The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans were two of the worst teams in football last season, and as a result, both kicked off a rebuild this offseason. Now, after major changes to their coaching staffs and behind center, both teams will open the season against each other.
To help our readers familiarize themselves with the new-look Texans, we sat down with Texans Wire’s Mark Lane for some insight. Here are some questions he was able to answer for us about new coach David Culley, former Jags receiver Chris Conley, and more.
It seems as though David Culley is a well-respected coach in the NFL, and casual fans may be discounting him because of the Texans’ situation. How are Texans fans feeling about him, and the job he's done this offseason with getting players to buy in?
TW: Culley is a players coach and they appear to like him. However, it is his first crack at the job. By season’s end, maybe the players are tired of some of his flaws that will no doubt crop up throughout the year, as they do with any coach.
The fans even find it hard to hate on Culley. He does have some experience with the area as he was a receivers coach at Texas A&M from 1991-93, his last college job before going to the NFL in 1994. Culley is seen as a caretaker, someone who is managing the decline of the Texans as general manager Nick Caserio attempts to execute a successful rebuild.
This Texans team doesn't resemble the ones we’ve seen beat the Jags six times in a row. It will be without notables like Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt to name a few. With that being the case, who are the players from this group who Houston could look to build around?
TW: Really no one. They are a roster chock full of role players and complementary pieces. That doesn’t mean they can’t have success, but it just means you don’t have a guy that carries the identity of a unit, the way Watson did the offense and Watt did the defense.
Maybe you could say linebacker Zach Cunningham, as this Tampa 2 scheme really favors a tackling machine like him. The build-around players are somewhere in the 2022 NFL draft, or in free agency.
One player who several Jags fans know well on Houston’s team and grew a connection with was Chris Conley. How has he been for the Texans as a new offseason addition
TW: Conley has filled in the role of speedy outside threat really well, a role that had gone lacking after the departure of Will Fuller in free agency. Now, imagine if Deshaun Watson were throwing him the ball.
Anyway, Conley has done a good job pairing up with Brandin Cooks and allowing their combine knowledge to flow from them and lead to the inculturation of rookie Nico Collins, who does have a bright future ahead of him.
Poor Conley. He had that one year in Kansas City (2018) where he got to play with a real quarterback, and now he’s just been teamed up with journeymen the past two seasons.
Who is an under-the-radar player to be mindful of on Sunday?
TW: Defensive end Jacob Martin. He was really one of the elements that helped the Texans “win” the Jadeveon Clowney trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Since that trade, Martin has produced 6.5 sacks — 3.5 more than Clowney produced in the same span.
The Seahawks even reportedly tried to re-acquire him at the trade deadline last year. If Martin can play in a scheme where his lone job is to get upfield, not consider dropping back as is the case in a 3-4 scheme, he could be an effective pass rusher.
What do you think the final score will be in Sunday’s game?
TW: The Texans will force the Jaguars to play a grittier version of football that neutralizes Lawrence and his receivers. Houston’s ball-control offense is boosted by a couple takeaways, and David Culley gets career win No. 1 over fellow rookie coach Urban Meyer. Texans 20, Jaguars 19
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September 12, 2021 at 05:16AM
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Behind Enemy Lines: Week 1 Q&A with Texans Wire - Jaguars Wire
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