Mike Shanahan isn’t the only beleaguered head coach in the Sunday football league.
His protege, Gary Kubiak, isn’t exactly tearing it up in Texas.
We take you now to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who summed up the Texans’ loss at Minnesota as follows: “Look up roadkill in the dictionary, and you know which team picture you’ll find.”
That would be the Local 11 in Houston. The Texans have shown flashes of improvement, if not brilliance, during Kubiak’s regime, but they can’t win on the road. To wit: Today marks the one-year anniversary of their last road victory. It came at, you guessed it, Oakland. The Raiders struggle to win anywhere.
Counting last season, the Texans’ road losing streak stands at seven. And frankly, they haven’t competed very often, losing by an average of 13 points per. They’re 3-1 at home this season, where they’ve outscored their opponents by an average score of 30-22. On the road, the numbers essentially are reversed, 32-19.
Anyone can see Kubiak has made progress in the two-plus seasons since he left the Broncos. But the Texans, if they’re going to be legitimate playoff contenders, have to find a way to win on the road. . . .
The Giants are 7-1 and feelin’ no pain. Now the real fun begins. Seven of their final eight opponents have winning records, with the Vikings the lone exception at 4-4. The G-Men’s next four games are nastier than a negative campaign ad: at Philly, home vs. Baltimore, at Arizona and at Washington. . . .
Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press, on the Lions signing Daunte Culpepper: “It’s a good thing (Dan) Orlovsky can’t see the back of his jersey. His name is written in pencil.” . . .
The Lions have been downright competitive of late. They scored 23 points in the second quarter at Chicago, two more than they had scored in any of their previous four roadies. . . .
ESPN’s Tom Jackson, on the state of the Cowboys with Brad Johnson at QB: “I’m disappointed, certainly, in the way Brad has played, but more so in the guys who aren’t 40.” . . .
It’s November, and the Broncos have beaten one team with a winning record. And that team just had to rally from 21 down to sneak past the Chiefs. . . .
The best acquisition of the offseason? The Jets getting Kris Jenkins from the Panthers for third- and fifth-rounders is on the short list. He had two sacks Sunday after accounting for 2 1/2 last season. . . .
More good news for the Jets: After breaking down film of that Wrangler jeans commercial, I’ve determined that Brett Favre didn’t throw any picks. . . .
Former Bronco Ashley Lelie, when asked by the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times about the prospect of the Raiders signing Michael Vick after his, um, issues are cleared up: “You have to sign him if you’re the Raiders. Trust me, I’ve played against him before. You don’t want him on the other team.” . . .
The other team? That could be the Chiefs. If/when Vick is reinstated, they’ll have a decision to make. Because their rebuilding program isn’t going anywhere without a legitimate quarterback. . . .
Memo to fantasy leaguers who took a flyer on Edgerrin James: I feel your pain. Good guy, Edge, but the end appears to be near. He didn’t have a touch Sunday as rookie Tim Hightower gained 109 yards. . . .
The Bears’ second-string QB now that Kyle Orton is gone for a month? That would be CSU’s own Caleb Hanie. . . .
My kingdom for T.J. “Get Me Spellcheck” Houshmandzadeh to join the Broncos. The man can flat-out fill up a tape recorder. T.J., on the state of the Bengals before Sunday’s dubya vs. Jacksonville: “We’re 0-8, but I think we’re a good 0-8 team, if that’s possible.” . . .
Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers, when asked by to name an NFL player he feared: “Brandon Marshall is a defensive lineman playing wide receiver. He wants to inflict punishment on you.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
Giant task
The Giants are 7-1 but face a daunting schedule in the second half of the season. Here’s a look at their remaining eight games:
Team record
at Philadelphia 5-3
Baltimore 5-3
at Arizona 5-3
at Washington 6-3
Philadelphia 5-3
at Dallas 5-4
Carolina 6-2
at Minnesota 4-4
