The Texans face their toughest stretch of the schedule coming out of the bye week. Did the time off help them? In The Loop discusses that here.
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00:00Do you feel like the bye week helped the Texans 713-572-4610 because Lopez it seems like you're
00:05coming from a place where you're like nah this did not help. No they didn't. I don't see how
00:10you can say okay I mean it helped them like individually as a group with the red we all
00:16knew that already that was going to happen no matter what but man like a lot of things happened
00:21this weekend that had they gone the other way you would have felt a lot better about things
00:25specifically uh you're you're the not you're because you're a Texans fan but your people's
00:30Browns uh your people's Browns what they do they ruined it for everyone I mean they they did what
00:36is kind of expected right like I don't know did anyone expect the Cleveland Browns to beat
00:42the uh the Pittsburgh Steelers because that's that's the game that you're referencing right
00:46at this I think the reason why you John Lopez look at the Texans be like ah the NFL schedule
00:52on the bye week which by the way yeah it was ugly that was that was that was not really fun
00:57all kinds of you to watch yeah I for some reason I didn't realize that there were six teams on by
01:02this week I thought it was uh the typical kind of four teams and I was like man this is feeling
01:06real light and the light is feeling real nasty and uh that's in part because the Texans and uh the
01:12the Ravens both on by as well as the the commanders who will give you an interesting game
01:17they're on by as well the Broncos who would give you maybe a decently interesting game they were
01:21on by I mean I don't know what to say about the Colts and the Patriots I don't know how much you
01:26really uh miss them when it came to the schedule but yeah that it was a little nasty however one
01:30of the games of consequence as we mentioned Steelers uh Browns it kind of solidified
01:36something that we were kind of cruising towards which is that the Texas have probably locked it
01:39to its four well they were leaning that way anyway but two things uh coming out of the weekend on
01:44this reaction Monday my reaction uh has to revolves around two things number one they are
01:51locked in like like they are locked into the number there's that there's that definitive John
01:55Lopez statement baby they are I mean uh it's a lot you didn't hear Vandy earlier yeah Vandy like
02:00how can they be the number two speed amen and I'm like pixie dust that's how the bills lost
02:05to the Rams in what was an up and down thriller 44-42 right they came back and it only just came
02:11short amen yeah yeah all you need is the Jets to find a little bit of chutzpah well and uh two
02:17games against the Patriots too you know I mean like that's all you need what about two games
02:20against the Patriots one against the Jets so the Texans okay I'll back it just more than likely
02:30look he got he got an iPhone all of a sudden he's like I need to temper what I say
02:34more than likely most likely are locked into the number four seed that ain't great and that that
02:40revolves around the the second thing that means they're gonna face more than likely yeah he's
02:46learning either the Ravens or Steelers here I don't like either of those matchups I mean you
02:51didn't like the way it was stacking up anyway but uh you got Ravens or Steelers here right now it's
02:57the Ravens yay uh that's the team that made you look are you scared of the Ravens right now what
03:03was the last playoff uh game like hey that's a different year and and then of course you then
03:09you would go to you would go to most likely what the Bills uh yeah well yeah if you won you'd
03:20probably be the lowest seat well I mean if you're just assuming that you know it goes chalk on a
03:25tournament you you get the Chiefs wouldn't you right like because oh geez the Chiefs seem like
03:30they are uh they are touched by the hand of God yeah right and that they will never lose even
03:34though they deserve to it sometimes or I guess deserve the Bills have the tiebreaker against
03:39the Chiefs yes the Bills are also two games behind yeah it's right like that's that's the
03:44that's the issue that you serve that you have there but you say like you've likely face off
03:48against the Ravens I mean the Chargers have the same record Ravens or the Chargers now as well
03:52uh they're they're there why does this cap Broncos have the same record as all of them as well eight
03:57and five right all these teams sitting at eight and five and we were talking about this you know
04:02do you think you're better than these teams I don't know I mean the Ravens are real up because
04:07I don't know that the Texans are show themselves to be better coached than any of these teams the
04:12Ravens kind of get a little dicey except the high water mark for them is crazy when they are actually
04:16humming um but yeah that that is that is the thing that I think is the tough part about this weekend
04:22is that again you you look up at the top of the AFC or just the AFC in general and you go I don't
04:28think any of these teams are anywhere near infallible you just had another one of those
04:33chiefs getting away with the games right where they absolutely just they needed a doink they
04:38needed a uh and they needed a uh a uh bank shot yeah to get themselves over in a game and the
04:45Buffalo Bills uh went up and down with a Raven or a Rams team rather that does not have a great
04:49record although they are finding themselves healthier yeah but both of those teams were
04:53playing relatively good teams and doing that uh and having that competition level it still feels
04:59like in watching those games or I guess let me ask this as a question like with the way that you
05:03saw this weekend go also don't forget the the Dolphins who you're about to play I was just
05:08about to mention had a game where they went they went toe-to-toe with the Jets and it came to
05:12overtime for them to get over it do you do you feel any better about like maybe not the circumstances
