The Houston Texans have reached a critical crossroads. Two straight AFC South titles followed by two straight divisional round exits have left head coach DeMeco Ryans searching for answers. His solution? Bringing in Nick Caley as the new offensive coordinator to evolve the attack and push the Texans over the hump.
It was a bold move to part ways with former OC Bobby Slowik after back-to-back playoff appearances. But Ryans saw stagnation where there should have been growth. Points per game and yards per game both dipped in 2024 under Slowik while sacks allowed increased. Franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud took a league-high 52 sacks and faced pressure on 38.6% of dropbacks, 3rd most in the NFL.
We’ve had a lot of good success these first two years. The reason we’re doing this is I think there’s another level that we can go to. And as I said earlier, my job is to take this organization to new heights, and I think hiring Nick will help us to get there.
– DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans head coach
Enter Nick Caley, a first-time offensive coordinator but a long-time student of the game. He cut his teeth under Bill Belichick in New England before adding pass game coordinator duties with the Rams. Now he gets his chance to command an offense featuring Pro Bowlers Laremy Tunsil, Joe Mixon, Nico Collins, and of course, C.J. Stroud.
A Natural Fit For Stroud’s Skills
Caley sees immense potential in the Texans’ young signal caller. “He can spin it. He throws the ball,” Caley gushed. “He’s an accurate thrower of the football. He is a natural thrower of the football. He’s instinctive. He’s got the it factor. And he’s a warrior in terms of his competitiveness.”
No one doubts Stroud’s physical tools. He topped 4,000 passing yards as a rookie in 2023. The key for Caley will be designing a scheme that better protects Stroud while still unleashing his playmaking ability. Reducing sacks and pressure will be priority number one.
Adapting to the Texans’ Personnel
While Caley brings ideas from his Patriots and Rams background, he stressed that the Texans’ attack will be its own unique system tailored to the talent on hand.
It is going to be Houston’s offense. It is going to be our scheme based on what we do. My history is we were going to be a game plan team. If that meant we were going to run duo and gap schemes and run the ball 45 times to win the game, then that’s what we were going to do. We had to run more perimeter plays, wide zone, and we felt that was going to give us the edge. We were going to do that. We were going to ask our guys to do what they do well.
– Nick Caley, Houston Texans offensive coordinator
That flexibility and willingness to adapt bodes well for maximizing the Texans’ offensive weapons. Establishing a strong run game with Joe Mixon to set up play-action and bootlegs for Stroud could be a winning formula. As could leaning into Nico Collins’ contested catch ability downfield.
The Pressure Is On
Make no mistake, the Texans expect results from this move. Ryans rolled the dice by changing coordinators after two division titles. He sees Caley as the key to unlocking this offense’s full potential.
Questions abound. Can Caley transition smoothly to play-calling duties? Will his scheme keep Stroud upright and unleash his true potential? Is this offense ready to go toe-to-toe with the AFC’s heavyweights?
The Texans have the talent. They have the hunger. Now they have a new offensive architect in Nick Caley. It’s time to see if he can build something special in Houston. With DeMeco Ryans’ bold vision and Caley’s fresh approach, the Texans aim to summit the AFC’s peak. The climb starts now.
