Texans 2020 offense
What are the Texans' plans for the offense after all these moves?
Apr 13, 2020, 6:56 am
Texans 2020 offense
We've had the discussions about DeAndre Hopkins departure. We've talked about Brandin Cooks and the trades that have gone down. The concerns of injuries to this roster have been delved into. The moves have been made and now it's time to look at what the Houston Texans could be planning with their 2020 offensive attack.
Over the last week, I've done some research and read some tea leaves. By no means do I know exactly what the Texans plan and this article isn't coming from a place of inside sourcing. Here's what I believe Houston will attempt to do with Tim Kelly and Bill O'Brien.
The NFL is a copycat league, always has been. From the West Coast offense to the run and shoot to the craze over the pistol formation, NFL offenses are always looking to adapt to the most cutting edge attack. Joe Brady has been a fast riser in the football ranks. At every stop he looks to add new wrinkles to his offensive attack. Last year, he laid the foundation of an offense that took Joe Burrow to national champ and Heisman winner. Burrow threw for 60 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions.
Brady has since left Baton Rouge for Charlotte, North Carolina, where he'll run the Panthers' offense for new head coach, Matt Rhule. Rhule and the Panthers have brought in Teddy Bridgewater and PJ Walker to execute the offense. They've since traded Kyle Allen and parted ways with Cam Newton.
Bridgewater, like Burrow doesn't have the biggest arm, but he's accurate. He's a perfect fit for the Brady offense coming to Carolina. The Panthers have supplied Bridgewater and Brady with the exact weapons he needs for the execution of his offense. They have one of the top receiving backs in the NFL that is deadly as a rusher. They have speedsters all over the offense that can take short passes and maximize gains with efficiency.
Why am I discussing Joe Brady and the Panthers so much in an article about what the Texans' offense will look like in 2020? The reason is that I believe Tim Kelly will be tasked with building a similar attack. While David Johnson isn't in Christian McCaffrey's league anymore, there was a time, where his skill set was similar. The receivers that both team's employee aren't the biggest or best, but the respected groups would probably come in first and second if the NFL had a relay race among all 32 teams in which each roster had to use their four fastest receivers.
Here's how the receivers matchup:
DJ Moore | 6'0 - 4.42 | ------ | 6'0 - 4.38 | Kenny Stills |
Curtis Samuel | 5'11 - 4.31 | ------ | 5'10 - 4.33 | Brandin Cooks |
Robby Anderson | 6'3 - 4.34 | ------ | 6'0 - 4.32 | Will Fuller |
Seth Roberts | 6'2 - 4.44 | ------ | 5'10 - 4.46 | Randall Cobb |
Brady's offense mixes the West Coast offense with RPOs (run / pass option). The WCO will attack short to intermediate with the speedsters uncovering quickly and using their speed to maximize the gain of every high percentage throw. Both teams also employee great deep threats. The blend of this will force defenses to cover from goal line to goal line while also stretching from sideline to sideline. That alone makes it difficult for a defense to defend. What could make it more unstoppable? A dual-threat quarterback that can take off at any moment, combined with the ability to throw accurately on the run. The fear of Deshaun Watson running an RPO is deadly. Linebackers and safeties will have to honor the handoff to David or Duke Johnson. The hesitation, if even for a split second, forces the defense to pause. The brief pause gives Watson the chance to give to the back, keep it and run himself, fire off a pass to a quick developing route or move the point from the pocket and beat the defense with a pass from outside the pocket.
The offense forces the defense to defend every blade of grass on the football field. It's a 180 from the Gary Kubiak days. Kubiak would run to set up the pass. This offense allows you to pass to set up the run. The fear of passing on every down, in any situation will open up running lanes. When you have backs like McCaffrey and Johnson (when healthy) it adds an extra wrinkle. Both guys aren't typical running backs. They can motion or line up out wide and run routes like a receiver. At 6'1 - 224 pounds, David Johnson is the biggest receiver among Houston's top four pass catchers.
I can't tell you that Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks and David Johnson will all stay healthy, but I can tell you that if they are healthy, this is a potent attack. They have speedsters and this offense is based on getting your speedsters in space and letting them create. A healthy blend of formations, varying personnel groupings and tempo will give headaches to opposing defenses as the premise of the offense is for the offense to create the mismatches and move players around to exploit them.
After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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