BILL O'BRIEN

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Top-ranked Alabama has arrived in North Texas for its playoff semifinal game without offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien or offensive line coach Doug Marrone.

We're checking the temperature of the USC football coaching search. Penn State's James Franklin is considered a top candidate. Urban Meyer still isn't.

Houston Texan fans have lost of reasons to get plugged into the college football game this coming season.

Houston has been the city where suspect trades go to die.

The Houston Texans were a team on the rise two seasons ago, and now they might be the worst team in the NFL.

When it comes to assigning blame for the current state of the Texans, it starts at the top with the owner.

Saban and Alabama opened spring practice Friday, March 19, 2021l with an immediate goal. For now, they need to find replacements for three of college football's top offensive weapons. Patterson, File)Nick Saban and Alabama opened spring practice Friday with an immediate goal. He also didn't get a spring practice last year because of the pandemic. The Crimson Tide holds its spring game on April 17 and opens the regular season against Miami on Sept. 4 in Atlanta.

Bill O'Brien is the one departed member of Houston sports management who vacated two positions at once. ^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsThere are plenty of reminders of just how wild a sports year it's been in Houston with respect to attrition in sports. Here we go:HEAD COACH/MANAGERASTROS: Dusty Baker, 2020REPLACED: A,J, Hinch (FIRED, sign stealing scandal)THE FUTURE: Baker has one year left on his deal. This, despite the sign stealing scandal and his horrific attempt at an apology for it.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsWhen Sean Pendergast recently explored the possible locations quarterback Deshaun Watson might move to in his request for a trade away from the Houston Texans, a lot of our readers were inspired to weigh in with their own take on the situation on the Houston Press Facebook page. Most of you were pretty tough on Watson, saying he signed a multi-million deal and ought to stand by it. This is where he’s going to find himself right here in Houston until he learns to be a team player." As Dan Shannon wrote: "Goes to show how "D-Hop" was the real backbone of the team.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsIf I could describe the ongoing Houston Texans' head coaching search — 114 days and counting, like a hostage crisis! This means they had a head start on every other team seeking a head coach. Yet, here we sit, in late January, and six other teams have fired their head coach and hired his replacement, and here the Texans are still farting around with second interviews for multiple candidates this week:The #Texans head coach schedule:— #Bills DC Leslie Frazier has his 2nd interview tomorrow. Let's go in chronological order of hiring:URBAN MEYER, JacksonvilleThe first head coach off the board was, by far, the biggest name, and the coach that I have wanted all along for the Houston Texans.

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2020, file photo, Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien watches during an NFL football training camp in Houston. Alabama has hired former Texans coach O'Brien as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – National champion Alabama has hired former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. O'Brien also served as offensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions and won national coach of the year honors after going 8-4 in 2012. A 28-year coaching veteran and former Brown defensive player, O'Brien was also offensive coordinator at Duke.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. An average head coach at the NFL level can scheme circles around most college coaches, and as a COACH, O'Brien was just that, average. University of Alabama is football's "coach rehab" outletChalk O'Brien up as the latest failed football coach to seek career rehabilitation in Tuscaloosa. Finally, Steve Sarkisian was last seen in college as a head coach getting fired at USC for literally being drunk at work, and in the NFL getting fired by the Falcons for being bad at his job. He would be a very sellable head coach to recruits with his New England, Alabama, and NFL head coaching background.

This just in — the Houston Texans were not very good last season. So who will be the one anointed as the fourth full time head coach in franchise history? In fact, the folks at betonline.ag literally want to make it even more interesting by providing odds on whom the Texans will choose as their next head coach. Next, there is no chance they retain Romeo Crennel and make him the permanent head coach, so cross him off. In fact, it appears to be fairly likely that Meyer winds up in Jacksonville as the next Jags head coach.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsThe 2020 calendar year was a sad one for Houston Texans fans, players, really anybody associated with the team. Behold, J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson leaving the field together on Sunday, and Watt apologizing to Watson for the other 52 guys wasting a year of Watson's prime:"I'm sorry, we wasted one of your years." Watt to Watson after a tough season. No, J.J., it's not you who should be apologizing to Watson, but I'm not surprised you did.

