Houston Texans 2012: The Drive Begins - Bleacher Report

The Dolphins are expected to be the first of many dominoes to fall for the Texans this seasonâ€"each one leading to the only destination that truly matters: Super Bowl XLVII. 

Some Houston supporters see their team as a juggernaut, an unstoppable combination of players and coaching. But a team is not a monolith. It is composed of multiple components, each of which may have to be replaced at any given time. 

Think about your car in this same way.

If a tire goes flat, it can get be swapped out for an identical match or maybe you just put on one of those donut spares. You can still get around on the spare, but going full speed is going to take a new tire. 

This and other auto analogies will be stretched to their limits as they are applied to a few of the Texans’ more questionable components.

The Legs of Andre Johnson 

It could just be the mileage. Or that Johnson is like a Ferrari that must be constantly maintained. But his drive train has become increasingly fragile. Will the coaching staff end up putting him on a snap count to preserve him for the long haul?

Young receivers Lestar Jean, Keshawn Martin and DeVier Posey will either be Johnson's substitute or partner depending on how the season develops. Like it or not, they will be forced to grow up against NFL defenses that love to give rookies the rudest of introductions.

It will be sort of like moving to the city and driving in rush-hour traffic after living most of your life in the country. 

The Right Foot of Matt Schaub 

It may be perfectly healthy as far as the doctors are concerned. But is the guy who needs it to follow through on his passes just as confident? 

Schaub led the AFC in preseason passer rating, hardly a relevant statistic. Some say it's a sign he is all the way back. If he hits the turf and fails to get up again this year, T.J. Yates or John Beck will be called on to fill the void.

A couple of donut spares, to be sure.

The Right Flank of the Offensive Line

The starting guard, Antoine Caldwell, has never played or even suited up for a full season. The starting tackle, Derek Newton, has been promoted above his pay grade out of pure necessity.

The backup for Caldwell is the oversized Brandon Brooks, who is still listed at 340 pounds on the latest roster. Should Newton need relief, it should be noted Ryan Harris has not played a full 16 games since 2008.

If this group were a car, I might take it to the corner store but would keep it off the highways.

The Defensive Back Divide

The Texans are carrying a total of 10 DBs, the most populous position on the team. Filling the ranks on special teams requires having fast players who love to hit.

The top five go from great to pretty good to hopefully improving: Johnathan Joseph, Danieal Manning, Glover Quin, Brice McCain and Kareem Jackson.

The bottom five can be taken in any order you please: Alan Ball, Roc Carmichael, Brandon Harris, Quintin Demps, Shiloh Keo.

Who in the lower echelon will step up to be a reliable dime back? Harris was supposedly talented enough to warrant a second-round pick in 2011. Out of this cadre, he has the most to prove.

If I had to figure where to park each group in a used car lot, the top four would face the street. The oft-maligned Kareem Jackson would end up somewhere in the third row. The bottom five would be spread out so no one notices they are all the same model.

Whitney Mercilus Unable to Fill Job Description

Whitney was merciless as an Illini pass-rusher. All he was asked to do was get upfield and do some damage. His role as a Texans OLB is a little more complicated.

At the very least, he must acquire the discipline to cover the rushing lanes on his side of the field. On occasion, covering a running back or tight end will be necessary.

If the 245 rushing yards surrendered against the Vikings in the preseason are any indication, his rushing duties need some attention. Expecting linebackers to cover one-on-one is usually unrealistic, as few can pull it off consistently. But you have to “stay at home” in order to handle each assignment.

Houston may have trouble re-signing Connor Barwin, and Mercilus was selected as a contingency should Barwin decide to move on. Brooks Reed is a game-time decision for the Miami game (h/t to the Washington Post), possibly making this the first class in the NFL education of Mr. Mercilus.

Think of it as learning to drive in traffic when your only previous experience was toodling around the neighborhood.

Bullock Did Not Do Graham Any Favors

The convenience of Randy Bullock’s torn groin is a little hard to ignore. When it came time to decide whether to go with the rookie placekicker in a season fraught with the highest expectations, fate kindly intervened and he was placed on injured reserve.

Shayne Graham has a least kicked in the show, including a couple of losing playoff games. But he could be the leading scorer on the most accomplished edition of the Texans to date and still lose his job come next season.

Bullock was like that sweet ride you had as a teen. It happened to break down just before the prom, and dad’s Buick is the only car available.

At least it will get you to the dance.