The "Kubiak effect" has kicked in

[Hookem Horns]

Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

Cushing doesn't have that type of sway? Cushing doesn't have that much impact? Dude is the defensive QB. He's the passion of the freakin' team. He is indescribably valuable to everything we do and everything we are.

Just look at Ray Lewis being the leader of the Ravens for the last 15 years.

I am not denying that. I am just saying that no matter how intense he is I don't think he is going to make enough difference to overcome Kubiak.

Maybe I am wrong and props to Cushing if I am but that is asking a LOT of him.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Hookem Horns

As valuable as Cushing is, he doesn't have enough influence to prepare the entire team and put them into another gear when the chips are down.

I feel like we were getting more pressure on the QB when Cush was playing. We were getting turnovers like crazy. Not so much since he got hurt. That totally changes the game.

[GP]

Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

Cushing doesn't have that type of sway? Cushing doesn't have that much impact? Dude is the defensive QB. He's the passion of the freakin' team. He is indescribably valuable to everything we do and everything we are.

Just look at Ray Lewis being the leader of the Ravens for the last 15 years.

There is no way in hell that the loss of Brian Cushing is what has this entire team acting this way.

Last year we didn't have Foster for the first few games, didn't have Schaub for a lot of games, didn't have AJ for a lot of games, went without Manning for several games, played Leinart and then had to play Yates, and had Jacoby acting like Jacoby.

This year, we've lost BRIAN CUSHING. And THAT is the problem?

Seriously? You are avoiding the obvious. Obviously.

Our HC and our QB have crapped all over themselves. It was too much for them. Too good to be true. Like inner city youth who aspire to do great things, get to the cusp of achieving those great things, then implode from the pressure of knowing they are about to escape the shadow of misery. So they crater. They go out and they do something totally bizarre, and they blow their chances at greatness. Back down to earth, settling into old habits...bad decision making (i.e. Going for the FG when they should have punted...throwing bombs to the EZ instead of working the ball methodically down the field...on and on and on).

Wake up, dammit.

[TheMatrix31]

I actually do think that. The team clearly was not the same after he got injured. That's as clear as day. We got destroyed against Green Bay the week after. The secondary was in shambles. You could see it in the defense. You could see how it affected the offense. You could see all of it.

Maybe you're underrating Brian Cushing. For a defense/team that's predicated on intensity and physicality, losing him was the death knell. All the havoc he created everywhere, getting after the QB, getting after those with the ball allowed the secondary to play better and allowed the front seven to play better. I'm not sure why it's so hard to believe that losing a middle linebacker as good and as important as Cushing could have so much of an effect. I mean really, you guys have watched football a long time. You know what these types of players mean.

Doesn't matter what I say to you or what you say to me anyhow.

[leebigeztx]

Originally Posted by playa465

Moving on, this team is in a funk. Kubiak has to assume responsibility being the HC but the players are not performing either. Its like the team is stuck in a rut just spinning its wheels. Kubiak isn't going anywhere next year and Schaub will be the QB next year barring injury. Personally, I think the players need to step it up. Kubiak (who is pretty conservative anyway) isn't going to take risks or open up the offensive playbook if the offense can't execute the simple stuff. The defense hasn't played inspired either of late, how many times have we given up a 1st down or a TD on 3rd and long? I do feel as though we can put all this behind us and win the SB if we can find Clyde and have him hook the team up like this:



Rep to first one who knows where I got this from

Let's do it again and that's bootney farnsworth getting ready to fight 40th street black!

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

I actually do think that. The team clearly was not the same after he got injured. That's as clear as day. We got destroyed against Green Bay the week after. The secondary was in shambles. You could see it in the defense. You could see how it affected the offense. You could see all of it.

Maybe you're underrating Brian Cushing.

I think it's like Andre said, we've been there done that... we're kind of numb to some things that we'd otherwise wouldn't be. We managed to win the division last year at 10-6. That wouldn't have been good enough this year. We lost Cushing, the next game I think we lost Bradie James, then Sharpton (after he'd just come back). We haven't had a standard set of ILB until the last three weeks?? Something like that. We've also lost Barwin. I know he's out there on the field, but his production is gone. We lost Brooks Reed as well, Jonathan Joseph, & Brice McCain. Though he's third on our depth chart, he plays a lot. Then we lost Ball one of our top 2 special teams guys.

Offensively, it hasn't been so bad. We lost Gump, then Newton for a little while, then Graham.

These are not "excuses" I'm not trying to "excuse" Schaub, Gary, or Wade. Just saying. This is very similar to last year & we performed better than last year in so much as we have 12 wins under our belt.

But expectations change. What was good enough last year, wouldn't cut it this year.

[TheMatrix31]

Injury-wise, we had way more last year. More injuries last year than I've ever seen any team deal with, quite honestly.

I'm shocked we got that far last year.

But we lost Schaub last year and we lost Cushing this year. Both immeasurably crucial to what we do on either side. Losing Schaub kinda put the writing on the wall last year (and we still were very close to getting to the AFCC) just like losing Cushing did the same this year. Will we be able to make a similar push this year? Who knows.

