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What scenario would make you have a positive outlook on next season?

What will be your source of optimism?

  • Total voters
    60
R

Rey

Guest
During this time, there is not a whole lot of positive things going on with the team.

Of course, that probably depends on your perspective.

With the heavy rumors that Kubiak will be returning with a new D-coordinator (Maybe Wade Phillips), there is not a whole lot of change that we can see and most assuredly say, "the future is looking brighter"...

As a fan, I think that you have to find something positive going into any season. It's just the nature of rooting for a team.

This isn't a fire Kubiak thread. I'm going to assume he is staying since that is what all the info we have been hearing is leading to. So that said, what change (because SOMETHING has to change...right?) would breed optimism within you as an individual?

An established D-coordinator? A top 5 draft pick? A big FA signing?

What are you looking forward to happening?
 
I'm looking forward to Phillips coming in as DC and bringing in a new Secondary coach. I'm looking forward to having a decent draft pick with this defensive heavy draft and I'm also looking forward to making a splash or two in free agency.
 
I voted other because if Kubiak stays, Smith has to go. One of those 2 have to hit the pavement. Bringing Wade in would help the defense no doubt. However, I don't trust Smith making personnel decisions.
 
I am not terribly excited about Wade Phillips coming in. I do think he will be better than Frank Bush...I think that's a given.

I'm just worried about how he'll mesh with Kubiak. What will be the dynamic of their relationship...If Kubiak isn't making the decision on who his D-coordinator will be, how will that affect his psyche?

And honestly, I'm not even sure that Frank Bush gets completely canned...

The thing I am most excited about is a potential top 5 pick. If we don't get a top five pick and have a shot at one of the elite prospects I am going to be really dissapointed.

No the Texans aren't great at the draft, but having a top 5 pick greatly raises the odds that they would get a good player that could instantly come in and make an impact.

Akumura or Peterson are the two guys that I am really hoping for. Either one would make me extremely optimistic heading into next season.

I guess second would have to be Free agency. I hope they can get some good players in here...even if they have to over pay for them...

If they could get these things done I would be excited for next season...Even with Kubiak at the reigns...
 
My scenario ...

Bob McNair realizes that he doesn't know how to run a NFL team and decides to cash out and sells to the team. The new owners are Bob Kraft types that are smart football people.

They come in and get rid of all the proven losers, Kubiak first of course. They bring in their own personel and make it clear that they are not in the business of making friends, they are in the business of winning. They also make it clear that the win and loss column will be the only barometer they will use to measure progress and success. Anyone not on board with this is shown the door.

They then apologize to the fan base for the horrible product and reduce ticket prices. They then guarantee not to raise them again until the product on the field improves and worth the price of the ticket. They define product improvement as the team qualifying for the playoffs.

With the above scenario I would have a positive outlook.
 
I was torn between a top 5 draft pick and a key free agent signing. I voted FA, but it would have to be multiple players on the defensive side of the ball instead of just one big name. A combo of something like Ratliff, Woodley, and Bailey would make me very excited for next season. Like ive said before McNair better be serious about making "drastic" changes to the defense, and this includes acquiring players like I mentioned above. If we go out and attack FA like we have in the past will end up with one okay player and thats it. If that happens itll be a long year next year.
 
I voted other.

I believe that its a culmination of things that need to be solved going forward.


First - And probably most important is some talent on the back end of the defense - particularly at the FS spot as well as a veteran presence at CB even if that guy doesnt start. Along with this is the issue of getting beaten in the soft spots between the zones - its happened all year.

Second - Is a change in the way the Texans expect their DT's to perform. Rather than penetrating (or attempting to) they need their DT to push the pocket to keep the DE's from being washed by the back side as well as allowing the QB to step up into a clean pocket. Their DE's have been largely ineffective because they get washed behind the play so often . This would solve a whole lot of their defensive problems.
This second issue may be personel and as well as a scheme issue , its difficult to make a decision when the players are asked to perform within the current scheme. Hard to say if the current DT's could push the pocket.


Third - Find some consistency on offense. They can put up yards and points in a hurry .... they just dont do it with consistency until the situation becomes dire.

Fourth - Their special teams need to improve to the level we have come to expect. Marciano is one of the best in the business but he's been handcuffed with some injury issues and .... Damn can anyone be a worse KR than Slaton ?!

Fifth - They need to find a way to create / force more turnovers. I think this problem solves itself if they fix point #2. More pressure on a QB with less of a pocket to step into will force more mistakes.
 
Where is the "Hire Bill Cowher as HC, Wade Phillips as DC, and a Big Free Agent Signing (specifically on defense)" option?
 
