Decisions … decisions … decisions
Texans coach isn’t too interested in getting into specifics about three choices made during game
After a day to analyze it, let’s look back at the crucial decisions coach Bill O’Brien made at the end of the Texans’ 36-33 loss at New England — a game they came close to winning before they blew it.
For the second consecutive day, O’Brien accepted the blame but declined to get into specifics about decisions he made that were crucial to the outcome at Gillette Stadium.
“Like I said after the game, I addressed it,” O’Brien said Monday. “And again, the game’s over. We’re moving on to Tennessee.
“There were a lot of good things in the game (and) some things that we have to improve. That would fall under, obviously, the area of where we need to improve, led by me.”
The three decisions, in order,
were:
1. Challenging a play in the third quarter and costing the team a timeout that would have been invaluable at the end of the game.
2. Not going for it on fourth-and-1 at New England’s 18 with 2:48 left in the game.
3. Not calling a timeout — or
getting a timeout called — with 12 seconds left after Deshaun Watson’s 21-yard completion to DeAndre Hopkins to the Texans’ 46. The clock was stopped with 3 seconds remaining.
“I’m just telling you, I talked about it yesterday,” O’Brien said. “I just think everybody needs to do a better job, and it starts with me.”
The Texans played as well as they could have played against the Patriots. If they had lost by double digits, there wouldn’t be so much controversy about O’Brien’s decisions, but because they came so close to winning at New England for the first time, O’Brien is under fire.
Let’s start with the challenge. The Texans trailed 28-27 with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
On third-and-21 at the Texans’ 46, right before he was pulled down, Patriots QB Tom Brady managed to get the ball to tight end Rob Gronkowski for an 8-yard gain.
O’Brien challenged that Brady was down. Even if he had won the challenge, the ball would have been at the 46 rather than the 38. And the Patriots punted on the next play, anyway.
That timeout saved would have been vital in the last 23 seconds.
Pick to kick
Now, fast forward to the fourth quarter. The Texans faced fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 18 with 2:28 remaining.
Rather than go for the first down and try to run out the clock, O’Brien chose to have Ka’imi Fairbairn kick a 36-yard field goal that gave them a 33-28 lead with 2:24 left.
That meant the Patriots had to score a touchdown to win.
The Texans’ defense had been terrific in the second half. After the Patriots scored on the first series of the third quarter on Brady’s 42-yard pass to Brandin Cooks, the Patriots’ offense had been smothered.
On the Patriots’ next three series, they failed to score. On the last two series before O’Brien made his decision to kick the
field goal, the Patriots had gone three-and-out both times.
O’Brien put the game on his defense, which sacked Brady five times and forced him to fumble three times, including one returned for a 22-yard touchdown by Jadeveon Clowney.
In retrospect, should O’Brien have put it on his defense or his offensive live?
Lamar Miller had been stuffed on third-and-1. An argument can be made that D’Onta Foreman should have carried on that thirdand-1.
By the way, when O’Brien made the decision not to go for it on fourth-and-1, the Texans were 2-of-7 on third-and-1 against Cincinnati and New England.
So O’Brien put it on his defense, and Brady carved up the secondary, completing 5-of-7 for 93 yards.
Most impressive, on third-and-18 with 54 seconds left, Brady connected with Danny Amendola for 27 yards before finding Cooks for what proved to be the game-winning, 25yard touchdown.
The Texans had one last gasp left, and considering Watson’s wizardry, nobody would have been surprised if he had taken them to a tying field goal to force overtime.
The Texans got the ball at their 25 with 23 seconds remaining. They had one timeout.
Watson completed his pass Hopkins to the 46. There was chaos. It’s inexcusable they didn’t get a timeout called with 12 seconds left.
Rather than have 12 seconds left and running one more play — to the sideline to stop the clock, obviously — before attempting a tying field goal, they had 3 seconds remaining. Time for Watson’s Hail Mary that was intercepted in the end zone.
“We all just need to do a better job in that situation, starting with me,” O’Brien said.
Some good signs
O’Brien was asked if he beats himself up after a game like that.
“It’s one you think about for a while, no doubt about it,” he said.
So the Texans got Bradied. No shame in that. It was the 41st time Brady had engineered comeback victories in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Once the controversy subsides, fans should be encouraged about the Texans scaring the bejabbers out of the Patriots and excited about the continued improvement of Watson as they head into three consecutive home games against Tennessee, Kansas City and Cleveland.
“Like I said after the game, there’s no moral victories, but there were a lot of good things that did happen in the game,” O’Brien said. “There’s a lot to build on.”