McClain: Fixing Texans’ offense starts with QBWatson.
Team had its moments against Steelers but is still looking for a rhythm and consistency
If the Texans hope to win their first game of the season on Sunday, they’ll have to bottle their first-half offensive performance at Pittsburgh and uncork it against Minnesota at NRG Stadium.
The 28-21 loss at Heinz Field was another example of the inconsistency of an offense that should be more productive three games into the season. Deshaun Watson threw touchdown passes to Randall Cobb and Will Fuller sandwiched around David Johnson’s scoring run on six possessions in the first half to build a 21-17 lead.
What made the first half so impressive was the Texans did it against the Steelers, who have the NFL’s No. 2 defense and the league’s most fearsome pass rush.
Watson and his teammates should remember what they did well at Pittsburgh and forget what they did bad in the second half, when they had three punts and an interception and were outscored 11-0.
The Steelers’ defense made adjustments that worked. The Texans’ offense made adjustments that didn’t.
Now the Texans play the Vikings, who are in the same winless predicament. Almost 14,000 fans who attend Sunday’s game will see two of the three most disappointing teams, along with Philadelphia (0-2-1).
Last season, the Texans and Vikings finished 10-6 and reached the playoffs. Both are off to 0-3 starts, and it’s not difficult to figure out the reasons.
The Texans can’t run or stop the run. That’s why they’re 31st in rushing and 32nd against the run.
The Vikings are 30th in defense, surrendering 440 yards a game. They’re 26th against the run (147.7) and 30th against the pass (292.3).
It’s no secret what the Texans have to do against Minnesota’s defense.
“Create a rhythm, get in a balance, and get on the same page as far as the offensive coordinator and quarterback communicating with the guys,” Watson said Wednesday. “Just doing the things we’re comfortable doing.”
That wouldn’t mean running the ball successfully. It’s obvious the Texans haven’t been comfortable with their run game since the opening loss to Kansas City.
The running game has been awful in the last two losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh. They’re 31st in rushing with 66 yards a game.
Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly can’t throw on every down, of course, but if the Texans are going to move the ball consistently, it’ll have to be up to Watson to make sure it happens.
Coach Bill O’Brien was asked this week about how the Texans’ game plan for opponents and how they attack defenses. There are things he wants to do more of, and he knows it better start Sunday.
“I think we haven’t thrown the ball downfield as much and we’ve always been known to do,” he said. “It really hasn’t been anything that’s been part of the plan. It’s just been the way we felt the game was going — what was the best play call for that situation? We have to do better.”
The Texans have no consistency on first down. When they fail to generate enough yardage on first down to put them in a better situation on second down, that makes it more difficult on Kelly to make a second-and-long call and for Watson to execute the play.
“It’s huge,” Watson said. “We have to get positive yards on first and second down and make it third-and-manageable for us to try to be more successful. Thirdand-long isn’t what we want to be in.”
Especially when your quarterback has been sacked 13 times, second to Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow’s 14.
The offensive line and tight ends have struggled in pass protection. Watson was asked what he can do to help pass the protection?
“Get the ball out quicker (and) throw the ball away,” he said.
That’s not the style Watson wants to play. He likes to hold the ball, escape the rush and try to make plays throwing down the field or with his feet, but he’s got to do a better job of throwing it quicker or throwing it away.
“I don’t want to force the ball into a tight window and cause a turnover,” he said.
Watson has thrown an interception in each of the last two games, which the Ravens and Steelers turned into touchdowns.
Everything hasn’t been bad for the offense. The Texans excel at scoring touchdowns in the red zone. They rank third in the league, scoring touchdowns on 87.7 percent of their appearances in the red zone. Last season, they were seventh (64.2 percent).
The key, of course, is getting to the red zone. They’ve been there only seven times in three games, but the quality of the competition might have had something to do with that.
With the Vikings coming to NRG Stadium as desperate as the Texans are, the quality of the competition is back down to the Texans’ level. It’ll be interesting to see if they can take advantage and avoid their first 0-4 start since 2008.