There have been some rumors floating around for a while that Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien’s job is not safe.
Last week we touched on a report that indicated O’Brien’s job security was tied to the team’s performance in the playoffs. And then on Saturday before the team’s wild-card matchup against the Oakland Raiders Ian Rapoport said other teams looking for a head coach were waiting to see if Houston would let him go.
According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, however, those rumors are just hot air, as Houston has no intention of letting O’Brien walk out the door no matter what happens this postseason.
John McClain ✔ @McClain_on_NFL
The Texans will not be firing Bill O'Brien. Bob McNair has fired 2 coaches whose teams were 2-14.
<time class="dt-updated" datetime="2017-01-07T15:48:28+0000" pubdate="" title="Time posted: 07 Jan 2017, 15:48:28 (UTC)">10:48 AM - 7 Jan 2017</time>
In all honesty, this makes plenty of sense, especially considering the team’s inability to provide O’Brien with a viable option at quarterback. Whatever you may think of his coaching style or his offensive philosophy, the truth of the matter is that O’Brien has done a darn good job working with the tools he’s been given.
With three straight 9-7 seasons including two straight AFC South divisional crowns to his credit, O’Brien has managed his offense well despite having the likes of Brian Hoyer, Ryan Fitzpatrick and now Brock Osweiler — a guy he’s clashed with multiple times this year — as his primary quarterbacks.
Thanks to a strong defense and a reasonable offensive approach, he’s proved himself capable of maximizing talent.
It’s going to be interesting to see how things play out during wild card weekend against the Raiders. On paper, Houston should win, going up against a rookie quarterback who’s starting his first NFL game. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll be watching carefully to see if the tenor of Houston’s front office and ownership changes in the coming weeks.
Last week we touched on a report that indicated O’Brien’s job security was tied to the team’s performance in the playoffs. And then on Saturday before the team’s wild-card matchup against the Oakland Raiders Ian Rapoport said other teams looking for a head coach were waiting to see if Houston would let him go.
According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, however, those rumors are just hot air, as Houston has no intention of letting O’Brien walk out the door no matter what happens this postseason.
John McClain ✔ @McClain_on_NFL
The Texans will not be firing Bill O'Brien. Bob McNair has fired 2 coaches whose teams were 2-14.
<time class="dt-updated" datetime="2017-01-07T15:48:28+0000" pubdate="" title="Time posted: 07 Jan 2017, 15:48:28 (UTC)">10:48 AM - 7 Jan 2017</time>
In all honesty, this makes plenty of sense, especially considering the team’s inability to provide O’Brien with a viable option at quarterback. Whatever you may think of his coaching style or his offensive philosophy, the truth of the matter is that O’Brien has done a darn good job working with the tools he’s been given.
With three straight 9-7 seasons including two straight AFC South divisional crowns to his credit, O’Brien has managed his offense well despite having the likes of Brian Hoyer, Ryan Fitzpatrick and now Brock Osweiler — a guy he’s clashed with multiple times this year — as his primary quarterbacks.
Thanks to a strong defense and a reasonable offensive approach, he’s proved himself capable of maximizing talent.
It’s going to be interesting to see how things play out during wild card weekend against the Raiders. On paper, Houston should win, going up against a rookie quarterback who’s starting his first NFL game. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll be watching carefully to see if the tenor of Houston’s front office and ownership changes in the coming weeks.
