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Save us Savage!!!!!!!
- Thread starter PockyAF
- Start date
And I've wondered why he said that ever since I heard that quote. Seems like it was a necessary move to me.
Was it 'gutsy' because O'Brien knew he was benching McNair's chosen boy??
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Bingo!!!
maverick512000
Hall of Fame
I listened to some of the commentators afterwards and they said it was gutsy mainly because most coaches will tell you you have to play the money no matter what.
Even if you think that the backup will be better most play the money. The reason they gave is because even if you were forced to take a QB putting in the backup over the high dollar starter makes teams question why, if the backup was better, didn't you play him before the high dollar QB was brought in.
If Savage had blown up and been no better than Osweiler then BoB would have had no excuse, if two very different QBs fail just as bad then that's on the coaching. O'Brien was in many ways betting his future on Savage in that game because that's when the talk of firing him was becoming more than just fringe rumors.
So that's what I think McNair meant by it was a gutsy move, betting your job on a guy who has never on field given you a reason to trust him in a high profile game.
Of course I take a different view of the whole Smith/O'Brien/McNair thing, I don't think they are at odds as much as some here think and I think BoB does have more say than some here think.
They may not be best friends but, like I said before, the FO had a choice of keeping BoB or keeping Osweiler and they picked BoB. And no that was not an easy choice because A) that means they have to say we screwed up and take the hit needed to get rid of him and B) Osweiler may still show to be a good QB and if so then Texans will be known like The Browns as the place QBs go to destroy their career. Certainly there was something there that Elway and Denver and someone from the Texans saw.
Even them saying that they didn't have a sit down talk with Osweiler could be seen as them giving O'Brien cover as to why they didn't click and not just because BoB is a well known hot head.
Sigma
Veteran
draft BPA regardless of need, and then play the one with the biggest contract regardless of skill
that makes sense
Os playing in the playoffs was a McNair directive. Thoroughly under cutting BOB in the locker room
Do you think McNair gave Kubiak a directive to play Keenum?
Same thing happened here, difference is BOB folllowed McNair's directive. There is precedence.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Yep. There were lots of reports before and after that Jags game in 2013 that Kubiak was told to play Keenum and not pull him by McNair. Kubiak basically gave his boss the bird and said eff off
I recall things going down like this.
Kubiak did what he thought was best for the team to win that game and got fired for it.
History was repeating itself with Os, only BOB did what his boss wanted.
Totally different situation. With Kubiak McNair was trying to secure the #1 spot in the draft.
With O'b he's looking forward to a play off run.
Yes it was different, Bob/Ricky had milllions of $$$$$ and looking stupid on the line if Os didn't start.
Didn't stop them from giving away a 2nd round pick to get rid of him.
And you have more respect for the guy who sucked up to his boss rather than doing what he thought would best help the team win??
...I find that confusing.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
On what measuring stick? OB's side of the ball has gotten worse each year.
And last I checked Kubiak can pick which SB ring he wants to wear. Can't wear all of them because it would be tacky.
Romeo has carried this team, not OB.
Sigma
Veteran
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
yes because if you limit to 1, wearing a SB ring is very elegant
They are ugly for the most part.
Sigma
Veteran
I wouldn't say ugly, but it's more something I would want to keep on a piece of furniture rather than on my hand.
I just like the discipline/lack of country club attitude BOB has brought to the ball. Why do you think the offense has gotten worse? The QB position has gotten worse every yr. Hopefully it has bottomed out with Os.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
On what measure has it gotten better.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
On what measure has it gotten better.
Every year OB installs more of his secret offense we get worse.
Yearly rankings from Pro-Football-Reference...
season...pts.....yds
2014 --- 14 --- 17
2015 --- 21 --- 19
2016 --- 28 --- 29
From mid-pack to bottom in just three seasons.
This is why we know the offense has gotten worse.
Edit:
oh by the way, the defense hasn't been out of the top ten in either category (pts, yds) but once in those three years. RAC is making do with what he's been provided. O'Brien? Not so much.
Come on man.... OB cant sniff Gary's jockstrap in terms of accomplishments.
