Category Archives: Mario Williams

2012 NFL Team Preview: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans backed into the playoffs last season and lost QB Matt Schaub in the process. T.J. Yates and Jake Delhomme filled in at quarterback, but could only get them into the second round of the playoffs.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate are back to lead the ground attack, but two important pieces are not back in 2012, DE Mario Williams and LB DeMeco Ryans. In 2011, the Texans were top-5 in both areas of defense. With the emergence of J.J. Watt and Connor Barwin, Williams and Ryans became expendable.

Is Houston a Super Bowl contender? Here is our 2012 NFL team preview for the Houston Texans.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 10-6

Key Additions: LB Bradie James, RB Justin Forsett, CB Alan Ball, P Donnie James, FB Moran Norris, DE Whitney Mercilus, WR DeVier Posey, OG Brandon Brooks, C Ben Jones, WR Keshawn Martin and DE Jared Crick.

Key Losses: DE Mario Williams, LB DeMeco Ryans, OT Eric Winston, QB Matt Leinart, K Neil Rackers, RB Derrick Ward, FB Lawrence Vickers, TE Joel Dressen, CB Jason Allen, QB Jack Delhomme, C Chris Myers and Matt Turk.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC East and NFC North

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Keshawn Martin – Jacoby Jones is no longer on the Texans and Martin will be taking over as their return specialist. He will not be in that role exclusively. He should play in the slot position or take over the 3rd wide receiver position if DeVier Posey has a rough training camp. Martin has even seen time with the first team during Texans training camp while Johnson is out with an injured groin.

Team Analysis: Let’s be real, it isn’t going to take much to win the AFC South. Indianapolis and Jacksonville are both really bad and Tennessee overachieved in 2011. The Texans could end up winning this division with an 8-8 record, but they are better than that. Schaub does have durability issues, but Foster and Tate are more than reliable if called upon to carry 40+ times combined in a game. On defense, they will miss the leadership from Williams and Ryans. The squad will be solid, but not outstanding. I like rookie Jared Crick to be a surprise this season. He will fit well next to Watt and Barwin. I loved him at Nebraska and was a steal as a fourth-round draft pick. Houston will win the division, but Schaub and Johnson will need to stay healthy for the entire year if they have any Super Bowl aspirations.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 9.5 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 10-6

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2012 NFL Team Preview: Buffalo Bills

At one point in 2011, the Bills were 5-2 and looked like a surprise playoff team. They finished the season by dropping eight of their last nine games. A 6-10 record was beside their name at the end of the year. What happened?

During the last nine games of the season, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a TD/INT ratio of 10/16. They couldn’t keep the ball and their defense gave up 32 points per game. The loss of Fred Jackson due to injury made their offense look even worse.

Is Jackson and C.J. Spiller ready to be a top-tier rushing attack? Can Fitzpatrick rebound from a poor second-half?

Here’s our 2012 NFL team preview for the Buffalo Bills.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 6-10

Key Additions: DE Mario Williams, DE Mark Anderson, QB Vince Young, WR Stephon Gilmore, OT Cordy Glenn and WR T.J. Graham.

Key Losses: WR Roscoe Parrish, CB Drayton Florence, OT Demetress Bell, CB Reggie Corner and K Brandon Coutu.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC South and NFC West

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Naaman Roosevelt – Buffalo’s wide receiver corps is an improved group. Stevie Johnson and David Nelson are the leaders, but after them it is unknown who the #3 or #4 receivers will be when the season begins. Naaman Roosevelt, Brad Smith, Stephon Gilmore and Ruvell Martin will battle for those two spots. Roosevelt is a local fan favorite since he was born in Buffalo and went to college there. Fitzpatrick has the green light to air it out and he will spread the ball around.

Team Analysis: Fitzpatrick has an entire off-season to work with his receiving corps (something he didn’t have last season), it will make a difference. He had some new faces last year and when the defenses started to catch up to their passing attack, they didn’t have any answers. Jackson and Spiller will be a dynamic rushing attack this year. Both running backs have excellent hands, so Fitzpatrick will have two safety nets during his check-downs. Buffalo’s Mario Williams signing was the biggest surprise this off-season. They struggled getting to the quarterback last year and with Williams and Mark Anderson coming in, that facet will improve drastically. They lost Parrish on special teams, but rookie Gilmore could be a punt/kickoff return star. The Bills learned a lot last season from the ups and downs. They will flip their 6-10 record and be a playoff contender in 2012.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 7.5 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 10-6

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2012 NFL Team Previews

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Dolphins Trade Brandon Marshall To Bears

The Chicago Bears finally have an elite wide-receiver. Jay Cutler should be happy, because it is a player that he knows very well. The Miami Dolphins traded WR Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two 3rd-round draft picks. Even though he is coming off his best season with the Dolphins (81 receptions for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns), the price went down for Marshall’s services. The Dolphins gave the Denver Broncos two 2nd-round picks in 2010.

Cutler and Marshall put up some impressive numbers together in Denver. The last three seasons that they were in Denver, Marshall eclipsed 100 receptions each year. The Bears have lacked a prototypical wide-receiver for many years. The last receiver that put up consistent numbers was Bernard Berrian. I’m not saying that Devin Hester and Johnny Knox are bad receivers, but neither of them are a #1 receiving option on a championship contending team.

The Bears still need help on the offensive line and they look to add a few pieces in the upcoming NFL Draft. They should have a chance to add depth to a line has given up a lot of sacks over the past two seasons. They have other needs, but using the draft to pick up a few young offensive linemen is in their best interest.

Marshall is under contract through the 2014 season and has a contract around $9 million dollars per season. This signing could end all of the Mario Williams rumors that have been floating around. Williams is projected to receive a contract that averages at least $15 million per season. A pass rush combo of Julius Peppers and Williams would rival the Giants for the best pass rush in the NFL. Even if they aren’t able to sign Williams, the Bears took a step in the right direction by trading with Marshall.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.