Houston Texans: Three things to know about new QBs coach Carl Smith

Thing #3: His innate ability to adapt to change

As opposed to how I feel about O’Brien at times, Smith has shown an innate ability to adapt to change.  That’s what’s certainly has kept him employed through his storied NFL career but it does help when you’re good friends with Pete Carroll.

One has to wonder how has Smith been able to stay in this constantly-evolving league as he goes into his 28th season coaching in the NFL ranks.

In a 2014 New Orleans Times-Picayune article written in the days leading into the Seahawks’ eventual Super Bowl-win, it talks about his time coaching in the NFL up until that point.

Smith has spent the majority of his career with the Saints as a coach so it would be natural for the periodical to drum up something about him.

It talked about the vanilla-style of offense that Saints’ offense had during the days when Jim Mora coached them, a strategy for strong defense coupled with a deliberate, controlled and calculated mindset.

Fans to this day blame Smith for this notion but Hebert just reiterated his adaptation:

"“People always talk about how he was too conservative,” Hebert said. “He was just doing what he was told (by Jim Mora). … Make sure you put in your article was that was just being a good soldier.”"

That has translated throughout his career, having the ability to demonstrate his ingenuity but do it

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within the constraints of whomever that he had to report to.

When Smith inherited Wilson back in 2012 when they drafted in the third-round, he did not have to adjust his coaching style to suit his strengths.  He simply just observed Wilson’s unique traits, maximized the most efficient use of those and provided a strong sense of nurturing to ensure he morphs into his best self.

That obviously worked as he has left the Seahawks’ organization honorably after seven seasons of service.

This recurring theme of Smith having success in less than prolific offenses in his stops over his career leaves us to wonder if the Houston Texans offense will be as robust going into the 2019 season.

That remains to be seen but there’s a good chance that we’re about to see the best days of Watson’s career in short order.

In that same piece, here’s what Carroll said about Smith’s coaching abilities:

"“If you look back and follow the years that he’s coached quarterbacks, you can find that in almost every one of those guys that he’s coached over the years, the statistical best year they’ve ever had. I go back to when he coached Drew Bledsoe in our years in New England,” Carroll said. “Drew had the best statistical year to that point.”"

Carroll also added this:

"“He has the really magnificent gift of being able to find the strengths in people and amplifying them and bringing them to the front, and he’s done that. As uniquely different as Russell is than the other quarterbacks he’s coached, he’s found the way to make sense to Russell to amplify what he brings and accent his effectiveness”"

All of what Carroll said back then — to which I’m sure the way he still feels to this day — makes Smith such an exciting hire for a budding QB in Watson.

We’ll have to see how this pans out but I think Smith, as he heads into the twilight years of his coaching career, still has plenty left in the tank to help the Houston Texans as a whole to being successful.

And for that, I’m grateful.