Tag: Pep Hamilton

Pep Hamilton says Texans must find ways to ‘stay out of obvious passing situations’

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton says the offense has to do a better job of avoiding “obvious passing situations.”

Coaching in the NFL isn’t as complicated as it appears to be with the color-coordinated, laminated play-call sheets, headsets, and gridiron technobabble uttered over headsets every practice and game day.

“It’s always our goal as offensive coaches, we always talk about putting our players in the best position to be successful,” offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said. “Even deeper than that is really just situational football.”

Getting from point A to point B is the challenge, and the Houston Texans have had more failures than successes in this endeavor throughout the 2022 season, as evidenced by their 2-13-1 record.

According to Hamilton, part of the coaches’ job is to also ensure the players are in good situations throughout the game.

“There’s going to come a time in the game where it’s not about necessarily just trying to create a matchup,” said Hamilton. “It’s about us putting our guys in a better position to have an advantage before the ball is snapped. If that’s using two quarterbacks, if that’s using smoke and mirrors, if that’s running the fumblerooski, whatever it is we need to do to mitigate the time where we’re playing from behind or it’s an obvious passing situations, that we do that.”

The Texans are tied for the 15th-lowest yards gained per first down at 5.1. Houston descends to being tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the lowest yards gained per second down at 4.3, and it doesn’t help matters when their 7.9 average yards to go on second down is also tied for the 10th-most in the NFL.

“Just reflecting on what’s happened up until this point, ultimately it is just finding ways to be more efficient on first and second down to stay out of obvious passing situations,” Hamilton said.

The Texans play the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Lucas Oil Stadium to finish their season.

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OC Pep Hamilton hints at Texans’ quarterback plans in 2023

Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton spelled out what he looks for in a quarterback, which could be a clue as to what the Houston Texans do in 2023.

The Houston Texans had to give Davis Mills a shot in 2022. The club had to know what it had in their 2021 third-round pick. Would he develop into a solid starter, or did the organization need to invest more resources into the position?

The Texans’ 2-13-1 record has all but secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Even if the Texans “blow it” with a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, and the Chicago Bears lose to the Minnesota Vikings to overtake Houston for the top pick in next year’s draft, the Texans will still be in the market and have the positioning to draft a quarterback.

Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton gave some clues as to what the Texans might be looking for in the offseason in their bid to upgrade the position.

“The obvious is that you touch the ball on every play when you line up behind the center,” said Hamilton. “More importantly, you look at the state of quarterback play in this league now. There’s a premium on guys that can solve problems. I’m not just talking about from a decision-making standpoint. I’m talking about solving problems with their legs and instinctively. Just making plays and creating plays, creating their own yards in some cases.”

The top two quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class are Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, both of whom fit the bill as signal callers who are able to solve problems with their legs and with instincts.

Mills is tied with Saints quarterback Andy Dalton for the 14th-lowest sack percentage in the NFL at 6.4%. However, the former Stanford product has a 6.4 yards per pass attempt, tied with Washington’s Carson Wentz for the third-lowest in the league. Mills has had to throw passes away or check them down than try to extend plays with his feet.

“The quarterback is required to be a playmaker now, just as much as someone who can facilitate the offense,” Hamilton said. “That’s our ultimate goal, to have winning quarterback play consistently for all 17 games of the regular season.”

The Texans benched Mills from Weeks 12-13 to give Kyle Allen snaps. The Texans committed eight turnovers during those two weeks before giving the starting job back to Mills.

Texans OC Pep Hamilton says early down success has helped offense keep moving

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton says the offense’s ability to have early down success has led to their improvement.

The Houston Texans offense doesn’t seem the same.

The Texans have scored at least 19 points in their past three games and have posted a win. In their previous two games, they took playoff contenders in the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans down to the wire, eventually getting an elusive victory over the Titans in Week 16.

Second-year quarterback Davis Mills returned to the lineup after a two-game benching, but the insertion of Mills alone — and the deployment of the two quarterback system with Jeff Driskel — can’t account for why the offense is doing better.

According to offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, the Texans have done a better job of not getting carried away with momentum and staying grounded.

“I think from week-to-week we have to do a great job of not getting too high with the highs or low with the lows,” said Hamilton. “Trusting that our process of preparing ourselves to be at our best on game day is comprehensive. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to us putting our players in the best position to be successful. Then those guys have the tough job of going out and making the plays.”

