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A Coach's Perspective

M

marioandrecarr

Practice Squad
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
 
good observation, but no matter how to break down the game tape and analyze the plays... we just suck as a whole
~Proteus
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
Click to expand...

What he said.
 
It's nice to see a positive post with some thought behind it. I've seen us send blitzes that just haven't gotten there, but we definitely aren't trying it often. Blitzing the run probably wouldn't hurt either to try and generate some negative plays for the other team. If we're going to get burned in the secondary anyways, might as well try and force a hurried throw or even sack the guy every now and then.

* I do want to add that I think our lack of a run game is a big problem. You mentioned that our TOP is horrible compared to the competition, and a solid running game would do wonders in that department. It would help run the clock when we had the ball, it would help keep the chains moving, and it would help our passing game open up. Combine that with keeping that piece of swiss cheese we call a defense off the field, and we'd be much more competitive IMO. I'd love to see some more blitzing, but I'm wanting to see some good runs just as badly.
 
Great to read some actual intelligent football discussion for a change.

We brought one blitz I can think of today late in the game (fourth quarter) and forced an incomplete pass. I watched a bunch of other games today and it seemed like not once did any other team ONLY bring four guys.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
Click to expand...

A lack of pressure is a 'big' problem but IMO not the only one. After the Eagles game, this issue was brought up in light of, 'what happened to our pass rush/pressure that was so good/effective during pre-season?'

Kubiak (out of the clear blue) answered this by saying he did not want to blitz. His goal was for the front four to provide the pressure. Why the change of strategy from what worked during pre-season?

So, bottom line, what has the team accomplished with this strategy--anything positive? No. QB's are making us the new 'butt' of favorite jokes. Brunell comes into this game with some of the worse stats in the NFL and-in one game-the Texans help to turn his career around and elevate him to an All-Pro,MVP/HOF performance!!

Another big problem is 'game planning!' For example, how could our coaches not see the film of the Cowboy's 6 sacks and constant pressure on Bruenner and not 'gear' our own game plan in that direction?

I'm sure it must just be me but I'm beginning to wonder about Kuniak. He has abandoned his coaching philosophies that 'sold' us on him, and is now leading the team in a different direction. And, as we saw all too often the past 4 seasons under Capers, he is using the:brickwall approach.

Coaching to a player's strength-learning from mistakes-best player plays-game plans based on that weel's opponent/in game adustments to that game plan/flexibity/whatever it takes to win, etc. Where did all these 'things' go? We know we're getting 'destroyed' by a lack of pressure--why has nothing been done about it?...a matter of:brickwall thinking? We just went through 4 yrs of a coaching regime that was stucked in its beliefs, firmly believing that-if they hit their head against that :brickwall enough-it would move...guess what!?
 
I appreciate all the positive feedback everyone.

I'm just tired of people getting upset about the team's performance blaming it on various things without justification and not trying to find the actual problem.

I get upset when I see other teams that have fans that are not intelligent and was afraid my team was slipping into the same category, but everyone adding on to what I said in my post shows me otherwise. Make me proud to be a Texans fan.

Something I forgot to mention earlier in my post was the added element of momentum.

Our offense comes out and breezes down the field on the Skins and if we get a defensive spot, we seize momentum. But that one lack of a defensive stop gives the momentum right back. Playing a defense that sits back and watches can never get momentum. A team needs to go out and seize momentum at all times.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
Click to expand...


Its very nice too see this but unfortunately, people will always blame carr and willams. Its not their fault and I believe its mostly the coaching on the half of the defense...

Heres a questions since you are a coach?

As MLB do they make every defensive call as in blitzes or zone plays? If so, do you really think DeMeco Ryans should be in the middle when Kailee Wong returns by the end of October?

Not to mention we are also missing DeMarcus Faggins..and Jason Simmons will probably replace C.C. Brown in the coming weeks.
 
Good post and pretty much spot on IMO. Can't believe we aren't blitzing at all. The one time we did and it caused a hurried incomplet pass. Sounds like a good thing to me.
 
Thanks for putting your opinion on the MB.

I think a lot of times people just want to find creative ways to kick the team when they are down because they lack intelligent football-oriented things to say about the game.

