Looking for CONSTRUCTIVE feedback

[HydrOshocK]

I'm going to take an opportunity to start a constructive thread here, but let me first start by saying I believe in good sportsmanship. I'd like to apologize for being abrasive in other threads but It's disappointing to come back to the boards after a big loss and see people talking about quitting. Please give it a rest. We got beat. It happens. Nobody has to like it, I know I sure don't. It leaves a knot in my stomach all week, especially when we lose the way we did today. But the season is in no way close to being over so it's no time to panic.

I agree that there are some serious problems that need to be addressed but let's try to be constructive in our criticism. Let's address those problems here and discuss what can be done to fix them.....realistically. Please save all of the trade talks, hate threads and firing polls for other threads. Without pointing fingers and placing blame, I'd like to discuss a few things.

Offense:

Some of you guys will question the play calling, and I really can't disagree with you there because it's concerning me too. For one I don't think Kubiak and Sherman are allowing Schaub enough flexibility to audible. He's extremely smart and I'd have to think he would like more freedom to check out of a play when he sees something. I haven't seen that at all and it's disappointing.

We still have the same problem every game. We start out with a big play to get us into the redzone and then stall out. At which point we try to power it through the middle and fall short. We're not utilizing the tight ends. Owen Daniels has 0 TDs, which tells me the plays aren't being called to get the ball to him. It seems the mindset is to try to run on 1st and 2nd down, then try to outsmart the defense on 3rd. QB draws aren't going to get the job done. I'd like to see a lot more quick slants in the redzone. They're one of the best ways to burn a defense that is crowding the line against the run. Our WRs are very good at running slants and curls. If I were calling the shots I'd use the pass to set up the run once we're in the redzone. It will keep the defense honest and open up room for the draw play.


Enough with the power run game already. There's a lot of people bashing our RBs right now. I agree they haven't been carrying the load, but the one thing that is glaringly obvious to me is that our O-line is not capable of opening up the holes in the middle that our RBs need for the power game. It's just not working. I would like to see us get away from that and run more off tackle plays, draws, and screens to at least get our backs some room to work with. Some will argue that they aren't quick enough to get around the corners, and that's a fair argument, but I'm not asking for sweep plays. Bruener is an excellent run blocker....where is he?? Counter plays and misdirection....haven't see a whole lot. We consistently try to shove our backs through the middle of the pile and that just isn't getting it done because they obviously aren't capable of squeezing through heavy traffic. I bet we could pick up more yards if we ran off tackle by using Bruener to pick up the primary block and Leach to clear the path for Green. Walter is also a very good run blocker so he would be able to seal off his man if Green were to break into the secondary.

Defense:

Our front 4 is creating pressure...just not enough of it. Some way some how that has to change. On a lot of plays they are collapsing the pocket, but when the QB moves out or up our guys aren't closing the deal. Are blitzes the answer? I don't know. It seems like we get burned worse because we don't do a good job of disguising where the pressure is coming from. I would like to see Boulware involved in some blitz packages but only if the coaches can figure out how to call it in a situation that won't get us burned for big yardage, which they haven't been able to do yet.

Some of you are coming down pretty hard on our LBs but I still think they're playing solid. Demeco is consistently doing what he does and Clark is really laying the wood to people. I'd like to see Barber involved more in in passing situations because he's arguably our best coverage LB. I know the Jags ran the ball all over us but, outside of the one blown play that resulted in the big run by Taylor, they really didn't start dominating us until our defense was worn out. In their defense they were out on that field for an extremely long time. Del Rio called that brilliant on side kick right after they sustained a very long scoring drive. They recovered it and put our defense right back out there to try and stop them again. And with our offense's inability to sustain drives and score points, our defense was exposed for far too long and just got worn out.

I thought our secondary did a decent job of knocking the ball lose and creating turnovers. Unfortunately they were victimized by some pretty bad officiating, allowing the Jags to sustain drives, and they too were getting worn out playing physical all day on their big physical WRs....who were doing a good job of pushing off to get open. ;)

Special Teams:

Kris Brown continues to be our MVP during this offensive drought. He and Turk have been clutch. Unfortunately we're not getting the home run returns we were in the ealry part of the season. I don't think the Jags punted one time all day so Jacoby never got a shot to get his. We all know Wynn isn't Jerome Mathis, but Mathis isn't healthy and we've already discussed that to death.

Bottom Line:

Adjustments in the run game are a priority. So are reducing penalties and getting more pressure on the QB. We had a chance early in the game to take control but we couldn't captialize, which has been a trend we haven't been able to shake lately. The TD that was called back when Davis fumbled it out of the endzone was deflating. After that we shot ourselve in the foot every time it looked like we could get back into it. Finally our defense wore down and the Jags were able to step on our throat. It was ugly and hard to watch. We've at least been competitive in every game we've been in but this week we were man handled. This one stings worse than others because it's a big divisional game that could've put us in good shape in the division. Now we MUST rebound and beat the Titans at home to get back in the race. I don't have all of the answers and I'm not going to play the blame game, I just want to invite some constructive feedback. It's not over, it's just 3-3.

Never Quit

(sorry if your eyes are bleeding right now)

[Zagen30]

ai hev a constructiv critisizm how abowt we fire our cordinaters becuz tehy suk and we get som moar good playrs liek Mikeal Turnir but 4 tihs seezon we b done 4 we mite aswell giv up becuz we suk.

o n bench shuab becuz he suks 2

;)

[Zagen30]

Somebody go find Texanswhat? to come post a serious message in this topic :D

[TheLBCoach]

I agree that something needs to be done to boost our run game, but after a sloppy performance running the ball Coach Kubiak always says something like "we have to find a way to run the football better"...and we never do. With the roster that we currently have I'm at a loss for what they CAN do to find some success on the ground. I would advise them to cut down on their splits, but they did that a long time ago...they can't cut them down any more than what they already have. I also can't advise them to scrap the ZBS, because we miss assignments in this scheme, which is absurd because blocking assignments stay the same in a ZBS, no matter what play is called. I'm afraid to think of what might happen if we tried a switch to something else.

The guys just have to ask themselves how much they truly want to be a great football team. Once they find the answer to that question, they have to go out there and play like it. You always hear guys in the locker room talking the talk...well, now it's time to quit talking and go perform.

Like I always tell my guys, "Show me something!!"

[misterpc]

The run game is hurting us right now, that is the biggest adjustment we need to make. I dont think we will ever see Kubiak abandon the run because he is not that kind of coach. He is not a pass first coach like Reid, Marks, Payton, etc, our team is molded like the Steelers: stout defense, good passing game, but to suceed we need to play physically and establish a running game. That wont happen until we get better production from the O-line. Problem is it will be difficult to make any real improvements personnel wise at this stage. I thought we passed up some good opportunites to upgrade the OL this past offseason, the FO should be more aggressive bringing in OL.

On defense, I think safety is still a big problem. The safties have struggled in pass coverage and this game they were poor in run support. Our D gives up too many big plays. Also we could get better production from the DL, if Mario would live up to his potential that would help a lot. Overall I still say our D is pretty solid, we are only two or three players away from a completely dominant defense.

