I think it was a confluence of a few issues: -Second straight offseason of losing significantly more talent than was replenished. A bust filled draft hurt, a lot. -Coaching staff on both sides of the ball came back again with the same systems, getting staler by the year, because they seem unable to evolve year to year and allow the rest of the league to catch up. -Schaub came in still sporting MNF PTSD, and single handily started us on the losing streak. The pick-6 run was historically awful - something that should never have happened. -Once there were a few close losses under Keenum, sealing our doom, more than a handful of players started to mail it in, especially on the O-Line. New coaching staff and QB should clean up a lot of what took us down. What worries me is that we aren't going to address the front office or scouting department. Best case scenario, the scores of terrible draft picks and FA signings were all insisted on by Kubiak, Wade Phillips, or Bob McNair, and they won't happen anymore. I can't say I'm incredibly optimistic...but there is some hope that things will improve in that department.
Bill Cowher I agree. Let's be honest . . .. . setting aside talent. Simple Discipline would have won 4 more games Bull**** Penalties and missed assignments killed 4 or more games 2 more from not giving a d*mn for the last 6 weeks or not being team oriented 2 wins because the schedule will be much easier next year. . .[in theory] NO EXCUSES Rocket River
Exactly Kubiak had a harder road to hoe coming after Capers Kubiak's 2-14 talent >> Capers 2-14 talent Rocket River
Cowher hasn't coached in 7 NFL seasons. You think he's coming back? Teams have called on him for years now and gotten a "not interested."
I absolutely agree. It may be my homer glasses but we aren't as terrible as our record implies. What I think may (or what I think should) happen is that we get ourselves out of cap hell next year by cutting every one that may hurt us moving forward.
Predictable offense, horrible QB, horrible kicker, lack of discipline, hellish schedule, lame duck coach, and losing multiple players to injury, should all be better next year. I think the Texans can win 8-10 games if things bounce their way, maybe even challenge for a wild card.
It is really hard to say at this point. How much of the problems were scheme and coaching and how much of it was talent? For example our secondary, they struggled, but was it because there was no pressure up front? I think it is fair to say the best Texans talent is getting old or injury prone (AJ, Foster, Daniels, Joseph, Cushing). How many of them will be back and/or productive? The decline only shows what a massive failure the Kubiak era was. The window is closing and after spending a decade rebuilding the highlight was starting 11-1 and crumbling down the stretch. Let's hope O'Brien is a good coach and turns the organization around, from what has been a humiliating last 13 months.
On the KC turn-around: if you are at the top of the draft for years in a row, you should be able to stack some talent and only have to wait for them to mature. With the first pick in each round we should be able to add 3 starters this year, especially counting Brennan Williams as one of the possibles. The kicker is if we lose more than 3 starters, knowing we lose 1 at QB. (QB, Cush?, Smith?, Newton, Daniels?)
I said could have. I think everyone would agree that our kicking game was atrocious earlier in the season. These two games come to mind: Indianapolis at Arizona
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Skip on <a href="https://twitter.com/JManziel2">@JManziel2</a> in NFL... <a href="http://t.co/mPaeimDew8">pic.twitter.com/mPaeimDew8</a></p>— ESPN First Take (@ESPN_FirstTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPN_FirstTake/statuses/418754663026937856">January 2, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I think the days of being safe for this franchise is over with BOB in place and the 1st pick in hand I think we go all and draft JFF
That's just (typically) stupid. It's only "gutsy" to draft Manziel first because he's not worth of the first pick and not the best qb available. Might as well draft a deep snapper first. Now that would be gutsy.
I'd do the same thing if I was him. Work harder than usual, pretty much one day out of the week, and get paid. And all you do is just talk football with Marino, Sharpe, Esison and JB. Sounds cushy.
Agree on Indy but the 1 FG Bullock "missed" vs. Arizona was blocked. We don't know if he would've made it or not.
