Texans’ brass has questions to answer
What is Bob McNair going to do? How is the owner of a 4-11 embarrassment going to handle another lost season?
Those are the only questions that remain for the Texans in 2017.
Christmas Day at NRG Stadium was over before it began - the blackand-gold invasion on Kirby Drive said it all - and 34-6 Pittsburgh on national TV was worse than the blowout shows.
Someone named Taylor Heinicke became the Texans’ fourth quarterback this season (and also suffered a concussion).
The Steelers led 27-0, while the Texans turned second-and-1 at Pittsburgh’s goal line into fourth-and-1 and a T.J. Yates interception.
Bill O’Brien’s team has lost five consecutive games, nine of their last 11 and been outscored 79-13 in its last two thrashings.
Following a championship parade through Houston streets, Astros manager A.J. Hinch, center, thanks everyone during a celebration at City Hall. He has continued to be a conduit of good feelings between players and fans in the weeks since. A.J. Hinch feeling the love in the wake of Astros’ World Series Houston Texans owner Bob McNair during warm ups before an NFL football game at M & T Bank Stadium on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Baltimore. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Fixing the Texans for 2018 requires improving four areas David Quessenberry will make his regular-season debut for the Texans on Sunday. David Quessenberry’s return to Texans an inspiration
“It’s brutal. Not good. Been a tough year,” said a coach who now is below .500 (31-32) since he took over for a fired Gary Kubiak in 2014.
That was about all that O’Brien said. He was his normal, short-and-abrupt self after a defeat. Questions were asked, but he barely answered them, becoming guarded and defensive when reminded of his in-game decisions that led to another Texans disaster.
“We probably should have run it almost every down.”
“I guess we could’ve run it. If that would’ve worked, you would have asked me, ‘Why did that work?’ “
“Just not a good day. Not much to say.”
At least the coach of a 4-11 team (sort of ) speaks. General manager Rick Smith? McNair? Who knows what they are thinking as the finality of Week 17 approaches and the Texans close out their second meaningless year since 2013. McNair has some serious questions to answer.
A clearly frustrated O’Brien is living on an island. The Texans’ owner and GM are nowhere to be seen.
Again.