AGAIN?!

[enderwiggin]

That's 4 times this season that the Texans have lost in the final play/minute of the game. FOUR TIMES. If they could finish games, they'd be 9-4 -- possibly better. Finishing a game is about coaching, not talent.

Schaub, Johnson and Foster have production as good as anybody in the league, throw in Daniels (whose been better than I thought he would be, coming off his injury), Dressen (who always manages to be open somehow) and Leach (best FB in the NFL IMHO)... And our offense can play with anyone. On defense, losing Ryans was killer and our secondary is weak (but improving), but our front four is getting it done and Cushing has proven that he's no one-hit-wonder; he's the real deal.

Talent-wise, we match up with anyone in the league. Throw in a shutdown corner and I'm not sure the team can get much better.

The problem has to be coaching, right? How else do you explain losing as many games as we have as narrowly as we've lost them?

[Killersalt]

The problem is the secondary..... The offense is always having to play catchup because the defense is getting thrown all over at will...... The offense is as good as any of the elite teams.

The questions is will replacing the coaches be a step forward or backward...

[Wakeup]

And I'd disagree that Cushing is playing well. The guy gets beat going the wrong way so many times...but KS got it right, the defense is the problem, secondary and then linebackers.

As much as I hate to say it, since I won a custom Daniels jersey, Owen dropped two critical passes last night. For him, the injury has taken a bit away. We'll see if he gets to stay around long enough to improve to where he used to be.

[enderwiggin]

Originally Posted by Wakeuр

And I'd disagree that Cushing is playing well. The guy gets beat going the wrong way so many times...but KS got it right, the defense is the problem, secondary and then linebackers.

As much as I hate to say it, since I won a custom Daniels jersey, Owen dropped two critical passes last night. For him, the injury has taken a bit away. We'll see if he gets to stay around long enough to improve to where he used to be.

I agree Daniels hasn't been playing as well as we're used to seeing him play, but I wasn't expecting much out of him this season, so he's exceeded my expectations with what minimal production he's had. Dressen has been a pleasant surprise. Its just seemed that every time I turn around this season, he's open and bringing in a 10-15 yarder...

I dunno, I think Cushing is playing pretty well.

For me, the bottom-line is that Kubiak isn't getting it done. Good coach, good strategist, maybe not the best captain of the ship.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by enderwiggin

I dunno, I think Cushing is playing pretty well.

For me, the bottom-line is that Kubiak isn't getting it done. Good coach, good strategist, maybe not the best captain of the ship.

I recall when it was said that Bill Belichek's 5 year record in Cleveland (36-44) was proof that he was not the best captain of the Brown's ship. Thus the Brown's management decided to make a change during the mid 90's.

I suspect the Browns organization and their fans wish they would have kept BB now!

Kubiak has made his share of mistakes this year but I am not prepared to put this dismal season entirely on his shoulders. The Texans problems are much deeper than any one player or one coach. At the end of the day, the players aren't playing well, the coaches aren't coaching well and the front office has certainly made their fair share of mistakes.

The Texans have been close in most games. Unfortunately they are not playing horseshoes!

As for yesterday evenings loss:

It wasn't Coach Kubes who told Schaub to throw the Pick 6 in OT.
It wasn't Coach Kubes who told the defensive backs to allow the Ravens receivers to catch almost every ball thrown during the first half.
It wasn't Coach Kubes who told the Texans recivers to drop 5 passes in the first half, including the one Jones dropped in the end zone that ended up costing us 4 points.
It wasn't Coach Kubes who told the Texans players they would not need those 4 addtional points at the end of the 4th quarter.


As for Cushing, he really, really misses DeMeco playing in the middle. Then again, so does the entire Texans team. Ryans and Cushing play extremely well together! Without him, Cush is not nearly as effective and neither is the Texans defense! The Texans obviously need both of them on the field at the same time. That is a luxury the Texans have not had for most of this entire season. And yes, the defense has suffered because of it!

[Wakeup]

Yeah, he's significantly down in all catagories since last year, if you project it out through 16 games. He had a couple sacks last night which made him look good, but his overall run and pass coverage this year isn't good.

http://www.nfl.com/players/briancush...e?id=CUS363261

He needs a strong presence in the middle so he can play outside like he's meant to.

EDIT: Aw shit...did Bigtex and I just agree on something?

[Jackie S]

Let's face the facts. They, as a team, are just not very good.
They only have to certified stars, Adrian Foster and Andre Johnson. Tow of the "great" passes that Shaub threw to Johnson,(that great one handed snag and the final touchdown), would have never been caught by any mere mortal.

Even though I am a Houstonian, I like the Patriots. I would love to see Andre Johnson in a Pats uniform. Can you just amagine Tom Brady having him to throw to. You could just about pencil in the touchdowns.