If Rick Smith is still around -- meaning we still don't have a GM -- there's precious little to get all positive about.


in·san·i·ty noun \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
 
Multiple big free agent signings on the defensive side is the only thing would make me have a positive outlook on next season. I don't trust the current gm to do a great job of drafting. We'll probably take a good defensive player with our first pick, but we'll need to get at least 2 or 3 impact players out of this draft. But mainly, we have to get some good veteran players on our defense.
 
From the options given, I chose 'Big free agent signing' assuming it is on the defense. The draft may also make me more optomistic once I see how they draft. A lot of that optomism will also rise or fall based on the number of Tight Ends and Colorado State players they draft.

The thing that would make me most optomistic would be the CBA negotiations concluding and seeing a reasonable CBA put into place. As much as I don't think the Texans will be contenders next year given what we think we know, I would much rather see them go 5-11 in 2011, than see them not play at all. At the very least, I can root for the Browns to do well :)
 
Hookem Horns said:
My scenario ...

Bob McNair realizes that he doesn't know how to run a NFL team and decides to cash out and sells to the team. The new owners are Bob Kraft types that are smart football people.

They come in and get rid of all the proven losers, Kubiak first of course. They bring in their own personel and make it clear that they are not in the business of making friends, they are in the business of winning. They also make it clear that the win and loss column will be the only barometer they will use to measure progress and success. Anyone not on board with this is shown the door.

They then apologize to the fan base for the horrible product and reduce ticket prices. They then guarantee not to raise them again until the product on the field improves and worth the price of the ticket. They define product improvement as the team qualifying for the playoffs.

With the above scenario I would have a positive outlook.
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:spit: Well, I guess your off-season is going to suck royally, huh?
 
I want Kubiak gone as much as the next guy....

I don't see how there is no way to be optimistic if he is back though...

I know I've called them terrible plenty of times in the past, but honestly, they aren't terrible...

Overall I think they've done a bad job, but I do think that it is possible for them to learn and grow as GM and head coach...

Yet at the same time while I'm typing this I can completely understand the feeling that we will see another season without a play-off appearance...
 
Rey said:
I want Kubiak gone as much as the next guy....

I don't see how there is no way to be optimistic if he is back though...

I know I've called them terrible plenty of times in the past, but honestly, they aren't terrible...

Overall I think they've done a bad job, but I do think that it is possible for them to learn and grow as GM and head coach...

Yet at the same time while I'm typing this I can completely understand the feeling that we will see another season without a play-off appearance...
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I think I understand this. I am in a wait and see mode, 'cause I have no other choice.
 
To me, a big free agent signing would get me excited about next year. When I say big, I mean headline grabbing big. Not an Antonio Smith type signing, great signing IMO but something really big. Safety, cornerback, linebacker for our new 3-4? All-pro/pro-bowler signing.

Meh, when this season is over, it'll take about a month before I start getting excited for next year and completely wipe the slate clean. The offseason is too damn long to continually ***** about Kubiak, Smith, Mcnair, crappy secondary, etc, etc.

Me likey football.
 
If Kubiak doesn't leave, then I would be happy with both a big free agent signing and Wade Phillips coming in. I think Champ Bailey would be a great signing for our defense.
 
2slik4u said:
To me, a big free agent signing would get me excited about next year. When I say big, I mean headline grabbing big. Not an Antonio Smith type signing, great signing IMO but something really big. Safety, cornerback, linebacker for our new 3-4? All-pro/pro-bowler signing.

Meh, when this season is over, it'll take about a month before I start getting excited for next year and completely wipe the slate clean. The offseason is too damn long to continually ***** about Kubiak, Smith, Mcnair, crappy secondary, etc, etc.

Me likey football.
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A big FA signing definitely would do the trick; otherwise I'll just have to settle for a deal of Antonio Smith's type, a high draft pick, and at least a new DC and DB coach.
 
I won't have a positive outlook until they win a 10th game. I will follow them as have an opinion on whether the free agents and/draft picks will work, but given the history until those moves work there is no reason for me to have a positive outlook.
 
Whatever scenario they dish out to me I'm gonna TRY like hell to have a positive attitude about it. I'm not a Kubiak supporter, never have been, but, I'd rather have him than some newbie who has never been a HC before! Forget this GOOD OLD BUDDY crap and hire some meanass coaches who will whip this team into shape. Maybe hire a different trainer also.
 