Gary's departure is on Schaub falling apart at the seams and Tricky Rick for not finding a suitable replacement - which we still don't have 3 years into the next guys term.
I still believe they fired the wrong guy....which can be supported by Gary going and winning a super bowl in Denver.
Number19
Hall of Fame
s
This season is Bill's. The draft pick will be Smith's but the starting QB will be OB's, either his pick Savage or a former 1st round journeyman QB that almost everyone has written off. For the first time the starting QB will be someone who will be going into training camp already familiar with the playbook.
I'm optimistic.
OB has said, he'll coach the players that Smith gives him.
This season is Bill's. The draft pick will be Smith's but the starting QB will be OB's, either his pick Savage or a former 1st round journeyman QB that almost everyone has written off. For the first time the starting QB will be someone who will be going into training camp already familiar with the playbook.
I'm optimistic.
The Texans were one of the least penalized teams in the league last season.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
This may be me. Been wrong before. Will be wrong again.
Running game sucks, routes suck. We don't look like we are prepared for a high school game much less "oh we are going to plan weekly."
Do you remember unathletic OD running down a seam wide freaking open? Slow white dude was going to bust the TE record. C'mon.
So, theoretically, this should be a bust out year for the offense. Both QBs have played in the system before and done okay in spots. All the picks and pickups we got last year have a season under their belts. Wes Welker is here to teach the receiving corps the finer points of getting open in this offense. Godsey and his suspect play-calling is gone.
There is no excuse for the offense to flounder.
Number19
Hall of Fame
"No excuse for the offense"? I would 't go that far. We should be better than last year, but Savage and Weeden still have to prove they can get it done. We also haven't addressed our OL question marks. But I am encouraged.
Hervoyel
BUENO!
I caught up on this thread last night and went to bed. Had a nightmare that I was watching a Texans preseason game and Savage was going nuts all over the 49ers (I haven't even looked, do we even play them this year? In preseason?) and he was leading a drive, looking like the second coming of Troy Aikman when he dropped back to pass and the pass rush blew by him on his right leaving him open to run the last 10-15 yards to the endzone. He took off (to the extent that he can) and a LB got a hand on him at the shoulders, spun him around funny-like and he hobbled down to his knees slamming the ball into the turf before grabbing his knee. It was like watching the end of that old movie with Charlton Heston playing a Saints QB in "Number One" from 1969. Where he gets crushed and just stays on the ground. It was just a dream but it was so realistic and it screwed my whole night up. Predicting the future? Of course not. Clearly illustrating what my subconcious expectations are? Absolutely.
Still, lets get this over with and hope we're all pleasantly surprised.
Still, lets get this over with and hope we're all pleasantly surprised.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Causation does not equal correlation.
Bilicheck was 36-44 in five seasons in Cleveland, getting fired after going 5-11 his last year. Was it wrong to fire him because of the success he has had with the Patriots?
badboy
Hall of Fame
hey give me a minute and I'll
come up with something and I do like flounder just not on football field.
gs27
Veteran
It was wrong to fire Belichick, Modell was a POS. Bilicheck had the Browns as an ascending talented team and assembled the greatest staff in the history of football. They made the playoffs in 94, then were among the SB favorites in 95, starting 3-1 before Art announced he was moving the team midseason and the rest is history. The Ravens superbowl is the result of what Belichick set in place.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Uh, really? The Browns went to three AFCCG's in 3 out of 4 years between '86-'89.
Then they had one season of 3-13 before Bilichek showed up.
He went 6-10, 7-9 and 7-9 before having one good season in '94.
After the 5-11 final season in Cleveland, the Ravens went 4-12, 6-9-1, 6-10 and 8-8 before winning the Super Bowl in the 2000 season.
He neither had them as an ascending team nor did they do anything in the 4 years after he left to warrant him receiving any credit for the 2000 championship season.
Belecheat wouldn't be sh!t without the GOAT.
Well, he did help build the Ray Lewis championship team, along with Ozzie/DeCosta
And beat the Texans last yr with Jacoby Brissett at QB.
Cant be worse than Os.
Ricky hasn't done crap this offseason.
