LUCKY SEASON 7?
Entering his seventh season, Bill O’Brien is counting on his experience to help the Texans finally reach the next level in the NFL playoffs.
O’Brien is counting on his years of head coach experience to take the Texans to the next level.
Bill O’Brien was not born the last time Houston won a pro football championship.
Deshaun Watson was born 34 years later.
It was 1961, the second year of the American Football League, and the Oilers won a second consecutive championship by defeating the Chargers.
If the Texans are going to end nearly seven decades of championship futility within the next two or three years, it’ll be with O’Brien as the head coach and general manager and Watson as his quarterback.
O’Brien enters his seventh season with the Texans, and Watson has watched him closely since being their first-round draft choice in 2017. On a Zoom call this week, Watson was asked for something the players see of O’Brien behind the scenes that many don’t know about him.
“He’s probably the hardest worker in this building,” Watson said. “I don’t think people understand the work ethic, the time he puts in to make sure this organization is at the top of its game. He’s not going to stop until he’s a champion. That’s what I like about him.”
That’s a strong endorsement from Watson, the most important player on the team who signed a four-year extension Saturday averaging $39 million a year. About 5½ months ago, fans and media were howling Watson would demand to be traded since O’Brien shipped his favorite target, receiver DeAndre Hopkins, to Arizona.
As the Texans prepare for Thursday night’s first game at Kansas City, Watson and O’Brien are aligned on the same mission — ending that championship famine with a Super Bowl victory.
In his four seasons, Watson has noticed some changes in O’Brien, including one in particular this season.
“I feel like he’s more relaxed in different situations as far as putting me in different situations in the heat of the moment during practice so I’m ready for those game-like pressure situations,” he said.
Bill O’Brien more relaxed? Remember, there’s the offseason Bill, the preseason Bill and the in-season Bill. And the season starts against the Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champions who pulverized the Texans 51-31 in the playoffs.
He’s not a mellowed Bill, either, but O’Brien admits to learning some lessons that could serve him well as the Texans try to win a fifth AFC South title in six years and reach the AFC championship game for the first time, putting them one step shy of the Super Bowl.
“This is my ninth year as a head coach,” O’Brien said, including his two years at Penn State. “I have more experience as a head coach. I think you improve through experience.
You’ve been in situations where you handled them well, and you’ve been in situations where you didn’t, and you learn from it and try never to make that mistake again.
“As long as you’re working hard and trying to do the right things, experience should lead to improvement.”
Improvement for the Texans this season would mean they get past the divisional round for the first time. O’Brien, who’s had one losing season in six years, won’t make predictions, but those who work with him are convinced he believes this team is his best.
“I like this team,” O’Brien said. “I understand the players. I have a really good coaching staff. I feel good about where we are right now.
“I think my strengths are the people around me. We’ve got a great group that’s smart, works hard and believes in each other. I think that’s a big deal.”
Owner Cal McNair oversees the organization. O’Brien works closely with executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby on the personnel side of the operation.
“Cal, Jack and I get along real well,” O’Brien said. “We’re aligned on how to run a football program. We have a strong belief in what we’re doing here and how we’re doing it from a roster, team-building and economic standpoint.”
Through the years, many have demanded O’Brien be fired, but the McNair family has stood by him and supported him.
“He’s won a lot of games for us, including five winning seasons and the AFC South four times, which is a huge accomplishment,” McNair said. “We remain fully aligned with our goal of winning championships for our fans.”
McNair has been impressed with the job O’Brien has done adjusting to new guidelines caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Bill’s done a tremendous job working through unprecedented times with the virus,” he said. “I’m excited to see his hard work pay off this season.”
After the Texans finished 10-6 last season and defeated Buffalo in the playoffs before losing at Kansas City, McNair gave O’Brien the additional title of general manager. He performed the responsibilities in 2019, but he didn’t have the title.
“Over the years, Bill’s always been a competitor, and the players have always played hard for him,” McNair said. “He’s evolved into getting the most out of his players and his staff in ways that create confidence within our organization.
“Our most recent mantra — dependable, tough and smart — points to more depth than just the effort on the field.”
After last season, O’Brien disclosed he was going to let offensive coordinator Tim Kelly take over the play-calling duties. He promoted Anthony Weaver to defensive coordinator. Weaver will make the calls on his side of the ball.
Kelly has coached with
O’Brien longer than anyone on the team. This is his ninth season under O’Brien dating back to Penn State.
“Every year when we come in, he’s finding different ways to put the team in a situation that’s going to help us win,” Kelly said. “Some people will have rigid practice schedules or a playbook they don’t waver from, but he’s always going to do whatever he can to maximize the talent of the guys to make sure he’s doing what’s right for the team.
“After every team, unit or staff meeting, you always leave the room knowing he’s doing everything he can to put the team in the best position to win.”
Putting the team in the best position to win has required modifications created by the threat of COVID-19. Every team has been forced to deal with protocols handed down by the NFL. O’Brien and Easterby had to work almost around the clock to ensure the guidelines were implemented before the players reported for training camp in late July.
“Jack and I came back here
July 3, and that’s when we received the protocols, and with the support of Cal, which has been huge, we turned the whole building around,” O’Brien said. “We had a lot of help doing it.
“When the players got here, they saw what we’d done, and that helped create some team belief in what we’re doing. We’ve got players that have adapted well to a totally different experience. Now we’ve got to win.”
The first four games are against Kansas City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, who were a combined 44-20 last season. It’s the most difficult first four games in the NFL.
“We’ve had some good teams here, but I think this team has a maturity to it,” O’Brien said about his players handling the challenge. “We’ve got leadership in all three phases and good coaches. I don’t want to compare this team to other years, but I will say we’ve worked hard to get to this point.”
Many questioned O’Brien’s will to win in March when he traded Hopkins, one of the NFL’s best receivers, and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Cardinals for running back David Johnson, a second-round pick he used on defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and a 2021 fourthround selection.
O’Brien was criticized locally and nationally after the trade, as he was a year ago when he traded outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle and acquired offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills from Miami for two first-round draft choices and a second-round pick.
The criticism resurfaced after the Kansas City playoff loss in which the Texans blew a 24-point lead, and O’Brien contributed to the comeback with a failed fake punt that led to a short touchdown.
“Criticism is the nature of the job,” he said. “I think if you’re going to be a head coach, you’re going to make tough decisions, and you’re going to get criticized. That’s harder on your family than it is on you. It goes with the territory.
“Look, we’ve done a lot of good here, but we want to do much better in the playoffs than we’ve done, obviously.”
O’Brien understands the fans’ frustrations. Winning the division again is not enough. They want better results in the playoffs.
“We know Houston wants a championship team,” he said. “It’s been a long time. There have been a lot of great teams through the years that haven’t been able to do it. We don’t look at that as pressure.
“We know we have a fan base that’s passionate. We know the fans don’t always agree with everything we’re doing, but every day, we want them to know that we’re doing everything we can to win a championship.”