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Solomon: 'Enough is enough,' and Texans should fire Kubiak

Discussion in 'Houston Texans' started by Uprising, Dec 6, 2010.

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  1. Uprising

    Uprising Contributing Member

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    Commentary
    Kubiak's progress report: F
    By JEROME SOLOMON
    Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/7326066.html

    How far have the Texans come in almost five seasons under Gary Kubiak?

    Only about 1,549 miles, the distance between Reliant Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field.

    In 2006, in Kubiak's head-coaching debut, the Texans suffered a 24-10 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles. On Thursday, the Texans lost to the Eagles in Philadelphia 34-24.

    In between, there have been more downs than ups, more misery than joy and more dejection than elation.

    Enough is enough.

    A few years ago at the NFL combine, a league executive took a sip of whiskey and told me that if you don't have a top-10 coach or a top-10 quarterback, you should be looking for one.

    Texans owner Bob McNair should be looking for a new coach.

    There is no stick of measure — English, metric or otherwise - that places Kubiak among the top 10 coaches in the league. Actually, there isn't one that does not place him among the bottom 10.

    The probability of a lockout and the resulting difficulty of having to put together a team in short order for next season is not a good excuse to hang on to a coach who isn't getting the job done. If general manager Rick Smith and Kubiak are a package deal, then so be it, though talent evaluation is not the Texans' biggest problem.

    Apparently the Texans have come a long way, according to all the experts. But as Bill Belichick, a top-10 all-time coach, says, the most important statistic is wins.

    The Texans have gone from the bad old days under Dom Capers, when they were 5-7 after 12 games (in 2003 and 2004), to today, when after 12 games they are, um, 5-7. As they were last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.

    That is not progress.

    Early struggles troubling
    Kubiak used to struggle making in-game adjustments. Lately, his entire game plan has been suspect.

    The Texans went into their open week in first place at 4-2, with the franchise's best record in the first six games of a season. They since have lost five of six games, with a porous defense allowing 30, 29, 31, 30 and 34 points in the losses.

    In those games, the Texans scored only two touchdowns in their first three possessions, and one of those was a gift from the Chargers, who fumbled the opening kickoff on their 8-yard line.

    Logic dictates the Texans should enter games with a "score 30 points or lose" mantra, but with just two touchdowns in those 18 early-game possessions, they have routinely fallen behind.

    In a league with parity, even bad teams don't fall behind by two touchdowns that often. Houston has been behind by two touchdowns or more seven times in the first three quarters.

    For some perspective on how pitiful that is, the woeful Carolina Panthers, who lost Sunday to fall to 1-11, have been behind by 14 points or more in the first three quarters only three times.

    The Buffalo Bills, who have the second-worst record in the league with only two wins in 12 games, have been behind by 14 points or more in the first three quarters just four times, including a blowout loss at Minnesota on Sunday.

    Blame rises to the top
    Worse yet, the 2005 Texans, the team that was so terrible everyone was fired and Kubiak was hired, fell behind by 14 points in the first three quarters just six times in a 2-14 campaign.

    Give Kubiak credit for his team's ability to fight back. That compliment comes with censure for his squad's repeated failure to show up ready to play.

    No one likes a team that doesn't always play hard, but more importantly, does the team play smart? Is it as prepared as the teams it faces? Do the coaches get the players to make plays when the game is on the line?

    The answer to each of those questions for this year's Texans is no. And that is on the head coach.

    Wait 'til next year is a particularly sad notion when next year is likely to be the same as this year, which is the same as last year, which was the same as the year before that.

    How far have the Texans come in nearly five seasons under Gary Kubiak? Not very far, and not far enough.
     
    #1 Uprising, Dec 6, 2010
  2. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    Stuck in neutral. Not going forward, not exactly going backwards either. Meddling right around that .500 mark. Although the record this year may indicate they've gone backwards from the 9-7 mark last year.

    But in all likelyhood, Kubiak will be back and changes will be made on the D staff. And as Solomon said, we'll wait 'til next year when next year is likely to be the same as this year, which is the same as last year, which was the same as the year before that.
     
    #2 J.R., Dec 6, 2010
  3. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh....clever.
     
    #3 justtxyank, Dec 6, 2010
  4. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    If the improbable happens, the Texans win out, and the Jags and Colts lose out to us in tiebreakers... does Kubiak justify his existence?

    Or is it just a case of a broken clock being right every once in a while?
     
