The Houston Texans’ main focus this offseason was an improved rushing attack. They traded for David Montgomery, signed multiple offensive linemen, spent their top pick on an offensive lineman, and added to the tight end room.
Six quarters into the season, they abandoned the plan to run the football.
Offensive coordinator Nick Caley ran the ball 14 times with his running backs. They gained 18 yards.
“I just felt at the moment when we started in the second quarter,” Caley explained, “throwing it a little bit more, the rhythm, the ability to move the ball, we were playing with a good rhythm. The quarterback was confident.”
The Bengals took a two-score lead with just over three minutes left in the third quarter.
Caley admitted there was room for more runs, but felt like the passing attack was the way to move the ball.
The plan to run the ball didn’t work early. Cincinnati’s Dexter Lawrence disrupted and destroyed what the Texans were attempting to execute. The decision to run at the standout defensive tackle and the failure to double-team him led to the paltry results. Center Evan Brown took the blame this week. So did rookie guard Keylan Rutledge.
Caley’s approach, one week after running the ball well, left a lot to be desired.
The offensive coordinator didn’t condemn his approach. He explained he was confident in it.
“I had confidence going into the game. I wouldn’t put plays in if we didn’t feel that we could go out and execute them, and you get confidence through going out and executing at practice. We have to play fundamentally better. We have to do a better job collectively as an offense, and we own that.”
He bristled at the idea that he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. He asked for a definition despite Caley being the one to introduce that into the lexicon of talking about the team.
“Really excited to get an opportunity to evolve this scheme,” Caley said at his introductory press conference last year. “It’s not going to be my spin. It’s going to be what’s best for our players and it’s always going to be what’s best for our players. We’re not pounding a square peg into a round hole.”
