The value of a winning attitude

[gtexan02]

After the first two games of the regular season, the Houston Texans looked like the NFL team this city has been craving. A tough as nails defense that hit hard, a no fear quarterback who made plays, and a gunslinger coach who played aggressively.

Then Indianapolis came to town. The game was billed as the biggest in franchise history. The team and the city felt invincible. The Texans were down multiple key starters and the game got away from the early. Schaub was able to rally the team and bring them within 6, but it was too little too late. And so began the steps backwards.

Since the Indianapolis game, I have noticed a distinct regression in multiple aspects of our team. Our pass defense has lost its confidence. Our run defense has gotten shaky. Our running game looks lost. Our pass rush looks like its old self.

During the first two games, a 3rd and long meant excitement. Williams off the edge, Okoye up the middle, and maybe TJ making a leaping INT! Now 3rd and long breeds anxiety. Questions like, "Why is Faggins 15 yards off the LOS?" or "Why can't we generate a pass rush?" start to pop up.

On offense, 1st and goal was a reason to be excited. Will we score on a run up the gut, a fade into the corner, or let Schaub run it in himself on a naked bootleg? Now 1st and goal, even from inside the 5, breeds anxiety as well. "How many tries will Dayne get this time?"

So what has changed? Why did our team look so great in the beginning and seem to fall so fast?

For one, injuries have played something of a role. Losing Green really hurt us. But Dayne has shown in the past he isn't as bad as he looks, Wynn has been a great replacement on special teams, and Andre Davis has played superbly as a replacement for Andre Johnson.

I really think the difference in the last two games has been confidence. We've played some very questionable teams over the past two weeks. Coming into the games, neither had a single victory. The Texans know what losing can do. We've lost more than we've won every year we've been in the league. It creates a panic. The players have alluded that this has been a major problem in the past. Just read any comment by any player about David Carr, and you'll know exactly what I mean. Schaub's presence has helped hold this team together, but nothing fixes the problem like winning.

I think the moral of the story so far is to be patient. This team has the talent, and we've seen it. The Texans do have a pass rush. They can run the ball. They have a good coach.

They also have leaders. DeMeco and Dunta are smart and tough. Schaub is a general.

This team is learning to win, and every victory, even like yesterdays, helps.
They know they can pull it out in crunch time, make those key stops on 3rd down, and drive from the 5 yard line with 2 minutes to go. These are the kind of things that build winners. And no matter how talented your team is, I do not believe there is any substitute for a winners attitude.

[gtexan02]

I wish I still believed what I had written all those weeks ago. How do you change a losing team into a winning team?

Talent alone can't do it. Its in the attitude.

[Texans Horror]

They are desperate for that bye week to regroup. I think once they have Matt, AJ, and Green back consistently in the lineup, they'll be a much better team. The San Diego game was a trap game anyway. I knew the fires would either distract the team or galvanize them. Clearly, it galvanized them, and distracted us. Or something like that.

[cuppacoffee]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

I wish I still believed what I had written all those weeks ago. How do you change a losing team into a winning team?

Talent alone can't do it. Its in the attitude.

I think many of us don't have the belief in this years edition of the Texans that we had starting the season.

I am extremely disappointed that our qb took such a shot to the head yesterday and not one of his teammates even looked angry about it.

I was looking and hoping for some sort of retaliation, penalty be damned.

Nothing!

Kubes should have put a bounty on their qb. And promised an extra day off of practice for whoever collected. McNair could pay the fine, under the table of course.

I don't even pretend to know if it is just lack of talent or poor coaching anymore. (But I do have an opinion)

Most of the faces on this team have changed , players and coaches, but the sorry product on the field remains the same.

I quit watching at halftime, it was obvious this team has no attitude.

Go back a couple of weeks on this board and see how much flak TJ caught from his fans (?) .. for his attitude.

I praised him then and I do it now.

I can only wait and wonder who will be the new scapegoat for this losing season.

Note to Schaub: Toughen up buddy, the season isn't half over yet.

[GlassHalfFull]

This email was just sent by the Head Coach of my son's HS team. We are facing a tough rival this week. Maybe Kubiak can borrow his fire.

A message from your head coach:

My friends and athletes, the phrase "great opportunity" is often over-used. However, for this one occasion, the calling card of a great opportunity has indeed been delivered to our XXXX High School Football Team.

YYYY07 version is simply put, an excellent collection of athletes. They have speed, and play with toughness and tenacity unlike what we have seen this year. If anything, you could call this game the one you as a player have been waiting for - maybe the one you have been waiting for all your life.

As a middle-aged old guy with a family, a home, and two great kids, I rejoice in my blessings. However, at one of those times when I need a boost or a shot - an ephemeral lift, I look always to my participation as a member of a past team.....a team... in a game...a contest.

I don't think of the moment I got a scholarship to play ball. I don't think of graduation. In fact, scholarships and graduation are on my top ten list of the least-inspiring moments of my sports life. When I want to be inspired, I think of something my team accomplished with me as a member.

All year I've tried to teach you that you are one team with one goal. We never really talked about the goal - on purpose. The goal was multifaceted and multidimensional. Sure, the playoffs were part of the goal. But the goal was higher than even that. Our team's one goal was to become a team. And evolve into a team who can accept that their destiny is one of great achievement. We just don't quite know yet what the achievement is.

Before you now is the most talented football team in Houston. The most talented team in the city with the most talent in all of high school football. Since an early season loss to ZZZZ, they have moved on to destroy practically every team who has faced them. Their defensive line is an up-the-field attaching front. Their linebackers are downhill guys who are not afraid of contact. Their front is supported by a group of Division 1 recruits. Offensively, they use a plain scheme that is thinly disguised because it is loaded with major skill people who many feel are unstoppable. They have nothing to hide and will allow you to determine if you are man enough to challenge their running backs in the hole. You have two choices while on defense, sit back and try to react or attack and play completely recklessly with your body and soul.

