With an 0-3 start, and a talented offense near the bottom of the league, the Houston Texans are making some changes.
Head coach Bill O'Brien will be far more involved in game-planning and play-calling, sources say, after attempting to take a step back from both to begin the season. While offensive coordinator Tim Kelly will still physically relay the plays in to quarterback Deshaun Watson, O'Brien will take a heavy hand in which plays are called, just like he was intimately involved with the game plan.
In other words, it's mostly back to the same formula that helped Houston and Watson reach the playoffs last year.
While Houston has struggled early, its opponents are a combined 8-1. No one is panicking. But Watson does find himself 19th in passer rating among starters, and the hope is to get him going, as well.
The goal will be to get Watson into a rhythm early and focus on the plays he likes while also moving him around a bit to find some success. There also may be some scheme changes on the offensive line -- with fewer tight ends blocking edge rushers, for instance.
"We have to do a better job, whether it's receivers or tight ends or the running back or the line or Deshaun getting the ball out quicker," O'Brien said this week. "Whatever it is, everybody's in it together. It's something that we all work hard on to try to improve and we got to get it improved."
