CODY STOOTS
Texans offensive woes continue, but battle for first place is in sight
Oct 15, 2018, 5:18 pm
Deshaun Watson is struggling. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
There is still plenty to digest before the AFC South showdown with Jaguars with the winner taking home first place honors. We get into it on a Monday with three headlines, two questions, and one stat.
Watson feels...better?
Deshaun Watson played in Sunday's game despite what Fox's Jay Glazer said was a cracked rib, a bruised lung, and partially collapsed lung after last week's game with the Cowboys. Watson, apparently, is a mutant who heals faster than every other person because Monday Bill O'Brien updated everyone on Watson's health.
"I think he's doing better," O'Brien said. "Better than he was at this point last week."
Watson will have to corroborate O'Brien's claim this week but I find it hard to believe he went from those reported injuries to feeling better after he took around 20 hits in the game. If he is trending that way then Watson was either not nearly as hurt as we were led to believe or healed up quickly. Either way it bodes will for Watson's long-term durability this season.
Offensive line regresses
The Texans had a nice enough game against a furious Cowboys front but regressed greatly against the Bills. Seven sacks to go along with 12 quarterback hits and a couple of those hits knocking the ball away from Watson in the pocket. Julién Davenport had a rough game at left tackle in his second start since his benching and Kendall Lamm resembled more of his 2017 self than the successful version from the previous two weeks.
The rushing attack was bad as well. Just 74 yards on the ground for the Texans in a game where they never really pulled away from the Bills. The 3.1 yards per carry was up from the previous week but still their second-lowest of the season. For a team that is playing close game after close game, the rushing attack will be key and should they ever get a sizeable lead they will need it to hammer the opposing team down for a final couple of quarters. Also, with less threat to run, Watson's play action passing efficiency goes down as well.
O'Brien was quick to point out that while they need to block better the struggles protecting Watson are not always solely on the offensive linemen.
Foreman not close, but getting closer
D'Onta Foreman is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury last season and has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of the season. Monday was the first day he was eligible to practice. Upon practicing, the Texans have 21 days to decide to put him on injured reserve or activate him to the roster.
O'Brien said today he doesn't expect Foreman to practice this week saying he isn't quite ready.
According to a study in Foot and Ankle International, the average amount of days to return for football players in their study was 340 days after surgery. Foreman had surgery on Nov. 22 of last year so 340 days after surgery would be Oct. 28 of this year. That would be the Sunday after the Texans play the Dolphins on Monday Night Football and one week before they face the Broncos. With a bye week after the Broncos game, it would seem likely the first time Foreman suits up would be the middle of November against the Redskins with the Denver game being the second most likely.
Can this offensive line survive the season?
It is very possible we have seen the best this offensive line has to offer. That is a scary thought to have about the Texans. There isn't much relief in sight either. All the tackle combinations with the top three guys have been tried except Martinas Rankin at right tackle but last week Mike Devlin pointed to his injury in the preseason keeping him from getting work at that spot. David Sharpe is the other tackle on the roster but he has played in just five games in his NFL career and despite being a fourth-round pick by the Raiders in 2017 saw his time in Oakland come to an end this past Septemeber. At this point, the free agency market or even waiver wire isn't going to have a starter show up so the Texans are stuck. Davenport is the left tackle it would seem and Kendall Lamm the right tackle. I don't know how much Seantrell Henderson would have helped this team, though interesting he hasn't had a lot of NFL success, there was clearly some hope he could solidify as a veteran the right side. If Davenport struggles maybe Rankin gets another shot at left tackle.
What's wrong with the Jaguars?
A preseason darling suddenly finds itself with all the shine off and battling for first in a division they had every right an intention of running away with this season. This team plays nothing like the AFC Championship game Jaguars. Media members who cover the team have lamented how poorly their ballyhooed coverage has been this year and the increased number of zone plays the team is using. The ferocious defensive line finished with the second-most sacks last year. This year the Jaguars are 18th in sacks and on pace to finish with about 20 less than last year. Yes, Blake Bortles is still a huge problem but even when he was a dunce throwing the ball the secondary and pass rush was there. The Texans have to hope Jacksonville doesn't get back to their roots on Sunday.
I bet the Jaguars "get right" against the Texans. With the success most quarterbacks have had against the Texans this season it would make sense Bortles could stay out of the team's way and not be a total negative for the offense. The defense has tons of talent on the defensive line, the most the Texans will face all season, and with the team already giving up 25 sacks it could be another long day for the line and Watson. Jalen Ramsey was morose and had little to say in-line with his often brash personality after the loss to Dallas. I can't imagine the bark stays gone for long and there's plenty of bit behind it too.
