If he turns this around, I think we can add him to the Mount Rushmore of Houston Sports Legends. My biggest worry is what will happen once he's gone, since Kubiak is obviously way out of his element on all matters concerning defense... who will make the hire to replace Wade? Rick Smith? Lord knows Bob McNair didn't put a whole hell of a lot of thought into this hire, it was a no-brainer for him.
I'm sorry................. *completely* incompetent? You'd argue what they've done offensively represents incompetence? I'll grant you defensively. That's why hiring a DC of Phillips' ilk and turning it over to him has so many of us more encouraged. That's the kind of rhetoric I object to. No room for gray? It's all or none?
Looking at the soft schedule. . . . 12 - 4 should be possible. 10 - 6 is a minimum. Anything less [playoffs or not] . . . I think Kubes will have failed again. I suspect the Defense will not look as bad . .. because 1. the schedule is not as tough. 2. Wade WILL improve them. I think I defense will be top 20 statistically. Last year. . the defense lost games. I am still concerned that Kubiak will FIND WAYS TO LOSE [i.e. not running Foster enough in the second Colts game . . GGGRRRR] Rocket River
This schedule, particularly the front half, is pretty difficult. The NFC South is a terrible, terrible draw for us. The Saints, Falcons, and Bucs will all likely kick our asses up and down the field.
The Saints maybe but The Falcons and Bucs not so sure. I am not sold on their offenses and I think our Offense should be able to move the ball against them. Defense Ranks 16 Atlanta Falcons 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 New Orleans Saints [surprising] Passing D: 4 New Orleans Saints 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22 Atlanta Falcons Rushing D: 10 Atlanta Falcons 16 New Orleans Saints 28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers While I expect some improvements for these teams I think they have some weaknesses for the Texans to exploit. If we wanna be elite .. .you have to beat some elite teams. Rocket River
The Falcons and Bucs games should be interesting shootouts, at least. But still, that was the winningest division in the NFL last year. (along with the AFC East, whom is moreso just really top-heavy with the Jets/Pats) Bleh.
i do think the schedule is fairly tough but the 3 teams you referenced are not clear losses in my eyes...not easy wins either. Saints arent as scary as they once were (ingram could change that though). Falcons, although their record was impressive i think they are very beatable. Bucs...we will see if they can continue to carry that momentum all that being said, 1-3 is a must and 2-3 isnt completely impossible
Understood. Maybe I am overly optimistic but These are WINNABLE games. I think if you split with the Colts anything less than 5-1 in the division is FAIL! 4-2 division record should be a minimal. Then you have to find 6 more wins out of 10 games. Rocket River
We get the Falcons at home, and they can be thrown on, it's also shortly after our bye, so we have a chance. The Bucs we have on the road, and I think Josh Freeman is the truth. We'll be coming off a 3 game rip against some underwhelming opponents, so we might be a little sluggish/under-prepared. It will be interesting to see if Kubiak lets Arian loose here. The Saints are going to paste us in New Orleans. I smell a total massacre.
This isn't the first time you've suggested the schedule is a lot easier than the vast majority does. How do you see it unfolding? I don't think it's particularly brutal, but I wouldn't consider this an easy schedule myself. Colts -->Who knows what to expect. @Mia @NO Steelers -->Nasty stretch of games. Best case would be 2-1, most likely 1-2, and 0-3 is more probable than 2-1. Raiders @BAL @Ten Jags Browns -->4 winnable games plus a very difficult one to pull out. @Tampa @Jax Falcons -->This will be a telling stretch, and could be the "swing state" of the schedule. A good playoff caliber team gets at least two wins. A soft Same Old Texans team is lucky to snag one. @Cincy Panthers -->Two gimmees....on paper. @Indy Titans -->Finish the season with two division games, and winning the division is always your most reliable ticket to the postseason. Texans want in, they need to cream an aging Colts and rebuilding Jags/Titans. Forget the rest of the schedule. Go 5-1 in the division and you are in the drivers seat. I still look at this schedule and see 9-7. To do that, they need to take at least one of those games highlighted in red. And it's simple. Playoff teams can beat playoffs teams. Good teams beat other good teams. The Texans have to man up and beat good teams. With their arsenal on offense and a defense that shouldn't be the embarrassment we saw last year, there's no excuse if they go 7-9.
