Fisher gives Texans an Early X-mas Gift

[NBT]

Well, Schaub had been moving the team well all game, so Fisher figured a 4 point lead wouldn't hold up with only something less than 4 minutes to go. He decided to go for it. Thank goodness the pass was too high. We took over the ball, Slaton made one good run to get us out of the hole, the Tacks then ran out of timeouts before they could get the ball back. For once it was the other guy on the short end of the stick. We didn't whip their a**, but I'll take the win none the less, thank you.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by NBT

Well, Schaub had been moving the team well all game, so Fisher figured a 4 point lead wouldn't hold up with only something less than 4 minutes to go. He decided to go for it. Thank goodness the pass was too high. We took over the ball, Slaton made one good run to get us out of the hole, the Tacks then ran out of timeouts before they could get the ball back. For once it was the other guy on the short end of the stick. We didn't whip their a**, but I'll take the win none the less, thank you.

I guess he was scared of the whopping 3 points we scored in the second half.

[TexicanMexican]

Post game Fisher said the wind was against the kick so he opted to go for it instead of attempting the FG. I didn't really notice any wind at the game. Did anyone?

[Keith]

The weather was a little unusual for this game. It was at times rainy, sunny, breezy, cool and muggy. While there might have been some wind, I never really thought it was much to impact a FG, but from 50 yards out, who knows.

Some postgame quotes on the decision:

(on if [Kubiak] was surprised that Tennessee didn’t kick a field goal at the end) “No, I wasn’t, because that wind was a factor down there. With (K) Kris (Brown), and just talking to him throughout the game, that would have been a 54 or 53 (yard field goal) or something like that had he tried it. It was a pretty long field goal. I thought they might try to draw us offsides and then come out and kick the field goal, but they did not do that. I think it would have been a very difficult field goal today with the breeze.”

I find it kinda funny Kubiak calls it a "breeze", as if there maybe was a little wind, but not much. From Fisher:

(on his thoughts about the game) “I told the players, 'I’ll take this one.' I should have taken the wind in the fourth and not the third, and that’s exactly why I decided not to let (K) Rob (Bironas) kick. It was not within his range. I knew exactly what his range was, and I just felt that we would get things going into the fourth quarter that it wouldn’t be a factor. So that’s why we went for it on fourth down. It was not a good coaching decision.

(on what K Rob Bironas’ range is) “I know he was about five yards outside his range. He made attempts before the game and couldn’t get them close, and we were outside his range with wind a factor and wind was clearly a factor in here.”

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/St...?story_id=5008

Bironas can kick from 60. To me, this was a sign of (depending on your perspective) disrespect towards the Texans or of respect for one's own team. As a 12-1 team, I can understand it some if Fisher thinks his team is maybe blessed this year, but I don't think he goes for it like that against say the Steelers or Colts, do you?

[Arky]

Well, some are saying (me for one) that Fisher didn't want to make the FG and give the ball back to the Texans with just under 2 minutes remaining cause he knew the Texans were well and capable of driving for their own FG. If he'd have is druthers, he'd would have loved to pick up the first down, waste the clock running the ball and then kick the game-winning FG as time ran out.

The Texans may be developing a little rep as a good "last drive" team: see Green Bay/Miami games so that may have been rolling around in his noggin as well - no doubt Fisher watched the Green Bay game..... When Fisher said "this one is on me" I believe him to be telling the truth but as far as the "wind/out-of-range" comments go, pure coachspeak, IMO... He's not gonna say what he was really thinking other than to give a fragment...

[Dave]

Alot of talk about the decision not to kick the FG (and, rightly so) but, Fisher's biggest sin was the absolutely RIDICULOUS decision to play arguably the best receiver in the game today one-on-one; and with a nobody like Cortland Finnegan no less.

I have alot of respect for Fisher (despite the fact that he looks EXACTLY like your local Domino's Pizza manager). He's been doing more with less for about 15 years from now. He's a tremedous motivator. But, really, is he that great and "X's and O's" guy? Yesterday, he flat got outcoached.

[nunusguy]

Not only deciding against attempting the FG, but the play he called to pick up a mere 3 yards was strange IMO ?

[papabear]

I didn't get why he went for it either, but it was windy at times. We ended up taking down our tent at the tailgate because it was blowing around a lot....and it wasn't raining or hot so we didn't really need it. So there were some big wind wind gust. If Fisher says that Bironas was coming up short from that end of the field from that far out then it makes more sense than I thought. Couple that with the fact that that would have left us plenty of time on the clock, and it wasn't as bad as a move as I thought.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Dave

Alot of talk about the decision not to kick the FG (and, rightly so) but, Fisher's biggest sin was the absolutely RIDICULOUS decision to play arguably the best receiver in the game today one-on-one; and with a nobody like Cortland Finnegan no less.

QFT. Fisher is a 46 disciple, and those guys love to stack the box and let their corners play man on an island. It was a bad idea yesterday since Angry Dre had something to prove after his drops in Nashville earlier this season.

Originally Posted by Dave

But, really, is he that great and "X's and O's" guy? Yesterday, he flat got outcoached.

He's always conservative offensively, but I'm surprised he abandoned the run as much as he did yesterday since Vodka Collins was so inaccurate most of the afternoon. LandWhale was questionable entering the game and didn't get many touches, so maybe that was a factor, but I would have fed Chris Johnson more one way or another. Dude is a weapon. Credit to the Texans D-line though for an outstanding performance.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

QFT. Fisher is a 46 disciple, and those guys love to stack the box and let their corners play man on an island. It was a bad idea yesterday since Angry Dre had something to prove after his drops in Nashville earlier this season.


He's always conservative offensively, but I'm surprised he abandoned the run as much as he did yesterday since Vodka Collins was so inaccurate most of the afternoon. LandWhale was questionable entering the game and didn't get many touches, so maybe that was a factor, but I would have fed Chris Johnson more one way or another. Dude is a weapon. Credit to the Texans D-line though for an outstanding performance.

Isn't this one of the signs of the appocalypse?

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Dave

Alot of talk about the decision not to kick the FG (and, rightly so) but, Fisher's biggest sin was the absolutely RIDICULOUS decision to play arguably the best receiver in the game today one-on-one; and with a nobody like Cortland Finnegan no less.

I have alot of respect for Fisher (despite the fact that he looks EXACTLY like your local Domino's Pizza manager). He's been doing more with less for about 15 years from now. He's a tremedous motivator. But, really, is he that great and "X's and O's" guy? Yesterday, he flat got outcoached.

On TV it appeared to me that Andre was doubled with a safety most of the game. Yes He had some one on ones, but he was beating the safety on what Spencer Tillman called a "Banjo"Coverage.

The Titans mixed their coverages pretty well, AJ just schooled them with his will.

[HPF Bob]

Beyond passing up the field goal, the play call on 4th and 3 was also questionable. If they make the first down, wouldn't they just use more clock and force a closer FG try?

The play call I would have used would have been a play-action screen. You know the D is going to push upfield to stop the run. A veteran QB could have faked the dive play, faked a quick throw in one direction and finally looked the other way for Johnson or a tight end like Scaife. It wouldn't take that long to set up and the Texans would have likely ran themsleves out of position selling out to the dive play.