The Houston Texans no longer have Bill O’Brien as head coach, but how many games can they win without him?
The Houston Texans made the firing of Bill O’Brien official on Monday, one day after falling to 0-4 to start the 2020 season. The Texans through four games don’t look like a Super Bowl contender; in fact, they haven’t even looked like a contender to three-peat as AFC South champions.
Now with Bill O’Brien out of the picture as not only the head coach, but as general manager as well, it is time for the Houston Texans to move forward and try to dig out of the hole they are in as they and the New York Jets are the only two teams left in the NFL without a win through the first four weeks of action.
Now having Romeo Crennel as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season, the Houston Texans still have 12 games to right the ship and battle for a playoff spot, but it won’t be easy, and there will be no more excuses of O’Brien controlling the play calling.
Next for the Houston Texans will be a home game at NRG Stadium against the 1-3 Jacksonville Jaguars, which is also the first opponent from the AFC South for the team this season. From there, the Texans have to go on the road to take on the currently undefeated Tennessee Titans, and then they’ll host the Green Bay Packers.
After those three games, the Texans will finally have a bye in Week 8, which will most likely be needed by then considering the schedule they will have played up to the time the bye week arrives.
From there, the schedule includes a span of four games where Houston will be on the road for three of four weeks where they’ll be at Jacksonville, at Cleveland, vs. New England and at Detroit, taking them through the first 12 weeks of the schedule.
From there, Weeks 13-17 has the Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis, at Chicago, at Indianapolis, vs. Cincinnati and vs. Tennessee. To say this schedule is getting any easier isn’t fair to the Texans, because even without Bill O’Brien as their head coach the players haven’t proven they are capable of winning games, and they too need to reevaluate themselves and their overall play too.
Next is a look at the remainder of the schedule and predictions to how the Houston Texans can perform in the next 12 games without O’Brien leading the way, as it is now up to Crennel, Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt to lead this team from the very bottom of the NFL back to being respectable again in the standings for the remainder of the 2020 season.
Houston Texans Schedule Prediction: Weeks 5-7
Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
At least the Houston Texans are home for their first game following the head coaching change after the firing of Bill O’Brien. This is a very winnable game for the Texans because the Jaguars have lost their past three, and they don’t have the greatest roster.
On paper, the Texans are a more talented team, and they should win this game. Houston should be motivated to impress after what this week has already brought, and they should earn their first win of the season. Prediction: Win
Week 6 at Tennessee Titans
This is another game for the Houston Texans that won’t be easy as the Tennessee Titans are one of the better teams in the entire AFC, being they are 3-0 this season. Right now the Titans are battling some issues with COVID-19 spreading throughout their franchise, as their Week 4 game was postponed against the Steelers.
When the Houston Texans have to face the Titans, it will be a very big test to see exactly where the franchise stands in two weeks without O’Brien. The Texans don’t stack up well with stopping the run game of the Titans with Derrick Henry, so unless something improves fast, the Texans will have another long day on defense. Prediction: Loss
Week 7 vs. Green Bay Packers
Here is another team that the Texans could struggle with as the Packers are the leaders in the NFC North and currently 4-0 overall. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers playing at a high level once again, making lesser known wide receivers play at his high level as well. The Green Bay offense will be too much for the Texans defense to overcome, especially if the secondary doesn’t pick things up quickly. Prediction: Loss
Houston Texans Schedule Prediction: Weeks 9-11
Week 9 at Jacksonville Jaguars
With this being the second meeting between the two teams since Week 5, if the Houston Texans are still healthy at this point, they have to be a much better team by Week 9. This should be a game where the Texans really begin to show improved play, especially coming off a bye week. Prediction: Win
Week 10 at Cleveland Browns
Before the season began, this would have been an easy prediction for a Houston Texans win. Instead, the roles have reversed, and the Cleveland Browns will probably be the favorites to win this game.
This past Sunday in Dallas, the Browns scored 49 points against the Cowboys, and for the season through four games the Browns look like an improved team. It looks like Nick Chubb won’t be in this game, but the Browns rushing attack will still have Kareem Hunt, and he’s a very good running back that the Texans will have to stop. Prediction: Loss
Week 11 vs. New England Patriots
This game will be a little different than usual as the battle between Bill O’Brien and Bill Belichick isn’t happening, and the battle of Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson won’t be on the field, either. The Patriots aren’t the same team as usual, and the Texans could sneak in a win here if by this time the offense has figured out how to sustain long drives and score points in the red zone. Consider this the “surprise win” for the 2020 Texans. Prediction: Win.
Houston Texans Schedule Prediction: Weeks 12-14
Week 12: at Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a team in the same boat as the Houston Texans as they are a struggling franchise that can’t seem to take the next step this season. The Lions have had their struggles and aren’t one of the better teams in the league, and this is an opportunity for the Texans to add another win to this season. Prediction: Win.
Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Here is where things start to get tougher again because even before Bill O’Brien was fired the Houston Texans had their struggles with this franchise. The Colts are up in the standings with the Titans at this point of the season and should be playing at a high level. Also by this time, it will be very interesting to see where Colts rookie running back Jonathan Taylor is, as he has continued potential to improve.
After four games, Taylor has 250 yards on 68 carries with two touchdowns, so don’t be surprised by the time this game happens in early December that the Colts will really be using the running back to take over games, which for the Texans rush defense (unless much improved) will be bad news. Prediction: Loss
Week 14: at Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a weird team because you never know what they can and cannot achieve due to the play of their two quarterbacks. Some weeks they will trick you into thinking they can be a contender, then like in Week 4 they will show up and score 11 points. The advantage of the Week 14 game on Dec. 13 at Soldier Field in Chicago will go to the Bears, as the weather could play a huge role in this game against the Houston Texans. Prediction: Loss
Houston Texans Schedule Prediction: Weeks 15-17
Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts
This won’t be the year where the Houston Texans challenge the Indianapolis Colts. Again, Jonathan Taylor should be a force by the time this game happens, and though the Texans should be a better team, as of this prediction, the Texans offense hasn’t showed if they are capable of having any success.
Time will tell if this prediction will be incorrect, but the advantage goes to the Colts as they’ll most likely be in a race for the AFC South title by the time this December game happens. Prediction: Loss.
Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
It will be fun to see how Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow has improved by the time this game arrives, but the Houston Texans and Romeo Crennel should be able to take advantage of the poor offensive line that resides in Cincinnati. This could be a game where the Texans offense breaks out to be a scoring machine and shows signs that 2021 will be a much different year for the franchise. Prediction: Win.
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
This will be a more competitive game than the first one, but when Week 17 arrives it will be interesting to see where the Titans are in the battle for the AFC South title. If they have clinched it, the Texans could receive a gift, but the guess here at this point of the season is the Titans and Colts will need wins in Week 17 to determine who will win the AFC South. Prediction: Loss.
After going through the remainder of the schedule in the 12 games without Bill O’Brien as the head coach, the Texans will be a more competitive team, but a playoff run won’t happen. The 12-game record without O’Brien will be 5-7, leaving the Texans with an overall 2020 16-game record of 5-11.