McNair's 1:1 Kubiak re-visited by Bob

http://www.chron.com/justice/article/Justice-Keeping-Kubiak-was-right-move-for-2257293.php

But as last season wound to a bitterly disappointing end, McNair wanted to hear from Kubiak and no one else.

"Basically," McNair said, "I just wanted to see if he was seeing the same things I was seeing."

At the time, McNair almost certainly was wrestling with whether to fire his head coach. Like a lot of us, McNair struggled with balancing his high personal regard for Kubiak with the poor results on the field.

For full article read link above

This is what I like most:

Firing his coach would have been the popular thing to do, and while McNair was aware how high emotions were running, he said it was never a factor.

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The mark of a good leader is someone willing to make the tough choices. & bringing Kubiak back may not have been the right choice (we honestly still don't know) but I know it wasn't an easy thing to do. McNair felt it was the right thing to do & he did it, so I have a lot of respect for a man like that.

The main reason I am not a Cowboy fan, & the main reason I didn't follow the Texans for the first 4 years, was because I didn't like the "yes men" coaches that Dallas brought in after Jimmy Johnson left & Dom Capers who continued to start David Carr regardless how badly he was being protected & how poorly he performed.

My thoughts, as a head coach, you're going to get fired anyway, might as well get fired for your decisions.

So Kubiak came in, low key, but talking Super Bowl from day one & building a culture & an organization that is 100% aligned with that one thought..... I was hooked. Benching David Carr..... yelling at David Carr... I was hooked. Cutting David Carr.... yep, I'm hooked.

Nothing against David, I wanted him to succeed as much as anyone, but when you can clearly see it isn't happening, you've got to do something.

Same thing with Kubiak.. I know. But I was also impressed with the fact that every decision is not just a Kubiak decision, it's Kubiak, McNair, Smith, & Cal in that room steering this franchise.

I know, if I had a franchise, that's how I would do it. Year one, we're going to map out our plan, we're going to have one year goals, three year goals, five year goals, ten year goals & at the end of the season, we're going to sit down & find out where we are.

I don't know what those goals were, but to think we would win a Super Bowl in year three, I would have thought that was crazy talk. A good goal, but not "fire your ass if it's not done" kind of goal. & those goals would have started with where the franchise was at the time. To win as many games as we lose...... 8-8 that would have been reasonable for a 3 year goal. To win the majority of your home games, I think that would have been reasonable as well, which I think we did in 2007 & 2008.

2009, there were some good things & some bad things, we definitely fell short of a major goal... play-offs. & whether you like Gary or not, you have to admit there were several things he could have done as a coach, that would have made that happen in 2009.

2010, big time disappointment. Again, several areas where you can point to Gary Kubiak's failures.

Again, I don't know that bringing Gary back was the right answer. For me, getting to the AFC Championship game would be the proof that it was. However, I was not in that room when they laid out their goals. I was not in that room when they defined success & failure. I am not McNair.

But I know a couple of things. Before you can win a championship, you have to be playing good football. & this team is playing good football... on both sides of the ball. & that speaks a lot about the job the coaches are doing.

McNair would've brought David Carr back if Texans fans didn't pour
beer and nachos on Mrs. Carr. Bringing Kubiak back was easy
for McNair by comparison.

This season is an abberation,

Peyton getting hurt and the Jags breaking in a rookie QB will have as much to do with Garys success as anything.

BoBBy did finally spend the $$$$ to get some of the missing pieces. Kudos to BoBBy. But make no mistake BoBBy didn't fire Gary because he didn't want to pay off the remaining yrs of Garys contract. Gary is still Gary and he's living a charmed life.

6 years of suck and a few wins isn't a reason to rejoice. Once this team does something we can be happy. If we are one and done in the playoffs and go 8-8 next year does it still mean we did the right thing? um, no.

