Texans fire OC Slowik

[C.Biscuit97]

4 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

This is a reminder for all those saying Joe Brady would never take the Saints job. 

 

Slowik I thought did a good job. At various points this year he lost Diggs, Collins, Dell, Mixon to injury. They still made the divisional round. He even interviewed for a couple HC spots this cycle.

 

And out of a job. You got a hop on jobs when you're hot. Bet on yourself and you just may go bankrupt for reasons beyond your control anyway.

Great post and I agree. I think the Saints job is maybe one of the worst in the nfl - meh qb, old, expensive guys, terrible salary cap situation- but as you said, things change quick. Even if Brady sucks there, he will get an OC job again. 

 

Happiness is a product of expectations. We fired Frazier after leading multiple top 3 defenses. 

[Sojourner]

2 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

That’s why you take a head coaching job when you can. This has to be eye opening for Brady!

Agreed. Nothing is guaranteed and those jobs come scarcely for a lot of guys. If you’ve had quality success in the position prior to HC gig or candidacy there’s no reason it can’t be a fall back option unless your style is severely outdated. 
 

Brady, as much as it would suck for continuity, should take any HC job offered to him without hesitation. 

[Beck Water]

6 minutes ago, Starr Almighty said:

I felt like they did a decent job with all the injuries. Odd firing

 

Agreed.  I'm feeling like the Texans are scaping his goat.

 

3 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

Just reminding folks in here….There were numerous people that wanted to fire McDermott for Bobby Slowik last year (you know who you are 🤣) and put him on the same level as Ben Johnson.  
 

What a ridiculously overreaction and a horrible move that would have been.  Slowik might not even be an OC next season.  He was terrible this year.  

 

Yes, we do over-react about coaches, using the "greener grass" principle. 

I'm not so clear that the Texans offensive problems are on Slowik, though:

1) They had a whole 5 games with their planned-for receiving corps together before Collins got hurt.  8 games total with Diggs.  Then they had 5 games after Collins came back before Dell had that horrible injury.  I felt last year that Stroud's apparent poise and maturity in the passing game was linked to having quality receivers that ran good routes and showed up where he expected.  Didn't have that this season.

2) Stroud threw 5 picks last season, 12 picks this season.  Part of that is shortage of quality WR, part of that is teams having more film on him. 

Either way, I don't think it's entirely on Slowik.  They still won 10 games.

[Albany,n.y.]

12 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

Last year, he was a hot HC candidate. Now he's out of a job. Life comes at ya fast in the National Football League. 

This is why when you're a hot assistant, you have to take a HC job if it's offered.  The pipe dream that a team like the Bills can keep Brady by offering him more money isn't going to happen if he's offered a HC job this year (although there aren't many left). Look at what happens if the hot OC's O drops in productivity.  An OC can end up like Slowik or even worse, Byron Leftwich, who has been reduced to interviews so a team that has no intention of hiring him can meet the Rooney Rule requirements. 

[C.Biscuit97]

1 minute ago, JohnNord said:

Partly attributed, sure.  But go back and watch the sacks he took this season.  Many were on CJ.   
 

I’ve often heard “sacks are a QB stat.”  That is and isn’t true but more times than not in Houston, I’d argue this was the case.  

I mean he’s a pure pocket passer. It all goes hand in hand - receiver injuries, guys not getting open, stroud not being a scrambler. I think the biggest thing that got criticized about their offense was it was super run heavy and predictable. There are things you can scheme up to get guys free, even if they aren’t great players. Sounds like BS was basically like run Mixon on first down on nearly every drive 

[Beck Water]

13 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

They had a terrible o-line and some major injuries but Stroud still took a big step back in my opinion. His pocket awareness was some of the worst I've ever seen. 

 

That's what happens when you have a young QB who is worried about whether he's gonna get killed while he tries to find a receiver open downfield.  He takes a big step back.

[C.Biscuit97]

1 minute ago, Sojourner said:

Agreed. Nothing is guaranteed and those jobs come scarcely for a lot of guys. If you’ve had quality success in the position prior to HC gig or candidacy there’s no reason it can’t be a fall back option unless your style is severely outdated. 
 

Brady, as much as it would suck for continuity, should take any HC job offered to him without hesitation. 

It’s a little different but I remember Nate Oats at UB who loved Buffalo. But Bama came and offered him more money that he could make in 20 years at UB so even if he got fired, he still is ahead. 
 

