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Wade Phillips Appreciation Thread..

Surprised this isn't up yet..

Thanks Wade for turning our defense into top 3, and #1 in your first year, and thanks for giving us our first defensive player of the year in Watt, you done some great things.. and I appreciate the good you have done.
 

JCTexan

Hall of Fame
Wade helped turn around one of the worst defenses in the NFL and he was a big part in Houston getting to their first two playoff appearances. He shouldn't be out of work long and I wish him well wherever he goes (albeit not the AFC South).
 

Vance87

All Pro
That 2011 Divisional playoff against the Ravens remains, under the circumstances, the best defensive performance by a team I have ever seen.
 

robroy72

Rookie
Classy guy, always took time for fans. We were lucky enough to bump into him when my kids were going to hold the Texas flag before the Pats game



When you think what that D was like before he took over, and then the performances the following season, its a helluva feat.
 

Showtime100

Got JJ?
All of you guys said it very well. Nice job to you all.

You too, Wade. Thanks for all your hard work, and nothing but the best in my heart for you and your family.
 

robroy72

Rookie
If he ends up back in Dallas as the DC, I might even reduce my dislike for the Cowboys to indifference!
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
Wade's defense took this team to the playoffs and made Kubiak look average which was a pretty big accomplishment in my book. It's a shame that his defense wasn't able to hold up as far as being a top unit this season, but I'm thankful for some of the strides his defense made. Good luck Wade.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Wade's defense took this team to the playoffs and made Kubiak look average which was a pretty big accomplishment in my book. It's a shame that his defense wasn't able to hold up as far as being a top unit this season, but I'm thankful for some of the strides his defense made. Good luck Wade.
Kubiak's offense looked good until the end of last year. Heck, even the special teams were solid until the past three season, or so. Most people around the NFL had a high opinion of Kubiak before Wade got here- not as a great head coach but certainly as a qualified and competent one. His inability hire a DC or oversee it was ludicrous! Painful! Usually when an offensive-minded head coach has a bad defense, it is because he focuses most of the free agent and draft on offensive talent. Kubiak did the opposite. He encouraged most of the high draft picks and expensive free agent signings to build the defense. Still, it was a disaster.

I am grateful to Wade for a magical season: 2011. It was a blast! and very refreshing after years of suffering... I have very fond memories of dominating defensive performances that year: Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Cincy playoff game... I was at all those games and enjoyed the heck out of it! Thanks for that, Wade.

Now, go figure out how to mix and disguise coverages in the secondary.
 

Brisco_County

Apples and roadmaps
I was hoping Wade would stick around. If his defense has Cushing, a huge NT, and mixed zone/man in the back, it remains a top five defense.
 

The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
Why do some not want Wade and then wish him well?
You don't have to want the guy to continue to be your DC to like him and hope the rest of his life rocks.

The first year of his defense was awesome, the second year of his defense was good, the third year of his defense... not that great. That's been a pattern with him. The knock on him here in Dallas (and in some other places he's coached) is that there's initial success but then a country-club sort of atmosphere sets in and things go to hell.

And that was borne out here.

So I don't want him as my DC or as my HC.

But I can thank him for the good times (and there were good times) and I can wish him all the best because I think he's a great guy. You don't have to hate someone to let the go.
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
Kubiak's offense looked good until the end of last year.
Only to people who wanted it to be something it wasn't and was fooled by cherry picked statistics that they tried to use from year to year to excuse the "end of the game" failures and conservative play calling from Kubiak. His stubbornness in key situations killed the team and kept them out of the playoffs the year that Kubiak allowed two players with the same name to botch like 5 games in the final minutes. His loyalty to certain players held the offense back and hurt them in the playoffs as I should have to remind you of Jacoby Jones who should have never been re-signed. His fear of throwing the ball on 3rd downs didn't scare anyone and constantly gave this team a "soft" reputation for having a lack of a killer instinct. No one ever feared the Texans offense as much as you'd like to re-write history because of your admiration for Kubes. A lot of Texans fans did, but those are the same fans that would feel that way about any coach we hire. That's the mentality of a lot of fans that force faith no matter what the situation of the team is.



Heck, even the special teams were solid until the past three season, or so. Most people around the NFL had a high opinion of Kubiak before Wade got here- not as a great head coach but certainly as a qualified and competent one.
No they really didn't. They looked at the Texas as an average team and the only fans that felt that he was anything were in Denver and the people who assumed that Kubiak was some genius the minute he was hired here.If he had any type of great scheme and ability to coach it, he would have learned to adapt it to a present NFL at some point like "real offensive great coaches" have over the years.

