Justice article 10-16-06

[OzzO]

There are a few times he's been ragged on at the MB, I think this is one time he summed it up pretty decent.

One part that really stood out:

One thing Kubiak ought to change is his approach. Lighten up, Gary. Acknowledge that you're going to be the underdog virtually every week and that you're going to have to take some chances.

Before Jimmy Johnson constructed a Super Bowl winner, he instilled a reckless, nothing-to-lose attitude in his Cowboys. He told his players he was going to take some chances, be aggressive, let the other team feel the pressure.

Kubiak's first mistake Sunday came on his team's opening possession. The Texans had three cracks from the Dallas 1-yard line. Ron Dayne gained nothing on second down. David Carr threw the ball away on third down.

On fourth down, Kubiak settled for Kris Brown's 19-yard field goal. Bad move. Kubiak should have gone for it. He should have shown his players he believed in them.

He should have come up with something, a reverse or a rollout or a trick play. He should have remembered how infrequently his team gets to the 1-yard line. Instead, he played it safe. He can't win by playing it safe.

Kubiak's challenge now is to hold things together. Forget the idea of teaching his players how to win. His challenge now is to keep them from quitting.

The rest of the season - "juevos" out. Drop the resemblence of Capers-ball, open up any remaining pages of the playbook and damn the torpedoes.

... or something like that.

chronic article

[Vinny]

They were dogging this decison on the morning Dallas radio feed I was listening too as well.

[Runner]

I think the message board was split down the middle on going for it with two minutes to go in the Miami game. Some thought it was too conservative, some thought it was the right thing to do. Many said it was the right thing to do because we won. Well, we lost this one and didn't go for it. We would have lost anyway, but at least we would have tried.

I think we should have more aggression too. What's the worst that can happen, we get blown out? That is happening anyway, and we are teaching our players to be quitters. IMO.

[Blake]

I think they just want to *****. Flame him for not going for it on 4th down.

But what if he didnt make it on fourth down? They would flame him for not taking the points, and for taking the wind out of the teams sail.

This is a dumb argument.

[jerek]

Actually in this case I thought it was the right call. Get the points, and kick the ball off. Ron Dayne can't even get a good push and the Cowboys were clearly watching for the PA/rollout that has been so successful for us in goalline in games past.

I was pretty encouraged by 6-3 at half. Then we left our defense in the lockerroom, Dallas made defensive adjustments, and Ron Dayne still sucked.

[noxiousdog]

Should have gone for it. Nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[Lucky]

Raise your hand if you think the Texans had a play that would've scored on 4th down?

Bueller? Bueller?

That's what I thought. Kubiak made the right call. That he didn't have a play that would get into the endzone is what he should be criticized for.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Raise your hand if you think the Texans had a play that would've scored on 4th down?

Bueller? Bueller?

That's what I thought. Kubiak made the right call. That he didn't have a play that would get into the endzone is what he should be criticized for.

And given what the defense had shown so far, it was a possibility that this was going to be a tight game where every field goal mattered.

Then turnover, turnover, turnover, turn out the lights....

[ledzeppelin229]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Raise your hand if you think the Texans had a play that would've scored on 4th down?

Bueller? Bueller?

That's what I thought. Kubiak made the right call. That he didn't have a play that would get into the endzone is what he should be criticized for.

I can understand not having a (somewhat new) play that our largely inept offense could execute into the endzone. Maybe some sort of dinky dunk pass to a TE would have accomplished it....but it's just sad that we can be on the one yard lane and dumptruck Dayne can't get it into gear enough to get across the line.

[TheOgre]

The defense was on the field the entire 3rd quarter. How do we expect them to play under those circumstances?

[El Tejano]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

And given what the defense had shown so far, it was a possibility that this was going to be a tight game where every field goal mattered.

Then turnover, turnover, turnover, turn out the lights....

TC, I didn't mean to quote you. For some reason I keep hitting the quote button.

Anyhow, when you are on the road, you take the points. Especially since Dayne didn't do anything, Dallas was just going to come after Carr. It was good enough until we threw the ball away in the second half.

[joetexan]

No guts, no glory...

So many of you will defend any decision the Texans make, no matter what happens. Ever. They could trade for Albert Haynesworth today and you people would be talking about how the rest of the league has misjudged the guy and how Kubiak is a genius for bringing him aboard. Any critics would be roundly bashed. They could trade David Carr for a 2012 seventh round pick and you guys would go nuts about how the team is building for the future. Any critics would be chastised. Geez...get off the battle red koolaid, will ya?

