Look, I've been a Kubiak supporter, for the most part, since he's been here. I wanted him fired instead of hiring Wade, though. When Wade was hired, I was uneasy with it because I thought that meant that if Kubiak got fired, Wade would take over, and I wasn't happy with that. I'm not going to deny it - I am starting to grow uneasy with Kubiak and Schaub. I don't think I'm as uneasy as most others, but Schaub is definitely regressing, and Kubiak is just behind him, in my book. Let's face the facts, though - This team will never be elite with Wade Phillips as its defensive coordinator. I will not deny that Wade is a top flight defensive coordinator. My point, though, is that he has shown a lack of creativity in his scheming, this season in particular. His schemes constantly consist of blitzing nearly everyone while leaving the secondary in man coverage. Yes, this is exciting to watch. Yes, we have a great secondary. Yes, at times, we have a pretty decent pass rush. Yes, we have one of the best defensive lineman in the game. No, we will never be able to beat an elite quarterback with this scheme. We have played five games against the elite quarterbacks since Wade arrived (Brees last year, Peyton, Rodgers, and Brady x 2). In those games, we've been lit up, and we've only won one of them. The one game we won was against Peyton Manning, who was, at that point, still figuring things out in Denver. Let's look at the passing statistics that those quarterbacks put up against us: Brees - 31/34 370 yards 3tds 2ints 81.7QBR Saints win 40-33 Manning - 26/52 330 yards 2tds 0ints 56 QBR Texans win 31-25 Rodgers - 24/37 338 yards 6tds 0ints 95.8 QBR Packers win 42-24 Brady (Game 1) - 21/35 296 yards 4tds 0ints 95.6 QBR Patriots win 42-14 Brady (Game 2) - 25/40 344 yards 3 tds 0 ints 748. QBR Patriots win 41-28 So what does this tell us? Basically that Wade's scheme for elite quarterbacks sucks. When you blitz most everyone and leave your secondary on man coverage island, these elite quarterbacks simply pick up on the constant blitzing and get the ball out in 2-3 seconds, thus eliminating about half of your team from the play. Our consistent inability to get after the quarterback in these games, coupled with the lack of turnovers forced by the secondary in only compounded by the fact that we show our blitzes way too early. Elite quarterbacks like Manning, Rodgers, Brees, and Brady pick up on blitzes as we show them - it's what makes them so great. They simply change the play or call a hot route and hit that man about two seconds after the ball is snapped. That man, who is usually defended by a man defenses, often times is able to gain 10-20 yards. It's worked time and time again, and Wade's inability to scheme for it flat out concerns me. With Wade at coordinator, we'll be able to obtain a great record every year, I have no doubt. The only way we'll actually make any noise in the playoffs, though, is if we can avoid playing any great quarterbacks on our road to the Super Bowl, which is highly doubtful. Not only that, but with Andrew Luck about to emerge in our division, we could be headed for wild card city year after year. People want to praise Schaub for the winning streak we had, and for the failures we had late this season? How about looking to the defense's epic collapse. How about looking at who we played during that winning streak? In the last two seasons, we've played these quarterbacks(this is excluding the games that Yates started): Kerry Collins, Chad Henne, Drew Brees (loss), Ben Roethlisberger, Jason Campbell (loss), Joe Flacco (loss), Matt Hasselback, Blaine Gabbert, Colt Mccoy, Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill, Peyton Manning, Mark Sanchez, Aaron Rodgers (loss), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jay Cutler/Jason Campbell, Matt Stafford, Jake Locker, Tom Brady (loss x 2), Andrew Luck(loss), Christian Ponder (loss) Now, some of these losses have to do with the offenses ineptitude, and some of them have to do with a bad defense. Mostly, the ones having to do with the defense are against the more elite quarterbacks. But we've been a great team the last two years, you say? Yes, we have. The problem, though, is that we have not, and I don't think we ever will, beat the elite quarterbacks in this league. To get where we want to go, we're going to have to. Often times, these elite quarterbacks will come out and exploit Wade's scheme on their first three drives, blowing the game wide open. After this, all hell breaks loose because Kubiak gets frazzled when he can't call his game plan. By creating this thread, I'm not saying that the current coaching set-up is not working. I think it is, aside from games against a few teams in this league. I'm not saying that Kubiak and Schaub deserve no blame. I think they do, and I think that if TJ Yates is not Schaub's replacement, it's time to draft an understudy this year. I'm just saying that all the blame should, in no way, go towards just the offense. I think Wade Phillips and his defensive schemes have a lot to do with it. I could go on and on about this, but by now, I know I have lost most of you...