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How Houston Texans' defense now measures up to other NFL powerhouses
Mar 14, 2025, 2:22 pm
We’re inside two weeks to the Astros starting their regular season (Yes!), but the NFL hogged this week of the pro sports scene with its annual spend like drunken sailors shopping spree via free agency. The Texans’ activity has been interesting on both the free agent and trade fronts. Let’s dig in.
Let’s start with their Tunsil-ectomy. Laremy Tunsil was a very good though not superstar left tackle here. His embarrassing number of false starts notwithstanding, Tunsil was consistently their best pass protector. That might not be saying much relative to the rest of the offensive line, but it is not meant as damning with faint praise. Pro Bowl selections can come from reputation or flat-out bad voting, but being named a Pro Bowler five times in six seasons is at least a good indicator a guy doesn’t stink. Still, had he remained, Tunsil’s salary cap figure would have been a bloated 28 and a half million dollars. Getting second and third round draft picks from the Washington Commanders for Tunsil is a good return, though it is also telling that the Texans were willing to absorb 15 million dollars in dead salary cap space to offload him.
Cutting guard Shaq Mason costs the Texans another 12 and a half mil in dead cap space, a little over five million of that swallowed this year with the balance wasted in 2026. Nick Caserio signed Tunsil and Mason to the contract extensions the Texans ultimately chose to escape from early. Caserio’s first first round pick in charge was guard Kenyon Green, whose time with the Texans was an absolute flop. Dealing Green this week to the Super Bowl Champion Eagles for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is an absolute win, almost regardless of how Gardner-Johnson performs here. “CGJ” joins Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock in giving the Texans three talented safeties all 27 years old or younger. Back to the o-line. Two years in, former second round pick Juice Scruggs is a middling player at best. Off an undistinguished rookie season as a second rounder also, Blake Fisher has a prove himself season coming with the right tackle job seemingly being handed to him.
Tytus Howard presumably slots as the new left tackle. Season-to-season he has never been as good as Tunsil. At over 23 million dollars, Howard presently carries the second-biggest cap figure on the team, behind only Danielle Hunter. One guard spot in 2025 goes to value free agent signee Laken Tomlinson. Summing him up in one word, Tomlinson is middling. In another word he is durable. The 33-year-old Tomlinson has started every game for seven consecutive seasons. The downside is he’s just not that great. Hence the Texans get him on a one-year contract for four and a quarter mil. Yet, if Tomlinson can be an average starting guard that will be a substantial upgrade from their guard play in 2024. That leaves center and the other guard spot to sort through. Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson are still around. Caserio took a flier in trading a 2026 sixth round pick to Minnesota for guard Ed Ingram. After starting for two and a half seasons, a healthy Ingram was benched and didn’t play one snap apart from special teams in the Vikings’ last nine games. Ingram is only 26 years old and in the final season of his rookie contract. Again, he doesn’t need to be confused with prime-Mike Munchak to be able to improve the Texans at least incrementally.
Add it all up and Caserio has not done a good job where the o-line is concerned. His in-season remarks bleating about a “lazy narrative” from the media re: the weakness of that line were condescending and/or mistaken at the time, and now register as flat out ridiculous. The offensive coordinator and offensive line coach have been fired, three of the season-opening starting o-linemen have been jettisoned. With all of the changes, all offensive line problems going forward should be pinned squarely on Caserio. I think C.J. Stroud would agree.
Doubling down on defense
The Texans’ other free agent moves have been depth plays, most notably on the defensive line, re-signing defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett, and Kurt Hinish, adding Darrell Taylor, and bringing back 2023 starter Sheldon Rankins after he had an injury-hindered 2024 with Cincinnati. The wide receiver room needed work. Stefon Diggs is probably gone, unfortunately Tank Dell is a question mark to play much at all in 2025. None among Robert Woods, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson should be automatics for roster spots. The trade for Christian Kirk from Jacksonville adds a speed component at wideout. Maybe Justin Watson from Kansas City has sleeper contributor potential. Over the last two seasons with the Chiefs Watson caught 49 passes, five for touchdowns.
The next heavy lifting for the Texans comes with the NFL Draft, which starts April 24. The Texans have the 25th pick in the first round. Pending any other free agent moves of note, offensive line and wide receiver should remain top priorities.
Closing in on Opening Day, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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