Houston Texans In season Thread 2010 (1 Viewer)

[coolnerd]

See my signature before getting excited

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...exas-after-all/

As we reported on Sunday, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher isn’t a candidate to coach the Dallas Cowboys. But there are two teams in Texas, and the other team in Texas could be looking for a new coach come January.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reiterated on Tuesday that the Lone Star State has become the most likely destination for Cowher.

“I told you awhile back that Texas is his most likely landing spot — Houston, Texas,” Bouchette writes. “And last night’s game made him even more inviting for those Texans.”

Some may think that coach Gary Kubiak will survive despite the team’s disappointing 5-8 record, since he received a contract extension last year. But so did Brad Childress in Minnesota.

A move to Cowher also could mean the end of G.M. Rick Smith’s run. Five years ago, it was believed that owner Bob McNair opted not to fire coach Dom Capers and G.M. Charley Casserly simultaneously, since doing so would have underscored that both hires were mistakes. As a result, Capers was fired and Casserly “resigned” after the next draft.

Don’t be shocked if a similar approach is applied in 2011, with Smith sticking around through April before stepping aside.

 

[jsharlan]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

 

[dhockster]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

Which begs the question, why do you want to keep a guy who you don't trust to hire the right people?I don't disagree with you that McNair might do this, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

[jamil]

See my signature before getting excited

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...exas-after-all/

As we reported on Sunday, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher isn’t a candidate to coach the Dallas Cowboys. But there are two teams in Texas, and the other team in Texas could be looking for a new coach come January.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reiterated on Tuesday that the Lone Star State has become the most likely destination for Cowher.

“I told you awhile back that Texas is his most likely landing spot — Houston, Texas,” Bouchette writes. “And last night’s game made him even more inviting for those Texans.”

Some may think that coach Gary Kubiak will survive despite the team’s disappointing 5-8 record, since he received a contract extension last year. But so did Brad Childress in Minnesota.

A move to Cowher also could mean the end of G.M. Rick Smith’s run. Five years ago, it was believed that owner Bob McNair opted not to fire coach Dom Capers and G.M. Charley Casserly simultaneously, since doing so would have underscored that both hires were mistakes. As a result, Capers was fired and Casserly “resigned” after the next draft.

Don’t be shocked if a similar approach is applied in 2011, with Smith sticking around through April before stepping aside.

Dream scenario is Cowher here and for some odd reason Gary loves Houston so much because this is his hometown and decides to stay on as OC.

 

[Nate]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

Which begs the question, why do you want to keep a guy who you don't trust to hire the right people?I don't disagree with you that McNair might do this, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The improvement on offense under Kubiak cannot be understated.2006: 4465yds (28th)2007: 5337yds (14th)2008: 6113yds (3rd)2009: 6129yds (4th)2010: 4965yds (6th)He's on thin ice, for sure. But he's been fielding one of the top offenses in the league 3 years running now.

 

[Nate]

Mario, Anderson, Brisiel all on IR

https://twitter.com/#!/McClain_on_NFL/s...133409672175617

 

[jackdubl]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

Which begs the question, why do you want to keep a guy who you don't trust to hire the right people?I don't disagree with you that McNair might do this, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Perhaps I keep the guy if he can do other things well. This is the case here. He's great at coaching offense and another thing you have to give Kubiak, his team has not quit yet this year, not for a second, even with the heartbreaking losses.

 

[Buckna]

Mario, Anderson, Brisiel all on IR

https://twitter.com/#!/McClain_on_NFL/s...133409672175617

makes sense now that the season is over, give these guys more time to heal for next year and not aggravate any existing injuries.

 

[Buckna]

I've lost a lot of faith in Kubiak this year, but I do think he'll be back. He is an offensive-minded coach and has done a tremendous job on that side of the ball. Frank Bush at DC has got to go though.

Where do we go in the draft? Obviously the secondary is atrocious, but will spending another high pick on a rookie DB really help all that much? Normally I support not spending a bunch of $$$ on a FA, but this is one year where I think I will be very upset if we don't make a splash and sign a corner or safety or three. There's the potential of a few decent to possibly outstanding veterans being out there.

Do we resign OD or Jacoby? I think we let them both walk to be honest. If we do though, that creates a big hole in the passing game and Andre is starting to get up there in age. We won't be picking high enough to get him, but imagine AJ Green lining up on the other side of Andre!

 

[jamil]

I've lost a lot of faith in Kubiak this year, but I do think he'll be back. He is an offensive-minded coach and has done a tremendous job on that side of the ball. Frank Bush at DC has got to go though.Where do we go in the draft? Obviously the secondary is atrocious, but will spending another high pick on a rookie DB really help all that much? Normally I support not spending a bunch of $$$ on a FA, but this is one year where I think I will be very upset if we don't make a splash and sign a corner or safety or three. There's the potential of a few decent to possibly outstanding veterans being out there.Do we resign OD or Jacoby? I think we let them both walk to be honest. If we do though, that creates a big hole in the passing game and Andre is starting to get up there in age. We won't be picking high enough to get him, but imagine AJ Green lining up on the other side of Andre!

