Plenty of questions to the head coach were answered by the organization's statement according to him
O'Brien leans on McNair's statement for Gaine answers
Jun 11, 2019, 2:38 pm
Plenty of questions to the head coach were answered by the organization's statement according to him
Bill O'Brien faced the media for the first time since the organization fired general manager Brian Gaine. While O'Brien appreciated the questions, he leaned primarily on the statement by Cal McNair about the team.
Statement from #Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair: pic.twitter.com/MmhWYGtCiU
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 7, 2019
This is the statement Bill O'Brien referenced when he was asked a multitude of questions. He declined to explain what his conversation with McNair covered but that McNair made his vision and expectations for the organization clear.
He also declined to discuss the reported interviews the Texans have already had and his role in the future interviews of this team.
Here is a list of the questions O'Brien was asked that he used the statement from Cal McNair as his answer.
There was a report your relationship with Brian Gaine eroded is that true?
Did you believe Brian Gaine needed to be fired to move this organization forward?
What changed in your relationship with Brian Gaine when you were working with him?
Were you worried about losing your job based on this evaluation?
The Texans won 11 games, won the division, and hosted a playoff game. Why do you think there is this much change after that?
Bill O'Brien was asked if he had contact with Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio.
"I would say that the answer to that is no. Relative to contact about anything having to do with the Houston Texans, no."
O'Brien's comments directly on Brian Gaine were short and sweet and to the point.
"Man of high character. Great family man and good football person."
When asked if the firing of Gaine and the eventual hire of a new general manager would affect Jadeveon Clowney O'Brien said "no" and pointed to Clowney's franchise tag designation and confirmed Clowney was not present for the mandatory workout on Tuesday.
This week, the Houston Texans take on the Colts in a matchup with division supremacy on the line. If the Texans are able to come away with a victory, they will own the tiebreaker over Indy and enjoy a comfortable lead in the division.
However, a loss to the Colts means the Texans will be in a virtual tie with Indy in the AFC South. So what do the Texans need to do to secure a win?
On offense, they'll have to do a much better job of protecting CJ Stroud. In their last game against the Packers, Stroud faced immense pressure on third downs, with 12 of his 14 dropbacks resulting in pressure.
During one series, Stroud was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble on three straight plays. They have to clean up the protection, or it will be another long day for the offense.
Fortunately for the Texans, this game is at home. So hopefully the communication issues the Texans o-line dealt with on the road last week won't be an issue at NRG.
Rushing attack
Houston can't afford to rely solely on Joe Mixon and the run game to carry the offense. While Mixon has been terrific, contributing significantly in recent weeks, the Texans will need a balanced attack. Which means Stroud must have time to operate in the pocket.
Bulls on parade
The defense last week was another story for the Texans. They played well against Green Bay, limiting them to 24 points. This week, they face a very different type of quarterback. Anthony Richardson is dead last in passer rating and completion percentage, so that's definitely working in their favor.
We know what Richardson can do with his legs, and Indy is expecting running back Jonathan Taylor to return from an ankle injury, so the rushing defense will be tested.
Richardson's accuracy is certainly a weakness, but he does throw a good deep ball that gave the defense problems in Week 1 this season.
What does Vegas think?
The Texans are favored by 5 points and the total is set at 45.5 points.
This is one video you don't want to miss as we share our in-depth breakdown of the game, as well as our predictions for Sunday's contest.
For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube
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