Solomon sees disturbing trend with Phillips after first year DC

Works into the HC job by undermining existing HC. Abysmal second season as DC after record turnaround on defense first season. Yikes! What to think? Past experience indicator of future performance?


http://blog.chron.com/jeromesolomon/...ns-head-coach/

[TexanSam]

Terrible article. 4 jobs before coming to Houston. Two of the teams didn't do well his 2nd year there, two others did do well. What's his point?

[rmartin65]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

Terrible article. 4 jobs before coming to Houston. Two of the teams didn't do well his 2nd year there, two others did do well. What's his point?

Wont stop people from saying it. Last year I busted the myth that Wade wants smaller NTs, but that did not stop people from saying it.

"Still a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest".

EDIT- last 4 stops before the Texans-

Dallas Cowboys- Jay Ratliff, 293 lbs
San Diego Chargers- Jamal Williams, 348 lbs
Atlanta Falcons- Ed Jasper, 293 lbs
Buffalo Bills- Ted Washington, 365 lbs


Weights from pro-football-reference.com

[TejasTom]

Without seeing roster moves and injuries this is meaningless.

[disaacks3]

Solomon has to say SOMEthing during the off-season to keep readers interested. We finished #2, there isn't much room for improvement. Even the Ravens knew we'd have won w/ Schuab in there. The future is bright, no matter what a Boston reject says.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by TejasTom

Without seeing roster moves and injuries this is meaningless.

Precisely.

Edit:
Someone commenting on the article brought up a very good point: When Wade came in, the team was coming off a "down year". The next season, after they went to the playoffs, said team moved up to face a playoff team schedule as opposed to a scrub team schedule.

...which causes me to wonder about what happens to us next year facing a playoff team's schedule.

[Brisco_County]

"I don't believe in conspiracy theories. Now let me assert this conspiracy theory."

[Rey]

Originally Posted by rmartin65

Wont stop people from saying it. Last year I busted the myth that Wade wants smaller NTs, but that did not stop people from saying it.

"Still a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest".

EDIT- last 4 stops before the Texans-

Dallas Cowboys- Jay Ratliff, 293 lbs
San Diego Chargers- Jamal Williams, 348 lbs
Atlanta Falcons- Ed Jasper, 293 lbs
Buffalo Bills- Ted Washington, 365 lbs


Weights from pro-football-reference.com

Honestly, I haven't seen a lot of people saying that he wants small NT but rather that he doesn't require a gigantic one...

[Playoffs]

Fire Wade!!!

[TejasTom]

Originally Posted by Playoffs

Fire Wade!!!

Hilarious!

[rmartin65]

Originally Posted by Rey

Honestly, I haven't seen a lot of people saying that he wants small NT but rather that he doesn't require a gigantic one...

Fair enough distinction. But I still think people are ranking bigger NTs lower because of their size, and not much else. In my opinion, the only trend when it comes to Wade's preferences in NTs is simply the best NT available. Wade will build the D around what he has.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by rmartin65

Fair enough distinction. But I still think people are ranking bigger NTs lower because of their size, and not much else. In my opinion, the only trend when it comes to Wade's preferences in NTs is simply the best NT available. Wade will build the D around what he has.

Agreed.

[Brisco_County]

Originally Posted by kingh99

Works into the HC job by undermining existing HC. Abysmal second season as DC after record turnaround on defense first season. Yikes! What to think? Past experience indicator of future performance?


http://blog.chron.com/jeromesolomon/...ns-head-coach/

Now that I've had time to think about it, it is valid to point out a pattern and discuss it. Yes, there are some similarities and coincidences. But let's also consider the differences. Were any of those defenses #1 or #2 in the league? Did they come back with the same personnel and coaches? Was there general stability within the organization?

There is a lot to consider, and the idea that Phillips doesn't give as much effort in his second year as DC is possible, but improbable.

[cbs1507]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

Precisely.

Edit:
Someone commenting on the article brought up a very good point: When Wade came in, the team was coming off a "down year". The next season, after they went to the playoffs, said team moved up to face a playoff team schedule as opposed to a scrub team schedule.

...which causes me to wonder about what happens to us next year facing a playoff team's schedule.

Guy your record from the previous season only controls 2 games a year. The other 14 are set in stone years ago. You play a home and away game against the teams in your division. You play 1 division within the conference, and 1 from the other conference. That leaves 2 games that are dictated by your previous standings. If you want to call that a "playoff team's schedule" so be it.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Brisco_County

Now that I've had time to think about it, it is valid to point out a pattern and discuss it. Yes, there are some similarities and coincidences.

Which one of us would do anything different?

He didn't come here because of his undying devotion to Kubiak. He didn't come here because he wants to be Kubiak's Robin.

Wade's Batman & just like all you Alpha Males, he doesn't want to play second fiddle to no-one.

IMO, his best chance at taking the HC job, his defense would have to continue to perform at a high level.

If the defense falls apart, his opportunity to become HC goes with it.

So he's got to take care of his side of the ball. Kubiak has to take care of his side of the ball. Good things happen for the Texans if they do that.

But then what? Kubiak stays HC forever & Wade Phillips stays DC forever? Only because Kubiak was here first?

I don't know about that. If I want to be a HC & I want to be in Houston, I'm politicking for the Houston job.... even though there may not be an opening.

As HC, this is something Kubiak has to manage. He needs to learn why Phillips was successful & why Frank Bush wasn't & what Kubiak can do in the future to help his next Frank Bush be successful.

& he needs to persuade Rick Smith to aide in finding Wade Phillips his next HC job if he doesn't want it to be here in Houston... ah, another opportunity for Rick Smith to get out of that shadow....

Gotta love the NFL.

[ChampionTexan]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

Precisely.