I'm all for signing a big name star in the offseason. Specifically... Champ Bailey. Hey, he fits the mold of what we go after.. an ex-denver guy

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-...b2-96d1e067f88b

Mario out for the last three games.

 

[jsharlan]

The offense did just fine without OD or Dropcoby this year so I don't see it missing a beat if they walk next year. We are ridiculously deep at TE anyway. I think they will need to draft either a DT to replace Cody or a FS as I really dont think Nolan is the long term answer. I could honestly see them drafting a mid round WR like in the 3rd or 4th and then another offensive tackle. Anyone expecting some big free agency pickups better not hold your breath. That isnt the MO of this front office.

 

[jamil]

The offense did just fine without OD or Dropcoby this year so I don't see it missing a beat if they walk next year. We are ridiculously deep at TE anyway. I think they will need to draft either a DT to replace Cody or a FS as I really dont think Nolan is the long term answer. I could honestly see them drafting a mid round WR like in the 3rd or 4th and then another offensive tackle. Anyone expecting some big free agency pickups better not hold your breath. That isnt the MO of this front office.

unfortunately thats true... but I think Bailey being from Denver gets us a fighting chance.haha.

 

[dhockster]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

Which begs the question, why do you want to keep a guy who you don't trust to hire the right people?I don't disagree with you that McNair might do this, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The improvement on offense under Kubiak cannot be understated.2006: 4465yds (28th)2007: 5337yds (14th)2008: 6113yds (3rd)2009: 6129yds (4th)2010: 4965yds (6th)He's on thin ice, for sure. But he's been fielding one of the top offenses in the league 3 years running now.

You've made the case that he is a great offensive coordinator, not a great head coach.Look, as a head coach, you cannot be everybody's friend. You have to make the tough decisions and let players go when they arenot performing or fire coaches when they are not getting the job done. Kubiak has done very little of this in his five years as head coach.While he has been in control of the offense, he has brought in two guys that he has worked with before to run the defense, neither with anydefensive coordinator experience. Both have done pretty miserably, despite the Texans spending a majority of their high draft picks on defense.Now some of those picks are probably busts, but I wonder if some of these players that have underperformed might have been better if theyhad had better coaching.Kubiak this year has had a horrible defense. Yet what player has he cut, or what coach has he fired? None. This tells me he is too close to his players and coaches and doesn't want to be a bad guy by firing them. Look at the great coaches currently in the NFL: Belichick, Tomlin, Reid, Coughlin. None of them has been accused of being too nice. They makethe tough decisions when they have to. I think there is a difference between players liking you and players liking to play for you. In my opinion, Kubiak is too concerned about players liking him. That is why he has failed as a head coach.

 

[dhockster]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

Which begs the question, why do you want to keep a guy who you don't trust to hire the right people?I don't disagree with you that McNair might do this, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Perhaps I keep the guy if he can do other things well. This is the case here. He's great at coaching offense and another thing you have to give Kubiak, his team has not quit yet this year, not for a second, even with the heartbreaking losses.

Yes, I think because Kubiak is a nice guy that everyone likes, no one has quit on him. That is good. But because no one is afraid of him, the team has not played with a sense of urgency for the whole 60 minutes. That is why they have fallen behind so much this year.As someone who lives in Houston, I would love to see Kubiak as offensive coordinator with a defensive head coach. Gary has not shown yet that he hasthe personality to be a head coach. His record reflects that.

 

[jsharlan]

I don't see it happening, McNair will keep Kubiak and make him hire a DC that isn't his buddy for once.

Which begs the question, why do you want to keep a guy who you don't trust to hire the right people?I don't disagree with you that McNair might do this, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The improvement on offense under Kubiak cannot be understated.2006: 4465yds (28th)2007: 5337yds (14th)2008: 6113yds (3rd)2009: 6129yds (4th)2010: 4965yds (6th)He's on thin ice, for sure. But he's been fielding one of the top offenses in the league 3 years running now.

