You just aren't that into this team and I think I know why

I know the Texans are 10-4, but...

Lance Zierlein
Dec 19, 2018, 12:23 pm
Bill O'Brien might be a reason you are not buying in to the Texans. Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images

You don't love the Houston Texans. Well, it seems like most of you don't. That has become evident over the course of this season. Some of you like them, but you don't love them. I'll admit that I thought winning might change things for you, but it hasn't. In fact, the level of disappointment after the Texans win over the Jets was comparable to that of a loss dropping them out of the playoff hunt. They have won 10 of 11 (which will end up being just the third double digit win total in team history), will win the division their division for 3 of the last 4 years, and currently have the #2 seed in the AFC. This is all AFTER starting 0-3. So why do the Texans not have your heart?

You Don't Like Billy
Anytime you have a conversation with someone about why they aren't buying into this Texans team, there is a good chance that Bill O'Brien's name is going to come up. Fans just don't like him. They don't like his demeanor. He's too "red-ass" for them I guess. I know that over the years I've heard people say they wanted more fire from their coaches or managers, but when they actually get it, they don't like it.

Now, admittedly, there are plenty of people whose issues with O'Brien have just as much to do with clock management or "play-calling." I feel like that is fair. I don't think he is as bad a play-caller as everyone paints him to be, but I do have an issue with this team's inability to convert FGs into TDs in the red zone. O'Brien has to own some of that. Same goes for that game management. Yuck. However, when people say Deshaun Watson succeeds in spite of O'Brien or struggles because of him, you know that it's at least a little personal.

It's Just Not Pretty
Let's face it - when the Texans win, it's usually a little ugly. Sometimes it's a lot ugly. The pick-six win against the Bills. The messy FG fest vs. Dallas. The missed FG vs. Denver. The non-punt win vs. the Colts. The late W vs. the Jets. These aren't the wins that good teams usually have in a single season.

Because of "bad wins," many fans aren't treating this like a 10-win team, they are treating it like fool's gold. They just don't play consistently dominantly on either side of the ball. They need a definable identity.

Deshaun Comes Back to Earth
Deshaun Watson's rookie season was can't-miss football. He had 19 touchdown passes (and 21 total TDs) in just six starts and seven total games. Insane production. Watson was on a tear that had rarely been seen in NFL history before he got hurt. Unfortunately for Watson and the Texans, I think many fans and media members believed that 2017 was the norm and that just wasn't and isn't fair to Watson. Defensive coordinators get paid too and they went to work on Watson studying his tendencies and weaknesses and have game-planned accordingly. Watson is having a solid season as he continues to grow and learn the game, but it feels like a letdown to many fans. It's not fair, but it's reality.

The Astros/Rocket Effect
I honestly believe that the silent culprit that has killed the energy around the Texans is the success of the Astros and Rockets in recent years. Winning a World Series set a new standard. There is no way around it. The Astros made us feel an excitement level that hasn't been experienced in this city since the mid 90s.

Oh, and by the way, this team is LOVEABLE! People love the players and love to cheer for them.The Rockets followed that up with a 60+ win season, an MVP season from James Harden and team with great chemistry who played with great passion and effort. Both of these teams had the ability to blow the doors off of opponents. When we watch the Texans, we don't see dominance. The bar has been set so high that the Texans are struggling to reach that level. Fans want dominant.

I kind of feel badly for the Texans, but I feel worse for us. We've all become more cynical and unhappy in general and when you combine that with the elements discussed above, it's made it hard for fans and media members to just enjoy wins. I get it - the Texans don't feel like a championship team, but wouldn't it be nice to be happy after a win again?

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Texans GM by committee: Why it will and won't work

Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Often times, sports can be a copycat forum. Whether it's trying to replicate an offense, defense, philosophy, or outright style biting, we rarely see anything original. Sports sometimes take their cues from Hollywood. How many remakes of old movies and ideas have we seen? Or, how many different iterations of a successful movie franchise will we continue to get shoved down our throats? (I'm looking at you Fast And Furious. But I'm going to see the new one anyway.)

Every so often, we'll get the pleasure of a trailblazer. Someone who stands out against the crowd and prefers to do something so out of the box, we may choose to fully embrace the different approach, or, we may choose to mock the out of the box ideas. The Texans have chosen to blaze their own trail and go with a general manager by committee for the upcoming season. They came to this conclusion (forced into it) after a failed attempt to woo Nick Caserio away from the Patriots amidst tampering charges. Bill O'Brien, Jack Easterby, Chris Olsen, and Jamey Rootes will all play a part in fulfilling the role of GM. I go back and forth as to whether they've made the right decision and whether or not it'll work. Let's take a look at a few reasons to support both sides of the argument:

Will Work: Three or four heads better than one

Texans Chairman and CEO D. Cal McNair

houstontexans.com

Think back to when you were in school. I know that may be difficult for some of us that are long removed from those days. What was one of your favorite type of assignments? Typically, group assignments were fun because you got to collaborate with others on a project. It worked best if you chose your own group because you knew everyone would pull their weight. This may be the case here, as long as there are clear cut lines in which each person will operate and how tough decisions will be made.

Won't Work: Too many sheriffs, not enough cops

Texans EVP of Team Development Jack Easterby

houstontexans.com

Those same group projects have also been known to cause division, friction, and make getting a good grade nearly impossible. All of the guys on this committee have primary responsibilities. Now they have to take on extra duties. This can lead to some lacking in areas of each of their jobs. We've all experienced a collaborative effort gone wrong. Whether someone didn't pull their weight, or someone was a control freak, there's always a chance of something going awry when multiple people have to come together for a common goal, especially when you're dealing with a bunch of alpha males used to being the in charge of their own lane but forced to cooperate and collaborate with others.

Will Work: Everyone's seats are hot

Texans President Jamey Rootes

houstontexans.com

I grew up respecting the knowledge older people could pass along. I may not have always listened to what they said, but I most definitely absorbed those lessons. One saying I remember and still hold onto is "pressure can make a diamond or crack a pipe." The former is why I think this setup will work. When former GM Brian Gaine was fired late into this offseason, it put everyone on notice that their jobs are also on the line. If this group can feel that heat and use it to fuel them positively, this GM by committee thing can work.

Won't Work: No blueprint or copycat source

Texans Senior VP of Football Operations Chris Olsen

houstontexans.com

Like I said previously, sports are a copycat forum. Usually, there's someone somewhere that's done it before that you can get a few pointers from. Hell, the Texans organization has been trying to replicate what the Patriots have done for almost their whole existence! However, there hasn't been an example that I can think of in which any sports franchise has had a committee of people fill the role of GM instead of a single person. When you have an example to follow, it's similar to having directions on assembling a toy you've bought for your kid. Next time you try putting something together, do it without the instructions and see how easy/difficult it could be.

While the draft and the bulk of free agency has come and gone, there's always work a GM is doing that will help his team. There are always players on other teams to watch in case they're cut. There's also college players to keep an eye on for the upcoming draft, as well as a multitude of other duties an NFL GM has on a daily basis. Information funneled through one person and sent out to others is much more concise than being funneled through several and sent out to many.

Signals can get crossed. Critical steps or info can get missed and/or overlooked. However, we don't know if this will or won't work because we have nothing to base it off of. We will have to wait and see how this plays out. Who knows? We may be on the verge of something new and innovative in sports. We could also be seeing a disaster the likes of which we've never seen. Let's wait and see what happens before we pass judgement.

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