It started out in such typical fashion, as I listened to Bill O’Brien utter those words at his morning-after press conference at NRG Stadium. Just weeks after that disastrous loss in Kansas City, Cal McNair handed the keys to franchise to Bill O’Brien as he was officially promoted to general manager. The questions on Jack Easterby started heating up, as every word Bill O’Brien said during those virtual meetings was dissected. As much as Astros fans rolled their eyes at his actions, many MLB players and fans openly rejoiced, looking at it as revenge. November 11, 2020: Texans fire Amy PalcicShe was the first woman in the NFL to serve as the head of public relations for a team.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Having said all that, J.J. Watt deserves better. pic.twitter.com/IOtsy9ELYr — Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) December 27, 2020This bit of audio and video was picked up everywhere nationally, praised by players and fans everywhere in a "Finally, somebody said it!" pic.twitter.com/ljHCAV3U0z — Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) October 4, 2020Here is J.J. Watt two weeks later after an overtime loss to the Titans....Watt: "If we do our job and we tackle, we're alright. pic.twitter.com/zg5NMFYm2S — Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) November 4, 2020I don't know what happened with Watt.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Fourteen more will move onto the postseason, and as we all know, the Houston Texans will not be one of those teams. Offensive line playThe offensive line is also a big issue with the slow starts, but unlike Deshaun Watson, who usually recovers just fine from getting out of the gate slowly, the offensive line, more often than not, stays in the doldrums for the remainder of the afternoon, particularly in the run game. The problem is that Mike Devlin just is not a good offensive line coach, despite what Bill O'Brien would try to tell us. If the next head coach has a good hire in mind along the offensive line, then this is an area that can uptick very rapidly.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt leaves the field after a losing an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Houston. HOUSTON – The Houston Texans have been bad all season. Sunday was the third time in the past four games the Texans have had a chance to win or tie a game late but lost a fumble instead. “And in my mind, for me, he brings a high level of hope for us to be able to win a game. The Titans beat the Texans 42-36 in overtime in Week 6 behind a 212-yard rushing performance from Derrick Henry.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Per Texans media relations, in an email to the media:Houston Texans T Laremy Tunsil and QB Deshaun Watson were named to the 2021 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced today. This marks the 17th-consecutive season (2004-20) that the Texans have had at least one player selected to the Pro Bowl. Tunsil has been selected to his second-consecutive Pro Bowl (2019-20) after starting 13 games at left tackle this season, becoming only the second offensive lineman to earn consecutive Pro Bowl selections in franchise history. He leads the NFL in passing yards per attempt (8.76) while also ranking second in both passing yards (4,134) and passer rating (110.6).

In the case of the Astros, the widely reported sign stealing scandal revealed a culture of winning run amok under the guiding hand of former GM Jeff Luhnow. ESPN reported this week that the Rockets team structure could be summed up by the words of a former member of the Rockets staff: "Whatever James wants." James Harden has wielded unimaginable power with the Rockets. Given his low energy, uninformative press conference he gave on Wednesday, Harden appears to be more than willing. And let's hope the owners learn something about who to trust with that power in the future.

Thus, I'm fairly certain that a fully healthy season for Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt would have been at or near the top of the list. INJURED RESERVE STARTERSJUSTIN REID, SReid's season is over with a hand injury suffered against the Bears. BRANDON DUNN, DTDunn's 2020 season ended on Sunday with a hip injury suffered against the Bears. He's an unrestricted free agent after the season, and my guess is he will be somewhere else in 2021. DUKE EJIOFOR, OLBEjiofor has suffered season ending injuries in or before training camp in each of the last two years.

I was more intrigued by what type of effort we would see from the Texans, especially early in the game. Like the final upcoming three weeks of the NFL season, let's get this over with ... winners and losers... here we go... The Dolphins, the recipients of the multiple first round picks from the Texans for Tunsil's services, are laughing watching the Texans' season slide into the toilet, and watching those picks rise up the board. Bill O'BrienThis designation — Bill O'Brien, WINNER — might make you scratch your head. My "broken record" bullet point of the week — the Texans' offense punted on their opening possession.

They lost, again, in confounding, heartbreaking fashion, 26-20 to the Indianapolis Colts, falling to 4-8 on the season. HiltonHilton is a Texans killer, having racked up over 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 career games against the Texans coming into Sunday. Yesterday, Hilton was slicing the Texans throughout the first half, with seven catches for 100 yards and the Colts' first touchdown of the afternoon. The Texans bottled him up in the second half, only one catch for ten yards, but the damage was done. Speaking of 100 yard games, the Texans actually had TWO receivers hit the century mark yesterday.

