Yeah, the off season hype was a bit much and this season has shown that we still have quite a few holes on the team that need filled, this has also been exacerbated by our injury luck...
The 2nd half, a few bad throws by C.J. and a bunch of penalties stopped the Texans offense. Gotta cleanup the penalties and Johnson needs to work wit Stroud on his footwork and all will be fine. The defense was dominant in the 2nd half, even though they were short handed.
C.J. has 8 weeks to work on his footwork. If he can improve this everything else will work itself out.
I think these final six weeks, we'll learn quite a bit (assuming health) about Slowick. They have two relatively easier games and then the bye. Hopefully, we'll see the offense start to figure it out and click against Tennessee and Jacksonville and go into the off week playing well. Then the final four weeks will hopefully be fun and competitive and we'll see a better (healthier) product on the field. Honestly, I think we'd all have a *much* different perspective if CJ darts the touchdown to Dell v Detroit. That's a 30-13 game with 1.5 quarters left and I think they win it. Even if they blow it, that TD makes it feel much different. I'm not a rainbow-shooting fan - this team has flaws. But they've lost two games on walk-off FGs to teams that are a combined 16-4. They left points and opportunities all over the field in both games, so those games are far more frustrating losses than they are promising - I get that. But we're still barely two years removed from openly rooting for this team to lose so we could secure the #1 pick. We can't lose our minds & pretend this is year 5, or some such. I keep going back to the '16 Astros. A frustrating, disappointing season that was necessary because it exposed their flaws that they were then able to address. Also, the younger players took another step. And they were an unbelievable team in '17 in large part because of '16. I think that's where the Texans probably are - they got a little bit ahead of themselves, the expectations went crazy... I'm still excited for this team to compete in the playoffs. *Anything* can happen in the playoffs. And I'm not sure - other than maybe Buffalo - that there's a team I genuinely fear in the AFC. Maybe Baltimore. But it wouldn't shock me if we beat KC or Pittsburgh or Los Angeles. (I don't think the Bengals make it - but they're pretty good, too.)
You keep putting everything on CJ and nothing on Bobby.... Bobby needs a lot of help on play calling... Does CJ need work, of course he does... The thing is everyone but YOU can see that a majority of the issues falls on Bobby... T_Man
I would say the majority of issues falls on the OL. To whatever extent we want to blame Bobby for that... he didn't acquire Tunsil, Howard, Green or Mason - but he does coach them, and they are not a well-coached unit. I think Bobby and CJ are both handicapped by the line. I would replace all 5 starters before I'd think about replacing Slowick. And I'd replace the OL coach before I'd replace Bobby. Obviously, Bobby goes before CJ - but, yeah: CJ is having a fairly typical step-back second season.
No I'm not. I expected this post. Slowik was calling the same plays as he called last year until Nico/Diggs went down. Through a combination of injuries and Green being awful it limited the plays that Slowik could call. This should get better now that Nico is back. In short with Nico out and Stroud not being as good as he was last year, which go hand in hand have made Slowik's job much harder this year then it was last year. Part of Stroud's issue in addition to sloppy footwork is he was throwing to WR3-5 for a month. that will make any QB not look as good as he would throwing to WR1-3. Hopefully Stroud being off is just a case of him getting his timing back with Nico. But make no mistake about it, Stroud's struggling a lot more than he was last year and Slowik is calling plays accordingly.
According to what??? Before the Dallas game everyone who is HEAVILY defending Bobby kept saying wait until Nico gets back... Well Nico came back and they still had the same issues in the 2nd half. I give Bobby credit in the first series he did great.. lots of short quick passes.. not just 1 dimensional and pretty much stayed away from plays that take a long time to develop... But as the game went on you could see Bobby moving away from that game plan and going back to as you say "accordingly". In the 2nd half Dallas D adjusted and Bobby ditched the quick short routes and went back to the homerun routes... Dallas adjusted and Bobby didn't... The offense scored at the end of the game against a tired, depleted, 2nd tier defense... So even with NICO back, it was still the same old thing... So process of elimination here, it's not all on the players... Do they have some responsibilities of the issues yes they do... But bobby has to own this and hopefully if the Texans do decide to keep him, they get him the mentor that he needs. T_Man
Penalties and a few bad Stroud throws slowed the offense down. The throw to Dell on 3rd and inches killed a drive. The bad throw to Mixon killed what should've been a TD on another drive. Penalties killed another couple of drives. Just saying, they've got a lot to cleanup. BTW, Nico played less than 50% of the snaps. Could've had 2 TD's in the 1st half without the penalty and a better throw on the Stroud INT.