Im not really discouraged by this loss. The Texans are going to have games like this because they are a young team and havent developed consistancy. They are progressing nicely and laying a solid foundation right now. Plus it keeps the season interesting, you never know what to expect on game day.

[Texan (in Germany)]

Mistakes hurt us early. Blown opportunity on 3rd in goal and Davis fumble...sucked away all of our mometum. Del Rio made some very gutsy calls that worked...he took risks and made calls to win...not your ordinary decisions.

Our defense was beat because we couldn't quit making mistakes and get them off the field.

Schuab didn't deserve that pick--it was on Davis.

Walter stepped up and looked really good. Bennett also played well.

We blew early chances which kept them close and gave them hope. We have to be more aggressive in the red zone and then execute when we are.

[Pantherstang84]

I also can't advise them to scrap the ZBS, because we miss assignments in this scheme, which is absurd because blocking assignments stay the same in a ZBS, no matter what play is called. I'm afraid to think of what might happen if we tried a switch to something else.



It seems to me we have all but abandoned the ZBS in favor of Sherman's power running game. I think offensively and defensively the coaches are stuck in a rut. Mix it up a little. Our running plays are so predictable it is almost comical. It seems the coaches have been using the same call sheets for the last 5 weeks. It's time the whole organization have a revival meeting and evaluate just where they are. Find out what their strengths and weaknesses are and plan accordingly.

But stalling inside the 5 and making poor to mediocre QBs look like pro bowlers is not improvement.

[Houston Jag Fan]

I dont think any one should quit on this team, they just have to much talent, the problem is their in a really tough division. But thats every ones problem in this division.

[Number 34]

Positives:

We lost but we played two good teams. The Jags and the Refs.

We have several weaknesses but they are obvious. We still have a solid core at our teams center and I'm confident the problems will get fixed.

We are at 500 for the season. Hey, we are at 500 for the season! We all predicted/hoped for as much. Lets not hang our heads because we are respectable.

We don't have our games blacked out. Jags fans should be ashamed. Maybe they should move the team to San Antonio.

[headsplint]

I'd like to see a lot more quick slants in the redzone. They're one of the best ways to burn a defense that is crowding the line against the run. Our WRs are very good at running slants and curls.


I agree, I don't know if it is all on Schaub, or play calling or a mix of both, but it seems when we go to the pass, Schaub is always looking for a big play. He seems like the type of QB who could pick apart defenses with slants and quick dumps to our outstanding receiving corps.

On the positive side, I love Matt Scahub, and I love the Texans. I will never waiver after being dealt a loss. Ya I get sick, and heartbroken, but I will be a Texans fan no matter what. If we can make it through the first five seasons, we can make it through this one.

Better days are coming, and at 3-3 hell, I'm happy. I expected us to go 8-8 at the beginning of the season, granted after the win at Carolina I thought we might make a better run, but I think 8-8 is still within reach and it will be the best season yet. So things are definitely moving forward, and will continue to get better.

GO TEXANS!!!!

[Ole Miss Texan]

Great post Hydro...

As far as fixing the problems, I think it starts first and foremost on the offensive line. Our 'thinking heads' have started by building a dominant defensive line. As the saying goes, "you win through the trenches"- well we've been building our DL up and I think its time to turn to our OL.

Everyone states how denver never selects 1st round OL or RB's so we won't. I think this arguement is hogwash. I agree to their thinking in principle but we are a vastly different team than denver was when Smith and Kubiak were there which means we cannot afford to take that way of thinking at this point in time. We can only after our team is built and we are nitpicking through the draft year in and year out. We're not there yet, we're still finding starters through all the rounds...rather we're looking for starters in all the rounds.

I think we must shore up our OL for the RB's to have any chance of holes to run through, to keep Schaub upright 1 second longer, allow our wr's that extra time to get open. We're a control team, or at least turning into one. If we want to have any chance of consistent extended drives to give our defense a rest, we MUST be able to run the ball consistently and throw to our TE's, WR's, and RB's consistently. If we can build our OL up -THEN and ONLY THEN will we have the luxury of taking later round backs.

Spencer looked good the little time we saw him, but there are WAY too many questions surrounding his return. IF, and I say IF, he comes back to actual NFL football form- we don't know the chance of him starting at LT. Salaam and Black aren't our franchise guys and Brandon Frye is no where near the development yet to come in and be that guy. This is the 2nd most important position on a team, behind QB, and the outlook is not so good.


Defensively- There are definitly some areas of improvement, but overall- our starters are young. we have a really dominant D in the making. our 3 big boys on the DL will only get better and that's a huge thing to have is a dominant DL. Demeco is going to be a perennial pro bowler and Dunta is really playing great. Fred bennett has looked good in the limited time we've seen him, being a 4th rd Rookie. we need some help over the top of our cb's. We really need a ball hawking FS- our SS group is good. outside linebacker is starting to become more of a need than I want to realize but we do have some decently solid guys.

I think our D needs more time to develop because what we have is good and young. there's those areas to improve to be a top 5 Defense. But I really think our Offense is where we need the most work and where we need to look at in the draft. Free Agency wise- we might be able to find some people to fill in, Smith has done a good job of finding talent.

[outofhnd]

Offenseively Salaam must have given something away in his technique in the Atlanta game because even Paul Spicer is looking like John Abraham. He needs a game off because it almost seems like he is starting to wear down.

Yes we have 3 losses however our 2 losses have come in the division which is not how you get out of the division cellar.:(

[wildroot]

ai hev a constructiv critisizm how abowt we fire our cordinaters becuz tehy suk and we get som moar good playrs liek Mikeal Turnir but 4 tihs seezon we b done 4 we mite aswell giv up becuz we suk.

o n bench shuab becuz he suks 2

;)

Huh?

[EyesWideOpen]

I agree with most of what Hydroshock and Ole Miss Texan said. It is simply difficult to see such a beating when we looked so good early in the year. The weaknesses that were masked have been uncovered by injuries. One thing I touched on in my thread that I don't see you talking about is the loss of McKinney and the play of Flanagan. I do not think it is coincidence that our running game became ineffective when McKinney went down. I think Flanagan is a savvy old vet that has lost a few steps and gained a few pounds, and technique doesn't make up for power and speed in run blocking. As for Salaam, he was pressed into service and I think is wearing down. He is a great interview, I love watching his videos, but he needs to be the backup and not the main man. Realistically, when Kubiak says we have to find a way to improve the run game, the time for that is going to be the offseason. Pitts and Weary are both nearing the autumn of their careers, and Winston is good but a bit undersized (still our best run blocker, IMO). Green is adequate as a stopgap when he is healthy, but he is also in the autumn of his career. Dayne is a good short yardage runner, and Gado has been ineffective and doesn't bring enough speed. In short, our whole O-line is like a set of tires that needs to be replaced. Too much tread wear. It would also help to get either a young strong durable back in the draft, or a speed guy to compliment Green and Dayne. Gado lacks the burst and agility (or even straightaway speed).

Regardless of how we shuffle the deck chairs at this point, I don't see us getting more than 100 yards a game from our running game this year.

