Loser's Mentality

[ToxicButt]

It seems to me that the team has sufficient talent to make the playoffs If they can play well in spurts, there is talent there. The issue is leadership and mentality.

- We play like garbage in the first halves of games. We come back and do just enough to lose.

- We lose games in November when it really counts. But in December, we win a bunch of meaningless games to just miss the playoffs.

IMO, these are one and the same. There is a fundamental lack of mental toughness to succeed when the other team is playing its best and trying its hardest. We get so far behind (within a game and within a season) that our "comebacks" late in the season, and arguably, late in the game, are meaningless because the other team has let up.

- If you listen to the players after the games, they aren't pissed enough. Eric Winston, Matt Schaub, even Bernart Pollard on the radio. They aren't furious, aren't sore losers, and aren't pointing fingers, holding each other accountable. No, it's this rah rah crap. No, we have a bunch of nice guys, milk drinkers, that accept losing. It doesn't seem to hurt enough. The successful athletes are maniacally driven, and losing eats the linings of their stomachs. No, I"m not looking to stock our team with A-holes. But I think that winning teams need some A-hole element to them. We have none. Kubiak, Mario, DeMeco, Schaub, Johnson, Daniels.... all a bunch of nice guy, milk drinkers. That lose.

- Playing not to lose -- Kubiak can't bear to watch field goals. He does not go for the win. He does not believe in audibles. He does not like to blitz. He won't go for a score in a 2 minute drill. He/Rick Smith do not like to make big moves via trades. Nope, it must be build through the draft. That conservatism is a poison that robs the team of its heart.

 

[stingray]

Seems like almost every game this year has followed the same script. Fall behind in the first half and then make a comeback in the second. But most of the time they fall short. Which only tells one thing. Texans can't compete when it really matters. But it starts and ends with Gary. He has a Loser's mentality and it trickles down to the rest of the team.

 

[TimeKiller]

Toxic


Butt.


hahahaha man I just wanted to tell you that's hilarious and also, we should refer to the defense as Toxic Butt!!!!

 

[Norg]

I like that

u go out the and give 1000% BLood sweet and tears

we dont crumble becasue we LOSE

and thats the way it should be im sure they will come out and play the tacks LIke its the end of the world

 

[Stuttgarter]

I know pretty much jack about the ins and outs of the game but that seems to be spot on that. The team obviously have the talent, they have the means to hurt the opposition, to stop the opposition (let’s not forget it were a turnover that started the rally on Sunday) but for some reason or another it’s just not coming together on a game day. I think they are more than able to compete but they are just not consistent enough throughout the game. Very, very frustrating.

Gonna be a massive effort to lift them up for the next game now. Daft ending in the game in Jacksonville and that winner for New York were a right kick in the pips. Maybe a return home is just what is needed. I really do think Texans fans can play a massive part in how the season will turn out. After what’s happened in those last two away games I think they really need the support of the home crowd, to give them the lift to put recent events to the side and concentrate on moving up the table. Just hope the mentality you mention does not filter over the the support. There’s nowt much between the teams in the AFC South, the season is far from over!! Come on Texans!!

 

[JB]

They aren't furious, aren't sore losers, and aren't pointing fingers, holding each other accountable.

WTH would you want the players pointing fingers and calling each other out in public? That is a sure sign of a team in disarray.

We don't know what they are saying in the locker room, and that's the way it should be.

 

[Hervoyel]

What's the difference between a 7-9 team, an 8-8 team, and a 9-7 team? Two games at most? What if you take two teams and see each of them post records in roughly that "range" year, after year, after year?

Would you consider those teams to be roughly equals?

What were the Jets like prior to the arrival of Rex Ryan? Were they anything really special? Under Mangini they went 10-6 which is good, then 4-12, then 9-7 when the BRett Favre circus came to town. Prior to that Herm Edwards had them for 5 years and posted 10-6, 9-7, 6-10, 10-6, and 4-12 records.

There are peaks in there we haven't experienced but also valleys we haven't sunk to under Kubiak.

But suddenly you add Rex Ryan and the Jets are "monsters". 9-7 last year with a rookie QB. Clearly going to improve on that record this season being that they're already 8-2. They added a coach who had a clear idea what he wanted to do and he did it which sounds like Kubiak where our offense is concerned but there's more to it than that. Rex Ryan is a motivator. He exudes confidence. He's a prick about it even. He's telling the world that his team is going to win and his team believes him. They play their asses off for him. It's an added bonus that he can also back it up and brings to their defense an effective system that he knows inside out but the consistent all-out effort is all about Rex Ryan. Gary likes his players and they like him. They think the world of him and really want him to succeed because it's not fair that he and his fellow coaches should pay for their mistakes and that's fine but Rex Ryans players are on the field doing something about it, not standing in the locker room after the game talking about how they feel bad for the coaches.