You've made the case that he is a great offensive coordinator, not a great head coach.Look, as a head coach, you cannot be everybody's friend. You have to make the tough decisions and let players go when they arenot performing or fire coaches when they are not getting the job done. Kubiak has done very little of this in his five years as head coach.While he has been in control of the offense, he has brought in two guys that he has worked with before to run the defense, neither with anydefensive coordinator experience. Both have done pretty miserably, despite the Texans spending a majority of their high draft picks on defense.Now some of those picks are probably busts, but I wonder if some of these players that have underperformed might have been better if theyhad had better coaching.Kubiak this year has had a horrible defense. Yet what player has he cut, or what coach has he fired? None. This tells me he is too close to his players and coaches and doesn't want to be a bad guy by firing them. Look at the great coaches currently in the NFL: Belichick, Tomlin, Reid, Coughlin. None of them has been accused of being too nice. They makethe tough decisions when they have to. I think there is a difference between players liking you and players liking to play for you. In my opinion, Kubiak is too concerned about players liking him. That is why he has failed as a head coach.

You mistake no coaches being fired as of yet with being Kubiak's decision. It is most likely McNair driving that. Its not his MO to make inseason changes. Kubiak is a great offensive mind, they knew that when they brought him in. His failure has been not being able to put someone on the defensive side that can stop making the defense such a liability. If you keep Kubiak and hire a proven DC, you keep that dominant offense and take a chance at improving the defense enough to stop losing games for you. If you fire Kubiak you run the risk of a dominant offense being lost, with no promise that the defense will be fixed either. I think thats why McNair will keep him for now.As far as Kubiak not 'cutting' defensive players, Zac Diles and E. Wilson have been benched in favor of younger counterparts, Kareem Jackson had his snaps reduced in favor of the more experienced Allen, and they've tried Cushing at middle linebacker. Short of Mario Williams, the defensive line has been a revolving door of players the last month or so trying to find a combination that works. You can't say they havent tried with the players. I still believe the fault is in Frank Bush's schemes.I've been pro-Kubiak the last couple years, but my faith in him is def. waning. I think if they can get Marvin Lewis or John Fox in as DC I would support one more year for Kubiak.

 

[Buckna]

The offense did just fine without OD or Dropcoby this year so I don't see it missing a beat if they walk next year. We are ridiculously deep at TE anyway. I think they will need to draft either a DT to replace Cody or a FS as I really dont think Nolan is the long term answer. I could honestly see them drafting a mid round WR like in the 3rd or 4th and then another offensive tackle. Anyone expecting some big free agency pickups better not hold your breath. That isnt the MO of this front office.

True enough this year, but I don't believe we can count on Foster being the leading RB in the NFL every year to prop up them up. His success rushing the ball has masked some of the poor play on the passing side. I don't agree with the depth at TE either, most of the TE's we've drafted have barely seen the field. Casey has gotten a few snaps because OD got hurt again and has looked really raw. Dreessen is just a stopgap, Hill has been out almost all year and is mainly a blocker, while Graham has yet to catch a single pass. If Jones is gone, that will leave Walter & Anderson as the only other WR's from AJ on the roster who have ever caught a pass (I expect them to cut Andre Davis too.)

 

[Nate]

You've made the case that he is a great offensive coordinator, not a great head coach.

No. He's never been an offensive coordinator in Houston. That's a completely different job. I've made the case that as a head coach he's made a very good offense in Houston. Both the run and pass games have made big strides under Kubiak.Kubiak's made plenty of personnel/depth chart changes. It was only just before last season that they dropped the axe on Smith and most of the defensive coaching staff. I don't know where you're getting your information. I expect the same this offseason.

I agree that Frank Bush should have been fired. Kubiak goes through McNair to make those calls. Nobody outside the organization knows for sure who's keeping him on.

I'm not saying I want Kubiak to stay, or that he should stay. Clearly, they need to win games. I do not subscribe to the "replacing the coach will fix what ails you" theory. I see an offense that's taken a step back in a couple areas but have made a massive improvement in getting back into games late against tough opponents. I see a secondary that's taking awful penalties and routinely giving up big plays, and squandering leads.

The Texans need a ton of help in pass defense but something like "he's too nice" isn't going to convince anyone that a HC replacement is going to fix anything.

 

[jsharlan]

The offense did just fine without OD or Dropcoby this year so I don't see it missing a beat if they walk next year. We are ridiculously deep at TE anyway. I think they will need to draft either a DT to replace Cody or a FS as I really dont think Nolan is the long term answer. I could honestly see them drafting a mid round WR like in the 3rd or 4th and then another offensive tackle. Anyone expecting some big free agency pickups better not hold your breath. That isnt the MO of this front office.

True enough this year, but I don't believe we can count on Foster being the leading RB in the NFL every year to prop up them up. His success rushing the ball has masked some of the poor play on the passing side. I don't agree with the depth at TE either, most of the TE's we've drafted have barely seen the field. Casey has gotten a few snaps because OD got hurt again and has looked really raw. Dreessen is just a stopgap, Hill has been out almost all year and is mainly a blocker, while Graham has yet to catch a single pass. If Jones is gone, that will leave Walter & Anderson as the only other WR's from AJ on the roster who have ever caught a pass (I expect them to cut Andre Davis too.)

