MARY TREVINO - houston, TX, US: When and where can we get a football autographed that we purchased a the texan store? Where do we go?
Brooke Bentley:
Texans fans, this will be my last question for the day. Thanks again for sending in questions this week and be sure to join us next Tuesday at 1:30!
Hi Mary,
Each week after a home game, the Texans hold an autograph session at the Go Texan store in Reliant Stadium. Today, wide receiver Jacoby Jones will be signing autographs from 6-7 p.m. Check HoustonTexans.com for the player of the week.
Jim - Spring, TX, US: Hey Brooke! My picks for DT would be Peria Jerry DT 6-2 290 Sr. Batesville, Miss. (Hargrave) (South Panola) this guy is a BEAST and totally dominated in their game with LSU, as for safety I would take 22 Clayton, Keenan 6-2 220 LB JR Sulphur Springs, Texas (Sulphur Springs HS) - he's coming out early and he is definitely a hit first ask questions later. Not sure who i would take to help Slaton yet, but you are right when you say we need a goal line / short yardage back. As for QB - Sam Bradford, Graham Harrell, or late round pick Stephen McGee.
Brooke Bentley:
Texans fans, I will be winding down in just a few minutes and have just a couple questions left to answer.
Hi Jim,
I like where your mind is. Once the season is over, HoustonTexans.com dives into draft coverage. So we will be sure to follow your guys. We will cover the East/West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine in Indy. So get ready to go inside the draft in 2009!
Mikel McNabb - Houston, TX, US: Why are the texans trying to win games even though it'd be smart to just purposely lose and go 3-13 and get a high draft pick then going somewhere say 7-9, not make the playoffs and just get a lower draft choice. Almost no one is going to beat Green Bay at Lambo field because you NEVER get any calls there if you are the away team. I really just wish somehow the NFL would eliminate some of this cause it can be very frustrating at times!
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Mikel,
Well, Green Bay just lost a nailbiter to Carolina on Sunday, so you never know what can happen in the NFL. The Texans aren't going to throw in the towel even though the playoffs aren't likely. They have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and the players want to prove so much. They really wanted light it up on Monday Night Football. Plus, they play to win. That's what football is all about. Everyone has too much pride here to give up.
Jim - Spring, TX, US: Hey Brooke! What a win last night and Slaton did impress, but why did they run the ball so much when the team got close to the goal line? Has Kube lost faith in his QB in those situations? Speaking of QBs - what qb do you think the Texans should take in the draft? I can think of several from the big 12 the obvious ones Sam Bradford , Chase Daniel, and Graham Harrell - but how bout Stephen McGee? I think the QB should be tall and have above average arm strength as well as be able to read defenses. I also would mind Tim Tebow from Fla. but he will be long gone before we pick. You might wonder why I didn't mention Colt McCoy and that is because I think he will stay for his senior year.
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Jim,
Rookie running back Steve Slaton was awesome last night. He ran for 130 yards rushing and two touchdowns and he looked like the fastest guy on the field. I don't think coach Gary Kubiak lost faith in the passing game. I think Slaton was just that good. He was on fire, and Kubiak wanted to feed the fire.
As for drafting a quarterback this year, I have heard Colt McCoy will stay for his senior year at Texas. I'm not sure where the Texans will go to find depth at the position. They like Matt Schaub as the starter, but they want more talent and depth behind him. Bradford, Daniel and Harrell are great college quarterbacks. It remains to be seen if Harrell is a product of Tech's system - the spread offense. Bradford is the most talented of the bunch, but he may not be available when the Texans select because the team might try to bulk up their defense with their first-round selection. But who knows at this point...Schaub does have to prove he has recovered from his knee injury.
Alejandro Cedillo - Houston, TX, US: In the draft coming up what are the chances of us drafting a QB and for that quarterback to be Colt McCoy.
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Alejandro,
Well, I have heard that Texas quarterback Colt McCoy wants to stay a Longhorn for another year, but there have been recent reports that he wants to see what his draft stock is. Regardless, I have a feeling that the Texans are looking for quarterbacks high in the draft. They like Matt Schaub as the starter. They will want more depth at the position, but McCoy might not be available to the Texans when they draft.
Joshua - Pasadena, TX, US: Do you think Andre Johnson has a shot of winning offensive player of the year?
