Thanks for the kind words about Super Mario. And you’re right—both of our squads are currently plagued by underwhelming 2007 first-round DTs. We’re in even worse shape, I think, as we also have a complete bust 2005 first-round DT to complement him.

Amobi has been, to be frank, a disappointment this season. He has basically been invisible. He showed some signs of life against the Jags, but it is fair to say he has gone backwards this year. He’s only 20, though, so it’s too early to give up hope on him yet.

And yes, without a doubt, I would have a huge problem with the Titans wearing Oilers throwbacks.

Is everything you’ve read about and more. He is the quintessential professional, has the best attitude, and is a freakish athlete. If your pass defense is shaky, he is the absolute last guy you would want to face. He is big, fast, has great hands, runs precise routes and can get yards after the catch. I think a lot of people in the Texans blogosphere would volunteer to have his babies.

He is truly amazing. As far as how he affects the offense, it’s fair to say that he is hugely important to it. The good news for Texans fans, however, is that we have other weapons on offense, so if a team starts to double AJ we have other targets to hit (plus, AJ can still get the ball when doubled — see his amazing fourth-and-long grab in the fourth quarter against Miami). If you try to take away AJ, we still have Kevin Walter, who is very underrated in his own right. Or Slaton, who has a very good set of hands, out of the backfield. Or Owen Daniels, one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the AFC.

So, to summarize, AJ is as good a receiver as there is in this league, but he’s far from our only weapon on offense.

In short, we love ‘em both. Let’s start with Dunta…

Despite DeMeco and Super Mario likely possessing more raw talent than Dunta, Dunta is unquestionably the leader of the defense. He brings the swagger, and there is not another CB in the league who hits as hard as he does. Dunta has always been a stud against the run, and prior to his injury last year (which was one of the most sickening I’ve ever seen), he was playing as well in coverage as any DB in the league. Were it not for that injury, I think he would’ve made the Pro Bowl.

Personally, I didn’t believe there was any way Dunta would be back this season; if he did come back, I reasoned, he’d be a step slow and ineffective at CB, possibly requiring a move to FS. Oh, how wrong I was. He came back a few weeks ago (side note: check out this video of Dunta’s return; he wasn’t starting, but they introduced him anyway at the very end…I may or may not have gotten choked up at that point). After shaking off the rust the first couple of weeks, he’s slid back into the starting lineup and is quickly approaching his pre-injury form. Dunta’s a free agent at year’s end, but he’s said he doesn’t want to leave, and I can’t imagine the team letting him go. He’s too important to the defense. When it’s all said and done, I think you’ll see his #23 retired at Reliant Stadium.

Fred Bennett’s a bit of a conundrum at this point. After being thrust into the starting lineup about halfway through last season, Bennett was a revelation. He made big play after big play, and we thought we were set at CB for the next few years with the Gamecock tandem. This year, however, he’s regressed, losing his starting job (far too early, in my opinion) to Petey Faggins (who Bennett unseated last year; Petey is simply awful and was subsequently replaced by Dunta this season). He’s still in the rotation at CB, but he hasn’t looked good in limited action. Not sure why this has happened; have teams simply figured out his tendencies now that there’s tape on him? Regardless, I think the Texans fan base is still bullish on him. He was too good for too long last year to think he can’t be a big part of the future. That, and all he has to do is beat out Jacques Reeves to start again. Given Jacques’ persistent refusal to ever raise his arms above his waist and/or turn his head to find the ball, that shouldn’t be too tall a task.

Jonathan Joseph?