





How's it going guys. My name is Jordann and I hail from Battle Red Blog. Yes, I am a Texans fan. And yes, I do feel your pain.

I moved to SF about three months ago and the first thing i've noticed are all the 49ers billboards spread through out town. I don't really have anything against the 49ers, and for the past four years i've actually found myself cheering for them more than usual. After being bombarded by the advertisements and television programs for the past three months, i've taken a liking to the Niners.

Now that i've gotten the introductions out of the way, i'll get straight to the point. When the "Fire Alex Smith" bandwagon rolls in, PLEASE don't hop on the "Start David Carr" bandwagon. I understand the frustration because i've watched all three games this season and i've rooted for the Niners in all three of them. Alex Smith is NOT that bad compared to David Carr.

As you know, The Texans drafted David Carr with their first overall pick in 2002(SHOULD'VE DRAFTED PEPPERS). When you start for an expansion team, it's obvious that the odds are stacked against you. And a lot of fans understood that. We needed to supply him with an O-line that can give him time to throw, Receivers to throw to, and a running game to keep the defense honest. Year in, year out, I (along with thousands of fans) would make excuses for David Carr. Every RB dump off(there were tons of them) would be blamed on the lack of receiving talent. Every sack and interception would be attributed to the horrible O-line play and the lack of running game.

But every year, the Texans would do something to fix those problems that are stated above. As the team improved, the franchise QB did not. But even then, you can still find me squeezing out excuses for David Carr's lack of production/awareness/intangibles/ability.

Enter Gary Kubiak. In his fourth season in the league, David Carr had the honor of working with Coach Kubiak. You know, the same guy that worked with Shanahan and HOF John Elway. Many of us viewed this as a franchise saving move. If anybody can turn Carr into a legitimate starting QB in the NFL, it would be Kubiak.

When you make a mistake, or when you put a ton of eggs in one basket; it's hard to admit that you're wrong. David Carr had his best season wearing a Texans uniform(or an NFL uniform for that matter). He started all 16 games completing 302/442 passes for a 68.3 completion percentage. He also sported a career best 82.1 QB rating. Being the Carr Apologist that I was, I chose to ignore the fact that he threw 12 interceptions compared to 11 touchdowns with a 6.3 YPA. All's well in Mittensville until news broke that the Texans traded two 2nd RD draft picks to the Falcons for Michael Vick's back up, Matt Schaub. This move confused me because I thought that David Carr still had some potential and would continue to grow under Kubiak next season. A couple of days later, David Carr was cut. And I was shocked.

What did the Texans see in this back up QB that made them cut their franchise QB that got a contract extension a year(or a couple) ago?

Fast forward to 2010 when everything was already clear. Schaub turned out to be the better QB, and David Carr couldn't even beat Matt Moore and Old Man Testaverde for the starting job in Carolina.

TL;DNR

David Carr is not the answer to your QB woes. I've received numerous texts and facebook updates from Niners fans saying that Smith should be benched or to start David Carr. Unless you like your QB to overthrow receivers, dump to RB's when receivers are open, try to run for a first down on 3rd and 15, hold on to the ball too long and drop in fetal position when the opposing team is blitzing. If that is your cup of tea, then by all means; call for David Carr to start. But if you want to avoid the same heartbreak that I(along with thousands of Texans fans) went through, it's better to give Alex Smith a chance and just look for a viable replacement in the coming draft.