3rd and 1/2 a yard.

[disaacks3]

Originally Posted by Vinny

I just wonder why Kubiak didn't take the gimmie fg and make this a one score game. We had the ball a couple of times after that but it was hopeless at that point since we still needed two scores. Perhaps Brown had dead legs and he was saving Kris for da bearz.

By not even TRYING to run on 3rd OR 4th, the team was doomed to fail. If you can't convert 1/2 a yard on two attempts against the Raiders "D", then your guys can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

[ATX]

If they had run it twice in a row and got stuffed both times I could have lived with that alot easier than throwing 2 passes in the middle of the field into double and triple coverage. What gets me is on the 3rd down, they sent Slaton out of the backfield into motion letting the Raiders know we weren't going to run it. Our only options at that point were a QB sneak or a pass when we could have made the Raiders atleast defend against a possible run if Slaton were in the backfield.

[Joe Texan]

Gary Kubiak has a real problem with running the football when we need to run the football, need I mention the colts game when we passed er fumbled our way to a loss. Not only did we lose it the first time the very next play from the offence was the exact same play jut to fumble it again.

Kubiak is on the Bubble and he should be, his record is terrible and his play calling and time keeping need to be relearned. Come on Gary turn the stinking page over and use some plays on the back PLEEEEEEASE.

[Porky]

Originally Posted by Joe Texan

Gary Kubiak has a real problem with running the football when we need to run the football, need I mention the colts game when we passed er fumbled our way to a loss. Not only did we lose it the first time the very next play from the offence was the exact same play jut to fumble it again.

Kubiak is on the Bubble and he should be, his record is terrible and his play calling and time keeping need to be relearned. Come on Gary turn the stinking page over and use some plays on the back PLEEEEEEASE.

That's one of your best posts Joe. I agree.

Motioning Slaton out of the backfield was dumb imo, as then the Raiders know it's either a sneak or a pass. It didn't catch them offguard at all.

I probably would have kicked at that point, but I was wavering. But, for the love of God if you are going to go for it in that situation take the high percentage play - either a sneak or a give to Slaton. Those have a much higher chance of success than some throw into the end zone in shuch short space.

Personally, I would have given to Slaton on 3rd and either kicked, or done it again on 4th. I mean if your line can't create a 1/2 yard in two plays you don't deserve to win anyway. Instead, Kubes pulled the rug out from his players to even try it. What kind of message does that send?

[HOU-TEX]

Leach had the best chance of anyone to get in the endzone. I love what Slaton brings to the team, but a short yard/goal line back he is not.

Brandon Jacobs is the definition of the type of back needed. His overtime TD was impressive. HE actually moved the pile into the endzone without having to rely on his Olinemen to push him in.

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by Vinny

I just wonder why Kubiak didn't take the gimmie fg and make this a one score game. We had the ball a couple of times after that but it was hopeless at that point since we still needed two scores. Perhaps Brown had dead legs and he was saving Kris for da bearz.

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

I was wondering the same thing. Kubiak seems to think too much instead of just taking the points and living for the next drive. He did the same thing in the first game against the Titans. It could have been a one score game by the end of that one, too. But Kubiak seems to call plays based upon potential impact instead of looking at percentages.

Meet the new Texans. Same as the old Texans. We got fooled again.

a good friend told me at a previous game that he wished that Kubiak would stop trying to be the smartest guy in the room. I think it fits here too.

[HoustonFrog]

I'm late to the party but I always like a play action play here and there so I actually could see the throw on 3rd down when they are expecting run. But that is knowing that you have two downs to get an inch. After that play fails you get the inch with a Sneak or Leach dive and get 4 more downs. Plain and simple. 3ed down was your shot. 4th down they played soft at the line and you should just take the downs.

If you want my Kubes perspective it was ANOTHER game with him apologizing afterward. That is about 6 or more this year...that is 4-5 too many.

[Texan_Bill]

Re: 3rd and 1/2 a yard.

Why would you kick the field goal on 3rd down?


Seriously though, I didn't have a problem with the 3rd down call as much as I did the 4th down play. First, the pass play and second, only sending two receivers out... Brainfart on Kubiak.

I would also like to say that the players should be held accountable for having allowed themselves to be in a hole - where it came down to needing two scores late in the 4th..

