The Houston Texans offensive line took a beating in 2021.
The Texans didn’t have their first 100-yard rusher until Week 16 when Houston thrashed the Los Angeles Chargers 41-29. The Texans offensive line also protected a rookie quarterback in Davis Mills, who took 31 sacks, which represented 7.3% of his drop backs, the 10th-most in the NFL.
Factor in the failed expectations were ingredients in the Texans’ 4-13 record, and every week was a beatdown.
However, offensive line coach James Campen was a key part in keeping the attitude of the unit upbeat, according to center Justin Britt.
“I love James Campen,” Britt said on Jan. 10. “If I could have it my way, I’d want to play for him for the rest of my career. He was someone who literally made every day enjoyable. The games we got shut out, didn’t score, we’d show up the next day and he would make those meetings enjoyable, which throughout a long season like this, it pays dividends and keeps your mental health in check. You don’t go down a rabbit hole, you just keep grinding, keep working. He’s someone like that who motivates his players and he knows this. I’ve told him this.”
The Texans signed Campen after Anthony Lynn was fired from the Los Angeles Chargers at the end of the 2020 season. Campen was the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line coach in 2019, and coached with the Green Bay Packers in various capacities, mostly the offensive line, from 2004-18 when Mike McCarthy was fired.
Campen won’t be the only returning face for Houston. The Texans have offensive linemen that Britt, who is on an expiring contract, wants to work with if he is brought back to Houston in 2022.
Said Britt: “I wish I had more time to work with guys like Lane (Taylor) who didn’t get in until three quarters of the way. I wish we had more time to gel. I wish me and Max (Scharping) got to work together more. I wish LT (Laremy Tunsil) never got hurt. I wish Tytus (Howard) never got COVID and he kept that hot streak going with G (Geron Christian). I wish we had seven linemen on the field. It was just one of those years that was a lot of fun for me.”
If Britt is able to have more time in 2022 with his teammates, and Campen is leading the unit, the former Seattle Seahawks 2014 second-round pick will have fun for another 17 games.