I disagree, Dreessen has played very well, and Casey could be very dynamic if given consistent playing time. Dropcoby is easily replaceable as the 3rd WR with a more developed Dickerson perhaps, a mid round draft pick, or even a cheap free agent. Foster playing well just means the others haven't been needed as much, but I don't think it means they aren't capable of stepping up if the need arose. Plus with Tate healthy next year, Foster won't need to be such a workhorse if he's not as dominant as this year.

 

[GregR_2]

I think you try to re-sign OD but you don't break the bank for him. If he won't sign for something reasonable when we have decent TEs behind him, then let him go.

Jacoby they need to let walk. Or only resign him for punt returner money. Guy just doesn't catch the ball consistently enough to be a starting WR. I wince every time I realize the ball is going his way.

 

[dhockster]

You've made the case that he is a great offensive coordinator, not a great head coach.

No. He's never been an offensive coordinator in Houston. That's a completely different job. I've made the case that as a head coach he's made a very good offense in Houston. Both the run and pass games have made big strides under Kubiak.Kubiak's made plenty of personnel/depth chart changes. It was only just before last season that they dropped the axe on Smith and most of the defensive coaching staff. I don't know where you're getting your information. I expect the same this offseason.

I agree that Frank Bush should have been fired. Kubiak goes through McNair to make those calls. Nobody outside the organization knows for sure who's keeping him on.

I'm not saying I want Kubiak to stay, or that he should stay. Clearly, they need to win games. I do not subscribe to the "replacing the coach will fix what ails you" theory. I see an offense that's taken a step back in a couple areas but have made a massive improvement in getting back into games late against tough opponents. I see a secondary that's taking awful penalties and routinely giving up big plays, and squandering leads.

The Texans need a ton of help in pass defense but something like "he's too nice" isn't going to convince anyone that a HC replacement is going to fix anything.

I am not saying that just hiring a new head coach is going to fix the Texans. Obviously, if they make a bad choice in their next head coach they could go from an average team to a bad team.My point was that Kubiak, who was an offensive coordinator before he came to the Texans, has shown he is a good offensive mind with what he has done with the Texans offense. My beef with him is that I don't see the attributes of a good head coach in him. That is getting teams to play for 60 minutes, having good game plans in place to beat opponents, making adjustments to strategy during games, and making adjustments in personnel when things aren't working.

You say that Kubiak has to go through McNair to fire somebody, but do you know that is true? Or is Kubiak just afraid to fire one of his friends?

I think Kubiak showed alot when he hired Frank Bush. He had already hired one defensive coodinator who was a friend without def. coordinator experience, and so what does he do? Rather than go out and look for the best experienced defensive coordinator on the market he could find (a la Sean Payton hiring Gregg Williams) he goes and hires another friend without def. coord. experience. Maybe there are good reasons why Kubiak hasn't done some of the things I think he should have done, but everything I have seen seems to add up to him being in a job he does not have the personality for.

 

[jsharlan]

Richard Smith was the DC for the Dolphins when he was hired 5 days after Kubiak in 2006, so your statement is partially incorrect. Lots and lots of coordinators are promoted up from a positional coaching spot, that isn't something bad. The bad thing was evaluating Bush's ability to draw up effective schemes and blitzes, which have been absolutely terrible up to this point. I'd have to go back and look at who was on the market when they hired Bush, but I don't remember any big name defensive guys at the time, it was a rather bare market. That doesn't mean Bush was the best choice of course, but hindsight is 50/50. This offseason should be a much different story with alot of experienced coaches on the market.

 

[dhockster]

Richard Smith was the DC for the Dolphins when he was hired 5 days after Kubiak in 2006, so your statement is partially incorrect. Lots and lots of coordinators are promoted up from a positional coaching spot, that isn't something bad. The bad thing was evaluating Bush's ability to draw up effective schemes and blitzes, which have been absolutely terrible up to this point. I'd have to go back and look at who was on the market when they hired Bush, but I don't remember any big name defensive guys at the time, it was a rather bare market. That doesn't mean Bush was the best choice of course, but hindsight is 50/50. This offseason should be a much different story with alot of experienced coaches on the market.

You are right about Richard Smith, although he was only DC for 1 year with Miami before he came to the Texans.Look, I don't think all of the Texans problems are due to Kubiak. Some of the other problems are:

-Structure - The GM and Coach appear to be on the same level with both reporting to the Owner. The GM has final say on personnel but

he is supposed to get input from the Coach (per this link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...ns/3941250.html ). It is

therefore hard to know who is responsible for the Texans bad defensive picks. I guess the GM is ultimately responsible, but it is hard to

know how much say Kubiak has.