is it more wade or the fact that we don't have the bullets to battlefight against those type of offenses, which are basically hybrids of the K-gun? what's a defensive back supposed to do past five yards? You basically need cushing, another stout end because smith was not as excellent as last year and another stout defensive tackle to terrorize that style. On offense,I thought old school football could win. but it's clear as day now that you have to go more wide open, like 2009. if they can't stop the pass in the first quarter, we shouldn't have been forcing the run. I liked kyle's style, that it was ok to set up the run with the pass, even with bubble screens to david anderson. Wish list: *healthy brian cushing *Stout rookie DT *Rookie MLB *Infiltrate Greenbay camp and lure the old spice guy. * make cuts to accommodate old spice guy. * Rookie QB to take over * Rookie TE, just because you can't have enough. I liked how the O-line came together in the playoffs. It was going to take more than one season just continue the 'continuity' of last year's line play, so we have that. And Harris who was a joke late in the season, really adapted well.
Cushing out hurt alot. McCain was out as well I beleive I think we could have used DeMeco Smith and Barwin had disappointing seasons While I agree on the Scheming issue Some of the regression has to be on players as well. [TRUST I AM NOT ONE TO USE THAT ONE OFTEN] I was hurt by how badly Barwin played this year I give Wade uber credit for the creation of KAREEM ISLAND Rocket River
Cowboy fans were telling me that players always eventually tune out Wade. I thought they were hating on the Texans then but maybe there's something to that ?
I've mentioned it elsewhere, but we're not nearly as effective in nickel as we are in the 3-4. If we could somehow stay in our base defense the whole time, we'd be fine. But elite passing teams force you into nickel and we don't have the personnel to get consistent pressure on the QB from 4 down linemen and having only 2 LBs limits our options as far as blitzing. It's become apparent to me this season that the easiest way to beat us is to go 3 or 4 wide and force us out of playing our Base D. That's one problem I have with a 3-4. We're designed to get pressure with 3 linemen and a mix of linebackers. When teams force us to take 2 LBs off the field and bring in a 4th, less effective, lineman, it takes us out of what we want to do. Wade doesn't seem to have an answer for that.
Look at our 1st Quarter: This was after they had the ball on the 12 yrd line!!!!! Defense forced a 3-0 THEY DO NOTHING THE NEXT SERIES Defense holds again THE DO NOTHING THEN GIVE A 29 yrd Punt THEN defense gives a touchdown THEY DO NOTHING THE NEXT SERIES Offense didn't give the defense anything to be excited about. Offense Scores on those 1st two drives . . .the score would have been 14-0 Don't tell me that the game would have been completely different Crowd out fo the game. . .defense hyped SHOCK THE WORLD IN EFFECT but no They turtled . . .and the wheels came off Rocket River
Dude have you been watching the games It's all Kubiak and Shaub when the Defense stays on the field most of the game that's not a good thing.
texans TOP was longer than the pats, so that's not a valid excuse. Bottom line, you can't be expected to win a game when you give up 41 points. Patriots abused the mismatches and the poor ILB coverage ability.
It's time to admit that we really did miss Mario. I know we couldn't afford to pay him (he was NOT interested in a hometown deal), but hypothetically speaking....can you imagine teams having to try and block Watt inside and Mario outside? I think the OLB experiment would have worked with him if he had stayed.
The difference between the Patriots and the Texans . . . The Texans munch up yards between the 20s .. . The Patriots cash in .. inside the 20 That is your ball game 500 yrds between the 20s . . .doesn't impress me. CASH IT IN!! Rocket River
I appreciate what Wade Phillips brings to this team. We've established an identity, we've gotten much more out of certain players than we could have imagined. But man did he get out-coached yesterday. He'd actually show the blitz, let Brady audible, then bring the same blitz. No disguise. Really? And you know the Patriots will look for mismatches, getting burned that badly that often by a LB covering the RB out of the backfield was embarrassing. Two TD's off plays we couldn't lineup in time for? In the PLAYOFFS? Really man? Embarrassing showing.
No one is stopping the patriots. Most of the points came in garbage time. It was relatively close going into halftime.
Hard to PRACTICE against audibles . . . when your organization doesn't do it. Rocket River "OK . . .Matt/TJ . . I want you to come to the line. . . look at the defense. . .and change the play" - Wade "What do you mean change the play??? AT THE LINE???" - QB then looks at Kubiak in a panic . . .
Agreed. Can you agree that a defense plays better/differently when they are up 14 nothing as oppose to down 7-3? Rocket River
The real kick in the nuts was when the RB split out wide and the LB had him in man on man coverage (can't remember which LB it was) with a lot of open field to work with. The helplessness felt was painful
