The Texans blew another winnable game today. Another loss at home, this time to a team that was 0-4 on the road this season. If you follow this team closely, you can’t honestly say this was a surprise. I don’t think I need to spend too much time on this, because it’s literally the same problems that have plagued the team all season.
First, let me get this out of the way. Yes, the intentional grounding call was bad. One of the worst of that type of calls I’ve ever seen, but it’s not why the Texans lost. Okay, moving on…
Gary Kubiak blows yet another important call
The 4th & 1 QB sneak play was a complete disaster, and 100% on Kubiak. Sure, Schaub called the play and rushed to the line to try and catch the Chargers off-guard – but as the coach you have to realize “um, my QB is about to kill us and I need to call time out.” But he didn’t.
In that situation, when you rush to the line, and don’t make any sort of calls AT the line – it’s pretty obvious to everyone in the stadium that a QB sneak is coming. I know I sound like Captain Hindsight here, but that was the wrong call, even if it had been successful. Here’s the very, very basic, simple and obvious thing that should have happened:
You call a time out. Then, you call the next two plays before the FIRST play. First play – run the ball with Arian Foster. Second play – whatever play you want to call, but do it quickly. There. Done. NFL coaching. Time out, go to the line with your first down-making play and your first down play in your pocket – continue.
Andre Johnson is not the best in the NFL if he can’t make that catch
Sorry. I hate saying it as much as you hate reading it, but it’s true. No, it wasn’t a perfect pass – but that doesn’t mean anything. Great players make that play, and while Andre certainly is a GREAT, GREAT player – the best WR in the NFL makes that catch. Johnson must already have more drops this season than he did all of last season. Of course, I still think he is the best WR in the NFL, but that was just sickening. I don’t think you can blame his ankle injury on that, but clearly he wasn’t himself if he makes that gaffe.
Arian Foster is pretty good
Foster had a heck of a workload today, didn’t he? Yep, 27 carries for 127 yards, 4 catches for 70 yards. Whew! That’s a lot of work… guess what? Still not enough Arian Foster. He was torching the Chargers in the first half, and he didn’t get the ball enough in the second. I know they want to save his legs, but Derrick Ward should never be on the field on 3rd down when the team still employs Foster, and Ward definitely shouldn’t be getting carries in the red zone. What, oh what, would this man accomplish if he were properly used? (LIKE HE WAS IN THE FIRST INDY GAME!!)
Broken record secondary may break records
Kareem Jackson is terrible. He might be good one day, but right now – he is terrible. Glover Quin isn’t terrible, but he’s average right now. He’d look a lot better with a pass rush and good safeties. Eugene Wilson is a joke out there. Don’t let the couple of plays he made last week (no, really!) fool you. He’s afraid of contact, gets turned around easily, and inexplicably looks like he is barely trying sometimes.
Bernard Pollard. *heavy sigh* Okay, you guys know I love me some Pollard. I do. I love his attitude, and I love his fire – but obviously, that doesn’t equal results on the football field. Pollard’s pass coverage – already suspect – has been an absolute disaster this year. The one thing you could always count on him for, though, was his tackling. That has also almost completely disappeared. He’s having a bad year, and it’s a contract year – so when can you expect him to perform better than this season?
Brian Cushing is way out of sorts in the middle
Cushing is having to do too much thinking in the middle. He’s at his best when he can play with reckless abandon, and just use his physicality to beat people. In the middle he has to make calls, he has to read the offense, he has to “do” too much. Now, of course – let’s not give up on this experiment yet because it’s only his second game in the NFL at the position, but if it doesn’t get better soon, the Texans need to come up with another option. I’d rather have an All-Pro at strongside LB and just a guy in the middle than what we have now, which is just a guy at all the LB spots.
It’s going to be a long week on the radio, the blogs, etc. But, we’re used to that, aren’t we? I picked the Texans to go 9-7 and miss the playoffs before the season, and right now considering the upcoming schedule, that looks VERY optimistic.
We’ll have plenty more to complain talk complain talk complain talk about all week, so why blow it all right now?
Oh, by the way – the Colts lost today. That would have been huge if… well, you know.
Nov 7, 2010 at 23:52:45
Maybe one day we will get a coach who knows what he’s doing. On the plus side, the Rockets finally won a game…
Nov 8, 2010 at 09:34:07
The only hope we have is that the Texans are comfortable in an underdog role, and being one game back as they head into a six-week tear where the media expects us to go 0-6 will definitely qualify.
That said, if this team fails to make the playoffs and Kubiak isn’t fired, there will be a LOT less people buying McNair’s overpriced hot dogs. Hell, my wife is a Cowboys fan and would be much happier if I converted, and, frankly, if our owner isn’t willing or able to realize that 9-7 is probably Kubiak’s max potential (at least at this point in his career), then I may have to side with the age-old position of “Wife happy = Man happy”.
Nov 8, 2010 at 11:39:41
@ Kyle – I’ts kind of funny that you said “If” the Texans don’t make the playoffs. Yes, It’s only 4-4, But with this defense, and this HORRIBLE Coach, This team may, May win 2 more games.
