The Houston Texans have been here before. To be perfectly fair, they have been here three other times before in their history. When things start to go sideways as they have this season there are stages
that the team goes through. Obviously, these are similar to the stages of suck I introduced earlier this week. Those stages are more for fans and analysts on the outside. Teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be immune to sucking, but almost every other organization has gone through this. Before we look at the current situation we should review the history.
2005
The Texans were not expected to do much as they were an expansion team, but the momentum they had built in their first three seasons had stalled. So, Bob McNair brought in Dan Reeves to evaluate the entire organization. The question is always the same: when things go sideways is it more about the Jimmy and Joe’s or about the Xs and Os? If we want to put a prettier bow on it we could ask whether the coaches are failing to develop the players or use them in ways that would insure their success or if the front office is just giving them bad players?
Reeves ultimately pointed the finger at both Dom Capers and Charlie Casserly. So, both got the boot and the organization started over with Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith. Both had their issues and the decision to move on from both of them was probably a good one. Looking back, I don’t think you’d ever expect things to go smoothly out of the gate.
2013
This season is probably the most directly comparable to the current season. The Texans were coming off of back to back division titles and were expected to win again. Matt Schaub turned into a pick six machine and the rest is history. This was also a comparable situation in that Smith and Kubiak were aligned until they weren’t. That familiar story came down again and the organization sided with Smith. This decision was not as clear cut as both Smith and Kubiak had their supporters and detractors. Plus, no Reeves was available to help out McNair.
2020
We know this story and while there was no power struggle, it was yet another example of whether it was Bill O’Brien the coach or William O’Brien the general manager. The power struggle may very well have been between Jack Easterby and O’Brien and just saying that statement out loud confirms how dysfunctional the organization was at that point. I certainly think O’Brien deserved to go, but Easterby should have been show the door and the failure to do so probably set back the organization a season or two.
That brings us to the current day. There were reports that Ryans was yelling at his assistants on the sideline, but he tried to quelch those rumors by saying he was yelling at the officials instead. Maybe that is true. However, there have been whispers already that Ryans was not 100 percent on board with the Caley hire and that he may already be disenchanted with him. That’s how these things always start. It is always a whisper. It is always an unnamed source within the organization. No one will go on the record and the powers that be will make their denials.
However, this is where it comes to a head. Ryans cannot defend two consecutive failed offensive coordinators. The only way he can try to pull it off is by claiming that one of them was not his. Yet, Nick Caserio is an even more precarious position. Ryans is his third head coach. The first two were really a part of the same failed plan to bring in placeholders that could kick the can down the road. Both will have a hard time convincing ownership and the fanbase that they deserve a third bite at the apple.
The main question
If the losses mount, there will be a reckoning. We asked a series of questions earlier on Wednesday, but it all stems from the same question: is it a coaching problem or a player personnel problem? Of course, the answer could also be both. So far, it looks like the answer could cut both ways. We see other teams with seemingly similar talent levels have more success. Yet, we also see roster construction issues that we have seen the last several seasons.
I will make the same plea that I have made numerous times. Cal and Hannah McNair need their own Dan Reeves. They need an uninterested third party that actually knows football that can sift through the BS and give them some answers. This is nothing against Nick or DeMeco. Neither is a bad guy and that makes this all the more hard. Both will plead their case and do so in convincing fashion. Those of us on the outside looking in will have our own opinions, but since none of us have been an NFL coach or executive we can only give an educated guess. Just expect more whispers to leak out as the season continues. Those whispers will get louder and more direct. It’s already started and it won’t stop by simply firing the offensive coordinator. It won’t stop until the Texans are back in the playoffs or one (or both) of them is shown the door.