I'm a cynic on this one, but willing to give Kubiak some support. I just hope I'm not disgusted next season. Enjoying this one right now though...so don't wake me up.

steelbtexan said:

This season is anabberation,

Peyton getting hurt and the Jags breaking in a rookie QB will have as much to do with Garys success as anything.

BoBBy did finally spend the $$$$ to get some of the missing pieces. Kudos to BoBBy. But make no mistake BoBBy didn't fire Gary because he didn't want to pay off the remaining yrs of Garys contract. Gary is still Gary and he's living a charmed life.

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see, you guys tie things into this team that don't even matter. If the Texans are going to be one of the best teams it doesn't matter who else is good because the "best" teams beat the good teams. Its all about being a complete team. Jags, Colts, the price of tea in China...doesn't matter. If the Texans are good they beat good teams and compete for a playoff spot...regardless of who else is good too.

I can't say that this year the only reason the Texans are good is because the Jags are retarded and Manning is injured, that's just disingenious as hell. Has more to do with both sides of the ball actually carrying their weight this year than anything the other teams in the AFCS being good/bad.

Also, I think if Manning was playing this year they'd be 8-8 at best, they are missing a ton of people they had on their team last year when the Colts scraped by with a 10-6 record.

b0ng said:

I can't say that this year the only reason the Texans are good is because the Jags are retarded and Manning is injured, that's just disingenious as hell. Has more to do with both sides of the ball actually carrying their weight this year than anything the other teams in the AFCS being good/bad.

Also, I think if Manning was playing this year they'd be 8-8 at best, they are missing a ton of people they had on their team last year when the Colts scraped by with a 10-6 record.

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yep, the Colts would go from worst team in the league to a mediocre 8-8 unit with a top QB who salvages enough wins to get a middle class first round pick.

It's kind of ironic that the thing that will ultimately save Kubiak's job is a decision that was taken out of his control. Bum talked to Bob, and the franchise hired Wade. That has been Gary's "saving grace" this season.

And, of course, Kubiak is fortunate that his boss has the patience of a cat and loyalty of a dog. Rare traits for NFL owners these days. Hope this pays long term dividends for all of our sake.

Vinny said:

yep, the Colts would go from worst team in the league to a mediocre 8-8 unit with a top QB who salvages enough wins to get a middle class first round pick.

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And the Jags are being a typical Jaguars team this year anyway. All defense and running game. It's just that this year they decided to go ahead and let a young QB get his lumps in, where as in previous years, Garrard could actually make people pay (on occasion) for stacking the box. Their OC is really bad, and I believe it's been the same guy for awhile too.

EDIT: I will say that I was (and still would be okay with) ready for Kubes to be fired after last year. I think he's a guy that can't handle having to deal with both sides of the ball as the head man and it does show up. This year the defense is definitely making him look like a genius (especially in the running game department).

If we start winning road games though, and get a 1st round bye and make it to the AFCCG you, me, wanda down the street, and big jim across the way all know that Kubiak is getting extended.

Vinny said:

see, you guys tie things into this team that don't even matter. If the Texans are going to be one of the best teams it doesn't matter who else is good because the "best" teams beat the good teams. Its all about being a complete team. Jags, Colts, the price of tea in China...doesn't matter. If the Texans are good they beat good teams and compete for a playoff spot...regardless of who else is good too.

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Agreed

Just pointing out that Garys living a charmed life.

steelbtexan said:

This season is anabberation,

Peyton getting hurt and the Jags breaking in a rookie QB will have as much to do with Garys success as anything.

BoBBy did finally spend the $$$$ to get some of the missing pieces. Kudos to BoBBy. But make no mistake BoBBy didn't fire Gary because he didn't want to pay off the remaining yrs of Garys contract. Gary is still Gary and he's living a charmed life.

