Ric - I agree with you that it's the right decision in that situation, but what you're not saying is it's the right decision because you have David Carr as your QB. You also need to go about 60 yards... not 93.
Point taken on automatically assuming message board posts are fact with regard to what Carr said to Kubes on the sideline. None of us know what was said, so I take back what I said about Carr earlier in the thread. But, if it was Kubiak's choice, I say why not let Carr try to be a hero. We were driving for a FG, not a TD so we didn't need to go 93 yards in 53 seconds. Just get it to the 35 and see what happens with Kris Brown. If this was a playoff game, I agree with your conservative approach. But we're not going anywhere this year, so what the hell. If Carr pulls that drive off, he's a hero. If not, well everyone already hates him, so nothing ventured, nothing gained (or whatever that saying is). Go no-huddle, throw some quick 10-yard outs, let the WR's get out of bounds, before you know it, you're in FG range with .03 seconds in the game. If Brown misses it, OT. If he makes it, Carr is a hero. What did we have to lose, a playoff berth?
If we go for it and end up with a 3 and out, or worse yet, a turnover, or even worse than that, a safety, Kubiak would be being blasted as the biggest damned idiot on the planet. It was high risk, little reward, for both Carr and Kubiak. Letting Vince kick the Texans in the teeth in OT was a lot less damaging to their careers than them actually kicking themselves in the teeth.
good point. and it's still on the safe side of unrealistic. like i said, from the perspective of this being a learning process/audition, why not let him try it? it would have been interesting. then again, had carr failed - and the potential in that situation to fail was far greater than the potential to succeed - carr would have been (unfairly in this instance) crucified. "see? See?! SEE?!?!?!" the only thing the team does well right now is throw short. i don't believe that as evidenced by my "john elway in his prime" reference. the potential bad overwhelmingly outweighs the potential good, regardless of the QB.
High risk, yes. Little reward? Are you kidding? Carr moves the team into game winning FG against Vince and the titans? Carr would be a hero. Look, I'm not saying it would have been easy. Hell, in all probability we would have gone 3 and out. I don't remember if the titans had any timeouts left. But, with the team having nothing to lose, why not let him go for it? Again, if this was an important playoff game, hell yes I'd take my chances on OT. But it wasn't. Just my flea bitten opinion, though.
yeah..i agree with ima on this one. high risk? absolutely! little reward?? no. the opportunity to snatch away a victory in that game with Carr playing hero was right there. now, i doubt seriously he would have done it. 5 yard passes wouldn't have got it done. but there was definitely the chance of high reward.
Let me rephrase. High probability of looking like a total tard.. then getting run out of town on a rail. Low probability of looking like a hero.. most fans would be mad that he beat their man-crush, VY. It was just a crap situation all around.
they did; one at least, perhaps 2. kubiak's #1 responsibility is to put his team in position to succeed. asking THAT offense to move 50-60 yards in 53 seconds is setting it up for failure. the team has ZERO playmakers on offense; how it is supposed to go 50-60 yards in 53 seconds when they're averaging 4.4 yards a play and had exactly one play all day go for more than 20 yards?
I have to agree with Ric. That was the correct decision for Kubiak to make at that point in the game. Carr and the offense hadn't shown anything to make him believe that they were capable of getting the 60 or so yards necessary for a game winning field goal attempt. In hindsight, the game was lost on that last drive when Carr was unable to drive the team down for a potentially winning TD and they instead opted to settle for a field goal that tied the game. The rest is history.
Can't expect them to go for it with 53 secs. Had they had all their to's yes. But the drive before they should have been thinking TD
I think it was the right decision from a football standpoint, but if we had tried and Carr fumbled and they scored we could have all been spared the outcome we witnessed. For whatever reason Carr hasn't shown that he can be a playmaker and we don't expect him to do what VY does with his legs, but we do expect him to do the same 'special' things with his arm. That is why we took him #1 overall. Not so he could be serviceable or average. Do you have to get that at #1 in the NFL draft? Sunday I found out how I would have felt if the Rockets had passed up Hakeem for Sam Bowie.
carr had already driven houston to the game-tying FG with 2 minutes remaining, and while it wasn't "leap off the page" spectacular by any means... he did, momentarily, get the job done.
Carr is at this point indefensible. I am a Texan fan and I don't want to hear about how good DC is doing. I want him to do well on his next team... I believe the more he acheives here will just delay our opportunity to play for a championship.
they had great field position to start with on that drive. They started from the 35-40 yard line...not the 15. Carr only had to "march" the team...what...25 yards??? Yeah, he sure got the job done.
If you ever see Carr after a game, he is always smiling - even if we lose by 40 points..... Surfs Up!
This drive was his opportunity to be a Hero he makes a TD he shakes them haters off but Like all Texans and Texan Decisions they played it safe. . .and lost Rocket River
i'm not by any stretch hailing the drive as anything beyond what it was - a commendable, workman-like effort. but, for the record, the drive started on the texan 39; tennessee's game-winning drive, FYI, started on the titan 43... anyway, what i AM saying is that VY's heroics obviously overshadowed any and everything else that happened sunday. but removed from that, carr and the texans do deserve a tip of the cap for tying the game up with 2 minutes remaining. my guess is that prior to the drive starting, few likely viewed it as possible.... self included. and yet, here are several posters griping that the same team we didn't think could go 35 yards moments ago could go 60-65 yards with 53 second left....
