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Richard Smith stinks!

devo-x said:
Who would you recommend to replace Richard Smith as DC?
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I would elevate Hoke on an interim basis, and see what he can do. Now, if it is true that Kubes is behind this week kneed softer than Charmin defense, then he should be fired if he doesn't change it. I'm tired of waiting for compentent coaches. Some of us were worried about all of the inexperience on this staff, but as usual the homers shouted us down. It's like you cannot have a contrary opinion to the homers who swallow every decision whole like it's strawberry pie. To them, the Texans have never made a bad decision, but by some miracle 53 pro-bowlers have managed to go 2-18 in their last twenty.
 
When we hired Richard Smith all I heard was that we would have a very aggressive defense. They said we may give up some big plays but we will also make some plays. Thus far I have seen nothing more than a high school level defense. Its not that we don't have any talent on the field. We just don't utilize it. More often than not, in the nfl the coaches win the games. Every team for the most part has exceptional players. It is up to the coaches to design a game plan that takes advantage of the opponents weaknesses and cover up your own weaknesses. I don't think we have the worst secondary in the league (although close) I just think we have put them in a bad situation. I almost feel sorry for the guys. They are expected to cover receivers for 5 or 6 seconds each pass play because the opponents qb has all day to pass. In order to cause turnovers and incompletions in the passing game you must pressure the qb. Our blitz packages thus far have been elementary. This is the nfl, you have to be creative to succeed. I wouldn't mind getting burnt deep on a safety blitz. Atleast we would be trying to make a play. What do we have to lose? They will either hit the big play or have a methodical drive down field. Either way, they score.
 
CowboysTexansFan said:
I agree with all of you who are calling for Smith to get fired.

Our defense was absolutely pathetic. I left with about 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter, and could only recall ONE occasion where Smith called a blitz, which forced Brunell to get rid of the ball and the Redskins to settle for a field goal.
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He should of been fired this morning after the game.........

Where is this guy, :hides: he never comes to the camera's to expalin the 70 plus points put up on our team in two games....I at least give Charlie credit for coming to the reporters, and showing his face.....but Rick :hides: where is he.....Mcnair has to be having a one legged a _ _ kicking contest right now with himself after watching two teams in two weeks have thier way with us
 
Bobo said:
He isn't the one who called a timeout for an extra point, call for a running play into the middle when the team was down by 24 points in the fourth quarter or flit away the time when the team was within 16 in the last stanza. He was Kubiak's choice. The person who should be blamed is obvious.
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We actually called a time out on the 2nd touchdown to get set up for the 2-point conversion attempt and to get the correct people on the field. This was the right way to burn a timeout IMO because if successful (and it was) we would need only two scores (with 2 point conversions) to tie vs 3.
 
i think the texans need to bring in the defensive coordinator of the TC williams high school team from "remember the titans"

we are the texans (we are the texans)...the mighty mighty texans!
 
We need to start blitzing. The zone isn't working. I'm aware that blitzing might cause us to give up some big pass plays, but we're already giving up big pass plays.
 
As someone who appreciated what Richard Smith brought to Houston football back with the Oilers (special teams 88-92; tight ends 88-91; asst offensive line 92), I loved Smith's agressiveness. It almost singlehandedly gave the Oilers personality. This aggressiveness has been all but missing this go around. I think it's for one of two reasons. First, I personally think Kubiak has reigned him in. Probably said, play conservative and just keep us in games and the offense will win the games. If this is the case, this approach clearly isn't working and Kubiak needs to suck it up and turn finally Smith loose. Second, Smith is worried about looking good in his first solo defensive coordinator gig (wasn't he co-coordinator in Miami last year) and playing it safe. If this is the case, I would fly in Jerry Glanville (the man who unleashed the monster in Smith back in the 80's) for a little one-on-one, get back to your roots speech. Also, the Oilers turned things around in the late 1980's when they brought in a role player (Eugene Seale - former Marine) to shake things up and help give the special teams and defense a personality. The Texans clearly don't have this. They need to find a blue collar hero who is working for UPS or something to come in and shake up the high priced, highly drafted prima donnas and give them a "take no prisoners" approach. Until we have someone with a killer instinct mentality on the defense, we'll continue to settle for an early lead in games and then roll over and be road kill in the second and third quarters. Just my two cents.
 
