Maybe losing Bobby Slowik wouldn’t have been so bad
As the quarterback goes, so goes the team. And when the offensive line coughs up 17 sacks in 4 games, the quarterback doesn’t go well.
It’s hard to know what’s happening in the Houston Texans locker room, particularly with the offense. But the symptoms are on display for the whole world to see when the team takes the field.
A once, highly-confident, incredibly accurate young quarterback now looks shaken and unsure. An offensive line that’s had plenty of money and draft resources thrown at it is dysfunctional at best, abysmal at worst.
Assuming these are professional football players who do their best each and every down makes sense. But football players are people with personalities, irrationalities and varying motivations.
From the looks of things, the offensive line’s motivations aren’t aligned with winning. They don’t seem to care in the slightest if their quarterback is beaten and/or defeated. Could it be Laremy Tunsil’s “pay me” mentality has infected the other linemen? Is offensive line coach Chris Strausser incapable of giving the “win one for the Gipper” speech? Is offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s 2024 blocking scheme too complex, full of logic holes? Does it just plain suck? Whatever it is, the o-line is clearly not bought-in on the game plan and Stroud is paying the price.
It’s easy to sit back and blame the embarrassing lost yesterday on kicker Kai’mi Fairbairn, or on Stroud, or the overall defense for not making enough stops or any of a number of other individual efforts.
In the end, however, there’s something unhealthy going on in the Texans locker room, meeting rooms, training facilities etc. and we’re watching it play out on the field.
Is Cal McNair still meddling? Has the ghost of Jack Easterby returned to haunt them? Are general manager Nick Caserio and head coach Demeco Ryans engaged in a power struggle? Or does it come down to a simple inability to get the players bought in to the schemes?
Whatever it is, the wheels have been coming off the Battle Red Bus for most of the season, despite the winning record. If this isn’t addressed and corrected, expect a brutal first round playoff loss… if they make it to the post-season at all. And 1-and-done playoff runs only screw the future by lining up bad draft positioning.
Either get this fixed, or start cleaning house.