The offense vs Dallas had the highest yardage output since the Buffalo game. Guess what game Nico got hurt? CJ missed what could have been a gimme game clenching throw in the Detroit game. He missed TD throws to Nico and Joe in the Dallas game. Did you know that the DCs that have given Houston fits have just so happened to be DCs that know the ins and outs of the Shanahan system? Not to excuse the struggles away, but to offer you some context while you hyper fixate on one single thing as being a reason why the team/offense hasnt been a wire to wire contender this year. These guys have only been run off the field one time this season despite all the turmoil. I give them as good a shot as any other team in the NFL right now especially if they got hot right before the playoffs.
And how many points did they score in the 2nd half??? They still have the same issues no matter who's are on the field... So basically the DC's are out coaching him.... So basically when we look at the schedule and we see that the team we are playing DC knows our offense then that's an automatic lose.... A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guy once stated, that when you fight in a bjj tournament everyone knows the same techniques and at that point the fight is more about strategy and not style.... The same goes with any sport, so if a DC knows then you have to change things up and Bobby has not done that.... So what's the excuse with Dallas??? Mike Z. is old school and he was playing with a depleted and yet the offense was only able to get 1 touchdown. Im not making excuses for CJ, the OL or anyone else... But some of you refuse to have Bobby take any blame what so ever for this offense... But is the head of the offense, so all that goes good or bad is on him and he needs to own it... The issues with the Texans scoring and production in the 2nd half are on him... Right now everyone is taking blame, except for him and his fan front are doing the same... Blaming everyone but him T_Man
Missing easy TD throws will skew point totals. Not sure why you're having a hard time understanding that if you play with practice teamers its not going to look good. If you're playing with practice teamers vs a DC who understands the tendency and approach of the offense it a dookie sandwich. Is Kyle Shanahan a bad OC? He has been getting shut down too guess by who? DCs who have coached on teams that run that offense. Time for the whole system to get in the lab and counter the 8 man box that drops one side and rushes from the other attacking the weak link on the line. Its already started by running pre snap motion away from the heavy side and then back again. Like the very first play we ran vs Dallas. Its crazy to place so much emphasis on a play caller who doesnt have any sort of weapon to throw to and then you guys pile on when he does the only logical thing to do when receivers cant separate and run the ball. So Im curious with your vast football knowledge what do you do when you have nobody to throw to, an offensive line in disarray, a jumpy QB losing some confidence and then a DC who knows exactly what you want to do? "Quick Passing" is that the answer? "Dont run so much on first and second downs"?
Man what you stated is not true.... The first series of the Dallas game was very nice... i've stated this before, Bobby actually changed up his plays and did a great mix of pass and run. Bobby needs to understand the Texans offensive strength against the Defense he's playing. CJ does well in a quick to no-huddle offense YES to the Quick Passing... basically, cut the routes down to make it more of a timing route as he did in that first series... Bobby wants to call plays that take a long time to develop and that is not truly the West Coast Offense... Review some films of the 49ers in the 80's and watch the offense... A lot of quick routes.. 1 to 2 drop step passes.. Use more screen plays and draws... and not just to receivers.. you have a dangerous rb in Mixon. Hopefully, Bobby has multiple game plans for different situation.. Understand that what you accomplished in the first half, the defense will adjust in the 2nd half. Mix up your plays, don't become so routine I mean these are just a few things.... Simple things that can have a huge affect.... Right now Bobby has to get the Trust of his QB and the team back... CJ has lost his confidence and btw, just as a coach can help a player they can also hurt a player.. T_Man
BS, is Stroud playing as well this year as last year? Have the Texans lost WR 1-2? What would you propose that Slowik do? Until Stroud gets back to playing the way he was last year it wont matter what plays Slowik calls, That's the reality of the situation whether you want to admit it or not. Could Slowik do a better job than he's done this year? Probably, but he's faced many more obstacles that he didn't face last year. I know this for sure, Slowik didn't forget how to call plays in a years time.
