DC Frank Bush a Disaster so far

[popanot]

Ok, here's the deal... If it's not the coaching then it's the players, right? Who drafts the players, chooses/signs free agents, chooses who's on the roster and which players play? What kills me is I have not heard any of the pundits who say its the players calling out Kubiak or Smith for their draft day acquisitions. Most people say they've done an admirable job on draft day. If these players are so bad, then we're screwed and in for a another 5+ years of mediocrity.

IMO, there are other teams out there that have the same or less talent on defense than the Texans do but play much better. What gives? I find it hilarious that someone in the organization (*cough* Kubiak) decided to go with a defense that relies so heavily on the weakest link, yet, hasn't invested any serious draft picks or FA money to that area. On the field of play, if they're counting on the Safeties to consistently make plays to stop the run, then something is seriously wrong up front.

Toss aside the player issue for a moment... Isn't it the responsibility of the coaching staff to make adjustments? Forget in-game adjustments because other than replacing a player or two here and there, that's way too complex and asking way too much of this staff (it's been 3 weeks in a row the opposing team has taken the 2nd-half kickoff and rammed it down their throat). We've seen 4 preseason and 3 regular season games of this crap! You'd think by now they'd see something is not working and adjust accordingly. Your new "aggressive" scheme is getting torched??? Then rush 3 or 4 and drop more into coverage. Try some run blitzes... Go back to a less aggressive bend-and-hopefully-not-break scheme... Try Rhodes at DC... I don't know, but do something!

Personally, I think it's a combination of both - the coaching and players. However, I'm still of the opinion that if we had a top DC, you'd see a much better defense. A great defense??? Maybe not, but a much better one. I hope they can turn it around or it's gonna be a looooong season and we'll be talking draft by Thanksgiving - again!!

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by popanot

Ok, here's the deal... If it's not the coaching then it's the players, right? Who drafts the players, chooses/signs free agents, chooses who's on the roster and which players play? What kills me is I have not heard any of the pundits who say its the players calling out Kubiak or Smith for their draft day acquisitions. Most people say they've done an admirable job on draft day. If these players are so bad, then we're screwed and in for a another 5+ years of mediocrity.

I guess I have been to subtle. I am calling out Smith for not being good at signing FA during the off season. He seems to listen to his coaches to much. I am calling out Kubiak for his style of play definitions. ie, the Gibbs ZBS, smaller OL can not move the pile in the red zone. He has employed a bend but don't break defense for to long. Theses styles has not won together in 10 years.

Lets talk draft, I am still mad we did not take Willis, best LB to be drafted since Ray Lewis. The next season I felt they reached for the OT, he is turning out OK, but I still think he was early.

This last draft, I wish they had played it more like the Pats, trade down trade down trade down. The pats added 3 key players, we added a couple of question marks.

[kravix]

Originally Posted by painekiller

The next season I felt they reached for the OT, he is turning out OK, but I still think he was early.

I seem to recall the Chargers saying they were actually going to take him in the first if we hadnt.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by kravix

I seem to recall the Chargers saying they were actually going to take him in the first if we hadnt.

No one really knows that for sure.

[nero THE zero]

Originally Posted by painekiller

No one really knows that for sure.

Yea, not even Norv Turner:

Funny that the Chargers finally got a tackle with their final pick. They had been stymied from starting off the draft with one when an unprecedented eight tackles were selected before they picked at No. 27.

“We came up one pick short,” said Turner, who along with the rest of the Chargers brass watched Houston trade into the 26th spot and take tackle Duane Brown of Virginia Tech.

[WMH]

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth

Offenses steering left with runs vs. Texans

October 1, 2009 1:37 PM


Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Everyone connected to the Houston defense needs to raise his hand when it comes to assessing blame for the team’s miserable run defense so far.

Back in Week 2 after a huge tackle of Chris Johnson by Mario Williams, I thought perhaps things had begun to turn. Nope.

My new best friend, Marty Callinan of ESPN Stats and Information, gave me this breakdown or where teams are attacking, and not attacking, the Texans on the ground.

Mario Williams is moved around and plays on both sides, but he starts out on the right and it seems they try to keep him on the weakside. I just re-watched the Jaguars’ first series against the Texans and of his seven snaps I saw him on the right for six. The general rule is he is on the right in the base on run downs, then flips left to rush the passer.

Amobi Okoye lines up at tackle on the right, next to Williams on a lot of run downs.

And it seems to be where offenses feel like they can control people and find run yards.

Opponents have done much more damage against the Texans running anywhere from the left sideline to the right guard, while doing much less from the right tackle to the right sideline.
Texans rush defense by direction, 2009

RG -- left sideline RT -- right sideline
Att-yds 73-523 20-93
Avg. 7.2 4.7
Long 91 39
Rush TD 6 1

Take note in the Oakland game Sunday: are the Raiders sending Darren McFadden and Michael Bush more to the left and a lot less to the outside on the right? Do the Texans look to do anything to bandage what’s become the weaker side of their run defense?

And what does this tell us about the run play of left end Antonio Smith?

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by WMH

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth

Offenses steering left with runs vs. Texans

Mario Williams is moved around and plays on both sides, but he starts out on the right and it seems they try to keep him on the weakside. Amobi Okoye lines up at tackle on the right, next to Williams on a lot of run downs.

And what does this tell us about the run play of left end Antonio Smith?

I'm a little confused. The offense's left is the defense's right. Are you suggesting that offenses are running at Mario and Amobi with success? Are you implying that Antonio Smith is feared and offenses are running away from him?

