A BOLD MOVE
It's time for the Texans to reach out to Colin Kaepernick
Nov 6, 2017, 2:40 pm
The Texans should sign Colin Kaepernick Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
This story originally appeared on houstonsportsandstuff.com
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After reading Fred Faour’s article yesterday about the effort needed by the Texan’s defense for the remainder of the 2017 season I thought about what it would take to make that feasible. The answer has already been written and talked about by numerous people besides me; Colin Kaepernick. My opinion is not based on some high opinion of him though. I don’t really have an opinion of him. My thoughts are simply based on my low opinion of Tom Savage, Matt McGloin and T.J. Yates. And that is why it’s time for the Texans leadership to get off their high horse and sign him to finish out the season.
Bill O'Brien was asked several times about Kaepernick at Monday's press conference. He did his best to deflect but it was a hot topic.
Going into Sunday’s game the Texans’ offense with Deshaun Watson was putting up 30 points a game and for the first time in team history looked like a juggernaut. Against the 31st ranked defense, at home, without Watson; they looked pathetic. The defense kept them in it and my only take away was this: could they have won that game with just a serviceable quarterback? I think it’s possible. What does that mean for the next 8 games?
Without Watson I don’t think the Texans will make the playoffs. The Jaguars and Titans are playing too well to allow the Texans to get in. Normally, I would say fine. If you can’t win without “the man” then do your best and settle for a decent draft pick.
The Texans can’t do that this year. They gave away their draft picks in the first 2 rounds to the Browns. Without that sort of incentive waiting in the offseason, Bob McNair should be acquiring the most talented players to give his team a chance. That’s the least he can do.
Kaepernick is the best available quarterback on the market and can duplicate at least some of what made Watson effective on the field. Signing lesser talent with the reasoning that they have experience in the offensive system is a poor excuse. But we all know that it comes down to politics.
And it’s those politics that would defeat some of the reasons for making the move. This is Texas. In a solid red state like this one, anything deemed unpatriotic must be shunned by the strongest means. Signing Kaepernick would turn a lot of fans away. They would have to wait until next year to come back when he can be cut and they can pretend not to have noticed he was ever there.
I believe the opposite is true. Bringing him in would be a move for the fans. It’s an indication that just because the Texans might not make the playoffs, at least they are trying to put a good product on the field while they wait to get their quarterback and their ability to draft back. As a fan, I would appreciate that. From where I sit now; not only are the Texans bad to watch, they won’t get better while the teams around them do. That includes the Browns who would benefit immensely from their own high draft picks and the high ones they received from the Texans.
What about free agency? If the Texans can’t get players with immediate impact ability in the draft then surely they have to seek out free agents. Not signing a player who might make this team competitive because of a political line in the sand sends the wrong message. Bob McNair is telling potential free agents that he only wants to help this team win if it doesn’t make him uncomfortable.
That’s fine. He can do that. Down years can happen in business from time to time. After all, he’s already a billionaire owner. He can wait out this season, and the next, and the next until all of this is forgotten and he can rebuild again.
Wait, did I say business? This can’t be about business, can it? Nah, every business owner I’ve ever met would do whatever it takes for his business to be successful year in and year out. But I guess just owning a team is enough as long as fans keep showing up to games. In Texas that means losing games because it’s better than signing a player who ruffles a few feathers.
I just can’t understand the contempt he has to have for those who pay for his product. I know he’s already past the point where he wouldn’t look completely hypocritical by signing Kaepernick, but at least he can say he did it for the fans. People like someone who swallows his pride for the sake of others. I’m not sure how much they like someone who keeps this team from being watchable because of his pride. Time will tell.
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C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson found themselves in the same spot when they met in Week 2 last season.
Both quarterbacks were top-five draft picks, lost their season openers and seemed to be facing a steep learning curve.
Richardson won Round 1 in Houston, although he didn't finish the game.
Stroud took Round 2 in Indianapolis with the injured Richardson watching from the sideline as Texans clinched the AFC South title and Stroud locked up his runaway selection as NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Sunday, each QB begins his second pro season — with a lot still to prove.
“I’m excited. First official game back with my guys and my teammates,” said Richardson, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last October. "I want to win. So, whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m going to do it.”
Winning a season opener certainly would be a welcome change for a franchise that last started 1-0 in 2013. The 10-game winless streak is easily the NFL's longest active streak.
But that's just a start for Richardson.
He needs to improve his accuracy after completing a pedestrian 59.5% of his throws in 2023 and must demonstrate he can finish games. He missed 13 last season and only finished one of his four starts because of an assortment of injuries, including the concussion that knocked him out of that Week 2 matchup at Houston after he ran for two scores.
Stroud, meanwhile, is coming off one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history.
He became just the third player in a half-century to lead the league in yards passing per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6 to 1), won a playoff game and made hist first Pro Bowl appearance.
How can he improve on a season like that? By showing last season was a building block — not a fluke. He has a stronger supporting cast, too, with Joe Mixon, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, and Stefon Diggs, who has four straight 100-catch seasons, now in the mix.
The long journey begins Sunday in Indianapolis.
“I want to just start fast,” Stroud said. “It doesn't have to do with a certain game, just in general this season. Last year, we started off really slow and just kind of had to build our way back. It's not an easy thing to do, so I would say this year we want to start fast.”
Nico vs. Colts
Houston receiver Nico Collins had two of his biggest games last season against Indy — catching seven passes for 146 yards and one TD in the Week 2 matchup only to outperform those numbers with a 195-yard day that included a 75-yard TD catch in Week 18.
He could play an even bigger role this time with Indy's young secondary trying to match up not only with Collins but also Diggs, Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz.
“Nico is a playmaker,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Every time I see him, he’s a true playmaker. So, you just have to get Nico the ball in any way, shape or fashion. Just find a way to get him the ball just to see how explosive and how dynamic he is.”
Taylor made
Injuries and a contract dispute prevented Jonathan Taylor from replicating the form he used to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Starting against the Texans could be just what he needs.
In six games against Houston, Taylor has rushed for seven TDs and 135.2 yards per game — his highest average against any team he's faced multiple times. And in that rematch with Houston in Week 18, he finished with 30 carries for 188 yards, the NFL's highest single-game total all season.
Confident Anderson
Houston defensive end Will Anderson, last season’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, will play Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury that limited his training camp snaps.
The No. 3 overall pick in 2023 had 45 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 1/2 sacks as a rookie. He expects to be even better this season.
“I’m way more comfortable,” he said. “Just going into Year 2 knowing the scheme better, knowing what to expect a little bit more and knowing what’s going to happen gives you more confidence.”
Pass rush
The Colts lost their 2023 sacks leader, Samson Ebukam, with a torn Achilles tendon during training. But they may have the perfect replacement.
Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player taken in April's draft, at No. 15 overall, and he's shown coaches that the moves he used to record 23 1/2 sacks over his last two college seasons can work in the NFL.
“We know that there’s going to be a learning curve there," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "We know there are going to be plays that we’re going to come in and say there were some good plays, and there were plays he wishes he had back — we understand that. But just his overall mentality and skill set, we’re very excited to see.”