SheTexan said:
Whatever scenario they dish out to me I'm gonna TRY like hell to have a positive attitude about it. I'm not a Kubiak supporter, never have been, but, I'd rather have him than some newbie who has never been a HC before! Forget this GOOD OLD BUDDY crap and hire some meanass coaches who will whip this team into shape. Maybe hire a different trainer also.
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This to a T. I feel the exact same.

Huh, who woulda thought? Seeing eye to eye with a woman.......on football no less!
 
76Texan said:
You can always convert to a Cowboys or Titans fan! :hides:
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You don't understand. I've lived in the Houston area all my life (other than my military service). I grew up a Houston sports fan. I went to Oiler games at Jeppensen stadium. I went to Colt 45's games at Colt's field. I know no other life than that of a Houston sports fan.

And to be honest, 5 or 9 years is a much shorter time for me than it is for a 20 something person.
 
JB said:
You don't understand. I've lived in the Houston area all my life (other than my military service). I grew up a Houston sports fan. I went to Oiler games at Jeppensen stadium. I went to Colt 45's games at Colt's field. I know no other life than that of a Houston sports fan.

And to be honest, 5 or 9 years is a much shorter time for me than it is for a 20 something person.
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Ya' know I was only kidding!
Jeppensen stadium eh!!! By the time I moved here and attended UH during all those championship seasons in the old SWC, it had already been renamed Robertson Stadium. The Coogs only practiced there; all their home games were at the Astrodome.
I don't remember how the Coogs and the SWC worked out the scheduling part so as not to conflict with the Oilers home games. Did they ever use the dome on consecutive days (Sat and Sun)???
 
76Texan said:
Ya' know I was only kidding!
Jeppensen stadium eh!!! By the time I moved here and attended UH during all those championship seasons in the old SWC, it had already been renamed Robertson Stadium. The Coogs only practiced there; all their home games were at the Astrodome.
I don't remember how the Coogs and the SWC worked out the scheduling part so as not to conflict with the Oilers home games. Did they ever use the dome on consecutive days (Sat and Sun)???
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Rarely if i recall correctly. I don't remember a lot of Coog's games there to be honest.
 
I hope we sign at least 3 top fa guys to help us out and have a good draft

We deff need something exciting to happen ESP a win tOmmaraow
 
I can't go into 2011 with anything approaching an optimistic attitude if Kubiak comes back regardless of who they hire to try and sort his defense out. If he comes back I'm washing my hands of the Texans until they make a substantive change.

How can anyone be optimistic about a team with a head coach who has to have somebody else pick his staff because he's proven twice that he isn't capable of doing it himself? Three times if you count Mike Sherman on the offensive side. That melding of Kubiak's offense with Sherman's approach was a hopeless mess all by itself.

They keep Gary and I'm going to try and find an alternative to Texans football.
 
I voted other. IMO big name FA are overrated & while a top 5 pick is appealing; I'd rather trade back for more picks & then later pick up multiple late cuts after training camp.
 
I don't get all of the Wade Phillips hate. Sure he was a horrible HC but so was Dom Capers and look what he has done with the Green Bay defense. Kubiak isn't a great HC either but neither is Mike McCarthy. If they both do what needs to be done on their respective sides of the ball I think this could be a playoff team next season. Maybe I'm a ****-eyed optimist about the talent level on this team but I don't see the sky falling as much as others do. But in all honesty I really don't care either way. I enjoy watching Texans football, win or lose. It's not my pride on the line if this team sucks. My life won't change either way but I will still watch every week and love this team.
 
I'm embarressed to say Wade Phillips. Although there are a lot of concerns with this move because of the "Ah Shucks" stuff, but I'm excited because this team will have the closest thing to a DC it has ever had.

Lets just pretend Wade makes an impact. A top 10 Defense and the following happens:

  • Slow Starts aren't going to kill us
  • The O doesn't have to score 30+ to have a shot
  • Schaub won't be put in as many positions to make a bad play
  • The Offense won't have to feel like they are carrying the load
  • The D will actually be fun to watch instead of nails on a chalk board
  • Kubiak will have no excuses

So buckle up fans it should be an exciting season next year, hopefully for the right reasons. It's not like we have a choice, don't see Houston bieng awarded another franchise anytime soon!!!!!

:koolaid:
 
This whole premise is flawed. With Smith and Kubiak (and BLB - Bottom Line Bob McNair) in place there can't be any quality free agent signings. If we get a top 5 draft pick, either through selection or coaching, we will get the next Okoye and miss the next Willis and Revis. Wade? Maybe he can make the defense #4 in the league for the 13 games of the season. Would that be the best DC job in history? Yes - and would put us exactly where we were in 2009 - no playoffs.

