Every-Thing Sports

Texans organization and fans need to get it together!

Jan 8, 2019, 7:04 am

It's time for a change Kirby Drive. Houston Texans/Facebook

Saturday evening, the Texans were eliminated in spectacular fashion at home. What's that? You don't think a 21-7 loss at home to the division rival Colts after winning the AFC South constitutes as "spectacular fashion?" THAT is exactly what I'm talking about!

I get so sick and tired of the "well that was good enough" mentality from some fans. It makes me sick. The organization isn't any better. As a matter of fact, they tend to feed into the foolishness with making a big deal of the division title banners and Bill O'Brien's infamous line "we went 9-7 and won the AFC South two years in a row."

That's a mediocre, happy to be average, participation trophy, progression of the wussification of America type of mindset. If that's OK with you, so be it. But that should NOT be the mentality of this organization. The fact that they held on to guys like Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith as long as they did before making a change was a sign that they prefer the devil they know rather than the one they don't.

But enough of the history lesson. We all know what this organization has done in its past. It's time to focus on the future. More specifically, it's time to focus on this offseason, which is currently under way.

First up is help in the coaching ranks. O'Brien has proven that he can't handle being head coach, play caller, and overseer. He needs someone to take the load off and help develop Deshaun Watson, as well as call plays. I made my case for Adam Gase already.But if he gets a head coaching job, I'd prefer they get an offensive coordinator that maybe has head coaching experience, or is an up and comer with new ideas and/or philosophies, Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is an old and he should've been replaced a long time ago. Right now, there are several former defensive coordinators and former head coaches that can fill that void.

General manager Brian Gaine did a good job last year in the draft. Free agency was another deal. With a first rounder this year, as well as two seconds, he should be able to find help along the offensive line, corner, running back, and wide receiver. He's also going to have a good amount of cap room to spend. Now is the time to prove your worth and either find good value, or hit a homerun or two and find the right guys to fill some of those positions I previously listed.

A couple other key components to furthering the success and expectations of this team comes from the media and fans. Too often the media lets this team make it by not asking the tough questions or holding them accountable. This mainly comes from those that are quite friendly with those on Kirby. Gow Media hasn't been treated as friendly by that organization. Even if we were, it wouldn't change how most, if not all, of us would cover this team. If the fans started to show their displeasure with the product by not spending, it would make the organization pay closer attention to the fan response. Sadly, the six years this city spent without an NFL franchise has conditioned most of the fan base to fall in line with whatever the organization spits out for fear of losing them the way Bud Adams took the Oilers, and their history, to Tennessee.

I'm not hating on this organization. As a matter of fact, it brings me great joy to see them succeed rather than fail as miserably as they have. I get more from the Texans having a measure of success than wallowing in their pity. But something has to change. This organization has been mired in mediocrity for far too long. "We went 9-7 and won the AFC South two years in a row" should be a thing of the past. I long for the day when "we lost a Super Bowl, but the last two we won lessens the sting" is ore of a thing. I'm not saying I should be a team executive either. I just want more and better for this team and this city dammit!

Listen Live

THE PALLILOG

How Texans most important deadline could make or break GM

Dameon Pierce bought Nick Caserio some time. Composite image by Brandon Strange.

As the Astros get ready to make a run at back-to-back World Series championships and the Houston Cougars strive to play their way to a Final Four in Houston, the Houston Texans near term ambitions are much lower. The Texans merely hope to end their status as a three years running dumpster fire of nearly relentless ineptitude. As a follow-up to the energy jolt of the hire of DeMeco Ryans as head coach, the first days of the new NFL year resulted in a word rarely useable since Nick Caserio became general manager: progress!

Specifically, acquiring solid guard Shaq Mason from the cap-strapped Buccaneers for basically nothing was excellent, the addition of defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins should be a legitimate upgrade for the Texans’ d-line that was regularly trampled last season, and a deal with defensive back Jimmie Ward should add veteran savvy to the secondary provided he isn’t poised to tumble over the hill at 32 years old. Ed Reed anyone? Reed was 35. Big difference. Or better be.

The Texans organizationally weren’t really trying to win the last two years but, Caserio didn’t do much to impress in pouring some foundation for the next era of winning Texans football. Year one he was hamstrung by not having a first or second round pick, but his first selection (third round pick) was the failed flyer on quarterback Davis Mills. That leaves wide receiver Nico Collins as the biggest hope of the Texans’ Class of ’21. Collins shows promise of number two wideout upside, but has had health issues each of his first two seasons. It is fine to judge a rookie class on its rookie production, it is foolish to pass final judgment on that class for at least another year or two.

Caserio’s most important 2022 draftees collectively underwhelmed. Third overall pick Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. played okay, before having injury problems as he did in his final two seasons at LSU. The Jets grabbed corner Sauce Gardner with the selection immediately after the Texans took Stingley. Gardner played every game and was spectacular in becoming the first rookie CB named first team All-Pro since Ronnie Lott 41 years earlier. Caserio’s second first round pick, guard Kenyon Green out of A&M, struggled frequently. A whole bunch of rookies taken after Green were better in their first seasons, including guard Zion Johnson who went to the Chargers two spots after Caserio picked Green. Again, no final verdicts, but anyone wanting to gush over Caserio tabbing running Dameon Pierce in the fourth round needs to acknowledge his top two picks weren’t all that.

Fortunately, one of the many rookies better than Green was Texans’ first second round pick Jalen Pitre. On both the human level and football level hopefully their second second rounder last year, wide receiver John Metchie, shows well after having his rookie season delayed so he could conquer leukemia.

Big picture

Ultimately, nothing the Texans do with their roster amounts to much until they next have quality quarterback play. Hence, the defining move of Caserio’s tenure is the QB the Texans take number two overall in the upcoming draft. It’s basically 50-50 that the Texans will be full of crap when they say “we got our guy” at number two. Moronically winning the season finale against the Colts cost the Texans the first pick, which the Panthers now have via trade with the Bears. Whichever QB left for the Texans between C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young could turn out to be the better player. Maybe they’re both great, maybe they’re both busts. There is no disputing that the only way to definitely get your preferred dart at the board was by picking first instead of second, and the Texans blew that control.

The Texans are in the obviously weakest division in the AFC. Right now the Jaguars look to be the team of the present and future, but far from a juggernaut. The Titans are coming off a collapse and like the Colts are very unsettled at quarterback. Well, unless the Colts pull off a huge signing of Lamar Jackson. Last place to first place year-to-year division flips are not extreme rarities in the NFL. The Jaguars did it last year, the Bengals the year before. There is no reason to expect that from the Texans in 2023 but in their division it wouldn’t be a complete miracle if they nail the QB selection. If the Texans’ Caserio-Ryans one-two punch isn’t at minimum legitimately competing to win the division in 2024, then four seasons into his tenure, Caserio will be failing at roster building.

Astros baseball is right around the corner!

Stone Cold ‘Stros is the weekly Astro-centric podcast I am part of alongside Brandon Strange and Josh Jordan. On our regular schedule it airs live at 3PM Monday on the SportsMapHouston YouTube channel, is available there for playback at any point, and also becomes available in podcast form at outlets galore. Such as:

houston texans nfl texans