Tag: Bobby Slowik

Falcons to interview Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik

Falcons to interview Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to interview Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting. Slowik worked well with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud this season, helping the Texans upset the Browns in the opening round of the playoffs.

Slowik also has interviews scheduled with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders on Sunday, Schefter reported. The Texans offensive coordinator previously had virtual meetings with the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.

The Falcons have interviewed 11 candidates thus far for their head coach opening. Bill Belichick, Raheem Morris and Joe Brady spoke with the team earlier this week. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is also expected to return for a second interview in Atlanta sometime next week.

Click HERE for the full list of candidates that the Falcons have interviewed thus far.

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Saints request interview with Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson

The Saints requested an interview with Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, who may be the up-and-comer fans have been asking for at offensive coordinator:

Here’s a new name for the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator search: CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that the Saints have requested an interview with Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson. He’s played a major part in helping Texans rookie C.J. Stroud acclimate to the NFL as one of the season’s most exciting young quarterbacks.

Johnson, 35, was a standout quarterback himself at Texas A&M (Saints head coach Dennis Allen’s alma mater) from 2008 to 2010, turning pro with the second-most career passing yards in school history to his credit. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles for training camp in 2011 and bounced around the league after that, spending time with the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and Dallas Cowboys during the years that followed.

Since turning to coaching in 2017 with the Bill Walsh Diversity coaching fellowship (first on the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, then the Indianapolis Colts with Frank Reich) he was risen quickly through the ranks. Johnson worked as the Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022 and joined the Texans last year, working closely with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Now he’s drawing attention for an OC job of his own. Johnson has worked with many successful coaches in this league and could be the up-and-comer Saints fans have been asking for. We’ll see how his meeting with New Orleans plays out.

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Texans OC Bobby Slowik scheduled to interview with Commanders on Sunday

Slowik is next up on Washington’s interview list.

The Baltimore Ravens kicked off the NFL divisional round on Saturday with a dominant 34-10 win over the Houston Texans. It was a surprisingly close game in the third quarter before Baltimore scored 24 unanswered points to end Houston’s amazing bounceback season.

The Texans had won 11 games combined over the past three seasons, but new coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud took Houston from worst to first in 2023, with the Texans winning the AFC South and a wild-card playoff game.

While Ryans and Stroud receive most of the credit for Houston’s success — and rightfully so — offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was another essential element. The first-year offensive coordinator helped turn around Houston’s offense, which finished 31st in offensive DOA in 2022, per FTN, to 14th in 2023.

Slowik’s success in helping turn around Houston’s offense, developing Stroud, and his pedigree — he’s a Kyle Shanahan disciple and the son of a former longtime NFL coach — have him popular on the coaching carousel in 2024.

Several teams have requested interviews with Slowik for their head coaching vacancies. Last week, Slowik had virtual interviews with the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.

On Sunday, Slowik will interview with the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, and Atlanta Falcons. With six head coaching positions currently open, Slowik, at 36 years old, stands a good chance of landing his first job soon.

The Commanders have already interviewed Anthony Weaver (Ravens), Mike MacDonald (Ravens), Dan Quinn (Cowboys), Raheem Morris (Rams) and Ben Johnson (Lions). Washington also requested permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

How will new general manager Adam Peters impact Washington’s coaching search? Could Peters expand the candidate list since taking over last week? As it currently stands, Johnson and Slowik are the only offensive coaches on Washington’s interview list. However, Peters said the most important trait he was looking for in the head coach wasn’t a specific side of the ball but leadership.

Slowik began his NFL coaching career in 2011 as a defensive assistant for Washington under Mike Shanahan. He remained in that role for three seasons.

Seahawks to interview Ben Johnson today, Bobby Slowik tomorrow

Seahawks to interview Ben Johnson today, Bobby Slowik tomorrow

The 12th Man will have plenty of incentive to watch two teams during this weekend’s divisional round, as they might feature their next head coach. As the Seattle Seahawks are searching for their new man at the top, they have extended their search to two of the hottest candidates: Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

With Detroit set to play tomorrow, the Seahawks are taking full advantage of the off day and are interviewing Johnson at some point today. But they are sharing his time with both the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.