These players are capable of more. We are not getting out of them what they are capable of doing. We don't have shitty players. They have produced before (the last 10 weeks of 2009 ring any bells?) and consistently enough to prove they can do what it takes. The problem is mental. It's all about intensity, focus, and motivation. It's about putting your players in a position to be successful.

We don't have any of that. Our Head Coach is not a motivator. He's a teacher. He teaches a system that works rather well on the offensive side of the ball. It's a known quantity with a proven history of success. He's not the best person I've ever seen at practical application of said system but by and large he's been successful on that side of the ball. He brings nothing to the table for the defense. What's worse is that his choice for their teacher is a man who has never done this job before in his life. The system he's teaching them is like the Costco "No-Name" brand defense. It's apparently the basic 4-3 you learn when you read the Wikipedia article on the 4-3 defense.

Sure, Dennison is our "Offensive Coordinator" but if he walked out the door tomorrow and was hit by a bus does anyone really believe that the offense would miss a beat? Gary is our offensive coordinator for all intents and purposes.

At the same time the defense is getting dumbed down and embarrassed. They may think the world of Frank Bush, Gibbs, and the rest but it's hard to maintain consistent effort and intensity when you don't believe in what you're doing. Even when they're saying they believe in what they're doing the results on the field don't lie.

So, you have an offense with a good system and good players who aren't always playing very inspired or focused football and a defense that is playing far beneath the level we expected them to in what might be the easiest system in the NFL.

Charged with turning these two sides of the ball into a single sharp, shiny, pointy weapon of a team is Gary Kubiak who can't even get the side of the ball he understands to care enough to play well for four consecutive quarters.

Problem is easy to spot. No leader.

_____
Edit: Ended that before I was finished....

Much like with the Jets I think the Texans are ripe for the arrival of a leader and motivator who can inspire the players we have, help the ones who need it, and bring in a system that they can run and believe in. That coach won't be foolish enough to reinvent the wheel on the offensive side of the ball. He'll be instantly the most successful coach in Texans history. We're one decision from a slow moving owner away from that. It's both depressing and exciting at the same time.

 

[thunderkyss]

- We lose games in November when it really counts. But in December, we win a bunch of meaningless games to just miss the playoffs.

This statement bothers me more than any other I've read on these boards. Those games in December weren't meaningless to us or anyone we played down the stretch. Looking back now, with the way things played out, yeah they were meaningless.

Today, the next 6 games are far from meaningless. We lose one more... then it's pretty close to meaningless. We lose 2 more, then they'll definitely be meaningless, but we really won't know until week 17.

If you truly think the next games are meaningless, do us all a favor, & don't watch.

- If you listen to the players after the games, they aren't pissed enough. Eric Winston, Matt Schaub, even Bernart Pollard on the radio. They aren't furious, aren't sore losers, and aren't pointing fingers, holding each other accountable. No, it's this rah rah crap. No, we have a bunch of nice guys, milk drinkers, that accept losing. It doesn't seem to hurt enough. The successful athletes are maniacally driven, and losing eats the linings of their stomachs. No, I"m not looking to stock our team with A-holes. But I think that winning teams need some A-hole element to them. We have none. Kubiak, Mario, DeMeco, Schaub, Johnson, Daniels.... all a bunch of nice guy, milk drinkers. That lose.

I think fans feel this way, because they aren't privy to what's going on in the locker room. They hear the same crap ESPN hear, they hear the coach speak, the good teammate speak... All is good, if you're winning, but when you're not, you'd like some acknowledgment that the team is just as upset as you are, & you're not getting it with the goody, goody team talk that they put out.

When a Randy Moss, or a Terrell Owens, or whoever says something on another team, we don't take that guys side. He's an Asshat, not a team player, we're glad we don't have those "cancers" on our team.

I don't know how upset they are. I don't know that they are in the locker room going after it, trying to identify the problem, trying to find a solution. But we see a guy come in off the street & get major minutes. We see players like Okam get cut & Damion Lewis get big minutes. We see them try to put an outspoken, dynamic player in a leadership role.

But through all the team talk, we know the players are still united. Their talk, in lock step with the coach speak tells me they haven't given up on the coach.

- Playing not to lose -- Kubiak can't bear to watch field goals. He does not go for the win. He does not believe in audibles. He does not like to blitz. He won't go for a score in a 2 minute drill. He/Rick Smith do not like to make big moves via trades. Nope, it must be build through the draft. That conservatism is a poison that robs the team of its heart.

