Every-Thing Sports

Making the case for Adam Gase: Texans could use another offensive mind

Making the case for Adam Gase: Texans could use another offensive mind
Adam Gase would help the Texans. Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Houston Texans have made it to the playoffs. The feat was all the more impressive considering they started the season by losing their first three games.The fan base is happy. Some believe the team has a shot to make a deep playoff run.

Others, such as myself, see room for improvement. We can all agree on some necessary changes. Offensive line, secondary, running back, and a few other positions either need new starters or quality depth. But these aren't the changes I'm looking forward to the most.

The change I'm most looking forward to is getting Bill O'Brien some help on the sidelines, or in the booth. He needs someone who can assist in play-calling duties, situational football, and another set of eyes/opinions in the development of Deshaun Watson.

Enter Adam Gase.

Gase is one of the young up and coming coaches in the league. The Dolphins fired him after three seasons. A 23-25 record can do that to a coach these days. Given the fact that he was asked to make chicken marsala out of chicken sh--, I think he fared well.

Known as an offensive guy, Gase has been in coaching since he graduated from Michigan State and became a grad assistant under Nick Saban at LSU in 2000. He's been coaching in the NFL since 2005. He actually started with the Lions in 2003 as a scouting assistant.

When you look back at some of the quarterbacks he's coached and offenses he's been in charge of, you'd be amazed. He was part of the staff that helped John Kitna have back to back 4,000 yard passing seasons in 2006 and 2007. In 2013, he was the offensive coordinator for the record-breaking Broncos offense. They set numerous records, Peyton Manning set new NFL records for passing touchdowns and yardage, as well as team records for touchdowns and points scored in a single season.

O'Brien may not like to have another offensive hotshot in the building, much less someone almost nine years his junior who was just fired from another head coaching job. If I'm Cal McNair, I'm telling O'Brien this is a hire I feel will only help this offense move forward and help Watson develop much quicker. I'd also mention how I'm writing the checks around here now in case he wants to get into a pissing match over power.

The best thing for this offense and Watson is another set of eyes. O'Brien has taken this thing as far as he can take it. Sure the line needs improvement, and quality depth is necessary at running back and wide receiver, but when you have the main piece in place, you have to do everything you can to make him successful.

I don't view this as a slap in the face to O'Brien. The best leaders know what they don't know and know how to compensate for those shortcomings. I bust my ass to provide good content, but I also know what I don't know and ask for help when I need it. I'm not too proud to ask for help, or admit when I need it. I'm also not a head coach in the NFL and my ego isn't as big as O'Brien's either (it's probably bigger, but that's another story for another day). Bottom line: Gase could be the missing piece in the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball that could stand in the way of this team possibly winning it all.

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The Astros beat the Orioles, 10-7. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker each hit a three-run homer, and the Houston Astros outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 10-7 on Friday night.

Colton Cowser went deep for Baltimore, but the Orioles couldn’t pull this game out despite twice cutting a four-run deficit to one.

Steven Okert (2-2) got the win in relief for Houston, and the Astros — who are without injured closer Josh Hader and lefty reliever Bennett Sousa — held on. Houston signed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel and he was with the team, but the AL West-leading Astros didn’t use him. Bryan Abreu struck out four to end the game and get his second save.

Rookie catcher Samuel Basallo, who agreed to an eight-year, $67 million contract before the game, did not start for the Orioles, but entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and tagged out a runner at the plate the following inning.

Peña’s drive to left capped a four-run third that included two Baltimore errors. Jeremiah Jackson’s two-run double made it 4-3 in the fourth, but after Orioles starter Cade Povich (2-7) was pulled with two outs in the fifth, Yennier Cano came on and immediately gave up Walker’s homer.

The Orioles trailed 7-6 after Cowser’s solo shot in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Victor Caratini’s two-run double in the eighth made it a three-run game, and Peña’s comebacker bounced off reliever Corbin Martin and into shallow right-center field for an RBI double.

Orioles infielder Vimael Machín hit a solo homer in the eighth in his first big league plate appearance since 2022.

Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. allowed three runs in four innings after coming off the injured list (right finger blister).

Key moment

Jackson nearly made a diving catch on Caratini’s hit with two outs in the eighth, but once the ball got past him in right, two runs scored to make it 9-6.

Key stat

The Astros improved to 15-8 in games in which their opponent starts a left-handed pitcher.

Up next

Cristian Javier (1-1) starts for Houston on Saturday night against Dean Kremer (9-9) of the Orioles.

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