I may be quoted in the media this week that I would take a 1 and 9 season and be fired - if the 1 is YYYY and I am fired immediately after the game. I told him to print it so that Satan himself would contact me this week with his counter offer.Nothing will be acceptable other than the outcome of a XXXX victory,

Interestingly enough, when i was in college we faced our most hated rivals, Louisiana Tech. We were having a disappointing season that had shown early promise with our strong defense but as of the last two games our defense had been struggling. Yet, we knew it was temporary and we knew our defensive coordinator would have Tech's strategy taken apart by the first day of practice.

We had lots of "me" distractions as all somewhat disappointing seasons tend to develop that type of morale issue but we pledged to put everything to the side to focus on Louisiana Tech. All enemies on the team became friends and all the party guys shut it down for the week. We had in fact all embraced our own deal with the devil - it was so important to us that every other issue beside the game became inconsequential.

Game day arrived and it didn't take long for things to get dicey. In about 5 plays after the opening kickoff, Louisiana Tech took the opening drive down to our 6-inch line for first and goal. We couldn't slow them down. We all were thinking that maybe it was all going to be for nothing. Our defense hadn't regrouped after all; there was still something wrong. And we looked like we were going to be blown out of the stadium.

The next snap, our 1 technique maddog blew through and the ball popped up of the QB's hands, The QB was named Keith Thibodeaux, an All-Southland Conference QB. We recovered on our two and..... all of sudden the earth stopped turning. The sellout crowd, the first in our school's history roared and the defensive unit was seemingly carried off the field by some force beyond our own power...like we were lifted up by a 90mph wind or something.

Which brings me to the point, Why was there a sellout home crowd to see us play Louisiana Tech? Sure, we were okay that year. We were in every game but couldn't quite make that big jump in most games. Why were they there?

The answer is simple. They believed. They believed. They believed.

Louisiana Tech had not lost a game to us in over 17 years. Louisiana Tech was the conference co-champion that year. Their offense was in the top ten in the nation. Louisiana Tech was a 5-touchdown favorite in our game. Yet, they still believed.

And never had I been more convinced in my life that we would win. Before that kickoff, I knew we would win. They were stronger, They were faster and they were considered unbeatable. And I KNEW we would win.

I can't tell you how to find that. I can only tell you that the feeling does live and it can be caught by each and everyone of you if you open your heart to the total commitment of one team - one goal.

A lot of great things happened in my life. I adopted two children. The difficulty and near impossibility of adopting two newborn babies is something that can't even begin to be expressed properly in words. But I did it.

I beat cancer. Pretty important because I wouldn't be here with you today. I did it.

I beat about 17 different failures who told me that they didn't want me coaching for them. Now, I hold the most prestigious high school coaching job in the entire United States - a Texas 5A head coaching position. I beat them.

As a writer - without an English or journalism degree - I have authored over 18 books and 2 magazine articles. All without a single rejected manuscript! How big is that? J.K.Rowling was rejected over a dozen times for her first Harry Potter book! I beat J.K. Rowling, the richest author in the world.

I won a state championship in high school. I beat the adoption odds - twice. I beat cancer. I beat 17 leaders of 17 schools who said I would never amount to anything in education. And I have a perfect submission record in writing.- totally unheard of in any genre.

And NONE of that compares to MY TEAM beating Louisiana Tech on Nov 18, 1978. MY INDIANS, MY DEFENSE, accomplished our 4th shutout of the season against a team that was favored by 5 touchdowns. Nothing my friends will ever equal that feeling.

My players, parents, friends, I am hear now to tell you.

Nothing will ever equal that feeling Saturday when XXXX beats YYYY at ZZZZ Stadium. Bring a camera. Remember where you are and look up to the sky because at the moment of the final gun, the world will stop spinning for just a moment.....a moment you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

BELIEVE! WE CAN; WE WILL.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Texans Horror

They are desperate for that bye week to regroup. I think once they have Matt, AJ, and Green back consistently in the lineup, they'll be a much better team. The San Diego game was a trap game anyway. I knew the fires would either distract the team or galvanize them. Clearly, it galvanized them, and distracted us. Or something like that.

You can't make an excuse that the Texans defense was tired this game. They looked horrible and confused from the second SD offensive series.

It wasn't just that the defense was a step slow like it was just a talent thing. They just out and out gooned, and the only hope for this defense is keeping them off the field.

Richard Smith is a clown. Jon Hoke is not much better. Read both of their bios on the HT.com website. The bios would be hilarious except these are the guys who are coaching this Texans team.

I have some hope for the offense because I've seen glimpses. I have no hope for the Texans defense with the defensive coaching. Why should I? He has no track record of success, and both the pass and the run defense is near the bottom of the league. When there are good plays on defense, usually it looks more like individual effort and not wow, what an amazing scheme.

[gjmac2]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

Richard Smith is a clown. Jon Hoke is not much better. Read both of their bios on the HT.com website. The bios would be hilarious except these are the guys who are coaching this Texans team.

Not that I disagree, TC, but WOW, I did not know you had that kind of venom. Usually, you pull your punches, don't you?

BTW, I totally agree.

[cuppacoffee]

Originally Posted by gjmac2

Not that I disagree, TC, but WOW, I did not know you had that kind of venom. Usually, you pull your punches, don't you?

BTW, I totally agree.

Looks like TC has more fire than the majority of the players on our football team.

Just "telling it like it is".