humbleone said:
We actually called a time out on the 2nd touchdown to get set up for the 2-point conversion attempt and to get the correct people on the field. This was the right way to burn a timeout IMO because if successful (and it was) we would need only two scores (with 2 point conversions) to tie vs 3.
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Yeah, but they should have already had it in their minds they were going to go for 2. Basic math..... we were down by 24 points. What's 24 divided by 3? Anyone? 8...which means we had no choice but to go for the 2 point conversion if we wanted to tie the game up. JMHO
 
I have to say something thats been bugging me Smith sucks!!!

I remember when Richard Smith:boxing: said this defense is supposed to be in your face, smash mouth, aggressive style of defense. I have yet to see it a aggressive or smash mouth. I don't think the defense has any (pardon my french) balls out there. I don't see them hitting any one, all I see is them missing tackles, giving up big plays all the time. The front 4 I thought was going to be a huge factor and the best the team has had since the 2002 season. They look lost out there!! Mario Williams?!? I was a huge advocate in the Texans drafting him instead of Reggie Bush, but after see him in the game yesterday he looks the worst. Yes, I know he is getting doubled teamed most of the time, but when he is not he doesn't know where is on the field. Mario has the physical ability to beat anyone and he is fast, but he doesn't know where he is or where the play is going most of the time. I hope to football gods that he proves me wrong as the season goes but if not this is going to set the Texans back a couple of years on defense. The linebackers are not playing that bad at all. Greenwood and Ryans are playing pretty good. Orr is not playing like he was last year. I hope Wong is 100 percent because we really miss him on defense. The corners and safteies need to start making plays!!! They need to start lighting up the recievers when they catch the ball. The corners need to be up on the line of scrimmage beating up the recievers and pushing them off there routes or make them change in there 5 yard cushion that they are allowed. Brown and Earl need to start making the wideouts pay and think twice about catching a ball in their area. They need to start taking chances and being aggressive on defense. The offense is not playing that bad but they do need a running game. I think they might have made a mistake and trading Morency but again that my opinion (and everyone knows what opinions are). Some MIGHT agree with me and some MIGHT think I am stupid for posting this and say what do I know about football.

Prediction for the season 8-8 (which includes wins with Dallas, Indy, Jacksonville, & Titans)


Laters,

Al (Texan for Life)
 
black00ls1 said:
...They look lost out there!! Mario Williams?!? I was a huge advocate in the Texans drafting him instead of Reggie Bush, but after see him in the game yesterday he looks the worst. Yes, I know he is getting doubled teamed most of the time...
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:pigfly:

He is not getting doubled "most of the time"...Sometimes, rarely... words that better fit...

I don't know where or why these exscuses have started surfacing...

But they need to stop....

He just isn't a very good football player right now...period....:twocents:
 
I remember being warned - "we're going to be an aggressive defense - so we will give up some big plays, but we'll make big plays." I was warned, and I was ready.

I'm still ready.

Seriously, after Brunell's performance in the first two games, I expected to see an all-out assault on him by the Texans D. And now they have the same opportunity against Culpepper this week. Are we going to see a difference in scheming Sunday? And if not, then maybe someone needs to have a come to Jesus meeting with Richard Smith.
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
:pigfly:

He is not getting doubled "most of the time"...Sometimes, rarely... words that better fit...

I don't know where or why these exscuses have started surfacing...

But they need to stop....

He just isn't a very good football player right now...period....:twocents:
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I agree 100%. I specifically kept Mario in my binoculars EVERY play he was on the field, and he rarely got doubled. He was getting owned by everyone, including a TE that blocked him and went on to catch a pass for a gain.

