In a stunning move, the Houston Texans have fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik after just two seasons, following the team’s crushing 31-7 divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Head coach DeMeco Ryans, who brought Slowik with him from the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, made the difficult decision to part ways with his close friend as the Texans’ Super Bowl aspirations fell short due largely to offensive inconsistency and pass protection breakdowns.
The Texans entered 2024 with sky-high expectations after quarterback C.J. Stroud’s record-setting rookie campaign under Slowik’s tutelage. The addition of All-Pro weapons like receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon only heightened the hype. But as the season unfolded, Houston’s aerial attack lost altitude, grounded by a leaky offensive line and a lack of counterpunches to defensive adjustments.
Protection Problems Persist
Despite Ryans’ repeated emphasis on keeping Stroud upright, the Texans’ blocking woes resurfaced in Week 1. The second-year signal-caller was sacked four times in the opener, foreshadowing the barrage to come. As opponents exploited Houston’s predictable protections, Stroud faced a staggering 52 unblocked pressures on the year, second-most in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats.
The quarterback’s getting hit too much.
– Texans left guard Tytus Howard
Slowik shouldered blame for not putting Stroud in optimal situations, whether by simplifying reads, sliding protections, or deploying more quick-strike throws and outlet options. His rigid adherence to the system left Stroud and the line on an island too often. “There’s times where I sit back there, and I’m thinking too much,” Stroud admitted after a midseason loss to the Jets in which he was sacked eight times.
Failure to Adapt Seals Slowik’s Fate
Perhaps most damning was the Texans’ inability to adjust once opponents solved them. After erupting for 23 first-half points versus the Lions in Week 10, Houston went scoreless in the second half, netting just 97 yards. “When teams would take away what we wanted to do, we didn’t have answers for it,” one player said. That lack of a counter-punch left Ryans no choice but to make a change.
We simply weren’t good enough offensively. We had all season to make adjustments and improvements, and it never happened.
– Texans team source
As the hits and losses piled up, some Texans lost faith in Slowik’s scheme. “I don’t think we had a true identity of what the (expletive) we wanted to do,” a player said. When Ryans consulted the roster after the season, he didn’t find a strong backing to retain his embattled OC. The once-electric Stroud saw his efficiency dip drastically from Weeks 9-18 as the offense plummeted to 29th in scoring. A final 8-sack implosion versus the Chiefs sealed Slowik’s fate.
Fresh Start with Caley
Hoping to reignite Stroud and the offense, Ryans tabbed ex-Rams passing game coordinator Nick Caley as his new offensive architect. Caley brings a hybrid background from New England and Los Angeles, blending elements of the Erhardt-Perkins and Sean McVay schemes. Most importantly, his top priority will be collaborating with Stroud and the line to design a more QB-friendly attack.
I am really excited to evolve this scheme. It’s not going to be my spin, it’s going to be what’s best for our players. We aren’t pounding a square peg into a round hole.
– New Texans OC Nick Caley
The hope is a more tailored system, improved communication, and empowered linemen will put Stroud back on an MVP trajectory while keeping him clean. If Caley pushes the right buttons, the Texans could be right back in title contention given their abundance of skill talent. But after two years of Slowik’s struggles, Ryans is betting big that new ideas will bring better results. In the unforgiving AFC, Houston’s championship hopes may well hinge on this critical coaching change.