[Pantherstang84]

I agree with most of what Hydroshock and Ole Miss Texan said. It is simply difficult to see such a beating when we looked so good early in the year. The weaknesses that were masked have been uncovered by injuries. One thing I touched on in my thread that I don't see you talking about is the loss of McKinney and the play of Flanagan. I do not think it is coincidence that our running game became ineffective when McKinney went down. I think Flanagan is a savvy old vet that has lost a few steps and gained a few pounds, and technique doesn't make up for power and speed in run blocking. As for Salaam, he was pressed into service and I think is wearing down. He is a great interview, I love watching his videos, but he needs to be the backup and not the main man. Realistically, when Kubiak says we have to find a way to improve the run game, the time for that is going to be the offseason. Pitts and Weary are both nearing the autumn of their careers, and Winston is good but a bit undersized (still our best run blocker, IMO). Green is adequate as a stopgap when he is healthy, but he is also in the autumn of his career. Dayne is a good short yardage runner, and Gado has been ineffective and doesn't bring enough speed. In short, our whole O-line is like a set of tires that needs to be replaced. Too much tread wear. It would also help to get either a young strong durable back in the draft, or a speed guy to compliment Green and Dayne. Gado lacks the burst and agility (or even straightaway speed).

Regardless of how we shuffle the deck chairs at this point, I don't see us getting more than 100 yards a game from our running game this year.\

Excellent points about the O line. Since Pitts and Flanagan are no longer the answer at their respective positions, it's time to gear up for the future. Start rotating Studdard and White in.

[expassr]

O-line: We're both SLOW and WEAK! LT gets beat regularly which is why Shaub gets stripped from the rear so much. They hold for two counts and then lunge as their guy blows by them. They go BACKWARDS all too often. That's the main reason the run can't prosper without the element of SURPRISE involved. We have slow feet, weak arms and legs, and not that great of technique. ALL better teams will expose that in our O-line.

PREDICTABLE: "Establishing the run" doesn't mean that you have to run 1st. You just have to be "successful". If you are POWERFUL enough, you can often run first and then pass. But, we're not even close to being that strong. An ally we haven't even employed regularly is keeping the defense OFF BALANCE by being totally unpredictable in play calling. Cubes is being very UNIMAGINATIVE. And, I totally agree that Shaub is getting frustrated with this. You can see it in his eyes in the huddle and when he recognizes the play being called from the sideline, not to mention he's not being allowed to audible out of assinine plays that obviously won't work once the teams are set up at the line.

MARIO-has no INSTINCTS. I was a BIG supporter of him last year. But, he consistently gets posted up by much smaller blockers, TE's and wideouts.....yesterday a wideout posted him and they ran right around him. He also does not SHED BLOCKERS worth a flip. Tackles run him right out of plays and he WATCHES the back go right past without even trying to throw the blocker off. He's also usually the LAST one off the line at the snap. That's how I often figure out where he is. He is getting RUN AT and the back can just go where he allows a gap. We could be payng him far too much and could replace him with a far cheaper and HUNGRIER DE and spend that money on 3 or 4 meaningful players (like the Patriots did this year).

Where are our two new safeties? They both made nice back-to-back special teams plays yesterday but aren't getting playing time.

Faggins is getting focused on unmercilessly by the offense.

We can hang pretty well with the PHYSICALLY WEAKER teams in the lines.

We're just not there yet, but you still gotta love 'em!

[schaubisgod]

I'm going to take an opportunity to start a constructive thread here, but let me first start by saying I believe in good sportsmanship. I'd like to apologize for being abrasive in other threads but It's disappointing to come back to the boards after a big loss and see people talking about quitting. Please give it a rest. We got beat. It happens. Nobody has to like it, I know I sure don't. It leaves a knot in my stomach all week, especially when we lose the way we did today. But the season is in no way close to being over so it's no time to panic.

Spoken like a true fan. The only thing that churns my stomache more than losing a game, is losing a fan because of that one game. Whatever happened to loyalty to one's team?


Offense:

Some of you guys will question the play calling, and I really can't disagree with you there because it's concerning me too. For one I don't think Kubiak and Sherman are allowing Schaub enough flexibility to audible. He's extremely smart and I'd have to think he would like more freedom to check out of a play when he sees something. I haven't seen that at all and it's disappointing.

Good point. When a quarterback does not have the freedom to check out of a play that looks bad from the get-go, he is forced to try and make something happen with something that isn't going anywhere. This leads to INTs and sacks. In the case of Salaam missing every block that comes his way, blindsided forced fumbles. Schaub needs to know that he is an integral part of our offense, and thus needs the freedom to make something happen when he has an idea.

We still have the same problem every game. We start out with a big play to get us into the redzone and then stall out. At which point we try to power it through the middle and fall short. We're not utilizing the tight ends. Owen Daniels has 0 TDs, which tells me the plays aren't being called to get the ball to him. It seems the mindset is to try to run on 1st and 2nd down, then try to outsmart the defense on 3rd. QB draws aren't going to get the job done. I'd like to see a lot more quick slants in the redzone. They're one of the best ways to burn a defense that is crowding the line against the run. Our WRs are very good at running slants and curls. If I were calling the shots I'd use the pass to set up the run once we're in the redzone. It will keep the defense honest and open up room for the draw play.

An idea I had for the redzone was a good ole' fashioned play-action roll-out. If you roll Schaub out to the strong side (preferably the right), and send Owen Daniels on an outside slant and another reciever on a hook; the other reciever should draw the coverage forward which will leave Daniels open in the corner. This is a play that (when altered a little bit for the extended field) could be used all over the field. I have also suggested that the Texan's coaching staff come to grips with the fact that we are not a smashmouth football team. We don't run the ball well between the tackles, or anywhere for that matter. We simply don't have the personell in the backfield or on the line to play that sort of football. I would like to see us put Schaub in the shotgun and let him pick apart the opposing teams secretary. If given time, Schaub can usually make something happen.


Enough with the power run game already. There's a lot of people bashing our RBs right now. I agree they haven't been carrying the load, but the one thing that is glaringly obvious to me is that our O-line is not capable of opening up the holes in the middle that our RBs need for the power game. It's just not working. I would like to see us get away from that and run more off tackle plays, draws, and screens to at least get our backs some room to work with. Some will argue that they aren't quick enough to get around the corners, and that's a fair argument, but I'm not asking for sweep plays. Bruener is an excellent run blocker....where is he?? Counter plays and misdirection....haven't see a whole lot. We consistently try to shove our backs through the middle of the pile and that just isn't getting it done because they obviously aren't capable of squeezing through heavy traffic. I bet we could pick up more yards if we ran off tackle by using Bruener to pick up the primary block and Leach to clear the path for Green. Walter is also a very good run blocker so he would be able to seal off his man if Green were to break into the secondary.

Here, I will have to disagree with you. When you run outside the tackles, you run the risk of losing a good deal of yards. I don't believe that we have the personell to make it worth the risk. I do like the idea of the RB draw. If we can manage to get the defense biting on the pass, we can line up in the shotgun and do draw plays that way.

Defense:

Our front 4 is creating pressure...just not enough of it. Some way some how that has to change. On a lot of plays they are collapsing the pocket, but when the QB moves out or up our guys aren't closing the deal. Are blitzes the answer? I don't know. It seems like we get burned worse because we don't do a good job of disguising where the pressure is coming from. I would like to see Boulware involved in some blitz packages but only if the coaches can figure out how to call it in a situation that won't get us burned for big yardage, which they haven't been able to do yet.

