Bill O’Brien says the Texans have 16 one-game seasons and need to forget about Thursday’s loss.
Forgetting New England nightmare could put team back on right track
One of coach Bill O’Brien’s responsibilities as the Texans’ head coach is to make sure his players don’t spend too much time celebrating victories or suffering defeats. He has to redirect their attention to the next game.
The 27-point primetime loss at New England better be a distant memory by the time the players return to work Monday to prepare for their next game against Tennessee at NRG Stadium.
In 2015, the Texans’ low point was the 44-26 loss at Miami that dropped them to 2-5. Fans and some members of the media were ready to run O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith out of town.
The Texans responded with a victory over Tennessee that ignited a three-game winning streak. They also defeated Cincinnati (12-4) and the New York Jets (10-6), who finished among the best teams in the AFC, during that streak.
‘16 one-game seasons’
After the Texans lost 27-6 to New England last season, they rebounded to win their last three games and the division title.
When they play Tennessee on Oct. 2, the Titans will be tied with the Texans for first place if they defeat Oakland in Nashville today.
The Texans need to re- bound this season as they did last season against the Titans.
“I think part of being a pro is your ability to understand that it really is 16 onegame seasons,” O’Brien said. “That’s a big part of what we talk about with our guys. ‘Look, that (New England loss) was not good, but there’s a lot of football left.’”
If the players don’t have short memories, they’re usually doomed to more failure. They have to believe O’Brien when he tells them they play 16 one-game seasons.
“The next season is Tennessee, and I think our guys understand that,” he said. “They’ll come in ready to go Monday. They’ll come in with a good attitude. They’ll be ready to work.
“They’ll be looking forward to playing Tennessee and the challenge of playing Tennessee. That’s part of being a pro football player. At times, you’re going to experience nights like that where they get the better of you. Now, how do you respond to it?”
The Texans have swept the Titans in each of O’Brien’s first two seasons. A victory elevates their record to 3-1 and keeps them in first place.
Because of last season, this isn’t an unfamiliar predicament for the Texans. They dug holes last season – a deep one, in fact – but they climbed out. They’re not in a hole now, just returning from an embarrassing loss on national television that cost them a lot of respect.
O’Brien was asked if last season’s recovery from bitter defeats can help in their recuperation from the New England debacle?
“They (players) know it’s only the third game of the season, and they’re going to work very, very hard to correct the mistakes, and they’re going to work very hard on Tennessee,” he said. Must beat the Titans
The Texans have to beat the Titans. After Tennessee, they travel to Minnesota, host Indianapolis and visit Denver in quarterback Brock Osweiler’s nationally televised homecoming game.
No more repeat performances like the New England game. The Patriots have outscored the Texans 54-6 the last two seasons.
“This league is not easy,” O’Brien said. “I’ve always said that it’s never as bad as it seems, and it’s never as good as it seems.
“The mark of a man — the mark of a person —- is their ability to deal with adversity and how you rise up from it and become better from it.”
Based on their performance at Gillette Stadium, when the Texans “rise up,” they’ll have only one way to go.