I appreciate well-reasoned posts, even if I disagree with them, that attempt to contribute to the MB community instead of attention-ho posts that try to figure out the trolliest thing to say.

Looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future, and please don't be run off by some of the uglier, less reasoned opinions you can find here.
 
I agree; we don't bring any blitz packages at all.

We may be trying to run a Denver type offense, but I don't know who we are trying to emmulate on defense!

The thing about Mario Williams is, regardless of the type of defensive package we have run, there simply hasn't been anything he has done to make me say, "Oh, THAT's why we drafted him!", much less, with the number 1 pick in the draft.
 
I would think that one of of our objectives would be to establish an identity on defense . The only thing we've done is have every QB mark his calender when they play the Texans .
 
Barkley said:
OMG

blah, blah, blah......another veiled attempt at criticizing other fans because they are disgusted with this team and hold a different opinion on how to get improvement.

Since we vent, we are automatically "not true fans" or "unintelligent"

What a joke
Click to expand...

"Blah Blah Blah" are typical "not true fans" or "unintelligent" poster traits... so far i'd put you in that catergory.
 
New_Texans-

The MLB, on most teams, relays the call from the defensive coordinator to the team. He doesn't make the blitz calls himself.

I'm sure he calls out on-field adjustments, but he doesn't just say "hey we're gonna blitz". That comes from the coaching staff. I don't know exactly how the Texans do it.

I think DeMeco is fine in the middle. They should me allowing him to attack the line of scrimmage more often, than just having him read and react especially because he's a rookie and that's where most of his struggles will come.
 
marioandcarr - I think you should apply for Richard Smith's position....... It might not be vacant right now, but I bet it will be in the near future.......
 
Barkley said:
OMG

blah, blah, blah......another veiled attempt at criticizing other fans because they are disgusted with this team and hold a different opinion on how to get improvement.

Since we vent, we are automatically "not true fans" or "unintelligent"

What a joke
Click to expand...


No. I was just giving props to someone who just came to the MB and provided thoughtful analysis to the MB community. I'd like him to stay on the MB, and write more thoughtful things about the team.

I think it is absolutely possible to provide critical analysis of the team, negative and positive (if you can find it) without just dumping turd on the MB. It is easy to mindlessly saying that someone or something sucks, it's another thing to provide the analysis of why that is the case.

Personally, I come to the MB to read thoughtful stuff about the team, good or bad. I don't come to read trolling or blather, and usually I just skim over that. If I wanted that, I would hang out here.

Some of the posts I look forward to reading the most are ones from people that often disagree with my point of view, but give more than a half ounce of thought to what they are saying.

Though, I was trying just to give someone props and encourage them to stay around, I will say for those who like to just vent, I don't think it does anything to their status as a "true fan" though depending on what they say and how they say it, it can say a lot about their intelligence or lack thereof. JMO.
 
Barkley said:
OMG

blah, blah, blah......another veiled attempt at criticizing other fans because they are disgusted with this team and hold a different opinion on how to get improvement.

Since we vent, we are automatically "not true fans" or "unintelligent"

What a joke
Click to expand...

This is just childish ... Sad!
 
Texans_Chick said:
No. I was just giving props to someone who just came to the MB and provided thoughtful analysis to the MB community. I'd like him to stay on the MB, and write more thoughtful things about the team.

I think it is absolutely possible to provide critical analysis of the team, negative and positive (if you can find it) without just dumping turd on the MB. It is easy to mindlessly saying that someone or something sucks, it's another thing to provide the analysis of why that is the case.

Personally, I come to the MB to read thoughtful stuff about the team, good or bad. I don't come to read trolling or blather, and usually I just skim over that. If I wanted that, I would hang out here.

Some of the posts I look forward to reading the most are ones from people that often disagree with my point of view, but give more than a half ounce of thought to what they are saying.

Though, I was trying just to give someone props and encourage them to stay around, I will say for those who like to just vent, I don't think it does anything to their status as a "true fan" though depending on what they say and how they say it, it can say a lot about their intelligence or lack thereof. JMO.
Click to expand...

This same 'thought' (lack of blitzing) with the Kubiak quotes attached was posted by another poster after the Eagles game. That poster also mentioned that no other team was just rushing the frt four, but he was 'blasted' by other posters claiming other wise... am I missing something here?
 