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Joshua,
Wide receiver Andre Johnson has a shot. He leads the league in catches and receiving yards with 88 for 1,146, and it helps that he got a lot of national buzz on the Monday Night Football win over the Jags. The ESPN crew said they thought he was one of the best in the game. There are two reasons why he wouldn't get it: 1. He has caught only four touchdowns. 2. The Texans don't get enough national coverage. Let's hope MNF helps 'Dre on #2.
Kyle Rasmussen - Portland, TX, US: I got a couple of more questions feel free to move on to someone else, I don't want to stop anyone elses questions from being answered. Anyway, if ya have time I was wondering since Walker is back on the practice Squad will we be seeing more "Wednesday's with Walker"?
Brooke Bentley:
Welcome back, Kyle!!
We love "Wednesday's with Walker." Running back Darius Walker is great on camera, but he probably won't do the show any more this season. It's hard to go back to something like that after having a stint with another team. But you never know with Walker!! Stay tuned.
Jose Salinas - Houston, TX, US:
What about drafting USC safety Taylor Mays?
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Jose,
The Texans haven't decided who they will go after in the draft. I would like to see them get a run-stuffing defensive tackle or a safety, but general manager Rick Smith is busy scouting players and making all of those evaluations with his personnel staff. I will say that Taylor Mays is awesome. I used to interview him when I covered USC football in L.A. He is physical and athletic. As a former Trojan, I would love to see him in a Texans uniform, but who knows at this point.
Jackson Wilson - Houston, TX, US: Brooke, I say we should change our team mascot to the bulls or something cuz' for some reason the texans sounds stupid.
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Jackson,
I have to admit that I am not an expert in branding, but I do know that the team did a lot a research before selecting a team name. And "Texans" won out in focus groups. TORO, the bull, won out as the team mascot.
Nathan Winters - acworth, GA, US: When can we see Molden get more involved on the defensive side of the ball? He's a beast on Special Teams and I don't know why Kubiak hasn't given him more reps on defense.
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Nathan,
Rookie cornerback Antwaun Molden has been getting the job done on special teams. He recovered a fumbled punt two weeks ago at Cleveland and he got some reps at cornerback during that game. Coach Gary Kubiak has said he wants to get all of his younger players, including Molden, more involved in the game plans, but Kubiak also wants to let Dunta Robinson get back into a rhythm at right corner., which limits Molden's opportunities Dunta returned to his starting position against the Browns and has started to gel with Jacques Reeves. The coaches do like Molden and want to see him get more reps because they see a bright future for him in Houston.
Tomeka R - ahoskie, NC, US: Hi Ms. Bentley. First,thanks for answering my last question. I'm glad to know you enjoy what you do. I hope you and the Texans have a Happy Holiday Season ! What do you and the Texans typically do during the off season? Thanks
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Tomeka,
Thanks for writing in again. The players usually take a good month off and let their bodies rest. They often travel or spend time with their families. Offseason conditioning begins in April. There are OTAs and then mini-camp in May and June, and then training camp begins in July. The offseason is pretty busy for the coaches because they are working on selecting players for the draft, free agency and then getting ready for next season.
Zachary Sommermeyer - Ankara, TX, TU: Hi Brooke! I'm following my team all the way from Ankara, Turkey! What is Ahman Green's situation? How quick can we get cut or trade him? It looks like we are not getting our money's worth out of him.
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Zachary,
Running back Ahman Green went on injured reserve last week with a knee injury and is out for the rest of the season. There is speculation in the media that this injury will end his career in Houston, but that decision will be made by general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak at the end of the season.
Green is a former Pro Bowler who consistently turned out 1,000-yard seasons when he was at Green Bay. But the life of a running back isn't long in the NFL, and the 11th-year pro has been plagued with injuries in Houston. The Texans will need to find rookie sensation Steve Slaton help in the backfield...perhaps a pounder for short-yardage and goal line situations if Green cannot stay healthy.
Christie Davis - Houston, TX, US: Can any one try out for cheerleeding, or is it just for texans' cheerleeders???
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Christie,
Anyone can try out to be a Texans Cheerleader. The Texans hold open tryouts in April. The date has not been set, but make sure to check HoustonTexans.com when the season is over. Click here for some related info from last year's tryouts.
Nathan Winters - Acworth, GA, US: Can we expect Matt Schaub to be back next week, or will his injury linger around a little longer than expected?
