I’ll be watching the UFC fights (on ESPN+) beginning at 3 pm with the main card at 6 pm. Then of course the Texans game on Sunday. I just have nothing but pure laziness planned. How about you? What plans do you have for the weekend?

Good luck has returned! Barry’s Heh Report is ready for all onlookers and passersby.

Week-09-Heh-Report-ver2

Texans look to win a 2nd consecutive game vs. a well-rested Browns team returning from a bye week. JJ Watt talks about staying disciplined against the Browns run game and play-action passing attack. Nick Chubb unsure if he will be cleared to play vs. the Texans.

Texans looking for the momentum a 2nd consecutive win would bring
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: In order to get to the playoffs, the Texans are going to have to win consecutive games, and it has to start in Week 10 against the 5-3 Cleveland Browns.

“That’s what we need to stack on,” quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “You got to continue to ride the wave and ride the momentum. This is a great opportunity to go on the road against a great AFC opponent who’s playing really, really good football and is coming off a bye week and who’s probably well-rested.”

---

DE J.J. Watt says Texans must trust their keys when stopping the Browns’ play-action
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: Stopping the run is part of the Texans’ problem on defense in 2020. Houston surrenders 159.5 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL, and is second-worst in the league with a 5.1 yards per carry surrendered. If the Browns are able to get their running game going with backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, it will open up the play-action game for Mayfield.

“You also have to trust your keys and do your job and make sure you’re doing your job in the confines of the defense before — obviously if you fly up the field and try to stop the play action, it makes a pretty big gap in the run game for you,” Watt said. “You’ve got to be smart in what you’re doing and calculated when you take those risks.”

---

Browns’ Chubb ‘not sure’ he’ll be cleared to play vs. Texans
By Matthew Washington, TheScore

Excerpt: Despite returning to practice this week, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is uncertain about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.

“I’m not sure,” Chubb said Wednesday when asked about the possibility of being active against Houston, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “There is still a lot more to it than me just feeling good. I have to go through doctors, team athletic trainers, and coaches. It is more than just me saying I feel great.”

Granato and Zierlein discuss Watson’s influence and concerns about rebuilding the Texans. A couple of big plays to two Texans WRs in the win vs. the Jags helps Watson set a new highest single game mark for his career thus far.

John Granato and Lance Zierlein, hosts of ESPN Houston’s “The Bench” discuss Deshaun Watson’s comments about Will Fuller’s name being mentioned in trade rumors, and what it means for Watson’s influence and concerns about rebuilding the Texans.

---

Texans QB Deshaun Watson benefited from YAC in 27-25 win over the Jaguars
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: In the Texans’ 27-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon at TIAA Bank Field, Watson completed 19-of-32 for 281 yards and two touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, over 70% of his passing yards were thanks to the Texans’ receiving corps’ tremendous yards after the catch.

It’s been somewhat lost in the poor start to the season for Houston, but Watson has played like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. His 86.3 PFF grade coming into the week ranked fifth among 32 qualifying quarterbacks. 

This performance against Jacksonville isn’t going to be one of Watson’s best of the season from a grading standpoint, but the results were strong thanks in part to contributions from his playmakers and the futile efforts of the Jaguars defensively. Two long touchdown passes to Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller with a combined 111 yards after the catch will go a long way to padding the stat sheet. Over 70% of Watson’s passing yards in the game came after the catch — the highest single-game mark in his career.

Pro Football Focus
https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2020-week-9-pff-refocused-houston-texans-27-jacksonville-jaguars-25

I’m not even sure I understood JJ Watt’s comments. And of course nobody in the media dared to ask him to clarify what he meant. What qualifies as a “rebuild” in his eyes? The coaching staff will be rebuilt. Some players with bloated contracts might be ushered out under a new regime, and it’s not an impossibility that Watt is one of those players. John Crumpler has a rather in-depth look at this topic.

Can the Texans convince J.J. Watt and coaching candidates Houston isn’t a rebuild?
By John Crumpler, TexansWire

Excerpt: It’s worth noting that Watt is under contract until 2022. Houston’s star defensive end could not simply up and walk away should he decide the Texans are a poor fit for him to finish his playing career. However, it’s hard to see the team saying no should Watt respectfully request a trade after doing so much for both the organization and the city during his 10-year tenure.

By the time the team may consider moving Watt to a “non-rebuild” team in March, the team will most likely have made a hiring at both coach and general manager. The quality of these two candidates Houston will acquire may be strongly dictated by how they are able to perform through the softer second-half of their schedule.

Watt is a competitor and there’s no reason to doubt his genuine desire to win a Super Bowl before he hangs up the cleats. The onus is now on Houston to prove they can still give him that opportunity. A new, top head-coaching candidate combined with a strong finish to 2020 may be the only avenue towards making that argument.

News coverage will focus on potential trades to acquire draft capital and possible free agency moves within the confines of the (certainly adjusted) 2021 salary cap. That is the way for teams that have (virtually) eliminated themselves from playoff contention by the season’s midway point. However, don’t forget that this season’s conclusion will certainly have massive repercussions on what kind of ‘rebuild’ the Texans will be in 2021. The difference between 4-12 and 7-9 may serve as drastically different signals to Watt and other players on what the team’s ceiling could be with a new head coach.

Fans, relish Watson’s undeniable progression this season. Enjoy the resurgence of Cooks and the elevation of Fuller toward an alpha-level receiver. Don’t close your eyes when Phillip Gaines and Vernon Hargreaves allow yet another reception to an average receiver. Maybe these games don’t matter, but their outcome certainly might.

