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Performance review time for Texans coaches
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Many of us are getting our annual performance reviews at this time of the year, and NFL head coaches are no different. Texans fans have wide ranging opinions on this subject so I thought I'd offer mine for the record. Whatever happens in the Bears game on Sunday won't matter because we've seen enough of the overall body of work of this group to draw some fair conclusions.
This season has been a disappointment and the team failed to achieve it's goal of reaching the playoffs, but I see no reason to blow this thing up and start all over again.
Improvements are needed in several key areas, especially in the overall performance of the defense, redzone offense, turnover margin, and pass protection.
Kubiak
Head Coach Gary Kubiak has been under fire from a segment of the fan base but frankly I haven't heard a compelling case yet to pull the plug. There are game management issues and questionable play calls at times (they're only questionable if they don't work), but when balanced with the improvement Gary has brought to the offense, the positives outweigh the negatives and there's no reason to cut him off, unless you just don't like Aggies. The Texans #3 offensive rank in the NFL (in yards) is night and day when compared to the previous regime's best year, but unfortunately it hasn't translated to points (20th in the league). But that's fixable if the Texans can get Steve Slaton a power back companion to help improve red zone performance, and if the Texans can eliminate the costly turnovers on the opponent's end of the field. Kubiak's players haven't quit on him and that's one of the first signs you look for when trying to determine the health of a team. Kubiak and Matt Schaub's future in Houston will be closely tied to their performance in '09. No playoffs in '09 and there should be no '10.
Verdict: One more year
Shanahan
Are li'l Shanny and Kubiak inextricably linked? It would seem so. Kubiak is bringing up Kyle just as Kyle's Dad brought up Kubiak at Denver. Whether Kyle is being groomed to be his father's replacement at Denver or if his future is in Houston is something that will need to play out. Kyle has always been on the fast track and Kubiak is letting him take more control in terms of play calling, however, he may never shake the 'apprentice' tag as long as he's working under Kubiak who remains integrally involved with the offense. In the short term, I'd like to see Shanahan figure out how to become a better redzone team, I'd like to see his quarterbacks cut down on costly mistakes, and I'd like to see better balance between the pass and the run.
Verdict: One more year
Smith
The guy behind the House of Pain's 'Hit the Beach' platoon needs to hit the road. The 'improvement' in the defensive unit's play during the late season winning streak, when examined in the context of the entire season, only proved that Smith's defense is average at best, really bad at worst and inconsistent as a rule. The Texans current rank of #22 in yards allowed is about as good as it gets with a Smith defense, and their #27 ranking in points allowed tells a better (or worse) story. Of the top ten teams in the NFL in fewest points allowed, nine will be going to the playoffs. The Texans give up far too many big plays and create too few. One of the keys to success in the NFL is winning on the road, and one of the keys to winning on the road is a strong defense. The Texans are a terrible road team in large part because Smith's system, whatever it is, consistently fails to make the grade. The Texans are ranked 27th in the league in run defense, they can't get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and they run blitzes that don't work. Whether Senior Defensive Assistant Frank Bush is part of the problem or if he is a solution in waiting remains to be seen, but the Texans would be a far better team and most likely in the playoffs with even a top 15 defense. Three seasons with little improvement means its time to pull the plug.
Verdict: Adios
Marciano
Coach Joe is an original and has been here from the get-go. Despite a few slip ups this season, he still runs one of the best special teams units in the league. Players love to play for him and if he wants to stay and he's still motivated to coach, then this decision is easy.
Verdict: One more year
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