-Unwillingness of the Team to target Free Agents to fill holes - The Texans are one of the least active teams when it comes to getting big name

free agents. Now I don't think they should take a Washington Redskins approach to signing every over-the-hill pro bowler out there, but they definitely

should be targeting specific free agents. As an example, I agree with letting Dunta Robinson this off season because they would have had to overpay

for him. However, letting him go, and not signing another experienced CB in free agency was a mistake, especially since they had very little experience in their remaining CB's and were going to go after a rookie to fill Dunta's shoes.

I just don't like Kubiak as a head coach for the following reasons:

-He is too nice. Everyone likes him. Great head coaches are never liked by everyone because they make tough decisions when performance is poor.

-He has entrusted his defense twice to no name Def. Coordinators who had minimal experience at the position. Neither has worked out.

-He may have had input in some very poor draft decisions.

-He may have had input into bringing in the GM who has made some very poor draft decisions.

-His teams have a hard time playing 60 minutes of good football.

I hope if the Texans keep Kubiak and force him to hire a new DC, that they force him to hire someone with a proven track record. For all his

leadership flaws that I have pointed out, the Texans should still be a playoff team if the defense were at least mediocre. Kubiak has to find

someone who can get that done.

 

[Nate]

You are right about Richard Smith, although he was only DC for 1 year with Miami before he came to the Texans.

Look, I don't think all of the Texans problems are due to Kubiak. Some of the other problems are:

-Structure - The GM and Coach appear to be on the same level with both reporting to the Owner. The GM has final say on personnel but

he is supposed to get input from the Coach (per this link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...ns/3941250.html ). It is

therefore hard to know who is responsible for the Texans bad defensive picks. I guess the GM is ultimately responsible, but it is hard to

know how much say Kubiak has.

-Unwillingness of the Team to target Free Agents to fill holes - The Texans are one of the least active teams when it comes to getting big name

free agents. Now I don't think they should take a Washington Redskins approach to signing every over-the-hill pro bowler out there, but they definitely

should be targeting specific free agents. As an example, I agree with letting Dunta Robinson this off season because they would have had to overpay

for him. However, letting him go, and not signing another experienced CB in free agency was a mistake, especially since they had very little experience in their remaining CB's and were going to go after a rookie to fill Dunta's shoes.

I just don't like Kubiak as a head coach for the following reasons:

-He is too nice. Everyone likes him. Great head coaches are never liked by everyone because they make tough decisions when performance is poor.

-He has entrusted his defense twice to no name Def. Coordinators who had minimal experience at the position. Neither has worked out.

-He may have had input in some very poor draft decisions.

-He may have had input into bringing in the GM who has made some very poor draft decisions.

-His teams have a hard time playing 60 minutes of good football.

I hope if the Texans keep Kubiak and force him to hire a new DC, that they force him to hire someone with a proven track record. For all his

leadership flaws that I have pointed out, the Texans should still be a playoff team if the defense were at least mediocre. Kubiak has to find

someone who can get that done.

Seriously, nobody cares if he's nice or not. I think it's silly to suggest that it's mutually exclusive with success.Losing Dunta was a non-issue. Hadn't been an impact player since his injury.

I'm not judging Kubiak based on speculation of his involvement in what are typically GM duties.

All this talk of poor drafting, no action in free agency, and no personnel adjustments. But no credit for Foster, Cushing, Pollard, Rackers?

Say what you will about Rosenthal, but I mostly agree with him here:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...his-head-coach/

 

[Houston turmOiler]

Enough is enough. I hate having a team that seems to be content just being average to slightly below average. Kubiak sucks as a head coach, and mediocrity is lame. Are we really afraid of going backward? Hell, we're 5-8 right now and already going in the wrong direction. Bob McNair's recent comments about "being really close" might be accurate, but that's not a reason for him to keep Kubiak. It's THE REASON he should dump Gary and Rick Smith. They're why we can't get over the hump. Here's some things that drive me nuts.

We play better when we have to junk the game plan because we're always down 14 or more points in the first half. Our offense does squat in the first quarter most games. Watching this offense bumble and stumble around early is just maddening. IMO a better head coach can figure out how to keep the offense productive with Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson. What the hell kind of game plan is he busy devising all week?

Kubiak sucks at time management and when to use his challenges. I know there's other coaches that suck at this too, but at the game the other night we could all clearly see on the replay that Walter's knee was out of bounds. Kubiak looked right up at the replay AND THEN threw the challenge flag. There was another game earlier this season (forgot which one) where we let the clock keep running near the end of the half instead of using our last timeout and we pissed away a FG opportunity. It's almost as if he becomes indecisive at inopportune times, a very bad trait for a so-called leader of men. This crap is all too common, and there are numerous other examples throughout his tenure.