Honestly, I think it's a mental thing that haunts our defensive line. I was watching the game yesterday and saw David Garrard scramble into the back field. Okoye was on his tail, but it was as though he didn't have the drive to turn it up and get him. The entire defense has been playing in a nonchalant manner these last few weeks. They need to get into the game.

Some of you are coming down pretty hard on our LBs but I still think they're playing solid. Demeco is consistently doing what he does and Clark is really laying the wood to people. I'd like to see Barber involved more in in passing situations because he's arguably our best coverage LB. I know the Jags ran the ball all over us but, outside of the one blown play that resulted in the big run by Taylor, they really didn't start dominating us until our defense was worn out. In their defense they were out on that field for an extremely long time. Del Rio called that brilliant on side kick right after they sustained a very long scoring drive. They recovered it and put our defense right back out there to try and stop them again. And with our offense's inability to sustain drives and score points, our defense was exposed for far too long and just got worn out.

I agree that the LB core has been playing at fairly decent level. However, they need to be playing at an excellent level. Yesterday, I watched Fred Taylor...with an injured groin...break a 75 yard run. The LB crew needs to get better, not get by. I think it ties into the defensive line problem, they are better than what they have displayed...someone needs to give them a pep talk.

I thought our secondary did a decent job of knocking the ball lose and creating turnovers. Unfortunately they were victimized by some pretty bad officiating, allowing the Jags to sustain drives, and they too were getting worn out playing physical all day on their big physical WRs....who were doing a good job of pushing off to get open. ;)

Our secondary actually looked good yesterday. However, when you let Maurice Jones-Drew run over you like train...then it doesn't really matter how well the secondary plays.

Special Teams:

Kris Brown continues to be our MVP during this offensive drought. He and Turk have been clutch. Unfortunately we're not getting the home run returns we were in the ealry part of the season. I don't think the Jags punted one time all day so Jacoby never got a shot to get his. We all know Wynn isn't Jerome Mathis, but Mathis isn't healthy and we've already discussed that to death.

Agreed. I will say that I have been happy with Turk, he has become a superior punter to Stanley, I think. Kris Brown has improved since last season where he was iffy. The loss of Mathis hurts badly, and Wynn isn't cutting it. Where are you Jacoby Jones?

[TexansGrrl]

I'll be honest and say that my ulcer is happy that I didn't personally watch the game yesterday. I was driving to Seattle to watch the Seahawks get their butts handed to them by the 0-4 Saints. (It was my brother's 30th birthday present).

Anyway, to get to the point about the Texans. Every year a team will take a humiliating loss and turn it around. I know the Texans will turn this around. I'm here for the long haul.

[sleepwalker]

I would like to comment on the D:

Our front 7 can't stop anyone. We drop back and give everything up underneath and let teams pick us apart. The blitzes are poorly disguised. Even when we put 8 or 9 in the box we still give up running TD's.

Pathetic performances by the D for a month now. Might as well put Boulware and Demps in and at least have some experience to help our front 7.

I know we have talent on this D so what's the problem?

[WesmanTexanfan]

I would like to comment on the D:

Our front 7 can't stop anyone. We drop back and give everything up underneath and let teams pick us apart. The blitzes are poorly disguised. Even when we put 8 or 9 in the box we still give up running TD's.

Pathetic performances by the D for a month now. Might as well put Boulware and Demps in and at least have some experience to help our front 7.

I know we have talent on this D so what's the problem?

its been like watching a pitcher with great stuff who just gives up homers....... great stuff meaning weve got th talent just need the coaching, and if you move that home run pitch one or two more inches off the plate, your striken guys out left and right and our homers are missed tackles which is huge but all you have to do is make them, a very fixable problem...

[HydrOshocK]

I agree that something needs to be done to boost our run game, but after a sloppy performance running the ball Coach Kubiak always says something like "we have to find a way to run the football better"...and we never do. With the roster that we currently have I'm at a loss for what they CAN do to find some success on the ground. I would advise them to cut down on their splits, but they did that a long time ago...they can't cut them down any more than what they already have. I also can't advise them to scrap the ZBS, because we miss assignments in this scheme, which is absurd because blocking assignments stay the same in a ZBS, no matter what play is called. I'm afraid to think of what might happen if we tried a switch to something else.

The guys just have to ask themselves how much they truly want to be a great football team. Once they find the answer to that question, they have to go out there and play like it. You always hear guys in the locker room talking the talk...well, now it's time to quit talking and go perform.

Like I always tell my guys, "Show me something!!"

Unfortunately I think some our guys up front have already met or exceeded their potential and probably won't get any better. Pitss and Weary are in their 6th seasons. I think Weary is solid but Pitts is always getting us in trouble with penalties that hurt our drives. Flanagan is useful in pass protection, but he's in his 12th yr and his skills are declining. McKinney's run blocking is certainly missed, although he has never been spectacular.

I think our O-line has exceeded people's expectations of their pass blocking capabilities this season. They still allow too many sacks but they have proven they're capable of giving a good QB enough time to throw. Unfortunately we get behind in games because of their run blocking inadequacies and have to throw too often, which increases the likelihood of giving up sacks. We HAVE to be able to establish a balanced run/pass strategy or Schaub is going to get killed.

That's why I think it's asking too much for our line to commit to a power first run philosophy. They just aren't creating space up front because of the talent level they're going up against. By the time Leach hits the LOS the hole is already closing and Ahman has nowhere to go. There is little to no room to work with in the middle, that is obvious if you watch the games. For the quick fix I really think they should use the edges more. The few long runs we've been able to manage have usually come from running outside the LT. Both Green and Dayne have had better success going around the edge from what I've seen. Leach can lead the way. All Bruener and the Line need to do is seal the corner. I think our RBs will be able to find more space to work with that way. Just a thought.

For the long term fix I have to think we could get better production out of the younger guys next year. Studdard, White, Winston, Frye, Spencer (maybe) and a 1st round pick invested on the offensive side of the ball for a change.

[HydrOshocK]

The run game is hurting us right now, that is the biggest adjustment we need to make. I dont think we will ever see Kubiak abandon the run because he is not that kind of coach. He is not a pass first coach like Reid, Marks, Payton, etc, our team is molded like the Steelers: stout defense, good passing game, but to suceed we need to play physically and establish a running game. That wont happen until we get better production from the O-line. Problem is it will be difficult to make any real improvements personnel wise at this stage. I thought we passed up some good opportunites to upgrade the OL this past offseason, the FO should be more aggressive bringing in OL.

On defense, I think safety is still a big problem. The safties have struggled in pass coverage and this game they were poor in run support. Our D gives up too many big plays. Also we could get better production from the DL, if Mario would live up to his potential that would help a lot. Overall I still say our D is pretty solid, we are only two or three players away from a completely dominant defense.

Im not really discouraged by this loss. The Texans are going to have games like this because they are a young team and havent developed consistancy. They are progressing nicely and laying a solid foundation right now. Plus it keeps the season interesting, you never know what to expect on game day.

