Houston Blogs: Houston Sports Blog

IF EVERYONE DOES IT......

I totally agree with a Texans veteran I talked with at length yesterday about the brouhaha over the illegal contact drills. His point was that every team does these drills and the player who blew the whistle, Dan Stevenson is one of those end of the roster players who's trying to squeeze a buck out of the deal before he's squeezed out of the NFL...Yes it's against the CBA rules....and mandatory offseason practices are called "conditioning drills" and they're "voluntary"...but if you want to be on the roster your big rear end better be on that field...voluntarily or not. Alot of the NFL's rules are "wink wink" which look good on paper but are not practiced. It is interesting that you don't see "star" players complaining..One player told me if it had been someone other than Dan Stevenson complaining yesterday it would have had more credibility. Stevenson is not the most respected player on the team. What Kubiak did by conducting the drills is by the rule wrong. He just got caught.

TWO STRAIGHT

Incredible..remember when the Super Bowl never lived up to all the hype surrounding it?  The last two games proved that theory dead at least for the time being. Sunday's game was as exciting as last years. Both games with last minute wins. Great catches from Santonio Holmes this year and David Tyree last year. Notice how the spread was Steelers by 4...and the Steelers won by 4. The Cardinals proved that it's not especially how the team does all year. If they're good enough to make the playoffs anything can happen. Call me crazy, but the same things could possibly happen with our local bunch. They showed sings of good things to come, and with the right moves this offseason, who knows? I know this sounds like the usual offseason optimism, but I really do think they're close to breaking out of their 7 year funk.  Meanwhile do you remember an offseason with less buzz about the Astros? They earned it.

Texans take the Kollar

Today the Texans completed their coaching staff with the hiring of Bill Kollar to be the defensive line coach. He's been in the league for 19 seasons and has a reputation for being hard nosed and tough...which is something the Texans need. If there's anything that bothers me a little about this is that Kollar was Rick Smith's coach at Purdue. I know it's good to work with people with whom you're familiar, but there may be a little too much of this on the Texans. The Denver connection may have been overplayed with the Texans. New ideas are good sometimes. Jeff Zgonina who was a backup defensive tackle last season was Smith's roommate at Purdue. And he was pretty much done last year. He won't be back next year and I'll be surprised if Anthony Weaver makes the team. The whole staff is in Mobile this week for the Senior Bowl.

Filling Needs for the Texans

This coming season will determine the future of Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith, which is why it's so important they make the right choices in hiring the coaches and staff to fill the openings on the staff. It looks like David Gibbs has the inside track to replace Jon Hoke as the defensive backs coach. Hopefully they'd be hiring because he's made a difference at Kansas City and not because he's assistant head coach Alex Gibbs son. Whoever the defensive line coach will be has to be on the same page as new coordinator Frank Bush...and he has to push Amobi Okoye to the next level. Okoye only played well in two games last season then got a high ankle sprain. Something overlooked but extremely important will be the replacement for Kevin Bastien at trainer. This will be the guy who works most closely with the players and is the players link with the coaches. The players have to trust the trainer because their health and conditioning is in his hands. Look for the Texans to make Gibbs hiring official in the next week or so..What do you think is the Texans most pressing need this offseason? Would like to hear from you.

Texans Coaching Moves

I hope the Texans can land Rod Marinelli as their defensive line coach.Yeah, I know he was head coach of an 0-16 team, but some coaches are not meant to be head coaches and he's a case in point. But Marinelli is considered one of the best defensive line coaches in the NFL and he's the type who can bring an attitude and a much needed swagger to the defense. One guy the next d-line coach will have to work with is Amobi Okoye who underachieved his second year. Year two is when defensive linemen are expected to step up.

I still think Frank Bush will end up as the coordinator and I also think Kubiak will utilize Ray Rhodes much more than he did last season. Rhodes did'nt want to step on any toes, especially secondary coach Jon Hoke. Rhodes brings a wealth of knowledge and experience on the defensive side of the ball and Kubiak needs a set of eyes in the coaching booth he can count on. This is going into year 4 of the Smith-Kubiak era. That means the honeymoon's long been over. It's time to step up. Past time.

Marinelli...position coach..not coordinator

The Texans are interviewing former Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli for one of their openings on the defensive side of the ball. Like it or not Marinelli was the man in charge of an 0-16 season. But he's a well respected defensive line coach. Consider Marinelli for the D-line job, not coordinator. Bad message to send as a coordinator, with his record, and he's never been a coordinator before. That's been part of the problem with the Texans slow upward turn. People in positions who are doing it for the first time...Head coach, general manager, offensive and defensive coordinators, all first timers. Get someone with experience and a nasty streak to be defensive coordinator. Someone who's done it before. There should be ample choices with the all the coaching changes being made.

They Need Players

I was out of the state part of December burning the rest of my vacation before the year ended..While gone the Texans made some major changes to their defensive coaching staff, as had a been rumored. Gone is coordinator Richard Smith, defensive backs coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin. I think for Richard Smith it was time.., The secondary was still the weakest part of the defense right next to the defensive line. Granted all improved over the season but not enough. However, and this is a big however, they're not going to win anything unless they find better players. Think about it. Only 3 Texans could start for any of the playoff teams on defense. Mario, DeMeco and a healthy Dunta. The rest of the defense is average at best. Until they get someone to help Mario with the pass rush, until they get a tough, smart, fast, hard hitting safety, until they get DeMeco help at linebacker this defense will be average. Hopefully the new coordinator will give them a mean and nasty personality. Get the players and the coaches will look alot better.

Three Defensive Coaches fired by Texans.

I got the feeling yesterday while talking with Gary Kubiak that the ax would fall on someone.  The Texans not only fired defensive coordinator Richard Smith, but they also got rid of longtime secondary coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin.    The Texans Defensive did so improvement over the last month and half, it could have been the coaches more aggressive game plan.  But they should have tried some of that earlier in the season.  The Texans finished 22nd in the league in defense and really those numbers don't lie.  We saw it just about every game teams driving down the field, a times the defense made plays to force fieldgoals and turn teams back, but over the longhaul of the season the Texans Defense was subpar.  

When you fall short of your goal someone has to be held accountable.  The Texans said before the season the playoffs were the goal, so I guess we knew someone was going to go.    Now where do the Texans go.  One thing we know for sure there defense will have a different look next season.

Bob Slovak

Are you Happy with 8 and 8?

The answer has to be not really...    Sure the Texans had a great run to get back to the break even mark, but they never should have been in the oh and 4 hole to begin with.   Hurricane Ike was a pain, but the Texans didn't play anywhere up to their potential early.  They did show what they care capable of down the stretch.  Still 8 and 8 is a full three games out of the playoff. 

Just think how the Patriots feel, they went 11 and 5 and still didn't make the playoffs.  That shows you how far the Texans still have to go.   That being said the Dolphins went from 1 and 15 to 11 and 5, the Falcons turned things around in one season.   Let's see the Texans take the next step.  A solid start is a must next season.   Come on guys don't make it hard on yourselves.  8 and 4 over the final 12 just play that same way when you still have a fighting chance at making the playoffs.    It could be worse, just think how it feels to be a Cowboy today.

Bob Slovak

Turn out the lights...the season's over

And the Texans are ending it on a positive note...after being down 10-0 they've come back to outscore the Bears 31-10 and will now close out the season with another 8-8 record...Steve Slaton just scored from 2 yards out to make it 31-17 with 3:24 left...Barring an Indianapolis like collapse this one's in the books...Tonight on "Inside the Game" Spencer and I will wrap things up with guests Matt Schaub, Gary Kubiak and owner Bob McNair.