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Nathan,
Schaub dressed against the Jags last night and was ready to go in for quarterback Sage Rosenfels. Coach Gary Kubiak decided the day of the game that Schaub was ready to play. Kubiak said last week that if Schaub could back up Sage on Monday that he probably could start at Green Bay this Sunday. Kubiak will make that decision during practice this week. But expect to see Schaub soon.
JB - Houston, texas, TX, US: The Texans Won!
Brooke Bentley:
Hi JB,
They won...and they won big...30-17 in their first Monday Night Football game. Mario Williams: 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble. Steve Slaton: 130 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns. Andre Johnson: 75 receiving yards, 1 touchdown. Awesome.
Kyle Rasmussen - Portland, TN, US: Is Richard Smith still in complete control of the defense or is someone else involved with the playcalling now? I'm just interested as to why the sudden big change in our defenses performance.
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Kyle,
Defensive coordinator Richard Smith still is calling all the defensive plays. He has been calling much more aggressive games these last two weeks. At Cleveland, he called for 11 zone blitzes. The Texans had a season-high five takeaways in that game. Smith had the corners flying all over the place against the Jags on Monday. Plus, Mario Williams went on a rampage and recorded three sacks.
A huge reason for the change in calls is that Dunta Robinson returned to his starting spot at right corner against the Browns. With Dunta there, the defense feels more confident calling blitzes because he can make big plays in the secondary and hold his own in man-to-man coverage. Also, Dunta and Jacques Reeves are starting to gel. Reeves recorded his fourth pick of the season last night. His speed is becoming more and more evident.
Christie Davis - Houston, TX, US: Who are we playing this week???
Brooke Bentley: The Texans play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the first time in franchise history. It should be nice and cold this time of year! Here's our entire schedule.
Nick Ruiz - Houston, TX, US: Will Matt continue to stay out for the entire season or we see his return? Also we haven't seen any screen passes to Slaton until yesterday. Why don't they use Slaton more on these type of plays as he was explosive in West Virgina? My wife was talking to Joe Marciano just before the draft and had suggested Steve Slaton as a running back pick. We can't tell you how happy we are to see him play on the field. We are so glad that the Texans made the right choice when they drafted Steve Slaton....Thank You & Go Texans!!!!!!!! We Love all of you
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Nick,
Quarterback Matt Schaub dressed against the Jags and was available to back up Sage Rosenfels. Last Saturday, coach Gary Kubiak said Schaub is ahead of schedule in his recovery. He also said that if Schaub was ready to back up Rosenfels on Monday, that he probably will be ready to start against Green Bay. Wednesday's practice will help determine that, but expect Schaub to start again before the of this season.
As for Slaton, he clearly was a steal as a third-round pick in last year's draft. Slaton has rushed for 904 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and is coming off a Monday night performance where he rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Slaton can be a weapon when the quarterback checks the ball downfield. He led the team in receiving yards with 83 when the Texans played at Jacksonville on Sept. 28. But Slaton is pretty much all the Texans have a running back right now, so they are keeping him on the ground for the most part. Thanks for the question!!
Aaron Tyler - El Paso, TX, US: Will houston draft a running back in the first round of the 09' draft?
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Aaron,
I'm not convinced the Texans need to draft a running back in the first round. They fulfilled a need there by drafting rookie Steve Slaton in the third round. Slaton is coming off a Monday Night football performance where he rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns. That's the second most yards rushing on MNF this season. He has 904 yards rushing this season and averages 5.0 yards per carry. Check out his highlights from the MNF game here.
The Texans could use a big pounder for short-yardage and goal line situations, but they may look for that in free agency or later rounds. I could see the Texans going after a pass-rushing defensive end or a physical safety in the first round.
Shaun Cudney - Hightower (Houston), TX, US: Should we get new jerseys? Or, as you said in the November 25 chat, should we just were the red ones for the rest of are games? Thank you so much:) :) :) :) P.S. I hope you like the smiley faces i put at the end!
Brooke Bentley:
Hi Texans fans! Thanks for sending in questions for our weekly Live Chat. What a night the Texans had on national TV, beating Jacksonville 30-17 on Monday Night Football. Mario Williams was super. Steve Slaton was fast, really fast. So lots of good stuff to discuss.
Hi Shaun,
Well, I think the Battle Red Jerseys are here to stay...and they should be! The team is 2-0 in full Battle Red Jerseys (red pants, red jerseys and red socks). Defensive end Mario Williams might want to wear them every game and in his sleep. He has 6.5 sacks in Battle Red, including three on MNF. Not too shabby.
