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The Houston Texans struggled mightily in the 2021 season with an abysmal 4-13 record. The Deshaun Watson controversy marred the Texans' campaign, with the three-time Pro Bowler not seeing any action all season because of his legal troubles.
Though it is certainly a huge concern, the Texans have more things to worry about as they must fill in other crucial positions within the team for next season. There will be a ton of challenges ahead for the struggling franchise, but they will surely be in a better position if they address their needs as soon as possible, which includes finding a new head coach.
With that said, let's take a look at three major fixes the Texans must make in order to make it back to relevance in the 2022 season.
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3 major fixes Texans must make in the offseason
3. Upgrade the defensive unit
The Texans released a future Hall of Famer in J.J. Watt in the previous offseason, and he joined the Arizona Cardinals. Without their veteran leader, the group struggled to keep up with the majority of their opponents in 2021.
Houston gave up 26.6 points per game (27th) and ranked 31st in yards allowed per game. While the offense often struggled because of quarterback issues before rookie Davis Mills picked up his play late in the season, the defense was consistently a major problem.
On the bright side, they found a hidden gem in Jonathan Greenard, who had a breakout season in just his second year in the league. He generated 33 combined tackles, 8.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 14 games played. Despite his solid level of production, the Texans' defense still needs a couple of franchise cornerstones to build around in order to truly become more competitive on the field moving forward.
2. Find an end to the Deshaun Watson issue
2021 was truly a year to forget for both Deshaun Watson and the Texans, though both sides will have to put an end to the issue once and for all. The 26-year-old missed the entire season, and there's still no resolution yet for his legal issues.
Houston did find a promising talent in Davis Mills, who showed flashes of potential while starting 11 of 13 games played for the team in 2021. Despite the optimism around him, the rookie is certainly nowhere near the caliber of Watson as a starting quarterback in the league.
Ultimately, the front office will surely once again look to trade Watson for a major haul this offseason. There should hopefully be more clarity with his legal problems soon, which could then result in a trade at some point.
1. Find the right head coach
There is no doubt that former head coach David Culley tried to do the best he could given the roster he had in the past season. He steered the Texans to four wins and pulled off a major upset of the Los Angeles Chargers late in the season. They also almost beat the top-seeded Tennessee Titans in Week 18.
However, there is simply no way that an inexperienced head coach could handle the dumpster fire that is the Texans franchise. Luckily for them, there are still a handful of good candidates left without a job, led by Brian Flores, though Houston must act quickly before a coach-less team beats them to acquire his services.
Interestingly enough, Flores has already been linked to Watson, who previously sought a trade to the Miami Dolphins. Perhaps his potential arrival to Houston would be enough to change the mind of the star quarterback after his previous trade request.
The head coach position is a make-or-break factor for the Texans franchise, especially with the Deshaun Watson issue they have at hand. The tactician they put at the helm will not only be responsible for improving the team's performance on the field but also for turning around a dysfunctional franchise that needs a shift in culture in order to gain better results in the future.
