Why try?

[gtexan02]

I seriously feel like we should just go ahead and play for the #1 pick at this point. In this years draft, a #1 pick could solidify a franchise for about 10 years. A #5-10 pick would be nice, but would be like a #1 pick any other year. Its like the draft when LeBron, Mello, Wade, Bosh, etc all came out together in the NBA. If we win against Arizona, SF, and Tennessee (which Im afraid we might actually do) then we'll end up 4-12 which will net us a crappy 5th or later pick. I wish we could simply throw the rest of the season. At this point, there is absolutely nothing positive that could come from winning.

[Double Barrel]

While the goal (no. 1 pick) certainly seems tempting, I think asking your players to roll over for four games is not conducive towards a long-term winning attitude.

Teams do not operate in a vacuum, and attitudes and tendencies from one season carry over to the next. This goes for winning and losing, and to purposefully tank a season in order to draft a player (that may or may not be eligible for all we know right now) just seems counter intuitive to the mindset of professional athletes.

If we used the last four games solely for talent evaluation, I could live with that. For instance, see what Ragone really looks like against actual NFL defenses (instead of third stringers in NFL Europe). However, a lame duck coaching staff could probably care less about talent evaluation at this point.

But to gameplan to lose is a recipe for disaster next year, IMO.

Just my thoughts on the matter...feel free to agree / disagree. No prob.

[Runner]

Why try? Well, from the players' points of view the higher the draft pick theoretically the better picks we get every round and the less number of current players on the roster stay next year.

[Coach C.]

OK I guess they erased my post because I was fed up, sorry mods. This has been discussed endlessly and to ask a team that you consider to be a fan of to lose is just lunacy. The number 1 pick has less impact on this franchise than who the future coach will be.

[Hardcore Texan]

I can't do it! I can't root for our team to lose. There is certainly alot of changes coming our way no matter how the rest of the seasons goes. And one draft pick is not going to fix all of the problems.

You may get what you wish for, which is a number one pick, but I don't think the players will roll over and give up....

I wouldn't be suprised if it comes down to the very last game of the season.

[Texans Horror]

Based on how they played in the last minutes of the Rams and Ravens games, I thought they were throwing the games. You mean they're not!?

[nflnutswife]

As a parent, I would never teach my child to "give up" on anything they did or attempted to do. And I could not condone or support that attitude with my football teams. Let the balls bounce where they may, there will still be no guarantees with an honest win or loss. IMO

[Blake]

The Texans dont have to play to lose. They lose enough playing to win. The head coach plays to keep the game close, but in the end when it is close, we are the worse team, and cant beat anyone.

[DRAMA]

It is not fair to say that this has been discussed Ad-Nauseum and then throw your opinion in that it's stupid to 'not win.'

I don't think any player is trying to NOT win. I'm not asking any player to NOT win. What I would like is to see different routes, different players, different schemes, different formations, different ideas, different approaches, etc..

If we win AND we give players chances to prove themselves then GREAT, we're showing we can win with these young kids. If we don't, well at least we know more about how far along they are and AS A BONUS, we get a high pick.

So, if everyone keeps saying how OVERDISCUSSED this is and STILL throws in their opinion, then it has NOT been discussed enough.

[eriadoc]

I'm hoping we win enough to get no higher than the 3rd draft pick, personally.

[Honoring Earl 34]

The funny thing is we play teams in the same boat . What would happen if both teams tried to lose ?

[tulexan]

I think players are playing not to get hurt right now. Face it, these games are as important as preseason games.

[Number19]

Every game for the season is available on tape to every other team. Any coach or player who wants to continue his employment in football will not jepardize his future by "dogging it" or deliberately blowing a game. It would be professional suicide.

[JaguarsFan1]

"You play the game to WIN"

Herman Edwards, Head coach New York Jets




One of my favorite quotes.

Originally Posted by bigTEXan8

A true fan wouldn't want to throw the season.

I dont neccessarily want them to tank the season, but i would rather them lose at this point, and i root for them to lose...they arent playing for anything right now except pride, and just to be able to say "we won"...basically they aren't playing for anything valuable to me...you can call it how you see it...i am a real fan because I am cheering for the future of our franchise..#1 pick...and not some meaningless win in a total disaster of a season...

[Corrosion]

Whats the absolute worst thing that could happen to this team at this point ?

That they win the next four games .... Capers and Co save their jobs . As bad as it is right now a 4 game winning streak would give them another chance to pull the wool over Mr. McNair's eyes .

McNair should tell Capers and Co. to play the younger players and start Ragone ...to try to develop what talent that this team does have ... Otherwise he may find himself in this same position next season :brickwall

I'd rather that they NOT tank out the season ..... but lose just the same as I just cant stand to watch another season of Capers walking the sidelines catching flies ..

[Panther5407]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

I seriously feel like we should just go ahead and play for the #1 pick at this point. In this years draft, a #1 pick could solidify a franchise for about 10 years. A #5-10 pick would be nice, but would be like a #1 pick any other year. Its like the draft when LeBron, Mello, Wade, Bosh, etc all came out together in the NBA. If we win against Arizona, SF, and Tennessee (which Im afraid we might actually do) then we'll end up 4-12 which will net us a crappy 5th or later pick. I wish we could simply throw the rest of the season. At this point, there is absolutely nothing positive that could come from winning.

Ok, so much for me staying out of the talk for the Texans because I didn't want to get to deep into this bad season but


You try because its your job to try. People don't get paided to give up and these players need to do their job, even if they havn't done it well all season. It's a sad day when you see fans just wanting to lose. Having players who have confidnece is a important thing just like having the #1 pick. It's funny, before the game you hear so much that we want to lose and that we dont want to win, but then after we do exactally that, you hear nothing but complaining and moaning about "why cant we win". Can't have your cake and eat it too.

[profan]

You play to win, you never want your team to lose and i hope we will win the rest of our games, maybe even screw the jags out of a playoff spot. That being said, i believe Mr. Mcnair is playing for the #1 pick, that's why he has not fired any coaches. This coaching staff will get us the number #1 pick.

[Bobo]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

I seriously feel like we should just go ahead and play for the #1 pick at this point. In this years draft, a #1 pick could solidify a franchise for about 10 years. A #5-10 pick would be nice, but would be like a #1 pick any other year. Its like the draft when LeBron, Mello, Wade, Bosh, etc all came out together in the NBA. If we win against Arizona, SF, and Tennessee (which Im afraid we might actually do) then we'll end up 4-12 which will net us a crappy 5th or later pick. I wish we could simply throw the rest of the season. At this point, there is absolutely nothing positive that could come from winning.

A.) The fifth overall pick wouldn't be "crappy." You could still trade downward and get value for it. B.) The basketball analogy is a very, very poor one. In the NBA, you only start five guys. In that situation, of course, one guy can make a huge difference. But in the NFL, you start 22 players and all of them are very important. Thus, one player isn't enough to turn around a football team. A supporting cast is desperately needed. C.) To even think of "throwing the season" is stupid and unprofessional. The NFL is entertainment that people pay money to see. I am a Texans season ticketholder and I expect the team to give me their best performance possible every time I go to a game -- as does everyone else in that stadium. If the team doesn't give me their best performance, then they are cheating me and everyone else who paid to see them. That, my friend, would be considered a ripoff.