FanHouse JohnMcclain

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans are close to a deal to send Sage Rosenfels to the Minnesota Vikings for an undisclosed draft pick (maybe a fourth-rounder). The teams discussed this trade last year, with reports that the Vikings offered a third-rounder, and the Texans holding out for a second.

Lots of confusion out there on who is going to get the running back touches for the Texans. I think the confusion exists because I am not sure even the Texans coaches know what they are going to do.

Here's what we know as of today:

1. Green's Injury: Ahman Green was in and out of the lineup for most of last year, and then put on IR due to a bone bruise of his knee. He has recovered from that, but was the anti-weeble in the first preseason game, falling down on his first play without being touched due to a groin injury.

2. Green as Starter: Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reports that the coaches believe in that Ahman Green will be back for the beginning of the season. As Justice says in his blog comments:

I was told by both Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak that they think he'll be the starting running back in the regular-season opener. He's telling them he'll be ready, which is different than last season when he was never optimistic about coming back. But the biggest factor is that from a talent standpoint he's light years ahead of the other RBs except for possibly the rookie, and there's no way they're going to throw him out there against the 3-4 in the first game.

And he says more about Green in this other blog post.

3. Green Gone: Justice's colleague, John McClain speculates that if Green doesn't play in the preseason, he is going to get cut.

Lots of confusion out there on who is going to get the running back touches for the Texans. I think the confusion exists because I am not sure even the Texans coaches know what they are going to do.

Here's what we know as of today:

1. Green's Injury: Ahman Green was in and out of the lineup for most of last year, and then put on IR due to a bone bruise of his knee. He has recovered from that, but was the anti-weeble in the first preseason game, falling down on his first play without being touched due to a groin injury.

2. Green as Starter: Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reports that the coaches believe in that Ahman Green will be back for the beginning of the season. As Justice says in his blog comments:

I was told by both Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak that they think he'll be the starting running back in the regular-season opener. He's telling them he'll be ready, which is different than last season when he was never optimistic about coming back. But the biggest factor is that from a talent standpoint he's light years ahead of the other RBs except for possibly the rookie, and there's no way they're going to throw him out there against the 3-4 in the first game.

And he says more about Green in this other blog post.

3. Green Gone: Justice's colleague, John McClain speculates that if Green doesn't play in the preseason, he is going to get cut.

On behalf of the entire universe, radio and talk show host, Jim Rome apologized to Mario Williams and the Texans for criticizing his pick in 2006. Len Pasquarelli ate some crow his own self, and recently named Williams as the biggest Pro Bowl snub.

Today, Houston Chronicle columnist, John McClain, put Williams' break out season in context of other defensive ends' second seasons:

[H]ere's something to think about: Williams is 22 and finishing his second season.

By comparison, here are the second-year sack totals of (Kyle) Vanden Bosch (3 1/2 ), (Patrick) Kerney (2 1/2) and (Aaron) Kampman (2).

Taylor had nine, (Aaron) Schobel 8 1/2 and (Osi) Umenyiora seven.

Want more? Howie Long had 5 1/2 and Michael Strahan 4 1/2 .

At this early stage of his career, Williams can best be compared to another defensive end who was the top pick in the draft. In 1986, his second season, Buffalo's Bruce Smith had 15 sacks.

To get you ready for Week 16, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is your Houston Texans-Indianapolis Colts preview.

2007 Records:
Houston Texans: (7-7, 4th in AFC South; Last week a 31-13 crushing of the Broncos at home)

Indianapolis Colts: (12-2, 1st in AFC South, Last week clinching a playoff bye with a 21-14 victory over the Raiders)

Here's some fun with numbers:
* Since the AFC South was formed in 2002, the Colts have a 14-2 home record against AFC South opponents. The Texans have never beaten the Colts on the road, and obtained their first victory against them at home last Christmas Eve.

* The Texans play much more composed at home than on the road, putting together a 2-5 road record this year.

* Interestingly, in the Tony Dungy era, the Colts are 1-4 on Week 16. Of course, this may be a reflection of the fact that the Colts have finished with 12 or more games in the previous five seasons. They would like to continue the 5 year trend of the two Texans conference games being a nearly automatic W.

* Texans defensive end Mario Williams has had at least one sack the last 5 games, and 10 sacks in the last 7 games.

The 2006 draft resulted in Houston fans saying huh? (and/or various profanities), New Orleans fans rejoicing , and Tennesee owner Bud Adams cackling. With Texan Mario Williams facing Saint Reggie Bush for the first time this Sunday in Houston, expect media types to re-examine the top of the 2006 draft.

In 2007, the fan bases of Texans, Saints and Titans must be wondering if their 2006 #1 draft picks will ever be worth their rookie contracts. Some suggest that the NFL is completely messed up when system makes you pay rookies at the top of the draft more money than established Pro Bowlers. That it is a curse for those teams at the top of the NFL draft to spend that kind of money on guys that are often not worth it.

It's been oft suggested that the Texans should have traded down out of their pick in 2006, but given what players were available in that draft near the top, it might have been difficult to get teams to bite. USC quarterback Matt Leinart would have been chosen #1 in 2005, but instead goes #10 to Arizona in 2006.

This YouTube video is a musical tribute to Matt Schaub called "Big Bad Schaub." Three games into the season, and he is getting odes written about him.

Houston Chronicle columnist, John McClain has the story behind the video in his blog. Cal McNair, one of the sons of Texans owner Bob McNair, thought of the idea after the Texans acquired Schaub.

Reviews of the song are mixed. A TexansTalk message board thread on the subject tends to gravitate toward the word "horrible" but I will let you be the judge.

Personally, I'm not sure that it's the best idea to have a song focused on stopping this "Tennessee fella," because I don't think that Houston native needs any more motivation to stomp a mudhole on the Texans defense. Though the lyrics aren't terribly complicated, I think "I Hate The Titans (With All of My Soul)" is a much better song. (it's in the audio jukebox).