His inability hire a DC or oversee it was ludicrous! Painful! Usually when an offensive-minded head coach has a bad defense, it is because he focuses most of the free agent and draft on offensive talent. Kubiak did the opposite. He encouraged most of the high draft picks and expensive free agent signings to build the defense. Still, it was a disaster.

I am grateful to Wade for a magical season: 2011. It was a blast! and very refreshing after years of suffering... I have very fond memories of dominating defensive performances that year: Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Cincy playoff game... I was at all those games and enjoyed the heck out of it! Thanks for that, Wade.
That season was a blast, but I knew the Texans couldn't take the crown with Yates at the helm. I never believed Kubiak could coach a team to a SB either, but the team itself played very well that year and that was mainly the defense which was turned around over night. It was practically a miracle with what Wade did in that off season to transform that defense. It's just a shame that he couldn't sustain that level of great play or at least close to it. They had signs of it from time to time and had their moments, but it looked to be going down hill from here.

Either way, I'm very thankful of Wade and appreciate what he brought to this team at the time, and for the record I didn't want Wade anywhere near this team when he was hired. At least for one season Wade brought some magic!
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
Why do some not want Wade and then wish him well?
I want him gone, because it looks like it is going downhill as far as his defense and his scheme goes. Wade is a great DC, but historically his defenses tend to get worse the longer he coaches on different teams. He has done a pretty good job here over all. If I was NE, I would interview Wade as long as his ideas didn't conflict to much with BB's ideas which would probably be the case. But with Wade's history of first year success with defenses, he could probably really help that unit they have over there.

Just because someone doesn't want them to coach doesn't mean they don't want to wish them well though. I think Wade's a great DC, but our new HC needs to be able to bring in "his guys" so he can have the best chance to succeed at what he wants to do here.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Only to people who wanted it to be something it wasn't and was fooled by cherry picked statistics that they tried to use from year to year to excuse the "end of the game" failures and conservative play calling from Kubiak. His stubbornness in key situations killed the team and kept them out of the playoffs the year that Kubiak allowed two players with the same name to botch like 5 games in the final minutes. His loyalty to certain players held the offense back and hurt them in the playoffs as I should have to remind you of Jacoby Jones who should have never been re-signed. His fear of throwing the ball on 3rd downs didn't scare anyone and constantly gave this team a "soft" reputation for having a lack of a killer instinct. No one ever feared the Texans offense as much as you'd like to re-write history because of your admiration for Kubes. A lot of Texans fans did, but those are the same fans that would feel that way about any coach we hire. That's the mentality of a lot of fans that force faith no matter what the situation of the team is.

Look, I'm not wanting to defend Kubiak's qualities as a head coach. I am glad that he was fired and recognized for a number of years that he was limited in that capacity. I just personally liked him. I also believed there was reason for hope despite his limitations. Glad to turn the page...

However, there are not as many quality head coaches as you seem to believe. Many worse head coaches have passed in and out of the NFL the past 10 years. From an NFL-wide perspective, he certainly wouldn't be on many lists of worst head coaches the past decade... Granted, he's not make a top 10 list either. I think Wade and Kubiak are mirror images. They teach a successful system well. A system that works against the majority of the league. However, they lack the dynamic skills, even as coordinators and certainly as head coaches to be positive difference-makers when it really matters... They are slow to adjust in game and even slower to adjust month to month or year to year. They do what they do and do it pretty well. In the right situation, it can look very good for awhile. Eventually, though, it gets exposed.
 

Showtime100

Got JJ?
Asking, why you think now was the right time? Nothing wrong with that.
IMO, historically speaking it will not get better, only worse. And there's actually quite a bit of history to draw from.

That, plus I think many here are right. No adjustments before, during, or after a game or season make the Texans dull boys.
 

gary

Hall of Fame
Really, this has to be explained?
Because a new HC is coming in and you want him to be able to pick his own staff.
IMO, historically speaking it will not get better, only worse. And there's actually quite a bit of history to draw from.

That, plus I think many here are right. No adjustments before, during, or after a game or season make the Texans dull boys.
Thank you for answering JC and ST. We'll see.
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
Look, I'm not wanting to defend Kubiak's qualities as a head coach. I am glad that he was fired and recognized for a number of years that he was limited in that capacity. I just personally liked him. I also believed there was reason for hope despite his limitations. Glad to turn the page...

