Very disappointing game today. I'm one that sits through all games whether good or bad, close or blow out. Today, however, I turned off the TV with five minutes to go. To put up that kind of effort with the #1 seed on the line was a joke. I've followed the Texans since the beginning and have seen some pretty awful games along the way. Most of the time the Texans were a bad team and a bad performance was par for the course. Since the Texans turned the corner and started winning there weren't too many bad games. I gave a pass last week just because every team has a flat game every now and then. Today's game was an absolute pathetic performance. It reminded me of the old Texans. It's hard to fathom how on one drive they look so good with precision execution and an easy score, and then on the next drive they look like they've never played together before. It's one thing if the other team beats the Texans, but when they shoot themselves in the foot, that's another thing. Too many penalties have cost us valuable down and distance. The false starts and defensive offsides have got to stop. All those types of penalties come down to discipline. It's mostly on the players, but the coaches are responsible as well. I hope they are able to turn the ship around, otherwise it will be an early exit for them.
Still steaming. I've said it before and I'll repeat it one more time: why is Quintin Demps allowed on the field? It's unbelievable how many times this has happened. He has ONE job to do on a 3rd-and-forever play, and it's not to let anyone get behind him. This is not ****ing rocket science. If he's failed this many times at it, play Keo or sign someone off the street. This is just not acceptable.
That was Demps fault. It was Wade and his terrible defensive play calling. He called cover 3 zone when it 3rd and 23 which was set up to fail from the hike. Luck read the zone and audible streams throughout the field and wahla
Demps had the deep zone. It was Wade's fault that Luck had the window for 25+ yards and a first down, but it's incomprehensible to let the receiver get behind everyone and score an untouched TD.
Living vicariously through sports teams might be exciting in the moment, but is ultimately unfulfilling, a way to superficially replace a lack of purpose in one's own life. I'm making a conscious effort to become a more casual fan (posting on the bbs not withstanding). When I find myself cursing at the TV, it's time to take stock and get some perspective.
I disagree to an extent. As long as you realize it is a past-time, a kind of fantasy, a diversion from everyday realities, sports are great. When they become a substitute for real life accomplishment, and you begin to live vicariously through sports teams, big problem. My life has been anything but boring; through hard work and the help of my family and others I have experienced a fair amount of success. I am also a big sports fan. However, when they lose, it's on them. I didn't play. When they win I am happy and proud for them,but, again, I didn't play. When their success is my success and their failure is my failure we have a problem with over identification. I think that is what Commodore's quote is about.
Keo let one of those plays go a few games back too. I liked Nolan more as a safety but apparently Demps and Keo are better special teams players and we all know how much they've helped out there. It wasn't really that he let somebody get past him, it was that we only had one deep safety and Demps ran to one side of the field and Luck threw to the other and he couldn't recover. Some of this has to do with McCain and Ball (and Cushing) being injured because Quin is coming up and playing CB which necessitates somebody else coming in to play safety when the opposing offense goes to 5 WR. We're only suiting up 4 CB so on that play it was 4 linemen, 4 corners, and 3 safeties only that Quin was kind of up playing Dime LB and dropping into coverage at the snap and Demps was back playing the traditional safety role. Oh, and that defensive play call sucked because it was 3rd and 23 and the slot corners were playing short zones. The guy who lined up across from Hilton (not sure who it was) ran to the sideline. Joseph had to leave his man on the outside to try to make a play and couldn't get there. Quin had to run from in between the hashes out to the numbers and that put him behind the receiver. Maybe if we're not having 2 of our corners cover areas 10 yards short of the first down, Hilton doesn't get so open. Maybe they wanted guys in position to cover a screen pass because that's what Kubes would've run in that situation.
They should have been gone years ago, but they will likely lose, and they will be back, and back, and back until they are too old to stand on the sidelines because McNair is "loyal" and is selling out every game. Only an empty stadium will get his attention.
He had a really hard time firing Capers after 2-14 but the fans didn't give him a choice. It's going to have to get far worse than a collapse in the midst of a 12-4 season for McNair to give Kubes the boot. It shouldn't have to take a repeat of 2-14 now that we have a couple of division titles and playoff appearances. It'll have to be maybe 3-4 years of mediocrity without playoffs for Bob to pull the plug. Or an epic collapse next year might do it. After the collapse this year, a 4-5 win season, 3rd in the division, might convince Bob that Kubes has lost the team. I don't think that will happen, but if it did . . .
Im just avoiding all aspects of this game Heres to the playoffs...New Stage, New Season *crosses fingers*
Now that I've had time to reflect on yesterday's game, I have a few observations about our team. The Texans were never as good as their record indicated or what fans believed. Take a look at many of our wins early in the season. The Texans were playing a fairly easy schedule, and getting out to early leads due to our defense forcing turnovers. Those turnovers and the easy points they created made a huge impact in the Texans success early in the season. I don't think the Texans are any better today than they were last year at this time. Last year we had the injuries on offense and with a rookie QB we were forced to play a very conservative style of football. Yates didn't have any targets to throw to down field so we threw short passes and ran the ball. This year our offense is still somewhat limited because Schaub is a very immobile QB with a fairly week arm. The right side of the Offensive line has struggled and the combination of immobile QB and weak offensive line creates a sputtering offense. I think the Texans would like to have Joel Dreesen and Eric Winston right about now. I don't blame the Texans for losing those guys, because we just couldn't afford to keep them, but they are missed. I'm not sure Foster is all that special. He averages 4.1 yds per carry, but that pales in comparison to some of the best in the league, Peterson 6.0, Morris 4.8, Lynch 5.0, Charles 5.3. Maybe the offensive line is not doing its job in run blocking for Foster, but the running game isn't all that dominant in my opinion. I know a lot of people don't like Kubiak, and the coach always gets blamed when any team plays poorly, but I think Kubiak has done pretty well with what he has to work with. Again, I'm saying that our players just aren't as good as some people think. Kubiak has been conservative on offense because with Schaub and our offensive line, he has to be. Kubiak's plan is to make as few as mistakes on offense as possible, and create turnovers on defense. His plan has worked pretty well overall, but against the really good teams we struggle. We desperately need some young dynamic weapons on offense. Martin and Posey didn't contribute much this year, and Andre can't do it all by himself. Special teams have been terrible all year and that kickoff return by the Colts killed us yesterday. That Texans are not a bad team, they have talent, but they're not one of the five or six best teams in the league. The Texans have to play a flawless game on offense and force a lot of turnovers on defense in order to beat a really good team. I'm not feeling real good about the Texans in the coming years if Schaub is the QB. I watch other teams QB's running all over the field, and then I see Schaub stand like a statue in mud trying to make a throw, it's a little depressing. If the Texans are going to stick with Schaub, then they need to have the greatest offensive line in all of football, that has to be their number one priority. Maybe the Texans will surprise us all in the playoffs, I'm rooting for them.
