One of the biggest storylines to come out of the Houston Texans’ 14-9 loss in Week 1 to the Los Angeles Rams was Houston’s offense.
The Texans couldn’t find the end zone in Sunday’s game, settling for three field goals. Star wide receiver Nico Collins had a quiet outing (three receptions for 25 yards), and Houston’s offensive line struggled as C.J. Stroud was sacked once. It wasn’t the performance that fans were hoping for from the Texans.
In addition to those issues, head coach DeMeco Ryans has already identified a spot where the offense can improve going forward after last week’s loss.
DeMeco Ryans Highlights Immediate Area of Improvement for Texans Following Week 1
On Tuesday, the Texans head coach told reporters that the tempo on offense in and out of the huddle has to be quicker, so they can make the necessary checks and adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
He also pointed out that Houston’s urgency must pick up on the offensive side of the ball, and if that happens, things should be cleaner pre-and post-snap.
Texans fans on social media weren’t happy with Ryans’ comments, as some fans said that it's the same story from last season, where Stroud had no time to diagnose what he’s seeing pre-snap.
For a quarterback, pre-snap reads are important, and you need time to switch out from a pass to a run play or vice versa, or even change the protection if you feel there’s a possible blitz.
Last year, Houston fans could point the finger at then-offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who the Texans parted ways with in January. However, Slowik isn’t around anymore. It’s now Nick Caley calling the shots, who is the Texans’ new offensive coordinator.
Sunday’s game was not what anybody expected from an offensive perspective (265 total yards), as the defense held this talented Rams’ offense to 14 points. All the Texans had to do was find a way to get into the end zone.
However, it’s hard to do that when the passing game isn’t creating big plays and the offensive line isn’t giving Stroud time to throw. Stroud was sacked three times and was hit seven times.
The hope is that the Texans’ offense can iron out its tempo woes in practice, as they can’t afford any more issues against the Tampa Buccaneers’ defense next week, which is very opportunistic.