LANCE ZIERLEIN'S Z REPORT

It's too early for O'Brien and Watson's struggles to create panic

It's too early for O'Brien and Watson's struggles to create panic
Deshaun Watson will get better. At least he should. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

I’ve had two days to talk on the radio, answer texts, and sift through tweets about the Texans loss to the Patriots in week 1. Texans fans definitely aren’t happy, and with good reason. The Patriots are now 10-1 lifetime against the Texans averaging 32.5 to the Texans 19 in those games. Ass-Kickings, Incorporated.

Yes, it was “SOT” (same old Texans) once again. Yes, once again Bill O’Brien failed to handle his business when an important game management situation presented itself. You don’t care about the team if these things didn’t bother you on Sunday and didn’t leak over into Monday.

But some of what I’m hearing? Wow! Just hit YouTube for some old school hip-hop and search “EPMD” and “Chill” and you’ll get to where you need to go because, baby, this sports life might not be for you based on some of the rhetoric and analysis I’m hearing.

Watson never got comfortable

Look Deshaun Watson just had an off game. It happens. We know O’Brien didn’t have a good game, but his quarterback didn’t either. He struggled to get through reads and find his targets with the same quickness that we saw at times last year.  He also got caught throwing from off-platform angles (basically means he’s off-balance and feet weren’t set) which caused throws to drop short of their target.

Watson was also hesitant to make his decisions on where he wanted to go with the football. This isn’t a huge surprise given the fact that he was making just his seventh start in the NFL and playing in just his eighth game. No quarterback is a finished product in their seventh start. None. And when you have to face a Bill Belichick-coached team with the entire season to prepare for you? Forget it.

I had someone tweet to me that Bill O’Brien needed to do a better job of calling plays to get receivers open. The job of the receiver is to get open. Pass plays are designed to create stress on defensive backs with their route combinations, but it’s still the receiver’s job to get open the same way it is Watson’s job ot make reads and throws. It’s O’Briens job to call the best plays for the personnel on the field and for where the Texans advantages are.

R-E-L-A-X

Here are the facts:

  • Deshuan Watson was playing his first game in 8 months.

  • Deshaun Watson had limited reps in the preseason and looked rusty.

  • Deshaun Watson was making just his seventh career start.

  • Will Fuller, the defensive field stretcher and big play talent was hurt (again).

  • O’Brien and Watson combined to average over 34 points per start in 2018.

  • O’Brien and Watson combined for 21 total touchdowns last season.

Being pissed at O’Brien for the game management issues and the inconsistent performances of this team are completely understandable. Pretending that game one of 2018 matters more than the previous seven games that O’Brien and Watson had together is just nonsensical. ESPN analyst and former Pittsburgh Steeler safety Ryan Clark said the Texans shouldn’t do what Bill O’Brien tells them. He seemed to intimate that Watson’s off game was on O’Brien. Guys…. It’s one game.

Can we let Deshaun keep growing? Can we at least get to get two or three? This may not turn into a winning season and O’Brien might get show the door sooner rather than later, but Watson had a bad game and it’s going to get better.

It better.

 

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The Texans are flying under the radar. Composite Getty Image.

NFL analyst Albert Breer isn’t buying the quiet offseason surrounding the Houston Texans. In his view, the buzz — or lack of it — isn’t reflective of what this team actually is: a legitimate AFC contender that should be taken seriously in 2025.

Much of the skepticism, Breer believes, comes from surface-level narratives. The Texans went 10-7 in the regular season last year, a step back from the lofty expectations set after C.J. Stroud’s electric rookie year and Houston’s dramatic playoff push. And while the offense didn’t maintain its early-season explosion under Bobby Slowik, people seem to be overlooking how that same Texans team ended the year: as one of the last four teams standing in the AFC — alongside the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens.

In Breer’s eyes, Houston belongs in that group. The defense is championship-caliber, with rising stars and playmakers at every level. And offensively, the switch to Nick Caley as offensive coordinator could be just what the unit needs. Caley brings a fresh voice and perspective, and paired with a fully settled-in Stroud, the Texans are well-positioned to take another leap forward.

One moment Breer points to as underrated: Houston’s Divisional Round game against Kansas City at Arrowhead. While most remember the Texans bowing out of the playoffs there, many forget they were trailing by just one point going into the fourth quarter — toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs in one of the toughest environments in football.

The Texans’ current win total is set at 9.5 by oddsmakers — a line Breer believes is too low. His expectation? Twelve wins and another deep playoff run. To him, the narrative that Houston is being “slept on” will disappear soon enough — likely around the time the Texans remind everyone why they’re still a problem in the AFC.

You can watch the video below for the full conversation.

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*ChatGPT assisted.

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