You may be underestimating how tough divisional games are. I never ask more than 3-3 as an expectation. It's like playing your older brothers. Last season only five teams notched 5 or more division wins. That said, if you want to make the playoffs, you need 4 division wins. KC was the only team to make it in without doing so last year. In 2009, only two teams made it without 4. Same for 2008.
Colts - W @Mia - W @NO - L Steelers - L Raiders - W @BAL - L @Ten - W Jags - W Browns - W (6-3, best record ever!) @Tampa - L Bye @Jax - L Falcons - L (6-6, panic mode sets in) @Cincy - W Panthers - W (8-6, playoff hope at an all-time high!) @Indy - L (potential AFC South clincher, huge letdown in primetime) Titans - W (in it until the final buzzer, when some team inevitably rolls over in their final game thus eliminating us) 9-7 overall 4-2 division Will it be enough to leapfrog the Colts or snag a wildcard? Probably not, but I'm sure McNair would be thrilled with this, as would many fans, despite their initial griping about no playoffs.
I've called RR out on it previously, too - but looking at it again...... I'd never call it "soft" - the first six weeks is the exact opposite of soft. But even if they go 2-4 to start (very likely).... There are certainly 7 winnable games amongst their final 10 (TEN x2; JAX x2, CLE, CIN, CAR). If they can steal a "loss" somewhere along the line, I think they can squeeze 10 wins out of it. 11 is a stretch; no way on 12 unless Wade Phillips is a miracle worker.
Yes you have and I mean to respond Let's look at last years schedule 1 Sun, Sep 12th, 2010 Indianapolis 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium W (34 - 24) 2 Sun, Sep 19th, 2010 at Washington 04:15 PM FedEx Field W (30 - 27) 3 Sun, Sep 26th, 2010 Dallas 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium L (27 - 13) 4 Sun, Oct 3rd, 2010 at Oakland 04:05 PM Oakland Coliseum W (31 - 24) 5 Sun, Oct 10th, 2010 NY_Giants 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium L (34 - 10) 6 Sun, Oct 17th, 2010 Kansas_City 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium W (35 - 31) 7 Bye *8 Mon, Nov 1st, 2010 at Indianapolis 08:30 PM Lucas Oil Stadium L (30 - 17) *9 Sun, Nov 7th, 2010 San_Diego 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium L (29 - 23) *10 Sun, Nov 14th, 2010 at Jacksonville 01:00 PM Jacksonville Municipal Stadium L (31 - 24) *11 Sun, Nov 21st, 2010 at NY_Jets 01:00 PM New Meadowlands Stadium L (30 - 27) 12 Sun, Nov 28th, 2010 Tennessee 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium W (20 - 0) 13 Thu, Dec 2nd, 2010 at Philadelphia 08:20 PM Lincoln Financial Field L (34 - 24) *14 Mon, Dec 13th, 2010 Baltimore 08:30 PM Reliant Stadium L (34 - 28) 15 Sun, Dec 19th, 2010 at Tennessee 01:00 PM LP Field L (31 - 17) *16 Sun, Dec 26th, 2010 at Denver 04:05 PM Invesco Field at Mile High L (24 - 23) 17 Sun, Jan 2nd, 2011 Jacksonville 04:15 PM Reliant Stadium W (34 - 17) How many LOSES should have been wins? Alot of them IMO were games that Defeat was SNATCHED from the jaws of Victory 2009 1 September 13 12:00 pm New York Jets L 7–24 0–1 2 September 20 12:00 pm at Tennessee Titans W 34–31 1–1 *3 September 27 12:00 pm Jacksonville Jaguars L 31–24 1–2 4 October 4 12:00 pm Oakland Raiders W 29–6 2–2 5 October 11 3:15 pm at Arizona Cardinals L 28–21 2–3 6 October 18 12:00 pm at Cincinnati Bengals W 28–17 3–3 7 October 25 12:00 pm San Francisco 49ers W 24–21 4–3 8 November 1 12:00 pm at Buffalo Bills W 31–10 5–3 9 November 8 12:00 pm at Indianapolis Colts L 20–17 5–4 10 Bye *11 November 23 7:30 pm Tennessee Titans L 20–17 5–5 12 November 29 12:00 pm Indianapolis Colts L 35–27 5–6 *13 December 6 12:00 pm at Jacksonville Jaguars L 23–18 5–7 14 December 13 12:00 pm Seattle Seahawks W 34–7 6–7 15 December 20 12:00 pm at St. Louis Rams W 16–13 7–7 16 December 27 12:00 pm at Miami Dolphins W 27–20 8–7 17 January 3 12:00 pm New England Patriots W 34–27 9–7 If they win their division games . .. they were in the playoffs. If they took The Jets seriously. . they were in the playoffs I don't think I overrate them . . I guess I do have higher expectations. I think in some games. . The Texans were not OUT TALENTED . .but were OUT COACHED Rocket River