Now, though, the Texans are getting company on the "vacant head coach and GM" front. The Lions fired Patricia and GM Dan Quinn on Saturday just two days after the Texans stomped them on Thanksgiving Day at home. The Jags fired their longtime GM David Caldwell on Sunday, and head coach Doug Marrone is probably not far behind. DETROIT LIONS (4-7)The Lions fired Jim Caldwell after three winning seasons in four years to hire Patricia, a Bill Belichick disciple. It could make it a tougher run for a head coach to go through a slow build with a young QB.

Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb and Kenny Stills. On Friday, after Stills missed the trip to Detroit with what was reported as a quad injury, the Texans waived Stills. LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Stills will enter the waiver wire, and we will find out Monday of any team picks him up. If they do, then the Texans will be off the hook for the remaining $2 million or so on Stills' deal.

The last time the Texans travelled to Detroit for a regular season game was in 2012, also played on Thanksgiving. They're 3-7 and trying to just keep these good vibes going week to week. So basically, once every ten times Watson has set foot on an NFL field, he's been the best player in the conference that week. Ironically, they go into this Week 12 game with both Fuller and Cooks having played in every game this season, and Randall Cobb and Kenny Stills both injured. Support UsSPREAD: Texans -2PREDICTION: Texans 31, Lions 24Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays.

Andre Johnson should be one of the former players with whom the Texans consult in their search for a new head coach. Also, firing O'Brien early in the season means the team is giving itself plenty of runway to find its next head coach and GM. So it begs the question — what would your "dream team" of ad hoc committee members look like, if you were trying to hire the best head coach and the best general manager for the Houston Texans? Parcells is known for hiring great assistants who weren't "yes men", many of whom went on to great success as head coaches. As a former head coach in the NBA, he has made numerous hiring decisions before, and as a Houston Texans fan, I'm guessing he cares deeply about the organization getting these calls right.

The Texans used to be light years ahead of the Buffalo Bills, and now Josh Allen has led the charge right past the Texans. The common theme among these teams — the Bills, Raiders, and Dolphins — these were all AFC teams that were CLEARLY behind the Texans in the AFC pecking order before Bill O'Brien started to get his meathooks into the roster. First, prior to Sunday's loss to the Browns, the Texans had beaten ALL five of them the last time they met. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS2020 RECORD: 6-32018-2019 RECORD: 11-212015-2019 RECORD: 36-44PLAYOFF APPERANCES 2015-2019: 2016LAST OUTCOME vs TEXANS: Texans 27, Raiders 24 (Week 8, 2019)ADDED INSULT TO INJURY: The Raiders are 6-3 with a CARR at quarterback. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS2020 RECORD: 6-32018-2019 RECORD: 17-152015-2019 RECORD: 37-43PLAYOFF APPERANCES 2015-2019: 2018LAST OUTCOME vs TEXANS: Texans 20, Colts 17 (Week 12, 2019)ADDED INSULT TO INJURY: Isn't having these guys good again while in the same division as the Texans insult enough?

Let's start with the actual Texans game itself, as we lay out the winners and losers from Sunday.... Kareem Hunt and Nick ChubbThe story of this game was undoubtedly the second half bludgeoning the Browns administered to the Texans in the run game. The Texans were actually defending the run well for most of the afternoon, allowing 83 yards on 23 carries through three quarters. It's that teams like the Browns, Raiders, Dolphins, Bills, and Colts (all 6-3, except the Bills, who are 7-3) have all shot past the Texans. Those may have come in handy toward the end of the game, except truth be told, the Texans' run defense probably wasn't stopping the Browns anyway.

(AP) – The Houston Texans have fired vice president of communications Amy Palcic. She was the first and only woman to be in charge of public relations for an NFL team. Just wants what’s best for the team and what’s best for the organization. Always trying to do what’s best and was a massive helping hand with me during the hurricane and during my entire time here. The remainder of the team's public relations staff remains intact.

I got duped hard by Texans running back David Johnson in the preseason. Here was O'Brien on Johnson during training camp:“Arian Foster was a great three-down back. He had good size, great vision in the running game,” O’Brien said on Texans All Access when asked if he’s coached a running back like David Johnson. “Not trying to get into comparisons or anything like that, but since then, we really haven’t had that guy until now with David Johnson. If we are being honest with ourselves, David Johnson never had a chance.

I’ve been informed of some possibilities but nothing definite right now.” Do you think the trade possibilities have become a distraction to the team about their status? I think players like the security of knowing that they’re going to be on the team and they don’t have to uproot family and move and stuff like that. But like I told the players, I’m trying to win games and I’m not trying to trade players. The cap hit for the Texans to move him would be minimal, although I'd like to see the Texans hold onto Roby. TRADE LIKELIHOOD: 10 to 15 percentWILL FULLER, WR (SPOTRAC)DEAD CAP $ HIT: NONEREASONABLE COMPENSATION: 3rd round pickMITIGATING FACTORS: If the Texans are of mind to trade Fuller, then they need to get it done.

