Tag: Bobby Slowik

Texans OC Bobby Slowik says WR John Metchie is ‘always looking for contact’

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has observed that receiver John Metchie has a penchant for delivering contact.

John Metchie may have only played 70 offensive snaps for the Houston Texans through five weeks, but Bobby Slowik has been able to identify one part of the receiver’s game.

The second-year wideout from Alabama has caught six passes for 72 yards through four games. Aside from embodying a literal “never say die” attitude, Metchie has shown the Texans’ offensive coordinator another element to his playing style.

“He’s always finishing, he’s always looking for contact,” Slowik told reporters Oct. 12. “He’s the same way in the run game. He’s always playing with full effort at all times, and in his routes, you just see he keeps — like, that’s probably the thing that takes the most time to get back into the flow of — how you are in your route running and your stems and at the top. And he’s progressed every week.”

An opportunity for Metchie to get more game reps could exist in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints. Third-rounder Tank Dell is questionable with a concussion and seventh-year receiver Noah Brown is working back from an injury.

Each week Metchie gets opportunities, the better he acclimates to the game.

Said Slowik: “He’s gotten better in that regard in how fast he’s playing and how he’s coming out of breaks at the top. It’s been encouraging to see.”

The Texans kickoff at 12:00 p.m. Central Time against New Orleans at NRG Stadiuim.

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Anatomy of a Play: How C.J. Stroud learned something most rookies don’t

C.J. Stroud’s TD pass against the Falcons on Sunday shows what the rookie learned from a previous play — and what other rookies don’t.

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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has started his NFL career with 186 pass attempts without an interception to begin his NFL career, and he is the fourth player in pro football history with at least 1,400 passing yards and no interceptions in his team’s first five games of a season. Stroud faces the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and if he keeps that streak going, he will become the first quarterback ever without an interception in each of his first six career starts.

That’s all great, but when you get into Stroud’s tape, and how he’s functioning in Bobby Slowik’s offense, his excellence is really about how well he’s seeing and executing things against more complex defenses than he’s ever seen before.

This manifested itself in Houston’s eventual 21-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday — which turned out to be a big win for the Texans at the quarterback position. With 1:54 left in the game, Stroud hit tight end Dalton Schultz for an 18-yard touchdown in which Schultz ran a fake post and then went vertical.

“I don’t want to give out all my secrets, but I just had like – I think it’s a gut feeling that you get in-between the games,” Stroud said on Wednesday. “So, me and Bobby [Slowik] had a conversation on the sideline about a certain route that we wanted to do, and we didn’t have it in at practice. I just felt like, in those big time situations, the guys that they… [Falcons safety] Jessie Bates [III] is a great player. Super good, really instinctive. He almost picked me off – he did some weird 360-turn. It’s the first time I’ve seen that, so now I’ve got it in my bank and hopefully he doesn’t ever get me again.

That was this play with 12:12 left in the game. Receiver Robert Woods ran an intermediate crosser against Atlanta’s Cover-3, and Bates did a brilliant job of jumping the route.

Doing that over the middle is one of Bates’ superpowers — you can ask Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers about that, as Bates had two of his three picks this season by baiting and jumping Young’s throws.

Do Bryce Young’s two interceptions to Jessie Bates reveal a bigger problem?

The difference between Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, and Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, was what Stroud took away from it.

“But playing against [Bates] keeps you honest, and I knew that he was going to try to make the play of the game and try to take it away,” Stroud continued. “But previous film study I was watching film on – like, a big time third down situation – and just seeing they were in this like quarters, match-y, Cover-4 look, and I told Dalton [Schultz] to do a certain thing in his route that I thought would get us not only the first down, but the touchdown, so we were on the same page. I’m literally trying to break down exactly what I want from him [Schultz] in the huddle, and at first, I don’t think it registered. And then he was like, ‘Okay, I get it. I get it.’ So, Dalton’s really smart and made a hell of a route.

“But yeah man, just being instinctive. Trying to put my guys in the best position to make plays and win games, and that instinct, it was really special. And Bobby [Slowik] and them were really happy on the sideline, and he was a part of that, too. I talked on the sideline with him [and] I told him that I was thinking about doing it, and he was like, ‘Man, if you’re feeling it, then go ahead and make a play,’ so we made the play, and it is what it is.”

