4. coaching and culture
As a team builder, coach Bill O’Brien had one of his best seasons as he addressed the Texans’ holes with key trades in preseason, at cut day, and throughout the season to keep Houston competitive.
However, as a coach, he did let the team down at times.
Take for example the win over the Patriots in Week 13. After a signature win that was personally one of his all-time best, after a win that as an organization signaled the Texans passed a checkpoint, the club didn’t ride out the momentum to a winning streak to end the season. Instead, all of the momentum gained from that big Sunday night win was chucked out the window with a 38-24 loss to the 4-8 Denver Broncos who were starting a rookie quarterback.
Credit O’Brien that the Texans were able to regroup and beat the Tennessee Titans the following week for a preliminary battle for the AFC South crown, but one of O’Brien’s mentors, Bill Belichick, would have kept the team focused and not tripping from the endorphins of a big win over a top dog in the conference to then drop a home game to one of the AFC’s mutts. It’s that element that is missing from O’Brien’s coaching and from the organizational culture that could compromise their bid to play in the conference title game this postseason.