The defensive philosophy is a complete mess, from scheme to personnel decisions. The team speed on defense sucks. Watch the best defenses and you'll see teams that look like they have 14 men on the field at times. Good defenses contest EVERYTHING, from having CBs who are adept at playing tight man-to-man to having multiple skilled pass rushers. It's almost as if Rick and Gary just think, "OK, Mario, go sack someone!" And if you point to all the high draft picks on D-Line, then we get into a fundamental problem with personnel evaluation and/or coaching development of those picks. Teams like the Giants are always looking to add pass rushers, no matter how many they already have. We've got a good one living down the road (Aaron Schobel) who WANTED to play for us and we refuse to make the move. Good organizations make moves like that and go for it. That's another example of why we are losers. That might be on Bob McNair as well, but most of us fans don't want to hear that crap. Make an aggressive move for once. Schobel's a veteran with a good track record, and it's not like it wasn't a major area of need.

It's even worse on the back end. We have 2 street free agents (Pollard and Wilson) at safety who can't run, and we don't have any CBs who can really run with great man cover skills. Glover Quin ought to be a safety, he's a decent tackler and the cover skills he does have would be better served not trying to match up with WR1s. If you are going to have an in-the-box safety like Pollard, your other safety needs to be fast and have good range. Look at Belicheck with Rodney Harrison. Harrison was lousy in coverage but the Patriots generally did a good job designing schemes to his strengths and not leaving him exposed too often. Of course, they also had guys like Asante Samuel at one CB spot that helped with that schematically. Three out of four of the starters in the secondary are castoffs we picked up in the middle of a season (Jason Allen, Pollard, Wilson). This has to be the slowest secondary in the league. No wonder we give so many 10 yard cushions to WRs. What the hell kind of overall philosophy is that? I'm not a Frank Bush apologist at all but I'm not sure what kind of scheming you can do to mask all of the deficiencies this defense has. The whole thing is enough of a mess that you can blame coaching and personnel philosophy. Would Devin McCourty still be good here if we had drafted him instead of Kareem Jackson? Is it coaching, player evaluation, or both?

This team has reached its peak with this regime. We've already gone backward from last season. We seem to be snakebitten the last two seasons, from fumbles at the goalline, missed FGs, Hail Marys, impossible time-defying touchdown drives, possibly the worst defense in the Super Bowl era, and overtime Pick-Sixes (and others I mercifully can't recall at the moment). I believe that "Here we go again" feeling around the team has become synonymous with the Kubiak era, and we need a new coach to wipe out that attitude and bring a new culture to this team. We gave Dom Capers a year longer than we should have, and we ended up 2-14. Don't let Kubiak do the same thing.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

That was an inspired performance. I wonder if Mr. McNair thought we were "close to being not only a good team, but an outstanding team" today? When is he going to wake up and realize that Kubiak is the one holding us back? Do well coached teams have players fighting with each other on the field? We looked like the turmOilers back in the day with Buddy Ryan punching Kevin Gilbride. This franchise is a joke, make a move Bob....

 

[coolnerd]

That was an inspired performance. I wonder if Mr. McNair thought we were "close to being not only a good team, but an outstanding team" today? When is he going to wake up and realize that Kubiak is the one holding us back? Do well coached teams have players fighting with each other on the field? We looked like the turmOilers back in the day with Buddy Ryan punching Kevin Gilbride. This franchise is a joke, make a move Bob....

I am not going to credit that with a real fight. Cushing was trying to get Smith away from the Titans OLmen and reacted towards the dude trying to help him and team out. On your post prior, I think we already had the year too late on Kubaik. At this point, he is what he record says he is: A mediocore head coach.

 

[jsharlan]

The players quit on themselves out there yesterday. That doesn't bode well for Kubiak. How the players react to these last two games will probably determine what McNair does.

 

[Abraham]

We play better when we have to junk the game plan because we're always down 14 or more points in the first half. Our offense does squat in the first quarter most games. Watching this offense bumble and stumble around early is just maddening. IMO a better head coach can figure out how to keep the offense productive with Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson. What the hell kind of game plan is he busy devising all week

Excellent posting. i think the O coaches try to get too cute then finally revert back to what works: throwing to Andre. Schaub is one of the better QBs in the league just as Andre is perhaps the best in the league at his spot. They are LOADED offensively and should be scoring 28+ ppg, even with an inconsistent line. They need a brand new secondary and Brian Cushing isn't all that good of a football player when he isn't on steroids, but otherwise they have a TON of talent. Just need the right coach. As much as he's getting criticism of his own right now, Jeff Fisher would be perfect for the Texans. Why? B/c say what you want about Fisher but with the exception of last season's NE blowout, I can't remember the last time I saw a Titans team that was unprepared or outcoached on game day. The Texans talent with Fisher's gameplanning? Great combo.