“We had run a concept a couple times in the game, and we saw a hole there, and we had a route in the game to take advantage of it, but it was out of a different formation in a little bit of a different look with a different guy on it,” Slowik said Thursday. “We had kind of been talking on the sideline and C.J. was comfortable with [the play] – he had thrown it during the week – he was comfortable with trying to give it a shot with Dalton [Schultz], and Dalton is probably the one guy on the team that I would trust to be able to go out and execute something like that watching someone else do it. We have a lot of trust in each other. If we’re confident in being able to do it, I have no issue going out and getting something like that done when we had a rep during the week. Now, Dalton ran a filthy route. Filthy route. It was awesome.”

“This league is what you make it,” Stroud concluded. “What you put in is what you get out. I put in a lot of work throughout the week with my teammates. We do an extra two-minute drill, four-minute drills. We have things called ‘bleed situations’ where we want to end the half with the ball, or [score] points, so a lot of different situational things we’ve been doing since OTAs, and the fruit of your labor is starting to show up publicly when it was just private for a long time. The saying, ‘Whatever is done in the dark, comes to light,’ is true. So just a lot of work that’s been put in from not only myself, but from my teammates, and then I think we all trust each other.”

Clearly, the Texans’ rookie quarterback has done more than enough to earn that trust.

C.J. Stroud details orchestration behind Texans’ final offensive drive against the Falcons

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud went into further detail as to how the possible game-winning drive against the Atlanta Falcons came about.

HOUSTON — Growing up, most little boys would be playing in the backyard or with their friends and would act as if he was the star quarterback leading their team down the field for a final drive to win the big game.

There would always be a certain amount of time left on the clock as he would drop back, make defenders miss, and then heave a miraculous pass to the wide receiver, who would jump over a defender to make the catch. In his mind, he could hear the crowd going wild as his teammates rushed to the field to congratulate him on winning the game.

There is no doubt that Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud hasn’t repeatedly played that scenario in his head since he began playing the position. Although the stakes were not as high as winning a Super Bowl, the position he was put in on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons had a momentous feeling and would have put the Texans over .500 on the season for the first time since 2019.

With the Texans trailing the Falcons 18-12 late in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Houston needed their offense to produce a touchdown to take the lead. Red zone struggles have plagued the Texans early in the season, and their attempts at reaching the end had only produced four field goals by kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.

“Red zone wasn’t good enough,” said coach DeMeco Ryans about the inefficiency. “We needed to get points there, and we didn’t. Credit to Atlanta; they have a really good defense and did a really good job of forcing us to kick field goals in those positions.”

As lethargic as the offensive unit had played through three and a half quarters, there was still a chance for them to pull out a victory. Over the past three seasons, the Texans fanbase may not have had the confidence in the quarterback to lead the team to a victory. Still, the guy they have under center this season is different, as many have witnessed over the previous four games.

Stroud, 22, knew that his team depended on him, and the Texans were 75 yards away from reaching the end zone and taking the lead with just over 6:50 seconds remaining in the final period. Houston drove the field using a mixture of pass and run plays orchestrated by the second overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft and first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as they tried to use as much time clock as possible. But with 1:49 left on the clock, the Texans faced a crucial third-and-9 from the Falcons 18-yard line. Getting the first down was necessary for time clock purposes, but scoring their first touchdown of the day would be better.

With the game on the line, Ryans and Slowik put the play-calling duties in the hands of their rookie quarterback, and he manipulated the Falcons defenders perfectly to find tight end Dalton Schultz running up the seams for an 18-yard touchdown.

“Me and Bobby had a conversation on the sideline about a certain route that we wanted to do,” said Stroud on Wednesday. “We didn’t have it in at practice. I told Dalton to do a certain thing in his route that I thought would not only get us a first down but a touchdown. We were on the same page, but I was literally trying to break down exactly what I wanted from him in the huddle. At first I don’t think it registered, but then he said, ‘Okay, I get it.’

“Dalton is really smart and made a hell of a route. I was just being instinctive and putting my guys in the best position to make plays and win games and in that instance it was really special and Bobby was really happy on the sideline. He [Slowik] was a part of that too when I was talking on the sideline about doing it and he said, ‘If you are feeling it, just go ahead and make a play.’”

What should have been a joyous occasion for the Texans ended in heartbreak as Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder led his team down the field for a game-winning field goal drive to push Houston’s record to 2-3 heading into the Week 6 matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Stroud may not have come away with the victory on Sunday, but what he did for his confidence and the belief in him from the organization and the fans speaks volumes to the franchise’s future.

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Exploring the Texans’ broken running game: What needs to change?