Kubiak played without any guts on that call. Justice is right - how many times do the Texans get to the 1 yard line? If you have any faith in your guys and your beloved system, then go for it. What the hell do they have to lose at this point? They certainly aren't playing like winners. This is a losing team, top to bottom. And it's okay to be critical of that - you're not "not a fan" or a "bandwagoner" or a "fairweather fan" if you criticize what should be openly criticized.

The fact is, this team flat out stinks, the coaching is too conservative, and if Oakland would have won last night, the Texans would be first in line for the 2007 No. 1 pick.

(Edit to add - The 2001-02 Patriots would have lost the Super Bowl to the Rams if they had the "just take the points" mentality. Instead of kneeling to go to OT with the heavily favored Rams, the Pats went against the grain and drove down the field for the win. Why not? The rest is history. Maybe that's why the Pats are the Pats, and the Texans are the Texans...)

[tsip]

I'm more concerned with what Kubiak did on 1st and 2nd down, running Dayne up the 'gut.' Didn't Carr score a TD against Miami on a roll out (boot leg). Like Capers did with the plays that worked, probably won't see Carr's TD play again..

[Double Barrel]

When your team is "fragile" - yeah, a word you really want associated with your football team - then blowing a play like this might set them back for another decade. Kubiak made the right call based upon his perception of our team's "fragile" state of mind.

Unfortunately, this team seems to be Dorothy's companions all rolled into one: no heart, no courage, and no brains.

[disaacks3]

Kicking the FG on 4th, I don't have any issue with...It's those first two "up-the-gut" w/ Dayne attempts which were worse IMO. Take your "risky" shot on 1st, NOT 3rd down. By 4th down, you take the lead & the points on the road.

It's obvious that Kubes has little faith in his team's offensive capabilities at this point. (Who can blame him?) This decision was nothing more than a carryover from the decision to SIT on the ball at the end of the 1st half against Miami.

[run-david-run]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

And given what the defense had shown so far, it was a possibility that this was going to be a tight game where every field goal mattered.

Then turnover, turnover, turnover, turn out the lights....

That was the first drive of the game, the only thing the defense had shown was warm-ups. I thought we shouldhave gone for it, but the 3rd down play was doomed for failure. He faked to the right and rolled to the right, straight into the defenders. I have no idea why they would think that would work because if the D just reacted to Dayne they would have run into Carr, which is what happened. I thought we should have tried a pass earlier, fade to AJ anybody?

Its also kinda funny that you pass your way down to the 3 and then try to run it in three times in a row and fail...good times

[tsip]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

When your team is "fragile" - yeah, a word you really want associated with your football team - then blowing a play like this might set them back for another decade. Kubiak made the right call based upon his perception of our team's "fragile" state of mind.

Unfortunately, this team seems to be Dorothy's companions all rolled into one: no heart, no courage, and no brains.

...where else can you make so much money/get great benefits and not do your job because your 'personna' is fragile--course, I wouldn't tell this to Cohwer or Parcells or Bellechick==Kubiak?OK:brickwall

[Second Honeymoon]

You have to go for it on 4th down in that situation. Best case scenario, Touchdown and some momentum. Worse case, you get stopped and Dallas has the ball at the 1yard line with Bledsoe the statue taking snaps in his own endzone. Dallas is forced to be conservative and you have a chance for a big play in their end of the field (fumble, safety/sack).

That was a small victory for Dallas' defense to stop us after the methodical penalty-supplemented opening drive. Kubiak needs to know he needs to play like Belichik in NE or even Parcells. Parcells goes for it and shows his team that he believes in them and will put the game on their shoulders. His lack of nad was disturbing.

doug ftw

[Kaiser Toro]

Very debatable and see both sides of the issue on whether you go for it or not. This team needs to grow up and get an identity. If your identity is to play conservative you better have a strong defense, a running attack and a QB who makes no mistakes. We have one of those variables at times.

How can he measure any player or unit on this team if he does not know how they will react when in a pressure situation? If he waits for this maturation of grown professional men then we may not see a winning season until the next staff comes in. True coaching must have a result in order to have a platform for feedback and future actions. I do not see any game coaching, from a development standpoint, going on at the moment.

[ATXFan]

Originally Posted by Super Mario

But what if he didnt make it on fourth down?

Dallas wouldve had the ball on the one yard line. If that wouldve been the case and the Cowboys wouldve scored then the Texans had no reason being in the game. They werent in the game after the half anyway. They shouldve atleast gone out fearless as opposed to heartless.

The game was over as soon as the Texans settled for the field goal.