If they stop the bleeding and go deep into October, there is no failure for which to assign blame. Theo is not going to lose his job after 2011 regardless of the outcome, but he now has a 5 year record on which to judge him regardless if we go to the playoffs in 2011. There are some significant shortcomings in his record.
BTW: I say that he has a 5 year record, because after 2006, only Manny was left from the Duquette days. It was completely Theo's team after 2006.