Houston Texans

Texans Bill O'Brien to resume offensive play-calling duties

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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After a putrid start on the offensive side of the ball, Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien has decided to re-take play-calling duties from offensive coordinator George Godsey.

Largely on the back of a defense that’s top-10 in the league by DVOA, the Houston Texans are off to a 2-1 start. The offense, however, has been an unwatchable mess. The rushing attack is second-to-last in the league by DVOA, better only than the Marshawn Lynch-and-competent-offensive-linemen-less Seattle Seahawks. They’re not fairing much better in the passing game with big-money offseason acquisition Brock Osweiler under center, ranking 29th by DVOA, and that combination of toothlessness on the ground and through the air has the offense as a whole ranked dead-least in the league.

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O’Brien has a history of success calling offensive plays. He was the offensive coordinator for some of those explosive New England Patriots’ offenses before departing to take the head coaching job at Penn State in 2012. While coaching the Nittany Lions, he pulled off the minor miracle of making quarterbacks Matt McGloin and Christian Hackenberg look good, before leaving for the same job in Houston.

In 2014, his first season with the Texans, he continued calling plays, and the team improved from 2-14 the year prior to a respectable 9-7, before handing the duties to Godsey last year. Last season saw wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins turn into one of the best in the league at his position, even with a rotating cast at quarterback that included such luminaries as Brian Hoyer, Brandon Weeden, and Ryan Mallett. The team expected growth and stability from the offense after handing former Broncos signal caller Brock Osweiler a four-year deal worth $72 million, but so far that hasn’t been the case.

With J.J. Watt out for the season following back surgery, the need for improvement by the offensive unit is more pressing than it’s ever been. A move back to O’Brien, who has proven success calling the shots, may be just what the doctor ordered. Their first test will be at home this Sunday afternoon against a middling Tennessee Titans’ defense. A win would leave them 3-1, and with Bill O’Brien working the quarterback magic for which he’s shown an aptitude in the past, the team would be in good position to take the AFC South even without Watt destroying worlds on defense.