The Houston Texans run game has some problems. What must be corrected in order for the ground game to finally be potent?

The Houston Texans have a problem.

“For us to be a good offense, we have to have Dameon [Pierce] at his A-game,” Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik preached early in Houston’s offseason. “For Dameon to have his A-game, our offensive line has to be on their game, so it’s all a matter of guys working in sync, working in conjunction, and I think having Dameon, it’s not just about Dameon. We know his abilities, capabilities as a back and what he can do, but it’s also having that complement. So, having Singletary, having [Mike] Boone, our other guys, it’s about having that complement of guys that can carry the load.”

Despite their clear intentions in the summer, Slowik and his offense simply can’t find a way to run the ball, nor have they found ways to get Pierce at his A-game. Houston ranks dead last in the NFL in yards per carry at 3.0. Their 413 total rushing yards are 26th in the NFL and their minus-.21 EPA/carry is 31st in the NFL.

Pierce, who many expected to have a breakout sophomore campaign, is averaging 2.9 yards per carry on the season. The former Florida product has been stuffed on runs at a higher percentage than he’s found rushing success. Devin Singletary has similarly suffered, albeit with a slightly higher average at 3.5 yards per carry.

This has created quite the dilemma for Slowik and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. What is the identity of Houston’s offense where they struggle to establish the run? What are the routes forward in a world where Pierce and the offensive line have struggled to this degree?

The problem might be multi-dimensional.

To begin, the way in which Houston is committed to their running games makes them somewhat predictable. They’re top-5 in the league in rushing attempts on first down per NFL NextGen Stats and they lead the league in sequences of run-run-pass. This has allowed defenses to tee off on early downs, expecting that either Pierce or Singletary will likely carry the rock.

This becomes further exacerbated by the fact that Stroud is unlikely to audible out of undesirable run looks on early downs. Only the 49ers have attempted as many rushes into loaded boxes as Houston (8-plus defenders) and they’re only able to do so with an elite blocking tight end like George Kittle and the league’s best running back in Christian McCaffrey.

Slowik has also shown a preference to run with heavier personnel to assist his depleted offensive line. This has created some clear offensive tells for Houston based on personnel. They rank 31st in the league in running the ball when there are three receivers on the field. Meanwhile, Slowik’s offense is top-10 in rushing percentage out of all other groupings.

The predictable sequencing, down-to-down tendencies, and formations create an edge for the defense. This is before one even considers the personnel struggles that Houston has faced.

Houston’s offensive line is composed of far better pass blockers than run blockers. There is evidence to this in their historic Pro Football Focus grades and those trends continued, even with a healthy offensive line, against the Atlanta Falcons.

Meanwhile, Pierce has struggled with the transition to Slowik’s zone-based running scheme. His propensity to embrace contact hasn’t allowed for him to take full advantage to how the running game is drawn up. There could be arguments for Singletary to see additional carries, or one could argue they should play to Pierce’s strengths. Either way, something likely needs to be adjusted for strengths to match the ball carrier.

Predictable play calling. Personnel fits. Players underwhelming to their pre-season expectations. There’s not an easy solution for Houston to address their problems.

Don’t be surprised if, as Stroud continues to develop, they allow his arm to take pressure off of the running game. Houston has an early down passing success rate similar to the Kansas City Chiefs and, that early threat, could create far more favorable rushing situations for the team while making them less predictable. It’s additionally possible that, as their expensive offensive line returns to full health, they’re trusted to block in 11-personnel at a higher percentage rate.

Adjustments are needed all around in Houston for a team that should believe they can compete for the AFC South. Now, it’s just up to Slowik to find his next evolution.

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Falcons snap Texans back to reality: What’s next for Houston?

The Houston Texans had a magical two weeks, but the Atlanta Falcons phoned in their wakeup call in Week 5.

After a nightmare three years, a magical two weeks were welcomed for the Houston Texans.

The team enjoyed massive national publicity after back-to-back blowouts over the Jacksonville Jaguars, 37-17, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-6. Coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud were both hot topic interviews on football shows around the country. Across NFL power rankings, Houston consistently found themselves ranked in the upper half of the league. Questions amongst the fanbase pivoted from rebuilding towards the idea of potentially winning the division.

The magic finally wore off some on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo hit a walk-off 37-yard field goal that sailed through the uprights like a blaring alarm clock on an early Monday morning. This came shortly after Stroud threw a go-ahead touchdown to tight end Dalton Schultz with just 1:54 remaining. Ultimately, Stroud’s late efforts just weren’t going to be enough to save Houston this time.