[GP]

This was one of those "Kubiak sticks his head in the sand" games.

I felt like Schaub was fighting against a strong current that he wasn't going to be able to swim against. The playcalling was in stark contrast to the past two games.

Andre Johnson knows that if he is involved early, good things happen for the whole offense: Walter gets the ball, OD gets the ball, Slaton runs easier. In the past two games, the ball was fed to AJ early and often. In this game, we ran AJ down the field, they covered him perfectly. Why not jack it out to him on a quick slant, or a bubble screen, or any other combination of quick pass plays? Kubiak continued to run Schaub back on 7-step dropbacks, AJ deep down the field (being covered well) and the OL looked awful getting Schaub hurried and touched too much.

Schaub was not set up for success by the coaches.

Kubiak has a problem of getting too CUTE. The things that worked in the past four games? Apparently thrown out, with Kubiak taking a stroll into the deep forest in search of new, exciting things that he wanted to try...just to see if it would work. Because, after all, we did those other things well...let's see if we can do something else.

Kubiak, Kubiak, Kubiak. Like the old country saying goes: Just dance with the one who brung ya'. AJ makes everything better. This game is like the first Titans game where we didn't get it to AJ early enough, and then tried to force-feed it to him at the end of the game.

Hopefully we can go back to what got us the four-game win streak. Hopefully we can get a win at home next Sunday and pull off 8-8. OL and RB need help in rounds 1 and 2. Defense for the rest of the draft. Grab our token QB in round 6 or 7. Cut him when regular season begins. LOL.

[281]

look, it's this simple:

if it's 3rd/4th and inches and you're in the opposing team's territory, you do a QB sneak. period. no ifs, ands, or buts about it. if your offensive line can't achieve any forward progress in that situation, you probably don't have any business winning the game anyway.

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by 281

look, it's this simple:

if it's 3rd/4th and inches and you're in the opposing team's territory, you do a QB sneak. period. no ifs, ands, or buts about it. if your offensive line can't achieve any forward progress in that situation, you probably don't have any business winning the game anyway.

Hard to sneak behind Myers...dude is just can't hold his ground in short yardage. I was joking in a previous game that I'd rather us find a good short yardage center than a short yardage back...but I'm not real sure that is much of a joke anymore.

[FILO_girl]

Originally Posted by IlliniJen

I am there, Lucky. I have come to a state of acceptance of my disdain for Kubes, Smith, et al. I love my Texans and I have an almost unreasonable and inexplicable belief that Schaub is still our QB of the future, but I'm sick of the coaches. I want proven winners now, not coordinators who are making a move up the food chain. Experiment is now over.

Back the Brinks truck up and make a play for Cowher. Promise him 40 virgins and a city named after him. Shower him with whatever he wants. How could he possibly view Cleveland as a better job given the players on each team over the Texans, if Cleveland is truly the job he's eyeing?

Why does everyone want the Spitter? I admit he is good, several coaches are good...why does everyone mention him?

[SouthSideTexan]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

Brandon Jacobs is the definition of the type of back needed. His overtime TD was impressive. HE actually moved the pile into the endzone without having to rely on his Olinemen to push him in.

I agree with you 100%. We need a bruiser running back that we can rely on to plow over the opponent and make a first down when we need it. Hmmmmmm....maybe we can trade our first round picks to the Giants for the next couple of years for Jacobs......Ditka did it. It turned out good for the Saints......right.....huhhhhh. (Just Kidding)

[Hooston Texan]

Originally Posted by maddogmrb

I kinda agree with you. Everyone has been calling for a bruiser back all year and today in the 15th game of the season Vonta Leach gets his FIRST carry of the year! Yeah, that's utilizing your talent ..... ???

On the 2 short yardage plays, we/I always criticize Kubes for how conservative the offense gets in the red zone and so I can't be too critical of those calls. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SCHAUB FAILED TO EXECUTE THE 4TH AND INCHES BY THROWING INTO TRIPLE COVERAGE.

Q: Why did Schaub throw into triple coverage?
A: Because the only other receiver the Texans had on the route was quadruple-covered.

Kubes was guessing run blitz, so he called a max-protect play with two receivers in the route. Idiotic and cowardly call. When you need a foot, your offense should be able to get it regardless of what the defense calls. Instead, Kubes makes a call that leaves him helpless if the opposing coordinator makes the right call. By dropping into coverage, the Raiders hit the bulls-eye. Game over.