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Come on man. How trivial can you get? When the Texans are down, "they play in the same division as Manning" doesn't work as an excuse. At the same time you cannot attribute our success to the failures of other teams. I tell you what. I will give Indy Manning back if we get AJ and MW back. Manning affects us 2 games a year. We have already been missing AJ and MW for more than those two games a year. This team is finding ways to beat the teams on the schedule at less than full strength. Go back this year and most of our wins haven't been "barely" while our losses have been "almost wins". A few years ago when we were winning 8 games a season we were a few bounces of the ball away from 4 wins and from 12 wins. This year you would have to bounce a lot of balls the wrong way for us to be a 3 win team. A few balls bounce our way and we're a 7 or 8 win team so far.

Is our team perfect? No. Are we an elite team? Probably not. Are we a damn good team who has the record to prove it? Yep.

Mike

Vinny said:

yep, the Colts would go from worst team in the league to a mediocre 8-8 unit with a top QB who salvages enough wins to get a middle class first round pick.

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Disagree

How many times has Peyton finishe 8-8 of worse? His rookie yr?

Doubtful that Peyton finishes 8-8 or worse. But we will never know. One thing we know for sure is that Peyton has had great success throughout the yrs and I suspect given his track record this wouldn't have changed this yr.

This is not meant as a knock against the Texans. Wade is doing an incredible job.

steelbtexan said:

Disagree

How many times has Peyton finishe 8-8 of worse? His rookie yr?

Doubtful that Peyton finishes 8-8 or worse. But we will never know. One thing we know for sure is that Peyton has had great success throughout the yrs and I suspect given his track record this wouldn't have changed this yr.

This is not meant as a knock against the Texans. Wade is doing an incredible job.

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Your just being emo eyeore fan on this. How many times has Peyton been on an awful team? You are delusional if you think Peyton Manning on a bad team makes them a good team. This ain't basketball where one guy can carry an entire team. There are 22 guy on the field. A great QB can take a mediocre team and make them a credible enough team, but a great QB can't make a bad team a good team. The Colts have tons of issues. A bad defense, slow corners, poor S play, an undersized unit with bad DT's, a bad offensive line, awful game day coaches. Its a mess up there.

steelbtexan said:

Disagree

How many times has Peyton finishe 8-8 of worse? His rookie yr?

Doubtful that Peyton finishes 8-8 or worse. But we will never know. One thing we know for sure is that Peyton has had great success throughout the yrs and I suspect given his track record this wouldn't have changed this yr.

This is not meant as a knock against the Texans. Wade is doing an incredible job.

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Even with Peyton Indy is a .500 team. He is a miracle worker. It would be a miracle to get them to .500. Their OL is terrible, their RBs are terrible. Last year they went 10-6. Do you think they are better this year? They have drafted poorly for the last 4 or 5 years, a Colts fan will tell you that. They have missed on the OL, LB, DB... Without Manning last year they were a 4 win team at best. They can't get out and jump on people anymore like they could when they had a very solid OL, Harrison, Pollard, Clark Wayne was their #2 and even stokely was a hoss. Since they can't force you to pass their defense is just plan awful against the run.

Mike

Vinny said:

6 years of suck and a few wins isn't a reason to rejoice. Once this team does something we can be happy. If we are one and done in the playoffs and go 8-8 next year does it still mean we did the right thing? um, no.

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Agree.

steelbtexan said:

This season is an abberation,

Peyton getting hurt and the Jags breaking in a rookie QB will have as much to do with Garys success as anything.

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If that were the case, We would be 6-0 in our division games & 2-8 outside the division like last years Raiders. We've beat Miami, Pittsburgh, Cleveland outside our division, lost to New Orleans, Baltimore, & Oakland outside our division..... 3-3. Not great, but it could be worse.

We've got 7 games left, 4 outside our division; Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Cincinnati. If we go 2-2 over that stretch & sweep our division, we finish the year 11-5.

Our schedule has been easy.... maybe. The Steelers are looking like a good team now. New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati will all probably finish with a winning record. So while we've caught some breaks, our schedule isn't that easy.

2 long responses, the answer is never.

