Eh, he had to go through everything we had, including forcing a broken down Slaton and Chris Brown out there before ever giving Foster a chance. I don't give him much credit there. Our offensive line has looked poor this year. None of our tight ends look like pro bowl candidates save for OD. I really can't think of much of anything that Kubiak has done 'well' for this team. Even with our solid offense it seems like he still does things to try and hinder that. He got us from horrible to mediocre. I think we may have seen enough at this point to know it's not going to go any further.
To be fair about the Slaton vs. Foster debate. Foster was injured and an undrafted rookie FA. No one would have given him the starters role over the guy who led all NFL running back in line from scrimmage (Slaton)
What? Slaton didn't even have the most yards from scrimmage among rookie RB's in 2008 (though he did lead rookies in rushing). Matt Forte did. Maybe I misunderstood your post since there seems to be a few words missing. Anyway, I agree with your point in general. It's easy to see why Slaton was the starter the first half of the season based on the results of the previous year. But Slaton stunk it up early and often last year. Even discounting the fumbles, the Texans didn't have a decent day on the ground until Week 8 when Moats went off. It's hard to criticize Kubiak for not playing Foster much in 2009 when Foster was still expected to be 3rd on the depth chart behind Slaton and Tate going into this season. Hindsight is 20/20.
I meant to say AFC, which I think he did lead in yards from scrimmage. Slaton was hurt a majority of last season and played through it, not sure he shouldda been out there anyway, but the guy was a top 5 back in the NFL his rookie year, he deserved time to make up for a bad start.
The NFL is so big you can win any where and still be a star coach...as long as you are winning. These are coaches we are talking about, not players. Most coaches don't give a **** about the limelight or spotlight. In fact I think most coaches think of taking a Job like that as more pressure and having their players under a microscope. If Fisher suddenly retired I bet that would be the #1 position. I doubt most coaches care about that it's in Tennesse and even when the Titans are winning it isn't really talked about. So i'm just not buying the spotlight thing. These are 40+ year old fully mature men. This isn't some Lebron and Bosh thing of lets go play in south beach and party whenever we can.
I agree with the OP to a point. There have been instances where Kubiak has mismanaged the clock or called a boneheaded play, but overall I can't blame him. YES Indy was his fault, he should have ran the ball. The San Diego and Jville games were there for the taking, players didn't make plays necessary to win. Is the hiring of Bush and the defense failing Kubiaks fault? Maybe, maybe not. Defense last year after week three was solid. Let's look at this year. Ryans out early, run defense immediately goes south. No Cushing first four weeks, since his return, he's just not the same player he was last year. Rookie corner, should he have been playing the whole time? Probably not, kinda makes Reeves not look so bad IMO. Pass rush just non-existant, who's fault? Bush? Maybe. I think it's a combination of Bush and the lack of talent across the board on D. Smith deserves some blame, so far pretty solid drafting offensive players, on the Defensive side pretty sketchy. There is blame to go around from top to the bottom of the orginization. This team is still in better shape than it's probably ever been. That being said I only make a change if you can get a Cowher or Dungy type of coach. I just don't see that happening, both are pipe dreams IMO.
Kubiak is THE MAN with this franchise. He has gigantic input on coaching staff decisions....on personnel selection and retention...and on X's and O's. Think the game plan or coaching is bad? it's on Kubiak. Think the personnel is bad? it's on Kubiak. Smith is Kubiak's guy...not the other way around. The NFL, like all pro sports, is a bottom line business. If you've had 5 years and you haven't put your team in the playoffs, you're finished. If McNair doesn't cut ties and move on...how in the world does he sell that to the public next year? "Wait...I know it's been like watching Groundhog Day...but it's gonna be totally different next year!!" At this point, it's time for change for the sake of change...because doing the same thing over and over again is just ridiculous. Particulary if you think we've taken a step back this season...and I most certainly think that's the case. Schedule notwithstanding, I do not believe this year's team is as good as last year's team.