[281]

Originally Posted by Vinny

Hard to sneak behind Myers...dude is just can't hold his ground in short yardage. I was joking in a previous game that I'd rather us find a good short yardage center than a short yardage back...but I'm not real sure that is much of a joke anymore.

this is very true... but i think we've actually had a pretty good conversion rate running the QB sneak in inches situations this season. i could be mistaken though.

[IlliniJen]

Originally Posted by FILO_girl

Why does everyone want the Spitter? I admit he is good, several coaches are good...why does everyone mention him?

One word: cajones. That dude brings a football attitude, plain and simple, and if there's one thing sorely and blatantly lacking on the Texans, it's a football attitude of stomping a mudhole in their opponent's ass and walking it dry. We seem like a "finesse" team without the finesse and with even less personality than what most droll finesse teams have.

A hard-nosed, smashmouth coach often has a trickle down effect on his players. They'll go out there and blow people up and play tough and lay a hit on someone who tries to hurt their quarterback. Right now I see a couple players taking pride in how they play the game, but there's not a team attitude of toughness.

I wish every freakin' Texan had Slaton's attitude and guts. He fights. He doesn't go down. That makes a statement. A tough coach can actually coach that into his players. We don't have any tough coaches. Kubiak is a guy who thinks he can just bring his brains to the table (and what a huge paper lion his brain is turning out to be) and leave the guts at home.

I could take a 8-8 team much better if they were selling out each game and opposing teams knew they were coming in to face a war against the Texans. Does anyone really fear taking a hit from anyone on our team? Feh.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Vinny

Hard to sneak behind Myers...dude is just can't hold his ground in short yardage. I was joking in a previous game that I'd rather us find a good short yardage center than a short yardage back...but I'm not real sure that is much of a joke anymore.

I'm sure you were already aware of this, but Schaub ran a sneak on a 4th and 1 earlier in the game and gained 2 yards directly behind Meyers. However, I do agree with your overall assessment of him.

1-10-HOU 29 (10:17) 8-M.Schaub scrambles left end to HOU 37 for 8 yards (55-J.Alston).
2-2-HOU 37 (9:34) 20-S.Slaton up the middle to HOU 37 for no gain (28-Gi.Wilson, 98-J.Richardson).
3-2-HOU 37 (8:54) 20-S.Slaton up the middle to HOU 38 for 1 yard (28-Gi.Wilson).
4-1-HOU 38 (8:23) 8-M.Schaub up the middle to HOU 40 for 2 yards (Team).

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playby...008&week=REG16

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by FILO_girl

Why does everyone want the Spitter? I admit he is good, several coaches are good...why does everyone mention him?

That's an excellent question.
Cowher inherited a damn good team that Chuck Knoll had put together. The hard-nosed, win with defense and a strong running game attitude that was/is the Steelers was installed by Knoll. All Cowher had to do is not screw it up. He's' like Gruden in my mind. He took something someone else had built and won ONE Super Bowl with them. Then couldn't repeat it. Didn't they go like 8-8 after Bettis retired? Then he quit. I'm sorry, but Cowher ain't all that in my mind.

I wonder what Cowher could have done with the cast of sorry characters Kubiak was saddled with when he took over the Texans.

[MannyFresh]

Matt Cassel and a east coast coach thats all business with strict discipline ala Cower, Parcells, Billajerk, Jimmy Johnson, someone like that.....they might not be liked, but they're respected head coaches. Parcells is a prime example of not well liked coach who instills a lot of discipline...don't think so? Look how the Cowboys are now with laid back Phillips who is probably gone now and we don't need a coach like Wade Phillips.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by TimeKiller

True, but we're talking about this specific one. Really, if we're going to start pointing fingers we should still be pointing at Richard Smith and his defense. They were atrocious still. I can't believe the talk about letting him off the hook for another year has been circulating AT ALL but hopefully this game puts everything back into perspective for all eyes.

Just don't be mad about it...because the games haven't mattered for a while now...The knee-jerk posts are funny with how out-of-control some people's emotions get without any real perspective.

I think more than the losing itself, I am tired this part of what losing does to a fan base.