Peyton is a HOF QB who allowed the Colts to get the Jump on their opponets. I suspect he would've continued to play the way he always has and this would'vre continued. You cant do this with Painter/Collins. This exposed the othe faults with the Colts defense. It's much easier to play defense 10-14 pts ahead. Which was the case most of the time when Peyton was playing.

Having Peyton on the sideline gave his teammates cofidence they could win any game. That's half the battle in most games and it's what the Colts dont have this yr.

HOF QB's tend to give their team tremendous amounts of confidence and it raises the bar for the team as a whole.

steelbtexan said:

Disagree

How many times has Peyton finishe 8-8 of worse? His rookie yr?

Doubtful that Peyton finishes 8-8 or worse. But we will never know. One thing we know for sure is that Peyton has had great success throughout the yrs and I suspect given his track record this wouldn't have changed this yr.

This is not meant as a knock against the Texans. Wade is doing an incredible job.

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I mean Bullitt is gone, and he was Sanders's replacement who wasn't bad. Hayden is gone. Sessions is gone, Brackett is gone. It's tough to tell is Moala is worse than Muir. That's just their defense.

Their O-line is a mess as well, especially with run blocking (of course, when has that never been the case), and about the only thing good about their line is Jeff Saturday and their rookie LT hasn't been a total disaster. Last season you could start to see them decline, and there's nothing to suggest that even another year older Manning could will this team to a playoff spot again. And I can garuntee that Houston would've won their first game against the Colts this year with or without Manning.

thunderkyss said:

Agree.



If that were the case, We would be 6-0 in our division games & 2-8 outside the division like last years Raiders. We've beat Miami, Pittsburgh, Cleveland outside our division, lost to New Orleans, Baltimore, & Oakland outside our division..... 3-3. Not great, but it could be worse.

We've got 7 games left, 4 outside our division; Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Cincinnati. If we go 2-2 over that stretch & sweep our division, we finish the year 11-5.

Our schedule has been easy.... maybe. The Steelers are looking like a good team now. New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati will all probably finish with a winning record. So while we've caught some breaks, our schedule isn't that easy.

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This is the key to the Texans making the playoffs this yr. (Which tey are finally going to accomplish) Splitting non division games and sweeping division games. I see the Texans Tampa and Carolina and losing to Atlanta and Cincy. When they sweep the division that puts them at 10-6. Which is good enough to win the pitiful AFC South.

This isn't bashing the Texans. I'm proud of what they have accomplished this yr. I just dont believe in crownin BoBBy as being a great owner. Or Gary as finally getting it. Luck has played a big part in the Texans making the playoffs for the 1st time in a decade.

BTW, I would rather be lucky than good anyday and twice on Sunday. The good people keep talking/complaining about how lucky you are. Meanwhile you just keep on winning. I like it this way. But I also acknoledge it is what it is.

Vinny said:

6 years of suck and a few wins isn't a reason to rejoice. Once this team does something we can be happy. If we are one and done in the playoffs and go 8-8 next year does it still mean we did the right thing? um, no.

I'm a cynic on this one, but willing to give Kubiak some support. I just hope I'm not disgusted next season. Enjoying this one right now though...so don't wake me up.

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really?

cos you're first paragraph would suggest otherwise...

how/why are you cynical? are we not playing great offence & defence RIGHT NOW without some of our best players? why worry what happens next season etc down the road? do what you say you're doing and enjoy the moment now

i said it at the time but dont mind saying it again- props to mcnair for ignoring the easy popular decision and making what has been a great decision so far

steelbtexan said:

This isn't bashing the Texans. I'm proud of what they have accomplished this yr. I just dont believe in crownin BoBBy as being a great owner. Or Gary as finally getting it. Luck has played a big part in the Texans making the playoffs for the 1st time in a decade.

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10-6 won it last year & we didn't....

