The Texans didn’t hire a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with George Godsey after the 2016 season, leaving head coach Bill O’Brien to call plays.
That’s nothing new for O’Brien as he took on some of those responsibilities last year and has done it often in the past, but it has left him with a different role this offseason. O’Brien said that he’s doing more on a day-to-day basis than he’s done in his previous years with the team.
“I’ve been probably doing more coaching myself in the last four or five weeks than I’ve done in the three years that I’ve been here,” O’Brien said, via ESPN.com. “I’m really involved in the offense, and I’m having a lot of fun.”
Rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson said O’Brien has been “hands-on” in their early work together, something that wouldn’t be that surprising even if the Texans did have an offensive coordinator. O’Brien’s biggest stumbling block since becoming the Texans’ coach has been the play of the team’s quarterbacks and, by extension, the overall offense. If O’Brien doesn’t turn that around, there’s little reason to think the Texans’ results will be any better in 2017.