Kris Brown after a game winning kick against the Colts on 12/24/06 (Source: YardBarker.com)

Just reported earlier this morning, former Arizona Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers has beat out Kris Brown for the Texans kicking role. Brown, who has been with the team since it’s inaugural season, will be looking for a job elsewhere. With this move, the last “Original Texan” has been cast off into the sunset.

The Houston Chronicle:

“I’m excited, very excited,” Rackers said today. “Right now, I’m thinking a lot about Kris and his family and their situation. I respect Kris so much.

“I’m excited to be part of a really good team. My mind-set when I came here was to compete with Kris knowing that it would make both of us better kickers. I’m a competitor. I’m a team guy. I play with a lot of heart, and I’ll do anything I can to help my team win.

So the Texans are finally willing to move on after Brown’s poorest season with the team, a season in which he only made 66% of his kicks and also missing an extra point. Rackers had a field goal success rate of 97% in the regular season, but went only 1 for 3 in the postseason. On paper, this looks like the right move, but Rackers has also shown some inconsistency in the past. Kris Brown will likely find a new job soon kicking for another team, so a return to the Texans is something we’ll probably never see.

Look at this! The Dallas Cowgirls trot into town on the back of the infamous celebrity drama queen Tony Romo.

Saturday August 28, 2010 – 7:00pm CST – TV broadcast on CBS – Comcast 11 (Houston)

What to Watch -

• The Texans offensive line vs the Cowboys defensive front. The Cowboys know how to stop the run and create pressure. Can they be stopped?
• Receivers vs defenders. On both sides of the ball, there are interesting matchups. Mike Jenkins on Andre Johnson and Glover Quin/Kareem Jackson on Miles Austin/Dez Bryant to name a couple.
• Arian Foster as he looks to progress in his current starting role. Also look for backups Chris Henry and Jeremiah Johnson to make statements to be the third running back on the roster.
• Kris Brown vs Neil Rackers. Time is running out in the kicking competition, and it’s been relatively even so far. Something’s going to have to budge, and it may happen in this game. Continue reading this post »

Starting tomorrow, a very noticeable difference will be apparent before the Cowboys face off against the Texans in the third week of the preseason. In a surprise yet brilliant move, the Texans have mounted horn to Reliant Stadium to be sounded 30 and 15 minutes prior to kickoff in an attempt to get more fans in their seats prior to kickoff. It’s not just a horn, it’s a mega horn sounding at 170 decibels, something impossible to ignore if you’re anywhere near the facility.

This idea has been floating around the Texans fan base and message boards for a few years now, but now the Texans finally made what is probably the best off field move since the franchise’s inception. Yes, I am making a huge deal about this. Think about 10-20 years from now when this thing is a concrete Texans tradition on game days. This is something Texans fans can all be proud of, and hopefully this will get the stadium more populated before player introductions.

Following a week where the Texans visited the Saints to hold joint practices together, the teams will finally face off this Saturday for a preseason matchup in the New Orleans Superdome.

Saturday August 21, 2010 – 7:00pm CST – TV broadcast on ABC KTRK – Comcast 13 (Houston)

What to Watch -

• The Texans defense vs the Saints offense. The Texans will truly be tested in this game as they go against one of the league’s most productive offenses.
• Trindon Holliday as he attempts to secure a roster spot for himself. He didn’t do so well last week, so watch to see if he has a big rebound.
• Dan Orlovsky. For the second week in a row, we will all need to watch Orlovsky to see if he is a capable backup to Matt Schaub.
• Arian Foster as he attempts to prove that he can be a full time starting running back in the NFL. He’s been doing good, so that will probably continue. Continue reading this post »

If you watched the Texans play the Cardinals in last Saturday’s preseason game, then I probably know what you were thinking after seeing rookie running back Ben Tate go down with an injury. The Texans lose what would have been a significant part of their offense this season. Considering that he was a 2nd round pick in this year’s draft, Tate likely would have seen a good amount of time spelling current starter Arian Foster. With Slaton’s being reeled back to his typical 3rd down back role, Tate was being looked at as the true number two to Arian Foster. There was a good chance that Tate would have also been the eventual starter if he were to pan out as expected. Continue reading this post »