You've done as much as Ricky has to improve the team this offseason.
Os will make an offense that way and yes I remember OD doing that, I also remember Fiedo/Griffin doing that and Os overthrowing Griffin by five ft in the playoffs and whining like a little b***H. Somehow I'm sure that was BOB's fault.
Where I fault BOB is after 3 yrs BOB still doesn't have the QB position figured out. Part of that MAY be that BOB wanted to start Savage last yr and Os was forced on him.
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
By not going after any FA , Rick is implying Savage is and has been their man . He got rid of Brock because it was determined timing and accuracy aren't his strong points and Bill really likes his QBs to have timing and accuracy . The Browns decided that they might use a QB with no timing and no accuracy if they had a 2nd rd pick . The Texans thought about it and at first concluded a 2nd rd pick gives you timing and accuracy but O'Brien quickly debunked that theory saying it would take a lot more than that for Brock to be even decent .
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
OD was 519 yds 5 TDs in 8 games 2009. Fido and Griffin have never thought about that.
What did I say when OB was hired? "You have 2 years to solve QB." Egg timer is past up.
You had to realize the moment they didn't draft a QB that first season it wasn't going to be solved any time soon.
The egg timer's up .... and the egg never got in the water.
(I know someone is gonna say Savage .... please spare me)
Even if they do draft one this season we're looking at 2-3 years of development before we see anything resembling the finished product. We are right where we were the day OB took over when it comes to the QB position. Hell , we are right where we were the day Schaub got his foot stepped on by fat albert.
IMO, I'd lose respect for O'b if I found out Osweiler was forced on him. I've got more respect for coaches who get fired doing things their way. They're going to get fired anyway.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
There's a lot of truth to that "tow the company line" saying, especially when it deals with you and your family's livelihood.
Hence, O'Brien saying, "I'll coach whoever they give me". I just look at that statement and figure he just wasn't in the mix when the Osweiler move was being made. RS and McNair presented him to O'Brien like he was a Christmas gift....surprise!!!
Thing is, if you're responsible for producing results, wouldn't you want to be in on selecting the tools you're given?
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
There's a lot of truth to that "tow the company line" saying, especially when it deals with you and your family's livelihood.
Hence, O'Brien saying, "I'll coach whoever they give me". I just look at that statement and figure he just wasn't in the mix when the Osweiler move was being made. RS and McNair presented him to O'Brien like he was a Christmas gift....surprise!!!
The reason Savage needed last year?
The Texans had 2 seasons of his rookie contract on the books. If he had shown promise in 2016, the team could have got him signed before his contract expired at a much better deal for the team.
If he starts the final year of his contract and shows promise...heck, he's a FA at the end of the season and why wouldn't he and his agent find out what his value is on the market. That's going to cost the Texans substantially more to retain his services. That's the positive outlook.
If Savage fails to produce with this opportunity, the Texans can cut financial ties and focus on a QB in the 2018 draft or a QB in the 2018 FA Class. If Savage stinks his way to a 9-7 season with the Texans, then they can move on b/c to be absolutely honest, Savage isn't going to be any worse than Osweiler and the defense could be even better than last year. Throw in a potential improvement within the ST's ranks and the Texans, with a stinky Savage, could probably hit 9-10 wins.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
You would think, but no one knows for sure exactly what kind of power or lead-way RS truly has within this organization. O'Brien could just be on for the ride...until his contract is completed and then moves on to greener pastures with 5 years of successful HC'ing experience under his belt. He wont be unemployed for long. That will be on McNair and RS.
TxnsJuggernaut
Veteran
Most successful head coaches have top tier quarterbacks.
That said, Belichick has won without Tom Brady, all be it for short periods of time while Tom has been away.
Still, Toms success is as much tied to Belichick as Belichicks success is tied to Tom Brady.
Perhaps one or both could sustain success for a long time without the other. As of now all we can do is speculate.
TxnsJuggernaut
Veteran
To think O'b is allowed no say in personnel is purely speculation.
I think the power structure is more balanced than many of you believe.
I wish some evidence would come forward that would put the whole O'b is being marginalized nonsense to rest.