REAL TALK
Let's have an honest conversation about the Houston Texans and Sean Payton
Jan 19, 2023, 4:22 pm
Texans fans shouldn't get their hopes up. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.
Sean Payton
For the past few weeks, ever since the Houston Texans fired head coach Lovie Smith, the hot topic on sports talk radio has been: who will the Texans hire as their new coach?
And most of the talk has been: it’d sure be great if the Texans hired Sean Payton.
What on Earth are you talking about?
Payton, who coached the New Orleans Saints for 15 years and one Super Bowl title, interviewed with the Texans earlier this week. He also will meet with the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers about their head coach openings. The Arizona Cardinals have asked for permission to speak with Payton. The Indianapolis Colts also are in the market for a coach.
All of those opportunities are better suited for Payton, who can write his own ticket for a head coaching job.
Why would Payton pick the Texans, a dysfunctional organization that has had four head coaches in the past three years: Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel (interim), David Culley and Lovie Smith? A team that has won only seven games in the past two years? A team that plays its home games in a half-filled stadium? A team without a quarterback? A team that lost the first pick in the draft, and a shot at getting Bryce Young, by thoughtlessly winning its last game of the season, a victory that more and more is looking like a final screw you from its soon-to-be-fired coach.
But fans who want Payton to coach the Texans say, “he would be able to attract big-name free agents to Houston, and he’s the perfect coach to mentor a young quarterback. Look at what he did with Drew Brees in New Orleans.”
First, Vince Lombardi couldn’t lure a star free agent to Houston these days. And Brees was a five-year veteran, a starter for four of those years, and already a Pro Bowl selection, when he joined the Saints.
Payton is looking to put an exclamation point on his Hall of Fame credentials. Why would he want to take over a team in shambles that was an underdog in all 17 of its games last season? He would be an offensive genius for a team without an offense.
Why would the Texans, deep down, want a coach who will demand total authority, cost them a long-term contract worth tens of millions of dollars, plus a first-round draft pick and maybe more?
Why would Texans general manager Nick Caserio, whose own job may be on the hot seat, want to hire a charismatic coach with a big personality who will have more power with the man upstairs? I’m talking about owner Cal McNair, not the only true power that could turn the Texans into winners.
Denver would be a snugger fit for Payton. The Broncos have a competitive defense and quarterback Russell Wilson, who could use some coaching up next season.
So why would Payton accept an interview with the Texans? Perhaps he wants to drive up his price with other teams. Or he’s a Whataburger guy. Or he likes what humidity does for his skin.
The Texans also are considering Thomas Brown (Rams assistant head coach) Jonathan Gannon (Eagles defensive coordinator), Shane Steichen (Eagles offensive coordinator) and DeMeco Ryans (49ers defensive coordinator). Ryans would excite Texans fans but he, like Payton, should have his pick of the coaching litter.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.