A week ago, the sky was falling in Houston after the Texans were drubbed 32-0 by Arizona. Now, the collective song going around the Bayou City is “Happy” by Pharrell Williams after the Texans annihilated the Atlanta Falcons 32-7.
Okay, maybe that song is just heard everywhere & has nothing to do with the success of the Texans, but it is safe to say the mood is much more positive for Texans fans throughout the area, whether you are in Tomball or Texas City.
Ryan Fitzpatrick turned boos into cheers. The backfield duo of Jonathan Grimes & Alfred Blue again showed life could be okay if Arian Foster’s health remains an issue. Fantasy owners are now aware of Grimes & Blue and have reasons to keep tabs on them. Young receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Keshawn Martin, & DeVier Posey all had nice moments.
And a certain pass rusher was making a colossal impact…and his name wasn’t J.J. Watt! In light of that, we will start off this week’s Pick Six on a high note…but will we stay positive?
Jadeveon Clowney made the Falcons look like clowns
I cringed for a moment in the 1st quarter when I saw Clowney moving back into coverage. He was almost lined up against star Atlanta receiver Roddy White. Fortunately, we saw Clowney where he belonged shortly thereafter…and 
wow! He made a thunderous tackle on running back Antone Smith for a loss & then sacked Matt Ryan.
And he left after that, which was a good thing for Atlanta. The thought of Watt & Clowney lining up side-by-side to get after quarterbacks makes Houston fans feel giddy. The Falcons & Cardinals have been the 1st teams to feel the wrath of Clowney. They will not be the last.
The special teams were…for a change…special!
When you block a field goal & a punt, it’s a great day at the office. It’s an even better day when you return the blocked punt for a touchdown. Not only did Grimes help the offense with his hard running, he was the one who alertly scooped up the spiked punt & raced into the end zone. His high football IQ & versatility will make him a favorite of head coach Bill O’Brien & a fan favorite as well.
The Texans have made one right move at quarterback
No, it wasn’t signing Fitzpatrick or drafting Tom Savage, although those 2 moves could pan out, at least to some degree. It was getting rid of T.J. Yates.
Yates, dealt to Atlanta after speculation he would be reunited with former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, now the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, was horrible in limited duty against his former team. And he did not have to face the likes of Clowney or other front-line defenders.
T.J. did a masterful Matt Schaub impersonation, tossing a pick six to rookie cornerback Andre Hal (who was interviewed by the Podcast’s own Robert Land earlier this week & was also one of Robert’s Five Texans to Watch heading into the game). Linebacker Max Bullough also intercepted Yates, who completed 4 out of 12 passes for 63 yards.
Houston fans will always appreciate T.J.’s efforts in 2011. They found another reason to appreciate him Saturday night.
Get ready for more Randy Bullock
It’s no secret that Randy Bullock struggled during his rookie season. But after a meltdown against Indianapolis in the 8th game of the season where he missed 3 out of 
4 field goal attempts, he was much better. He didn’t miss a field goal in the final 7 games of the season.
And he was perfect against the Falcons while fellow kicker Chris Boswell missed two of the NFL’s experimental long-yardage extra points. At this point, Bullock will almost assuredly win the job. However, the Texans need to keep their options open in light of Bullock’s mixed track record. There is currently a kicking competition in Kansas City. Should the Chiefs opt to cut ties with veteran Ryan Succop, he could be an option if Bullock shows any sign of regression.
Unfortunately, the Penalty Festival still has a home in Houston
On Atlanta’s lone scoring drive, the Texans looked like the same undisciplined bunch we saw last week & last 
year. They committed four penalties to keep the drive alive, the worst of which was a personal foul against swaggering safety D.J. Swearinger. There was also a flag for illegal contact & 2 flags for holding.
We are stating the obvious here, but that has got to change. In theory, you can say the penalty spree was largely confined to that drive & 2 penalties that occurred when Case Keenum came in at quarterback, but any rash of repeated penalties could lead to regular season losses.
Speaking of penalties, is Derek Newton the worst starting tackle in the NFL?
If I had a dollar for every penalty Derek Newton committed, I could build a three-story closet like that weirdo in the Woodlands. In one half, Newton committed 3 penalties. The box score says 2 because Atlanta committed a foul at the same time as one of Newton’s violations, but the truth is out there.
Newton was lining up at left tackle in place of Duane Brown, who was on sabbatical. On Fitzpatrick’s 1st pass, pressure came at Newton & pressure went right by him. How long will it take before the Texans realize a change has to be made?
-HST Contributor Andy Rioux
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