Not saying he should abandon the run, just saying he needs to change his philosophy and get away from the middle of the field for a change. Try the edges more and mix it up with screens and draw plays. Our intermediate to long range pass game is actually pretty good. We just need to soften up the short game. Teams automatically no to stack the line because we keep trying to force it down their throat and we're unsuccessful at pushing them off the LOS.

[HydrOshocK]

Mistakes hurt us early. Blown opportunity on 3rd in goal and Davis fumble...sucked away all of our mometum. Del Rio made some very gutsy calls that worked...he took risks and made calls to win...not your ordinary decisions.

Our defense was beat because we couldn't quit making mistakes and get them off the field.

Schuab didn't deserve that pick--it was on Davis.

Walter stepped up and looked really good. Bennett also played well.

We blew early chances which kept them close and gave them hope. We have to be more aggressive in the red zone and then execute when we are.

The mistakes are big, no doubt, but the most glaring problem is the red zone troubles. I mentioned it before, they generally tend to call a big pass play early in the first drive of the game. Schaub is doing a great job of hitting those, but often times we're not getting in the endzone and it's putting us in short goal-to-go distances. Automatically we go straight to the power run game, which has only resulted in 1 or 2 TDs all season if I'm not mistaken.

To be more aggressive in the redzone I would call 81's number more often. OD has no TDs....that's a problem.

[HydrOshocK]

It seems to me we have all but abandoned the ZBS in favor of Sherman's power running game. I think offensively and defensively the coaches are stuck in a rut. Mix it up a little. Our running plays are so predictable it is almost comical. It seems the coaches have been using the same call sheets for the last 5 weeks. It's time the whole organization have a revival meeting and evaluate just where they are. Find out what their strengths and weaknesses are and plan accordingly.

But stalling inside the 5 and making poor to mediocre QBs look like pro bowlers is not improvement.

I agree 100%

[HydrOshocK]

I dont think any one should quit on this team, they just have to much talent, the problem is their in a really tough division. But thats every ones problem in this division.

Agreed. Nobody should be thinking about quiting. We're still at .500 with a lot of games to play. If we bounce back and beat the Titans this week then we'll be right back in it.

Calling it quits is completely premature. People need to give this team a chance to prove itself.

[outofhnd]

How would you change the philosophy?

Airing it out doesnt win playoff games or superbowls. Addai and Rhodes were a 2 man wrecking crew that opened the offense for peyton.

I think our problem is where we run we never test the edges. TD always ran a counter play and we hardly ever run left when Ahman is in the game.

[HydrOshocK]

nice post! but i disagree about the rbs being good and blaming our oline...and i disagree with our olbs playing well...so clark hits hard....he also misses and leaves cutback lanes and he isnt doing that good a job in coverage....and our rbs god dont get me started on how bad they are!

Our RBs aren't doing a good job of breaking tackles and getting to the secondary. That much I'll agree to. But I won't say they suck either because that would be completely ignoring the problem our line is having sustaining blocks and opening holes.....that's not blaming them, that's just the facts. Power ball down the middle is not what this team does best by any stretch of the imagination. By the time the RBs get to the holes they don't have any room to work with because the gaps are filled.

To expand on my opinion of our RBs......I'll also agree that Dayne will never play at any higher level than he already has. He has never been the "power back" that everyone wanted him to be, and he's not an every down back either. He's a big guy that runs soft. Ahman has proven himself in this league and I think he's capable of doing the job for us this year and maybe next. Still, he needs room to work just like any other back in this league. Run him off tackle more and I bet you'll see more production.

Gado is Gado....he's got his own bandwagon :rolleyes:

Honestly, I hope we find a young superstar RB that can come in and take our running game to the next level. Maybe Taylor is that guy, who knows. But everything starts up front so the coaches need to do a better job scheming to our line's strengths instead of its weaknesses.

[HydrOshocK]

Positives:

We lost but we played two good teams. The Jags and the Refs.

We have several weaknesses but they are obvious. We still have a solid core at our teams center and I'm confident the problems will get fixed.

We are at 500 for the season. Hey, we are at 500 for the season! We all predicted/hoped for as much. Lets not hang our heads because we are respectable.

We don't have our games blacked out. Jags fans should be ashamed. Maybe they should move the team to San Antonio.

I agree

[HydrOshocK]

I agree, I don't know if it is all on Schaub, or play calling or a mix of both, but it seems when we go to the pass, Schaub is always looking for a big play. He seems like the type of QB who could pick apart defenses with slants and quick dumps to our outstanding receiving corps.

On the positive side, I love Matt Scahub, and I love the Texans. I will never waiver after being dealt a loss. Ya I get sick, and heartbroken, but I will be a Texans fan no matter what. If we can make it through the first five seasons, we can make it through this one.

Better days are coming, and at 3-3 hell, I'm happy. I expected us to go 8-8 at the beginning of the season, granted after the win at Carolina I thought we might make a better run, but I think 8-8 is still within reach and it will be the best season yet. So things are definitely moving forward, and will continue to get better.

GO TEXANS!!!!

It's mainly play calling, and here's why.

Early in the first drive of the game we have a tendency to go for a big pass play. It appears to be by design and it usually works out. But we have been coming up short on TDs as a result of Schaub's arm strength. He has the range to get it to the receiver but they usually have to pick up the extra yards to the endzone on their own. Most of the time we get pinned down close to the goal line and are forced to try and punch it in.

IMO a simple adjustment would be to hold on to that play call once they've picked up that extra 10-20 yards. Then let Schaub air it out so that the ball is coming down in the endzone. I bet it results in more TDs. However, if they do get pinned down close like they have been I'd like to see Schaub given the green light to audible more. Unfortunately the plays called have become too predictable and teams know what we're going to do.

[HydrOshocK]

Great post Hydro...

As far as fixing the problems, I think it starts first and foremost on the offensive line. Our 'thinking heads' have started by building a dominant defensive line. As the saying goes, "you win through the trenches"- well we've been building our DL up and I think its time to turn to our OL.

Everyone states how denver never selects 1st round OL or RB's so we won't. I think this arguement is hogwash. I agree to their thinking in principle but we are a vastly different team than denver was when Smith and Kubiak were there which means we cannot afford to take that way of thinking at this point in time. We can only after our team is built and we are nitpicking through the draft year in and year out. We're not there yet, we're still finding starters through all the rounds...rather we're looking for starters in all the rounds.

I think we must shore up our OL for the RB's to have any chance of holes to run through, to keep Schaub upright 1 second longer, allow our wr's that extra time to get open. We're a control team, or at least turning into one. If we want to have any chance of consistent extended drives to give our defense a rest, we MUST be able to run the ball consistently and throw to our TE's, WR's, and RB's consistently. If we can build our OL up -THEN and ONLY THEN will we have the luxury of taking later round backs.

Spencer looked good the little time we saw him, but there are WAY too many questions surrounding his return. IF, and I say IF, he comes back to actual NFL football form- we don't know the chance of him starting at LT. Salaam and Black aren't our franchise guys and Brandon Frye is no where near the development yet to come in and be that guy. This is the 2nd most important position on a team, behind QB, and the outlook is not so good.


