FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Hunkered down and low to the ground while barking out instructions about he wants his offensive line to operate in the trenches at a nasty, optimal level, Cole Popovich was in rare form during an August day in West Virginia.
During a remote training camp practice at The Greenbrier adjacent to the surrounding mountainside, Popovich preached the power of his lowest man wins philosophy. His message was heard and received,loud and clear.
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An overhauled offensive line was listening closely. Although the Texans’ blockers would go through several stops and starts and different configurations throughout training camp and the offseason, the buy-in factor was always there. At various times, the offensive line has drawn heavy criticism. That was before they found the right lineup and hit a groove during this NFL-leading 10-game winning streak.
What it took was the elements of a blue-collar work ethic, time, maturation of younger players along with a new and bold voice leading the room and a ton of experimentation for the Texans to reach this point.
Heading into an AFC divisional round showdown against the New England Patriots, the Texans’ reboot of their offensive line has emerged as a success. Especially compared to previous editions of the offensive line. It’s a new day for one of the most scrutinized and criticized areas of the football team over the past few years.
The dramatic changes to the line, a reset signaled last February at the NFL scouting combine by coach DeMeco Ryans, has been built in the vision of Popovich.
“We’re heading in the right direction,” Popovich told KPRC 2. “We’re nowhere near where we need to be or want to be, and so we’ll just continue to try and get better every day, practice, carry those into the games, and see how much longer we can go.”
A former protege of legendary Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarneccia in New England, Popovich is overseeing a rebuilt line in Texas.
That includes rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery, a former Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, versatile former first-round draft pick Tytus Howard, a veteran blocker and team leader who has played right tackle and right guard before shifting to left guard, center Jake Andrews, a former Patriots lineman who played for Popovich at Troy University, right guard Ed Ingram, a former Minnesota Vikings second-round draft pick having his best NFL season, and massive right tackle Trent Brown, a former Pro Bowl selection and Patriots starter who’s one of the largest players in the NFL at 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds.
This iteration of the Texans’ offensive line is arguably its most talented and effective unit that the team has fielded this season. It marked their eighth different starting lineup of the year.
The way the Texans linemen have embraced a tough-love approach from Popovich has been at the heart of the turnaround. Popovich, a former Fresno State offensive lineman who left the Patriots during the pandemic for personal reasons before coaching high school football briefly and at Troy prior to joining Texans coach DeMeco Ryans’ staff, coaches with a ton of intensity. He wants his guys to be physical and tough all of the time.
“He means a lot to the whole line,” said Ersery, a second-round draft pick from Minnesota. “He brings a different energy, a different attitude. And our guys, we like him, we love him. We just love his mentality and how he rubs off on everybody in the room."
A year ago, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was in the crosshairs of pass rushers far too frequently. His numbers regressed as he was sacked a career-high 52 times during the regular season. He was sacked 11 more times in the playoffs.
That led to the dismissal of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and offensive line coach Chris Strausser and trading five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, primarily moving on from a gifted, albeit penalty-prone blocker primarily for financial reasons. Strausser was replaced by promoting Popovich to head offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
This season, Stroud has been sacked a career-time 23 times. That has made a major difference in how he operates inside and outside the pocket.
“I think they’re doing amazing,” Stroud said. “I thought we’ve all grown from Tytus all the way down to me. I think the leadership in that room has grown. I think Cole has done an amazing job. He’s hard on those guys.
“He yells, he cusses, he does everything that you think an offensive line coach should do. Those guys, they’re:‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘No, sir.’ They also don’t back down when a challenge is presented. They’re the heartbeat of our team. We go as far as they go.”
The dramatic changes to the offensive line were started in the offseason when Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio made several personnel changes.
The Texans traded former first-round offensive guard Kenyon Green and cut starting guard Shaq Mason. They drafted Ersery, traded for Ingram, claimed Andrews off waivers and signed free agents Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson. Robinson was beaten out by Ersery and traded to the Cleveland Browns. Tomlinson lost his starting job and was released.
It took a long time for Brown to heal up from a torn patellar tendon suffered last year with the Cincinnati Bengals. Once Brown was ready to go, the Texans’ NFL-leading winning streak of 10 games was launched against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a comeback victory engineered by backup quarterback Davis Mills.
The Texans engineered a line shuffle on the fly in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams when Ingram couldn’t play due to an abdomen injury. Ersery pivoted to right tackle. Robinson started at left tackle. And Howard played guard. Nothing worked very well, though. Jared Verse and Byron Young had big games against the Texans, disrupting at the line of scrimmage. The Texans got off to an 0-3 start. The finger pointing and criticism from outside the building was unrelenting.
It’s an entirely different narrative altogether now about the Texans’ offensive line. They’re walking tall.