[boardman]

It's like Babe Ruth or the Goat.(No, not you TCGF)
We will be plagued with this karma until Bud Adams kicks the bucket.

Seriously though.
With the impending lockout, we're not going to see a major change. Frank Bush needs to go and probably will. Letting Dunta go was the biggest mistake that they made but losing Ryans has turned the linebacking corp from an asset to a liability. Injuries to the defensive line have taken their toll as well.
My opinion is that Pollard is their biggest problem. There is a reason KC put him on waivers last year.
Kareem Jackson routinely plays 8-10 yards deep. Quinn is usually 5-7 yards deep. Bush has these guys playing too deep because the safeties can't cover. They have to keep everything in front of them and 5 yard outs and slants are easy gains when the corners are playing that deep.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by Wakeuр

EDIT: Aw shit...did Bigtex and I just agree on something?

It is of much greater concern to me that Wakeup and I have finally agreed on something! Next thing you know, Gnadfly will be ageeing with me! YIKES!!!!!

I need to reevaluate things in a hurry! Things are starting to spiral downhill fast!

Originally Posted by boardman

With the impending lockout, we're not going to see a major change. Frank Bush needs to go and probably will. Letting Dunta go was the biggest mistake that they made but losing Ryans has turned the linebacking corp from an asset to a liability. Injuries to the defensive line have taken their toll as well.
My opinion is that Pollard is their biggest problem. There is a reason KC put him on waivers last year.
Kareem Jackson routinely plays 8-10 yards deep. Quinn is usually 5-7 yards deep. Bush has these guys playing too deep because the safeties can't cover. They have to keep everything in front of them and 5 yard outs and slants are easy gains when the corners are playing that deep.

That is a pretty damn good analysis!

[Guest032414-2]

Putting together a solid secondary seems like the most difficult thing to do in the NFL,

I have issues with the pass interference called on Cushing in the end zone. He barely touched the receiver and the pass was uncatchable.

That being said, the dropped passes were killers. OT may not have even been necessary, if not for the drops.

[Jackie S]

NA

[Wakeup]

Originally Posted by boardman

My opinion is that Pollard is their biggest problem. There is a reason KC put him on waivers last year.
Kareem Jackson routinely plays 8-10 yards deep. Quinn is usually 5-7 yards deep. Bush has these guys playing too deep because the safeties can't cover. They have to keep everything in front of them and 5 yard outs and slants are easy gains when the corners are playing that deep.

I don't agree with this one, and again, not just because I have a custom Pollard jersey either.

He's come up big time in the run defense department, he leads the team in tackles by a LONG way, leads in fumbles recovered, and has 2.5 sacks as well. Pass defense is lacking with no interceptions, but then again, it's not like anyone else on our pass defense is any good either.

The reason Jackson plays 8 yards deep is because he sucks at staying with receivers (falls down all the damn time), and has to play there in the zone coverage we play because he can't play man to man. Quin is so inconsistent that I don't know what to make of him, but again, he plays deep because of the damn zone defense we are set on playing.

[boardman]

Originally Posted by Wakeuр

I don't agree with this one, and again, not just because I have a custom Pollard jersey either.

He's come up big time in the run defense department, he leads the team in tackles by a LONG way, leads in fumbles recovered, and has 2.5 sacks as well. Pass defense is lacking with no interceptions, but then again, it's not like anyone else on our pass defense is any good either.

The reason Jackson plays 8 yards deep is because he sucks at staying with receivers (falls down all the damn time), and has to play there in the zone coverage we play because he can't play man to man. Quin is so inconsistent that I don't know what to make of him, but again, he plays deep because of the damn zone defense we are set on playing.

Anytime your safety leads the team in tackles there is a major problem.

[Wakeup]

Originally Posted by boardman

Anytime your safety leads the team in tackles there is a major problem.

Completely agree...but it doesn't point to a problem with him...and now we're back to the Cushing situation...give that kid some 'roids again...

[boardman]

Originally Posted by Wakeuр

Completely agree...but it doesn't point to a problem with him...and now we're back to the Cushing situation...give that kid some 'roids again...

If you are going to have a run stuffing SS then you'd better have shutdown corners. We had Dunta last year and Pollard looked like a Pro Bowler cuz everyone could take two steps closer to the line.

No, the fact that he leads the team in tackles doesn't point to a problem with him directly but if the entire team is playing not to give up the big play then the safeties become a bigger part of the defense. Why is the whole team playing not to give up the big play(zone defense)?
I just thinck that the corners are being asked to play too much of the field in order to cover up the fact that the safeties can't cover. Even in man coverage the safeties have responsibility to help with the deep routes. Our safeties just never seem to get there so the corners have to play deeper than normal leaving the short routes wide open.

No doubt that Pollard is going to make someone pay for coming over the middle and I do like his tenacity but I don't thinck he fits the profile that we need for a safety if we are going to stick with the corners we have and the current defensive philosophy.