Atlanta out-gained Houston 469 yards to 313 while dominating time of possession throughout the day 35:32 to 24:28. It was a fantastic performance by the Falcons defense and one that left Ryans’ defensive unit on the field for far too long.

The fact the game was close was actually a testament to the performance of the defense. Houston forced two turnovers on the contest, but their offense failed to score a touchdown off of either gift. This, in addition to an abysmal 4-13 third down efficiency, left the Texans in a place where the defense was stretched too thin to remain effective late in the game.

The result was Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder had a career afternoon with 329 passing yards and a touchdown on 75.7% completion. It was enough to nullify an excellent effort to contain running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to under 3.5 yards per carry.

The loss leaves Houston in only a slightly different position than they were three days ago, but one that feels different. They’re only one game behind the division-leading Indianapolis Colts (3-2) and Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) while tied with the Tennessee Titans (2-3). Stroud is still trending to take home offensive rookie of the year award after throwing for 249 yards and one touchdown, once again throwing zero interceptions.

What should Houston fans learn from reality check that happened in Atlanta?

To begin, the Texans still have their fair share of growing pains to go through. There will be multiple steps between now and the next 10-win Houston team and it is unlikely to come this season. The roster is still not talented enough to overcome playing short of fantastic and that was visible on a day when, schematically, the offense struggled to find consistent answers.

Additionally, the coaching staff will now have to adapt to their first real test of adversity.

The Falcons rushed three or four pass rushers on a combined 80% of C.J. Stroud’s drop backs. The remaining seven or eight left in coverage were enough to challenge Houston’s group of pass catchers and, especially with Tank Dell exiting with injury, Stroud was often left without a perfect answer. Breakout receiver Nico Collins was puzzlingly absent from the game plan with only three catches for 39 yards on four targets.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will have to decide how the team pivots against this strategy they’re almost certain to see again. Houston was once again unable to establish the run with Dameon Pierce taking 20 carries for a measly 66 yards through the day. Can Houston expect their run game to improve as the offensive line becomes more cohesive, or will they pivot to finding more answers through the air?

Sunday validated that Houston’s previous two wins were impressive. Jacksonville beat the Buffalo Bills in London while Pittsburgh overpowered Baltimore, two legitimate AFC contenders. They’re capable of playing with anyone on any given Sunday and they certainly have the quarterback that most franchises dream of finding.

This is still a team that has fair aspirations of going .500 on the season and has a serious chance to make some noise in a wide-open AFC South race. Stroud and fellow rookies Will Anderson and Henry To’oTo’o look like an incredibly impressive 2023 class for general manager Nick Caserio.

It just might not come together overnight for Houston.

Fans should be patient for the next steps that Ryans and Slowik put together, it will start next Sunday at NRG Stadium against the New Orleans Saints.

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Texans OC Bobby Slowik lays out a rare trait C.J. Stroud possesses

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik presented a rare trait that C.J. Stroud has, which is uncommon to see in a rookie QB.

Bobby Slowik has worked with rookie quarterbacks.

In 2021, Slowik was the pass game specialist for the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted first-rounder Trey Lance that April. In 2022, Slowik’s title slightly shifted to passing game coordinator, but largely his responsibilities were the same under coach Kyle Shanahan. Slowik also worked directly with seventh-round pick Brock Purdy.

However, it wasn’t just the 49ers’ rookies the past two seasons Slowik worked with; he also had to have an understanding of their peers throughout the draft process.

The Houston Texans’ first-year offensive coordinator has enough body of evidence to identify what has made C.J. Stroud successful through his first four starts, and it relates to how the No. 2 overall pick uses his eyes to look off defenders.

“As a rookie, I would say that he’s really good because he knows when and why, which I think is rare for a rookie,” Slowik told reporters Oct. 5. “A lot of times — like in college, he definitely did it. Without a doubt, it showed up on his college tape.”

Even the Zoom calls and Stroud’s 30 visit conveyed enough insight that the Ohio State product knew how to utilize such a unique trait.

Said Slowik: “You could tell he had a good understanding in college of why he was trying to look somebody off, and then that’s only grown since he’s gotten to the NFL and growing within our scheme, where I think initially when we first got to camp, you go through this period where you get so used to doing it that it’s a little too much and then you bring it back to balance it out and then it starts growing again.”

With the regular season rotating in a different teach each week with various schemes, the ability to understand how to use one’s eyes becomes more revealing.

