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I'd rather have Gary Kubiak stumble through a few seasons that should have been playoff years if it means that we suddenly take off and become a 10-year (long term) team that is either in the playoffs, AFC championship games, divisional winner, etc.
For example: Bowlen probably had to get rid of Shanahan because that era was just so over and done with for him. He goes out and grabs a name (McDaniels) because its obvious that a coach with the Patriots will better the Broncos. Except McDaniels is a freak just like Weis is, just like Mangini is. Bowlen went and grabbed a name. Yet sometimes a head coach just stumbles upon a great formula and has some weird breaks go his way (the Tom Brady effect, which only happened because Bledsoe got hurt). I would have expected Mangini to be honest with himself after his Jets tenure, and realize that he needs to lay off the freak juice a bit...but hell nah. He's back with a vengeance. Is THAT what we want if Kubiak can't get it done? A freak show?
After the way I have seen the HC and GM gamble on a guy (Schaub) who started off weak and has come on strong--and not in the last game, mind you, but in the last 5 or 6 games in their totality, except the Oakland game which was actually a bad game for everyone--and having seen the trade down for Duane Brown and subsequent jackpot on Steve Slaton in the 3rd round, and seeing that Kubiak cut Richard Smith loose and is installing a d-coord who has the opposite philosophy of the guy before him. Having seen us grab some first round help for DeMeco, instead of trading down in a draft that was already a little weak to begin with. Well, that's how I define success.
And how was that any different that what Mcnair did when he grabbed Kubiak? It's totally the same thing. Kubiak was the "hot name" at the time in that off season and Mcnair bought in.
Was he?
Did any other team go after Kubiak?
I thought he was the hot name in Houston, as Vince Young was, as was Kolb, as was Derrick Johnson.
I could be wrong, but that was my recollection.
The Patriots were winners, winning what 4 of the last 6 super bowls, or something like that. Teams will pick apart that winning staff. I don't think Denver was in that same category when we got Kubes.
No, you should be happy. You should define your own criteria for football bliss. I will define mine.To a fan, you should be happy if your team wins at least half its games...
Or as Bobby Knight might say, "Lay back and enjoy it."If you're a fan, you have to either accept the record they give you ...
Um, no. You're confusing the coaches and the players with the team. The team is the Houston Texans. My loyalty is to the team. Not a particular coach or even a particular player. And if I feel the coaches and players are screwing the pooch, I will let anyone within earshot know about it. That doesn't mean I'm turning my back on the team. Far from it. But it also doesn't mean I have to lay back and enjoy mediocrity. I won't....or you have to turn your back on the team.
Yeah, but it doesn't mean that. All it means is that the team stumbles through a few seasons.I'd rather have Gary Kubiak stumble through a few seasons that should have been playoff years if it means that we suddenly take off...
Um, no. You're confusing the coaches and the players with the team. The team is the Houston Texans. My loyalty is to the team. Not a particular coach or even a particular player. And if I feel the coaches and players are screwing the pooch, I will let anyone within earshot know about it. That doesn't mean I'm turning my back on the team. Far from it. But it also doesn't mean I have to lay back and enjoy mediocrity. I won't.
To be fair, the harshest critics of the Texans head coach are only upset with the results of the 2008 season. That, and keeping Richard Smith too long.
IMHO, I believe Richard Smith is just a scape goat. His conservative attitude was the same conservative attitude Kubiak displayed his first two seasons with the Texans.
Our offense flourished when Kubiak took a step back, and allowed the offense to open up.
This is a big year for this franchise. The star player gets it. The head coach gets it. The owner gets it. That a portion of the fan base is in denial of the significance of the Texans 2009 season doesn't make it any less true.
Well, we have the start of a new season and one more game of evidence to look at. I still think Kubiak has some responsibility for the team on the field and that the win/loss record is important.
Has anything changed in the "slow, steady improvement/right way" or "good/great team with a bad record" theories?
Had we come out competitive, I'd say there's no hot seat.
But having witnessed this awful pattern, and thinking to myself "You don't open up the season, at home, vs. a rookie head coach and a rookie QB, like this, and get a pass."
Had we won or lost, but looked competitive, I wouldn't be leaning toward the rain cloud club. There's no way to spin things to just wave off what we're seeing.
Like I said in another thread: This is like watching the Kubiak version of David Carr's last season in Houston. The guy is just sinking in quicksand.
screw kubiak and the stupid horse he rode in on...i knew the guy wasn't gonna do anything worth a crap when he was brought in and time has proven that to be true.
You say that about every damn player and coach so you are going to be right some of the time.