Defensively- There are definitly some areas of improvement, but overall- our starters are young. we have a really dominant D in the making. our 3 big boys on the DL will only get better and that's a huge thing to have is a dominant DL. Demeco is going to be a perennial pro bowler and Dunta is really playing great. Fred bennett has looked good in the limited time we've seen him, being a 4th rd Rookie. we need some help over the top of our cb's. We really need a ball hawking FS- our SS group is good. outside linebacker is starting to become more of a need than I want to realize but we do have some decently solid guys.

I think our D needs more time to develop because what we have is good and young. there's those areas to improve to be a top 5 Defense. But I really think our Offense is where we need the most work and where we need to look at in the draft. Free Agency wise- we might be able to find some people to fill in, Smith has done a good job of finding talent.


I agree on all points. Lord knows we've spent enough draft picks on the defensive side, and it's starting to show dividends, so it's only right that the FO starts investing heavily on the offensive line. QB, WR, TE and FB are all pretty solid. We're better at RB than we have been in the past but it's time we find the young franchise back (thank got we passed on Saint Bush).

[JO Texan]

I'm going to take an opportunity to start a constructive thread here, but let me first start by saying I believe in good sportsmanship. I'd like to apologize for being abrasive in other threads but It's disappointing to come back to the boards after a big loss and see people talking about quitting. Please give it a rest. We got beat. It happens. Nobody has to like it, I know I sure don't. It leaves a knot in my stomach all week, especially when we lose the way we did today. But the season is in no way close to being over so it's no time to panic.

I agree that there are some serious problems that need to be addressed but let's try to be constructive in our criticism. Let's address those problems here and discuss what can be done to fix them.....realistically. Please save all of the trade talks, hate threads and firing polls for other threads. Without pointing fingers and placing blame, I'd like to discuss a few things.

Offense:

Some of you guys will question the play calling, and I really can't disagree with you there because it's concerning me too. For one I don't think Kubiak and Sherman are allowing Schaub enough flexibility to audible. He's extremely smart and I'd have to think he would like more freedom to check out of a play when he sees something. I haven't seen that at all and it's disappointing.

We still have the same problem every game. We start out with a big play to get us into the redzone and then stall out. At which point we try to power it through the middle and fall short. We're not utilizing the tight ends. Owen Daniels has 0 TDs, which tells me the plays aren't being called to get the ball to him. It seems the mindset is to try to run on 1st and 2nd down, then try to outsmart the defense on 3rd. QB draws aren't going to get the job done. I'd like to see a lot more quick slants in the redzone. They're one of the best ways to burn a defense that is crowding the line against the run. Our WRs are very good at running slants and curls. If I were calling the shots I'd use the pass to set up the run once we're in the redzone. It will keep the defense honest and open up room for the draw play.


Enough with the power run game already. There's a lot of people bashing our RBs right now. I agree they haven't been carrying the load, but the one thing that is glaringly obvious to me is that our O-line is not capable of opening up the holes in the middle that our RBs need for the power game. It's just not working. I would like to see us get away from that and run more off tackle plays, draws, and screens to at least get our backs some room to work with. Some will argue that they aren't quick enough to get around the corners, and that's a fair argument, but I'm not asking for sweep plays. Bruener is an excellent run blocker....where is he?? Counter plays and misdirection....haven't see a whole lot. We consistently try to shove our backs through the middle of the pile and that just isn't getting it done because they obviously aren't capable of squeezing through heavy traffic. I bet we could pick up more yards if we ran off tackle by using Bruener to pick up the primary block and Leach to clear the path for Green. Walter is also a very good run blocker so he would be able to seal off his man if Green were to break into the secondary.

Defense:

Our front 4 is creating pressure...just not enough of it. Some way some how that has to change. On a lot of plays they are collapsing the pocket, but when the QB moves out or up our guys aren't closing the deal. Are blitzes the answer? I don't know. It seems like we get burned worse because we don't do a good job of disguising where the pressure is coming from. I would like to see Boulware involved in some blitz packages but only if the coaches can figure out how to call it in a situation that won't get us burned for big yardage, which they haven't been able to do yet.

Some of you are coming down pretty hard on our LBs but I still think they're playing solid. Demeco is consistently doing what he does and Clark is really laying the wood to people. I'd like to see Barber involved more in in passing situations because he's arguably our best coverage LB. I know the Jags ran the ball all over us but, outside of the one blown play that resulted in the big run by Taylor, they really didn't start dominating us until our defense was worn out. In their defense they were out on that field for an extremely long time. Del Rio called that brilliant on side kick right after they sustained a very long scoring drive. They recovered it and put our defense right back out there to try and stop them again. And with our offense's inability to sustain drives and score points, our defense was exposed for far too long and just got worn out.

I thought our secondary did a decent job of knocking the ball lose and creating turnovers. Unfortunately they were victimized by some pretty bad officiating, allowing the Jags to sustain drives, and they too were getting worn out playing physical all day on their big physical WRs....who were doing a good job of pushing off to get open. ;)

Special Teams:

Kris Brown continues to be our MVP during this offensive drought. He and Turk have been clutch. Unfortunately we're not getting the home run returns we were in the ealry part of the season. I don't think the Jags punted one time all day so Jacoby never got a shot to get his. We all know Wynn isn't Jerome Mathis, but Mathis isn't healthy and we've already discussed that to death.

Bottom Line:

Adjustments in the run game are a priority. So are reducing penalties and getting more pressure on the QB. We had a chance early in the game to take control but we couldn't captialize, which has been a trend we haven't been able to shake lately. The TD that was called back when Davis fumbled it out of the endzone was deflating. After that we shot ourselve in the foot every time it looked like we could get back into it. Finally our defense wore down and the Jags were able to step on our throat. It was ugly and hard to watch. We've at least been competitive in every game we've been in but this week we were man handled. This one stings worse than others because it's a big divisional game that could've put us in good shape in the division. Now we MUST rebound and beat the Titans at home to get back in the race. I don't have all of the answers and I'm not going to play the blame game, I just want to invite some constructive feedback. It's not over, it's just 3-3.

Never Quit

(sorry if your eyes are bleeding right now)


Hydro this was a great post. So heres my 2 cents.

Offense:

Our RB situations leaves something to be desired to say the least. Some how we have to get a quality #2 to work with Green. IMO Green is a servicable back and can fit here for a few more years. We still need a good compliment to Green if Kubiak insists on playing smash mouth football.

The O-line is not horrible but they are certainly not in danger of producing any pro-bowlers either. They are avg at pass blocking and below avg in the run. The one thing I really don't see is the explosiveness needed to move the LOS. (Note - same can be said for the D-line)

Schaub and the WR's are playing very well. Yes they make the mistakes that young teams make but overall they are getting it done. This is the suprising bright spot since Schaub was a question mark at the season open and the WR
s were expected to be weak.

Def:

The D-line really isn't doing that bad. If I realy look at their production objectively, I have to admit they play pretty good when the Time of possessio is balanced. The last few weeks our O has struggled and put our D on the field for too long. By the end of the 3rd qtr they looked like a bunch of beat dogs on the sidelines.

LB's - Overall I think they have been pretty solid. Yes coverage could be better but that starts with pressure up front.