“This is why I may want to put this defender here and it just keeps building and building,” said Slowik. “Obviously, you get in a game playing situation, and you attack specific coverages and specific defenders — he’s been awesome in that regard.”

Stroud is one of two quarterbacks this season to have thrown for over 1,000 yards with no interceptions. The other is Purdy.

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Texans OC Bobby Slowik vouches for OT Austin Deculus

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has confidence in second-year tackle Austin Deculus heading into Week 4.

The Houston Texans weren’t supposed to need Austin Deculus so soon.

As the organization formed its offensive line throughout the offseason, three-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil was to man left tackle with former 2019 first-rounder Tytus Howard locking down right tackle.

In a series of training camp and regular season injuries, Tunsil and Howard have played just one game between the two of them. The reserves are starting to take on attrition as backup Josh Jones has not practiced all week with a hand injury.

The Texans brought back Geron Christian, who started eight of 14 games active in 2021. However, Houston may have to rely on their final pick of the 2022 NFL draft to anchor the left side in Week 4.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik expressed to reporters Sept. 28 a sense of confidence in the former sixth-rounder from LSU.

“He’s been putting the work in over the first three weeks,” Slowik said. “We’ve noticed — we don’t really take — a lot of teams call it a scout team — guys that are out there doing cards. We don’t take that for granted. We coach that pretty hard. We evaluate it, we’re constantly talking to our guys about it to make sure their fundamentals and techniques can improve on a week-to-week basis.”

Deculus has been active for two games for Houston, although all 12 of his snaps were on special teams. Should the Texans use the Cy-Fair High School alumnus extensively on offense, he can count on support.

“Obviously, we’re not just going to put him out there,” said Slowik. “We’re going to make sure we help him in the run game and the pass game and that’s all the way across the board.”

The Texans face the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium. Pittsburgh (2-1) enters Week 4 with the most sacks with 13.

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Texans rookie WR Tank Dell is breaking the mold for smaller receivers

Houston Texans rookie receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell is breaking the mold for smaller receivers. Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar discuss in this week’s “Xs and Os.”

The list of receivers in the general area of 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds leans toward gadget guys as opposed to legitimate outside targets. When you’re that small, you’re generally not expected to deal with bigger, more physically dominant cornerbacks; you’re generally best off exploiting open space from the slot or the backfield.

The Houston Texans have had a different plan with rookie receiver Nathanial “Tank” Dell. The Houston alum has caught 15 passes on 23 targets for 251 yards and two touchdowns, and where he’s catching those passes is pretty interesting. Through his first three NFL games, Dell has lined up in the slot on just 27 snaps, and 74 outside. And all three of his explosive plays have come out of an outside alignment.

“I would say the biggest growth, really has just been the minutia of route-running,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said this week of Dell’s development. “When I say that, Tank has always been a really good route runner and a really good separator. But how he uses his speed and how that impacts his routes – and not just deep routes, but intermediate routes, short routes, how he gets in and out of cuts – not just with freak athleticism, but now with intentionality and tying it to other routes that we run that maybe he’s not coming out of a break point. So, being able to make things look similar to other routes we run has started to really resonate with him. I think it shows up on tape and he’s really doing a great job in that area.”

Dell’s vertical ability showed up twice against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday — there was this 46-yard near-touchdown in the first quarter where he just ran through the Jaguars’ Cover-2…

…and this 68-yard actual touchdown in the fourth quarter in which Dell did the same to Jacksonville’s Cover-1.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” we discussed the challenges Dell will present to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense this Sunday, in conjunction with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

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You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” featuring detailed tape and metric breakdowns of Week 4’s biggest matchups, right here:

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

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Has Texans OC Bobby Slowik cracked code on how to use WR Nico Collins?

Nico Collins had a career game against the Indianapolis Colts. Has Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik figured out how to use the receiver?

Nico Collins had a career day against the Indianapolis Colts despite the Houston Texans’ 31-20 loss in Week 2.

The former 2021 third-rounder had seven catches for 146 yards, both career highs, while hauling in a touchdown. Even Collins’ 20.86 yards per reception were the fourth-most of his career.

Some evidence of a breakout was even hinted at in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens. Collins only had 80 yards, but his six catches tied a previous career-high.

With Collins’ emerging production, it appears offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has found a way to get the former Michigan product involved more in the passing game.

