[Matt Jackson's Twitter] Rick Dennison will be the Texans offensive coordinator

WEll, that offense got us within one game of the playoffs which is something. Also, we were in playoff contention while winning the last few games.

I just pointing out that you specifically called out a few bad offensive play calls yet their offense was one of the better in the leagues. That doesn't mean Kubes doesnt have some legit criticism, but it should certainly be considered. That great offense also completely sucked at times. But i think you can attribute a lot of that to having no run game what so ever.

I don't know why this team plays so much better late in the year. But at least this year they were at a 5-3 record before the mid season slide. Typically, texans got off to slow starts.

Next year certainly is playoff or bust. I think he earned one more shot and that's exactly what he is going to get.

 

The offense at least has the Texans winning some games. This team still is talent deficient at a lot of spots....DT, DE, RB, OG, FS, CB. Not to say the GM has been horrible as this is much less than it was three years ago.

 

Funny thing is those needs you listed are the same ones we've been needing for about 2,3,4+ years now.

Amobi is a bust at the DT spot for where he was picked. Say what you want that he did better this year or whatever, but for being #10 overall, he is a bust. He is not a force or disruptive. Does it say anything that his own coach passed on him in the draft??

DE: Still no help opposite of Mario. I was never impressed with the signing of Smith and the money they gave him. He's never been a disruptive force that they thought he would or might become. (5.5 sacks in a season is his high. 4.5 this year. 1 more whole sack than the situational DE Connor Barwin who had 3.5) Speaking of Barwin, another project player, which this team loves, project players who they HOPE work out. Hopefully he pans out into something(???).

RB: They've ignored this spot(by ignore I mean thinking they can plug anyone in there(jjust because Denver did)) ever since Dominick Davis-Williams went down. List includes the likes of Chris Henry, Arian Foster, Chris Brown, Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats, Jeremaiah Johnson, Darius Walker, Chris Taylor, Antowain Smith, Vernand Morency, Tony Hollings, Samkon Gado, washed up injury prone Ahman Green, and Ron Dayne. None who are exactly world beaters. Slaton had one good year and went back to what many draft experts thought he was, a 3rd down back only. Looks like that's what he'll be. Oh yeah, not to mention those who were here IIRC when Davis-Williams was here: Jonathan Wells and Stacy Mack.

OG/O-Line:Seems like we've been trying to upgrade this spot since day 1. I'll give you credit to Winston, Pitts, and maybe Brown. Those are the only guys on the line worth keeping. However, Pitts may be gone. Duane Brown you can get by with though am not sure he is a starter/starter material. Chester got injured, no guarentee they bring him back. Meyers is trash and not starter material. Same for Briesel and Studdard. They are depth guys, not guys that should be starting on a wanna-be or hopeful playoff team. Winston is alright and you can get by with. Not his best year this year though imo

CB: Another spot we've been seeming to try to upgrade for years and really ignored for years. We've drafted, one guy, count 'em one, CB in the first round in our draft history. The next highest round was the 3rd round in Antwuan Molden who is the second coming of Bennie Joppru. The guy cant stay healthy. The jury is still out on Quin. Had a nice rookie year but so did Fred Bennett. Reeves you can get by with but another depth guy that I dont think would start for any of the playoff teams. Can we get at least one(preferably 2) decent/good/starting CBs?

Safety: Ahhh I feel like I'm repeating myself! Oh wait, I am! Another spot we've ignored for years and thought we could get by with lesser guys. Where the hell would we be without Pollard and Wilson?! Let's see: Troy Nolan, Dominique Barber, Brandon Harrison, CC Brown, Glenn Earl, Curry Burns, Ramon Walker, Matt Stevens. Who again? None of those guys start on playoff teams. They are depth guys.

So I've come to the conclusions of the same spots we need to fill now are ones we've needed to address before but either haven't or waited til the 5th,6th, 7th round to address the position or picked up a guy who wasnt capable of the job in FA.

I also dont buy into the whole "a new coach comes in and will mess everything up and will change schemes and we need new players". Guess what, we need to upgrade those spots regardless of who the coach is!! Some of the guys we have now are depth guys not starters, and some of the spots need upgrades regardless of who is in charge. Last time I checked you still need a RB, part of an O-line, part of a D-line, CBs, and a safety or two regardless of who the coach is. But oh wait, those are the same spots we've been needing to upgrade for a few years now!!

Just my $0.02

 

Now that we are being offered plates half empty...

Compared to 2, 3, 4 years ago. The LB's are world class and set. We have a poor man's Ronnie Lott at SS in Pollard...(Yes, Mr. fear the spear is playing like it!) We should get a good FS in the draft.

We are 9-7...The Bengals obviously wanted no piece of us.

We don't give up the sacks compared to 2, 3, 4 years ago. Quin is great as a rookie corner and now more valued than DRob.

More positives: Slaton has an opportunity to come back from an injury with motivation. Foster has showed us a tremendous lot. The RB core can only get better in 2010.

We are recognized to have more pro-bowl talent than ever before.

Frank Bush will have that year under his belt.

I see bad things happening for other teams coming to a fall season near you.

 

Only 9 more months until the season starts!