Awesome post and I fully agree and couldn't have said it better. I think our running game is healthy, but can't have a running game playing catch-up.

Blitzes from all angles to throw the offense off their game...that is how it's done. Don't let them get into a rhythm, dictate rather then be dictated to. Our D must set the tone, especially in our house.

I only hope our DC and HC sees this before its too late. I know everybody says we don't have the talent, but we have what we have and we can definitely play better than we have been playing. I know it. Again great post, nice to have some constructive criticism.
 
Barkley said:
Since we vent, we are automatically "not true fans" or "unintelligent"
Click to expand...

Not so much the venting as not bringing anything new to the table...the "we suck just because" argument.

We know you guys think
1. Mario is a bust
2. David Carr sucks
3. We should have drafted reggie Bush
3. We suck as a franchise

There's only so many ways you can say it. And at this point, it's already been said. Thousands of times.
 
blockhead83 said:
* I do want to add that I think our lack of a run game is a big problem. You mentioned that our TOP is horrible compared to the competition, and a solid running game would do wonders in that department. It would help run the clock when we had the ball, it would help keep the chains moving, and it would help our passing game open up. Combine that with keeping that piece of swiss cheese we call a defense off the field, and we'd be much more competitive IMO. I'd love to see some more blitzing, but I'm wanting to see some good runs just as badly.
Click to expand...

If were constantly losing by 14 or more points how do you expect us to run the ball ??
 
New_Texans said:
Heres a questions since you are a coach?

As MLB do they make every defensive call as in blitzes or zone plays? If so, do you really think DeMeco Ryans should be in the middle when Kailee Wong returns by the end of October?

Not to mention we are also missing DeMarcus Faggins..and Jason Simmons will probably replace C.C. Brown in the coming weeks.
Click to expand...

Here's to hoping Kailee Wong returns soon. If he can return at a level of play similar to what he played at prior to the injury he will bring leadership and more stability to the defense.

Here is my question regarding blitzing. The coach's quoted how many times they have blitzed this season - I forget the number but it is more than we would all think. If you only count a blitz as sending 6 or more - how many times have we blitzed? We seem to send 5 quite a bit (more than we would guess) but it seems to be easily picked up.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
Click to expand...


I would love for us to get pressure with just the front four however this is not happening. Late in the game yesterday I did see Dunta on a CB blitz and guess what it worked. If we cannot get pressure with four then we should rush five and if we cannot get pressure with five we should rush six and if we cannot get pressure with six we should send seven. We do not have the talent to run base packages it is sickening to watch an old immoble QB sit back and break the all time NFL record for consecutive completions without even having to move a step. Why are the coaches afraid to attack? I do not understand. Sure you will get burned occasionally but so what. If we are sending 5 to 7 players on the blitz we will not have to cover for as long. Being a Texans fan is like being trapped in "Groundhog Day"
 
Not trying to beat my own drum, but I said the same thing right after the Colts game last week....i'll have to look for the post, but basically I stated that if we employed the same defensive plan against washington that we did against indy, you'd see brunell go off....and go off he did. What is so troubling to me is that after that plan was so ineffective vs. Indy, we employed the same plan against washington. You simply can't do that in the NFL. Even an average QB can pick you to pieces if you do not have a pass rush. In defense of Mario, he is most of the time 1 of 4 players trying to get to the QB. What would happen if he was 1 of 6? Sure it puts more pressure on your dbs to cover, but it also forces the opposing qb to make quicker reads, quicer throws, doesn't allow him to check to his 2nd and 3rd options.....all of these things together make it much more likely for incomplete passes, ints, batted balls, and yes SACKS. i AGREE with the original poster, this one change in defensive philosophy could make a huge and immediate impact on the results on sundays.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
Click to expand...

WOW as soon as I read it I thought I had a twin. RIGHT ON BROTHER!
 
Dear marioandrecarr,

Thank you for the post. I feel better already and think we should send this to the coaching staff immediately if not sooner.

I'll ditto Houston Fanatic I think you should apply for Richard Smith's position or for a quick fix - think you can be a consultant?...now?
 
Barkley said:
OMG

blah, blah, blah......another veiled attempt at criticizing other fans because they are disgusted with this team and hold a different opinion on how to get improvement.