We put 27 points on the Jets... #7 in the league, no one else in the league scored that many points on that defense. We ran for 3.7 yards on the #5 defense, over their average of 3.5 ypc on the year. I know they're just stats, but they at least show whatever he does offensively isn't bad. So what we don't audible, so what Schaub doesn't call plays. Our drives aren't stopping because of poor play calls, our drives are stopping because of poor execution. Balls are hitting players in the hand.

As far as not trying to score, watch Eric Winston on that last drive after the interception, the three Foster run plays. Then you'll see who is not playing to win. I agree he is one of our better run blockers, especially when he is on the play side. Look what happens when he was on the play side of that series.

& try to remember everytime we tried to score in the last two minutes of any half. More times than not, we do something stupid..... from a player perspective. Either throw an INT, kick a ball to a defender, fumble the game away or something. Blame the coach if you want, but when I see Andre, Winston & Matt among the players screwing up..... I don't believe it's the coach.

 

[Hervoyel]

You're crazy man. I think the Texans have driven you crazy. Either that are you're the best damn home-trolling pot stirrer I've ever laid eyes on. You are hanging on by a very thin thread dude and in the words of Cuba Gooding Jr. "I DIG THAT ABOUT YOU MAN!"

 

[thunderkyss]

But suddenly you add Rex Ryan and the Jets are "monsters". 9-7 last year with a rookie QB. Clearly going to improve on that record this season being that they're already 8-2.

They added a coach who had a clear idea what he wanted to do and he did it which sounds like Kubiak where our offense is concerned but there's more to it than that.

Rex Ryan is a motivator. He exudes confidence. He's a prick about it even. He's telling the world that his team is going to win and his team believes him. They play their asses off for him.

Doesn't hurt to inherit a top ten rushing attack & a top 10 defense. Never mind that Kubiak inherited a 30th ranked offense & 30th ranked defense.

Surely it was Rex Ryans bravado that pushed that team over the top.

It's an added bonus that he can also back it up and brings to their defense an effective system that he knows inside out but the consistent all-out effort is all about Rex Ryan.

Yeah, he backed it up with two 3 game losing streaks in 2009. He got his 9-7 team to 9-7 in 2009, amazing accomplishment.

I will agree his team is better in 2010 than it was in 2009, steady development of his QB, very nice FA acquisitions, LT, Holmes, etc.... I think he's done a better job with that team this year, than he did last year.

But we'll see.

 

[thunderkyss]

You're crazy man. I think the Texans have driven you crazy. Either that are you're the best damn home-trolling pot stirrer I've ever laid eyes on. You are hanging on by a very thin thread dude and in the words of Cuba Gooding Jr. "I DIG THAT ABOUT YOU MAN!"

I'm not giving up until we are mathematically eliminated. I don't expect the Texans to quit until the final tick of the final game.... why should I be any different?

 

[Hervoyel]

Doesn't hurt to inherit a top ten rushing attack & a top 10 defense. Never mind that Kubiak inherited a 30th ranked offense & 30th ranked defense.

Doesn't hurt that Kubiak had four years to get to 9-7 instead of 1 for Ryan to do it. You can't really tell me that four years to rebuild doesn't in some way balance the "inequity" in teams the two respective coaches inherited can you?

Surely it was Rex Ryans bravado that pushed that team over the top.

Yeah, he backed it up with two 3 game losing streaks in 2009. He got his 9-7 team to 9-7 in 2009, amazing accomplishment.

Subtract one Brett Favre from a 9-7 team, replace him with a rookie QB, install the 46 defense and add Rex Ryan behind the wheel and you see no dropoff to speak of and in fact make it to the AFC Championship game.

Yeah. you're right. I don't see how Ryan can consider this an accomplishment of any kind what with being handed such a great team.

I will agree his team is better in 2010 than it was in 2009, steady development of his QB, very nice FA acquisitions, LT, Holmes, etc.... I think he's done a better job with that team this year, than he did last year.

But we'll see.

I think we saw Sunday. They're 8-2, we're 4-6. They are tied for the best record in the NFL in Ryan & Sanchez's second season. We've fallen into last place in our division and are 2 games back thanks to our seasonal 4 game losing streak. Incidentally every team we've beaten this year now has a better record than we do.

The tribe has spoken but thunderkyss still has his head phones on and can't hear it. I DIG THAT ABOUT YOU MAN! (nice trolling though)

 

[TexCanada]

I just don't possibly see how people can still stand up for Kubiak. Kubiak has done a lot of good for this franchise, but we have now gone stale. We need to do just what the Jets did and take our average-to-good team and get a winner running the show as HC. Its time.