 

Well looks like we lost Alex Gibbs to Seattle

 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6812051.html

Dennison accepts offensive coordinator job with Texans
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Jan. 12, 2010, 7:21PM
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After spending 24 years in Denver as a player and assistant coach, Broncos offensive line coach Rick Dennison is leaving to become the Texans’ new offensive coordinator.
Dennison, 51, will be reunited with coach Gary Kubiak. They played together for eight years (1983-90) and coached together for 11 (1995-05).
“I’m really excited about this opportunity Gary’s giving me,” Dennison said Tuesday night. “It’s something that doesn’t come along very often. I know Gary very well, and this is another chance to work with him.”
Dennison is on his way to Houston, but assistant head coach/offense Alex Gibbs is headed for Seattle, where he’ll join Pete Carroll’s new staff. Gibbs’ two-year contract with the Texans expired.
Dennison, who replaced Kubiak as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator in 2006 and oversaw the running game, is replacing Kyle Shanahan. He left to join his father, Mike Shanahan, with the Washington Redskins.
“I’m real happy to get Rick,” Kubiak said. “He’s such a good fit with this organization, our staff and what we’re doing on offense.
“He was the best fit for the job, the guy I wanted the most. We worked together a long time, and we worked well together. This is a good opportunity for him, and it’s a real good deal for us. I’m very excited.”
When Kubiak left the Broncos for the Texans in 2006, he tried to bring Dennison with him to oversee the running game, but then-coach Mike Shanahan refused. Gibbs came out of retirement to take over that role.
Shanahan tried to hire Dennison this week, but the Broncos refused to grant them permission to interview him. They could have blocked the Texans but didn’t because Dennison will be the offensive coordinator and will call plays.
“It’s very, very hard to leave the Broncos and Denver, but the chance to work with Gary again in this position was just too good to pass up,” Dennison said.
Like Kyle Shanahan, Dennison will be calling plays for the first time. He’s taking over an offense that ranked fourth, including first in passing, and set team records for points and yards.
“It doesn’t hurt that they’ve got a good offense, of course,” Dennison said. “They’ve got good skill people.
“Really, though, it’s all about Gary and being able to work with him again.”
When Kubiak began his search for an offensive coordinator, on his list were Dennison, Tennessee offensive line coach Mike Munchak, Atlanta quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave and former Kansas City offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
All but Munchak had worked with Kubiak in Denver. The Titans denied the Texans permission to interview Munchak before they asked for permission.
Dennison, who played at Colorado State, played linebacker (1982-90) for the Broncos. He began his coaching career as an offensive assistant, then moved to special teams before switching to the offensive line under Gibbs. Dennison spent nine years (2001-09) coaching the Broncos’ offensive line.
Gibbs, 68, has a connection with Carroll. When Carroll took over at USC, he brought in Gibbs as a consultant for his offensive staff.
Carroll has hired Gibbs to help a young offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, develop. Gibbs did that with Kubiak in Denver and Shanahan with the Texans.
Because Dennison will oversee the passing game, the Texans are down to three offensive line coaches – John Benton, Frank Pollack and Bruce Matthews.
john.mcclain@chron.com

 

First time calling plays eh..

Not sure how I feel about that. He might need time to adjust kinda like Smith did.

Hopefully, it doesn't cost us games bc we need to be clicking on all cylinders with our tougher schedule.

 

The more I read about him, the more I like the hiring. He was in charge of the running plays in Shanahan's offense and has good experience as an O-line coach. He was at least good enough that McDaniels kept him this season.

 

Well, I'm on record here as not really being a fan of the Denver style of offense so Dennison's hire really doesn't excite me. IF they can pick up where they left off with the passing game while actually getting a semblance of a rushing game, then I suppose that this will prove to be a good move. But nothing's a given in this league and I can see them just as easily regress as progress next season. I just think that Kubiak seriously needs to rethink that whole pure ZBS scheme because the league appears to have definitely figured it out. If he can do that and if Smith makes the right moves in the draft & FA, then they very well could step up and really compete with Indy next season.

 

I would be more disappointed in Gibbs leaving if our O-line and run game hadn't been very pedestrian this year.

 

If the league has figured out the zone blocking scheme, how did the Jets finish 4th in rushing after making the switch to a ZBS? The scheme isn't the problem, it's the talent the Texans were playing with at RB and interior OL for much of the season.

 

For those curious about Rick Dennison, I did a Q & A with a Broncos correspondent on Battle Red Blog.

http://www.battleredblog.com/2010/1/13/1249292/straight-from-the-horses-mouth-q-a

 

I don't believe that the Jets are running the same pure ZBS schemes that Kubiak uses. They put in more variation than does GK. About the only real variation I've seen is the naked bootleg they use to roll Schaub out of the pocket. I agree with Jeremy Rice who writes the Texans Fan blog for the Chronic in that the D lines they are facing are too big and fast for the pure ZBS to be consistently effective. Now GK's attitude is much like your own where it's believed that the system is not at fault but with the talent. I'm just not too comfortable with that position. But my lukewarm attitude toward the ZBS stems mostly from the fact that it's not the style of football I grew up with and that I personally prefer a less finesse style of football.

 

They installed a pure zone blocking scheme in training camp.

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/01/07/thursday-and-long-technicians-power-jets-run-game/

I'll use a post from another site to disprove this:

That's just wrong. Zone blocking was designed specifically to counter increased movement and stunting by defenses. In a ZBS each blocker is responsible for a particular zone, rather than a particular defender, so the blockers don't have to worry about what to do if their guy does something like shift before the snap, twist, or drop into coverage – the OL have their progression to work through. And unless you’ve got the athletes on the OL to handle these bigger, faster defenders straight up, you’re going to need to use leverage and technique to do it… like with a ZBS.