A WEEKLY REVIEW OF CRENNEL'S COACHING

Now my job: Texans had no answers for Aaron Rodgers

Now my job: Texans had no answers for Aaron Rodgers
Texans get crushed by Green Bay, 35-20. Photo by Getty Images.

Now my job: Texans lose to much better team

There are few things in Texas that get people of all different backgrounds fired up. If you hurt puppies, burn/waste BBQ, or slap a little kid, you might find yourself at odds with the good folks in the state of Texas. You could disparage their favorite high school or college football team and end up needing medical attention. But if you're the local city's NFL team that starts a promising season with a paltry 1-6 record after firing the head coach/general manager whom everyone else assumed was the problem, you should start losing sleep over what may become of you.

That's how I believe Romeo Crennel and the rest of the Texans' coaching staff should feel after their embarrassing 35-20 loss to the Packers at home. When you're facing a future Hall of Fame quarterback with a rag tag bunch of defensive backs, I don't expect things to be so lopsided. However, when you go down 21-0 in the first half after only mustering 130 yards of offense on 25 total plays, it's par for the course.

Let's get something straight: I'm not letting Bill O'Brien off the hook here, neither am I giving the remaining coaching staff a pass. The situation is all kinds of jacked up. But we're still talking about NFL caliber players and coaches that are failing to show up. The Packers' defense has been known to give up some points. This offense couldn't find a way to put any up until the second half. Their second half offense was a prime example of if too little too late was a group of people. The Packers put up 263 of their 379 yards in the first half. Did the Texans' defense discover something at the half to stop or slow down the Packers? Hell no! The Packers simply let off the gas!

Last week, I watched as Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles devised a gameplan to disrupt the Packers' offense. He had Aaron Rodgers running for his life. The Bucs sacked Rodgers five times and held them to an impressive 201 yards in a 38-10 statement game. You would think the staff on Kirby would've taken heed to what they saw and developed a similar gameplan to keep the Packers from going nuts. Nope! Instead, they allowed the Packers to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. (Here's the part where I'd normally pine for more playing time for the young pass rushers.)

This team isn't completely devoid of talent. While it may be bare, there are some talented players still on this roster. It's up to the coaching staff to put them into the right positions to succeed. There are times in which this staff puts them in position to do so, but the execution isn't there. Which of these occurs more often is debatable. What isn't is the fact that Brandin Cooks seemed to throw people under the bus with his postgame comments saying "we need to be more consistent in practice." JJ Watt even got in on the act by being very short with his responses in his postgame comments. The walls are starting to crumble. The building was already on shaky ground. It may be time to rebuild.

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The Texans can make a statement with a win against Detroit!Composite Getty Image.

Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.

The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.

CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.

If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.

Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.

What's working in the Texans' favor?

They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.

Bulls on Parade

We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.

And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.

X-factors

The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.

Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.

What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?

The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.

An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.

What does Vegas think?

The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.

Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!


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