According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, Collins was one of his “secret superstars” from Week 2, and part of how the wideout was able to meet his potential was due to how Slowik used him.

Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik clearly understood that the way through the Indianapolis Colts’ frequent use of Cover-3 was to have Collins run short and intermediate routes with in-breakers, and this worked over and over again. This 32-yard play, in which 26 yards came after the catch, was just one example.

The promise with Collins’ 6-4, 215-pound frame has been there as a red zone threat. However, heading into the 2023 season, there was little to show as a receiving threat.

So far, Slowik has found a way to get Collins to ball, and the furtherance of such a trend only solidifies the 24-year-old as the offense’s top receiving threat going forward.

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Texans should lean into QB C.J. Stroud and the 11-personnel offense

If the Houston Texans want to kickstart the offense, the best way to do so would be to embrace the 11-personnel and let C.J. Stroud go to work.

C.J. Stroud has arrived — at least according to the box scores and fantasy football.

The Houston Texans rookie quarterback has completed 63.7% of his passes for 626 yards and two touchdowns through his first two games. It’s enough that Stroud has the fourth-most passing yards through two weeks. To contextualize just how good Stroud has been, the rookie record for passing yards in a season was previously set by the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert at 4,336 yards.

Stroud, if he sustained the ridiculous pace he’s set against the Ravens and Colts, would beat that record by nearly 1,000 yards and throw for over 5,300.

The Ohio State product has flashed the accuracy that made him a highlight machine in the Big Ten. He’s shown the mobility that had scouts raising their eyes when the Buckeyes nearly upset Georgia in the College Football Playoff. He’s shown the poise to produce huge passing numbers despite a crumbling Texans offensive line that has had him sacked a league-leading 11 times. This is what Houston and their offensive coaching staff likely dreamed of.

The biggest benefactor of Stroud’s early success as a passer? The pass catchers.

Nico Collins is on pace for multiple personal career bests in his third season. The Michigan product has 13 receptions for 226 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Tank Dell, after a slow start, has 10 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Veteran Robert Woods is having the type of bounce back campaign many around the Texans expected, with 12 catches for 136 yards.

This stands in stark contrast to the running game. Dameon Pierce, expected to be a breakout star in his second season, has struggled on the ground to the tune of 2.7 yards per carry, 26 attempts for 69 yards and no scores. Devin Singletary has been slightly worse off at 2.6 yards per carry.

Those results are even further exacerbated when Houston attempts to force the run with heavier personnel. Against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, Houston ran 21 plays with heavier groupings, featuring multiple backs or tight ends, and averaged less than three yards per play. Unsurprisingly, their best results came when the previously mentioned Collins, Dell, and Woods were allowed to feature on the field together. The Texans ran 58 plays in 11 personnel for 336 yards and their two touchdowns.

All of this comes within the context of Houston’s offensive line struggles. Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard and Juice Scruggs remain out, leaving what was supposed to be an early strength for Houston one of their biggest weaknesses.

This begs an interesting question for Houston and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik: Is it time for the run-first Texans, an identity they preached all summer, to make an early pivot towards their biggest strengths?

Their possible avenues to find easier ways to run as a pass-first team are certainly worth discussing as Stroud launches the ball with ease to begin his NFL debut.

If Houston wants to lean into a pass-first identity, they wouldn’t have to change much. 105 of their 147 offensive plays have been passes thus far and they’ve leaned into getting their receiving trio on the field, running 11-personnel for 110 or 72.8% of their plays.

An opportunity may exist though in how they script these plays. Houston has hardly taken advantage of their passing threat to create running lanes and soft boxes for Dameon Pierce, often instead opting for more blockers. Slowik has run from this formation on only 19.1% of those plays, good for 31st in the league.

Allowing Pierce to run alongside Dalton Schultz and the receiving trio not only would allow for more motion concepts but would force defenses to match with nickel and dime personnel packages that will have a much harder time tackling the NFL’s reigning Angriest Runner. They just have to lean into it a little earlier.

Houston’s 11-personnel grouping despite present for most of their plays, including 94.6% of third downs, is featured on just roughly two thirds of their first downs. Presenting a more pass-threatening, symmetrical threat to defenses earlier in the downs could make a world of difference. These tells are even more incriminating when 36.2% of Houston’s first downs are under center, compared to less than 3% of their 3rd down looks.

Houston has a threatening passing game highlighted by young pass catchers and a quarterback that is validating his selection at second overall. Their willingness to lean into passing often, and more importantly, passing early could make a world of difference.

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