Another time Williams was actually picked up by an o-lineman, and for a sec his feet dangled as he was trying to run but couldn't touch the ground. It was have been funny...if not for the fact that it's so sad.

At what point should we be seeing flashes of game from this guy? I mean, I've given him the benefit of the doubt, but he's just not showing even the slightest glimpse of greatness.

ps. I agree with the takes on Richard Smith. Dude has got to go!
 
If they don't test Dunte's rebuilt knee by blitzing the ever-loving GOD out of him next week, they should just tell QB's to come and have career games against us every week.

When Peek is healthy just line him up at OLB and blitz him every play.

Ity would be better then anything we have done as of yet on the D-line
 
Excuses from Super Mario?

(on defense’s lack of pressure on QB Mark Brunell) “He was throwing the ball quickly for one thing, and I was getting double and triple-teamed. They were using play action pass with a tight end and a tackle blocking me. As a unit, though we still have to make strides to get better and get back there to disrupt the play.”

http://houstontexans.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=2914&section=N Latest News



Brunell had all day to throw. I thought he was being paid a gazillion dollas to get past the tackle and tight end. I was at the game, I don't think he was double teamed a lot.


Bad excuses if you ask me.
 
MightyTExan said:
Excuses from Super Mario?

(on defense’s lack of pressure on QB Mark Brunell) “He was throwing the ball quickly for one thing, and I was getting double and triple-teamed. They were using play action pass with a tight end and a tackle blocking me. As a unit, though we still have to make strides to get better and get back there to disrupt the play.”

http://houstontexans.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=2914&section=N Latest News



Brunell had all day to throw. I thought he was being paid a gazillion dollas to get past the tackle and tight end. I was at the game, I don't think he was double teamed a lot.


Bad excuses if you ask me.
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I read that quote earlier and if someone didn't post it I was going to in this thread. If you guys said you were watching him and he wasn't being doubled/trippled teamed....why isn't someone calling him on his lame excuses? I don't expect him to get a sack every down, but the guy plays like he's 125 lbs soaking wet, not like a 6'7" 295 lbs S.O.B.! I don't know, I'm 6'3" and about 235 and I think I could tie up an offensive linemen. I am not saying I can shuck him off and make a play, but I can tie him up for the play and that's all Mario seems to be doing at this point. I did see the play where he got handed his jock by the TE from Washington...embarassing IMO. :tease:
 
I love how the man who coaches one of the worse groups of player on the team is the one who gets the most love. Look Dunte best year was his rookie year, he has gone backwards. We were unable to do anything with McCree, the current safety's are playing horrible ball.

And what is the one constant, Hoke. And you guys want to make him the DC?

I would rather see Johnny Holland.
 
Tulip said:
I remember being warned - "we're going to be an aggressive defense - so we will give up some big plays, but we'll make big plays." I was warned, and I was ready.

I'm still ready.

Seriously, after Brunell's performance in the first two games, I expected to see an all-out assault on him by the Texans D. And now they have the same opportunity against Culpepper this week. Are we going to see a difference in scheming Sunday? And if not, then maybe someone needs to have a come to Jesus meeting with Richard Smith.
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My sentiments exactly. I was fully prepared to get burned on occassion deep because we were being aggressive, but I hate this dang passive BS on defense. We have seen it for at least the last two years (first couple of years we played better defense) and it has not worked and just majorly sucks.
 
I also see a D coordinator who can't trust his players. It looks like we're running a very vanilla defense against the redskins, and quite frankly why not? We tried blitzing the Eagles and they picked it up with ease every time. But I definitely think most of the blame has to be on the players. They just aren't getting it done. I hadn't heard any D player that doesn't like Richard Smith. I've only heard that they're upset that they let him down.
 
i put my blame chip on the players. there was a lot of missed tackles, blown coverages, and it just seems the texans' safties can't get back deep. i guess the main question is, defensively; were the texans better last year or this year?
 