Do you think the Houston Texans are a rebuild entering 2021? #WeAreTexans

— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) November 9, 2020

JJ Watt strip-sacks his way to sack #100 and joins 3 other players in Most Sacks Through First 120 Games. He is also the first player in NFL history with 100.0 sacks and multiple 20.0 sack seasons. Texans injuries abound in 27-25 win over the Jaguars: Omenihu (hamstring), Scarlett (arm), David Johnson (concussion), and Kelemete (concussion).

On Sunday, November 8, 2020, JJ Watt joined an elite group of NFL pass rushers. In the stat category of Most Sacks Through First 120 Games (Since 1982) he currently sits in 4th place:

• Reggie White (1985-1992): 123 sacks
• DeMarcus Ware (2005-2012): 108.5 sacks
• Bruce Smith (1985-1993): 102.5 sacks
• JJ Watt (2011-2020): 100 sacks

9️⃣9️⃣ ➡ 💯 Career Sacks for @JJWatt!

📺: CBS
📱: https://t.co/Nm64mQkAPf pic.twitter.com/4a6dugxDaB

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 8, 2020

---

Texans DE Charles Omenihu injured his hamstring in 27-25 win over the Jaguars
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: In the second quarter with 8:20 until halftime, Omenihu was injured on a first-and-10 run from running back James Robinson that gained eight yards. The blow was significant as the Texans were already lacking in their edge defense due to outside linebackers Jacob Martin and Whitney Mercilus being on the COVID-19 reserve.

The Texans also lost outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett with an arm injury. On offense, the Texans had running back David Johnson and guard Senio Kelemete both sustain concussions.

Ever wonder what the heck people on here are saying when they say things like “AllenOU’d”…or “BESFs”…or “HOL”? AgentWD40 has kept the books for a long time on these popular but quirky sayings, and he’s updated it and it’s here for your viewing enjoyment: The Glossary.

Thanks, Mr. WD40, we appreciate your time and energy!

Bye Week Blues got ya’ down? Barry is here to cure what ails ya’. I am a little disappointed that he didn’t include the Wilfork pic from the “Body” issue of ESPN Magazine. Surely he has it saved on multiple flash drives that are hidden throughout his house. Take it away, Barry…

Week-08-Heh-Report

Wednesday injury report: Roby and Akins both full participants in practice. It’s not new news, but the NFL competition committee expects to present to league owners a plan to expand the playoffs (again) to 8 teams per conference. Aaron Wilson had a slew of tweets featuring JJ Watt soundbites that shows a continued frustration and blunt openness by the big guy.

Texans vs. Jaguars Wednesday injury report: CB Bradley Roby a full participant
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: The Houston Texans had some favorable news as they get ready to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at TIAA Bank Field.

Cornerback Bradley Roby, who had left Week 7’s 35-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers with a knee injury, returned to practice and was a full participant. Joining Roby as a full participant was tight end Jordan Akins, who has missed the last three games with a concussion and also an ankle injury.

Read the full article for more Texans players news and a link to the Jaguars injury situation ahead of Sunday’s game.

---

NFL Could Reportedly Change Playoffs If Too Many Games Are Lost
By Zach Koons, TheSpun

Excerpt: Before the 2020 season got underway, the NFL announced a small playoff expansion to include 14 teams rather than the usual 12 that fans are accustomed to. The deal came together in March and the league owners quickly approved.

But it’s possible that the format could change once again in the coming weeks.

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the NFL competition committee expects to present a plan to the league’s owners for another expansion. This format would consist of a 16-team playoff tournament, intended to make up for potential regular season games canceled by COVID-19.

Under the new plan, eight teams from each conference would make the postseason.

---

It’s becoming very clear that JJ Watt is at the end of his rope and possibly at the end of his time here in Houston. Yes, losing sucks, and no there’s nothing wrong with a player expressing discontent. But this is one of many soundbites that appears to show JJ Watt is struggling to find a way to be nice or gracious about much of anything to be honest. Where did the NRG-sun-shining-on-the-field-photo JJ Watt go?

J.J. Watt on Texans' future hires for coach and GM: 'How can I get excited about something I don't know? I have no clue about their philosophy. I don't even know who the candidates are'

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 4, 2020

This day was always going to be about one thing: The Election Results. I want to allow civil discussion on here, but if it gets out of hand I’m not deleting comments and instead will just close comments for the day.

I understand that this is a very important topic for some on here. It’s not for me as I am politically sterile for lack of a better phrase–I just don’t give a shit because I see ugliness across this nation and I abhor it and I abstain from being dragged into it by either side. That’s my personal choice in it all. As such, I don’t want to see anyone here embroiled with others over things that, you know, outside of your individual “vote,” none of us are really in control of these things and none of us here are each others’ enemies.

All I ask is that each person conduct themselves with dignity and treat others with a dignity that shows we all understand that we’re ultimately all on the same team here. This is a place that I ultimately want to exist as a place that transcends the cultural norms of “political discourse”–A fun and enjoyable place where relationships matter more than lining us all up into one accord on deeply personal matters such as socio-political or religious beliefs etc.

Having said all that, please find exit ramps when it is obvious exit ramps need to be found and taken. If others encourage you to be better, take heed and cool down a bit. I will be checking in periodically. I am unable to monitor every comment as it’s posted on here.

I would hate to have to close the comments, but it’s the only potential solution as I am not going to judge each comment and figure out which ones stay and which ones get deleted. I know that it’s punishing the group for the flaws of a few, but I am not here to pick sides or play favorites.