Post by brophy on Dec 9, 2005 8:59:29 GMT -6
I read this in a PFW gazette, thought it was pretty SHOCKING, because I know with the abundance of pundits, reporters, and "analysts".....how can you head off dissention from within?
Coach's call has players seeing red
Fangio opts for all-out blitz that fails to down Boller
By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
BALTIMORE - Gary Walker didn't want to point a finger. He didn't have to. His comments about the play-calling said more than enough.
For the second week in a row, the Texans took a lead into the final minute of regulation and failed to win. While shock descended upon the locker room last week, frustration ripped through it after the 16-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the one under fire from some of the players, who questioned his call for an all-out blitz with 20 seconds left.
With the Ravens trailing 15-13 at the Texans' 45-yard-line, Fangio called for an all-out blitz. The Ravens countered with maximum protection for quarterback Kyle Boller, who stood in the shotgun. Boller had enough time to find rookie Mark Clayton in the middle of the field for a 35-yard connection, setting up a game-winning field goal by Matt Stover.
No finger-pointing here
"You all need to go ask the man who made the call," Walker said. "I don't want to say nothing, because I'd be pointing fingers and I don't want to point fingers.
"I just know when I miss a play or something, I'm going to let everybody know it's my fault. Like when I missed a tackle and they made like an 11-yard run, that was my fault.
"If the players are going to take all the (blame) when they mess up, everyone else has to do it, too. And if that's pointing fingers, I'm sorry.
"I'm not going to sit here and lie to you guys. I'm going to tell you how we're feeling. Everybody in here is down."
With the blitz on, Clayton faced man-to-man coverage from rookie C.C. Brown, who was starting at free safety for the first time in place of Marcus Coleman, who missed the game for violating team rules.
Brown failed to close in on Clayton and missed the tackle.
Brown said he accepted the blame, but his teammates refused to steer any his way.
"The guy was in the shotgun, so you're not going to be able to get a lot of pressure on him," cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "You have a safety on the wideouts. C.C. didn't come off and wrap the guy up. But I'm not blaming C.C. for anything.
"I didn't like the play-calling, personally. But I'm not the coach. Only thing I do is play and do what they call. We called a play that I don't think we should have called."
The call was not made on a whim, especially considering how a week earlier the Texans lost a 10-point lead in the final half-minute of regulation to the St. Louis Rams.
Short of options
Fangio was unavailable to answer his players' criticism, having left the locker room before they spoke out.
"We had played a zone earlier (in the drive), and they completed a pass to (Todd) Heap for a significant gain," Fangio said earlier Sunday. "We were in zone last week when (the Rams) hit a 43-yarder (to help send the game into overtime at Reliant Stadium).
"So we called a timeout and Dom (Capers) and I discussed it, and we just wanted to go for it. We called the all-out blitz and it didn't work out. That's the way it goes."
Things that don't work out seem to have become the Texans' theme this season, and the players say they are fed up.
"Something has to change," Walker said. When pressed about what needs to change, he just shook his head.
"Something," he said. "You can't keep losing them like that. It's rough."
Coach's call has players seeing red
Fangio opts for all-out blitz that fails to down Boller
By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
BALTIMORE - Gary Walker didn't want to point a finger. He didn't have to. His comments about the play-calling said more than enough.
For the second week in a row, the Texans took a lead into the final minute of regulation and failed to win. While shock descended upon the locker room last week, frustration ripped through it after the 16-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the one under fire from some of the players, who questioned his call for an all-out blitz with 20 seconds left.
With the Ravens trailing 15-13 at the Texans' 45-yard-line, Fangio called for an all-out blitz. The Ravens countered with maximum protection for quarterback Kyle Boller, who stood in the shotgun. Boller had enough time to find rookie Mark Clayton in the middle of the field for a 35-yard connection, setting up a game-winning field goal by Matt Stover.
No finger-pointing here
"You all need to go ask the man who made the call," Walker said. "I don't want to say nothing, because I'd be pointing fingers and I don't want to point fingers.
"I just know when I miss a play or something, I'm going to let everybody know it's my fault. Like when I missed a tackle and they made like an 11-yard run, that was my fault.
"If the players are going to take all the (blame) when they mess up, everyone else has to do it, too. And if that's pointing fingers, I'm sorry.
"I'm not going to sit here and lie to you guys. I'm going to tell you how we're feeling. Everybody in here is down."
With the blitz on, Clayton faced man-to-man coverage from rookie C.C. Brown, who was starting at free safety for the first time in place of Marcus Coleman, who missed the game for violating team rules.
Brown failed to close in on Clayton and missed the tackle.
Brown said he accepted the blame, but his teammates refused to steer any his way.
"The guy was in the shotgun, so you're not going to be able to get a lot of pressure on him," cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "You have a safety on the wideouts. C.C. didn't come off and wrap the guy up. But I'm not blaming C.C. for anything.
"I didn't like the play-calling, personally. But I'm not the coach. Only thing I do is play and do what they call. We called a play that I don't think we should have called."
The call was not made on a whim, especially considering how a week earlier the Texans lost a 10-point lead in the final half-minute of regulation to the St. Louis Rams.
Short of options
Fangio was unavailable to answer his players' criticism, having left the locker room before they spoke out.
"We had played a zone earlier (in the drive), and they completed a pass to (Todd) Heap for a significant gain," Fangio said earlier Sunday. "We were in zone last week when (the Rams) hit a 43-yarder (to help send the game into overtime at Reliant Stadium).
"So we called a timeout and Dom (Capers) and I discussed it, and we just wanted to go for it. We called the all-out blitz and it didn't work out. That's the way it goes."
Things that don't work out seem to have become the Texans' theme this season, and the players say they are fed up.
"Something has to change," Walker said. When pressed about what needs to change, he just shook his head.
"Something," he said. "You can't keep losing them like that. It's rough."
