HOW DOES JOHN MCCLAIN GRADE THE TEXANS AT MIDSEASON? HINT: YOU CAN’T SPELL ‘FAIL’ WITHOUT IT
OVERALL GRADE
F
No one expected a Super Bowl. Many didn’t expect the playoffs. But this team shouldn’t have trailed Atlanta 42-0 and Miami 41-0. The Texans have been a huge disappointment.
QUARTERBACKS
B-
Brian Hoyer is on a pace for 26 touchdown passes and six interceptions. Fans can wonder where the Texans would be if Hoyer hadn’t been benched after the first game.
RUNNING BACKS
F
Before Arian Foster was lost for the season, the running game was mediocre at best. Without Foster, it’s nonexistent.
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
B
DeAndre Hopkins has emerged as a premier receiver with 66 catches for 870 yards and six touchdowns. Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III can’t stay healthy at the same time. The tight ends have combined for 14 receptions.
OFFENSIVE LINE
D-
The pass protection improved over a five-game stretch, but Hoyer has been sacked seven times in the last two games. Pass protection has been better than run blocking, which has been terrible.
DEFENSIVE LINE
C- The Texans are 29th against the run, allowing 123.5 yards a game. The linemen have to play better and more consistently in stopping the run.
LINEBACKERS
C-
The run defense has been mediocre. Whitney Mercilus has 5½ sacks, one-half more than last season. Brian Cushing leads the team in tackles. Injuries have necessitated a rotation next to Cushing.
SECONDARY
D
Woefully inconsistent on pass coverage and sometimes just awful against the run. Poor tackling has plagued the defensive backs.
SPECIAL TEAMS
C-
They were a detriment for so long because of penalties on returns and not enough yards on kickoff and punt returns. Now special teams have become an asset, with better kicking, returns and coverage.
COACHING
F+
Bill O’Brien and his assistants cannot control injuries, of course, but there was no excuse for the debacles at Atlanta and Miami. The Texans have beaten three teams — Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Tennessee — that have combined for six wins.