“As of late, because we’ve been able to get more first downs and have some success early in the game,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton also pointed out the Texans have had more success on early downs than they had previously. The numbers don’t exactly bear out as Houston’s 3.4 yards per play on first down from Weeks 14-16 is the second-lowest in the NFL. However, the Texans are the eighth-best third down team in that span with a 43.5% conversion rate.

Said Hamilton: “It seems to fuel our entire sideline, and we hope to do that this Sunday. Fuel the entire stadium and bring some excitement and energy for the fans and to the stadium on Sunday as well.”

Houston takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium to close out the season series and also their last game at home for the 2022 season.

Pep Hamilton put game in Davis Mills’ hands to lead Texans past Titans 19-14

When it mattered most, Pep Hamilton settled on one quarterback to lead the Houston Texans past the Tennessee Titans and prevail 19-14.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Heading into the fourth quarter of the game against the Tennessee Titans, trailing 14-10, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton had the decision to make.

Continue with the two-quarterback system of Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel, or abandon it and just let one quarterback finish out the game.

The element of surprise that Driskel added to the offense had not been as effective as it was in the past two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs. Mills was no better, as he struggled to move the ball efficiently and even gave the ball away on an interception in the third quarter on a pass intended for Brandin Cooks.

In his first year calling the plays, Hamilton has received a lot of criticism for his late-game calls but had found a small groove two weeks ago by throwing in the element of surprise with both quarterbacks alternating offensive series.

Hamilton decided that the best chance the team had of winning the game against their divisional foe was to stick with Mills, and that decision paid off as the Texans broke their season-long nine-game losing streak with a 19-14 win over the Titans.

Mills was perfect in the fourth quarter completing all nine pass attempts for 103 yards and one touchdown. After rookie linebacker Jake Hansen forced a fumble on Titans running back Derrick Henry, Mills led them on a 54-yard scoring drive that ended with a 22-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn to bring the score to 14-13.

After the Texans’ defense stopped the Titans on fourth down, Mills was given the opportunity to lead the offense again, and he made the best of it. On consecutive plays, he completed perfect downfield passes to receivers Phillip Dorsett (20 yards) and Amari Rodgers (37 yards) to put Houston inside the Tennessee red zone.

Royce Freeman gained four yards on first down to get the Texans to the 6-yard line, and Mills completed the drive with a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in the back of the end zone to give the Texans the lead at 19-14.

“It was one of those things where Pep was being patient and calling the right play at the right time,” said Cooks when asked about the play call on the 6-yard touchdown pass from Mills. “He just let his guys go out there and win.”

Cooks also praised Mills for his poise during that final scoring drive.

“Davis always stays even keel no matter what is going on,” Cooks elaborated when asked about his quarterback. “He kinds of tunes out all of the outside noise and tries to focus on getting this team a win.”

The season has been a rocky one for Mills, who has received constant criticism of his play and was benched for two games due to ineffectiveness. As the season is slowly ending, the win came at the right time for him.

“It’s awesome,” Mills said about the Christmas Eve victory. “Great feeling getting the win coming off that against a divisional opponent. Ready to go home for Christmas.”

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What is Davis Mills’ worst area as the Texans’ starting QB?

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills has given the organization plenty to look at in 2022. What remains as his biggest weakness?

Davis Mills has been anything but great in 2022.

The former 2021 third-round pick has compiled a 78.2 passer rating and a 1-9-1 record as a starter. The Houston Texans have the worst record in the NFL at 1-11-1 and the irony is that Mills’ poor performance will help the club by ensuring they get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, which they will then use to take his successor.

While Mills has had a lackluster season, there is one area where the Stanford product especially struggles.

According to Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders, the one area where Mills has the most trouble is on third downs.

Mills has been horrible passing on third downs, when passing is most important (and most expected by the defense). This year, Mills has a minus-63.4% DVOA on third downs, the second lowest in the league for a quarterback with at least 20 third-down passes.

Mills’ production on third down is so terrible compared to last year’s, according to Pro Football Outsiders’ DVOA rankings.

There is only one other quarterback worse in the DVOA rankings than Mills, and that particular quarterback recently joined the Los Angeles Rams after starting the year with the Carolina Panthers.

Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton praised Mills for his ability to get the ball out quicker in Week 14.

“We have to get the ball out on schedule,” said Hamilton. “Get the ball into the pass receivers, the backs, get the ball into their hands in the passing game immediately after they make their breaks and give them a chance to run after catch. Davis did a really good job of doing that this past Sunday.”