Just for the record, I am not saying that Gary finally got it. I am also not saying that Bob is a great owner. I said I respect Bob for doing what he thought was right & Gary has to get this team to the AFCCG for me to believe he deserves to continue as the head coach of the Houston Texans.

Y'all better hope to hell that McNair doesn't ever fire Gary.

Because then he'd make Wade the head coach.

Hint: What do Wade Phillips and Dom Capers have in common?

Marcus said:

Y'all better hope to hell that McNair doesn't ever fire Gary.

Because then he'd make Wade the head coach.

Hint: What do Wade Phillips and Dom Capers have in common?

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I don't have a problem with Wade as a head coach, I think he's got a winning record & play-off experience as a head coach..... don't hold that circus in North Texas against him.

That said, I thought he said (I'll have to find it) that he doesn't care to be a HC anymore. Hopefully he'll be our DC for years & years & years...

Like after Kevin Sumlin becomes our HC

Marcus said:

Y'all better hope to hell that McNair doesn't ever fire Gary.

Because then he'd make Wade the head coach.

Hint: What do Wade Phillips and Dom Capers have in common?

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Don't be silly. He's never firing Gary. One trip to the playoffs means a lifetime extension for the head coach.

The kids can only play who is in front of them. even if it is a manningless colts.

they are doing what they have to do and winning games that they are supposed to win (so far)

hell, what next? put an * by their record because of what has happened to the AFC South this year?

I don't believe in strength of Schedule, because a team makes it what it is with each win/loss

This is him watching a field goal

steelbtexan said:

Disagree

How many times has Peyton finishe 8-8 of worse? His rookie yr?

Doubtful that Peyton finishes 8-8 or worse. But we will never know. One thing we know for sure is that Peyton has had great success throughout the yrs and I suspect given his track record this wouldn't have changed this yr.

This is not meant as a knock against the Texans. Wade is doing an incredible job.

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There's a few things that indicate to me that an 8-8 or worse season was entirely possible even with Peyton in the lineup.

First is the fact that one year ago, they went 10-6. To suggest a team who dropped from 14 wins to 10 wins could very possibly drop to 8 wins in the next season doesn't seem to be a stretch to me at all - I mean it's only a decrease of two games.

Next, consider the realities that Reggie Wayne will be turning 33 years old this season, Dallas Clark is 32 (and coming off of a significant injury), and the starting offensive line includes two second year UDFA's who had a combined 4 starts coming into the 2011 season and a rookie at LT. Throw in the fact that their two best defensive players both rely on speed and quickness to rush the passer, and both of them are now in their '30's.

Finally, when you add the fact that if he were on the field, Peyton would be playing the first season of his NFL career that he didn't have Tom Moore there for him, there's no way I believe that an 8-8 or worse record for the Colts wouldn't be realistic even if Peyton were there.

ChampionTexan said:

There's a few things that indicate to me that an 8-8 or worse season was entirely possible even with Peyton in the lineup.

First is the fact that one year ago, they went 10-6. To suggest a team who dropped from 14 wins to 10 wins could very possibly drop to 8 wins in the next season doesn't seem to be a stretch to me at all - I mean it's only a decrease of two games.

Next, consider the realities that Reggie Wayne will be turning 33 years old this season, Dallas Clark is 32 (and coming off of a significant injury), and the starting offensive line includes two second year UDFA's who had a combined 4 starts coming into the 2011 season and a rookie at LT. Throw in the fact that their two best defensive players both rely on speed and quickness to rush the passer, and both of them are now in their '30's.

Finally, when you add the fact that if he were on the field, Peyton would be playing the first season of his NFL career that he didn't have Tom Moore there for him, there's no way I believe that an 8-8 or worse record for the Colts wouldn't be realistic even if Peyton were there.

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Seems logical to me.

But fortunately we will never know.

Is it possible to learn how to be a good head coach?

I ask that because Gary's still here and Gary isn't going anywhere. We can all put that out of our minds right now. Gary will be here this year. He'll be here next year. He'll be here for the foreseeable future.

