Tag: Texans offensive coordinator

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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Bobby Slowik explains how Texans’ new offense relates to Gary Kubiak scheme

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik clarified how the Houston Texans’ new offense relates to an older scheme deployed by former coach Gary Kubiak.

Bobby Slowik comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree that was established with the San Francisco 49ers. Slowik is bringing that Shanahan scheme to the Houston Texans as its offensive coordinator under coach DeMeco Ryans.

Shanahan comes from the Gary Kubiak coaching tree. From 2006-09, Shanahan was an assistant under Kubiak with the Texans, working as offensive coordinator in his final two years.

What is old is new.

“I still remember watching when I first got the offense in San Francisco, all these Houston Texan cut-ups and Andre [Johnson] and [Matt] Schaub and David Anderson and all these guys just running the same stuff we’re running right now, and the principles and the foundation of what they did is all there, but like everything, it kind of evolves as it goes.”

Kubiak coached the Texans from 2006-13. The NFL still had a taste of commitment to the run that has faded over the past decade. Defenses across the league have adapted as well.

Said Slowik: “There’s some different defenses you see. There’s some different issues you get. So, you find different ways to adjust to that.”

The Texans are still using some of the same material from the Kubiak days to explain the objectives in the 2023 offense. However, it is more in a football genealogy sense.

“You just point to something else that they did back then and be like, hey, this is the same as that was, but now we’re doing it this way,” said Slowik. “That was really neat when I first got to throw on some Houston Texan film and see all of them play.”

The Texans were able to win two AFC South titles and a couple wild-card playoff games with Kubiak’s system. Houston sports fans would not mind that type of stroll down memory lane after three seasons of double-digit losing campaigns.

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Texans hope to replicate 49ers’ successful depth in new offensive scheme

The Houston Texans seek to replicate the San Francisco 49ers’ depth on offense with new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

One of the most notable traits of the San Francisco 49ers under coach Kyle Shanahan has been the team’s ability to absorb availability issues.

Since 2017, the 49ers have found ways to overcome injuries throughout their offensive personnel and compete. San Francisco’s appearance in three of the past four NFC Championship Games has hardly been due to happenchance.

Bobby Slowik was with the 49ers since 2017 and was the club’s passing game coordinator in 2022. The three quarterbacks San Francisco deployed amid injuries directly affected his input into the game.

“It really helped us learn at every position how important depth is, how important it is that you have more than one guy,” Slowik said. “You have people you believe that can have come in, fill a role, develop in what we believe and what we want to do going forward and step in and not miss a beat, keep moving.”

The Houston Texans seek to have the same philosophy and application with Slowik as offensive coordinator under rookie coach DeMeco Ryans, who was also with the 49ers in a variety of defensive roles since 2017.

The most notable example was the five-game game stretch to end the season with seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy. The 49ers were undefeated and posted a 2-1 record in the playoffs. If not for Purdy’s UCL tear in his throwing arm in the NFC Championship Game, perhaps the 49ers could have put up a better fight than the 31-7 drubbing at the talons of the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Again, this is the top-down view, but we view that everywhere,” said Slowik. “Not only at quarterback, we had some situations at running back, we had some situations at tackle, we had some situations at wide receiver through our six years in San Francisco, and that really helped us solidify what we’re looking for, specific things we think can step in and fill a void if we have one and really not miss a beat.”

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DeMeco Ryans says Texans will be ‘fired up’ for Bobby Slowik

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans believes that the offensive players will enjoy playing for new coordinator Bobby Slowik.

INDIANAPOLIS ⁠— DeMeco Ryans didn’t bring Bobby Slowik to the Houston Texans simply because he was a San Francisco 49ers connection.

Ryans and Slowik began their 49ers tenure together as defensive quality control coaches in 2017 under rookie coach Kyle Shanahan. Slowik left the defensive side after the 2018 season and went over the offense as an assistant. In 2021, he was the offensive pass game specialist before becoming the offensive passing game coordinator in 2022.

“Bobby is a tremendous coach,” Ryans said at the NFL combine Wednesday. “He’s one of the smartest coaches I’ve been around. He’s always looking to grow and looking to learn more. Bobby has helped me as a coach grow.”

Following his one year as defensive quality control coach in 2017, Ryans became the 49ers’ inside linebackers coach for the next three seasons. For the past two seasons until accepting the job as the Texans’ coach, Ryans was San Francisco’s defensive coordinator.

The time Ryans spent with Slowik also allowed him to see what type of interactions he can have with players, which has Ryans enthused about the offseason program that begins April 3.

“I’m very excited to see Bobby get with our players,” Ryans said. “Guys are going to be fired up. He brings great energy. He’s a great teacher. The guys he’s been around, they love him.”

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Where does Pep Hamilton go after the Houston Texans?

The Houston Texans have hired a new offensive coordinator, and Pep Hamilton has been informed of his status. What is next for the former OC?

The Houston Texans have gone in another direction. Former San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik is now the Texans’ offensive coordinator.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Texans have also informed former offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton of his status.

The 48-year-old is still under contract with the Texans and is not under any pressure to take up another coaching job. It may be that Hamilton sits out a year, or at least until the contract expires, and stays in the Houston area.

One reason would be Jackson Hamilton, who plays quarterback at Pearland High School, who will be entering his junior year next football season. The Oilers were 6-5 overall with a 5-2 record in 2022 and lost in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

Some of Hamilton’s best recent work was as a position coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. In 2020, as the quarterbacks coach, Hamilton was able to develop rookie Justin Herbert, who won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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Texans hiring 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator

The Houston Texans are hiring San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as DeMeco Ryans’ new offensive coordinator.