Mills went 16-of-21 for 175 yards and an interception. The Texans similarly were 7-15 on third downs and didn’t give up a single sack.

Texans OC Pep Hamilton deployed two quarterback system to create conflicts on defense

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton says the purpose of the two quarterback system is to create conflicts for the defense.

The Houston Texans offensive staff was looking for a spark.

They tried with backup quarterback Kyle Allen replacing second-year Davis Mills from Weeks 12-13. Along with two more losses to add to Mills’ 1-8-1 record, Houston also generated eight total turnovers.

With the Texans turning back to Mills as their starter against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Houston needed to find a way to move the ball, especially since their top two receivers, Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, were slated to be out with injuries.

“We talked about it as a staff,” offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton told reporters Dec. 15. “Just what can we do to give us a spark, to really help us on first and second down. Just to create conflicts for the opponent, create conflicts for the defense. To find ways to run the ball so that we can stay out of dreaded third-and-longs.”

The solution was to interchange Mills and backup Jeff Driskel, who was elevated from the practice squad the day prior. The two quarterbacks would substitute for one another even during series to help open up the offense.

Mills was efficient, going 16-of-21 for 175 yards and an interception, the result of a Hail Mary at the end of the game.

Driskel was 4-6 for 38 yards and a touchdown while also rushing seven times for 36 yards.

“It was good to see both Davis and Jeff go out and at times really do a good job of executing the offense,” Hamilton said.

What the two quarterback system did was also help the Texans find ways to put the ball in their playmakers’ hands. Houston generated 327 yards total offense, their first time since Week 10 they went over the 300-yard mark total.

“We just have to continue to do a good job of mixing both perimeter runs and interior runs, finding ways to just get the guys the football in space,” said Hamilton.

The Texans will be challenged as the 10-3 Kansas City Chiefs visit NRG Stadium in Week 15. The Chiefs are the 15th-best total defense and 18th-best scoring defense.

Pep Hamilton describes the challenge of facing Cowboys’ front-seven

Hamilton made it clear that the #Cowboys’ front seven would be an issue for the #Texans’ offense on Sunday

With their 1-10-1 record, the Houston Texans are just trying to limp to the finish line of their failed 2022 season in the hopes of starting fresh with some new talent next year. This has been a painful campaign for players, coaches, and especially fans who have watched the team succumb to utter collapse.

Now faced with the challenge of their intrastate rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in Week 14, it doesn’t seem that the end of their schedule can come fast enough. Houston’s offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton spoke to reporters on Thursday about what he thinks will be the hardest obstacle to overcome in the matchup: the Cowboys’ front seven.

“It’s well documented. We’re talking about one of the best defenses in the National Football League and it starts with the guys up front,” Hamilton explained. “The guys up front allow the guys on the back end to play really aggressively as well. It will be a tremendous challenge, but it’s the National Football league. From week-to-week, you’re going to have these challenges. We just have to come out and play our game.”

Hamilton will need to get creative to help his offense score points against Dallas, and would be wise to plan for some extra protection when he calls passing plays for quarterback Kyle Allen. Houston will be lucky if they’re able to keep this game close, and it is Hamilton’s job to ensure that his unit can put up enough points to stay competitive against one of the NFC’s top teams.

Whether that will happen or not is unclear, but the Texans are heavy underdogs heading into this matchup, so chances are they’re on a collision course for their eleventh loss of the season. If Hamilton can work some magic in practices this week, though, Houston just might be able to surprise their opponent and come out with a hard-fought win.

Pep Hamilton gives update on Texans’ newly-acquired offensive talent

Hamilton gave an update on the status of Eno Benjamin and Amari Rodgers in his comments to reporters on Thursday

The Houston Texans claimed running back Eno Benjamin and receiver Amari Rodgers off waivers in late November, and hopes were high that they would be able to make a difference in the team’s offense with some time to adjust to Pep Hamilton’s system. After weeks spent on the Texans’ inactive list on Sundays, reporters were ready for answers from Hamilton on Thursday regarding their status and whether they might see the field before the season ends.

The offensive coordinator gave both players credit for their effort in getting acclimated to his system but made a point to be noncommittal about playing time in his response.

“Both guys have worked tirelessly to learn our offense and get on the same page with our quarterbacks,” Hamilton explained. “You guys understand how important it is that the quarterback can trust that the receiver is going to get to a spot and vice versa, the receivers can trust that the quarterback can make the appropriate throws. The more time our guys spend together, the more time on task they have, the better chances we have to go out and play efficient football. Those two guys have been working hard in practice.”

