Kubiak would have to have multiple playoff letdowns for that to happen. So far he has none. Last seasons loss to Baltimore was expected.
You guys can bash me all you want but the truth is in all his years as the head coach in Houston, Kubiak has a .500 record and only gone to the playoffs twice and its mostly because of Wade Phillips and his defense. I am venting not because we lost that game but in the fashion that we did. The inability of our coach to fire our players up or to make decent coaching decisions. What good is a record when you don't win a championship? Who remembers records? People remember Championships. If you can't compete on the big stage than how are you going to compete in the playoffs against these elite teams?
I haven't been pleased with Kubiak this season, and agree that Cowher, Gruden, etc. would be an upgrade. Houston lacks consistent killer instinct. But now is not the time to get rid of Kubiak or the special teams coach or anyone else. The Texans are 11-2, have won all of the games they're "supposed" to win so far, and still control their own destiny for the #1 seed in the AFC and a first round bye. Barring a dramatic collapse, Kubiak will be back next season. It's likely he'll be back even if the Texans lose the rest of our regular season games and their first playoff game. OTOH, I think there's a good chance that the special teams coach will be shown the door this offseason.
Ask NY Giants about regular seasons and ask the Patriots on post-season. People have been calling for their head coach to get canned every year, yet he stands with 2 Super Bowls. Patriots have won 9 out of 10 divisions in the last 10 year, you would think they would have more than just 3 Super Bowls and all of them were tight finishes for the Pats. If Kube showed his hand too early, Patriots would be all over it. I didn't see them go 4 wide when they were behind by that many points in the first half like they did against Jags. If we don't win anymore games from this point on, then we should fire Kube, but so far it is too premature.
Kubiak inherited a 2-14 disaster. He had them at .500 in his second season, which is admirable. Unfortunately, Schaub couldn’t stay healthy and so the team spun its wheels for two years. They then underachieved in 2009 (9-7; players didn’t execute, Kubiak deserves blame for employing said players) and, of course, fell off a cliff in 2010 as Kubiak’s blind eye to the defense was finally exposed. But since 2009, he’s 36-25 with a playoff victory (with TJ Yates), which I think is a much fairer representation of him as a coach. (It works out to 9-10 wins/season.). And right now, the team is still the favorite to be the4 conference’s top seed. Phillips absolutely righted Kubiak’s greatest wrong. But it’s disingenuous to say they “only” went to the playoffs because of him, which is something said waaaaaaaaay too much. This offense has, more or less, been playoff-ready since 2008, and that’s all on Kubiak. The defense is *not* dragging a sub par offense to the postseason. The defense finally playing at a consistently competent level has allowed the offense to have a worthy partner. They played like a team that got way too big for its britches. The opening series were indicative of a team that spent the week distracted and unfocused – trying on lettermen jackets, reading press clippings. An illegal procedure penalty on the first play from scrimmage, a dropped pass on third down, a needless defensive penalty wiping out a third down stop, an attempt to scoop and run a fumble recovery when pouncing on it was the proper course, and an impatient, fundamentally horrible pass to the end zone that more or less killed the night. Those are ALL on the players. It goes on – I saw ample opportunities killed by a lack of execution. Go look at the play-by-play: the plays that hit, especially in the passing game. were all 15, 20-yard plays. But Schaub made bad throws (remember his overthrow of Jean?); guys dropped balls (Jean, Walter); the protection was terrible; and the run game could not get on track. It didn’t look like the game plan was at fault at all. Hopefully, it was a wake-up to the players that they haven’t accomplished anything yet.
The thing i worry about is Wade leaving to get another head coaching chance after this season....thus...leaving us with only Kubiak. Down hill again from there.
Shared sentiments. What can we do as fans but hope Kubiak's strengths will pull thru and his apparent weaknesses don't bite us. I really like Gruden's energy and obvious command of game tactics, but as a senile man once said you go to war with what you have, not what you want..
LOL! Nice. :grin: I keep hearing people say "but that was only his third game! " ... uhhhh... so if he would have beat us, people would have still been coming back with the "he's an elite QB" thing...
Marty really only had one letdown in the playoffs with the Chargers. Hard to knock him for losing to the Pats. I'd fire Kubiak if he didn't go to the AFC championship game, and assuming I knew I could get Cowher or Gruden. I know it is hard to fathom cutting lose a guy after a good season, but I'm not sure I wouldn't take my chances with somebody more proven if they were available.