The only options that can make any sense are: no hope (Smithiak still here) or other (like a meteor strike, season long lockout, or Hookem's scenario (good luck with that one happening - I think the meteor strike is more probable)).
 
Fred said:
This whole premise is flawed. With Smith and Kubiak (and BLB - Bottom Line Bob McNair) in place there can't be any quality free agent signings. If we get a top 5 draft pick, either through selection or coaching, we will get the next Okoye and miss the next Willis and Revis. Wade? Maybe he can make the defense #4 in the league for the 13 games of the season. Would that be the best DC job in history? Yes - and would put us exactly where we were in 2009 - no playoffs.

The only options that can make any sense are: no hope (Smithiak still here) or other (like a meteor strike, season long lockout, or Hookem's scenario (good luck with that one happening - I think the meteor strike is more probable)).
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I think that it's possible that Smithiak really believed they were on the right track in the past.

After things pretty much crumbled I think they will be a little more willing to do things that they haven't done in the past...

That said, we have no idea what happens behind the scenes...

The info that the team releases is the info they want us to know.

For all we know they could have tried to do some of the things that we complain about them not doing...
 
A brand new defence coaching staff and sexondary help or secondary help either one.
 
gary said:
A brand new defence coaching staff and sexondary help or secondary help either one.
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Gary is that like the skit on SNL with Obama and the Chinese (Premiere?), when he talks all official and then rolls in to the "Why are you doing the sex to me?" routine. Since the Texans Secondary has been "doing the sex to the team and the fans all season"?

:kingkong:
 
2slik4u said:
This to a T. I feel the exact same.

Huh, who woulda thought? Seeing eye to eye with a woman.......on football no less!
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LOL!! Nothing wrong with that! Been a fan of the game for almost 60 yrs. Grew up listening to football on the radio, long before they managed to show it on TV. I'll NEVER claim to know as much as you guys, I've never played the game. BUT, I love it with a passion, and will until I go on to football heaven. BTW: thanks for the rep!
 
And to think I ragged on Ryan Mathews (RB for Chargers) for saying he was "scared, there for a second, that he was going to fall to the Texans" in the draft.

Now I see why.

What young man is going to be excited to be a first round draft pick for the Texans? Yay! I'm rich and will be on a sucky team. The money will wear off in about week 8 when he's tired of getting his ass handed to him and finds out that pride is a valuable commodity in life.

Therefore, I can't get excited to see what poor sucker is going to be led to the hangman's noose when Kubiak or Rick Smith or whatever member of Bob's Illuminati sends in the pick to the commissioner on draft day.

Firing Kubiak and letting someone else have a crack at this, IMO, is THE only way I see hope in my own eyes. Anything else means a wasted 2011 season. And probably a wasted draft pick on a Travis Johnson-type player who won't be here when the new guy comes along.

!@#$%^&*
 
I voted other.

Next year the schedule should be slightly easier at minimum and even these ass clowns probably won't do THIS bad in back to back years.

However, I do not have faith in getting to the playoffs next year at this point. Probably looking at a 9-7 or 8-8 season dooming us to another Kubiak extension.
 
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Look, I'd like Gary to be fired just as much as the next person but if all they do is make changes to the D then so be it because not rooting for the Texans is not an option for me.
 
gary said:
Look, I'd like Gary to be fired just as much as the next person but if all they do is make changes to the D then so be it because not rooting for the Texans is not an option for me.
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I understand that and you rock on dude. I'm serious and not being the least bit sarcastic here. If rooting for the Texans makes your day a little better or is something you or anyone finds enjoyable then I'm 100% behind your doing that. I'm kind of the same way about religion. I don't believe in any of it. I kind of think it's silly really. At the same time if it makes a person happy to believe in it and if doing so brings them comfort or hope then I'm totally behind their right to do that and think it's good stuff (for them).

When I was a younger man I believe that I would be an Oiler fan until the day I died. I thought nothing could prevent me from being there on opening day. I don't have that same level of interest anymore. Now I have a sometimes seemingly endless stream of other things fighting for my time and up until recently I've pushed all of them aside on Sundays to treat myself to some football.

It's not working for me anymore though. It's not an escape when it consistently disappoints. I'm not asking for a Super Bowl. I'm asking for a division title at least once a decade. I'm asking for a trip to the playoffs every now and then. A heartbeat, or maybe some condensation on the mirror would be nice. I don't get them though. Instead the Texans just become one more thing in the "Not going the way I want it to" side of the pile and I can't see any reason to leave them there. I may not be able to control most of the things around me but I can take the Houston Texans out of my pile of "**** that pisses me off".

Every little bit helps.
 
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