THE MATT & MARIO SHOW
by Steve Michalovich


Mario Williams has a lot of pressure on him in Year 2; that'll happen
when you get picked over Reggie Bush

Of all the players in NFL, there are two in particular that I would not want to be. They happen to play on the same team. Matt Schaub and Mario Williams will without a doubt be feeing the heat in toasty Houston as the Texans open up the season. The Texans’ fans are salivating for a contender, but the team has yet to reward them with a winning season in five years.

The more that Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young continue to get better, the more Texans’ fans are reminded that they passed on all of those soon-to-be-franchise players, instead making Williams the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft. While it appears, his fellow draftees from 2006 are contributing to their respective teams’ newfound success, Houston continues to be locked in the basement of the AFC. There will be much pressure put on Williams to rebound from a lackluster rookie season. He still can make it happen; remember, coming out of college, some insiders were referring to him as the next Reggie White.

Schaub is new man in town. And now the city of Houston is depending on him to turn its team into a threat in the AFC South. David Carr was shown the door after he had been the franchise’s starting quarterback for its first five years of existence, only to see the front office trade for a career backup. The team didn’t seem to be confident in Carr’s ability anymore, and it felt a change was needed. Schaub has appeared to be a smart, strong-armed quarterback (in the two career games he’s started in the NFL). This was a huge gamble for the Houston front office that could either move the team into a new, bright direction or swiftly back to the drawing board.

Joining Schaub on the offense will be running back Ahman Green, who isn’t what he used to be, but is better than any option this team has ever had lining up in the backfield. Andre Johnson, one of the most underrated wide receivers in football, also calls Houston home. His 1,147 receiving yards and five touchdowns don’t put him in elite status yet, but things could be different if there were anything close to a No. 2 receiver on this club. A handful of players are in competition for that spot. The offensive line has shown glimpses of potential, but if you want to search for blame as to why Carr is gone, you could begin with this unit.

The defense has the building blocks in place for a foundation to build around. Williams can still become a tough man to run against. Linebacker DeMaco Ryans and cornerback Dunta Robinson are becoming formidable impact players on the defensive side of the ball. The 20-year-old rookie Amobi Okoye will likely play in his first season due to his tremendous blend of speed and power.

Special teams were an issue for this club a season ago as well. Kris Brown is inconsistent and doesn’t have the strongest leg. Chad Stanley’s net average of 36.7 yards per punt was tied for ninth in the AFC. The return game was nothing to brag about either.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO:
A .500 season. Schaub shows that he has been a diamond in the rough for the past three years playing behind Mike Vick. The defense makes strides, and the Houston faithful have a young, exciting team on their hands.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO:
A disastrous 2-14 year. Schaub is a total bust, and suddenly David Carr doesn’t look so bad. Williams continues to struggle, and worst of all, the Titans, Saints and Cardinals all make the playoffs.