Johnson is arguably the top offensive candidate. He revived quarterback Jared Goff’s career, he is an excellent play caller/designer, and showed an aggressiveness most coaches are still lacking in today’s NFL. However, another name – and offense – to keep an eye on is Bobby Slowik of the Houston Texans.

The Texans went from being one of the worst teams in the NFL to winners of the AFC South and a Wild Card playoff game. The straw that has stirred the drink of the Texans has been rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, and Houston’s offense. Now, Slowik is scheduled for an interview with the Seahawks tomorrow.

Next on the docket for the Texans is a tall order, as they must rematch the top seeded Ravens in Baltimore, who has arguably the best defense in the NFL. How Houston handles their business against could make or break the 12’s opinions of Slowik, especially since he will be going directly against fellow head coach candidate – Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Second round of interviews begin with these 5 candidates

Ranking Seattle’s 5 biggest roster needs going into 2024

ESPN NFL Matchup: X’s & O’s film on the Texans offense

Here’s an exclusive look at the Houston Texans offense with ESPN NFL Matchup.

Darius Butler from ESPN NFL Matchup took a look at the Houston Texans offense on film this week. They like to use misdirection to create advantages for their skills players.

Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik deserve credit for leading the Texans to such an impressive offensive showing versus the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild.

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The Texans will need to move Baltimore Ravens linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen if they want to be effective in the AFC Divisional. Stopping Texans HB Devin Singletary is essential in this game. Let’s take a look at more Texans film below.

12 elevator pitches for the Panthers’ 12 HC candidates

There are 12 known candidates for the Panthers’ HC vacancy. What’s the greatest strength that each can offer to the organization? Let’s make some pitches.

There’s quite a lot to keep track of right now if you’re involved with the Carolina Panthers, who are currently in the middle of their second head-coaching hunt in as many offseasons. So, we’ll try to simplify the search.

Let’s make a pitch for each of the 12 candidates, highlighting the greatest strength they can bring to the struggling franchise.

The Ravens know they’re dealing with a different C.J. Stroud this time around

The Ravens were able to contain C.J. Stroud in Week 1 of the regular season, but they know they’re dealing with a different Stroud in the divisional round.

We all know now that Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is one of the most remarkable rookies ever to play his position in professional football. But Stroud’s NFL debut had its rocky moments. Let’s take you back to Week 1 of the 2023 season, when Stroud had to face the Baltimore Ravens’ multi-faceted defense in Baltimore.

The Ravens won, 25-9, and Stroud completed 28 of 44 passes for 242 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 78.0. Stroud took five sacks. He was pressured on 25 of his 54 dropbacks, completing 11 of 17 passes for 78 yards. He attempted two passes of 20 or more air yards, completing neither. And play-action wasn’t a strength at that point, as Stroud completed four of eight play-action passes for… 26 yards.

“Honestly, just really the little things,” Stroud said after that game, when asked what he learned from the experienced. “It was football at the end of the day. Just getting out of the huddle, getting the plays clean, getting guys lined up and getting the play clock, things like that. I think those are the things that kind of hindered us a little bit. And then, just being more efficient in the red zone. So those are things I would definitely get better on.”

Yeah… so far, so good. Since Week 2 of the regular season, and including his demolition of the Cleveland Browns’ top-ranked defense in the wild-card round, Stroud has become the NFL’s most efficient deep passer, with 35 deep completions in 59 attempts for a league-high 1,213 yards, nine touchdowns, no interceptions, and a league-high passer rating of 143.2. With play-action, he’s completed 77 of 117 passes for 1,416 yards, 10 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 128.7 — only Brock Purdy (141.0) of the San Francisco 49ers has a better play-action passer rating than Stroud’s. And when under pressure since Week 2, Stroud has completed 71 of 137 passes for 903 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 80.0.

The Ravens have seen more than enough to know that the C.J. Stroud they handled in Week 1 is no longer that guy.