WEEK 9: at JACPreseason Line: Texans -3Pendergast Estimated Line on 10/21: Texans -3.5The Texans are safe here. WEEK 10: at CLVPreseason Line: Texans +2.5Pendergast Estimated Line on 10/21: Texans +3.5Cleveland is a weird team. WEEK 11: vs NEPreseason Line: Texans -3Pendergast Estimated Line on 10/21: Texans -1.5The Patriots are 2-3, although one of those losses was with Brian Hoyer in at QB for a COVID-addled Cam Newton. WEEK 13: vs INDPreseason Line: Texans -2Pendergast Estimated Line on 10/21: Texans +1.5Oh man, these two games against the Colts do NOT look fun. WEEK 15: at INDPreseason Line: Texans +4.5Pendergast Estimated Line on 10/21: Texans +6.5See above.

However, the coroonoavirus reared its ugly head in the Titans' locker room, and they suffered the biggest wave of the virus of any NFL team, thus far. They had to push their Week 4 game against the Steelers to Week 8, and they had to push their Week 5 game against the Bills to this past Tuesday. Texans run defense REALLY getting testedThrough four games, the Texans had the worst run defense in the NFL. That is absolutely the case this week, as Titans OC Arthur Smith SHOULD be a name that Cal McNair explores as a possible candidate. SPREAD: Texans +3.5PREDICTION: Texans 27, Titans 24Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is stepping down on his own accord, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Daryl Morey - Houston Rockets general managerRockets General Manager Daryl Morey stepped down Thursday, and the decision was mutual, according to KPRC 2 sources. Coach Bill O'Brien speak after Texans fall to Chiefs (KPRC)Bill O’Brien - Texans head coach and general managerAfter an 0-4 start to the season, Texans fired head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien on October 5. Mike D’Antoni - Houston Rockets head coachShortly after the Houston Rockets exited the NBA playoffs, head coach Mike D’Antoni announced he was not returning next season. Houston Astros manager A.J.

There are plenty of people who think the Houston Texans should have fired Bill O'Brien years ago. Across the board — poor on-field results, misguided roster construction, inability to get along with others, moderate to heavy dictator traits — firing Bill O'Brien was the right move. The Jags won a road playoff game in Pittsburgh in 2017 to get to the AFC title game. On the other hand, um... BILL O'BRIEN WAS THE FREAKING PLAY CALLER AND OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR MOST OF THOSE SEASONS! So when Bill O'Brien ultimately resurfaces, and is possibly campaigning to find his next employer and next fan base to suck the life out of, re-read this post and thank the football gods that hope has been restored.

HOUSTON – The Texans are preparing for their first game since the end of the Bill O’Brien era. Houston is 0-4, but hoping for a fresh start and a win over a beatable division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars. One way to do a better job of tackling is to have live tackling drills. Other than that, no, I think the tackling shouldn’t be too big of an issue more than it is any other year.”Does the team think the Texans can turn this around? I think that’s been good for our leaders on the team to step up and do that.

This time last week, the winless Houston Texans were heading into a home game against the winless Minnesota Vikings. According to multiple reports, star defensive end J.J. Watt got into a shouting match with head coach Bill O'Brien in the week leading up to the trip to Pittsburgh in Week 3, a shouting match that enough other players internalized as Bill O'Brien finally losing his mind that the head coach "lost the team." I'll let the Texans' interim head coach handle this one:RAC Run D spiel on energy and attitude ? The Texans win Sunday, but it will be a close one. SPREAD: Texans -6PREDICTION: Texans 27, Jaguars 26Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays.

J.J. Watt posted a tweet that would appear to be some shade thrown at Bill O'Brien. I'm gonna go with "J.J. Watt? Moving along, I think people are very curious exactly what Deshaun Watson thinks of Bill O'Brien at this point. — Aaron Colvin (@AColvin_22) October 6, 2020Hey, I'm no big O'Brien fan, but Aaron Colvin can stick it. You're no better at your job than O'Brien was at his.

HOUSTON – The Bill O’Brien era is officially over in Houston. McNair didn’t feel a turnaround would occur unless he gave O’Brien, the teams General Manager since January, his walking papers which he did on an afternoon phone call to O’Brien. Associate Head Coach Romeo Crennel was tabbed by McNair as the Texans Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. Here are some of the top quotes from the now former Texans GM and Head Coach. I will leave here with very fond memories of the Houston Texans organization.