I said many times that Bob McNair is looking for the Holy Grail of coaches. He wants Tom Landry. Tom Landry coached for 5 years before he made it to .500 and he didn't break .500 until his 7th season. What followed is common knowledge but lets look at it again. 17 trips to the playoffs in 18 years and 20 straight winning seasons. 5 trips to the Super Bowl with two titles.

That's what Bob McNair wants. If he's trying to follow anyone's example it's that of the Cowboys (and to a large extent the Steelers as has been widely documented). What he wants is a genuine old-school "Dynasty" led by a coach who is literally a symbol of the team he leads. Tom Landry, Don Shula, Chuck Noll. That's the coach he wants.

He thinks that man is Gary Kubiak.

So I ask again, is it possible for a coach like Gary to learn how to be a great head coach? Did Landry have "it" from day one? Why did Dallas & Landry suck for 5-6 years and then suddenly become great? Nobody gives coaches 6 years to get it done in today's world. Maybe every once in a while somebody gets that long to get it but mostly you either miracle up some wins by the end of your second season or you enter your third a dead man walking. It's a different time now, a different league. Hell it's even a different sport in many ways. Still the parallels are there. A highly regarded assistant takes over a team starting with almost nothing and is given an extraordinary amount of time to make it work.

Is Gary Kubiak the next Tom Landry?

I think it unlikely but I think this is what Bob believes. He's got a lot of time invested in Gary Kubiak learning how to be an NFL head coach. He's not going to let Gary take that somewhere else and become the next Bill Belichick or the next Tom Landry.

Hervoyel said:

He thinks that man is Gary Kubiak.

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We have no clue what McNair thinks.

speculating to the extent you have isn't healthy.


If you had the ability to chose to be the next head coach of the San Diego Chargers, or the Miami Dolphins, which team would you chose?






Why?

Hervoyel said:

Is it possible to learn how to be a good head coach?

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Yes. I think it is.

I think Kubiak has improved over the years.

You just have to be willing and able to learn from your mistakes.

Hervoyel said:

Is it possible to learn how to be a good head coach?

I ask that because Gary's still here and Gary isn't going anywhere. We can all put that out of our minds right now. Gary will be here this year. He'll be here next year. He'll be here for the foreseeable future.

I said many times that Bob McNair is looking for the Holy Grail of coaches. He wants Tom Landry. Tom Landry coached for 5 years before he made it to .500 and he didn't break .500 until his 7th season. What followed is common knowledge but lets look at it again. 17 trips to the playoffs in 18 years and 20 straight winning seasons. 5 trips to the Super Bowl with two titles.

That's what Bob McNair wants. If he's trying to follow anyone's example it's that of the Cowboys (and to a large extent the Steelers as has been widely documented). What he wants is a genuine old-school "Dynasty" led by a coach who is literally a symbol of the team he leads. Tom Landry, Don Shula, Chuck Noll. That's the coach he wants.

He thinks that man is Gary Kubiak.

So I ask again, is it possible for a coach like Gary to learn how to be a great head coach? Did Landry have "it" from day one? Why did Dallas & Landry suck for 5-6 years and then suddenly become great? Nobody gives coaches 6 years to get it done in today's world. Maybe every once in a while somebody gets that long to get it but mostly you either miracle up some wins by the end of your second season or you enter your third a dead man walking. It's a different time now, a different league. Hell it's even a different sport in many ways. Still the parallels are there. A highly regarded assistant takes over a team starting with almost nothing and is given an extraordinary amount of time to make it work.

Is Gary Kubiak the next Tom Landry?

I think it unlikely but I think this is what Bob believes. He's got a lot of time invested in Gary Kubiak learning how to be an NFL head coach. He's not going to let Gary take that somewhere else and become the next Bill Belichick or the next Tom Landry.

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We're screwed.

Landy or Belichick? LOL

More like Ed Biles or Hugh Campbell.