Edit:
Someone commenting on the article brought up a very good point: When Wade came in, the team was coming off a "down year". The next season, after they went to the playoffs, said team moved up to face a playoff team schedule as opposed to a scrub team schedule.

...which causes me to wonder about what happens to us next year facing a playoff team's schedule.[

Originally Posted by cbs1507

Guy your record from the previous season only controls 2 games a year. The other 14 are set in stone years ago. You play a home and away game against the teams in your division. You play 1 division within the conference, and 1 from the other conference. That leaves 2 games that are dictated by your previous standings. If you want to call that a "playoff team's schedule" so be it.

Plus, we're the only team in our division that doesn't have to play two games against last year's division champs!

[Lady.Gaga.3000]

I saw a disturbing trend last Saturday. Why did we target Kevin Walter 8 times? Why did Ben Tate not get to run the ball once? Why did we stop using Arian Foster in the last two possessions of the game? Why were out TE's only targeted four times? Wade Phillips kept us in the game Saturday and he has kept us in games all season. I'm not even a Phillips homer but he's done more for this franchise in one season than two head coaches have done in nine years. If anything the disturbing trend has been trending for a few years if you know what I mean.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Lady.Gaga.3000

I saw a disturbing trend last Saturday. Why did we target Kevin Walter 8 times?

First, the targets are a function of what the QB sees after the snap. I think we targeted Andre like 15 times. So a 2-1 ratio between your 1 & 2 WR doesn't sound that "out of whack"

Why weren't the tight ends targeted more? If that's your question, that's on Yates. I saw at least three times where the TE was wide open & would have moved the chains.

Originally Posted by Lady.Gaga.3000

Why did Ben Tate not get to run the ball once?

I don't know. Tate should have been more involved, but Kubiak wanted the ball in Foster's hands. Don't know if we can blame him.

Originally Posted by Lady.Gaga.3000

Why did we stop using Arian Foster in the last two possessions of the game?

I think Charlie Pallilo went over that pretty good. The last touch Arian had was a 7 yard loss (? blown up by Ray Lewis) a fumble, & a carry for -1 yards.

If you ask me, with 2:30 to go in the game, with three timeouts, you know the Raven's D is going to step up, but I'd ask my OL & Pro Bowl RB to step up as well. But that's me.

Originally Posted by Lady.Gaga.3000

Why were out TE's only targeted four times?

Again, a function of the QB... you'll have to ask the 5th round rookie why he didn't see the whole field, or why he made the decisions he made.

Originally Posted by Lady.Gaga.3000

Wade Phillips kept us in the game Saturday and he has kept us in games all season. I'm not even a Phillips homer but he's done more for this franchise in one season than two head coaches have done in nine years. If anything the disturbing trend has been trending for a few years if you know what I mean.

That's a dumbas$ way to look at it. We've got too many examples this year where awesome defenses alone won't get it done. Jacksonville, without an offense, they ranked 6th in total D. Their offense was 32nd in the league... a place our offense was before Kubiak (BK).

The Jags offense was 19th in the league with 30:03 T.O.P. we were 1st with 32:40.

They were 29th in ppg with 15.2 we were 10th with 23.8

Take Kubiak away from this team & we wouldn't have been in as many games as you think we were in.

There are more examples... Cleveland, Seattle, NYJets, & Philadelphia Eagles. All top 10 defenses with no offense. Didn't go anywhere. Throw the 1 & done Bengals in the mix & that's 6 top 10 defenses that did not do as well as we did.

Take off the hater glasses. Appreciate the team.

[cbs1507]

Originally Posted by Lady.Gaga.3000

I saw a disturbing trend last Saturday. Why did we target Kevin Walter 8 times? Why did Ben Tate not get to run the ball once? Why did we stop using Arian Foster in the last two possessions of the game? Why were out TE's only targeted four times? Wade Phillips kept us in the game Saturday and he has kept us in games all season. I'm not even a Phillips homer but he's done more for this franchise in one season than two head coaches have done in nine years. If anything the disturbing trend has been trending for a few years if you know what I mean.

Kubiak does not tell Yates who to throw it to. Defensive coverage dictates it. Yates is the reason that only the #1 option was targeted all game. Even though some plays had 5 options he still threw it to the #1 option with double and triple coverage. The only credit Phillips deserves is shoring up our defense. We had the pieces just nobody to put them together and make it work. That's all he deserves. People are giving him too much credit. I understand some people don't like Kubiak and that's fine. But he had this team competing in every game for the past 5 seasons without a defense. Now we get what we obviously needed (a good defensive coordinator) and he gets all the credit for our turnaround. I just don't get it.

[Lady.Gaga.3000]

Arian Foster has three plays of no yards so we stop giving him the ball? Ok.
T.J. Yates has x amount of bad throws so we keep letting him throw? If Yates was the reason we were losing than why was he kept in there? I know Delhomme probably would have sucked even worse but the point is just because he was having a recent bad series doesn't mean we abandon him all together.

We had a game plan to let Foster touch the ball 32 times. It was working better than any other offensive factor all game and at times it was working with 8 in the box. And then we stopped using it.

Is it T.J. Yates fault that we stopped using Arian Foster and were calling deep bombs when we had time? If Yates was already making questionably bad calls all game, why were we still letting him even have the option for a high risk throw? Even with a single high safety, the defense didn't show Andre Johnson wide open. He stared down Johnson and made up his mind and chucked it up. It's a horrible decision by Yates, but I'm not mad at him because he's a rookie playing a very good defense. I'm mad at the play calling that did not put him in a position to succeed. He shouldn't even have the option to throw it deep. We had TWO minutes left at the Baltimore 38. There shouldn't be a route going deep unless it were to draw the safety away. Think about that. Two minute warning and we are 38 yards from scoring. And then we call a route that Yates hasn't been executing all game.