Houston Texans

Houston Texans: Are There Any Questions?

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

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Oct 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) reacts following a holding penalty in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

If there were any remaining questions the Texans answered them Monday night. The 2016 Houston Texans simply are not ready for prime time.

In fact they are not ready for any time when playing a quality opponent. That will be proven out over the remainder of the season. Currently they are 4-0 at home, 0-3 on the road, but the quality of the opponent, not the location of the field, is the main determining factor in victories or defeats.

When evaluating a Super Bowl contender a key question is, “Who did they beat?” The Texans’ answer now and at the end of the season is the same, “No one”. The Texans can compete in the AFC South, but they are not dominant even there. Winning the division is not a lock. One and done in the playoffs appears as the Texans best hope. Harkening back to the “Good, Bad and Ugly” series, “The Bad” appears inevitable, and the Texans are on the brink of “The Ugly”.

Injuries are a reason…but not THE reason. Duane Brown’s slow recovery, Nick Martin’s season ending ankle surgery, J.J. Watt’s second back surgery, Brian Cushing’s knee, various hamstrings and concussions, and now Derek Newton’s season ending knee injuries have taken a toll. While all teams have injuries, few teams have the depth to overcome what the Texans have experienced.

Oct 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib (21) breaks up a pass intended for Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller (15) in the first quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, healthy players are as much a source of the Texans’ problems as are the injured.

It all starts with Brock Osweiler. He has now started 14 NFL games. He has a complete offseason, a full preseason, and 7 games of a regular season under Bill O’Brien’s system. Yet, Osweiler still appears as the flawed quarterback Jason La Canfora and Jayson Braddock predicted.

I doubted La Canfora and Braddock. Surely, I reasoned, Rick Smith and Bill O’Brien were in a better position to evaluate Osweiler’s potential. They must have watched more film, talked to more people and done more brainstorming than two pundits working individually. No doubt they did, but it appears that with far fewer resources La Canfora and Braddock are closer to getting it right.

It’s still too early to completely give-up on Osweiler. No less an expert than the legendary Bill Walsh said it takes 20 starts to determine if a young quarterback has what it takes to be successful. Osweiler still has time, but it is fair to say the needle is not pointing up.

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As shaky as he has been, Osweiler’s supporting cast has to take some of the heat. The offensive line has not opened the running lanes and created the clean pocket that Osweiler appears to require for success. In fact, before Monday night I believed the line was the primary culprit in the Texans offensive woes. However, against Denver the line was decent, but Osweiler and the offense were no better.

The Texans receivers create little separation. It seems that DeAndre Hopkins has a defender draped all over him whenever he ventures down field. Will Fuller creates only slightly better separation and again reached his drop quota, one per game. Throw in the occasional inaccurate pass to open tight ends and you have what you got against Denver…an almost historically anemic passing game.

The passing game plan consisted of the usual pattern of dinks and dunks to supposedly explosive receivers and running backs. In the past 4 games Osweiler is 4 for 28 on passes over 15 yards. His accuracy is suspect, but 4 for 28? It’s not his fault that his receivers aren’t getting open.

Of course, the offense wasn’t the only problem against Denver. The Texans defensive line can’t stop the run and, unless Jadeveon Clowney has his hand in the dirt, they create little pass rush. Opposing linemen have a free pass to the linebackers, and, as with the Colts, that created another 100 yard rusher and 190 yards rushing overall.

With the defensive line underperforming and only flashes from the linebackers, the secondary has had to carry the defensive burden. Overall, the secondary has performed well, but they are getting beaten up…too many tackles, too much pressure. The Texans continue to field a competent defense, but not the dominant defense required to overcome the offensive shortcomings.

What is the answer for this season? There isn’t one.

The Texans will keep doing the same things and hope for a different result. Rick Smith and Bill O’Brien linked their Texans careers to Brock Osweiler’s success. There is no way Tom Savage will see the field unless Osweiler is injured, so there is no cavalry ready to ride to the rescue. Either Osweiler improves or he doesn’t.  If he doesn’t, he, Smith and O’Brien will be gone at the end of the 2017 season.

Would a stronger offensive line help Osweiler? Yes, but with Newton down an acquisition is now pretty much a zero sum game. It would make the Texans line better than they are now, but not appreciably better than they were before Newton’s injury…which was not very good. That makes the high cost of a trade less palatable.

The receivers are not likely to suddenly find a way to get open. There is no one on the roster, or on the street, that improves the Texans defensive line. Only one player can come back from IR, and why risk a hasty recovery in a season going nowhere? The game plans and play calling could improve, but how does that get better when the same folks are calling the shots?

I’m a Texans fan, but try as I might, at this point 2016 looks no better than 2015…and maybe worse. It appears the best the Texans can do is struggle a little less than their rivals and then catch lightning in a bottle in the play-offs. It has happened before. Surely it can happen again. Hope springs eternal. Just don’t bet on it.

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