Since we vent, we are automatically "not true fans" or "unintelligent"

What a joke
Click to expand...

Looks like you hit a nerve TC.
 
marioandrecarr said:
Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.
Click to expand...

From another perspective, sometimes you can even create confusion by not by sending those that appear to be blitzing. Bringing LBs up to the line thinking that they will blitz and then dropping back is a foreign concept to the Texans, has been for along time.

Just like last year, you see our DL line up and three to five yards beyond that is the LB corp, in a perfect line, no one moving around, jumping up to the line to fake the blitz... no movement... just plain vanilla...

Has anyone ever seen Glenn Earl run up or approach the line like he might be coming?
 
I believe our defensive pressure is the problem, but you can keep turning the blame many directions, i'll explain

Pressure up front is horrible---Coaches fault because they don't gameplan right---Coaches would gameplan better if they had more faith in the personell--can't blitz Demecco or Dunta if you have to leave CC and Glenn who constantly bite to fend for themselves---lb's could help cover if we sent an all out blitz but they also bite---lb's wouldn't bite if the d-line were doing what they were supposed to do, the cycle would just continue. So imo if we had more pursuit oriented safeties it would open up a whole new world and teams would stop just planning up the middle on us.
 
NATHANHALE said:
A lack of pressure is a 'big' problem but IMO not the only one. After the Eagles game, this issue was brought up in light of, 'what happened to our pass rush/pressure that was so good/effective during pre-season?'

Kubiak (out of the clear blue) answered this by saying he did not want to blitz. His goal was for the front four to provide the pressure. Why the change of strategy from what worked during pre-season?

So, bottom line, what has the team accomplished with this strategy--anything positive? No. QB's are making us the new 'butt' of favorite jokes. Brunell comes into this game with some of the worse stats in the NFL and-in one game-the Texans help to turn his career around and elevate him to an All-Pro,MVP/HOF performance!!

Another big problem is 'game planning!' For example, how could our coaches not see the film of the Cowboy's 6 sacks and constant pressure on Bruenner and not 'gear' our own game plan in that direction?

I'm sure it must just be me but I'm beginning to wonder about Kuniak. He has abandoned his coaching philosophies that 'sold' us on him, and is now leading the team in a different direction. And, as we saw all too often the past 4 seasons under Capers, he is using the:brickwall approach.

Coaching to a player's strength-learning from mistakes-best player plays-game plans based on that weel's opponent/in game adustments to that game plan/flexibity/whatever it takes to win, etc. Where did all these 'things' go? We know we're getting 'destroyed' by a lack of pressure--why has nothing been done about it?...a matter of:brickwall thinking? We just went through 4 yrs of a coaching regime that was stucked in its beliefs, firmly believing that-if they hit their head against that :brickwall enough-it would move...guess what!?
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I have taken some heat from saying that Kubiak is taking on a Caper's look. I can give another observation in a different way. The rumor was that Sherman wanted to keep Wand and Kubiak over ruled him. Is Kubiak over ruling Smith on the defense? It really is something to think about. I too have been upset with him going away from the strength of the players. I keep saying use our running backs the way the 49ers did duing the Montana era and we will be alright. I'm sorry, but you watch Kubiak in press conferences and he turns his head away and down. In Texas holdem you would say the guy is bluffing. That's a kind word for what you are seeing.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
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Great post. Please email this to Richard Smith ASAP.
 
marioandrecarr,

Coach, just curiuos - since you've been analyzing the game tape. Did you notice we can't stop the run? Shouldn't we focus on stopping the run before we worry about how to put pressure on the QB? I'm note sure the probelm was with the pass rush on that 40 yard RUN play before half. If you missed it, rewind the tape.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I know alot of you are trying to pinpoint the Texans' problem and I applaud you for it because it shows you care about your team.

As a diehard Texans fans myself and a long-time coach, after watching the Texans through three weeks, there is one simple and obvious problem, that if solved, would allow us to be a much better team.

The problem is NOT......David Carr....Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats. The sacks haven't been his fault and today's fumbles were from the adjustment to Hodgdon and the fact he was just trying to make a fly. It's tough when you're the leader of the offense, you know the defense can't stop anyone, and the pressure is on you to score EVERY time.