Might be time for change, but everyone keeps saying its all kubiak's fault like just replacing him will magically turn this team around. This team has such large wholes in the D game even a new coach unless he is magician will still have that deficiency and will probably take time to fix it.
well maybe we can hire someone who knows how to draft guys on the defensive side of the ball. or who knows how to pick up free agents to help out.
Seconded. And I’ll go you one further: McNair should already have his mind made up about Kubiak; these final 7 games should in no way impact his decision. Either he is or isn’t the guy to get this team over the hump and, as you said: He hasn’t done it five years. McNair is staring down the barrel of a unique opportunity. Two of the better, more respected head coaching candidates are currently unemployed. If I’m McNair, I would have called Cowher and Gruden last night and gauged their interest in taking over today. Why not? There’s no one on staff worthy of replacing Kubiak (in fact, I expect the entire staff will be trashed with Kubiak), you don’t have to wait until a team grants you permission to speak to its coach, and you’d give the new guy an unprecedented 7 full weeks (and full offseason) to get a feel for the team, see and coach it in game action and provide him an incredible head start. And you’d make these final what’s feeling more and more like dreadful seven weeks interesting. None of that will happen, of course. But it should. This team requires a bold move. Bottom line: McNair is going to have to make a splash with the next hire, a guy with legitimate *head coaching* skins on the wall. No more great coordinators. No more former coaches who’ve known limited success. And those two guys are out there; you jump the entire league. It would be a stroke of genius. Cowher immediately makes your franchise more interesting. Gruden, less so but he would still energize a fan base that has every right to be upset, disappointed and apathetic. I’m not entirely sold on either guy (they both feel like coaches that lean *heavily* on assistants, which is fine assuming you can find/hire those assistants. I doubt either brings Dick LaBeau or Monte Kiffin with them). But this city needs a jolt, as does the franchise. I can guarantee this: a Cowher team would not have ended the game the way the Texans did yesterday: fumble, penalty, Hail Mary fail – all within 8 seconds of one another. I like Kubiak; he may be a Belicheck-like candidate who puts it all together on try #2 (if he gets it) but that is unacceptable right now.
Why is it an either/or? Why does have to be "don't blame him" or "it's all his fault"? Why can't he be a problem without being the entirety of the problem? If can't there be multiple problems, with him being a one of those that needs to be dealt with?
Kubiak brought in both the OC and the GM. Who else are we going to blame. Maybe we should blame McNair since he brought in Kubiak
I appear to be on drugs. Let's try that again: Why can't there be multiple problems, with him being one of those that needs to be dealt with?
I disagree. I've seen too much of this team making poor football decisions to not hold the head coach responsible. Sure, the players are likely football dumb. The solution is to not play those guys. Or make it easier for them to succeed. Or better yet: Do your homework and don't frickin’ draft/sign 'em. I've been hesitant to call for an end to this regime because I was starting to fear more and more that the players, more than the coaches, were to blame. And that would mean not only would the new coach have to jettison players that didn't fit his system, he'd have to clean out the rest of the garbage, too - which thrusts us right into the middle of *another* rebuilding process. Do you realize no expansion team - ever - has taken this long to make the playoffs? Even the reconstituted Browns got there. But now I’ve accepted that that will indeed be our lot. Assuming good personnel and coaches come in next, I’m guessing a good chunk of what we thought was a foundation will be gone. (Sigh)
I don't think it's quite that bad. I think a lot of the most difficult pieces to get are in place. The team needs an attitude adjustment and to play with more football smarts, but I don't think it needs wholesale changes. We saw yesterday with the Cowboys how much a simple change can do sometimes - granted it was only one game, but it shows how quickly a simple switch can entirely change how a team plays using the same personnel. The Texans don't have as much talent as the Cowboys, but they are probably better on the offensive side, especially when Kitna is the Cowboy QB.