I will never fault a coach or player for getting a better (more money opportunity). 

[Beck Water]

13 minutes ago, Bray Wyatt said:

Hard to run a competent offense when your OL is terrible and you lose 2 of your top 3 wrs

 

Don't forget they also lost Collins for 5 weeks (plus another couple where he wasn't at full speed)

[DrDawkinstein]

Hopefully Slowik takes the Saints job tomorrow!

[Steve O]

21 minutes ago, Starr Almighty said:

I felt like they did a decent job with all the injuries. Odd firing

Not so odd. I mean, the writing was on the wall the second Dorsey became available.

[davefan66]

Strange. Something is up.  Do DeMeco and him have bad blood? Stroud power play?

 

Late firing for sure.  Is he in the running for one of the new OC jobs and they decided to part ways and let him take a lateral move?

 

Heck of a fall from grace.  Especially this year wasn’t all his fault with injuries.

[C.Biscuit97]

5 minutes ago, Logic said:

The Texans had a bad OL and lost Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to injuries for the season. Started guys like Xavier Hutchinson and Jared Wayne at WR.

So by all means, fire the OC.

Weird.

We had a bunch if injuries after we fired Frazier after multiple top 3 defenses. 
 

I agree with the injuries and Stroud stepping back. But their offense was super predictable and they should have schemed more quick passes. I won’t have fired him but there was talk all season they weren’t happy with their offense.  They have to take away of his cheap Stroud is now (though you could argue that making him learn a new offense is a backwards step too). 

[Logic]

 

[Beck Water]

5 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

I mean he’s a pure pocket passer. It all goes hand in hand - receiver injuries, guys not getting open, stroud not being a scrambler. I think the biggest thing that got criticized about their offense was it was super run heavy and predictable. There are things you can scheme up to get guys free, even if they aren’t great players. Sounds like BS was basically like run Mixon on first down on nearly every drive 

 

I don't watch enough Texans games to know if they actually ran Mixon on every first down on nearly every drive.

 

I can look at stats and say their offense is not "super run heavy".  It was predominantly a passing offense last year (57% pass) and the same this year.

 

 

[DapperCam]

Earlier in the year it was obvious the Texans oline was bad, and it didn’t feel like they adjusted enough to that fact. Reminds me of Dorsey calling long developing pass plays when our offensive line wasn’t as good.

[Albany,n.y.]

8 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

Partly attributed, sure.  But go back and watch the sacks he took this season.  Many were on CJ.   
 

I’ve often heard “sacks are a QB stat.”  That is and isn’t true but more times than not in Houston, I’d argue this was the case.  

One of the best examples is when Rob Johnson & Doug Flutie played behind the same O-line & Rob took a lot more sacks than Doug.  

[JustHewIt]

In addition to some of the mcdermott comments already made, kudos to McD for identifying Dorsey as a problem in a similar situation and moving quickly, which allowed us to get Brady in there, crush Miami's spirit last year, revamp our offense, and lead to us being where we are now.

 

He could have waited like the Texans did, and we'll see how that works out for them now. But feels like Brady's experience last season is paying dividends this year.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Great opportunity call the guy my that just prepped for the Chiefs defense a week ago to ask "What did you learn and what went wrong?" May possibly be a nugget or two we can use.

 

If not a reason to touch base with him and feel him out as a potential Brady replacement should the Saints come knocking. 

[Beck Water]

3 minutes ago, davefan66 said:

Strange. Something is up.  Do DeMeco and him have bad blood? Stroud power play?

 

Late firing for sure.  Is he in the running for one of the new OC jobs and they decided to part ways and let him take a lateral move?

 

Heck of a fall from grace.  Especially this year wasn’t all his fault with injuries.

 

They had time to do all their evaluations and interviews with players, then they turn to the staff.   Maybe the evaluations and post-season interviews turned up some stuff Ryans wasn't aware of or wasn't certain were factual vs. impressions.

[GunnerBill]

In fairness to the Texans some of the games I watched of theirs this year the playcalling was downright weird. It was like they were been chosen at random. But they did have major injuries at receiver and the oline regressed. 

 

My worry would be, and it is a worry of most guys off that Shanny tree, how good is he at adjusting when the defense takes away the thing he wants to do? But overall I think he is unfortunate to lose his job. 

 

Wouldn't surprise me if he winds up doing okay somewhere else.