“Well, we were really impressed the first game, too,” defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said Wednesday. “We knew going into the game that — if you remember me talking about it back then – we didn’t feel like you were going against a rookie at that point. So, you’re just seeing the natural progression over the course of the season just being more comfortable in the system. You can tell the system’s growing around [C.J. Stroud], and they’ve evolved as we have as well. I think that’s what you’re seeing, but [I] definitely have a lot of respect for what they’re doing and how he operates.”

“You would think, but not really,” edge-rusher Odafe Oweh said this week, regarding whether Week 1 will be a guide for anything. “I feel like [the Texans] are a whole different team, [and] C.J.  is a whole different quarterback. I feel like we woke them up, and we matured them, and he’s been balling ever since. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and everything, but I feel like everyone on that team is a little different. In the playoffs, obviously, people play harder, so we’ve got to come with a different energy as well.” 

Linebacker Roquan Smith agreed.

“I think they’re definitely improved, but so are we when you look at it. Yes, they do a lot of good things. [No.] 26 [Devin Singletary] is running the ball well. [No.] 7 [C.J. Stroud] is very accurate, and then [No.] 12 [Nico Collins], the receiver, is definitely coming on. The offense is definitely clicking, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. We’re prepared for it, and we’re ready to go to war regardless of who it’s against, and they’re the team that’s coming in here. Business is business handled.” 

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into how Stroud is different, and what the Ravens will need to do to at least contain him.

You can watch this week’s episode of “The Xs and Os,” featuring all the most important matchups of the divisional round, right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to “The Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Titans complete interview with Texans OC Bobby Slowik

The Titans completed a head coach interview with Texans OC Bobby Slowik on Thursday.

The Tennessee Titans completed their latest head coaching interview on Thursday night.

The team announced it has completed an interview with one of the hottest candidates out there, Houston Texans offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik.

This is the seventh interview Tennessee has completed during its search.

Along with Slowik, the Titans have also spoken to Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Tennessee has yet to complete interviews with three coordinators they have requested them with, a list that includes Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

Make sure to follow along with our head coach interview tracker for all of the latest updates on the Titans’ search.

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Panthers complete virtual interview with Texans OC Bobby Slowik

The Panthers have completed their virtual talk with Texans OC Bobby Slowik, the ninth candidate to interview for the HC job.

The Carolina Panthers have now spoken with their ninth head-coaching candidate.

As announced on Thursday, the team has completed their virtual interview with Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Slowik is currently in his first year as an NFL play-caller. He’s orchestrated the 12th-ranked offense for the AFC South champions, who are fresh off a dominant Wild Card Round victory over the Cleveland Browns.

That group is led by the rookie quarterback in Stroud, whom the Panthers passed up on with the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft. Stroud, an Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite, has thrown for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Prior to his current role in Houston, Slowik spent six years with the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan. He served in numerous positions including offensive passing game coordinator, offensive pass game specialist, offensive assistant and defensive quality control coach.

The Panthers will also be interviewing Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales before the end of the day.

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The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing the divisional round of the playoffs

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys preview all the big matchups in the NFL’s divisional round.

And then, there were eight! It’s time for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most interesting matchups that could decide who advances to the conference championships.

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens: The Week 1 game between these two teams doesn’t mean a lot, because the Ravens were dealing with C.J. Stroud in his rookie debut, and Stroud is an alien at this point. The Ravens are aware, and here’s how they can counter the Texans’ outstanding defense. Also, both of these teams have a ton of great, underrated talent on defense.

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers: The Packers have seen desperately-needed defensive improvement over the last three weeks, but is that enough to stop Kyle Shanahan’s offense? And how will Jordan Love do against a San Francisco defense that doesn’t really have one type of staple coverage?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions: When these teams played in Week 6, Baker Mayfield had his worst game of the season. But this is a different Buccaneers team than it was then, and there are ways for Mayfield to engineer a different result. The problem for the Bucs is that Jared Goff has proven that he’s ready for whatever Todd Bowles throws at him.

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills: The Bills have far too many injuries on defense, and Patrick Mahomes is finding winning concepts with at least one receiver, so this will have to be a Josh Allen game if the Bills are to advance.

You can watch this week’s episode of “The Xs and Os,” featuring all the most important matchups of the divisional round, right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to “The Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.