[Buffi2]

There are two huge coaching issues here that I don't think will ever change unless someone else calls the plays. For all of his "it is on me" spewings, Kubiak has on blinders. If it doesn't work? Fine, Kubiak will just continue calling the same plays trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Worse than playing the turtle, he refuses/is incapable of changing the plays and coming up with something new, different, a surprise to whomever we are playing.

During the MN game, this 67 year old woman was able to call the play before it happened with darned close to 95% accuracy. Please! That should never happen - ever.

And Wade's glaring weakness - discipline or lack thereof. The defense, before the New England game, decided they were good enough to play around with jackets and jokes. At some point a coach, be it Wade or Kubiak, should have stopped that right there and re-focused everyone. Sometimes, fun just isn't where your focus needs to be and these guys needed a strong reminder.

Kubiak is a fair coach but doesn't have the imagination or guts to coach when Super Bowls and playoffs are in the near future. He is out of his element and hasn't the tools to compete at the Patriot's level. It is painfully obvious that he isn't able to learn those skills.

As long as Kubiak is HC, we are pretty much locked into mediocrity as the best we can do.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Buffi2

There are two huge coaching issues here that I don't think will ever change unless someone else calls the plays. For all of his "it is on me" spewings, Kubiak has on blinders. If it doesn't work? Fine, Kubiak will just continue calling the same plays trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Worse than playing the turtle, he refuses/is incapable of changing the plays and coming up with something new, different, a surprise to whomever we are playing.

Stop it.

There was nothing wrong with the play calling yesterday. He didn't turtle, we threw down field more in that game than we did for the three weeks prior. It just didn't work for us. The two interceptions, penalties, & the three sacks hurt us more than the play calling did yesterday.

[Grams]

It wasn't so much the play calling and it was having the team prepared to play.

Since we won the Division, we have more or less seem to have shut it down. Just like last year.

We come out flat and do not seem to be prepared to play with the intensity that the other teams have. Other that JJ and AJ who always come to play.

We do not seem to have the mental toughness to play with the big boys yet.

We lost HFA - no one took it from us. We lost it. Denver and New England made sure when they had the opportunity for HFA, did not let it slip through their fingers.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Grams

We lost HFA - no one took it from us. We lost it. Denver and New England made sure when they had the opportunity for HFA, did not let it slip through their fingers.

To put it in perspective, our last two opponents are play off teams. The Colts would be in the play offs even if we won the last one. The Vikings may not have been, but they beat the Packers to seal the deal.

That's not an excuse, we're playing bad regardless. But the Broncos & the Patriots played well against scrubs.

I understand your point & you're dead on. But the argument, that the Patriots & the Broncos made sure when they had the opportunity... that's not true. The Patriots held their destiny in their hands until they lost to the 49ers. The Broncos didn't control their destiny until 3pm yesterday.

[amazing80]

losing Cushing has NOTHING to do with this offense, I dont care how you try to spin it, Matt Schaub is the reason we're sputtering offensively right now. Until he proves he can beat defenses teams will continue to load up and take out our run game....they show no respect to our pass game because 8 is garbage

[Mr teX]

Originally Posted by amazing80

losing Cushing has NOTHING to do with this offense, I dont care how you try to spin it, Matt Schaub is the reason we're sputtering offensively right now. Until he proves he can beat defenses teams will continue to load up and take out our run game....they show no respect to our pass game because 8 is garbage

they aren't loading up in the box though; they don't have to. teams' d-lines are just flat out dominating our o-line & utilizing opportunistic blitzing. We've got a pro-bowl LT who got absolutely demolished by Freeney yesterday...That shouldn't happen. Derek Newton and Brandon Brooks whiffed on so many blocks yesterday, they had me thinking they were auditioning for a rodeo clown position.

[Textan]

Originally Posted by Pantherstang84

Said this in the GD thread...

Folks hoping Kubiak will get fired after a 12-4 season are delusional. Unless, McNair has a Bud Adams side we do not know about. Could not get rid of him after 6-10. Kubiak in this town is like that ugly old Samsonite that has been sitting in your closet the last 30 years. You just can't get rid of it.

Texans make the play offs Kubiak will go nowhere. I was praying he'd be gone at the end of the 2009 season, but those four meaningless wins at the end saved his job. I was honestly hoping the Texans would stumble at the end instead of getting those wins, that's how bad I wanted Kubiak gone. Yes, Schaub has looked awful, heck since New England, but to me a good coach draws on a teams strengths and doesn't make excuses for their weaknesses. This team, even when they were winning, has repeatedly come out flat or fallen flat in the second half. I look to nobody else in getting a team ready except Kubiak. It's the coaches job to inspire, to direct, to light a fire.
How many times did we witness the Texans absolutely dominate an opponent just to let them back in the game to make it a nail biter? That killer instinct has never been shown by Kubiak, which I believe filters down to the players.
I know the players loved the guy at the end of 2009. I kept wondering if their love stemmed from something we only saw evidence of on the playing field?
I see, even to this day, a lack of discipline and purpose with these players.
Spare the rod spoil the child.