The problem is NOT....the running game...the running game hasn't had time to get going. When your time of possession is doubled by your opponent, it means you're probably going to be playing from behind i.e. throwing. Reggie Bush would not be making a different right now. Domanick Davis would not be making a difference right now. Ron Dayne looked very good in limited carries.

The problem is NOT.....Mario Williams. This kid cannot save the franchise and he shouldn't be expected, especially by all of you, to do so. He also shouldn't have to deal with you (The supposed die-hard fans) calling him the next Courtney Brown, etc. ITS BEEN THREE GAMES. He is unable to make an impact because the real problem IS.....

THE RELIANCE ON THE FRONT FOUR TO PROVIDE A PASS RUSH

No team does this in the NFL any more. If you're rushing four guys against five offensive lineman, sit back in zone and allow NFL quarterbacks to pick you apart (especially smart veterans like McNabb, Manning and Brunell), YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE.

Look at the Patriots and Steelers, they rely on blitzes from various areas of the defense to CREATE CONFUSION. Just a coincidence they're always successful? I think not.

Why did no one on our team see how the Cowboys beat the Redskins by blitzing and say "hey, maybe we should do that."

Playing defense isn't about outsmarting the offense. It's about creating confusion. Confuse the opposing offense, get them out of a rhythm. Force turnovers.

Mario hasn't been able to be effective rushing the passer because the opposing offensive line knows they don't have to worry about a rush coming from another area and they can just focus on the front four. (Although despite what *****s Justice and McClain are saying, Williams has been pushing the opposing right tackles around, watch tape of the game and you'll see him drive blocking Jon Jansen into the backfield)

I hope that all of you read this, understand, and stop blaming things on Carr, Williams, etc. There is one problem, that if corrected, would turn these losses into wins.
Click to expand...

This is so annoying that it requires response on a couple of points. These aren't "reasoned assessments," these are simply assertions by marioandrecarr, yet they are treated here as brand new and super thoughtful ideas.

An example: he writes "Carr has matured under Kubiak, and although some of his TD's have come in mopup time, he simply hasn't been able to get on the field enough to pile up even more stats."

POINT 1: Carr has matured. Evidence? Carr still dances around, flinches when anticipating the rush, locks onto receivers, fumbles way more than his fair share, lacks "touch" on his throws, and is very erratic (plays ok or awful at different times in games). Not a lot of maturity there.

POINT 2: "some TDs in mopup time." Actually about 80% (or more) of his TDs have come when the game is out of hand and the TDs are meaningless. So it's not "some" TDs in mopup time, it's like the TDs are a bad joke on us. Carr ranked last week as the 2nd QB in the league? Please.

POINT 3: "hasn't been able to get on field enough to pile up stats." Another silly claim. Carr has taken every snap, I believe, and, in fact, has used that opportunity, after games were lost, precisely to build up his stats. Or the coaches have, following the old saw about building confidence, I assume.

One could respond to each of marioandrecarr's assertions with a similar analysis including evidence and find that the poster is about half right some of the time, just like everybody else.

The real root of the problem with this team is that it pussyfoots around problems now, just as it did under Capers.

Like everyone else I was impressed with Kubiak and some of the movement in the off season, but what he's put on the field is every bit as much a joke as what Capers put on the field.

And his big moves? Mario actually looks like he's at least a couple years away from being a factor. THe running game, which looked dynamic in the preseason, apparently isn't. Apparently those other teams were just fooling around in preseason. The O line. Is it any better now than last year? Yeah, maybe a tad, but it ain't night and day. The D? Well, any fool can see we got massive problems there. Who even knows where to start?

When a team performs this badly I look for someone at the head of things to be willing to take the radical steps necessary. Kubiak seems more like a slow and steady type, not unlike Capers. And so we will wait, I guess.

But it's disappointing, for sure.
 
They aren't reasoned assessments Nighthawk? Are you serious? It must be the game tapes I've watched over and over that means these aren't reasoned assessments? Get real.

And I like how you pick out the stuff about David Carr, which means you are one of the fans that either A) thinks Carr is the root of the problem or B) wished we would have drafted Vince.

I mentioned in the post that the main problem is the defensive scheme, which I think I'm very right about and many people agree. Look how the Saints approach defense. Last night they flat out attacked the best rushing attack in the league by blitzing people from different spots every snap. They do this to make up for mediocre personnel. Will Smith, Mike McKenzie and Charles Grant (maybe Josh Bullocks and Roman Harper) can play for other teams in the league.

