Battle Red Blog
The Day After the Day After…when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of Week 8:
And Nick Caley took that personally: After the debacle in Seattle, perhaps no Texans player/coach was under more condemnation than OC Nick Caley. Ryans had to issue the dreaded verbal vote of confidence for him. Certainly, a great Seattle defense line made the offense look stupid, but Houston execution did not help matters. This game, completely different story. Granted, the 49ers were without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, which would weaken any defense. However, the Texans responded with a masterclass in smart, efficient offense. For a team that didn’t break 270 yards for a full game, Houston gained 299 yards and put up 16 points in the 1st half. Caley’s offense produced a smart, effective game. The Red Zone execution (1 TD in 5 trips) might leave something to be desired, but Houston scored on every trip. Against a 49ers’ team that was in the top 10 for scoring defense, Houston scored on its 1st 6 drives. Houston generally avoided the big lost yardage play, surrendered no sacks and controlled the clock for over 41 minutes. Houston went 9 of 16 conversion rate on 3rd Down, a major step up for a team that only converted 30% coming into the game. Maybe Caley still doesn’t survive the year, but respect the bounce-back.
Get to 20: In Houston’s wins, they score more than 20 points. In their losses, they are under 20. The defense, aside from the Seattle game, has not surrendered more than 20 points. Given how the team leads in scoring defense (14.7), Houston doesn’t need the most explosive attack. A smart, near-ball control offense like today is a way ahead. Even with only one Red Zone TD, the Texans did score on all five trips (4 FGs/1 TD), and the Texans’ defense, if it continues this quality of play, is going to make scoring opportunities difficult for other teams. If the Houston offense can get at least 20 points, that will win more games than not.
Checkdowns aren’t bad: One of the criticisms on Stroud is that he will sometimes look for the home-run ball too much. Good to try to hit big plays, but the NFL is about moving forward. The checkdown/dump-off can be your friend. See the Woody Marks 50-yard catch-and-run. The play wasn’t meant to be a big gainer, but it came from Stroud going through his progressions, and then seeing an open option when all else was non-viable. Several times during the game, Stroud worked through the progressions, but then quickly turn to an open checkdown. Sometimes, Stroud does not take that option (see the end of the Jacksonville game). Not that you want Stroud to become “Captain Checkdown”. It is all about looking for the big, but executing the smart.
***The Play That...
