Every-Thing Sports
Five things the Texans organization must do this offseason
Jan 14, 2020, 6:55 am
We all saw the debacle of the 51-31 loss to the Chiefs. We also know there have to be some changes made. One of the definitions of being insane to be unable to think in a clear or sensible way. Fans are fed up. The media is chomping at the bit. One thing we all need to understand is that Bill O'Brien isn't going anywhere any time soon. He's so engrained into the fabric on Kirby that it'll take a miracle for him to be ousted. So what now? Where does this organization go from here? How do they improve? Glad you asked. Here are five key things I believe the organization needs to do to improve this offseason:
New Defensive Coordinator
Romeo Crennel needs to be fired, retired, not retained, or whatever/however they choose to get rid of him. He wasn't the right hire when O'Brien took over in 2014 and has proven himself fit for replacement after that loss to the Chiefs. Crennel is a good defensive mind, but the game has seemed to pass him by. Failing to adjust to the personnel available to him and produce results made him appear as if he's too stuck in his ways or not capable of changing to adapt to today's game. There are too many qualified candidates out there that can come in and take over that side of the ball that could make a difference. Chuck Pagano, Kris Richard, and Marvin Lewis are the first few that come to mind.
A Real GM
The team already came out and said they won't be hiring a general manager this offseason. So if they went out and did the opposite, it would mean they either lied, or had an about face. I'd rather be labeled a liar than an idiot. Giving Nick Martin and Whitney Mercilus the extensions they did when they did were both bad enough. When you add the Jadeveon Clowney saga/trade and the trade for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the mix, it becomes apparent that O'Brien has too much influence on roster decisions. A real GM won't cripple the team's draft capital and/or misuse cap space. The teams that consistently compete for Super Bowls have roster fluidity that keep them in contention. The Texans need that in the worst way.
A Second In Command On Offense
O'Brien has been calling plays ever since he got to Houston. He's grown and evolved, but not enough. He also thinks he's the only one with answers on that side of the ball. We all see where that's gotten this team. A new set of eyes and different way of thinking is needed. Deshaun Watson will be due for an extension soon. If the organization wants to maximize his potential, they'll need to force O'Brien to hire another set of eyes on offense. This person needs to be given free reign to call plays, implement gameplans, and influence roster moves on that side of the ball.
Ombudsman
A new GM, OC, and DC is one thing, but this team needs an ombudsman. There are so many things that need to be addressed: the roof of the stadium, team colors/logo, coaching staff, public relations, and media relations. Addressing them with someone engrained in the organization won't help. Hiring an outside consultant, permanently or temporarily, would help in getting this team in the best shape it could be in. The perception of this team as a complete joke has permeated into the national media given the stories about O'Brien's ineptness following the washing in Kansas City. An overseer would help in improving everything from top down about this organization.
The McNairs Need To Flex
In the animal world, the alphas make themselves known. There are certain ways to go about doing so. Some involve simple acts (like peeing to mark one's territory), others involve more drastic ways (like killing the competition). This is where the McNairs need to flex their muscle and mark their territory. Before he passed away, Bob McNair turned a $700 million dollar investment into a $2-plus billion dollar cash cow. It's up to his son Cal and wife Janice to keep the cow fat by turning it into a real contender. If they don't act fast, they'll let O'Brien ruin a good thing and it'll take longer to repair. Acting now will keep the window open while Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, and DeAndre Hopkins are still in their primes and under contract. It'll also show the fans that they mean business and that's something that'll keep them coming.
I told a few Texans fans the thing I dislike most about all this is seeing the diehards suffer through another disappointing season. They spend tons of their hard-earned money every year on a team that inevitably lets them down. When you have as much talent as this team has, the results need to match. When things continually look the same, as in failures, people get fed up. When people get fed up, they stop spending that hard-earned money. When that money stops flowing, ownership takes notice. The biggest two questions are: will they take notice before the money stops flowing or after, and when will they act?
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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