And Nighthawk, if what I gave you in my first post was "assertions", what is it that you're contributing?

Thanks for the negativity.
 
marioandrecarr said:
I appreciate all the positive feedback everyone.

I'm just tired of people getting upset about the team's performance blaming it on various things without justification and not trying to find the actual problem.

I get upset when I see other teams that have fans that are not intelligent and was afraid my team was slipping into the same category, but everyone adding on to what I said in my post shows me otherwise. Make me proud to be a Texans fan.

Something I forgot to mention earlier in my post was the added element of momentum.

Our offense comes out and breezes down the field on the Skins and if we get a defensive spot, we seize momentum. But that one lack of a defensive stop gives the momentum right back. Playing a defense that sits back and watches can never get momentum. A team needs to go out and seize momentum at all times.
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I hate to be the one to have to disagree.... but we forced two punts in the first half Sunday.... giving our Offense an opportunity to put some points on the board, and give our defense a breather. We got a fumble, and a 3 & out.

I think we had 5 possesions....... & scored on two.

Then how long should we expect our guys to cover someone?? 2 seconds... 5 seconds.... 6??


When someone catches a ball, we have no defensive presence within 5 yards. & while no one rushes 4 guys exclusively, no one blitzes on every down, and it's definitely not the answer when we are getting beat on screens and misdirection plays.

Our defense didn't help. But imagine if Carr would have thrown the ball to the back of the endzone, allowing Walter to run under it, scoring a touchdown. We get the 2 point conversion.

On side kick....... another touchdown, another 2 point conversion........ & we tie the game. David would be a hero...... David would've won the game(if we go on to win in OT)..... unless Andre was a major part of the second touchdown drive as well.

But does anyone believe we could have drove down the field and scored again off an onside kick, when our offense has been fighting themselves all day??
 
New_Texans said:
..and Jason Simmons will probably replace C.C. Brown in the coming weeks.
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I'm a little thick headed...... so if someone can please explain to me what CC Brown did that would warrant being replaced??

Please be specific...... particular blown plays.....

I don't think he's been the weakest link on D by far.
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
If were constantly losing by 14 or more points how do you expect us to run the ball ??
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We were tied at 7 at the time of our second possession. What Happened??

our third possesion.... it was 14-7..... what did we do??

our 4th possesion.... it was 14-7........ what did we do??

we were still running the ball in the 3rd Qtr..... and running it well when we were down 21-7......... but we failed to score again......

I understand what you're saying. When you have to play catch up, you can't afford to run the ball. I get that. But it isn't solely the fault of the defense that we were ever down by 14 points. Not even close.

If we think we are going to win games by scoring 15 points (with a two point conversion) then we are all in for a long long season.
 
Great post Marioandrecarr. I totally agree with most of what you said. Last night we saw the Saints CB's playing tight on the L.O.S. and jam the receivers allowing them to dirupt the routes and not let them get away so easily. It is common practice that if you see a big cussion you sling it out to that receiver without taking any drops. We see QB's do it all the time and we give opposing receivers that huge cussion on the majority of plays. How can we possibibly apply any pressure when our CB is giving them an easy option. You look at the line and we don't blitz instead of running our LB's or god forbid safeties in there we try to do all our stunts with solely our front four. I look at our defense and think we did well in the pre-season. How come our scheme looks nothing like it did in the pre-season. It's just unacceptable the basic mistakes that our coaching staff is making on the defensive side of the ball. What is really disheartning is that our D-coordinator goes and locks himself in the film room after the game. HOW DOES HE NOT SEE WHAT HE'S DOING WRONG??!!! I mean what exactly is he looking at. Instead of seeing that the lack of aggressiveness is killing us he looses faith in what he sees and becomes less aggressive still. He needs to get his **** together, there really is no other option!
 
ojthecat said:
..... it is sickening to watch an old immoble QB sit back and break the all time NFL record for consecutive completions without even having to move a step.
..........if we are sending 5 to 7 players on the blitz we will not have to cover for as long.
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Do you think that having no one covering any reciever coming out of the backfield at any time during the game had anything to do with that record??

& how long is to long??
 
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