Houston Texans Get “Dirty” While Rolling Over Jacksonville Jaguars

Just yesterday I posted about Jacksonville Jaguars DT Terrance Knighton and his “loving” remarks about the Houston Texans (note the sarcasm). It seems that Knighton was not quite done with his tirade, however, as today he had some follow-up statements about today’s game. This time, though, he is joined by teammate DE Jeremy Mincey as they both whine about the Texans’ “dirty play”.

This time Knighton had the following to say about the Texans play on the field during today’s game:

"I still don’t like them, and I have no respect for them at all…It was just the dirty stuff they were doing. I don’t want to get into specifics; I just don’t like them."

He was not alone, though, as his teammate Mincey echoed his sentiments:

"They’re some nasty guys…I was on the ground, and some guy stepped on my head. They’re very dirty."

Now call me crazy but the Texans have never been labeled a “dirty” team. In fact, during the last few years of their miserable existence they have been called mediocre, horrible, and second-rate but never dirty.

I know that my feelings about this may not be those of other Texans fans but I say, It is about frickin’ time the Texans got dirty.

The Texans are a team who have been disrespected for the last few years, albeit because they did not prove to be treated otherwise. Nonetheless, this team deserves some respect and if being labeled a dirty team is how they earn respect then, by all means, so be it. The Steelers and Ravens have been called dirty more times than Mike Tyson but look at what that has earned them – respect and playoff appearances.

What is even more amusing about this accusation is that these Jaguars players are accusing our offense of playing dirty. Why, you ask? Because the Texans use a cut-block style of defending on the offensive line which, according to NFL rules, is perfectly legal. The other reason the Texans were accused of being “dirty”, because one of the Texans players stepped on the helmet of Mincey, seems rather trivial to me. Players are constantly stepping on each other or being stepped on, it is part of the game.

This is what I believe. I believe that the Jaguars got their feelings hurt in Reliant Stadium today. I believe that they are whining because they felt like they were the better team and I believe that they need to suck it up! The Texans are the best team in the AFC South and when they go into Jacksonville’s home in four weeks they will look to repeat today’s performance.

Perhaps Texans ILB Brian Cushing put it best when he said this in today’s post-game press conference:

"We had a feeling that it would be like that [a rough game] they are a very physical team, we are a physical team as well. And ‘um, we saw the Baltimore film and we knew it was going to be a tough, probably dirty game and ‘um, in this league it’s tough to get a win, and a win is a win, and we just had to do what we had to do."

That is what I am talking about! They had to do what they had to do to win this game. That is what this game is all about, putting wins on the board and making the plays necessary to get those wins. While I do not condone dirty play by any means I also do not believe that the Texans played a truly dirty game…yet.