Can you paste the article for those of us who are not digital subscribers to that rag?
Sorry bruh, i'm not a subscriber either so I thought you had access. I guess I'm just special.
Texans house cleaning would be foolish
By
John McClain
December 4, 2013
It's stunning how many fans and members of the media want Texans owner Bob McNair to blow up his front office by firing coach Gary Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith after one atrocious season.
A front-office house cleaning would sweep out the coaches and most of the personnel department because a new general manager and coach would want to bring in their people.
And that would mean a cleansing of the roster, too, after what could be a 2-14 season that ends with a 14-game losing streak.
In other words, a total rebuilding job for the Texans - the same thing that happened in 2006 when Kubiak replaced Dom Capers and the Texans improved from 2-14 to 6-10.
The Texans' predicament is a franchise first. It's hard to lose 10 consecutive games with the parity that exists in the NFL.
"It doesn't matter whether you're 10-2 or 2-10, nothing's changed other than it's very difficult to work through the situation," Kubiak said. "As a coach and as a player, you wouldn't be in this business if you haven't worked through these things before or you don't have the belief that you're going to work through this.
"If you're going to stick around our business, you'll probably get a chance at both ends of the stick. So find out what you're made of. This is a very difficult time, but guys are pushing themselves as best they can. At the end of the day, though, you don't get to smile and hand everybody a ball and say, 'Boy, that was a great effort.' "
The Texans continue to play hard, but they make mistakes, mental and physical, that losers make - penalties at the worst time, dropped passes and turnovers.
When a team loses as much as the Texans have, change is inevitable. But what kind of owner fires his general manager and coach one bad season after they won back-to-back AFC South titles and a playoff game each year?
A foolish one.
And McNair is no fool.
McNair will have to make some difficult decisions. Once he lets everyone know what his plans are, the Texans will have to make a decision that will affect the franchise for probably a decade.
Continuity is key at QB
Through 12 games this season, there are 13 teams with winning records. Twelve of them have something common: healthy quarterbacks.
The only team with a winning record that's been forced to change starting quarterbacks is Philadelphia. Michael Vick's injury gave Austin native Nick Foles an opportunity in his second season, and he's been exceptional with 19 touchdown passes, no interceptions and a four-game winning streak.
So the common theme among winners is stability at quarterback. If you don't believe it, ask the Packers and Bears.
Barring injury, Case Keenum will have 10 games to audition for the Texans' starting quarterback job next season. They're 0-6 in his starts, but they've lost by 3.6 points a game.
Keenum needs Kubiak
Keenum's best chance to be the starter next season would be if Kubiak were retained. A new coach would insist on drafting a quarterback, probably in the first round depending on how the prospects are rated when the scouting process is finished.
Interestingly, when Kubiak has been on the sideline - not in the press box or having to watch the Arizona game at home - Keenum is 39-of-72 for 751 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception and a 103.4 rating.
Without Kubiak on the sideline, Keenum is 64-of-118 for 682 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions and a 75.6 rating.
Whatever decision the Texans make on their quarterback for 2014 and beyond must be the correct one.
If they decide they want to draft a quarterback - and don't expect them to sign a high-priced veteran - expect them to use a high pick. It's way too early to tell who that quarterback will be if they do indeed take that route.