05:17like when it comes to fourth place third place like the way that the playoffs stack even though
05:22matchups matter in that situation do you feel better about just the general play of the Texans
05:27compared to the rest of the AFC after this week well I the general play we'll see because of the
05:31off week and some rest and see how they how they respond with adjustments and all that you heard
05:35what I heard right well what do you what do you say don't worry about it the general play uh either
05:42way uh to be determined to be determined of all the things that have to happen you know coming
05:49off the bye week I think so I think one of the things that it feels like is settling in I think
05:54a 979 H-Town fan on the YouTube spoke to this he said I'm terribly depressed depressed at the
06:00hopelessness of being a Texans fan and it does feel like there is somewhat of an inevitability
06:07that's starting to build a little bit with this Texas team like is the script already written for
06:11the Texans that I think that this this this last stretch of the season will kind of give you well
06:17not kind of it'll definitely give you a lot of answers in that but it feels like you're you're
06:21starting to set in where and hey we kind of know how this is going to finish out and it'll probably
06:26be a situation where then you come into the playoffs and it's one and done and then hey
06:31let's head off to the off season and try and get this right for next year was 20 at what you're
06:34really asking is something that I was mentioning before the the show here um if the script is
06:40written and they face either the Ravens or the Chargers and oh by the way you know they they
06:46then go to face either the Chiefs or the Bills that doesn't that doesn't bode well obviously
06:52considering how they're playing is this season a waste oh that is that's that's a tough question
06:59to ask waste is waste yeah in terms of what your expectations were what what the what they put into
07:06this squad is definitely a disappointment because we did that a euphemism for a waste
07:147-1-3-5-7-2-4-6-10 look we're not let me make this very clear I I am you know obviously every
07:20time the Texans play is a play I want to see them do something I want it for our city I want it for
07:25me I want it you know because whatever I want these things to not be the case but if the script
07:31is written Reggie and they don't appreciably improve and they either lose at home and by the
07:38way they probably will be underdogs at home to either the Ravens or the Chargers if I had to
07:43guess uh that they would be underdogs if you you're talking playoffs yeah yeah and then because
07:49by the way uh they are what two-point favorites at home versus the Dolphins yes and then let's
07:54then let's which is kind of a push but and and then let's say they do somehow manage to win that
07:59game then go either the Kansas City or Buffalo and get beat you know based on what we're seeing
08:04that would be the the odds is this season a waste because it's the same thing you did last year
08:10and you invested Stefan Diggs you invested Joe Mixon you invested you know so much more you had
08:15high expectations uh you know you brought into Nico Autry had high expectations for CJ Stroud
08:19high expectations for wide receiver development and and uh Nico Collins having an incredible year
08:25which he is but he's missed some and you do all those things to invest into this season
08:30and it's the same it's the same script is this season a waste I I really hesitate to call it a
08:37waste although from how about this waste of time that's where I was getting that waste of time not
08:43waste necessarily because I know that's harsh from the 832 definitely a waste interesting but
08:47uh on the YouTube no you found out that you weren't ready to win big games just because
08:50you had unrealistic expectation doesn't make it a waste and another yes comes in on the text line
08:56on if you know if you have that circumstance where it kind of plays out you go to the playoffs
09:01four seed you lose at home and it was a it's a one and done uh or you win and that's additional
09:07right um I think I don't think it's a fully a waste like you learn more about this team I do
09:13think that there's some clear developmental things right you you've you've developed your
09:16defense Nico Ryan's has fully put his hand on this defense to the point where you I think
09:20you found a defense that is somewhat sustainable as well because so much of this defense or so
09:26little of this defense I should say is based on the things that don't translate year over year
09:30right one of the things we talked about was the idea of being a turnover defense and they have
09:34turned the ball over but it hasn't this defense has not been predicated on the turnovers are what
09:38make it go yeah right turnovers is one of those things that like the football nerds will tell you
09:42that can that can be a little you know a little dicey carrying over year to year the things that
09:47they do when they're doing it well rushing the passer that that translates year over year
09:51tackling that translates right and you have you found talent that is going to be here
09:57well yeah uh at least the top end cornerbacks for sure yeah but I think that you have things
10:02that are going to translate over year over year when it comes to the defense I don't think that
10:06that's I don't think that that is a waste right you have found yourself what is going to be a
10:11foundational thing and you have players Aziz Alshayer is going to be here right Danico Archer
10:15you still have him under contract obviously Will DeNil like those pieces are established
10:22the thing that feels wasteful if you want to go there is offensively when you have all this talent
10:28and it feels like you haven't like you've been struggling for 13 weeks of football 14 weeks
10:34with including the bye to figure out how to put it all together and have that you know you know
10:40go at the highest levels of the engine right and that's the thing that feels kind of wasteful
10:45because I don't know that you've things like again I think that you could take the week-to-week
