a Pro Football Focus grade of 64.7, both categories reflect new lows for the Texans captain since just his third NFL season way back in 2008.

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Texans’ defensive grades from 23-20 win over the Buccaneers

The Houston Texans defense turned in an opportunistic performance against the Tamp Bay Buccaneers Saturday afternoon in a 23-20 win in Week 16.

The Houston Texans defense was going against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense captained by quarterback Jameis Winston that would be feast and famine, not one or the other. Because of how wide open Winston is, second in the NFL with 30 touchdown passes and first in the NFL in interceptions entering Week 16, the Texans were going to get their opportunities.

defensive line

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

The pass rush wasn’t as prolific as the defensive line didn’t sack Winston. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus managed 2.0 while nose tackle Brandon Dunn notched 1.0 himself. The run game also got going with 106 yards and a touchdown produced on 21 carries. Defensive tackle D.J. Reader had three tackles and a quarterback hit. Rookie defensive end Charles Omenihu had an illegal chop block on Justin Reid’s interception return that would have given Houston back-to-back pick-sixes to start the game. Angelo Blackson added three tackles, and Omenihu managed a pass breakup.

Grade: B
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WATCH: Texans CB Bradley Roby makes a house call versus the Buccaneers

Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby picked off Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and returned it for a touchdown.

Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby may be on a one-year deal with the AFC South club, but he is giving them every reason to consider him for an extension.

The former Denver Broncos 2014 first-round pick intercepted Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and returned the pick 17 yards for a touchdown to give the Texans an early 7-0 lead in the firs quarter of Saturday’s game at Raymond James Stadium.

For Roby, the interception return for a touchdown was the third of his career, and it was the first since Dec. 4, 2016, versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.

DC Romeo Crennel: Texans’ rotation of cornerbacks helps evaluation

Recently, the Houston Texans have rotated through five different cornerbacks. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel says it helps their evaluations.

The Houston Texans have a problem. They can’t decide who they want to play at cornerback.

Since March, Houston has added three former first-round cornerbacks to the roster, in Bradley Roby (2015), Vernon Hargreaves (2016) and Gareon Conley (2017). They did so while retaining long-time starter Johnathan Joseph and drafted Lonnie Johnson in the second round.

When all are healthy, the Texans don’t know who to play. Last week, in a 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, Houston rotated through the five aforementioned, with Roby seeing the most snaps at 76% (45). That was the plan.

“We planned to rotate a little bit,” said defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on Thursday. “We have more corners that can play now than we’ve ever had before since I’ve been here. So, we wanted to get everybody a little taste to see what they can do.”

As Crennel alludes to, the Texans feel as if they have an abundance of talent in their cornerback room. They have their best in franchise history in Joseph, a lockdown slot defender in Roby, a promising rookie in Johnson and two former highly-touted recruits in Conley and Hargreaves, who are each 24 years old.

Rotating will help evaluate who they want in the now and future.

“I think that helps our evaluation, that helps the competition in the room, and then we can stay a little bit fresher as well,” said Crennel.

According to Pro Football Reference, Roby leads the bunch in coverage, as he allows a 77.7 passer rating when targeted. Joseph is second with a 101.7. Conley is third with a 105.6. Johnson and Hargreaves round out the bunch with a 107.5 and 116.5, respectively.

With three weeks left in the season, expect the Texans to rotate through cornerbacks less as they figure out a combination that will suit their needs. Of course, they will have to get to the postseason first, which they can do by winning two out of the next three.

Texans chose to rotate cornerbacks in loss to the Broncos

In their 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, the Houston Texans decided to rotate through cornerbacks, according to Bill O’Brien.

The Houston Texans got to see their first fully-healthy secondary in a 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Between Bradley Roby, Johnathan Joseph, Lonnie Johnson, Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves, Houston had talent they were giddy to use on Sunday. So giddy, in fact, that none of them played more than 76% of snaps (Roby).

That was the plan. The Texans wanted to let all of their talent hit the field.

“We were trying to rotate them. We’ve got some players we want to get into the game. That’s what we were trying to do,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. “Obviously, just collectively as a defense, we have to play a lot better pass defense. But, that was the plan going into the game.”

Despite rotating through a quintet of talented cornerbacks, the Texans could not defend the pass on Sunday. Rookie quarterback Drew Lock, in his second career start, went 22 of 27 passing for 309 yards, three touchdowns, an interception and a 136 passer rating.

Texans CB Bradley Roby thrives on ‘must win’ games

The Houston Texans are about to embark on an important three-week stretch that cornerback Bradley Roby knows the importance of.

