An interesting article: Texans cant adjust?

[Grid]

I found this article interesting.. thought id share it.

Texans cant adjust?

 

[Diehardtexan]

Good write up, thanx Grid

 

[Ibar_Harry]

What is amazing is that this is what a lot of us have been saying and it simply states the obvious when you think what happens with the Texans in the 2nd half. Perhaps I'm over stating things, but I don't think so. Basically, I think Capers writes a script and refuses to adjust. Its like war fare. If you are getting the H kicked out of you, you don't continue to do the same thing if you can help it. We get tunnel vision and it leads to a 2nd half loss. Its an indication of an inability to think on your feet and under pressure. Its like taking notes while the game is going on rather than focusing on the game at hand. Oh, I also think the other teams have picked up on this tendency. Capers even said that even though a couple of the turnovers where around the 50, that SD went on to score rather quickly. That has to be a recognition that we have a problem defensively and I think he refuses to admit it.

 

[OzzO]

It was pretty obvious from where I was sitting that Wade had made some major halftime adjustments which stifled the Texans.

It's gonna be nice when we can say that. As for later in the article when it was stated

As it turned out, Schottenheimer had told San Diego writers that the team made no adjustments at halftime. They knew what he said was bogus, because Charger defensive back Quentin Jammer told them adjustments were made. But they couldn't get to Wade for confirmation.

Uhh... yeah. Teams never make adjustments at halftime. That's why all there is all those come from behind victories, talking heads saying what needs to change in the second half, etc....

 

[Lucky]

Grid, thanks for finding the article. However, the piece is out of the Port Arthur News, not San Diego.

Great little tidbit about Bud not paying his coaches during the playoffs. Can Titan fans really understand why Houston was so happy when that loser left town?

Regarding Wade Phillips defensive strategy:

Anybody who watched the game would understand why I needed to talk with Wade. His defense, after giving up 14 first downs and 259 yards the first half, limited Houston to six first downs and 77 yards the second half. The Texans managed just one first down in the fourth quarter against what had been one of the NFL's worst defensive teams the previous two years.

It was pretty obvious from where I was sitting that Wade had made some major halftime adjustments which stifled the Texans.

He confirmed that adjustments were made and that he'd purposely waited until halftime to make them. By holding off until the half, he kept Houston's coaches from having time to make counter adjustments. Based on the results, it's apparent the Texans weren't able to adjust on the fly.

You have to think that's exactly what Phillips, who never got serious consideration when he interviewed for Texans' head coaching job, anticipated.

Waiting until halftime to make planned adjustments seems pretty risky considering that the Chargers never forced a punt in the 1st half. But, they came up with those turnovers, so it worked out for him in the end.

 

[Porky]

Very intersting column on several levels. Loved the Bud stuff

However, to me, this only confirms what I have been seeing with my own eyes. Yes, the players, including Carr, bare a significant responisibility for second half nose dives, but, I have also been saying repeatedly that the Texans seem incapable of making adjustments on the fly in the second half, along with a general "try not to lose" philosphy. It will be insteresting to see if the trend continues, but if so, the heat will eventually be flelt by Capers.

 

[TexanExile]

I'm amused that the Chargers seem to have a bit of a clown act going on in their front office with the media situation. I didn't know Marty was such a control freak...always thought Tom Coughlin took the cake for that one.

SO many games last year involved fast Texans starts followed by slow, painfully eroding leads in the second half. Wonder whether it really is that we can't adjust well, or whether the team was just so new even in season 2 that we were still able to surprise some people with what we do. I tend to think that it's the former.

 

[NoBullTexan]

Good read.

I have thought for some time that Dom Capers was just too conservative. You would think over the past two years he would have learned his lesson in that regard, but it certainly explains the Texans lackluster performance against SD, especially in the second half. Are we in for more of the same sunday in Detroit. We are certainly capable of winning that game, however if Capers doesn't let loose the hounds, it will be another very long afternoon. He is an intelligent coach, surely he will have a different plan for the Lions.

 

[Ibar_Harry]

Its not that he doesn't have a good starting game plan, its that he can't adjust to the other teams adjustments. They have no 2nd plan of attack or way of adjusting to the other teams adjustments. When youre getting the H kicked out of you, you should try something different. The game is a constant chess match, but we seem to be locked into one move and only one move. That's not a very good strategy.