[Steal Your Face]

Originally Posted by Mr teX

they aren't loading up in the box though; they don't have to. teams' d-lines are just flat out dominating our o-line & utilizing opportunistic blitzing. We've got a pro-bowl LT who got absolutely demolished by Freeney yesterday...That shouldn't happen. Derek Newton and Brandon Brooks whiffed on so many blocks yesterday, they had me thinking they were auditioning for a rodeo clown position.

IF that's really the problem (and it may in fact be) ... then we are in a mess of trouble next weekend. The Bengals have an absolutely dominating DL. They will get all over us unless our OL steps up big-time.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by mariowillshine15

Art Shell perfected this look for the Raiders a few years back.

Art Shell was like a performance artist bringing this to the game every week.

He conveyed a real, emotional sense of "I don't know what the **** I'm looking at". He should get a job as a character actor in movies and stuff.

Art had it down. He made you believe.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by Hookem Horns

I am not denying that. I am just saying that no matter how intense he is I don't think he is going to make enough difference to overcome Kubiak.

Maybe I am wrong and props to Cushing if I am but that is asking a LOT of him.

I think Cushing brings enough energy to keep Kubiak's stink off the defense but he can't make the offense produce and eventually that wears on both sides of the ball. Between Cushing and Watt there's something special going on with our defense and I say that despite the drop off we've seen this year.

Our offense though, it's got issues that no amount of stat massaging can cover up.

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by GP

There is no Kubiak without Schaub.

There is no Schaub without Kubiak.

They are the same person.

yep. While we can highlight the problems with each one, it all comes back to the fact that these two mediocre football guys are joined at the hip.

Originally Posted by mariowillshine15

Art Shell perfected this look for the Raiders a few years back.

It's a look we have seen all too often in Houston.

Jack Pardee (RIP) had it with his hat on crooked and headset that was never hooked up to anything.

Larry Dierker had that look on his face with the Astros and a random sunflower seed stuck to his lip. TV caught him in a daze trying to get that seed off his face with a wandering tongue.

Rudy T - the only championship coach this city has had in major sports - ended up with his crumpled jacket and tie flapping around, hair messed up and a confused look on his face.

What was most depressing about yesterday? When they scanned the Houston Texans sideline and I saw the "Warren Moon stare" on everyone's faces. That's not a good look. It's void of competitive fire and seems to be an acceptance of dismal fate. Our whole team looked that way yesterday afternoon.

Originally Posted by Hervoyel

This is truth. Kubiak is exactly what he is and more than that he's what I was terrified he'd become. In terms of wins and losses get ready for the second coming of Marvin Lewis. In 10 years of coaching that team they're 78-80 and he's no closer to reaching the summit than he was when he got there. Gary's going to be that same kind of coach. Never great, never terrible, always finding a way to come up short in the end. To make it worse we've got the most patient owner in football and he'll never fire his coach as long as things don't get too bad, as long as Gary doesn't lose the players.

So here we are. No greatness in the mix, just a healthy amount of "good enough" for probably the next decade. Talk about a miserable fan experience. Cincinnati South wasn't what I had in mind when first learned that Houston was going to be back in the NFL game back in 2001/2002.

Yep. And get ready to really swallow the hard pill. 2011 & 2012 are going to be our peak in hindsight. Andrew Luck and the Colts will own this division for the next decade, and just like the Bungals, we will sneak into the playoffs as a wildcard every so often and just enough times to keep Kubiak's job secure.

[Thorn]

CAP limit. That's it.

The reason we couldn't keep everyone we wanted to. They let some go to stay under the CAP limit. We can argue who we should have let go, but the fact remains you CAN'T KEEP EVERYONE. It's just the nature of the business.

[Runner]

Originally Posted by Thorn

CAP limit. That's it.

The reason we couldn't keep everyone we wanted to. They let some go to stay under the CAP limit. We can argue who we should have let go, but the fact remains you CAN'T KEEP EVERYONE. It's just the nature of the business.

The salary cap problem required a few oft-debated moves the past off-season. It led to a less talented team with a lack of depth. However when that effect was suggested during the pre-season, the response was:
1) next man up (as if a jingo could replace talent)
2) the backups are better than the starters (then why weren't they starting?)
3) Winston sucks
4) Demeco is injured and sucks
and my personal favorite:
5) you don't understand business and the salary cap

The cuts had to be made because of the cap issues, but they resulted in a weaker team that was lucky enough to have a fairly easy schedule. The result was a good run through the regular season with a lot of trouble against real super bowl contenders.

That leaves a few questions. Who manages the talent/salary cap? Who was surprised that the cap was lower than expected, which required some drastic moves?

Many were happy with the cuts because it gave the Texans the flexibility to re-sign Duane Brown and some others this off-season. Apparently it allowed them to extend Schaub too.

I think the reduced talent will show in the playoffs as well.