Like who? I can name far more coaches/GM's that ended up leaving/getting fired right around the time of their failed QB failing. I've heard the narrative that the 12-4 team was not a truly "good" team... improbable/lucky wins combined with a late-season fade.... which is where people were still clamoring for signing Manning the off-season prior. And even if you believe the narrative that the 2-14 team was entirely because of the QB failing, your only options in the 2014 draft were trading back (which nobody seemed to offer anything of note), or taking Bortles #1 overall. But who did you want them to draft? I don't entirely believe BOB is afraid of hitching his regime to somebody (especially if that person has got legitimate potential)... I just don't see anybody even in a Dalton/Tannehill/Schaub mold thus far that they missed out on.
Are you intentionally butchering the kid's name (like the commissioner did), or do you really not know how its spelled/pronounced?
Oh, yeah - I didn't mean to suggest that was the only thing that would start the clock... But once you hitch your cart to a horse, it absolutely starts. But that's part of what's hampering his finding a QB: he doesn't have a high pick (well, he inherited one - in a bad year) and he has a lot of resources already tied up to a team that isn't that far removed from playoff contention (ie expensive). And yet, they're still a team with glaring holes beyond QB that he also has to address. I think that buys him time; had he drafted Bortles #1 last year... that clock would be tick-tocking.
Are you kidding yourself? The Texans are running a complicated offense? - Our running game sucks donkey ass. - Our TE position is a joke. - We seldom run any set play. - We seldom see our wideouts lining up heavy on one side. - We don't have anyone with good speed to run reverse play, even for a fake reverse. - Our QBs are just like statues, hence you basically won't see any bootleg or much roll out. Not to mention none of them can't even run for their life or evade for sacks. - We suck at short yardage offense, even an old man like Brady can often do a QB sneak to pick up 1-2 yards, and we do not have anyone in our O capable to do that. - our only consistent play calling is run on first down, got stuck at the line, and then drop back to throw to our WRs on second and 3rd long and then punt. That's really a complicated offense?
Actually there could be some wacky stats like being the pro bowl MVP + leading the league in passing yard for the season + never able to reach the conference final. then Schaub could be one of them.
I feel like teams like the Bills, Tampa Bay (prior to Lovie), KC (prior to Reid), etc just kind of wandered through mediocrity for many years with no QB and no real significant attempts to address it, and then moved on to a new coach and just did the same. That's not to say investing in QB always works - Cleveland is the perfect example of failure in that regard. But the former strategy never works. The latter at least gives you a chance. They may not have been 12-4 good, but they were very good. They had an elite running game and defense, if nothing else. It wasn't a team devoid of talent like taking over an Oakland or Tampa Bay or an expansion Texans. Certainly - if there are no QB options available at all by draft or trade, there's nothing you can do. But I find it hard to believe that over the course of 2 offseasons now, there wasn't a single acquirable QB anywhere that BOB liked and thought he could reasonably win with. I don't agree with Hey Now's view that this is, in part, to delay the clock on his job until he finds a QB he likes - I think it goes back to an arrogance within the organization that they can do fine without risking making any significant investment in a QB (whether that's drafting someone high or trading draft picks for an established one or whatever). I suspect they actually think they can be good with the Fitzes or Hoyers of the world and are picking those guys, not as stopgaps, but as their actual QB solutions. Certainly very true. I can see that argument - but then where's the solution? It's not like they are going to have a high pick in the near future either (barring a trainwreck). So if you stay in the not good/not terrible mode, how do you ever acquire a QB?
If that's the case he should go all in for him. Offer 2 second rounders if you have to. He needs to identify his guy and ride with him.
I already said he didn't like him that much... but if he was available when they were picking, they likely get him. Does Jimmy G really sway the needle all that much? More-so than the possibility of Mallett having consistent success? And if he would not be a franchise savior, people will just come right back with the narrative that they shouldn't be going after these mid-round QB's (which you could also lump Schaub in that category, given what they gave up for him), and need to go all-in for a for-sure first round guy.
That said, I do believe our D is still solid and one of the better one in the league, just not as overrated by some of our fans here. If the teams are as good as we seen from the last game, and my view on these teams are : - we have a solid D, a terrible O. - KC has a very good O, and smart coaching with lots of good designed plays, but their D is average at best, actually is very suspect. - KC's opponent tonight : Denver, their D is probably one of the best in the league this year, I like their D a lots, it will be very interesting to see how they will perform against a good KC O tonight, and also will be interesting to see how Peyton will perform against a D not as good as the Ravens last night, we should have a better idea after tonight if Peyton is actually completely washed up. - The Panther on the other hand, their O sucks too, just may not be as bad as us but probably below the league average also, however, their D is pretty good as always and I expect their D could play better than the D we faced last week with KC. Hence I believe this game will be an offensive struggle and actually punting the ball could be the key to win this game. So, its good that to see Mallet get the chance to start, at least we can know if we need to turn a new page for this franchise faster, but in reality, doesn't mean that we are ready to throw a playoff party either.
The Bills used a first round pick on EJ Manuel just 2 years ago, and have since gone through 2 different coaches. Tampa went with Josh Freeman in the first round... when he failed, the coach who picked him left with him. Prior to that was John Gruden... who probably is the one coach who's had measurable success without reaching to take a young QB ever (almost made a SB with Gannon, won a SB with Johnson... two retread veterans). KC/Scott Pioli went all in with Matt Cassell... when he failed, Haley/Pioli got fired. Cleveland, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Arizona (pre-Palmer), NY Jets, Redskins..... and still very big question marks with Cincy, Miami, St. Louis, Minnesota, and Carolina despite them all thinking they've got the position figured out. I don't know about "giving you a chance". Also, we need to define the strategy... because some in here will say that the Texans getting Schaub was not really addressing the QB situation. I also already mentioned the Gruden strategy. If we're saying picking a QB with a high draft pick has to be done to win, I will disagree with that. They had better talent than most 2-14 teams... but because of those wasted 6-10/8-8 years before the defense got Wade, they also were capped out and had very little ability to improve a team that could have easily been 9-7 the year they went 12-4. Is there somebody you thought they should have targeted both before the draft... and seeing what they've done now, somebody you feel they definitely missed out on? In the end, we're still talking about the same candidates: Bortels, Manziel, Bridgewater, Carr, Jimmy G. Some have obviously seen their stock drop further. And again, its really just one off-season... unless you feel that Winston/Marriota were actually attainable. You just can't fathom a team finding their QB outside of the first few picks of the draft, can you?
Maybe, maybe not. At some point he has to take a chance. It's about stabilizing that position with competent play. Like Schaub did for Kubiak. Someone that can execute your game plan. Hell if Obrien feels it's Hoyer ride with him. Maybe (hopefully) Mallett will be the guy...and he won't have to worry about it.
For the love of all things holy, can we please just get "speed for reverse play, even if fake reverse!"
I just don't see the huge missed opportunity in passing on Jimmy G. But obviously, that decision is magnified because the 2nd and 3rd round picks they used on XSF, Fido... and then Nix... have yielded a whole bag of nothing.