 

[dhockster]

You are right about Richard Smith, although he was only DC for 1 year with Miami before he came to the Texans.

Look, I don't think all of the Texans problems are due to Kubiak. Some of the other problems are:

-Structure - The GM and Coach appear to be on the same level with both reporting to the Owner. The GM has final say on personnel but

he is supposed to get input from the Coach (per this link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...ns/3941250.html ). It is

therefore hard to know who is responsible for the Texans bad defensive picks. I guess the GM is ultimately responsible, but it is hard to

know how much say Kubiak has.

-Unwillingness of the Team to target Free Agents to fill holes - The Texans are one of the least active teams when it comes to getting big name

free agents. Now I don't think they should take a Washington Redskins approach to signing every over-the-hill pro bowler out there, but they definitely

should be targeting specific free agents. As an example, I agree with letting Dunta Robinson this off season because they would have had to overpay

for him. However, letting him go, and not signing another experienced CB in free agency was a mistake, especially since they had very little experience in their remaining CB's and were going to go after a rookie to fill Dunta's shoes.

I just don't like Kubiak as a head coach for the following reasons:

-He is too nice. Everyone likes him. Great head coaches are never liked by everyone because they make tough decisions when performance is poor.

-He has entrusted his defense twice to no name Def. Coordinators who had minimal experience at the position. Neither has worked out.

-He may have had input in some very poor draft decisions.

-He may have had input into bringing in the GM who has made some very poor draft decisions.

-His teams have a hard time playing 60 minutes of good football.

I hope if the Texans keep Kubiak and force him to hire a new DC, that they force him to hire someone with a proven track record. For all his

leadership flaws that I have pointed out, the Texans should still be a playoff team if the defense were at least mediocre. Kubiak has to find

someone who can get that done.

Seriously, nobody cares if he's nice or not. I think it's silly to suggest that it's mutually exclusive with success.Losing Dunta was a non-issue. Hadn't been an impact player since his injury.

I'm not judging Kubiak based on speculation of his involvement in what are typically GM duties.

All this talk of poor drafting, no action in free agency, and no personnel adjustments. But no credit for Foster, Cushing, Pollard, Rackers?

Say what you will about Rosenthal, but I mostly agree with him here:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...his-head-coach/

Look, I made my case against Kubiak and you haven't said anything to change my mind on my opinion.But I will give you one more chance. Tell me three things about Kubiak that make him a good head coach and how those attributes have helped

the Texans win games.

As to your comment about personnel, I do give the Texans credit for Foster. As for Cushing, the jury is still out on him. He has had an awful season. I would give him one more year to determine whether he was a good pick or not. Same goes for Pollard. Last year he was an aggressive hard hitting safety. This year

he is an aggressive hard hitting safety who can't cover. I think we have seen this year why he was available last year. Rackers was an upgrade, but it still took Kubiak until the final cuts of training camp to cut the cord with Kris Brown. Most coaches would have cut Brown last year when he cost the Texans a chance to win several games by missing late FG's.

 

[FavreCo]

Just when you think they have turned the corner, they baffle with yet another doosy. Yesterday they stepped their suckage up a notch. Get in a fight, fight mutates into a fight between teammates, ref throws a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct and the other team points and laughs.

Just bring back David Carr and go on the road as a circus sideshow.

 

[coolnerd]

Another week another way to lose a game in the 4th quarter. Honestly, can't make this stuff up.

 

[RushHour]

Another week another way to lose a game in the 4th quarter. Honestly, can't make this stuff up.

It's pretty amazing. At 17-0 up, I thought they had the Broncos covered, given how bad they had been as well. I remember Bill Simmons used to call them the 'No Heart Texans.' So true.

 

[Buckna]

Not at all surprised we lost. In fact, expected it. Just put the game on the radio and listened in the garage as my friends and I played drinking games.

Fire Kubes, let him go coach Denver as the current rumor mill suggests. No way any defense should have let Tebow throw for over 300 yards in his first start. What a joke.

 

[aquateen]

OK it's obvious the team has quit on Kubiak, so isn't McNair's hand forced. He can't keep him around any longer. At least the last few years the team battled to the end. Obviously that has not happened this year.

 

[Getinthemix]

Kubiak has to go. That is obvious. If McNair does not he will have a fan mutiny on his hands.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Apparently Some Texan Fans Like Kubiak...

Thought this was interesting and that it would grist for your thread. Got there via profootballtalk.

-QG

 

[coolnerd]

Apparently Some Texan Fans Like Kubiak...

Thought this was interesting and that it would grist for your thread. Got there via profootballtalk.