@ Jags – Loss
@ Jets – Loss
vs Tenn – Loss
@ Eagles – Loss
vs Ravens – Loss
@ Tenn – Loss
@ Broncos – Win
vs Jags – Win
I’m Torn with the Next Jags game and the Bronco’s game, They coiuld be flip flopped. But remember, the Texans got swept by a Bad Jags team last season.
Fire Kubiak Now, And begin talking to coaches now about next season, because when Wade Phillips is fired, 9 out of 10 coaches are going to prefer the Spotlight of Dallas to the No Respect Texans.
Nov 8, 2010 at 11:53:18
@B-Rad – That puts the Texans at 6-10. That’s good enough around here for a coach to return, especially with two feel-good wins to close out the season once playoff contention has been nullified. Plus, there will probably be at least one more key injury this year to use as an excuse. Kubiak has another year on his contract plus the potential for a lockout. He’ll be given another year no matter what. At the most, he’ll be forced to make a change at defensive coordinator. Fire Kubiak? Don’t hold your breath.
Nov 8, 2010 at 12:06:39
we are so F ed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nov 8, 2010 at 12:49:14
The Pack released Al Harris, do you think, if he passes a physical, he could play and give this young young young secondary some CB support?
Nov 8, 2010 at 15:23:17
Can’t do any worse. If they think Harris is healthy enough to stay on the field, I would say go for it… but he did have a particularly devastating injury.
Nov 8, 2010 at 15:37:07
Very true, on a lighter note Wade Phillips was just fired…any future with him getting here ASAP and letting Bush go?
Nov 8, 2010 at 15:42:18
They’d have to change to a 3-4 defense, which I would normally say would be insane to do in the middle of the year – but literally I can’t imagine a situation where things are any worse than they are now. Other problem is that Mario Williams’ talents are kind of wasted in the 3-4, but he hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire and I have doubts that he’s going to re-sign with us anyway.
Honestly, at this point if the questions starts with the words “Do you think we should fire Frank Bush and bring in–” that’s all I need to say YES YES YES!!!!
Nov 9, 2010 at 11:19:45
I think a piece on potential new coaches might be fun.
My top picks are Gregg Williams and Mike Zimmer. Gregg because his defensive credentials speak for themselves and because his first head coaching gig was unsuccessful, but, I believe he’s ready to correct that.
Zimmer is an angry defensive minded coach with emphasis on the secondary. How is that not EXACTLY what we need?
Its all probably a moot point because Bob McNair has proven that he will hang on too long to a coach, but I think he’s forgetting how marketable a rebuilding team is.
Just ask EVERY Cowboys fan how happy they are that Wade Phillips got fired. There is an aura about hope that precludes wins and losses.
In fact, isn’t that why we want Kubiak fired? It’s not because he doesn’t win, it’s because this team is hopeless right now. We have a version of a losing psychology called “Non-playoff psychology”. You know that GMC “never say never” commercial that says “Some teams just won’t ever win a Super Bowl”…
…we need a coach that will break the cycle like Sean Payton did for the Saints, and that isn’t Coach Kubiak.
Nov 9, 2010 at 22:19:22
First of all I would like to say that being a Houston sports fan in Southern California is a test of will, similar to the first time you get drunk and have an ugly girl want to take you home. Sure you will have some action, but what level of pride will you wake up with the next morning.
I feel that Mcnair has settled for the girl (Kubiak) who wont reject him, sure he secretly loathes her, but she is safe and predictable. Dont get me wrong, Kubiak is as wonderful a human being as there is in the NFL, but keep him as a coordinator and let someone who is ready to grab his team by the reproductive organs and force them to succeed.
I have been coaching for a long time and I have worked very hard to understand motivation. Looking at the Texans Kubiak’s players like him, but lets be honest general niceness is a social necessity and not a motivational technique. The best coaches in the NFL take every ounce of intensity from you soul and they apply it into whatever moment they desire. Kubiak lacks the aggression necessary to bring the best out of his team. Now Im not advocating a neolithic mental approach to motivation, but I am saying that you must be able to demonstrate the traits you expect from your players.
Question… of the most successful coaches in the last 20 or so years, how many were quaterbacks during their college or pro playing career?
Well there is your answer Bob, not very many!
Nov 10, 2010 at 13:32:23
gruden kubiak wade phillips switch to a 3-4. trade mario
am i completely nuts
Nov 10, 2010 at 20:11:06
Miami cut CB- Jason Allen to make room for Al Harris. Any chance the Texans go after him? NFL Network reported earlier that Kubiak is on the hot seat and if they don’t make the playoffs he could be fired. They also said that Bill Cowher would be interested in the job. Did anyone else hear this or am I just crazy?
Nov 11, 2010 at 10:46:11
@ Dr. Doom
Sorry Dude, You’re Crazy….. I’m so tired of people saying “Go Get Bill Cowher”! When and If, He decides to coach again there are going to be plenty of teams willing to give him big bucks, and a lot of those teams are going to be a lot more glamourous the the Houston Texans. There is a ZERO percent chance Bill Cowher ever coaches here.