“I think early in the year we added a lot of new guys to the room, and so it did take some time to just kind of figure out, you know, what’s kind of the best stuff for us to run with those guys,” Popovich said. “That’s just how football can be. It’s not always who starts out best, especially in the NFL. You just look at that year after year, can you continue to improve throughout the year?
“Can you figure out who you are, what your identity is? That’s really important. Everybody wants to start good. I want to start good, too, but that’s kind of like overblown a lot of times in those first months of the season. I’ve been a part of a team that’s been like that. We may not be doing the best in the beginning, but we kind of figure it out as we go.”
Getting to this point wasn’t without a lot of interruptions and failed configurations.
It took time and patience for the line to gel together.
In a win over the Buffalo Bills, Brown, 32, allowed zero pressures in 21 matchups against accomplished veteran defensive end Joey Bosa. He’s the first offensive lineman to shut out Bosa since 2018.
“Trent was with me in New England, I was helping Dante at the time, so we were together,” Popovich said. “We worked to get Trent back there and then he didn’t stay. And then unfortunately I didn’t stay. Really happy to have Trent here.
“He’s a very large human being. He’s got really good movement skills. He’s very powerful. He has familiarity with the offense and the style of play and the techniques that we’re after. That’s been beneficial.”
The Texans allowed their lowest pressure rate since the fifth game of the 2023 season, giving up pressures at a 16.1 percent rate, per Next Gen Stats.
“We’ve got talent,” Howard told KPRC 2. “Everybody can play.”
Because of injury and personnel decisions, including the misstep of having an overwhelmed former New England Patriots starter Sidy Sow start at right guard against the Jaguars before he was benched after nine plays, the offensive line was constant flux.
After the Rams game, the Texans lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Jarrett Patterson replacing an injured Andrews at center. When Brown injured his knee and ankle against the Las Vegas Raiders, Howard stepped in at right tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers. Blake Fisher played left tackle with Ersery out after undergoing thumb surgery to address a fracture and dislocation. The Texans still allowed zero sacks.
The most frequently utilized group his season has been Ersery at left tackle, Tomlinson at left guard, Andrews at center, Ingram at right guard and Howard at right tackle.
A substandard performance in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season in the AFC divisional round triggered changes in the leadership of the position group and roster. If the Texans don’t allow eight sacks and 14 quarterback hits to the Chiefs, perhaps they would have made franchise history as the first Texans team to win a divisional round playoff game and advance to the AFC championship game.
That game may have marked the breaking point for the coaching staff and personnel department, leading to the retooling of the line.
The standard is being established by the guys and Popovich.
“I think a lot of it’s just showing up and being the same every day for myself, and kind of saying this is exactly what we’re after and what it should look like,” Popovich said. “If it doesn’t get to that point, we have to coach it. Even if the rep was fine, like you won the matchup, you were fine, but this was wrong.
“This stuff wasn’t what we wanted, this hand placement. And so just continuing to be consistent with every single guy in there, and then really the group itself has just done a great job of continuing to work and trying to get better every week."
For Howard, it has been an odyssey of a season.
He was slated to play right guard initially after previously playing right tackle, right guard and left tackle for the Texans. He has played every spot except for center. He jokes that he could even play quarterback in a pinch having played the position in high school and is capable of heaving the football 70 yards, per Mills.
“I’m a team-first guy,” Howard said. “Everything I’ve done in my career is for the betterment of the team. I just continue to get better at my craft no matter where I’m at each and every day. I’m just trying to grow as a player, grow as a leader every day. Whatever I can do to help the team win.
“I think the biggest thing for me early on in my career is I had guys around me to listen to. Laremy helped me out a lot in my career. Each and every day teaching me. I think the biggest thing for me is just studying my opponents.”
The versatility that Howard has displayed along with his unselfish nature speaks well of him and his willingness to step in wherever he’s needed.
Behind the scenes, it’s Howard, the longest-tenured lineman on the roster after joining the Texans in 2018 as a first-round pick from Alabama State, leading the charge.
“He’s a guy that’s been in the building for a number of years now, even before I was here,” Popovich said. “And I think he’s been great for all those young guys. His willingness just to do whatever it takes to help us win, I think it’s a great example for really everybody on the team, but especially in that room.
“He’s a unique player. I don’t think there’s a lot of guys that can really play both positions to the level that he’s done. You might be able to get through a game with a guy going out to tackle or a guy coming in the guard, but being able to play week in and week out at either of those positions is pretty special,”
A week ago, the Texans earned a 30-6 AFC wild-card road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They did so despite an uncharacteristic five fumbles from Stroud, two of them lost, and an interception.
The Texans leaned on their top-ranked defense and a resurgent running game as rookie running back Woody Marks rushed for a season-high 112 yards with one touchdown. The Texans gained 164 yards on the ground, 5.3 a pop.
As Howard pointed out, the Steelers knew the Texans were going to continue to punish them on the ground, all for naught.
“They couldn’t stop it,” Howard said. “They knew it, we knew it, everyone knew it.”
