The Houston Texans trailed the Cincinnati Bengals on the road by two scores with less than 12 minutes left in the game. The Texans running game wasn’t providing its rookie QB the protection it normally does and the defense wasn’t getting to the Bengals QB like the Bengals were getting to ours. After he fumbled the ball away on 4th down early in the fourth quarter, most 3rd string rookie QB’s would have folded up the tent and gone home, but Texans rookie QB TJ Yates, with his parents watching from the nosebleed seats, put on his big boy pants, put the team on his back and won Houston is first division crown in team history.
Yates was near legendary on the final game winning drive. Watching him pull it off with the poise and precision of a grisly veteran I couldn’t help but be reminded that the guy on the sidelines calling the plays witnessed, first hand, another QB define the “game winning drive” 25 years earlier. Before you have me committed for comparing Yates to Hall of Famer John Elway, hear me out. Yates game winning drive had a lot of similarities to “The Drive” by John Elway in the 1986 AFC Title game.
Elway was backed up on his 2 and Yates got it at his 20 but Elway had over 5 minutes to play and Yates had only 2:33 and no timeouts. Elway dinked and dunked down the field until he had a huge 20 yd completion to Mark Jackson. Yates completed a few short passes until he hit Kevin Walter on a long pass over the middle. Both QB’s took sacks in the drive, and both QBs had to scramble for long first downs but neither saw a 4th down during the drive. Yates went 5-9 (not including spikes) and Elway went 6-9. Both QB’s finished off the drive with a TD pass to the same receiver that made the big catch to get them in position to win it.
Now Elway’s legendary drive was in the playoffs and won the Broncos an AFC Title while Yates’ drive only won a regular season Division Title. So before we anoint Yates the second coming (Tebow already has that title by the way), let’s see what the kid can do in the playoffs. He will still have chance to prove he’s the real deal against NFL legends like James Harrison and Troy Palamalu, or Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Just remember no rookie QB has ever started a Super Bowl so Yates will have to succeed where so many others have failed. But then again this team is doing all sorts of things that are “impossible” so, not to be too cheesy but, who knows where this magical run will end? Notes:
Texans reclaimed the top defense spot after allowing only 111 yards and 3 points in the second half including -1 yards for RB Cedric Benson.
Texans sustain more injuries losing KR Sherrick McMannis for the year with an ankle injury and G Mike Brisiel for 3 to 4 games with a broken leg.
TJ Yates is in a prime position to succeed. First off, no one expects anything from him at all. The pressure is off of him and he can go into each game with a clear head and nothing to think about other than what the coach says. There is no years of sad offensive line performance to wear down on his confidence in the pocket. No season after season of sub par defenses giving up leads he put up. There is no emotional baggage to weigh him down.
ReplyDeleteWhat there is for TJ is a healthy, stout front line that is giving him their all. Two of the best running backs to take the pressure off of his arm. One of the most clutch Tight Ends in the league. An under-covered WR in Kevin Walters and hopefully in the next few weeks, the most dominant Receiver in all of football. All of this on top of what is truly responsible for our season thus far, a fine-tuned, razor sharp, unyielding team defense led by the genius of Wade Phillips.
It should also be noted that additional pressure has been lifted with the addition of Jake Delhomme and Jeff Garcia. Both are adding post season experience to the mentoring of young Yates as well as an option for Kubiak if things get too awry.
So by the sheer bad luck of the Houston Texans, TJ Yates is in the position to be a true contender for Rookie of Year, win Houston's first playoff game, and who knows...maybe a ring? Stranger things have happened. Just manage the game, and listen to the coach, and don't let fear stand in the way of greatness.