If we are trying to implement an attacking defense, then Amobi might penetrate the A-gap while Mario rushes around the C-gap, leaving the B-gap to a LB (Diles or Ryans). Conversely, if the NT has the A-Gap to the right of Center, then the B-gap is Ryans, the C-gap is SS (insert name) or possibly Cushing, or Antonio Smith.

I think it's a matter of gap integrity. Either the SS or Diles over-shooting their gap to "make a play on the ball" only to leave a cut-back lane without any help.

I'm hopeful that Pollard will be better against the run than his predecessors at the SS position.

There is the other elephant in the room as well, how about our CB's doing a better job tackling or turning the play inside.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

I guess I have been to subtle. I am calling out Smith for not being good at signing FA during the off season. He seems to listen to his coaches to much. I am calling out Kubiak for his style of play definitions. ie, the Gibbs ZBS, smaller OL can not move the pile in the red zone. He has employed a bend but don't break defense for to long. Theses styles has not won together in 10 years.

Lets talk draft, I am still mad we did not take Willis, best LB to be drafted since Ray Lewis. The next season I felt they reached for the OT, he is turning out OK, but I still think he was early.

This last draft, I wish they had played it more like the Pats, trade down trade down trade down. The pats added 3 key players, we added a couple of question marks.

Ditto.

They need to employ at least a larger OL like the Eagles or Ravens in order to get some push. The defense needs to be more creative and aggressive to create turnovers. The thought of Willis next to Ryans would have been nice.

Trading down is a process that requires several variables, including relationships between GMs, team needs, team draft boards, etc. I'd like to have us trade down too, I just don't know how easily it could be done. Luckily we didn't lose prospects by trading up.

[Roy P]

Since we are getting in the mood to start over, I took a look at the top defenses in the league for the first 3 weeks. Those who stop the run aren't necessarily the best, whereas the ones who contain the passing game also lead in Total Defense. I found a common thread - Baltimore Ravens coaches and ex-coaches. Mike Nolan, Rex Ryan, Mike Singletary, etc. have gone through that franchise. So, if we are looking for a head coach, I'm going to ask Brian Billick to quit doing those Coors Light commercials and NFL Network shows.

However, if we just want to re-shape the Defense, I'm suggesting Dennis Thurman.

Dennis Thurman spent six seasons coaching Baltimore's secondary, four as the secondary coach, two as defensive assistant alongside Rex Ryan. During his Ravens tenure, the team led the NFL with 126 interceptions and 18 interception returns for touchdowns while he was coaching, among others, Ed Reed (34 INTs, 2002-07), Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and Deion Sanders.

http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/coac...dennis-thurman

[papabear]

As is usually the case, nothing is as simple as black and white. I think our scheme is basically sound. The NFL is a copycat league and there really hasn't been anything completely new in a long time so most schemes are going to have some level of success if you have the right players running them.

We have actually been pretty good on first and second down. The big problems have come on third and long, which is where defenses should thrive. Most of the breakdowns amount to either blown assignments or just sloppy tackling.

The sloppy tackling is maddening, but it's something you see a lot of these days. I don't know if it's because college stars are being coddled more than they used to be or not, but it seems like fundamental tackling is dying art in some ways. Unfortunately, it seems as if we have an especially bad case of it. Either way if I see one more Texan lunge in the general direction of a players legs with their head down and kind of roll into the tackle I might just lose my mind. That's something coaches shouldn't have to teach at this level, but it's obvious they do.

The coaches are also responsible for getting the team ready to play. That includes making sure guys know where to line up and what their responsibilities are on each play. The coaching staff has to take some of the blame, but there's only so much a coach can do as well. At the end of the day the players have to take it upon themselves to execute.

It's easy to call Frank Bush a disaster at this point, but it's hard to blame him when he has many times put them in a position to make the plays and get off the field. Like I said, it's not black and white, there's a whole lot of gray area. If I had to pick one area that is the biggest problem it would have to be the safety play. If they can get that squared away somehow then some of those big plays will be a little smaller, and hopefully easier to regroup from and get a stop.

[NBT]

NO, it wasn't easy to call Bush and his defense a disaster. I have been a frustrated pro football fan in Houston probably longer than any but a few of you, however I have to call a spade a spade when I see it. It is just too darn easy to blame it all on the players not doing their assignments, or not tackling like they should. Well, maybe the tackling, but the scheme and assignments should have been drilled into their heads by now. PK &, I think RP, don't agree with this analysis, but if we all agreed on everything, it would make for a very dull message board.

[papabear]

The whole point that I was trying to make was that they are all to blame, and it's not as simple as saying that Coach x is responsible or that it's player y. The front office is to blame for not getting the players, the coaches are responsible for not getting the players well prepared enough, and the players are responsible for not doing their job. You can't pick out anyone person or group and put all the blame at their feet.

I will also add that the large majority of Texans fans were convinced that Richard Smith was the worst defensive coordinator ever and that by getting rid of him the defense would improve automatically. Even though Bush wasn't necessarily a popular pick either, I think you could make the argument that Richard Smith got a little more blame than he deserved last year.

[NBT]

PK says "Lets talk draft, I am still mad we did not take Willis, best LB to be drafted since Ray Lewis. The next season I felt they reached for the OT, he is turning out OK, but I still think he was early."

I declare, some people are never satisfied. You can't say that Oakland wouldn't have taken Brown, now can you? Hind sight is always 20-20, but really, in this case, not even needed. Demeco is a fine Mike LB, and Brown is proving out at OLT. As for trading down, I have been for that too, but at what cost, or for that matter - benefit? Right now it is an exercise in futility. Cushing is the leading tackler. You think it is the players fault, I think it is the scheme and lack of getting the players on the same page as the DC.