It was clear during the Houston Texans loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7 that the offensive line was a major problem. Quarterback C.J. Stroud had his worst outing of the year, going 10-of-21 for 86 yards. He was also sacked four times in the loss.
It could have been much worse, but Stroud used his feet to avoid several other sacks throughout the day. The offensive line also had a hard time consistently opening holes in the ground game, evidenced by their inability to run out the clock in the final minutes.
When asked about their struggles, head coach DeMeco Ryans seemed less than interested in discussing the issues. Instead, he called it a “bad day” and said he was ready to “move on.”
'I know everyone has questions about the offensive line. We move on. Everybody has a bad day.' #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 23, 2024
If the Texans are going to get back on track this weekend against the Indianapolis Colts, they’re going to need a better effort from the O-line. Tytus Howard understands this as the team’s starting right tackle said they need to be better “collectively.”
#Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard on learning from #Packers game and improving Sunday against #Colts collectively as a line @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/DA40qVIqd1
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 23, 2024
On an individual basis, Pro Football Focus has just one player ranked low — left guard Kenyon Green is ranked 78th of 79 at guard. Other than him, the rest have been starter level players, with center Juice Scruggs being tabbed as the No. 12 center in the league.
There’s room for improvement, with the remaining starters all ranked in the 30s for their specific position. However, Howard’s take is correct that they just need to find a way to be more cohesive together.