The Pencil Neck said:

Yes. I think it is.

I think Kubiak has improved over the years.

You just have to be willing and able to learn from your mistakes.

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He has improved, he hired Wade instead of another Dick Smith or Skank Bush.

What's Garys record in replay challenges? He got one right last week, so that is improvement.

Thanks BoBBY

steelbtexan said:

He has improved, he hired Wade instead of another Dick Smith or Skank Bush.

What's Garys record in replay challenges? He got one right last week, so that is improvement.

Thanks BoBBY

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Again: Let's not kid ourselves into thinking Wade was a Kubiak hire. No way. Bob hired him.

thunderkyss said:

We have no clue what McNair thinks.

speculating to the extent you have isn't healthy.


If you had the ability to chose to be the next head coach of the San Diego Chargers, or the Miami Dolphins, which team would you chose?






Why?

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This is easy - Chargers.
1. Weaker division. Which means more possibility of success in the short term. See this year's Niners. Harbaugh is no miracle worker, he's in a division with practically six automatic wins given the talent (Gore, Willis, Vernon Davis, three 1st rd guys on their O-line).

2. Better offensive personnel. Rivers is a talented QB that has occasional spaz moments. But overall, he's pretty good and no one will ever accuse him of not being intense. Then there's Gates, a good set of WRs in V. Jackson, Floyd, and Clayton, a good RB in Matthews.

3. Defense is not that far away from being good. The secondary has talent but they lack a pass rush. And Wade has shown that with smart drafting and a couple of targeted F/A pickups that could improve. If they could find their own version of Wade Phillips to shore up that D, they'd be hell on wheels.

4. Don't have to face Brady twice a year. ...or Rex's defense ...or the improving Bills

5. Southern Cali weather. Now South Beach is cool and all, but I'll take San Diego; it's not in hurricane alley.

Double Barrel said:

It's kind of ironic that the thing that will ultimately save Kubiak's job is a decision that was taken out of his control. Bum talked to Bob, and the franchise hired Wade. That has been Gary's "saving grace" this season.

And, of course, Kubiak is fortunate that his boss has the patience of a cat and loyalty of a dog. Rare traits for NFL owners these days. Hope this pays long term dividends for all of our sake.

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The defense has been fantastic this season , no doubt ..... but the offense is top notch too.

Also - the personel upgrades made on the defense cant be overlooked .... those who preceded Wade didnt have the luxury of the quality of players he's had ..... even despite the injury situation.

Corrosion said:

The defense has been fantastic this season , no doubt ..... but the offense is top notch too.

Also - the personel upgrades made on the defense cant be overlooked .... those who preceded Wade didnt have the luxury of the quality of players he's had ..... even despite the injury situation.

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The offense has been top ten, if a little unbalanced. I'm OK with that. Considering the level of defenses the Texans have faced, and AJ's injury, a top 10 offense is a good showing.

You can't dismiss Phillips' influence over the personnel upgrades, either. It has been acknowledged that Wade gave Smith a list of players to work from in the draft. To his credit, Smith came away with 5 of them. And it is unlikely that Smith made a move in free agency without consulting Wade. Phillips' fingerprints are all over this offseason. Do the math. The one difference between 2011 and the previous 5 years under Smithiak is Wade Phillips.

Hervoyel said:

Is Gary Kubiak the next Tom Landry?

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No one is the next Landry since he was a innovator on offense and defense. Kubiak is one sided.

However, I liked the idea of Kubiak as being the guy for a long time, and still like the idea. Add the son of Bum, a need, looking to salvage his career from the other Texan team, and we've got a Houston story.

I enjoy the way the season is playing out for the Texans, but it is all Phillips

thunderkyss said:

We have no clue what McNair thinks.

speculating to the extent you have isn't healthy.


If you had the ability to chose to be the next head coach of the San Diego Chargers, or the Miami Dolphins, which team would you chose?