Secondary - I know we all want to roast Faggins but he did make some nice plays the last 2 weeks. He blew a few too, but who's counting. Bennett will hopefully step up sooner than later.

Play calling - Now here is my real compaint. Kubiak is a great coach when it comes to building a team, but plz let someone else do the dang play calling. When we can't run the ball in from 2 yrds out on 3 trys is just horrible. Please get OD involved! Run some dang play action passes. Set up some nice screens, run the naked boot leg, do soemthing anything but run between the tackles. If your tackles are getting blown of the LOS how the heck do you expect to run the bacll up the gutt? There is more than one way to establish the short game.

Time management - we really need to improve our 2 minute offense. Kubiak seems to be content with going in the half trailing by only a few rather than take a chance to put points on the board. I don't question kubiak in many areas but here i have too. He has done alot of great things for our team and I support him 100%. However, i reserve the right to add my 2 cents ;)

[HydrOshocK]

Offenseively Salaam must have given something away in his technique in the Atlanta game because even Paul Spicer is looking like John Abraham. He needs a game off because it almost seems like he is starting to wear down.

Yes we have 3 losses however our 2 losses have come in the division which is not how you get out of the division cellar.:(

Yea the two division losses really hurt, especially since everyone else in the AFC South has gotten off to a hot start.....boy did we have that pegged wrong ;)

[HydrOshocK]

I agree with most of what Hydroshock and Ole Miss Texan said. It is simply difficult to see such a beating when we looked so good early in the year. The weaknesses that were masked have been uncovered by injuries. One thing I touched on in my thread that I don't see you talking about is the loss of McKinney and the play of Flanagan. I do not think it is coincidence that our running game became ineffective when McKinney went down. I think Flanagan is a savvy old vet that has lost a few steps and gained a few pounds, and technique doesn't make up for power and speed in run blocking. As for Salaam, he was pressed into service and I think is wearing down. He is a great interview, I love watching his videos, but he needs to be the backup and not the main man. Realistically, when Kubiak says we have to find a way to improve the run game, the time for that is going to be the offseason. Pitts and Weary are both nearing the autumn of their careers, and Winston is good but a bit undersized (still our best run blocker, IMO). Green is adequate as a stopgap when he is healthy, but he is also in the autumn of his career. Dayne is a good short yardage runner, and Gado has been ineffective and doesn't bring enough speed. In short, our whole O-line is like a set of tires that needs to be replaced. Too much tread wear. It would also help to get either a young strong durable back in the draft, or a speed guy to compliment Green and Dayne. Gado lacks the burst and agility (or even straightaway speed).

Regardless of how we shuffle the deck chairs at this point, I don't see us getting more than 100 yards a game from our running game this year.

I agree. I hadn't read down to your reply yet when I replied about this very subject. McKinney's run blocking skills were an obvious upgrade over Flanagan, although he wasn't exactly doing an outstanding job either before he went down to injury.

I think we'll see lots of movement on the O-line during the offseason. For the rest of this year I just hope they do a better job of changing the scheme to avoid their weaknesses.

[TheLBCoach]

I'd like to see some misdirection inside the opponent's 5 yard line:

Stack the line with the big boys, 2 TE's, fake to the FB, pitch it out to Ahman. It works 100% of the time if executed properly because it forces the defense to sell out.

[HydrOshocK]

An idea I had for the redzone was a good ole' fashioned play-action roll-out. If you roll Schaub out to the strong side (preferably the right), and send Owen Daniels on an outside slant and another reciever on a hook; the other reciever should draw the coverage forward which will leave Daniels open in the corner. This is a play that (when altered a little bit for the extended field) could be used all over the field. I have also suggested that the Texan's coaching staff come to grips with the fact that we are not a smashmouth football team. We don't run the ball well between the tackles, or anywhere for that matter. We simply don't have the personell in the backfield or on the line to play that sort of football. I would like to see us put Schaub in the shotgun and let him pick apart the opposing teams secretary. If given time, Schaub can usually make something happen.

Yeah....what ever happened to that play? Hell that was David Carr's bread and butter in the redzone. I know if he can pull that play off for a TD then Schaub is just as capable. It's odd because we were all talking about being too predictable with that play in the preseason. Hell, if we're going to be predicatable anyway then how about we add that one back to the playbook!?

[HydrOshocK]

I would like to comment on the D:

Our front 7 can't stop anyone. We drop back and give everything up underneath and let teams pick us apart. The blitzes are poorly disguised. Even when we put 8 or 9 in the box we still give up running TD's.

Pathetic performances by the D for a month now. Might as well put Boulware and Demps in and at least have some experience to help our front 7.

I know we have talent on this D so what's the problem?

The problem lately is that they've had to play way too much and that's for two reasons....our offensive shortcomings are resulting in the defense staying out on the field too long, and when they have a chance to get off the field they usually shoot themselves in the foot.

While our defense has the ability to play at a top 10 level, as they've clearly shown in the past, I think they can only sustain that level for short bursts. Once they get tired they slow down, and our defense relies a lot on speed and quickness. Eventually they will improve with experience. They can't do anything about our offensive struggles but they can do a better job of playing clean and getting off the field quicker.

[HydrOshocK]

How would you change the philosophy?

Airing it out doesnt win playoff games or superbowls. Addai and Rhodes were a 2 man wrecking crew that opened the offense for peyton.

I think our problem is where we run we never test the edges. TD always ran a counter play and we hardly ever run left when Ahman is in the game.

Exactly my point. What I've notice is that some of our most successful run plays have been to the left side, right off the edge of the LT. I love counter plays.....I use them all the time in Madden and Ahman is quite good at it :cool:

Let me clarify about running to the outside. I'm not saying I want to see any sweeps, tosses, or pitches that stretch the play real wide, because I know we don't have the speed at RB to do that. I would just like to see us test the edges because we have the right personnel that can seal those blocks.

Answer me this......where has Vonta been?? I'll tell you. Right in front of the RB when the door closes on the running lane. He may make contact but he's not clearing a path because there are too many defenders sitting in the gaps and very little room to work with.

[HydrOshocK]

I'd like to see some misdirection inside the opponent's 5 yard line:

Stack the line with the big boys, 2 TE's, fake to the FB, pitch it out to Ahman. It works 100% of the time if executed properly because it forces the defense to sell out.

I'm down with that.

[HydrOshocK]

Hydro this was a great post. So heres my 2 cents.

Offense:

Our RB situations leaves something to be desired to say the least. Some how we have to get a quality #2 to work with Green. IMO Green is a servicable back and can fit here for a few more years. We still need a good compliment to Green if Kubiak insists on playing smash mouth football.

The O-line is not horrible but they are certainly not in danger of producing any pro-bowlers either. They are avg at pass blocking and below avg in the run. The one thing I really don't see is the explosiveness needed to move the LOS. (Note - same can be said for the D-line)

Schaub and the WR's are playing very well. Yes they make the mistakes that young teams make but overall they are getting it done. This is the suprising bright spot since Schaub was a question mark at the season open and the WR
s were expected to be weak.

