Evidence points to limited talent on O’Brien’s roster
If Bill O’Brien is fortunate, debate of his career with the Texans will be about whether he was a better coach or general manager.
As of now, better isn’t a word to casually toss around in sentences with O’Brien and Texans in them.
Almost everything is worse (and worrisome).
Are the Texans somuch worse than they were a year ago? The defending AFC South champion is winless in three games after Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh.
Is O’Brien a worse coach now than he used to be? Considering what he has
been … yikes.
Is O’Brien the worst general manager in franchise history? Well, as of now, he does have the worst record.
Relax. O’Brien the GM should eventually win a football game. But he and the Texans will have to be a lot better to do so.
As for the other two questions, critics are not being prisoners of themoment here. As early as we are into this Texans season, there is mounting evidence that these Texans are severely limited.
There is mounting evidence that this roster isn’t as good as O’Brien thinks it is.
He built this teamwith an eye toward maximizing veteran presence, hoping their ability to handle the trying circumstances of a COVID-19 season would make a difference. It hasn’t.
The Texans looked woefully ill-prepared to play in their season opener and looked sluggish and confused in Game 2 at home.
Sunday, in a tale as old as the time O’Brien has been with the Texans, the Texans were manhandled up front, seemingly abandoned an offensive approach that had been successful and wilted down the stretch.
After a brilliant start, the Texans come up short in a 28-21 loss to the Steelers, snatching defeat from victory with an impressive second-half disappearing act.
Impressive as in pitiful if you are a Texans fan, but the Texans we saw in the first 30 minutes of play were nowhere to be seen after halftime.
The Texans have worn down and been pushed around late in the last two games.
Running back David Johnson, who was involved in the Texans’ trade of star receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason, led the team with 23 yards rushing on 13 attempts.
That is 1.77 yards per carry. Johnson stands 6-foot-1. Had he just managed tomake it to the line of scrimmage and fall forward he would have gained more yards. With the Texans’ offensive line’s porous run blocking, Johnson was lucky to get back to the line of scrimmage at all.
For a time during the game, the line looked better. The muchmaligned unit, we’re talking well-earned scorn, kept the pock--et clean for Deshaun Watson, who when given time to operate can torture defenses.
But froms tart to finish, the Texans were beaten soundly at the point of attack in the running game.
The Texans came out against the Steelers and looked like a completely different team than the one that was embarrassed against Kansas City and Baltimore.
Then the second half began and it was SOT — Same Ol’ Texans.
The sparkling offensive execution and play-calling that produced 21 first-half points — more than the Texans scored in either of its first two games — turned into a dull, do-little approach after the intermission.
Watson carved up the Steelers’ defense in the first and second quarters. He completed 14-of-18 passes for 202 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions at the first half. Passer ratings wise (150.5), it was the best two opening quarters to start a game for a Texans QB since 2011.
The second half was quite the opposite, as Watson completed just five passes for 62 yards, with an interception, as the Texans were shut out.
For what seems like the umpteenth time under O’Brien, the Texans failed to sustain. This was a game there for the taking, and the Texans gave it away.
It was so strange.
It was so Texans.
And so O’Brien. Inconsistency is at the heart of just about everything he has delivered for the franchise in seven years with the organization.
One consistent issue though has been an inability to beat good teams on the road.
This loss dropped Houston to 0-3 on the season and in a deep hole in terms of a third straight AFC South crown.
“There’s a lot of football left,” O’Brien said. “It’s not where you want to be, but we have a really veteran team in many aspects. So, I don’t think anybody is panicking.
“But everybody knows that 0-3 is not where we want to be. It’s urgency more so than panicky. There’s no panic.”
Of course, it’s the AFC South, which in recent years has been winnable for any average team.
The Texans will have to be a lot better to get to average this season.
It is difficult to get better when you’re worse.