HOUSTON – Fans are having a field day on social media Monday after the firing of Texans head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien. It’s been no secret how Texans fans have felt over O’Brien’s coaching and past decisions. #billobrien #Texans pic.twitter.com/wjlOPxyGnl — Sigma (@SigmaxAlpha) October 5, 2020Bill OBrien fired. pic.twitter.com/DA0POhJPdp — Afang Fist 👊🏾 🇳🇬 (@RedIsNotAFlavor) October 5, 2020Bill OBrien got fired?? Lol 5 yrs too late — marc_regal🎚🏁 (@Marc_regal) October 5, 2020Deshaun Watson has been saved!!!!

This Texans team doesn't look remotely ready to win a football game, let alone win the nine or ten games that would be required to make the NFL's postseason. Perhaps the most frustrating and infuriating part of the Texans' failure this season is that head coach Bill O'Brien was supposed to be an offensive expert (despite six recent seasons of Texans football that display the contrary), and the offense flat out stinks. By Monday afternoon, Texans owner Cal McNair had seen enough, and he decided to move on from Bill O'Brien, firing the seventh year head coach and naming Romeo Crennel as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. These are the most important people in the building, not Bill O'Brien. Now, the next head coach has a personnel mess to clean up, but will do so with a franchise quarterback in place.

The Texans sure could use DeAndre Hopkins right about nowBill O'Brien is, at his core, a football coach. He had no clue on player value, and he made moves with the impetuousness and impatience of a toddler. They traded DeAndre Hopkins for him, and the Texans are second to last in the league on third down conversions this season. O'BRIEN THOUGHT HE WAS GETTING: Johnson in 2016, when he was an All-Pro who had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. Also, ostensibly, he was brought in as at least a big part of the "replace Hopkins" solution.

Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien, center, gives signals from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)HOUSTON – The Houston Texans had faith that coach Bill O'Brien was the man to lead them to their first championship. O'Brien repeatedly thanked the McNair family for the chance to coach the Texans and apologized for falling below their expectations. Romeo Crennel, who was the team's assistant head coach, will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. I think football is the ultimate team game, so I really there’s no doubt in my mind that I want to coach again."

Houston Texans' head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien has been fired. Team owner Cal McNair announced the decision Monday and thanked O’Brien for his work with the team. O’Brien speaks after firing:WATCH LIVE: Bill O'Brien speaks after firing from Texans Posted by KPRC2 / Click2Houston on Monday, October 5, 2020SOME TOP QUOTES FROM HIS EXIT PRESSER:On being fired:“I respected the decision. Romeo Crennel will serve as our interim head coach for the remainder of the 2020 season. pic.twitter.com/5JbZylPTbp — Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 5, 2020This is a developing story.

So the thought was the game yesterday against the Minnesota Vikings would be very telling as to where exactly the Texans reside in the tapestry of NFL teams. So Sunday was a crossroads kind of game for both teams, with the loser being relegated to the tier of NFL teams just above the woeful New York Giants and New York Jets. So we got our answer as to what exactly the Houston Texans are — they are, by nearly any measurement, one of the worst teams in the NFL. Related Stories Bill O'Brien Climbing The Odds Board For First NFL Coach FiredLet's lay out the winners and losers.... People betting against the Texans scoring on their opening driveSay this about the Texans — they are remarkably consistent at failure.

The Minnesota Vikings have reason for optimism after holding off a late rally by the now-despondent Houston Texans on Sunday. The Vikings missed a 55-yard field goal attempt on their next possession before Watson and Fuller hooked up again. Fuller made a 43-yard reception to get the Texans to the 8-yard line, but Houston settled for a 25-yard field goal to get within 17-16. Minnesota added a 31-yard field goal to make it 10-0 and a field goal by Houston midway through the second quarter cut the lead to a touchdown. Houston had a first down at the 10-yard line just before halftime but settled for a 28-yard field goal as many in the crowd of 12,102 booed loudly.

It wasn't all that long ago that we were touting a "golden age" of Houston sports. each has at least one player who has the talent to be in the MVP conversation in his respective sport. MITIGATING FACTORMoving Harden almost assuredly turns this team into an also-ran, which would make for some likely apathy among Houston sports fans. It think betting on a teardown is betting on the underdog, but I think some sort of modified rebuild is absolutely in play. Someone is going to have a hell of a roster cleanup on their hands when they take over for him.

