BU54

Feb. 6, 2008, 12:31AM
ON PRO FOOTBALL
Don't expect Texans to follow Giants' lead
By JOHN MCCLAIN
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

The New York Giants catapulting from 8-8 to Super Bowl champions is causing a lot of Texans fans to get their hopes too high for next season.

The Texans were one of four teams to finish 8-8 this season. The Eagles, Vikings and Cardinals were the others. Not surprisingly, fans in Philadelphia, Minnesota and Arizona are looking at the Giants' season in the same way as many Texans fans.

Realistically, only the Eagles might have a shot at doing what the Giants have done — skyrocketing from 8-8 to 10-6 and a Super Bowl victory — and here's why.

The key to trying to predict which 8-8 has a prayer of duplicating what the Giants have accomplished is looking at what they did the season before they were .500.

In 2005, the Giants were 11-5 and NFC East champions before they dipped to 8-8 in 2006. The Eagles were 10-6 and NFC East champions in 2006 before they dipped to 8-8 this season.

The Texans and Vikings were 6-10 in 2006 and the Cardinals 5-11.

In other words, if any 8-8 team has even a remote chance of winning it all next season, it would be Philadelphia based on what the Giants have done.

Texans fans can analyze the Giants and dream the improbable dream, too, but a better way to gauge next season can be found in how the other 8-8 teams in 2006 performed this season.

We all know now the Giants went from 11-5 to 8-8 to 10-6 and their third Super Bowl title. But what about Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Carolina and St. Louis?

After finishing 8-8 in 2006, the Packers (13-3), Jaguars (11-5), Steelers (10-6) and Titans (10-6) made the playoffs this season. The Panthers (7-9), Bengals (7-9) and Rams (3-13) didn't.

In 2008, will the Texans be like Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Tennessee and make the playoffs? Or will they be like Carolina, Cincinnati and St. Louis and miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season?

Let's examine the 2005 records to get a better barometer.

Jacksonville (12-4) and Pittsburgh (11-5) were elite teams in 2005. Like the Giants this season, the Steelers entered the playoffs as a wild-card team and won three road games before defeating Seattle in the Super Bowl and then sliding to 8-8 the next season.

Perhaps the best way to predict what the Texans might do next season is to look at the Packers and Titans.

Green Bay and Tennessee were 4-12 in 2005 and 8-8 in 2006 before they made the playoffs this season. That's what the Texans hope to do.

LINK
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...t/5517191.html

__________________
Bears always have and always will need a quarterback!! But not a MLB.


10-7-07 Bears 27,Packers 20
12-23-07 Bears 35, Packers 7

BeastJacobs

You guys, don't have...well, I can't say that, you could very well do it I guess, but you guys are too new of a Franchise.

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BU54

I don't think "new" has much to do with it.
This reporter is reaching for stories. Yes it's slow for news now in the NFL.
But as we all know(well almost all)the previous season doesn't really have squat to do the the next season. Especially that "strenght of schedule" BS they come up with at the beginning of each season.

__________________
Bears always have and always will need a quarterback!! But not a MLB.


10-7-07 Bears 27,Packers 20
12-23-07 Bears 35, Packers 7

BeastJacobs

We all know the only thing that matters is the strength of the team, not the teams they play.

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