According to Schaub and Mcclain on 610 this morning, the goal was for Dreessen to get the 1st down and then they would run up and spike it. I don't know if that was the first read, but it's a stupid play-call nonetheless. Throw it to the sideline...throw it to the endzone...throw another screen and let Arian work near the sideline so he can get out of bounds. Three obvious options that were better than what happened. Just like last week, on the 4th and 1 QB sneak where there were two better options (FG or run with Foster) and Kubiak chose the worst one.
Are you serious? The plan was to get the 1st down on a 3rd and 15, run up and spike it?! Kubiak should be fired for that right there. Absolutely disgusting.
it was a bad situation in general. the sidelines were being covered. I don't mind the midfield play, but only if you make sure the target is at or past the first down marker. Or, if you are stopped...at least hang onto the football.
Something does have to go down the middle, so long as it isn't a cross. Stretch the defense. TE going up a seam or skinny post. But you only throw to him if the safeties split and he's a sure TD.
Seriously ... it's the defense, stupid. People wouldn't be criticizing all these play-calling decisions by Kubiak if the defense was giving up 17ppg instead of a ghastly 28ppg. For reference, the Chicago Bears have not even scored 28 points in a single game this season. These guys couldn't stop Betty White from throwing on them for 300 yards and 3 scores. They should have never been in the hail mary situation to begin with...if the defense was halfway competent, they would have exited that game with a comfortable two score lead.
defense is the biggest problem for sure. Kubiak would look smarter if his D coordinator wasnt leading them to an alltime worst defense ranking.
Not true. The offense executes well for 1/2 of the game. It was the second half yesterday. I believe this trend falls on coaching. Take the game at Indy as reference. The defense actually did decent in the first half but the offense failed to show up. The best defense can be a good offense. Keep in mind that the reason that the hail mary even took place was due to a fumble by the offense. And what about continually trotting Jacoby Jones out there on third down? He has shown all season that he can't make the grab in traffic. David Anderson is the better slot receiver and we finally went to him in the second half yesterday.
I'm not saying the play calling isn't suspect -- it certainly was to blame in the Indy game. But as far as I can see, the Indy game is the only game this season that I can say the playcalling was the primary cause of the loss. People get too caught up in the fact that sometimes the offense doesn't play well in the first half -- the bottom line is that they are still scoring more than 24 points per game, and the only game in which they scored less than 20 was said Indy game. There is one constant throughout the season, from game 1 to game 9, and it is that the defense can't stop anybody, be they 3rd stringers or practice squad call-ups. You manage to get a stop on 3rd down every now and then, and you'd be sitting pretty with a 6-3 or better record right now and looking good to win the division, EVEN with Kubiak's suspect play calls.
this team gives up 28.5 points per game. thus, we have the rule of 30. when we score 30, we win...when we don't, we lose. the best scoring offense in the league averages 27.5 ppg...even if we scored that every game, we'd still be a loser more often than not. that's ridiculous. they're on pace to give up the 2nd most yards in NFL history. it absolutely is the defense.
It's problematic, sure - but the offense generated 400 yards of offense and scored 24 points. Yeah, you'd like to see them do that over 4Qs instead of 2; but those #s should absolutely have you in position to win 60% of your games. Yeah, the defense made some stops here and there yesterday - but when you know entering the game you have to score 30 to win, it changes EVERYTHING, most notably, I'd argue, is Kubiak's handling of Schaub. He knows he'll eventually need him (because the game is going to become a shoot-out), and because he's a QB that needs to get warm and in rhythm, Kubiak feels forced to get him early throws when he'd probably love to run Foster instead. By halftime, any notion of Foster being able to bring the team back from its hole is gone, so Schaub starts firing, gets hot and viola! The offense starts clicking. I would pin the offense's inconsistency on the defense.
Before we get too excited about the offense's 24 pts yesterday, Jacksonville gives up an average of 28 pts per game. So the offense - the strength of the Texans - did worse than the average offense does against Jacksonville.
yeah, i'm not excited about it. the first half they were lame. but honestly...this team has to score 30 points to win all the time. ask me who is to blame for this season and i'll tell you 90% defense, 10% offense.
Much blame has to go to Kubiak, too. I can't tell you how many times I asked my TV why on earth are we passing on 1st down *again*? Why did we abandon the run as if we were down by three touchdowns?
But you can trace that back directly to the defense. Jacksonville's offense, which ran (and passed) up and down the field, totaled 69 offensive plays, 16 more than the Texans, and held onto the football for 11 more minutes. When you consider the Texans' 4 scoring drives averaged 7 plays, you're talking about two fewer offensive possessions.