Hamilton’s assertion that it takes time to build chemistry is certainly valid, though fans and reporters are justified in wondering why the team would claim Benjamin and Rodgers if they have no intention of getting them onto the field. Houston is in dire need of new blood at both the running back and receiver positions after seeing their offense stagnate in recent weeks, and especially since newly minted starting quarterback Kyle Allen has struggled in his first action of the season.

The Texans’ coaching staff is certainly entitled to utilize the talent at their disposal however they choose, but with time running out in a failed 2022 campaign, it seems that the time is now for them to see what they’ve got in the valuable prospects.

Texans riding QB carousel to nowhere as Davis Mills returns

What will the last five games show Houston Texans need to see from Davis Mills that they haven’t seen in the previous 10 games?

HOUSTON — As a child, one ride I despised at the amusement park was the carousel. I was not too fond of a ride that continuously took you round and round in a circle.

What was the purpose of a ride that had no destination or purpose but to see the same scenery for three minutes? Oh, and to make your parents act like every time you pass them is more exciting than the last time.

Most Texans fans feel like they are on those plastic horses within the last three weeks, as the constant change at the quarterback position has been like a carousel ride.

On Wednesday, Texans head coach Lovie Smith announced that the Texans would replace Kyle Allen with Davis Mills at quarterback.

Mills was demoted to the second unit two weeks ago as Smith and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton wanted to see if the change would help jump-start an inept offense that has produced a losing record of 1-8-1.

When describing Allen replacing Mills, Coach Smith used a baseball analogy about a relief pitcher coming into a baseball game. Given the current baseball situation in the city where over a million Astros fans packed downtown two months ago to celebrate a World Series Championship, Smith may want to find a better analogy.

Heading into this Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Texans’ current record is 1-10-1. So, as you can see, the only thing that changed at the quarterback position was a jersey number.

The perplexing issue that has most reporters scratching their heads is the change back to Mills. Especially against a team that will exploit his inability to move around the pocket to escape pressure and his lack of awareness when it comes to going through his progressions.

Dallas has one of the top-rated defenses in the NFL and is coming off one of its most impressive performances of the season by forcing future Hall of Fame and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan to throw three interceptions. Ryan was under constant pressure from the Cowboys’ defensive front seven as defensive coordinator Dan Quinn called an excellent game that kept him off balance for most of the game.

By inserting Mills back into the starting lineup, most would expect that he would have the same results as Ryan, given that he has thrown 11 interceptions this season and his ineffectiveness in the passing game is what had him replaced.

How much more do Smith, Hamilton, and general manager Nick Caserio need to evaluate when it comes to Mills? What will these last five games show the trio they haven’t seen in the previous ten games they watched this season? Three of those next five opponents in Dallas, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans are preparing to make a strong push at the end of the season for better playoff seedings.

“We were real about why we made the move and the reasons why,” said Smith when asked about Mills’ confidence as he returns. “We don’t give out permanent jobs. It’s about how you play each week, and we put a lot into your last performance. Davis (Mills) moved into a different role. He continued to be our captain and do all the things that he was doing before. I think the second time around, you kind of appreciate the position you’re in a little bit better. I know that’s the case.”

Mills is on borrowed time, as the 2023 NFL Draft will be here sooner than later. The Texans are in a prime position to have the first overall selection, and if they choose a quarterback, then the carousel ride for Mills will be over.

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Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy praises Texans offense for being ‘quarterback friendly’

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy says the Houston Texans’ offense is “the most quarterback friendly offense in this league.”

Fans may not be ready to accept it, but other NFL coaches understand what the Houston Texans’ offense is trying to achieve.

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy remarked that the Texans’ offense is one of the best in the NFL at helping quarterbacks out.

“They’re a traditional West Coast offense with [offensive coordinator] Pep Hamilton there and you see the multiple personnel groups every play and just what you’re trying to get done with that,” McCarthy said. “Just having history in that offense. It’s clearly, in my view, it’s the most quarterback friendly offense in this league. So, you know, we’ll definitely be challenged there.”

The results have been far from encouraging. The Texans have started two different quarterbacks, both due to poor performance, and Houston ranks 27th in the NFL in passing yards. In a passing league and the Texans having such struggles on offense, it is no surprise that they have generated a 1-10-1 record and are on pace to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston faces Dallas Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

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