Schedule sets up nicely for AFC South leaders
Memo to everyone complaining about Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler:
What do Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning, Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton have in common?
All are on teams with worse records than Osweiler’s at this stage of the season. The Texans are 5-3 after Sunday’s victory over Detroit. Osweiler has helped the Texans go 5-0 at home and 0-3 on the road with some sporadic play, but they lead the AFC South by one game.
The players are getting a lot of welldeserved time off before they return to NRG Stadium to begin preparations for the next game at Jacksonville.
“I’m happy about where we are, but we have a lot of work left,” coach Bill O’Brien said Monday. “It’s a good point to be at the halfway point.
“We just have to continue to build off the momentum.”
A 5-3 record at the break looks a hundred times better
than 4-4 and a tie with Tennessee for first place.
The coaches hope the victory over the Lions will propel the Texans to a better record over the final eight regular-season games.
The idea is to win the AFC South again and host another playoff game.
“Any time you go into a bye week on a winning note, that can’t be anything but good for your team,” O’Brien said. “When you go into the bye week on a winning note, I think everybody feels better about where they are.
“It gives us time to do a lot of
self-scouting to figure out all the things we need to do to improve.”
Having the time off helps in other ways, too.
“It also gives us time to reflect on some of the things that have been positive — being undefeated at home (and) playing the way we played against the run (Sunday) was very good (58 yards allowed),” O’Brien said. “Offensively, at times we’ve shown glimpses of what we can be.
“Special teams, same thing. Now there has to be more consistency in all three phases, but there certainly is a lot to reflect on that’s good.”
As it stands this week, the Texans have played two teams that have a losing record — Chicago and Indianapolis — and they won both games.
Over the second half, only Oakland and Green Bay — both road trips — currently have winning records.
The Texans play five of their last eight on the road.
The Texans close at Tennessee on New Year’s Day. Before the season, who would have thought
that game might decide the division?
It might not, of course, but the Titans are 4-4 after going 3-13 last season. There is no doubt Tennessee is a much better team. Whether the Titans are a playoff contender, only time will tell.
Receiver DeAndre Hopkins was asked Monday what he thinks the offense did best over the first half of the season?
“Found a way to win and go into the bye 5-3,” he said. “Winning in the NFL isn’t as easy as it seems. There’s a lot that goes into it.
“It’s (5-3) very big. Most importantly, we’re No. 1 in our division. Every goal we have is still in front of us.”
When the Texans return, they begin a stretch of playing four road games in five weeks — at Jacksonville, at Oakland (Mexico City), San Diego, at Green Bay and at Indianapolis.
In their last three games, they play Jacksonville and Cincinnati at NRG Stadium before closing at Tennessee.
The Titans also play five road games, but only Kansas City currently has a winning record. They play Denver and Green Bay at home as well as the Texans.
Before the season, Indianapolis was projected as the Texans’ chief competition as far as AFC South supremacy, but the Colts are 3-5, including a loss to the Texans.
Indy’s schedule is difficult with five games against teams that currently have winning records — Packers, Steelers, Texans, Vikings and Raiders.
Like Indianapolis, Jacksonville has been a huge disappointment. Last week’s loss to Tennessee dropped the Jags to 2-5 going into their next game at Kansas City.
A good example of how bad the Jaguars have it and appear headed for a coaching change and another high draft choice? Of their last nine games, only Indianapolis currently has a losing record.