I have not been a supporter of DC Richard Smith, going all the way back to the old board.

We haven't really opened up things this whole preseason. So the first time we play a 3-4 team (Dallas) like Pgh's will be, we certainly are not going to show anything.

Having said all that, I was extremely dissapointed in the way our offense started off, and with the way our defense played the whole game.

This defense just got flat out beat. No pass rush what so ever. You can't let any NFL that much time and not get beat.

I do like that Schaub was able shake off a bad start. Slaton looked good and I'm not as worried about the run game as I was a week ago.

It's the defense that has all my concerns right now.

We've definitely invested picks on the defensive side of the ball. At this point, I'd seriously look at a new DC if things don't come around significantly this season.

If we don't improve this season then the other Smith will gain more cupability as well.

Any chance we've misfired with our pick of Okoye ? I heard the coachs saying he was having an outstanding TC, but not seeing much evidence of it in the preseason games ?

I just posted this comment on the Chronicle blogs, Okoye is basically a kid playing against grown men, I think we should wait for his body to mature and then we can say for sure if he's a bust. Since I don't have another team to follow, I'll wait and see what happens.

I think all draft picks deserve three years before you can really give a fair assesment. Sure you can get a pretty good idea well before then in most cases, but I think DT is a position that any player is going to have to grow into....especially one who is 19. I don't know if he'll ever be a superstar, but not many DT's are it's just the nature of the position. I saw enough godd things last to think he will at the worst be a good player once he fully matures.

I posted a more in-depth post-game drive analysis than I normally write up, and I have to say that I say that I saw a lot of good things from Okoye Friday night. He abused Leonard Davis pretty good; it just doesn't show up in the stat sheet.

http://www.inthebullseye.com/archive/2008/20080824.html

I am far more concerned with our defensive coordinator. He had the defense in a pretty lame zone a bunch, and the linebackers suffered. The coverages were way too soft, and the reads were way too slow. Smith needs to address this immediately.

I agree with you 100% about Rick Smith. I realize we may not have the best talent on defense, but they all aren't a bunch of slouches. I am hoping they are working on some things that we haven't seen yet and the defense will turn around once the regular season begins, but I started to wonder Friday night about how poorly the defense looked and maybe it was the scheme and planning by the coaches as much as anything the players were doing.

I am hoping that we are playing vanilla in the preseason to see who the players are. Scheme can make a player look better than he is, and the coaches are trying to figure out the best 25 guys for the defense.

I maybe wrong but I want to believe the coaches and players are better than we have seen in the preseason games.

I don't buy that it was just due to "vanilla preseason calls." I mean, he used enough wrinkles to drop Anthony Weaver into coverage repeatedly for some reason.

I just think our defensive play calling is bad.

Reason = no chance at getting into the backfield.

Weaver is wasting a roster spot.

I'm really starting to hate this scheme. I haven't been much on the 'fire Smith' bandwagon, in part because this had been a developing defense, but not anymore.

The schemes just aren't any good. It doesn't help that the team needs another DE, WLB, and FS, but they should be better than they are with what they have already. Smith's zone crap is really starting to bug the hell out of me.

I've thought the Smith hiring was wrong when it happened and have been calling for his head for 3 years now. It's ridiculous to have this young of a defense with this many high picks and constantly be abused like they are. It's not talent or age at this point. They should have hired Bates instead of Smith when they had the chance, or, hired Gregg Williams and canned Smith's arse before TC. The DC and RB situations are going to be the downfall of Kubiak, IMO. As for RB, I can't figure out why the hell they can't get serious about it. Most teams have 2 RB's better than any of ours, although, I hope Slaton turns that around. TBD....

Ok I was on the hire Bates bandwagon back when they where putting the staff together. But his attitude 2yrs ago and his production last year in Denver have made me rethink that move. Just leave it at Denver's defense was worse than ours last year, and Bates was canned.

I will give Smith the season, well at least a few games, before calling for his head.

I don't get this at all. We have seen a lot of zone stuff to think that's his "defensive philosophy." But, from what the coaches say, the zone stuff is a reaction to the talent on the field and not the true scheme they want to run. They sign Jacques Reeves because he is supposedly made for man-to-man, press defense. They also hired Ray Rhodes, who's known for his zone scheme.

So, they're definitely sending out mixed signals here. You've had three years to get "your personell" in place, so if your intention is to run man, the time is now. But, not only are you still running out there with zone stuff, you hired a coach who's career philosophy has been zone. Things just aren't adding up.

There's two possible explanations. One, this "it's just preseason" stuff is legitimate, and we will see a drastic turnaround come the regular season. Or, historical precedent holds true, and Richard Smith is the incompetent coordinator his tenure has shown he is. I certainly hope the former is the case, but I'm not holding my breath.

Bates may or may not have been successful here, I don't know. But he was certainly the best qualified guy available when we were looking. Both Bates and Williams are known for their attitude, but most great DCs have an attitude or edge to them. Anyway, I won't be surprised if a change is made at DC during the season. Perhaps the Rhodes signing was the first step.

I dunno, but wouldn't you expect Frank Bush be the guy to replace Smith if they make a change at DC ?

I don't know that either of those guys would be the answer. Bush's d-line hasn't exactly been world beaters, and I was under the impression that, due to health reasons, Rhodes was here primarily in an advisory role. I also would prefer to stay away from his zone heavy scheme.

You'd think if Smith does get fired someone like Johnny Holland would be the candidate to replace him. He has a very solid reputation. He also turned down the opportunity to be Sherman's d-coordinator to stay here in Houston in the NFL ranks. I think he is a prime candidate for a promotion, and if we're not the ones to do it another team will be. Another person, in-house, might be John Hoke who has worked magic in the secondary for the past couple of seasons.

Thanks Keith for your drive by drive review and analysis of the third preseason practice game.

While we had a rough start to the game, we seemed to have a good chance at winning the game at the end, and we got to analyze a lot of fairly young players in a new scenarios compared to prior times in this training camp. Some real hitting was going on this game.

I guess we'll see, I still think this year will be our best ever, and pretty good chance to get into the playoffs. Funny tasting coolaid.

I'm glad to see I wasn't off my rocker when I started calling for Rick Smith's head. I don't buy the plain vanilla preseason theory. They are supposed to be gearing up for the regular season. I can understand not unveiling the complete defense as any team already knows what the base defense is going to be from the previous season. It's the new wrinkles, coverages and stunts that I can see being held back but not the whole defensive scheme and philosophy.

#1 reason to fire Richard Smith is...

So people stop calling for our oustanding young GM's job.