-QG

Thanks for the note:On the texans meswage baords there is about a 10 may 15 percent minority who thinks that the plan should be to hire a really good and experience DC and keep Kubes around because the offense has generally been one of the more productive for the last year or two.

 

[coolnerd]

The word on the agent grapevine is that Rick Smith will remain as GM and be in charge of hiring a new head coach for the Texans

http://twitter.com/LanceZierlein#

 

[Houston turmOiler]

The word on the agent grapevine is that Rick Smith will remain as GM and be in charge of hiring a new head coach for the Texans

http://twitter.com/LanceZierlein#

I'm worried we're in for another lame 5 years if we do this. Obviously I think the coaching sucks, but I don't think we evaluate talent defensively very well. Our secondary is slow as hell, the pass rush generally sucks, and our DTs are small. I'd rather get a bad-### Team President/GM type to take over the whole operation, and have him pick the coach....

 

[nickel&dime]

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but for folks that follow the Texans closely, is there any reason why they would be motivated in week 17? I've made a few bucks fading them ever since their back-to-back heartbreak losses that took the wind out of their sails. Any chance they get back on the horse and pound the Jags? I may not want to push my luck with fading the Texans...especially with a Jags team on the road.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but for folks that follow the Texans closely, is there any reason why they would be motivated in week 17? I've made a few bucks fading them ever since their back-to-back heartbreak losses that took the wind out of their sails. Any chance they get back on the horse and pound the Jags? I may not want to push my luck with fading the Texans...especially with a Jags team on the road.

The Texans and Jags are a lot alike. They're both pretenders. We look like we're fading away, so we'll probably do something stupid like have our best game of the year. The Jags had a shot to dethrone Indy and let it slip away, then let the dreadful Skins beat them in their place. I'm betting the Texans come away with this one, and I'd take the Jags if the roles were reversed and Houston had something to play for...

 

[coolnerd]

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but for folks that follow the Texans closely, is there any reason why they would be motivated in week 17? I've made a few bucks fading them ever since their back-to-back heartbreak losses that took the wind out of their sails. Any chance they get back on the horse and pound the Jags? I may not want to push my luck with fading the Texans...especially with a Jags team on the road.

This reads like a bettor's question. I have a very weak play of Jacksonville, but honestly would stay away and hope the I could find two or three better options for the week. The over might be the best play on this game, since both team have suspect secondaries.

 

[coolnerd]

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but for folks that follow the Texans closely, is there any reason why they would be motivated in week 17? I've made a few bucks fading them ever since their back-to-back heartbreak losses that took the wind out of their sails. Any chance they get back on the horse and pound the Jags? I may not want to push my luck with fading the Texans...especially with a Jags team on the road.

This reads like a bettor's question. I have a very weak play of Jacksonville, but honestly would stay away and hope the I could find two or three better options for the week. The over might be the best play on this game, since both team have suspect secondaries.

More to the rumorser Message boards via news cast Barry Warner is reporting the Rick Smith staying and Gary Kubiak leaving with the following as the leading candidatesHue Jackson Oakland OCTroy Calhoun Air Force Head Coach and former Texans OCMike Sherman Texas A & M Head Coach and Former Texans OCJust reporting this stuff don't yell at me

 

[coolnerd]

Another rumor floating around Texans message boards is that Kubiak and Smith stay with Wade Phillips as DC....again see signatiure

 

[jamil]

Another rumor floating around Texans message boards is that Kubiak and Smith stay with Wade Phillips as DC....again see signatiure

that sounds better than the above options.

 

[jsharlan]

God the media is stupid. Most of those are ridiculous suggestions. Its all just speculation to get attention. If you asked me 3 weeks ago if Kubiak would be fired, I would have said no. Few people saw this kind of collapse on the horizon though. I think McNair has little choice now. I'm just afraid he will hire someone God awful to replace him.

 

[Stewy]

What a disaster.

McNair's playing with fire here. He better not screw this up.

 

[Getinthemix]

Another rumor floating around Texans message boards is that Kubiak and Smith stay with Wade Phillips as DC....again see signatiure

Of all the rumors floating around this is by far the best. I would like Kubiak gone, but Houston really needs a top shelf DC. If they could stop anyone, they wold have a chance. Well that and the heartbreaking losses.

 

[jsharlan]

Another rumor floating around Texans message boards is that Kubiak and Smith stay with Wade Phillips as DC....again see signatiure

Of all the rumors floating around this is by far the best. I would like Kubiak gone, but Houston really needs a top shelf DC. If they could stop anyone, they wold have a chance. Well that and the heartbreaking losses.

The problem would remain that our god awful defense doesn't have the personnel for a 3-4 and would require quite an overhaul in the FA market and draft. I could see more of a Washington transition and less of the Green Bay one.