At 8-5, the Houston Texans remain to be a playoff team. But, there is no comfort in that record. The rival Tennessee Titans sit at the 8-5, tied for the top of the AFC South — however, if the playoffs started today, Houston would be in it based on tiebreakers.

The Texans have the opportunity to turn that tie into a lead on Sunday. They will travel to Nashville to face the surging Titans for their Week 14 matchup.

Though not a playoff matchup officially, the atmosphere at Nissan Stadium should resemble one.

“It’s a must-win situation,” as Texans cornerback Bradley Roby put it on Monday.

Roby, a Super Bowl champion, is a fan of a must-win game. If the Texans are serious about winning, it will show in their three-game stretch — which includes two spars with the Titans with a Saturday bout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sandwiched in.

“I like situations like that,” said Roby. “You see what you’re really made of. You see what the heart is of the team. You get into the playoffs, it’s the same situation. It’s win or go home. Might as we get used to it now.”

In recent weeks, the Texans had defeated their demons of the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, then lost in blowout fashion to the Denver Broncos. Consistency — or a lack thereof — is a concern for Houston.

The Texans have owned up to a trend of losing one game then winning back-to-back ones. The problem: they are 8-5, having not won more than two consecutive game all season.

At that rate, their season will end in the AFC Championship.

December football is where the Texans see what they are made of. They passed the first and failed the second. If winning is their forté, it will show when they need it most.

Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing the Texans’ Week 14 game with Broncos Wire

The Houston Texans and Denver Broncos square off at NRG Stadium Sunday. Jon Heath from Broncos Wire provides a preview in “Behind Enemy Lines.”

The Houston Texans and Denver Broncos get ready for a Week 14 showdown at NRG Stadium, and Jon Heath, managing editor for the Broncos Wire, gets Texans fans ready for the game with a look behind enemy lines.

Texans Wire: Did Broncos fans expect the season to go this way?

Jon Heath: Every team has its overly optimistic fans and overly pessimistic fans. If you asked the average (generally realistic) fan for a win-loss record in August, they probably would have guessed 8-8 or 9-7. A .500 season is still possible, but very unlikely. Vic Fangio is a defensive guru and he has delivered there. Denver’s biggest weakness at the beginning of the year was QB play and fans are hoping Drew Lock will solve that problem.

 

TW: How has Kareem Jackson worked out for Denver? He was a fan favorite in Houston.

Denver wasn’t quite sure where he was going to line up at the beginning of the year but after Jackson settled in at safety, he has been brilliant. He has teamed up with Justin Simmons to give the Broncos their best safety duo since T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart helped the team win Super Bowl 50 in 2015. With Simmons, Chris Harris and Will Parks all set to become free agents in 2020, Jackson looks like a player who will be a crucial member of the secondary even beyond this season.

 

TW: How has Phillip Lindsay performed in light of his season-ending injury a year ago?

JH: Lindsay seems to have fully recovered from his wrist injury and is on pace for a 1,021-yard, seven-touchdown season. Lindsay earned a Pro Bowl nod last year after rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns. So. his production is pretty similar to last year despite the fact that Royce Freeman is stealing more touches. In 2018, Freeman got 144 touches in 14 games. This year, Freeman has 142 touches through 12 games.

 

TW: Does John Elway have too much ego as a HOF quarterback to truly figure out the club’s QB situation?

JH: I’m not sure if his ego is getting in the way but Elway has swung and missed on Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch as draft picks and on Case Keenum and Joe Flacco as free agent signings. If Lock doesn’t help turn things around in 2020, Elway might just strike out as GM in Denver.

 

TW: What’s the one thing the Broncos are doing really well right now? Even teams out of contention by December develop really solid, dominating aspects of their game that can beat playoff-bound teams if they’re not careful.

JH: Denver has had three different starting quarterbacks this season and all of them have done one thing right: throw the ball to Courtland Sutton. The second-year receiver has 54 catches for 906 yards and six touchdowns so far and seemingly no cornerback has been able to cover him one-on-one this season. If defenses double-team Sutton, it creates opportunities for other players. If defenses leave Sutton one-on-one, it’s usually a mismatch.

 

TW: do you have a prediction and a bold prediction?

JH: The Broncos have had a lot of close games this year and might be a better team than their record suggests. Even with that being the case, though, Lock will have some growing pains as a rookie QB and it’s never easy to win on the road.

Bold prediction: Von Miller recovers from his knee injury and sacks Deshaun Watson three times. Unfortunately for Denver, that won’t be enough to get a win. Texans, 24-17.