MVP Texas | Time to Give Gary Kubiak an Extension?

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Written by Travis Pulver

Saturday, 07 January 2012 03:14

It was not too long ago that the fan base around Houston was clamoring for head coach Gary Kubiak to be thrown on the trash heap with all the other so-so coaches in the NFL. There was even a website dedicated to the cause (www.firegarykubiak.com). After going 6-10 in his first season and 6-10 in his fifth season would anyone have blamed owner Bob McNair for dropping the proverbial axe on Kubiak?

Fast forward to the end of the 2011 regular season and it seems as if McNair’s decision has been vindicated. The team finished the season 10-6, a new franchise best. For the first time in team history the won the AFC South division and get to have a home playoff game.

Not bad, right? When you consider the injuries that he has had to lead the team through the accomplishment is even more impressive.

Losing Mario Williams stung. Losing Matt Schaub stung even more. Perennial All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson has been out much of the season with hamstring issues (talk about sting). Tack on all the running back injuries the team has dealt with it is rather amazing that the offense was still able to finish the season ranked 13th overall (18th pass; 2nd rush).

So when you consider the franchise best in wins, the division title, the playoff berth, and all the injuries that had to be overcome to get there a contract extension must be in order—right?

Not so fast. There are two things that have to be considered first, Wade Phillips and Kubiak’s current contract.

It is easy to see that the difference maker in this season has not been the offense, but the acquisition of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. With the help of a few key personnel additions Phillips was able to take the league’s worst defense from 2010 and turn it into the No 2 defense in the league. Had the offense not lost so much steam in the last few weeks of the season it would have likely finished the regular season where it was for most of the year—No 1.

The value that Phillips has to the team became crystal clear for those that were in doubt the last couple weeks when he was absent from the team due to gallbladder surgery. Without him the defense turned in to a literal sieve against the running game of the Carolina Panthers and could not stop one of the worst offenses in the league the following week in Indianapolis.

Carolina does have the No 7 overall offense in the league including the No 3 rushing offense, but was most disturbing was that both Carolina and Indianapolis won the game off pivotal fourth quarter drives. It did not help that linebacker coach Reggie Herring, according to the players, was not up to the task, but regardless the value of Phillips to the Texans is clear.

So what does this mean in the broad scheme of things?

Phillips has made it no secret that he wants to be a head coach again. He did take a hard nose dive in his last season with the Dallas Cowboys, but the problems there run much deeper than the head coach (be it Phillips or Jason Garrett). With the right offensive coordinator/assistant head coach on his staff Phillips could be a heck of a catch.

When the Texans finish their playoff run there is likely going to be a number of teams willing to tell him just that.

That makes the question of the day this—who is more valuable to the team, Gary Kubiak or Wade Phillips? All the injuries that the team had might keep Phillips off enough radars this off-season, but should the team return healthy, stay healthy, and do as well as people thought they could do this season next year that will not be possible.

The end of the 2012 season happens to be when Kubiak’s current contract expires too.

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