Screw it lets get really crazy and bring old krusty Buddy Ryan to rebuild the defense and bring The House of Pain back to houston like he did with the Oilers!!!
 
blussigsmacknewsmallkbex7.gif

Self Smack helps easy the pain.
 
Superstar said:
I still can not believe kubes said there will be no personell changes right now or ever. So if the defense continues to struggle we still keep richard smith? Well once the fans stop comming then what?:cowboy1:
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We don't have any reasonable alternatives in 2006. I am not sure how excited they were to just have Richard Smith because he wasn't their first choice, but at least they must have thought that he would be an okay placeholder until they could get the guy they really wanted.

As a practical matter, there ain't no candidates on staff to replace Smith in 2006. He is just gonna have to get it together.

For more information, please check out my most recent fanblog post: Link

It has info on the key defensive coach positions and what happened when trying to hire for the position.
 
Texans_Chick said:
We don't have any reasonable alternatives in 2006. I am not sure how excited they were to just have Richard Smith because he wasn't their first choice, but at least they must have thought that he would be an okay placeholder until they could get the guy they really wanted.

As a practical matter, there ain't no candidates on staff to replace Smith in 2006. He is just gonna have to get it together.
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This says it all. We have no choice but to ride the storm. If nothing is done by the end of the season, then it becomes a fan's choice...
 
Richard Smith doesn't seem to be the problem to me. You can't scheme with safeties who CANT cover and a Dline that CANT get pressure. What do you do, blitz a few linebackers? Then your pretty much guaranteed a 20+ yard gain. So then what do you do, leave all your guys out in a cover 2 or 3 situation? Well that isn't working either as we can't get any pressure and our coverage falls apart. Most of these people bashing Richard Smith do NOT know football and/or they are looking for someone to blame.
 
Hire David Carrs wife...She watches her husband take the bulk of every defense so I bet could tell us exactly how to do it!
 
TexansSeminole said:
Richard Smith doesn't seem to be the problem to me. You can't scheme with safeties who CANT cover and a Dline that CANT get pressure. What do you do, blitz a few linebackers? Then your pretty much guaranteed a 20+ yard gain. So then what do you do, leave all your guys out in a cover 2 or 3 situation? Well that isn't working either as we can't get any pressure and our coverage falls apart. Most of these people bashing Richard Smith do NOT know football and/or they are looking for someone to blame.
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500 yards a game roughly for three games. 500?!!!

There have been all sorts of teams with all sorts of deficits at positions, and I submit, worse talent than the Texans have, and have not averaged 500 freaking yards a game allowed.

400 yards allowed will get you fired. 500 yards gets you tarred, feathered and hung in fiery effigy after having rocks thrown at you and beer spilled on your pregnant wife. (yes, that is hyperbole, don't really do that).

I am just about the last person on the MB to want to finger point at anyone or get overly alarmed about stuff and fly off the handle, and I am generally a pretty patient, reasonable person, and I realize that we don't have the bestest talent on the team on defense and are learning a new defense, but please you tell me how 500 yards a game is not a deficiency in the defensive coaching?

It is as bad watching this defense as it was watching Pendry's offense last year. Maybe worse. And that is saying a lot.
 
what is sad is that we knew Defense was our weak point coming into the season. So we draft D in the first two rounds which I supported big time, and we bought in good players, ex Weaver.

I know injuries hurt us, but they hurt every team

There is no way that after everything we did in the off-season that we should be a worst Defense as a result.
 
I actually believe the defense we have seen so far this year is the worst I have ever seen (and I am 51 years old). I was sitting there Sunday in stunned disbelief at just how non-competitive we were. The only D-guy I saw show up and play Sunday was Drob.

Anyway, you are spot on T-chic and I will add that I have now had my first major disappointment with Kubiak (who I believe in btw).

