The 2021 Houston Texans have some parallels to the 2006 team that Gary Kubiak took over: double-digit losses the year before, rookie coach, and a roster devoid of star power.
Although Kubiak at the time was an offensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos, who were the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and were a game away from the Super Bowl that season, the former St. Pius X and Texas A&M product relished the chance to come back home to Houston and revitalize the city’s NFL presence.
“I had great respect for Dom Capers and the job that he did to take on a starter franchise,” Kubiak told Drew Dougherty in a feature on HoustonTexans.com. “The one thing about the NFL is that you can do everything right. It’s still hard to win. But the thing we have to do is go do everything right and see if we can make it happen. So, we had our work cut out for us in year one.”
The Texans went 6-10 in 2006 and started out the season with an 0-3 mark. However, one of those wins was a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, who would go on to win the Super Bowl that season.
Said Kubiak: “We beat the world champs, which I think that was huge for the city, for [founder] Bob (McNair), for everybody, saying we’re doing this right. We had our steps along the way to get to where we were going. It’s a great business, but it’s so hard.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIvklhQCPPA
According to Kubiak, a difference of eight to 10 plays is what can separate a seven-win team from an 11-win team.
Although the 59-year-old is presently inactive in coaching, Kubiak, who compiled a 61-64 record with a 2-2 postseason mark in Houston, is pleased to see he left the Texans with the franchise having greater expectations than when he arrived.
“To see Houston now making the playoffs throughout these past few years and having some really good teams, the expectations there are tremendous now,” Kubiak said. “So, I like to think that we were all part of those expectations, and that’s a good thing. Because that’s why you do what you do.”