I have to disagree with your example of the Raiders. They are an aberration of a football team. Everything that's wrong with that team comes from one person: Al Davis. The coaches on that team are figureheads that do his bidding, and his constant string of bad decisions has set them back a decade or two. Hear me now and believe me later.
Long-term planning is great and all, but I don't accept a long-term plan of 8-8, 7-9 or 9-7 records. A long term plan has to include tangible improvement, which I do believe we have seen on the offensive side of the ball, save for one huge, glaring issue: red zone conversion. The play calling just wasn't effective. The team seemed to move the ball well except inside the 20, then they clenched up. And a couple TDs were left on the field (and wins) with perplexing 2nd/3rd and inches calls.
The other thing that I've felt has been lacking is a toughness or nastiness on this team that translates to me as a fan as a desire to win and an attitude to get there. Maybe the players will pick up this fumble and make the team their own, but it's not coming from the top down, IMHO.
Here's what I expect to see this year that may prove me wrong in my "fire Kubes!" stance:
1. Lil' Shanny fully taking over the reigns on offensive play calling. As I recall the last game or two last year, he was going solo and there was a tangible difference in the red zone. The team seemed to flow better and the calls weren't so conservative.
2. A more aggressive defense. We have the athletes to hopefully generate a pass rush and I would love to see more blitzing. If you're scared of the secondary getting burned by blitzing, as Smith seemed to be, then you're going to get burned regardless.
3. A favorable schedule. I've looked at the schedule and I think 10 wins is not only doable, but I expect more. It is NOT a tough schedule and we're going to see two different Colts and Titans teams this year. I think the loss of Dungy and Hanesworth (respectively) is huge.
Some dings that keep me on the "Fire Kubes" bandwagon (and there's plenty of room, only a couple of us are here, sitting grumpily with our arms crossed):
1. Team personality/attitude. If someone asked me to define the Texans, I couldn't easily do it. If I see Schaub get another cheap shot and those O linemen don't retaliate, I will got batshit crazy. As should Kubes/Oline coach.
2. Preparation. There are times when the team comes out flat after wins against teams they are better than. Remember the Raiders game last year? That was like watching an old person with no teeth eat a piece of dry toast.
3. In game decision making. I keep harping on this, but Kubes hasn't shown he's advancing through that learning curve. Giving Lil' Shanny the reigns may cloak his weakness in this area.
4. His RB albatross. For the life of me, this guy loves "rode hard, put up wet" over the hill, injury-prone cast off RBs. I'm hoping one of the FAs we picked up after the draft pan out (and that they just didn't see the talent there this year to waste a pick on), but the "plug in Running Back X into ZBS" hasn't worked. We got a gem in Slaton and I love the little spark plug, but we need some legitimate "bake" to Slaton's "shake."
By no means take my "Kubes isn't doing a great job yet" stance as me wanting the team to not win in order to prove me right. I want this team to win, as my five Texans jerseys and worn-out Texans ballcap will atest. I want them to win, and I honestly think they can if Kubes improves in a couple key areas. And there's enough talent on this team to succeed in spite of him now. I'm just not sold on the "he's a good guy, we need to give him a chance" philosophy that keeps us stuck in neutral for a good year or two more than we need. Not every coaching change is a "wipe the slate clean and rebuild" situation, and turnarounds come quicker now than ever before.
Just win, baby.
Bump
Dammit Lucky!
The Texans are a much better team under Kubiac, I just don't see where anyone can argue that particular fact.
What a moron. Why does anybody listen to this guy?
What a moron. Why does anybody listen to this guy?
What a moron. Why does anybody listen to this guy?
What a moron. Why does anybody listen to this guy?
I dunno, I say he should kiss my ass!
Maybe doing that's what made him crazy in the first place.
Kissing Brakos butt will give you HIV.. (His Infectious Vista)
What a moron. Why does anybody listen to this guy?
Kissing Brakos butt will give you HIV.. (His Infectious Vista)
Sorry to bring this up TK, but I found you going 0-fer-4 on your 2009 playoff predictions rather amusing. As an update the 8 teams who have failed to make the playoffs in the 5 years Kubiak has been on the job:Arizona won't get to the play-offs in 2009. Neither will the Saints, or the Jets. I think we will.
Sorry to bring this up TK, but I found you going 0-fer-4 on your 2009 playoff predictions rather amusing. As an update the 8 teams who have failed to make the playoffs in the 5 years Kubiak has been on the job:
Buffalo
Cleveland
Oakland
Detroit
San Francisco
Denver
St. Louis (that could change on Sunday)
And...
Your Houston Texans.