First: It was only 3 weeks ago that he said that "Mario was smart and able to handle the mental part of playing multiple positions". Then, starting with the Colts and again Sunday, they left him at end almost exclusively where IMO he should have been all along. The disappointment is why not say something like "well check back with me on Mario after we have played him in the same position for a while"...in other words take some of the "heat" for him and then rip him privately if that is what you think you need to do. In any event, I am surprised that Kubiak did not take more of the blame for his progress so far.

Second: I was disappointed to hear the "blitzing more is not the answer blah blah blah". It does not matter to me one bit that long term he is right of course that this Dline should/needs to create its own pressure in opposing backfields. He has an offense built around the concept of taking what the defense will give in order to move the chains and put together consistent scoring drives. I am disappointed that he seems relunctant to push that same logic on his D...if blitzing is the only way to get it done right now, then we should take that option IMO.

Third: I am disappointed that Richard Smith has not been fired and that Kubiak asked him "what he could do to help". I can only hope at this point that what he really told him was something more like "you are killing me with this D and you need to get this cleaned up soon or you're gone".

Finally, can anyone tell me what the record is for most yards allowed in an NFL game and for a season? (I began wondering about those 2 numbers on Sunday) Thanks in advance.

:brickwall
 
I watch this team defense and I think are we even running the same schemes we ran in the pre-season. I mean honestly where are all these soft covers coming from what happened to the blitzing. I remember against the Rams we played our CB's right near the line of scrimmage, I remember this because I remember Buchanon jamming a guy so well he fell like three steps later. I look at that as something positive we were doing in the pre-season and I wonder where the hell did that go. I mean our guys may not be the best at coverage, but damn play tight let them get on the line and jam the guy. At least disrupt the timing on the route for a second. Our safeties suck in coverage then blitz them. I mean what is wrong with Smith. I mean the lack of faith in his players is astounding. Oh there's so many mistakes on defense that just piss you off and make you wonder what the hell is he thinking. I mean on that draw play that Portis ran to the endzone you know what I saw. #20 not blocked clear path to portis. Could have made the play and you know as pissed as I am about McCleon being out there what pisses me off even more is why the hell was he even out there on 2ND FREAKING DOWN! Not that Greenwood is an elite talent, but that was just garbage. You say it's the players and yes they have a hand in it as well, but really what the hell is Smith doing and why is he going away from what worked in the pre-season. I mean that's what's really frustrating. You practice something throughout the off-season so you can get better at it during the regular season why are you...... pissing uss off so much!!! DAMMIT SMITH GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER.
 
maybe it's there strategy! maybe they want the whole world to think we cant put any pressure on the QB, then in the final game of the season to decide who is the worst in the NFL we go to our SECRET original plan and blitz the team into next season. after the game kubiak stands up in front of the camera and tells everyone "SEE! we are NOT the worst team in the NFL!"
 
There are a lot of things that can be explained away, But how can you rationalize corners playing 12 yards off the line on 3rd and 3 against 2 wide outs. Maybee he's thinking "I know what there thinking, they think that we think that they think we're going to blitz, so we'll line up in a soft zone which will cause them to question the hail mary that they were going to attempt, and instead run a quarterback sneak. Then we'll have them in our trap."

Seriously, whay can't a Houston football team just for once play football like the rest of the NFL. Every since the run and shoot Oilers, this team has been one new scheme after another, Never going with proven offenses or defenses. Always trying to outsmart the rest of the league.

I wonder how well we would do if we just sent our coaches to NFL 101 classes and started playing generic football.
 
humbleone said:
Finally, can anyone tell me what the record is for most yards allowed in an NFL game and for a season? (I began wondering about those 2 numbers on Sunday) Thanks in advance.

:brickwall
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From the nfl.com site:

Most Yards Allowed, Season
6,793 Baltimore, 1981

We are on track to set a new record unless Smith changes his strategy.
 
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