About time he realized he can't do it all and be effective. I'm not sure what we're getting with Kelly as a play caller, but he has some guys with years of NFL experience around him to help his learning curve.
I can't wait for a rerun of this article next offseason. http://vendettasportsmedia.com/bill-obrien-wont-hire-oc-will-resume-play-calling-duties/ BILL O’BRIEN WON’T HIRE OC, WILL RESUME PLAY CALLING DUTIES
A game too late. Kelly probably has a play to call on 4th and 1 from inside the opponent's 15 yard line.
Our OC, QB, WR, RB and TE coaches have a combined ONE year of NFL experience outside of BoB. Tim Kelly has never called plays, coached QBs, or even played QB at any level. I’m glad that BoB is giving it up but we have an extremely unexperienced and unproven coaching staff on both sides of the ball. This is a risky move.
Make sure there are no viable threats to your power, and make sure there's always somebody to blame. That may as well be on his business card.
Spoiler https://theathletic.com/1635481/202...ing-control-is-giving-up-play-calling-duties/ INDIANAPOLIS — When Bill O’Brien left Penn State to coach the Texans, he put one of his favorite college assistants in limbo. O’Brien and graduate assistant Tim Kelly had developed a strong connection — one coach called it an instant “bromance” — but O’Brien wasn’t sure he’d have an immediate opening for Kelly in Houston. Enough uncertainty existed that Kelly accepted another job, at Elon University, and after he packed his car for a move, he told one of his mentors that he didn’t know whether he’d drive to North Carolina or Texas. Kelly ultimately came to Houston, and as he’s risen through the Texans organization, the decision has looked better and better — never more so than on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, where O’Brien said he is relinquishing play-calling duties to Kelly, the second-year offensive coordinator. This is the second time in seven seasons that O’Brien will give up play-calling responsibilities. He previously did so in 2015, his second year in Houston, but George Godsey lasted just a season in the role, as the Texans ranked 24th in offensive efficiency. What makes O’Brien believe this move will work out better than that one? “Timmy has done a lot of (play-calling),” O’Brien said, referring to Kelly’s experience doing so during the most recent preseason. “He’s just a really bright guy and just a really good coach. Players really respect them. He just does a great job, has great knowledge of the whole offense, from the passing game to the running game. Deshaun Watson and him have a great relationship. … Deshaun has great trust in Timmy, the work that Timmy puts in in the meeting room and on the field.” O’Brien had previously said that, although Kelly wasn’t calling plays in his first season as offensive coordinator, he led many of the meetings for the entire offense. Now, Kelly takes on a bigger role in improving a unit that — despite including Watson, DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller — ranked 17th in overall efficiency and had puzzling problems in first quarters, when Houston finished 29th in points per drive. O’Brien might believe Kelly can do a better job than him as a play-caller, or that he needs to make the offensive coordinator job as attractive as possible to hold onto Kelly, who he views as a future head coach. Maybe a bit of both. Either way, this is a significant bit of delegation from O’Brien, who in recent years has come to be known for amassing an amount of influence within the Texans organization that resembles few coaches around the league. In addition to taking on play-calling duties, Kelly will also become quarterbacks coach, while Carl Smith, who held that post last year, will move into an offensive consultant role. Former Texans QB T.J. Yates will become assistant quarterbacks coach. During games, the setup will allow O’Brien to focus more on what’s happening on the field. Previously, in between Texans possessions, O’Brien spent a lot of time with his back turned away from his defense, as he huddled with Watson and Kelly on the sidelines. Other than this, though, O’Brien claims not much else has changed since he officially received the title of general manager. Just as he said throughout last season, he repeated on Tuesday that, despite how it might look, the Texans’ front office decisions are a group effort. He made a point of mentioning a few scouts who have been key in helping the coaching staff catch up on draft prep. He also announced that Kevin Krajcovic, who’s been with the team since 2006, will become Houston’s salary cap/contract expert in the wake of Chris Olsen’s firing — a move O’Brien claimed to have no role in. “That was an organizational decision,” O’Brien said. “I’m in charge of the coaching staff and the scouting staff. That’s what I’m in charge of.” Asked what advantages such a setup provides, especially now that he’s the GM for the foreseeable future, O’Brien said he’s not sure there are any. “We’re just doing it the way that we really believe in,” he added. “(Team chairman) Cal McNair has backed us and been very supportive. We have great communication with him and his mom, Janice. I would never compare it to whatever other models are out there, there’s a lot of different models, a lot of different ways to do it. And we believe in the way we’re doing it.” That way now includes the head coach and general manager giving up play-calling duties, lightening O’Brien’s heavy load and, the Texans hope, leading to better results. Where Texans stand on contract extensions O’Brien made clear that he sees no point in waiting to get deals done for Houston’s top extension candidates: Watson, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and linebacker Zach Cunningham. Of those three, the latter two are entering the final seasons of their rookie contracts. Watson’s fifth-year option, should the Texans exercise it, would keep him in Houston through 2021. “The sooner we can get some deals done, the better,” O’Brien said. “We want those guys on the football team for a long time. That’s the way I feel about it. Deshaun Watson — we want him here in Houston for his whole career. Love Deshaun Watson and everything he’s about. Laremy and Zach, all those guys — anytime you can solidify your team earlier in someone’s contract, that can be a good thing for your football team, so we’re working through all those different things, daily.” The coach didn’t take as strong of a stance when asked about defensive tackle D.J. Reader’s future. “D.J. Reader’s been a really good player for us,” he said. “Again, we’re in the process of talking to a lot of different players that we have on our team currently that are headed into free agency, and hopefully we’re able to keep as many people as we can.” Holding onto Gareon Conley If the Texans don’t reach a contract extension with Watson by May 5, the deadline to exercise a 2017 first-round picks’ fifth-year options, they’ll surely pick up that extra year. But how about the other 2017 first-rounder on Houston’s roster, cornerback Gareon Conley? O’Brien didn’t commit to picking up Conley’s option, but he intimated the team will — which isn’t much of a surprise, considering Houston traded a third-round pick for him. “Conley’s been good for us,” O’Brien said. “I probably won’t be able to answer that specific question (about Conley’s fifth-year option), but we like Gareon Conley, if that answers your question. We like what he brings.” Exercising the option doesn’t require Houston to actually hold onto Conley in 2021, when it’d be in effect. Slot corner Vernon Hargreaves was due $9.6 million on his fifth-year option for 2020, but it carried no dead money, so the Texans created a sizeable chunk of cap space when they recently cut him.
This isn't a good thing. Playcalling is the only thing he can do. He still made the x's and o's mental errors when he had an OC.
Ah yes, but your forgetting Carl Smith who has been a QB whisperer for decades and will be an offensive adviser and TJ Yates who is now asst QB coach. I have to believe Kelly will lean on/use both of those guy's NFL experience,