One day after an especially frustrating loss to the Steelers, Bill O’Brien spoke to the media about what the team needs to do to turn it around in Week 4. The most important thing to get the Texans back on track“We have to play better, complementary football," said O’Brien. There was more return yardage out there for us, punt return, kickoff return. "At the end of the game there, Eric Murray made a really good tackle that almost caused a fumble through the end zone. "Obviously, we’ve played three really good teams.

That's the extent of the things which O'Brien and Texan fans have in common. The Texans are 0-2 to start the season, having been outclassed by the Chiefs and Ravens in Weeks 1 and 2. Now, they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, who, like the Chiefs and Ravens, are 2-0 on the season. Here are four things to watch for in this Sunday's game at Heinz Field:4. SPREAD: Texans +3.5PREDICTION: Steelers 27, Texans 19Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays.

The Texans have a major problem on opening drives since the beginning of 2018 with Watson at the controls. Well, the Texans flat out SUCK at executing first drives of games under O'Brien, with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Opening drives in the regular season since 2018 in Deshaun Watson starts:33 games, ONE touchdown (Week 9, 2018 @ DEN)On the 32 non-TD drives:* 19 punts (10 3 and outs)* 7 FG* 1 missed FG* 4 FBL* 1 INT* 3.25 yards per playTotally unacceptable. So on opening drives with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, since Week 1 of 2018, the Texans offense runs at an efficiency level roughly 30 percent WORSE than the worst offense in football. It's about as good a strategy as the Texans' coaching staff seems to have right now when it comes to fixing this abysmal part of an already deteriorating 2020 football season.

HOUSTON – Prior to the beginning of the Texans home opener against the Baltimore Ravens, head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien took a knee, along with several Texans players, during the National Anthem on Sunday. The Texans players taking a knee included Deshaun Watson, Kenny Stills, Justin Reid, Eric Murray, Keion Crossin, Randall Cobb, Deandre Carter and Vernon HargreavesIn Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Texans stayed in the locker room for the national anthem.

That means their rematch at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night will be the first game for anybody since February. Chiefs coach Andy Reid no longer carries around the heavy and ignominious tag of best coach never to win a championship. This is the best opportunity you can have to start the season.That contract extension is the second largest in NFL history. Very, very dynamic players, Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. They also will miss cornerback Bashaud Breeland and defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who are suspended for the start of the season.

Fans watch the Kansas City Chiefs during NFL football training camp Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Chiefs coach Andy Reid no longer carries around the heavy and ignominious tag of best coach never to win a championship. This is the best opportunity you can have to start the season.That contract extension is the second largest in NFL history. Very, very dynamic players, Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. They also will miss cornerback Bashaud Breeland and defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who are suspended for the start of the season.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) laughs with running back Duke Johnson (25) on the sidelines during NFL football training camp Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, Pool)HOUSTON Deshaun Watson has agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Houston Texans. As a child growing up in Georgia, it was always my dream to play in the NFL, Watson wrote in the post. In his post Watson thanked Texans coach and general manager Bill O'Brien and many members of the team's staff as well as his mother and other family members before sending a message to Texans fans. Now back to the work ..."Houston traded up to select Watson with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

The Texans have no preseason games to measure how they stack up so tonight’s scrimmage will have to fill that void. The key getting some reps in game conditions and get out of NRG tonight healthy. What to watch for tonight:Number 1 Offense: tonight is a chance to see Deshaun Watson run the offense effectively. When he is healthy he’s proven to be a favorite target for Deshaun Watson. The scrimmage begins at 7pm inside of NRG Stadium.

HOUSTON – The timing was right for Texans general manager and head coach Bill O’Brien to open up about his opinions and emotions following the death of Houston native, George Floyd. “The Floyd family has been an unbelievable example for this country ... topped off by yesterday, with 60,000 people down there at the (Discovery) Green in downtown Houston," O’Brien said. Houston unites and Houston is uniting around the Floyd family. I think a lot of that has to do with the example of the Floyd family. I think as a white head football coach in the National Football League, it’s important to speak out.

The soon to be award-winning, ten-part documentary The Last Dance finished up last week with parts nine and ten wrapping up the series. To bring The Last Dance concept back around locally, what Houston Texan seasons would be worthy of a multipart documentary series? I have four seasons in mind:2010 season (6-10 record)This was the first season that the Texans really went into a year with expectations from the outside. 2016 season (9-7 record)This is the only season on my short list in which the Texans were over .500 for the year. Osweiler was retired from football before the end of what would have been his original four-year contract with the Texans.