The Houston Texans have taken another San Francisco 49ers assistant to join DeMeco Ryans’ new coaching staff.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Texans are hiring 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as their new offensive coordinator, replacing Pep Hamilton, who was Houston’s play-caller for the 2022 season.

Slowik joins Nick Kray and Stephen Adegoke as the other former San Francisco assistants to join the Texans’ new staff under Ryans.

Slowik had been on the 49ers’ staff led by Kyle Shanahan since the 2017 season, and was even a defensive quality control coach alongside Ryans in that first year. Slowik remained in that role until 2019 when he became an offensive assistant for the next two seasons. In 2021, Slowik was the 49ers’ offensive pass game specialist.

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Texans in discussions with former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for offensive coordinator

The Houston Texans are in talks with former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for their offensive coordinator position.

The Houston Texans may not be done picking through the remnants of the Arizona Cardinals’ coaching staff to fill coordinator roles.

According to Dan Graziano from ESPN, the Texans are in discussions with former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for a job on new coach DeMeco Ryans’ staff. Kingsbury, who is in Houston for the talks, would take the role of offensive coordinator.

Kingsbury’s only NFL experience was as the Cardinals coach from 2019-22. Arizona went 28-37-1 in his four seasons with the NFC West club and reached the playoffs once in the 2021 NFC wild-card.

The former New Braunfels High School and Texas Tech product was with the Houston Cougars in a variety of offensive roles from 2008-11. In 2012, Kingsbury became the offensive coordinator under Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. From 2013-18, Kingsbury was the head football coach at his alma mater.

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Report: Texans interview Patriots TE coach Nick Caley for offensive coordinator

The Houston Texans interviewed New England Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley for their offensive coordinator position.

One would not expect the Houston Texans to look for another New England Patriots assistant to bring to Space City, but that could be the case with new coach DeMeco Ryans.

According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, the Texans interviewed Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley for their offensive coordinator position.

Caley, 40, does have the one calling card that is good with general manager Nick Caserio in that both were graduates of John Carroll University just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Caley has been on the Patriots’ staff since 2015 in a variety of roles, most of which have included coaching the tight ends.

The Texans finished 30th in points and 31st in total offense last season under Pep Hamilton.

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Texans interview 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik for spot on DeMeco Ryans’ staff

The Houston Texans interviewed San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik for offensive coordinator under DeMeco Ryans.

With DeMeco Ryans going to the AFC South, it means that some of his fellow staff members with the San Francisco 49ers might follow him to the Houston Texans.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Texans interviewed 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik for the offensive coordinator position.

Slowik, son of NFL and CFL coach Bob Slowik, started off with Washington from 2011-13 as a member of Mike Shanahan’s defensive staff. Slowik worked with Pro Football Focus between coaching jobs, and was back in the ranks in 2017 as a defensive assistant with the 49ers for the first two seasons of Kyle Shanahan’s tenure. From 2019-20, Slowik moved over to become an offensive assistant. In 2021, Slowik was the pass game specialist before taking on a new title in 2022.

The offensive coordinator for the Texans in 2022 was Pep Hamilton. Houston finished 30th in points for and 31st in total offense.

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How Texans OC Pep Hamilton can still be a quality coaching candidate in 2023 hiring cycle

Despite the Houston Texans’ 0-2-1 start and subpar offensive performances, OC Pep Hamilton can still finish as a strong coaching candidate.

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith is banking the offense on Pep Hamilton.

The former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach sought another opportunity to work with Hamilton after he left Chicago as their quarterbacks coach from 2007-09 to work under Jim Harbaugh and Stanford in 2010. With Smith being promoted to coach on Feb. 7, and Hamilton the resident quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, Smith elevated Hamilton to offensive coordinator.

Part of the reason is to also develop more Black coaching candidates in the NFL.

“You look at our league,” Smith told reporters at his introductory presser on Feb. 8. “Of course, the majority of our league is with Black athletes. You can find qualified Black candidates, candidates that worked themselves up. Once you look at our staff once it’s all done, completed, you’ll see there’s not just talk going into that. We have a lot of young, Black coaches that are going to do great things, of course, Pep Hamilton being one of them.”

According to Peter King from NBC Sports, Black assistants deserve consideration, especially given the hiring cycle over the past couple years has included candidates getting jobs simply for working with Sean McVay.

I think the story is good and smart because it takes away the passion and strong opinions on this issue and boils it down to hard facts. I believe it will be a good contribution to the coaching carousel this winter. I’m not saying it’s wrong for owners to continually look for “the next Sean McVay,” because McVay has spawned success in other coaches like Matt LaFleur and Zac Taylor and perhaps Kevin O’Connell. But owners can’t think just because a guy rubbed shoulders with a boy wonder like McVay that he’s going to be a great NFL coach.

King makes the case that if the Texans offense is even mediocre in 2022, given that it was horrendous in 2021, it will technically be a marked improvement and one that should warrant Hamilton for consideration as a coach in another NFL city.

The shame of the hiring process, or at least part of the shame is that if, say, Houston offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton builds a top-15 offense piloted by the 67th pick in the 2021 draft, Davis Mills, that should probably count as an outstanding coaching job, and should catapult him into the running for head-coaching jobs. Why? Because Hamilton took over the 30th-ranked team in scoring coming off an 8-25 stretch over the past two years. He’s coming from further back in the back than wherever the latest McVay-touched assistants would be coming from.

There is some improvement to the Texans’ offense. For the first time this season, Houston got over the 300-yard mark for total offense in the 23-20 loss at the Chicago Bears. The Texans’ bigger problem is their 0-2-1 record, which will loom large over Hamilton’s chances if it worsens.

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