Falcon Points
With latest Rockets news, is Houston sports headed for the dark ages?
Nov 12, 2020, 1:26 pm
Falcon Points
By now, you have likely heard Russell Westbrook wants out with the Rockets. James Harden is not returning phone calls. Daryl Morey is gone and no one knows if his replacement can do the job. Mike D'Antoni is gone and no one knows if his replacement can do the job. The rest of the players are grumbling.
The Westbrook era is likely over, and maybe Harden goes next. For a city that has been buoyed by stars for the past several years, that era may be coming to a close as all three major franchises face big challenges in the coming years. (Sorry, Dynamo fans, you were already in the dark ages). A look at all three:
THE ROCKETS
The off-season has been one of turmoil. In a perfect world, the Rockets would hope a new coaching staff could make things work with the two stars. But if Westbrook wants out, it might be time for a total reset, and that would include moving Harden. It would be painful, because the Rockets are a playoff team with Harden. Without him? It could be a long reset. But it has to happen sometime, and maybe now is the time. Rockets fans have gotten spoiled, so a big step back might hurt the bottom line for a while, but you can't rule out the possibility. The turmoil might just be the beginning of a brutal stretch.
THE ASTROS
George Springer is the biggest loss of the off-season, and Justin Verlander won't pitch at all in 2021. They are down two outfielders, although it is possible they bring back Michael Brantley, which would leave only one spot to fill. Yordan Alvarez should return and provide some of Springer's production, so the offense should be OK. They got enough out of the pitching staff last season to be a playoff caliber team once again. The bullpen needs to be fixed, but that's not all that difficult.
But there are still real concerns. Jeff Luhnow built a roster that made it to the ALCS four straight times. We don't know if James Click can maintain that. And is Jim Crane backing off on spending? It would not be a shock considering the loss of revenue from the Rona. They should still be good in 2021, but beyond? Carlos Correa will be a free agent after next season. Verlander might never pitch again. Zack Greinke will be a free agent. The farm system is uncertain. The Astros could easily fall back to the pack at that point. Right now, they are still a safe bet to stay relevant. But for how long?
THE TEXANS
We all know what a mess Bill O'Brien left behind, and while a shrewd GM and a better coaching staff could get them competitive pretty quickly, does anyone believe that will be the case? A poor hire at GM, another unpopular coach...things could get ugly quickly. J.J. Watt, perhaps the most beloved Texan ever, will probably not be a part of it no matter what. Texans fans will have a hard time with that, but it's going to happen, and it should.
It might be difficult to swallow, but it's not inconceivable that when 2021 rolls around, some of Houston's biggest sports names - Watt, Harden, Westbrook, Springer - will be gone. And the bad thing is it could very well get worse from there.
Hopefully, the Rockets rebuild quickly. The Astros retool. The Texans get their hires right. If not? Things could get really bleak very fast.
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!