Ingram was regarded as an underachiever with the Vikings as a former second-round draft pick from LSU who was inconsistent in his technique and lost his starting job. A change of scenery has sparked his career to the point that there’s mutual interest in a potential contract extension.
“He’s got a lot of natural ability,” Popovich said. “He’s very explosive and strong. It’s really just getting him in there and kind of getting him to buy into what we’re doing, right and to learn those techniques. He’s done a great job.”
Andrews’ familiarity with Popovich and what he expects has helped a ton with communication.
“Another guy who can help the other guys and to say, ‘This is what he means by this, this is what he’s looking for,’” Popovich said. “Sometimes, it’s good to have a different voice. Another guy that’s been great to have in the room.”
Popovich has been instrumental in overseeing the changes across the line, praised consistently by Ryans and offensive coordinator Nick Caley, his former New England colleague.
“I think they’ve gelled in a lot of ways,” Caley said. “I think the most, communication, cohesiveness, seeing the game through the same set of eyes. Jake sets the table. They’ve done a really good job. Cole Popovich does an outstanding job with those guys.
“I think he’s a hell of a coach and I’m really proud of how far along those guys have come. You’re right, we’ve had some different people in there at times, but I feel like we’re playing our best football, and those guys are continuing to get better. I’m really proud of those guys.”
It’s a new singular voice leading them in Popovich.
He coaches the line with a gruff, hard-nosed approach to football, to the trenches.
“I think the biggest thing is really just want to have a tough offensive line that plays the game in a way that the whole team can kind of see,” Popovich told KPRC 2 during training camp. “There’s a toughness established from our group there, right? We’re not shying away from any kind of contact. And then, really, the other thing would be just a smart group.
“I don’t want missed assignments. That’s the biggest things. We’re trying to play clean football, trying to eliminate bad football. Play very tough, be assignment-sound, and I think we’ll be okay if we do those things."
Ingram has been one of the highest graded guards all season and has several pancake blocks.
Ersery initially dealt with growing pains. He plays the toughest position on the line and struggled early, especially against Jaguars pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen in a road loss. Ersery stuck with it, though, and has improved a lot.
“He’s a tough kid,” Popovich said. “That’s one of the things we liked about him, was just like his innate toughness, you know, and then obviously he’s got all the traits that you’re looking for, size and strength and power. He’s a good mover, and so he’s done a really good job. It’s kind of what we expected when we were looking at Tae.”
Ersery has improved, though. He allowed no sacks against the Bills and just three pressures remains a work in progress, with a ton of upside. He’s an ascending player.
“I feel pretty good about the group we got,” Ersery said. “I feel like we are all physically gifted in some type of aspect, little nastiness to the game. We try to put guys in the dirt.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Just absorbing things from the older guys, taking the coaching, spending extra time, really just trying to figure out my routine, what works for me. I ain’t perfect.”
Brown needed time to get healthy having torn his patellar tendon last season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Since he was activated from injured reserve, he’s shown he still has a lot left in the tank. Although listed as questionable, Brown is expected to start against the Patriots on Sunday, per a league source.
Popovich is in his third season with the Texans. Popovich broke into the NFL as a coaching assistant in 2016 before being promoted to assistant running backs coach working with Sony Michel then being named co-offensive line coach when Scarneccia retired.
Howard has one word for the stamp Popovich has placed on the offensive line: “Nasty.”
Popovich left the Patriots for personal family reasons related to mandatory NFL Covid-19 vaccine regulations and coached high school football in Franklin, Massachusetts. He was then hired at Troy University as their head offensive line coach before joining the Texans and winning two consecutive AFC South division titles as part of Ryans’ first two seasons in Houston.
Playing for Popovich again has been a fun experience for Brown.
“I think the thing about coaching is you set a standard,” Brown said. “When you set a standard, either they accept the change or whatever is going on in the room or you gotta move on to somebody else.
“I think he’s done a hell of a job of creating and setting the standard. Having some guys that know what it looks like to help spread that message, I think that’s probably been my biggest ability and show guys what it looks like.”
The Patriots have a strong front seven headlined by defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore and pass rushers Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson, a North Shore graduate.
“You’re in the playoffs, all you’re going to see is good fronts,” Popovich said. “I think last week was a great front. This is a great front, really well-coached defense. They obviously play really hard, they play together really well. They’re very physical. The scheme is challenging. They’re going to show a lot of different looks.”
For Popovich, this playoff game represents a return to his New England roots.
It’s where he and Caley absorbed a ton of knowledge from Bill Belichick, Scarneccia and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“None of that stuff is the same there, so I don’t really have an emotional attachment or anybody that’s really there besides Josh,” Popovich said. “Josh, obviously, helped me a ton and really all of us, but the reason it’s an important game is it’s the divisional round. And that’s the thing that you’re feeling right now and everybody is and can’t wait to get to the game and start playing.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com