    #4 DonnyMost, Dec 6, 2010
  5. justtxyank

    justtxyank Contributing Member

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    This scenario will be like last year, but worse. You couldn't win the games that mattered but then when it was basically over fortune smiled on you just enough to look respectable.
     
    #5 justtxyank, Dec 6, 2010
  6. rockets934life

    rockets934life Contributing Member

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    Only way he is justified is if he makes a Super Bowl run like the Cards did a few years back.
     
    #6 rockets934life, Dec 6, 2010
  7. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    Let's not go crazy.

    I think you and I both know that a playoff appearance would have everyone happy, and a playoff win would have everyone slobbing Gary's knob... anything beyond that, and we'd all be:

    [​IMG]
     
    #7 DonnyMost, Dec 6, 2010
  8. rockets934life

    rockets934life Contributing Member

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    LOL, well you said justified and a playoff appearance only to be blown out 1st rd won't do it for me. Will I be ecstatic if the team reached the playoff, sure, but I won't be praising Kubes just because he beat horrible teams and an overachieving Jax squad to get their, with the exception of the Ravens.
     
    #8 rockets934life, Dec 6, 2010
  9. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    Yeah, it would be the epitome of failing upwards.

    Baltimore would be a signature win, Philly WOULD have been a signature win, but so far this year... they're severely lacking in the marquee win department.

    If we beat Baltimore and the Jags lose, I'll get back on the hope train.

    Until then, I'm gonna be sitting next to MadMax in the bitter and jaded fans section.

    Yo Max... pass me a cup o' dat haterade, will ya?
     
    #9 DonnyMost, Dec 6, 2010
  10. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    If he makes the playoffs, he will be back...otherwise he is gone...period.
     
    #10 NJRocket, Dec 6, 2010
  11. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    This thought process right here is what really scares me. The 2006 draft was so productive, I think too many people are failing to realize how miserable the Texans have drafted since. I would fire Kubiak (and Smith), the talent evaluator, long before I'd fire Kubiak, the head coach (though I'd probably do that, too).

    Their day one (rounds 1-3) picks since '06: Schaub (cost two 2s), Okoye, Jacoby, Brown, Molden, Slaton, Cushing, Barwin, Caldwell, Jackson, Tate, Mitchell.

    Schaub has obviously been very good (worth two 2s though?.....) and Brown and Cushing are both legitimate starters (though both now have failed PED tests on their resumes). Slaton had a productive rookie season but has fallen off a cliff and Barwin has, I guess, contributed. But the rest have failed to assert themselves (giving a pass, for now, to the 2010 class).

    13 "day one" picks have generated five current starters (and Jackson was handed his starting assignment) - that is beyond terrible.
     
    #11 Hey Now!, Dec 6, 2010
  12. Major

    Major Member

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    Wow - regardless of the writing and the cliches in it, those are some pretty damning statistics.
     
    #12 Major, Dec 6, 2010
  13. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    I guess the biggest disaster possible at this point would be to go into the last game vs Jax controlling their own destiny and lose...which isnt out of the realm of possibility :eek:
     
    #13 NJRocket, Dec 6, 2010
  14. No Worries

    No Worries Contributing Member

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    Bod, is dat u?
     
    #14 No Worries, Dec 6, 2010
  15. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    At least we'd have something to cheer for.

    I'd hate to beat Balt, beat Tenn, and then lose to freaking Denver and be out of it.
     
    #15 DonnyMost, Dec 6, 2010
  16. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    Yeah, I was surprised to read Solomon's words suggesting this regime has been good at talent evaluation.
     
    #16 MadMax, Dec 6, 2010
  17. rhino17

    rhino17 Member

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    falling ass backwards into an undeserved playoff spot would not appease me. Bottom line is that Kubiak is not getting the best out of this team and another coach can
     
    #17 rhino17, Dec 6, 2010
  18. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

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    We've been 5-7 for 4 years in a row now. I had to check that stat just to make sure I read it right.

    How can anyone possibly construe that as improving?

    This team under Kubiak is like the movie Groundhog Day.
     
    #18 ima_drummer2k, Dec 6, 2010
    2 people like this.
  19. Major

    Major Member

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    AND in 2003 and 2004.
     
    #19 Major, Dec 6, 2010
  20. vinsensual

    vinsensual Member

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    I agree entirely. No faith in whoever evaluates talent, and I would be much more comfortable seeing this FO trade all their picks for players, instead of looking for their next project.

    And this goes beyond Kareem, but looking back at how he was top on their board for being the most NFL ready? :mad:
     
    #20 vinsensual, Dec 6, 2010
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