(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans aren't exactly reeling after their disappointing 15-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers this past weekend. They're a team that is undergoing a lot of new and they'll keep their head up for the time being.
Behind C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans, who have meshed together well in developing a strong willed and competitive culture, they've got plenty of respected veteran voices in that locker room that understand the journey this organization is on.
However, with glimpses of so much potential through the first few weeks and a rookie quarterback that is far ahead of the curve in a number of areas, particularly with his high level of preparation and attention to detail, the recent struggles by the offense does deserve a hard look at what might be contributing to their inconsistent play.
Maybe the receiving core is more of what was advertised in the offseason. An aging Robert Woods past his prime, a young receiver in Nico Collins that just isn't a number one threat, a rookie in Tank Dell that's too small to survive in the league, and a bunch of other dudes.
I don't necessarily subscribe to that.
When you have a good quarterback, they can make average receivers look better. When you have a good offensive coordinator, they can continually find ways for his young quarterback to find his playmakers.
That hasn't happened with any realm of consistency yet.
It's the NFL, teams prepare well. They're pretty good, even the bad ones. Teams have adjusted to the Texans' quick-pass game, disguised coverages to force the Texans to look underneath more and with a non-existent rushing attack it's been a slog to say the least.
"I think just playing different defenses and how they've attacked us over the past three weeks – I think that's been the change," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "The first few weeks, people were really not having enough film and seeing what we do schematically. I think that allowed us to create some explosive plays, but now, as you start to gain tendencies throughout the season, teams kind of hone in on your playmakers, hone in on what you do well and they force you to play left-handed when it comes to that."
Among many questions that first year play-caller and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik have to continue to try and find answers to, a few of them are more pertinent than others.
I think the way the Texans are trying to do it is making it more difficult to see success in the run game.
Using their recent 15-13 loss to the Panthers as an example, the Texans had more success when throwing the ball on first down than they did running it.
The Texans ran the ball 15 times and threw it just four times on first downs against Carolina.
They averaged just 3.4 yards per carry when they ran it and averaged 10 yards per pass when they threw the ball.
That's not to say it's as simple as throwing more on first downs instead of running it, rather just a better balance may be in order.
There's no question Stroud thinks so. However, what else would you expect from a quarterback? I'm sure he'd much rather sling the ball down the field instead of handing it off 30 times a game, winning or not.
Ryans seemed content with the shots they did take against Carolina. However, they didn't hit on enough of them.
"When it comes to the deep shots, structurally the way that Carolina's defense is set up, they want to force you to earn every yard down the field, so they're going to play in a deep-shell coverage to force the ball in front of them," Ryans said. "We had a couple of opportunities for some deep shots, just didn't connect on them. They were there. You have a team who is going to force you to throw the ball underneath, and for the one time or two times that we do get the opportunity to throw it downfield, it's a time to connect and we didn't connect on that. That's football, it happens."
Below is a look at how Stroud and the Texans' offense has fared through their first seven games when attempting passes 15 or more yards down the field.
Carolina: 1-4
Note: A 22-yard completion to Noah Brown was negated due to Shaq Mason being flagged for an ineligible man downfield.
New Orleans: 4-7
Atlanta: 3-6
Pittsburgh: 3-6
Jacksonville: 2-4
Indianapolis: 5-8
Baltimore: 0-6
CJ Stroud has actually attempted the ninth most passes (27) that have traveled at least 20 yards in the air through seven games.
He ranks 12th in pass attempts that traveled at least 10 yards and 18th that have traveled at least 30 yards.
The Texans don't have to throw the ball deep to gain explosive plays. Slowik has shown the propensity to dial some opportunities up for Dell and Collins in the short game that's yielded chunky plays after the catch. However, if the Texans continue to struggle with the run, it'll make it more difficult to open up the offense and utilize the deep threat potential.
Taking a hard look at changing their plan of attack on first downs, particularly early in games, might be a viable option that can help the Texans see more results in explosives and in the run game.
It may be a bit of a loaded question, but I tend to believe this is maybe Slowik's biggest weakness right now.
The criticism that Slowik has garnered about the lack of creativity in his offense is a bit unfair and misguided in my opinion.
In fact, I think Slowik has tried to be a little too cute at times with the offense. The pre-snap motions (Texans rank in top half of the league) and different formations in which the Texans utilize is fun to see at times, can be effective and is done with purpose in mind.
However, the lack of creativity I'm talking about has been in their inability to consistently get the ball to their playmakers without getting too cute.
Tank Dell is a guy that can be used all over the field. But, he has to get more looks in the pass game than sweeps and gimmick runs.
"Tank is just an explosive playmaker, and we have to find a way to continue to create ways to get him the ball," Ryans said.
There has been a precipitous drop off in recent weeks in the amount of targets both Collins and Dell have garnered.
It's understood that teams are going to try and take those options away, but it's up to Slowik and Stroud to try and find more effective ways to get them the ball in space.
Between Collins' ability to catch through contact and gain the tough yards after the catch, Dell can make anybody miss and take the top off of defenses. They just need more opportunities.