Yes you have and I mean to respond Let's look at last years schedule 1 Sun, Sep 12th, 2010 Indianapolis 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium W (34 - 24) 2 Sun, Sep 19th, 2010 at Washington 04:15 PM FedEx Field W (30 - 27) 3 Sun, Sep 26th, 2010 Dallas 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium L (27 - 13) 4 Sun, Oct 3rd, 2010 at Oakland 04:05 PM Oakland Coliseum W (31 - 24) 5 Sun, Oct 10th, 2010 NY_Giants 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium L (34 - 10) 6 Sun, Oct 17th, 2010 Kansas_City 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium W (35 - 31) 7 Bye *8 Mon, Nov 1st, 2010 at Indianapolis 08:30 PM Lucas Oil Stadium L (30 - 17) *9 Sun, Nov 7th, 2010 San_Diego 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium L (29 - 23) *10 Sun, Nov 14th, 2010 at Jacksonville 01:00 PM Jacksonville Municipal Stadium L (31 - 24) *11 Sun, Nov 21st, 2010 at NY_Jets 01:00 PM New Meadowlands Stadium L (30 - 27) 12 Sun, Nov 28th, 2010 Tennessee 01:00 PM Reliant Stadium W (20 - 0) 13 Thu, Dec 2nd, 2010 at Philadelphia 08:20 PM Lincoln Financial Field L (34 - 24) *14 Mon, Dec 13th, 2010 Baltimore 08:30 PM Reliant Stadium L (34 - 28) 15 Sun, Dec 19th, 2010 at Tennessee 01:00 PM LP Field L (31 - 17) *16 Sun, Dec 26th, 2010 at Denver 04:05 PM Invesco Field at Mile High L (24 - 23) 17 Sun, Jan 2nd, 2011 Jacksonville 04:15 PM Reliant Stadium W (34 - 17) How many LOSES should have been wins? Alot of them IMO were games that Defeat was SNATCHED from the jaws of Victory 2009 1 September 13 12:00 pm New York Jets L 7–24 0–1 2 September 20 12:00 pm at Tennessee Titans W 34–31 1–1 *3 September 27 12:00 pm Jacksonville Jaguars L 31–24 1–2 4 October 4 12:00 pm Oakland Raiders W 29–6 2–2 5 October 11 3:15 pm at Arizona Cardinals L 28–21 2–3 6 October 18 12:00 pm at Cincinnati Bengals W 28–17 3–3 7 October 25 12:00 pm San Francisco 49ers W 24–21 4–3 8 November 1 12:00 pm at Buffalo Bills W 31–10 5–3 9 November 8 12:00 pm at Indianapolis Colts L 20–17 5–4 10 Bye *11 November 23 7:30 pm Tennessee Titans L 20–17 5–5 12 November 29 12:00 pm Indianapolis Colts L 35–27 5–6 *13 December 6 12:00 pm at Jacksonville Jaguars L 23–18 5–7 14 December 13 12:00 pm Seattle Seahawks W 34–7 6–7 15 December 20 12:00 pm at St. Louis Rams W 16–13 7–7 16 December 27 12:00 pm at Miami Dolphins W 27–20 8–7 17 January 3 12:00 pm New England Patriots W 34–27 9–7 If they win their division games . .. they were in the playoffs. If they took The Jets seriously. . they were in the playoffs I don't think I overrate them . . I guess I do have higher expectations. I think in some games. . The Texans were not OUT TALENTED . .but were OUT COACHED Rocket River
Why would you think this? That barely happened to us all last year...we may be complete crap defensively, but we still managed to hang in many of the losses. Look at the games against the Eagles, Ravens, Chargers, Jags, etc...In it until the final moments. The Giants and Cowboys cleaned us up, but we really never got our asses kicked up and down the field.
Kubiak should have been fired immediately after that game. It was obvious then that he was out of his depth.