To that end, I know a lot of Texans fans are choosing to continue wallowing in the DeAndre Hopkins Trade Negativity circle of Texans hell. Indeed, you misery addicts wont like to hear this, but here goes Bill OBrien NAILED his first draft as Texans' general manager. Thankfully, the board fell the right way, and the Texans were able to land the Sugar Land native and lifelong Texans fan. Overall, with the Blacklock and Greenard picks, the Texans did what I wanted them to do address the front seven on defense. ESPN knocked it out of the park with its productionAs someone who lists his favorite hobby as "schadenfreude," I couldn't have been more disappointed in how smoothly everything ran for ESPN over the three day draft.

We knew Laremy Tunsil was going to become the highest paid tackle in the history of the sport. Hell, there's even a graphic that the Texans' social media team tweets out and embeds in videos welcoming every new player to the team. Check this out...Laremy Tunsil negotiated his own $22M per year deal directly with Texans coach-general manager Bill O'Brien without an agent. Source: The #Texans have engaged in very preliminary discussions with QB Deshaun Watson on a potential contract extension. Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) April 24, 2020If you think the Tunsil contract was massive, you ain't seen nothing yet.

A video of Texans coach Bill O’Brien appearing to have a meltdown during the NFL draft has gone viral on social media. Due to coronavirus, the 2020 draft was held virtually and broadcasted from the homes of players, coaches, and general managers. In a clip from the draft shared on social media, O’Brien is seen seen slamming down his phone, looking furious during the third round. Texans' coach Bill O'Brien sure seemed upset about something. “Listen, we talk to a lot of teams,” Lions general manager Bob Quinn said according to the Post.

HOUSTON – Finally we will have a legitimate sports event to follow later this week when the NFL holds its annual draft. I did a Facebook Live this week and talked about the technology that will be a big part of the NFL Draft. Did I mention this NFL Virtual draft will be done from the homes of all involved with the league and each team? “I don’t know if I would call it a concern, I would say just making sure that your cell phone works. We’re going to have a mock draft early next week, so each team will be able to kind of walk through it, rehearse it.

Brandin Cooks is the newest Houston Texan, and will be under a lot of scrutiny because of whom he is replacing. The Brandin Cooks trade (which I don't think was AS terrible as some experts seem to think, but O'Brien gets no slack from anyone, and rightfully so) is the latest chess (checkers?) The Brandin Cooks SituationI haven't written about the Cooks trade in this space, so here goes. If the Texans get the version of Brandin Cooks in THIS video, the trade will be a home run.... Unfortunately, there's a great chance the version of Brandin Cooks in THIS video, and that would be a complete disaster....Brandin Cooks is tough as hell, but I'm concerned about his 4 concussions in the last 26 months.

Well, over the weekend, the Houston Texans finally got around to two things. It's still hard to watch highlights without the room getting a little dusty, if you know what I mean. As we all know, Bill O'Brien has been touting the need for "tough, smart, dependable" players for the last year, really since Brian Gaine was fired. The article announcing the Texans' moves on their website, an article ironically entitled "Texans place priority on re-signing many of their own," the first sentence reads as follows:The Texans place a premium on players who dependable, tough and smart. Roby was very good last season on a one year prove-it deal, when he was healthy.

@DeAndreHopkins Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) March 17, 2020As expected, a classy sentiment from Watson, who refrained from expressing any frustration toward Bill O'Brien in his respects to Hopkins. Hopkins' numbers on a pregame basis, trend right along side Johnson's, except in touchdowns, where Hopkins has a massive advantage. We were probably four seasons away from seeing Hopkins surpass Johnson in all of these counting stats, and now it won't matter. We wont be able to enjoy Hopkins being named All Decade for the 2010sThe All-Decade team for the 2010s should be getting named sometime soon. We wont get a Hopkins Ring of Honor ceremonyTo this point, there are only two members of the Houston Texans' Ring of Honor.

The Texans general manager and head coach Bill O’Brien made the decision to send Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to Arizona. Hopkins is one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the NFL and has been key to the Texans offense. The Texans other wide receivers, Kenny Stills and Will Fuller, have both battled injuries. The Texans clearly will need a wide receiver, but getting a top pick will be difficult as the Texans don’t have a first-round pick. This is the first major trade move O’Brien has made as the official general manager of the Texans, though he was behind the Jadaveon Clowney trade last season as well.