Def:

The D-line really isn't doing that bad. If I realy look at their production objectively, I have to admit they play pretty good when the Time of possessio is balanced. The last few weeks our O has struggled and put our D on the field for too long. By the end of the 3rd qtr they looked like a bunch of beat dogs on the sidelines.

LB's - Overall I think they have been pretty solid. Yes coverage could be better but that starts with pressure up front.

Secondary - I know we all want to roast Faggins but he did make some nice plays the last 2 weeks. He blew a few too, but who's counting. Bennett will hopefully step up sooner than later.

Play calling - Now here is my real compaint. Kubiak is a great coach when it comes to building a team, but plz let someone else do the dang play calling. When we can't run the ball in from 2 yrds out on 3 trys is just horrible. Please get OD involved! Run some dang play action passes. Set up some nice screens, run the naked boot leg, do soemthing anything but run between the tackles. If your tackles are getting blown of the LOS how the heck do you expect to run the bacll up the gutt? There is more than one way to establish the short game.

Time management - we really need to improve our 2 minute offense. Kubiak seems to be content with going in the half trailing by only a few rather than take a chance to put points on the board. I don't question kubiak in many areas but here i have too. He has done alot of great things for our team and I support him 100%. However, i reserve the right to add my 2 cents ;)

I agree with your points and criticizing the coaches is one thing I tread lightly on because they are also going through their own growing process. I support Kub 100% but I also agree that he needs to loosen the reigns and stop being stiff in his play calling. We have a QB that is more than capable of handling it, and I suspect he's the type of guy that will go to him in the offseason and discuss that.

Sherman is our OC. I wonder just how much influence he has in the play calling since most of the power run game came with him. Kubs brought the ZBS which we've seen less of. He's the HC. If he wants to call the plays then I suggest he start calling the ones that he knows works for him.

[76Texan]

The mistakes are big, no doubt, but the most glaring problem is the red zone troubles. I mentioned it before, they generally tend to call a big pass play early in the first drive of the game. Schaub is doing a great job of hitting those, but often times we're not getting in the endzone and it's putting us in short goal-to-go distances. Automatically we go straight to the power run game, which has only resulted in 1 or 2 TDs all season if I'm not mistaken.

To be more aggressive in the redzone I would call 81's number more often. OD has no TDs....that's a problem.
Observations:

Last game, all of MS's trips in the RZ:
7 running plays + 1 QB sneak
5 atts to WRs, 2 to TEs
zero TD

One single SR's trip in the RZ:
1 run+ 1 QB sneak
3 atts to TEs, 1 to FB, none to WR
1 TD

Is that strictly play calling, or does one QB audible, while the other is not "allowed" to?

I don't have game film for this one, but I know in other games, there were times that MS had Leach and Owen as option, but either did not see them or consider them secondary, and the window of opportunity passed.

[HydrOshocK]

Observations:

Last game, all of MS's trips in the RZ:
7 running plays + 1 QB sneak
5 atts to WRs, 2 to TEs
zero TD

One single SR's trip in the RZ:
1 run+ 1 QB sneak
3 atts to TEs, 1 to FB, none to WR
1 TD

Is that strictly play calling, or does one QB audible, while the other is not "allowed" to?

I don't have game film for this one, but I know in other games, there were times that MS had Leach and Owen as option, but either did not see them or consider them secondary, and the window of opportunity passed.

This is not a Schaub v Rosenfels thread, if that is your intention with your stats. I don't put too much stock in garbage time stats with the game already out of reach. If you want to discuss QB comparisons please start another thread and I'll be happy to participate.

[76Texan]

No, I am discussing MS's difficulty in the RZ and the mentioning of why he wasn't "allowed" to audible.

How he has not been able to involve the TE and FB & RB in the passing game in the RZ

[76Texan]

For the record, last year, I stated that SR was a good back-up, and my view always remained the same. There's no QB controversy.

[HydrOshocK]

No, I am discussing MS's difficulty in the RZ and the mentioning of why he wasn't "allowed" to audible.

How he has not been able to involve the TE and FB & RB in the passing game in the RZ

Ah I see. I'm really not sure that there would be any difference in the play calling for either of the two QBs in the redzone since both of them are very familiar with the system, and I don't remember seeing Sage audible either. I tend to think our coaches just don't want them doing it because they want to stick to the game plan....and that has its problem (as a former QB himself I would think Kubiak would let Schaub loose to do his thing). But it's painfully obvious the coaches want to stick with the power run game in the redzone to prove we can do it. I think they need to scrap that philosophy.

[Yosarian]

I said this before the game and i will say it again here because i believe this is why we lost. NO CONTAIN!(again) Not able to cover a RB out of the backfield for the pass, (again) And Turnovers- again. Fix those three things and we won't need a lot of improvement in the running game.

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Oh, i'd like to give another shout out for Walter again this week, i thought he played his heart out for us again. I'm really warming up to him!

[HydrOshocK]

Yeah Walter has really been dependable. I'd like to see him get into the endzone more often, which is part of my reasoning for taking the deeper shots later in drives. Walter and Davis have both consistently been getting open deep and we've scored some big plays. Too bad we haven't come away with the 7 to show for it.

Our WR corps is strong. Once AJ returns it gets exponentially better. We should see the offense start to capitalize on those previously missed opportunities. If the run game can't get going then Schaub is going to need him.

[JO Texan]

Yeah Walter has really been dependable. I'd like to see him get into the endzone more often, which is part of my reasoning for taking the deeper shots later in drives. Walter and Davis have both consistently been getting open deep and we've scored some big plays. Too bad we haven't come away with the 7 to show for it.

Our WR corps is strong. Once AJ returns it gets exponentially better. We should see the offense start to capitalize on those previously missed opportunities. If the run game can't get going then Schaub is going to need him.

Well Kubes just said that AJ maybe back this week.

[GT]

While reading these post, I,ve been thinking back over the past games.Let me say first that we all knew these weakness were all ready here,but we were able to overcome them the first few weeks with good playcalling & all of our starters.The way I see us improving until full strentgh is that our coaches need to do a better job of playcalling.Instead of the coaches changing their gameplan,they have tried to make the players change their weakness into their strengths,you just can't do that.We were in every ballgame & should've had the Jag by 17-0.I can't blame the players,this solely rests on the coaches shoulders.I like kube,but he needs to take a long look at his playcalling for the personnal he has,not what he started with.Don't get upset but the reason Belicheck wins is because he knows his players strength & weakness & calls his gameplan accordingly.He will also change the scheme just as he did in the pukes loss.I truly fault our in ability to change our gameplans for these losses because we have to prove we can run the ball.

[Yosarian]

Kub's is working at it. I noticed that we now have the quarterback sneak play.
Could have used that earlier in a few games. :rolleyes:

[Texan (in Germany)]

The mistakes are big, no doubt, but the most glaring problem is the red zone troubles. I mentioned it before, they generally tend to call a big pass play early in the first drive of the game. Schaub is doing a great job of hitting those, but often times we're not getting in the endzone and it's putting us in short goal-to-go distances. Automatically we go straight to the power run game, which has only resulted in 1 or 2 TDs all season if I'm not mistaken.

To be more aggressive in the redzone I would call 81's number more often. OD has no TDs....that's a problem.

Agree we have to put more TDs on the board.