BREAKING NEWS
Texans finally come to a decision on David Culley's fate
Jan 13, 2022, 2:40 pm
David Culley has been fired. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
According to Fox 26's Mark Berman and John McClain from the Houston Chronicle, David Culley has been fired as head coach of the Texans.
NFL source: #Texans fired Head Coach David Culley.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 13, 2022
This news should not come as a surprise with the Texans needing several days to evaluate David Culley and the coaching staff. Plus, GM Nick Caserio has pushed back several interviews this week, which makes this decision look like a forgone conclusion.
The common thought on the Texans recently is that Nick Caserio has had a plan in place from the beginning, and Culley was likely to be a one and done head coach unless he proved he deserved the job. With the team going 4-13 this year, and Culley repeatedly making head-scratching comments in press conferences and postgame interviews, the decision was made easy for Houston.
Texans are targeting former Dolphins coach Brian Flores as their top candidate at this time, according to multiple league sources. He has a strong relationship with Nick Caserio.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 13, 2022
We have to imagine the next Texans head coach will have a tie to the New England Patriots and Nick Caserio. Our money is on either Josh McDaniels, Brian Flores, or Jerod Mayo being the Texans next head coach.
Patriots’ LB coach Jerod Mayo is expected to emerge as a leading candidate for the Houston Texans’ HC job, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2022
Update:
Mark Berman is reporting that OC Tim Kelly has also been let go.
NFL source: #Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has been fired.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 13, 2022
Ian Rapoport is hearing that Culley didn't want to make any changes to his staff, and that was an issue for the Texans.
Among the reasons #Texans coach David Culley was fired: He would not make changes to his offensive staff, source said. Houston had the No. 32 ranked offense, Culley wanted to stay the course. Now, OC Tim Kelly was fired and other changes coming, as well. https://t.co/hqn5IQeSP3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2022
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The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!