Seriously. Losing to Tebow?
Like the Texans, I'm mailing it in until the off season.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
GM RicK Smith - Earn Your Keep
It's official...the 2010 Houston Texans season is dead.
Like the Oilers of yore, the Texans find new and interesting ways to lose.
The team reached the pinnacle in game one versus the Colts. After that it's been down hill.
The team is at a cross roads and choices, hard ones, must be made.
The main choice rests with owner Bob McNair. Does he want to keep the Smithiak Regime? Or does he clean house? Or does he issue a mandate to GM Rick Smith to straighten out the product on the field by any means necessary?
Time for Smith to Play GM
Rick Smith is one of the rare GMs in the NFL that was hired basically by his coach. Charlie Casserly, though on his way out, worked through the transition bringing in Gary Kubiak and helping with the 2006 draft. Smith was hired on the suggestion of his buddy Kubiak. They worked together in Denver.
Now is the time for Smith to sit down with McNair and start evaluating options, the team and coaches. Smith and Kubiak might be best friends but it's time for Smith to put that aside.
My guess is, barring an order from McNair, Smith won't fire Kubiak.
The first order of business for Smith then is to shake up the defensive coaching staff and remove Kubiak from any input on the defensive coaching hires. Just remove Kubiak from the equation and look for the best candidate to for the job. No Denver connections or familiarity. Kubiak brought in the last two coordinators Richard Smith and Frank Bush. Time to let someone else make the choice.
Right now Smith doesn't have free hand in personnel or coaching decisions. Most hires and signings must run through Kubiak first. That must also change.
I'm all for a coach and GM working together. In fact I'd prefer it. I think Kubiak and Smith will continue to work together in making decisions. However the current dynamic isn't working.
I'll have more thoughts on the changes and critical juncture that this franchise faces in the days ahead. My thoughts are still to scattered from last night's game and beer to focus.
Like the Oilers of yore, the Texans find new and interesting ways to lose.
The team reached the pinnacle in game one versus the Colts. After that it's been down hill.
The team is at a cross roads and choices, hard ones, must be made.
The main choice rests with owner Bob McNair. Does he want to keep the Smithiak Regime? Or does he clean house? Or does he issue a mandate to GM Rick Smith to straighten out the product on the field by any means necessary?
Time for Smith to Play GM
Rick Smith is one of the rare GMs in the NFL that was hired basically by his coach. Charlie Casserly, though on his way out, worked through the transition bringing in Gary Kubiak and helping with the 2006 draft. Smith was hired on the suggestion of his buddy Kubiak. They worked together in Denver.
Now is the time for Smith to sit down with McNair and start evaluating options, the team and coaches. Smith and Kubiak might be best friends but it's time for Smith to put that aside.
My guess is, barring an order from McNair, Smith won't fire Kubiak.
The first order of business for Smith then is to shake up the defensive coaching staff and remove Kubiak from any input on the defensive coaching hires. Just remove Kubiak from the equation and look for the best candidate to for the job. No Denver connections or familiarity. Kubiak brought in the last two coordinators Richard Smith and Frank Bush. Time to let someone else make the choice.
Right now Smith doesn't have free hand in personnel or coaching decisions. Most hires and signings must run through Kubiak first. That must also change.
I'm all for a coach and GM working together. In fact I'd prefer it. I think Kubiak and Smith will continue to work together in making decisions. However the current dynamic isn't working.
I'll have more thoughts on the changes and critical juncture that this franchise faces in the days ahead. My thoughts are still to scattered from last night's game and beer to focus.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Holy Crap! Texans Can Still Make Playoffs But
So what would it take for the Texans to make the playoffs? First and foremost, winning the last four games of the season. That’s a tall order considering that the Baltimore Ravens roll into town for a Monday night match up.
The premise here is that the Texans win out.
The Colts losing to the Cowboys on Sunday shifted things in favor of the Texans.
Texans remaining schedule:
Vs. Baltimore
@ Tennessee
@ Denver
Vs. Jacksonville
Winning the four remaining games give the Texans a 9-7 record and a 4-2 division record.
Jacksonville remaining games: vs. Oakland, @ Indianapolis, vs. Washington, @ Houston
Indianapolis remaining games: @ Tennessee, vs. Jacksonville, @ Oakland, vs. Tennessee
Tennessee remaining games: vs. Indianapolis, vs. Houston, @ Kansas City, @ Indianapolis
The Texans need Jacksonville and Indianapolis to lose one more game. That throws the AFC South into chaos with three teams tied at 9-7. The best case scenario is for Colts to lose one of the Tennessee games and the Jags to lose to the Colts. A loss to the Titans assures the Colts of three division losses and out of the running for the division title. In the same best case, the Jags lose to the Colts and that tags them with a second division loss.
What that best case scenario sets up is a showdown on the final game of the year for the last playoff spot between the Texans and Jags. A Texans win ties them with a 9-7 record and evens the head to head play at 1-1. The next tie breaker is division record. A Texans win coupled with the Jags hopefully earlier loss to the Colts gives Houston a 4-2 division record but the Jags a 3-3 record. Texans would advance to playoffs.
The scenarios get even wilder because of the remaining schedule. Unless I miscalculated, everybody can still end up at 8-8.
The premise here is that the Texans win out.
The Colts losing to the Cowboys on Sunday shifted things in favor of the Texans.
