It’s an old pro vs. a young gun
Feel good for Kubiak, not envious of Broncos
Of course dreams come true. Just not all of them. When Gary Kubiak was announced as the head coach of the Texans, 10 years ago Tuesday, he said his dream was to see “this city win a championship someday.”
A former Oilers ball boy leading Houston’s NFL team to its first Super Bowl?
It could have been a heartwarming moment. Like a former greenskeeper about to become Masters champion.
And it was just about as likely.
But while Houston remains 0-for-forever, the former ball boy has led his hometown team to the biggest of big games.
Kubiak describes Denver as his “football home,” and it is where he has seen much professional success.
Fittingly, in his first year as head coach of the Broncos, he has managed to accomplish what he couldn’t come close to in eight seasons with the Texans.
Kubiak, who went to three Super Bowls as a player (all losses) and three as an assistant coach (all wins), advanced to his first as a head coach, with Denver’s 20-18 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Kubiak owes a huge thanks to Wade Phillips, a virtual native son, who graduated from Port Neches-Groves High School and the University of Houston, and whose father was the most beloved coach in Oilers history.
In total, there are 13 former Texans players and coaches with the Broncos.
No coach or player with the Carolina Panthers has ever been with the Texans. As for Houston ties with the NFC champions, assistant special-teams coach Russ Purnell spent two years with the Oilers (1995-96) and running back Fozzy Whittaker is a Houston native who went to Pearland and the University of Texas.
So, go ahead and root for Denver in the Super Bowl.
But unlike the Titans’ trip to the Super Bowl — a mere three seasons after leaving Houston and one year after dropping the Oilers’ name — Denver going to the Super Bowl is not really basis for even mild satisfaction for most Houston fans.
But individually, Kubiak and Phillips are two of the classiest men in the business, and tight end Owen Daniels, who had two touchdown catches Sunday, is an all-time great Texan. Houston should certainly be happy for them.
Forget last, which is where Kubiak and Phillips finished in their final season with the Texans, nice guys can finish first.
Experts wrong again
It wasn’t too long ago that many questioned whether they had the coaching chops to match wits with the great Bill Belichick. The experts said Kubiak wasn’t good enough and Phillips’ defense was too predictable. Yeah, right. Welcome to 2016. Kubiak knows what he is doing and Phillips, like his father, is a defensive master.
This win was so meant to be that New England’s Stephen Gostkowski missed an extra point, the first of his career after 523 straight makes. That led to the game-ending defensive effort on a two-point conversion attempt with 12 seconds remaining that could have sent the game into overtime.
Phillips’ unit dominated the contest for the most part, then held off a host of late challenges by Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Constant pressure
ESPN’s statistical department says the Broncos hit Brady 23 times. No team had managed to put more than 12 licks on Terrific Tom all season.
The poor Texans, bless their hearts, touched Brady only seven times in a 27-6 wipeout in midDecember. I’m pretty sure three of those were postgame handshakes.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who Bob McNair hired because he has scheme flexibility and because he had been seen flexing near Belichick five years, has a long way to go before he matches Kubiak’s accomplishments.
When McNair ran Kubiak out of town late in the 2013 season, few of us batted an eye.
Kubiak had a good run, one that probably lasted longer than it should have because he was such a gentleman and a hometown guy.
And because of the dream.
It was time for his time here to end.
Just as this now is his time.
Houston just isn’t his football town.
He is living the dream in Denver.
Good for him.