The Houston Texans had hoped they could beat the lowly Miami Dolphins in Week 9, but the return of Tyrod Taylor did not do the trick. The Texans cannot claim they are better than a two-loss team. One player did not transform their situation in South Florida.
Here are a few central takeaways from Sunday's game.
Houston Texans Week 9 Takeaways
3. Tyrod Taylor was rusty, but he also reminded us about the big-picture view of his career
When an NFL quarterback vacancy emerges, and teams think about what to do with a complicated or difficult situation, a natural answer has emerged in recent years: Sign Tyrod Taylor and bring him on as the bridge player for a year before drafting a big-time quarterback or engineering a blockbuster trade. Tyrod Taylor can patch things up and provide temporary relief.
That thought process wasn't wrong. It still isn't. The point is that Tyrod Taylor — much like Ryan Fitzpatrick — is often spoken of in those limited terms:
“Bridge guy.” “Temporary solution.” “Short-term fix.” He isn't a long-term answer. He showed why on Sunday.
Taylor is a capable and reasonably competent NFL quarterback, but he is not consistently great. He has his moments of quality, but he also has his moments of struggle. On Sunday, the Texans got the bad version of Taylor, who missed plenty of open receivers and simply didn't respond well to the swirl of events around him against the Dolphins.
Yes, the offensive line let him down, but Taylor had several plays to make which he failed to convert. If he makes those plays, the Texans might have won an ugly defensive slugfest in which Houston contained Miami's offense the whole afternoon.
There's a reason Tyrod Taylor is not a long-term answer or a permanent solution to any NFL team's offensive woes. He is a temporary fix, not an enduring one. His return to the lineup against the Dolphins was a clarifying moment for the Texans and a lot of people throughout the NFL.
2. The Texans have a defense which is doing its fair share and shouldn't be seen as the problem
The Texans held the Arizona Cardinals under 30 net points — they allowed 31 to the Birds, but scored two on a safety, for a net total of 29. Any defense which can hold Kyler Murray and Company under 30 net points is a solid group.
On Sunday, the Texans took the ball away from the Dolphins five times. They limited Miami to 262 total yards and just 47 rushing yards. That kind of defensive performance should win in the NFL 10 times out of 10. The limited yardage is one thing. The huge amount of turnovers is another. Houston brought both components to the table, stifling Miami while also taking the ball away. That should be an unbeatable combination. It would take a spectacularly bad offense to squander that kind of a performance from a defense.
Gulp. The Texans did exactly that.
This defense, if it had been paired with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, would be warmly received in Houston right now. The Texans, with Deshaun under center, would have a winning record. This defense is not spectacular, but it has done plenty of heavy lifting this year. In Week 9 against the Dolphins, it was completely abandoned.
1. David Culley's job is and should be on the line in the coming weeks
While Tyrod Taylor played poorly in Week 9 for the Texans, coach David Culley has to bear some responsibility for this performance. Very simply, if this loss to the Dolphins isn't sufficiently responded to, Culley should be in trouble.
Culley faces a big task in the coming weeks, but it is conceptually simple: Cultivate improvements in the offense and Tyrod Taylor. This shouldn't be too hard. The offensive line is a disaster, but Taylor — who threw three interceptions against the Dolphins — was obviously out of rhythm. If Taylor shakes off the rust and the Texans' offense produces at a reasonable rate, Culley can and should get a second season.
However, if the Texans continue to fail to score touchdowns on the road — they haven't scored an offensive road touchdown since Sept. 19 in Week 2 — and if they continue to face-plant on offense with Taylor running the show, Culley should not be given a chance to coach either Taylor or a new quarterback in the 2022 season. He has to earn a second season in the second half of this 2021 campaign.
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