10:51way that the team views this development where it's like hey get better yeah win games get better
10:56right you could look at that from a season-long perspective of like get better learn things about
11:02your team defensively I think you've done that offensively I think that's one of the questions
11:06and I guess you have learned some things but they feel like they're negative things that the
11:09offensive line as currently constituted does not work that you need to have some changes there
11:14right yeah you brought in Joe Mix and he will still be here that's a good thing right like you
11:18have Nico calling side to a long-term deal and you've seen that he you can actually really lean
11:23an offense on him I think you've learned some things so I wouldn't fully call it a waste but
11:27it definitely would feel like a disappointment but here's where here's where I think how you
11:31parse it out how you explain it matters because everything you're saying is true offensive line
11:36you're going to make some changes maybe get better defense you found some things that are
11:40translatable to the future absolutely some players individually you found some things
11:45that are translatable to the future but none of what you're saying Reggie has to do with this year
11:51like like my question is was this season based on everything that you built toward this season
11:57a waste I'm really curious what fans think if it plays out the way all the handicappers are going
12:03to make it out to do to play out you know I obviously you can upset some teams you can you
12:08can maybe go into Kansas City and win and shock the world and all of a sudden we're we're ready
12:12to throw a parade because we're going into the AFC championship game but what you're all the
12:16things you're saying I totally agree with but moving forward I'm talking about I'm very interested
12:21what fans say text us 713-572-4610 or message us on YouTube because I'm talking about I get you
12:29like the opportunity this season the opportunity that presents all right this season I was thinking
12:33in the arc of like and that's accurate this will be optimistic next year right because all they said
12:39what I'm saying is was 2024 if it plays out the way we think it's going to play out and the way
12:44handicappers say it should play out was it a waste of time well I mean yes because I think when you
12:50talk about kind of opps opportunities right you have plenty of opportunities to put your best
12:55foot forward and you have it so I think from that perspective yes but this was a team that we know
12:59early on is early on in the development of the life cycle or then you know kind of the arc
13:04of like a team and I think that you have seen some development it hasn't progressed in the same way
13:10it hasn't been linear as we've kind of expected so that's the that's the larger arc but I think yes
13:14I get what you're saying right you have an opportunity in this season and for the most
13:18part it looks like you've let a lot of that opportunity slip past you that's I think that's
13:23the beauty of at least American sports in this way it does not compare to like let's say uh
13:27premier league soccer where all of the season all of that counts points wise towards your end goal
13:33this thing is going to hinge heavily on some games towards the end of the season and uh in the
13:37playoffs if it goes the way that it goes yes could be a waste you could very quickly change that by
13:42getting yourself right and playing good football the likelihood of that happening got some questions
13:47well and the other thing figgy is is we you know it wasn't just us being you know uh rose-colored
13:53glasses I mean national shows across the board pick a network pick a show boy this is this is one
13:59of the most talented teams uh in the NFL boy this looks like a super bowl team we we know that those
14:04things were all out there uh boy you know look at this year he could be uh the best quarterback in
14:10the NFL forget moving forward because we're all going to be optimistic again in the offseason
14:15and the draft and all that stuff I'm talking about this season based on what we expected
14:20yeah I think I think it's a uh disappointment I think it is I wake up I look I love watching
14:27football so I wouldn't say waste the time but yeah I think this season was a waste man because we
14:32we've seen it all throughout the all season CJ Stroud making the runs and uh making the rounds
14:38and uh Stephon did trade for Stephon Diggs and Joe Mick like I expected this offense to be looking
14:45like the greatest show on turf yeah and maybe that's me just you know kind of but it wasn't
14:50just you yeah no I said maybe that's me just thinking oh we gonna get far but now it is it
14:58will be a disappointment if they get bounced out the uh wild card or maybe the divisional round
15:04and you did you have to you have to figure some things out offense but I think that's that if
15:08it's still there yeah you gotta hope that by week allowed them to really do some self-scouting that
15:12they're going to get they have to get a lot better real quick and it starts with it starts
15:15against Miami it starts with that game uh on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins like do you
15:20show yourself to have at least figure some things out and be progressing in the right direction
15:24because then all of this can start can start feeling a little bit better because right now
15:28I understand the depressed feeling that can be there and the inevitable inevitability surprises
15:33man right just surprised I will say the other side of this is is is year two so it's not like
15:40it's we in year three or four or something like that now we gotta start looking at contracts yeah
15:45this this is like we think they was gonna get that far last year so maybe you know we gotta
15:53take the glasses off and look and say look around and say this is year two and maybe this we still
15:58got some time unlike the actual the window is open yes the window is still open and you want
16:04to progress yourself further towards getting through it