Why?

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We absolutely do have a clue what McNair thinks. He gives interviews and speaks to the media regularly. He is a public figure and his actions and decisions are easy to follow.

It's just speculation. I don't think it's either healthy or unhealthy. It just "is". For some reason i was under the impression this was the place to do that. Maybe it was all the SPECULATION everywhere.

Hervoyel said:

So I ask again, is it possible for a coach like Gary to learn how to be a great head coach? Did Landry have "it" from day one?

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Kaiser Toro said:

No one is the next Landry since he was a innovator on offense and defense. Kubiak is one sided.

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Well KT answers Herv although I suspect unintentionally. Landry was a pure D guy when he started. He was a true innovator there and then as head coach became an offensive guru as well. He had a lot of bumps along the road. I adore Landry but c'mon switching QB's each play is far more brain dead than anything Kubiak has pulled. Having said that I think Kubiak has learned to rely on a good DC like Wade rather than trying to learn it and scheme it himself as Landry did. Landry was a one off.

infantrycak said:

Well KT answers Herv although I suspect unintentionally. Landry was a pure D guy when he started. He was a true innovator there and then as head coach became an offensive guru as well. He had a lot of bumps along the road. I adore Landry but c'mon switching QB's each play is far more brain dead than anything Kubiak has pulled. Having said that I think Kubiak has learned to rely on a good DC like Wade rather than trying to learn it and scheme it himself as Landry did. Landry was a one off.

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Wasn't Bellichick a defensive guy? & now he is just as involved on offense as he is on defense.

thunderkyss said:

Wasn't Bellichick a defensive guy? & now he is just as involved on offense as he is on defense.

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Belichick is good an all but he is no Landry. Landry created the 4-3 then made a variation on it in the flex defense (basically a zone rushing defense in anticipation of facing Lombardi inspired running games). Then he went on to the shifting offensive line, heavy use of the shotgun, etc. Yes Belichick knows both sides of the ball. He hasn't innovated both sides of the ball. Zone defense was created as a response to the Landry Cowboys. Landry was a great player and brilliant coach (and still made mistakes).

Landry was a football genius. There will never be another one like him. While I have never been a Cowboys fan, I have the utmost respect for Tom Landry. And while Lombardi is a HoF coach in his own right, I think it could be argued that the the Super Bowl trophy should be the Landry Award for the impact he had on the game. (Not knocking Lombardi in any way, one of my favorites, but I just have that much respect for Landry. fyi, remember Lombardi used Landry's defensive scheme during his entire tenure in Green Bay. They were good friends.)

It's a almost sacrilege to bring Kubiak into a Landry conversation. At this point, it's like talking David Carr in a Joe Montana conversation. Kubiak has earned nothing worthy to even be thought of in the same vein outside of both being head coaches and having owners that are very loyal and patient.

Although, as a Texans fan, I certainly hope that kind of comparison is valid one day.

Double Barrel said:

Landry was a football genius. There will never be another one like him. While I have never been a Cowboys fan, I have the utmost respect for Tom Landry. And while Lombardi is a HoF coach in his own right, I think it could be argued that the the Super Bowl trophy should be the Landry Award for the impact he had on the game. (Not knocking Lombardi in any way, one of my favorites, but I just have that much respect for Landry. fyi, remember Lombardi used Landry's defensive scheme during his entire tenure in Green Bay. They were good friends.)

It's a almost sacrilege to bring Kubiak into a Landry conversation. At this point, it's like talking David Carr in a Joe Montana conversation. Kubiak has earned nothing worthy to even be thought of in the same vein outside of both being head coaches and having owners that are very loyal and patient.

Although, as a Texans fan, I certainly hope that kind of comparison is valid one day.

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What kills me is that they were coordinators together for the Giants in the 50's: Vince coached Offense, Landry coached Defense. Think about the football brainpower on that freaking team.

"Landry's Boys" is a great book, I highly recommend it!