Patriots 40 Texans 7
Just when you thought it was impossible for the Texans (4-10) to stoop any lower, the Texans’ offense rolled over and played dead against the Patriots.
This one was over by Sunday morning brunch as the Texans were down 17-zip after the first quarter and 27-zip at half. Actually, the Texans’ defense did not play badly, but the Texans offense continually placed the defense in untenable positions. QB David Carr continues to look like a basket case, going 16-28 for a net 93 yards with 4 interceptions, 4 sacks and, as usual, no TD passes. I have long had doubts about Carr, but it’s becoming more certain with each passing game that Carr will not be an effective QB for the Texans. Whether it’s the constant pounding that he has taken as a result of the lack of protection from the Texans’ deficient offensive line, his poor recognition skills or his dubious leadership qualities, Carr has regressed to a point in Houston that Coach Gary Kubiak’s sideline vibes decisively indicate that he has given up on Carr.
However, as bad as Carr has been, certainly Kubiak and Texans’ owner Bob McNair have to share in the blame for the woeful state of this team. As noted earlier here, after giving up on the Casserly-Capers regime, McNair changed the management model of the Texans football operation from a strong GM model to a strong head coach model. There is nothing wrong with that, but rather than hiring an experienced head coach, McNair opted for local boy-made-good Kubiak, who had never been more than a top offensive assistant in a strong head coach model that was run by an offensive coach (Denver’s Mike Shanahan). The transition from assistant to head coach has been anything but smooth for Kubiak — the Texans’ defense has improved somewhat from last season’s disastrous unit, but the Texans’ offense is actually worse than last season’s, which was almost unimaginable before this season began. Add in the fact that Carr and the Texans’ offense have actually regressed in development under Kubiak’s tutelage, the luster of Kubiak’s reputation as an up-and-coming offensive coach has certainly been dulled.
At any rate, the Texans have two home games left to end the season, against the Colts (10-3, playing tonight) and the Browns (4-10). It looks as if the Texans’ offense has packed it in, so it’s hard to imagine that the team could beat anyone these days. But stranger things have happened. Let’s just hope that another win or two doesn’t result in a dramatic downward change in the Texans’ draft position for the 2007 NFL Draft. The Texans need all the help they can get.