 

[thunderkyss]

The tribe has spoken but thunderkyss still has his head phones on and can't hear it. I DIG THAT ABOUT YOU MAN! (nice trolling though)

This season isn't over, no matter what others around here would have you believe.

The Jets were 4-6 this time last year. Surely we won't get the breaks they got, but we're still very capable of being 10-6 come week 16.

Yeah, you would have thought our 9-7 last year would put us on the same ground as last year's 9-7 Jets. They obviously had a better offseason than we did, they came out much better than we did.

But let's see how we finish.

You want to call it over.... fine. Start talking about the draft. I'm going to watch, I'm going to cheer, I'm going to hope.

 

[Hervoyel]

This season isn't over, no matter what others around here would have you believe.

The Jets were 4-6 this time last year. Surely we won't get the breaks they got, but we're still very capable of being 10-6 come week 16.

Yeah, you would have thought our 9-7 last year would put us on the same ground as last year's 9-7 Jets. They obviously had a better offseason than we did, they came out much better than we did.

But let's see how we finish.

You want to call it over.... fine. Start talking about the draft. I'm going to watch, I'm going to cheer, I'm going to hope.

This one goes out to a very special little boy who won't give up and who never stops believing.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16FdJrrAWSo

Keep the dream alive for all of us thunderkyss!

 

[Rey]

Much like with the Jets I think the Texans are ripe for the arrival of a leader and motivator who can inspire the players we have, help the ones who need it, and bring in a system that they can run and believe in. That coach won't be foolish enough to reinvent the wheel on the offensive side of the ball. He'll be instantly the most successful coach in Texans history. We're one decision from a slow moving owner away from that. It's both depressing and exciting at the same time.

I think a much bigger difference between Ryan's and Kubiak's teams is the talent level.

Jets have three receivers that could go to any team and start. Their QB is very good most of the time. Their O-line is pretty good as well. Good TE's. LT is on the down side of his career, but he still produces and he brings veteran leadership.

The defense has one beastly corner and one good corner. Their safeties are serviceable. Their LB's are really good, and their D-line does their job on a consistent basis.

I think that the Jets are more talented than the Texans at this point.

Yes, Rex went 9-7 last year...same as us. But he made the play-offs and was very, very close to a super bowl birth. What does he do? He goes out and gets better...

He picks up more talent in the off-season, he drafts at positions they are already strong at and makes those units even stronger.

What do we do? Get younger. Dumber.

We don't add much talent and we instead rely on drafting and player development.

Now you can say that the Patriots and Colts do the same thing, but they have something we don't have. Elite QB's.

And even the Patriots make bold moves...signing Moss...trading Seymour for a first round pick...

The Colts just have maybe the best QB to ever play. They will be good as long as he is there and Freeney and Mathis are rushing from the edges.

Kubiak's approach to building a team would be fine if players were actually getting better. His approach would be great if the defense actually had a reliable system that everyone believed in....It'd be fine if he was actually willing to make a bold move or two to put our talent level over the top.

But you are right...It does boil down to the confidence thing. Confident coaches are the coaches who will make those moves. Kubiak has even admitted that he second guesses himself a lot.

So no, I am not surprised that this team doesn't go into every game absolutely believing they will come out the victor.

 

[DexmanC]

Doesn't hurt to inherit a top ten rushing attack & a top 10 defense. Never mind that Kubiak inherited a 30th ranked offense & 30th ranked defense.

Have you looked at a calendar, dude? The year is now

2010

 

[Kaiser Toro]

I would like to commend ToxicButt on using the correct spelling of Loser. Welcome to the second level of total consciousness.

 

[thunderkyss]

This one goes out to a very special little boy who won't give up and who never stops believing.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16FdJrrAWSo

Keep the dream alive for all of us thunderkyss!

I think Trapped in a Closet would be more appropriate.

 

[mridge01]

Today, the next 6 games are far from meaningless. We lose one more... then it's pretty close to meaningless. We lose 2 more, then they'll definitely be meaningless, but we really won't know until week 17.

If you truly think the next games are meaningless, do us all a favor, & don't watch.

They are meaningless. As soon as Mike Thomas crossed the goal line with zeros on the clock, the season went out the window. Even if they had beat the Jets, great they would be 5-5. Do you really think they beat Philly and Baltimore? No effing way. 9-7 wouldn't have been good enough to make the playoffs, so what makes you think 8-8 will be? Count me as one that will not watch another game... at least until Frank Bush is canned. I didn't watch the Jets debacle and refuse to continually subject myself to such torture as I am not insane.

 

[kiwitexansfan]

It seems to me that the team has sufficient talent to make the playoffs If they can play well in spurts, there is talent there. The issue is leadership and mentality.

This is where you lose me. We DON'T have enough talent on Defense to make the playoffs.