TEXANS REVAMPED OFFENSE
Here's how the pieces are coming together in Houston Texans new-look offense
Mar 21, 2023, 5:29 pm
Running back Dameon Pierce is getting some help. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.
The Houston Texans have made several moves in free agency that are beginning to focus in on the vision they are trying to create on offense.
Houston has signed veterans including Robert Woods, Jimmie Ward, Dalton Schultz, Devin Singletary and Case Keenum so far. One of the first things head coach DeMeco Ryans said was his goal for the entire team is to be an attack-first, aggressive program, and that includes on offense.
The signings of Woods, Schultz, fullback Andrew Beck and running backs Singletary and Mike Boone are early indicators aligning with Ryans’ philosophy. In order to be aggressive on offense, Houston needs to have a strong offensive line, but it also has to have great blockers and assertive runners all over the field.
Woods and Schultz have proven with their previous teams they are more than capable of being above-average blockers. Texans fans have first-hand experience with Singletary and his running style, and they already have Dameon Pierce, who has proven he is more than capable of being a punisher out of the backfield.
With the signing of Beck, it also adds an extra layer of versatility for Houston. The San Francisco, Shanahan style is predicated on making every play — whether it be a run or a pass — look as similar as possible.
The 49ers utilized fullback Kyle Juszczyk as a lead blocker, an occasional runner and even as a pass-game threat in the red zone. Beck could be utilized in a similar capacity.
The same can be said for Schultz, who’s caught 57 or more passes in the past three seasons. Woods outside of the trenches is a good lead blocker on potential outside runs too.
With an influx of rookies set to join after the NFL Draft, general manager Nick Caserio is positioning the team to have a great balance between veterans and first-year players. An example is with Keenum, who fits right with Ryans’ aggressive mindset.
It is expected Houston will take a quarterback with its No. 2 overall pick in the draft. Keenum is an experienced veteran that has played every role as a quarterback — from backup to starter. Woods replaces Brandin Cooks as a veteran to lead the receivers room, and Singletary is another key presence with the running backs.
With the mix of age, experience and different roles from the players Houston has signed so far, it is another remark from Ryans’ introductory news conference coming true. Which was to add diversity, in terms of different NFL backgrounds on the team in all different kinds of ways, to the Texans.
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Milos Uzan scored 16 points, LJ Cryer added 15 and No. 1 seed Houston was able to rest up for the rest of the NCAA Tournament while romping past No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville 78-40 on Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Region.
Ja’Vier Francis added 13 points and eight rebounds for Houston (31-4), which now gets a tough second-round matchup with No. 8 seed Gonzaga on Saturday. The Bulldogs blitzed ninth-seeded Georgia, 89-68, in their tournament opener.
“I thought our defense and our rebounding, two of the things we really emphasize, was good today,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Shot selection was really good to start the game — knocked some shots down, got off to a good start.”
The Cougars finished well, too. The final margin was the biggest of the game.
Ray’Sean Taylor had 10 points for SIUE (22-12), which was just 2 of 24 from the 3-point arc in its first NCAA appearance.
“It’s definitely a gut-punch because I feel like we had more to give for sure,” said Taylor, breaking down in tears. “When I look back at it, I’m not going to be mad about the game. I don’t like to lose, but I’m never going to hold my head down ever. I never let anyone see me with my head down. They played better than us today.
“Good luck to them. They have a team to win it all.”
It’s never a good formula for springing an NCAA upset to let what is arguably the best defensive team in the country also shoot better than 60% from the field and only turn it over twice during the first 20 minutes of a game.
That’s exactly what SIUE did against Houston.
The Cougars probably knew they were in for a tough afternoon against a bigger, more athletic bunch of Cougars in the first few minutes, when Houston scored on nine straight offensive possessions. At the other end, SIUE struggled just to get shots off — at one point, guard Brian Taylor II was trapped so quickly that he genuinely looked perplexed.
The whole affair may have been summed up by the last 3 seconds of the first half: SIUE forward Myles Thompson was trapped near midcourt, turned the ball over, and Cryer promptly drilled a 3 from the wing to give Houston a 52-24 lead.
Sampson’s bunch kept extending the lead all the way to the finish.
“They were physical, made some shots early when we had a couple breakdowns, and then they hit some really hard shots as well,” SIUE coach Brian Barone said. “We weren’t able to dig out of that hole.”
Key Takeaways
SIU Edwardsville may have had more fans — or at least louder ones — than Houston for its NCAA tourney debut. They cheered all the way to the finish, too, when Barone took his starters out of the game.
Houston was no doubt pleased to see J’Wan Roberts moving around fine on the ankle he sprained in the Big 12 Tournament. He was able to spend much of the second half resting with the rest of the Cougars’ starters on the bench.
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Houston advanced to the second round for the seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament.