SIGN HIM UP

Texans reward head coach O'Brien with five-year contract

Texans reward head coach O'Brien with five-year contract
Bill O'Brien will be prowling the Texans sidelines for a while. Houstontexans.com

Bill O'Brien got his wish. And the Texans are married to him for the next five years.

The Texans coach was given a contract extension on Saturday, and will be paid through 2022. At the same time, the team officially announced Brian Gaine as the new general manager. His deal also goes through 2022.

O'Brien had one year left on his original deal. Due to one of the NFL's "unwritten rules," apparently coaches are unable to coach on one-year deals. The narrative is they can't hire good assistant coaches. Considering O'Brien's hiring practices so far, maybe the guys he considers "good" are not what the Texans need. 

Regardless, the Texans are sending a clear message that O'Brien is their man, and his handpicked GM confirms that. It is not that O'Brien has been a bad coach. He has been a mediocre coach. He is 31-33 in four years with the Texans. The 2017 season was his worst at 4-12 after three straight 9-7 seasons. Of course, the Texans were plagued with injuries to their best players, including quarterback Deshaun Watson. So O'Brien probably gets a pass for that.

He has managed to win a playoff game despite the fact that he did not have a quality quarterback at the time. Of course, he was also the one who insisted Tom Savage, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, et al could play. That aside, he will have his franchise quarterback for the first time, and with Watson he had one of the best offenses in football for six games. So assuming Watson is healthy, that side of the ball should be OK. They need serious re-tooling on the offensive line, but Watson's mobility mitigates that somewhat. 

Where O'Brien has fallen short is in hiring of assistants, game management and late-half and late-game clock management. Those are things that can be improved, but four years in, the issues remain. 

He had to take over play calling duties after hiring a bad OC. He promoted Mike Vrabel to defensive coordinator, and Year 1 did not go well. Yes, there were injuries, but the scheme was questionable and very few adjustments were made throughout the season. He is once again looking for a special teams coach. 

But all those questions aside, O'Brien was given what he wants. A GM he can work with. Presumably more power. A longterm deal. 

“Bill O’Brien has been a tremendous leader for us these last four years and we believe in his vision for the team moving forward,” said owner Bob McNair in a press release. “Bill is a terrific teacher that the players respect. We have a lot of trust in him to build a unified, championship culture and we’re thrilled to have him as our head coach into the future.”

There should be no more excuses. O'Brien, like his team, has to take the next step. He needs to go from mediocre coach to good coach. Maybe having more power -- and Watson -- gets him there. Maybe that is the key to O'Brien's success. At least that is what Texans fans have to hope. 

O'Brien is their man. For better or worse.

 

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Joe Esapda is hoping Framber Valdez can secure a series win for Houston. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros (37-30) aim to close out their series against the Chicago White Sox (23-45) on a high note Thursday night at Daikin Park. The three-game set is currently tied 1-1, and with a chance to secure their 11th series win at home, the Astros will send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET.

Valdez (6-4, 3.07 ERA) has quietly been one of the most consistent arms in the American League. Known for his heavy sinker and ground-ball inducing style, he enters the night with a stellar 1.06 WHIP and 84 strikeouts. With the Astros bullpen having absorbed some heavy usage earlier this week, Valdez will be counted on to give Houston quality length.

Opposing him will be right-hander Davis Martin (2-6, 3.62 ERA), who has pitched better than his win-loss record suggests. Martin has maintained a 1.21 WHIP and will try to quiet an Astros lineup that broke out for 10 runs in Wednesday’s win.

Houston’s offense has been led lately by Jeremy Peña, who is batting .439 over his last 10 games with five doubles, two homers, and six RBIs. Isaac Paredes continues to be a steady power threat, leading the team with 14 home runs and a .468 slugging percentage. José Altuve, fresh off his 2,300th career hit, adds veteran stability to the top of the order.

The Astros are 23-13 at home this season and have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games. When they avoid giving up home runs, they win — as shown by their 20-4 record in games where they keep the ball in the yard. That will be a key Thursday against a White Sox team that’s light on power but capable of grinding out runs when they out-hit opponents (16-9 when doing so).

Chicago, meanwhile, has struggled mightily on the road, going just 7-27 away from Guaranteed Rate Field. Still, they’ve had unexpected success against the Astros this season, winning three of the first five matchups. Andrew Benintendi and Mike Tauchman have been among the few bright spots in a lineup that’s hit just .227 over its last 10 games and been outscored by six runs.

With the series on the line and the division-leading Astros looking to stay hot, Thursday night offers a chance to assert their edge with a trusted ace on the hill and momentum building in the lineup.

Here's a preview of the Astros lineup for the finale!

Christian Walker remains in the five spot after his big night in Game 2. Victor Caratini will be the DH hitting seventh behind Jake Meyers. Jose Altuve is shifting back to left field, with Jacob Melton getting the night off. And Brendan Rodgers will hit last and play second base.


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