 

[HJam72]

Are we saying that Capers doesn't make half-time adjustments (or that they are bad ones)--OR are we saying that he doesn't make adjustments during gameplay (like during the second half)? I kind of think it's both, but the readjustments during the second half seems to be the really big problem. They don't seem to exist. He just sticks to the half-time adjustments (or maybe even the pre-game plan) all through the second half and hopes it starts working. Regardless of whatever adjustments the Texans made at half-time, they should have readjusted during the second half. What's worse, is that, through ALL of this bad adjusting or not adjusting at all, they NEVER saw fit to start blitzing on defense.

I'm only paying attention to one game here, but it's not good. Of course, the turnovers were a bigger problem, also.

 

[Grid]

To adjust I think you need to have a little more to work with. What I mean is... its all good to say "ok they are trying to set up the long routes, lets blitz em every play".. but when you cant complete a blitz and put good pressure on the QB, you just end up getting burned.

I think when things start clicking a bit more.. and we can depend on our defense and offense to be versatile.. then we will see more on the fly adjustments.

I hate to say that we are not yet to that point.. but it is possible. Maybe by midseason we will be playing more like we should be.. but we will just have to wait and see. Heck.. we may blow out detroit and go 15-1

Anywho.. as for those stats, the 3 turnovers probably had an adverse effect on those numbers. So I dunno if it was the changes SD made.. or our own mental mistakes that let SD dominate the second half

 

[RunninRaven]

I see a lot of posts where people talk about adjustments and how the Texans, Capers specifically, can't seem to make them on the fly. Does anyone have any actual examples of this, or just generalized accusations? I don't see anyone proivde scenarios when Capers didn't make an adjustment that you felt would have helped. In the Charger game, I didn't feel like the second half game plan was all that bad. The ground game had dried up, so they switched to more of an aerial attack, but that was being covered pretty well too along with the Charger pass rush getting a better push. Really San Diego just played better defense in the second half, not necessarily more strategic from what I saw.

I just wondered if anyone making these criticisms of Capers had any evidence to back these up.

 

[aj.]

I can't speak on Capers' adjustments or lack of this past Sunday, but in many cases the criticisms here are broad brush with little or no support, although there are several people here who present objective evidence and provide good solid basis for their arguments. There can be a herd mentality when it comes to the criticisms. It's much easier to criticize one failed play than it is to recall the circumstances of the other three that worked.

People who counter the criticisms are typically accused of being homers or trying to stifle opinion when in reality many are just trying to encourage intelligent debate as opposed to herd babble. In a lot of cases (and the harshest critics rarely see this), the people who counter the criticisms are not in total disagreement with the critic and are debating for the sole purpose of finding out whether the criticism is valid by trying to draw out objective information to support the critics argument. Unfortunately, most of the time the debates never reach that level of maturity because the name calling will start long before it gets to that point.

There's an old saying that goes around my workplace that applies here: "In God we trust. All others bring data."

 

[Chance_C]

I also believe that halftime adjustments were not necessarily needed. We moved up and down the field at will. I know, I know we didn't in the second half. Those pesky turnovers!!! Play calling and coaching had zilch to do with the outcome of this game IMO. Now, let's right this ship and beat the Lions!!

 

[dredge]

along with a general "try not to lose" philosphy.

The last 2 years this has been Dom's game plan by his own admission. The 1st year we just didn't have the players to compete every week. Last year, no depth and too many injuries. He said if we could stay close until the end of the game and be able to win at the end was the best strategy for the team at this time.
I haven't heard that line this year yet, and it has only been one week, but it looks like we are employing the same philosphy. We have more talent and David has matured, so let him keep the offense open more in the 4th quarter.

 

[TexanExile]

I also believe that halftime adjustments were not necessarily needed. We moved up and down the field at will. I know, I know we didn't in the second half. Those pesky turnovers!!! Play calling and coaching had zilch to do with the outcome of this game IMO. Now, let's right this ship and beat the Lions!!

Gotta disagree, Chance. If you've given up 70 yards to a freaking tight end by halftime, SOMETHING's not right. Now, the flipside to that argument was that Gates was the ONLY Charger with positive pass yards in the first half (Tomlinson caught 1 ball for -3 yards, giving the whole team 67 net yards receiving at the half), so maybe they figured they'd keep risking it...

I dunno. If it was a one-time thing, it wouldn't bug me. But this happened a lot last season--the hot start, and the slow fade until the final gun. Wish it didn't seem like such a trademark for this team.

 

[powda]

we have a reoccuring problem in the second half and specifically the 4th quarter...kinda makes me question if conditioning is as much a problem as gametime adjustments...once again a problem the coaching staff would shoulder...