However, there are not as many quality head coaches as you seem to believe. Many worse head coaches have passed in and out of the NFL the past 10 years. From an NFL-wide perspective, he certainly wouldn't be on many lists of worst head coaches the past decade... Granted, he's not make a top 10 list either. I think Wade and Kubiak are mirror images. They teach a successful system well. A system that works against the majority of the league. However, they lack the dynamic skills, even as coordinators and certainly as head coaches to be positive difference-makers when it really matters... They are slow to adjust in game and even slower to adjust month to month or year to year. They do what they do and do it pretty well. In the right situation, it can look very good for awhile. Eventually, though, it gets exposed.
Well hopefully for the next few years and even past that, we won't be having the same 20 debates every season about our coaching staff Dale. I'm all aboard the O'Brien train and have a lot of confidence in this new regime. It's what I've always wanted for the Texans actually. I just hope that O'Brien can be as smart as I think he has the potential to be on game day. I love his attitude and his approach though. I'm sure that your excited simply being the optimist that you are every season, so this year we just might get to skip all of the coaching debates in the off season we usually have. I'm super excited.
 

TEXANRED

Texan-American
Here's to you Wade! If not for you we never would have had made it to the playoffs and two division titles.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Well hopefully for the next few years and even past that, we won't be having the same 20 debates every season about our coaching staff Dale. I'm all aboard the O'Brien train and have a lot of confidence in this new regime. It's what I've always wanted for the Texans actually. I just hope that O'Brien can be as smart as I think he has the potential to be on game day. I love his attitude and his approach though. I'm sure that your excited simply being the optimist that you are every season, so this year we just might get to skip all of the coaching debates in the off season we usually have. I'm super excited.
Oh, I am thrilled!

O'Brien is a stud. I think he will be a great coach... My only concern is his ability to get a good staff put together quickly. I will feel better once the staff has been rounded out. But, yeah, the days of being frustrated with the same, repeated error... and knowing we are marching into big games with only a puncher's chance to win is over! I think Rick Smith has turned into a very good GM... If I am right about that, WATCH OUT!
 

eriadoc

Texan-American
Why do some not want Wade and then wish him well?
Because the NFL is a performance based league. His defense was a big part of the 2-14 season this year. They gave up 80+ yard drives most games, were terrible in the red zone, and were bottom half of the league in allowing scoring.

But that doesn't mean we think ill of him as a man, and we also appreciate the good work he did in years prior. Then there's the Phillips name. Always wish him well.
 
Thanks for the memories Son of Bum. It was great to have the home town boys coaching the Texans while it lasted.

Best of luck in your future endeavors here or elsewhere. Much respect to you and your family.
 

bckey

All Pro
Wade would have to read this for this appreciation thread for it to have the intended effect. But anyway thanks for everything Wade. I appreciate your time here. That first season was special.
 

burro

probably drunk
I am sincerely thankful for Wade's service to the Texans, he's a class act and turned a complete disgrace of a defense into the league's best in one offseason.

But the reality is that O'Brien should get who he wants on his staff; Wade was hired because Kubiak wasn't capable of hiring a competent DC.

Best of luck Wade, thanks for everything you did here.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
Wade, don't dwell on of yesterday's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow for you..........best of luck, as long as it's not against us.
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
the titans fired munchak after rumors saying that he would have stayed

maybe they plan to take wade as HC? could it be?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000308920/article/mike-munchak-fired-by-tennessee-titans
I like Wade, but that wouldn't be a bad thing other than for Wade. He wouldn't be able to win there, and the situation would be just as bad as it became with the Cowboys for him under Jerry. On the other hand it would be good for the Texans as Wade wouldn't create that dangerous of a team in my opinion, so it would be a Titans team that the Texans probably wouldn't have to worry about.
 

SAMURAITEXAN

All Pro
Thank you Wade and good luck. Both Wade and Gary have so much tie with Houston and I was hoping they come through for us with a ring however, I guess it was never meant to be. But as a fan of the Texans, I appreciate your time and effort you put on during time with Texans. Again, thank you Wade and Gary. I will miss you both.
 

Naija Texan

Waterboy
Thanks to Wade this team at least look presentable in most of its horrible losses this past season where the offense kept trying to kill itself.

Thanks Son of Bum, you at least made 2011 and 2012 great years to be Texans fans.
 
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