OK, previewing Houston Texans position groups the last week or so has been largely fun and games. The cornerback position was the Achilles heel of the defense in the second half of the season in 2019. Sure, it got almost no help from the pass rush, but from about the beginning of the season, O'Brien was making moves to cobble together a moderately capable group. Here are three burning questions on the Texans cornerback depth chart:Is this the end of the line for Johnathan Joseph? Conley, a 2017 first round pick, is still under the cost control of his rookie deal for two more seasons.

The #Texans have signed NT Brandon Dunn to a contract extension. Congrats to Dunn, who by all accounts, is a great guy, and who also serves the crucial function of locker room D.J. Funny is his nickname, and he got the ultimate shout out after his deal from Watt:Yessir, DJ Dunny well deserved!!! Reader, who like Dunn was prior to yesterday, is approaching free agency, and doesn't appear to be nearly as close on a deal as Dunn apparently was. The benefit of a franchise QB on a rookie deal is about to turn into dust for the Texans.

To that end, Pro Football Focus, one of the better websites out there for analytical perspective on player performance, recently put out their list of the top 101 players for the entire 2019 season, including the playoffs. The Texans were decently represented on the list, with three players making the cut. For big chunks of the season, Hopkins was a short yardage option to move the chains, a de facto extension of the running game. overall player in the entire league! As for Jones, the Texans drafted Nick Martin after Jones left, and extended Martin on an $11 million per year deal.

The reviews are in for the first week of XFL action, and they are largely very good. For Houston fans of the NFL that are still a little hesitant to embrace the XFL, know that rosters around the league are dotted with former Houston Texans. He had a tackle and a QB hit in Week 1 of the XFL season. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS10 Sammie Coates WRCoates was on the Texans' roster in the 2018 season, and started his XFL career with two catches for 26 yards. In May 2018, Mumphrey filed a lawsuit against Michigan State, which subsequently settled the case and cleared Mumphrey of any wrongdoing.

Monday, Texans CEO and Chairman Cal McNair announced Bill O’Brien is officially General Manager of the Texans. The Texans were without a GM last season, so O’Brien was making the team-related decisions that most GMs would make. When the Texans fired GM Brian Gaine in June, they wanted to hire Patriots VP of Player Personnel Nick Caserio. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Focus, the Texans interviewed “a pair of minority candidates for the G.M. Even though he was doing the role of GM before, he now has the official title to match.

Pick of the Week:Celine DionToyota Center 02.01Celine Dion became a household name in the '90s with heartfelt ballads. On tour in support of her 12th studio album, Courage, Dion will perform at Toyota Center on Saturday. The Best of the Rest:MortiisWhite Oak Music Hall 01.30When artists are asked to describe their music, dungeons are rarely mentioned. Hear his dark ambient tunes this Thursday at White Oak Music Hall. It makes for a unique listening experience, which the duo will bring to White Oak Music Hall on Friday night.

The corporate kill count for the Bill O'Brien Era regime over on Kirby Drive continues to pile up. * Chris Olsen, now former Senior VP of Football Administration was fired on the Sunday of the conference title games (excellent news dump time!). So now, onto the latest beheadings by Bill O'Brien and Executive VP of Football Development Jack Easterby, who are 100 percent co-running this show. He has been executive VP of team development. I repeat, it would be nice ifsomeone could explain just what the hell is going on over there.

Up 24-0 on a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team, eyeing their first trip to an AFC Championship game in franchise history. On Monday, Head Coach Bill O’Brien addressed the media. “We start that process today a little bit, get going on that,” O’Brien said, alluding to the meetings that take place with players. I know he respects the way we work and what we try to do to help the team win. It just didn’t go that way yesterday,” O’Brien said.

HOUSTON – Houston Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brien, the topic of much talk following the team’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, has apologized for some talk of his own -- an epic rant caught on camera after a game earlier in the football season. TMZ.com acquired video of the incident in which a heckler screamed, “You suck!” at the team as the players and coaches made their way through the tunnel during the game against the Denver Broncos. O'Brien screamed back at the man. O’Brien apologized for the incident at a press conference Friday, but talk following the Texans’ loss has reignited questions about the coach’s suitability for the team. What do you think about the rant and O’Brien?

"He's a winner, cares about winning, will do whatever it takes to win," O'Brien said. Since then as O'Brien has gotten to know Watson better and watched him lead the Texans he's only become more impressed with him. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins loves that quality in Watson and thinks that's one of the reasons why he's so successful. He believes the experience in that playoff game will help him on Saturday when he gets another chance to notch his first postseason win. "So, just being able to be prepared and see how the energy and everything changes in a playoff game, it really helps out to get that firsthand look last year.