With the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans facing off on Monday, I chatted with Randy Gurzi from Toro Times to get their takes on the team and the game.
The Denver Broncos will be welcoming back Brock Osweiler to the Mile High City on Monday Night as the two teams who are near the top of the AFC at this point will battle it out.
This is a key game for both team. The Broncos will be looking to avoid their first three game losing streak since the days of Tim Tebow. For the Texans, Brock Osweiler is looking to get the win against his former team.
This week on Monday Night Football: Brock Osweiler returns to Denver pic.twitter.com/zJiOVKz6NP
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 21, 2016
Both teams sit at 4-2. The Broncos suffered their first two losses just five days apart when a home loss to Atlanta followed up with a tough Thursday night loss in San Diego.
The Texans are coming off of a big time Sunday Night win against their AFC South rivals, the Indianapolis Colts.
With the two teams squaring off, I decided to have a little one-on-one chat with Randy Gurzi from FanSided’s Houston Texans site, Toro Times.
Of course, we decided to address the elephant in the room right away with the Brock Osweiler question.
The Houston Texans acquired former Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler for a big deal despite only starting seven games. Through your eyes, what do you think of his performance so far?
“That contract was a necessary evil. They needed a quarterback with upside and youth, but in order to get one in free agency the only choice was to overspend. It was a gamble but after years of quarterback purgatory, they needed to gamble.”
“As far as his play, I am probably the world’s biggest Brock apologist. He went to my alma mater so I have maroon and gold glasses on for him. I want to see him successful and in all honesty I believe he has the tools to do that.”
“Unfortunately, this season has been ugly to say the least. He has yet to go one game without an interception and is making some bad throws into coverage. He also tends to stare down receivers and hold the ball for too long.”
“Yet at the end of the last game he showed why the team was so high on him. He played with poise, made quick decisions, and had some great throws. Overall, his play has been flat out bad, but the last game gave fans hope.”
The Texans made it to the playoffs by winning the AFC South. Do you believe this team can repeat as division champions this year and why?
“I believe they can and will simply because that division is awful. The Colts are a media favorite but their defense is complete garbage and T.Y. Hilton is the only talented offensive player not named Andrew Luck. The Jaguars are a disappointment and I don’t think the Titans have enough firepower to keep up with Houston.”
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How does the season ending injury to J.J. Watt impact the Texans defense and can they still impress without him?
“The defense can survive, but they won’t be the same. Luckily for them Jadevon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus are stepping up, but those two aren’t the same as Watt. They need to get some huge help from some of the other guys, but overall they can still do enough to get into the playoffs in the AFC South.”
The Texans visit the Broncos on Monday Night. What do you believe will be key in this critical AFC Showdown?
“Brock Osweiler. If he plays like he had been up until the end of Sunday night’s game, this thing will get ugly. He needs to be smart with the ball, spread it around, and not force passes. The defense is expecting him to hold the ball and give them time to unleash their fury on him. He has to get the ball out quick and trust his instincts.”
Name one player on the Texans roster that perhaps fans may not know about that could be an X-Factor in Monday’s game and why.
“Jalen Strong. Fans forget about him, but that is because coaches forget about him. He always makes amazing plays when he is on the field. However, for some reason, they keep putting the wide receiver on the bench.”
“He had two touchdowns in a prime time game against Indy last season and drove the nail into the coffin of the Colts last week with his 36-yard overtime reception.”
“He’s tall, strong, and has amazing hands. He is a far superior player to both Braxton Miller and Keith Mumphery, yet he never gets the play they do. Maybe after his clutch catch last week, he will be allowed to do more on Monday. They surely can use it.”
Thank You Randy for taking the time out to interview with us. If you want to see what is going through the minds of Randy and the rest of the Toro Times writers, you can follow their link here.