The Day After the Day After (type of): The Houston Texans, the beginning of the low season and issues

Sometime, Houston followers will watch the Convention Championship video games with greater than indifferent curiosity. There could also be an precise rooting fairness for the Houston followers, and dare I say it, the possibility to finish the night time with the best professional soccer achievement in Houston historical past. Till then, we should fulfill ourselves with the identical factor we’ve stated since 2002…wait till subsequent yr.

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Shake up within the Houston management ranks, two anticipated, one not: This previous week, the offensive line coach (Chris Strausser) and the offensive coordinator (Bobby Slowik) left the group. Given the struggles of the offensive line and the offense general, few professed that a lot shock. Nevertheless, the announcement that group president Greg Grissom and the Texans parted methods on Thursday caught many off-guard. For a person who’s been with the group because the starting and oversaw so lots of the enterprise elements of the franchise, it does appear somewhat odd to depart when the group is on a serious upswing. The again story stays incomplete. Maybe the group wished to go in a distinct enterprise path, with rumors in regards to the McNairs pushing for a brand new stadium floating on the interwebs. Or, after almost 25 years of service, Grissom wished to do one thing totally different.

Not that the McNairs wasted any time, as they introduced Mike Tomon as his alternative this Monday. Tomon’s resume consists of his stint at Legends, the place he labored enterprise offers for a lot of worldwide soccer/soccer golf equipment, the NFL and worldwide competitions. Based mostly on a press release from Cal McNair, Tomon’s work with “stadium development” would possibly increase quite a lot of eyebrows. Whereas this will not matter a lot within the short-term, this plot level is perhaps value watching within the years forward.

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The following domino to fall is…: Whereas the Staff President performs an necessary function within the enterprise facet, most of us solely care about one factor: “Who will be the offensive coordinator?” At this level, Houston has interviewed present quarterbacks’ coach Jerrod Johnson, however they’re linked to Ohio State College offensive mastermind (and former NFL head coach) Chip Kelly. Klint Kubiak was considered a primary contender, however as of Sunday night time, he left New Orleans to run the offense in Seattle. At this level, the subsequent offensive line coach and offensive workers rests on that one transfer. On condition that the offense was the weakest hyperlink on the group, even with CJ Stroud, Nico Collins and Joe Mixon, this rent is the largest for the squad. The choice is anticipated by this week.

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In regards to the Convention Title Video games: By now, we’re all coming to grips with a Tremendous Bowl rematch between the Kansas Metropolis Swifties Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles and their barbarian fanbase. The Chiefs look to be the primary NFL group to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls and the primary three-peat champion because the final of the Lombardi Packers within the mid-Nineteen Sixties. The Eagles look to shake the label of being the one NFC East group with out a number of Tremendous Bowls. Certain, the standard stars on the Chiefs (on and off the sector) will probably be there, and the Eagles carry some star energy of their very own, primarily Saquon Barkley. Nevertheless, this writer suspects that the majority non-Philly/Kansas Metropolis followers will root for..the meteor.

But, whilst Houston should as soon as once more watch another person go for the glory, Houston can take just a few issues from the victorious groups.

The worth of high quality working backs. It seems that Barkley will price among the many finest free agent signings of all time, as he put up over 2000 yards speeding within the common season and added over 300+ yards within the playoffs. The Chiefs received Isiah Pacheco again from harm and together with Kareem Hunt, that assist energy them to a different Tremendous Bowl. Houston received a high quality season from Joe Mixon, displaying how a working recreation nonetheless issues on this league.

Have a powerful protection. Philly and Kansas Metropolis boast maybe the perfect defenses within the league this previous season, and it confirmed within the playoffs. Of their matchups in opposition to Kansas Metropolis, Houston’s protection proved no slouch, and if not for the struggles of the offense or particular groups, maybe Houston wins that matchup in opposition to Kansas Metropolis.

Leveraging playoff expertise and making the large performs once they should depend. That is the place Houston nonetheless has some work to do. They’ve the expertise to match the highest groups, however they’ll’t appear to make the large play on the large stage both on offense or protection. In 2023, they had been forward of schedule, and thus, maybe not actually able to face down Baltimore within the playoffs. Whereas they struggled in 2024, for at the very least three quarters in Kansas Metropolis, they greater than held their very own. But, Houston needs extra than simply hanging with the large canines, they wish to be one of many large canines. Sadly, they must clear up a variety of execution to get there. Expertise shouldn’t longer be a limiting issue after this season.

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Houston, meet Kansas Metropolis. Kansas Metropolis, meet Houston: Many a Texans’ fan resents the continued success of the Chiefs, who at all times appear to have the entire breaks and performs go their manner. If luck is with those that don’t want it, Kansas Metropolis is overburdened with it. Mahomes is now taking part in for historical past, as is Reid and Kelce. But, the once-feel good story is souring quick, and the resentment is difficult to cover. Nevertheless, Houstonians can’t be too shocked or stunned to see how this performed out. Contemplate the Houston Astros, who, till this previous season, logged seven straight ALCS appearances, 4 pennants and two titles. Everybody received uninterested in them too, at the very least exterior of Houston. Accusations of less-than-fair-play (trash cans, overtly favorable calls) dominate the narrative, nevertheless unfair or overblown. Thus, you may cue the Spiderman Meme when the characters level to their precise duplicates.

What’s Subsequent?: We’ve got however yet one more actual recreation. Sure, the Professional Bowl is that this week, however that actually doesn’t depend (nobody get injured, please). The Tremendous Bowl is in two weeks, however it will not shock this writer if the rankings are literally considerably down for the sport. Nonetheless the largest TV occasion of the yr, however possibly not the record-setter of the previous few.