Texans remaining schedule:
Vs. Baltimore
@ Tennessee
@ Denver
Vs. Jacksonville
Winning the four remaining games give the Texans a 9-7 record and a 4-2 division record.
Jacksonville remaining games: vs. Oakland, @ Indianapolis, vs. Washington, @ Houston
Indianapolis remaining games: @ Tennessee, vs. Jacksonville, @ Oakland, vs. Tennessee
Tennessee remaining games: vs. Indianapolis, vs. Houston, @ Kansas City, @ Indianapolis
The Texans need Jacksonville and Indianapolis to lose one more game. That throws the AFC South into chaos with three teams tied at 9-7. The best case scenario is for Colts to lose one of the Tennessee games and the Jags to lose to the Colts. A loss to the Titans assures the Colts of three division losses and out of the running for the division title. In the same best case, the Jags lose to the Colts and that tags them with a second division loss.
What that best case scenario sets up is a showdown on the final game of the year for the last playoff spot between the Texans and Jags. A Texans win ties them with a 9-7 record and evens the head to head play at 1-1. The next tie breaker is division record. A Texans win coupled with the Jags hopefully earlier loss to the Colts gives Houston a 4-2 division record but the Jags a 3-3 record. Texans would advance to playoffs.
The scenarios get even wilder because of the remaining schedule. Unless I miscalculated, everybody can still end up at 8-8.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Funk Over - For Now
The Texans, and I, broke out of a four game funk. I was so distraught that I'm openly advocating for the end of the Kubiak Era.
The game against the Titans had the ingredients for another Texans gaffe and embarrassment. Third string rookie quarterback Rusty Smith started with Chris Johnson in the backfield.
The Titans are a team in disarray. Vince Young and Jeff Fisher are feuding. The question remains as to who will be back with the team next year. The relationship is beyond repair in my opinion. Either Young or Fisher will exit and my money is on Fisher leaving.
I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. It's been that kind of season.
I should have taken the first play from scrimmage, Mario Williams sacking Smith, as a good sign.
The defense played well enough for the shut out in a 20-0 game.
During the game, I thought Amobi Okoye played well. He seemed to be in on multiple plays clogging the middle, exploding plays with penetration or taking up blockers. Yes I can actually see that on some plays live. I try to watch the defenses very close. More times than not though I end up following the ball or the action.
Lance Zierlein, a Houston radio host and Houston Chronicle blogger, did an outstanding break down of film on Okoye's day.
The most important thing of the day for the Texans was holding Chris Johnson in check. Johnson has run wild on the Texans before and I figured he would have a decent day despite the rookie quarterback. Wrong. He had five yards on seven carries along with two receptions for two yards. A very off day for a top, if not the top, running back in the NFL.
Factoring the rookie QB, the Texans defense still shined. Brian Cushing played very aggressive and his best game of the year. Grover Quin atoned for being the victim of the last two losses at the last second. Quin had a hat trick of interceptions including two in the Titans red zone.
One the offensive side of the ball, Arian Foster continued his assault on the ground. He ran for 143 yards on 30 carries and added 75 yards on 9 catches. He totaled 218 yards of total offense.
Of course the highlight of the game was the Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan Brawl. I think I'll save that commentary for my somewhat weekly NFL column.
Man of the Match
For once, the Man of the Match goes to a former goat. Grover Quin rebounded from twice being on the wrong end of game winning touchdowns. He snared three interceptions from Rusty Smith. Two game when the Titans were driving to score. Both interceptions preserved the shut out.
The game against the Titans had the ingredients for another Texans gaffe and embarrassment. Third string rookie quarterback Rusty Smith started with Chris Johnson in the backfield.
The Titans are a team in disarray. Vince Young and Jeff Fisher are feuding. The question remains as to who will be back with the team next year. The relationship is beyond repair in my opinion. Either Young or Fisher will exit and my money is on Fisher leaving.
I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. It's been that kind of season.
I should have taken the first play from scrimmage, Mario Williams sacking Smith, as a good sign.
The defense played well enough for the shut out in a 20-0 game.
During the game, I thought Amobi Okoye played well. He seemed to be in on multiple plays clogging the middle, exploding plays with penetration or taking up blockers. Yes I can actually see that on some plays live. I try to watch the defenses very close. More times than not though I end up following the ball or the action.
Lance Zierlein, a Houston radio host and Houston Chronicle blogger, did an outstanding break down of film on Okoye's day.
The most important thing of the day for the Texans was holding Chris Johnson in check. Johnson has run wild on the Texans before and I figured he would have a decent day despite the rookie quarterback. Wrong. He had five yards on seven carries along with two receptions for two yards. A very off day for a top, if not the top, running back in the NFL.
Factoring the rookie QB, the Texans defense still shined. Brian Cushing played very aggressive and his best game of the year. Grover Quin atoned for being the victim of the last two losses at the last second. Quin had a hat trick of interceptions including two in the Titans red zone.
One the offensive side of the ball, Arian Foster continued his assault on the ground. He ran for 143 yards on 30 carries and added 75 yards on 9 catches. He totaled 218 yards of total offense.
Of course the highlight of the game was the Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan Brawl. I think I'll save that commentary for my somewhat weekly NFL column.
Man of the Match
For once, the Man of the Match goes to a former goat. Grover Quin rebounded from twice being on the wrong end of game winning touchdowns. He snared three interceptions from Rusty Smith. Two game when the Titans were driving to score. Both interceptions preserved the shut out.
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