Halftime in the NFL, shrunk years ago from 15 minutes to 12 in order to get the total time of the non-Super Bowl games closer to three hours, creates an opportunity to make key adjustments to the game plan based on the things the opponent is and isn’t doing.
On Sunday night, the Texans instead had roughly 12 minutes of chaos following the collapse of coach Gary Kubiak, as explained by James Palmer of CSN Houston on Monday’s edition of PFT Live. (Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the second half kickoff was delayed minimally, if at all, by the Kubiak situation.)
As Palmer explained, there were no adjustments made by the Texans during halftime. Moreover, with the offensive play-calling duties shifting from Kubiak to offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, there were delays in the communication of the plays to the team.
All things considered, it’s no surprise the Texans weren’t able to continue the pace they established in the first half. While Kubiak’s health is the top priority moving forward, the unfortunate footnote for the Texans is that what could have been an easy win became a disappointing loss.