Nick Caley, the guy calling plays for the Houston Texans, is catching more heat than anyone in Houston right now. You’d think leading a top-ten offense would shut down the noise, but apparently, not for Caley. The criticism often feels pretty over the top, which is just how it goes for coaches earning the big bucks. But when you dig into the facts, some of that frustration might just be warranted.
The Numbers Tell a Story, Mostly Good
Let’s cut right to it: the Texans’ offense is good, really good in a lot of areas. They are averaging 24.0 points per game, which puts them 11th in the league. Total yards? A solid 2130, landing them at 7th overall. And when it comes to efficiency, they’re getting 5.7 yards per play, good for 10th in the NFL. So yeah, overall, this is a top-ten offense by most metrics. They’re absolutely tearing it up through the air, too, with 1621 passing yards, which is 2nd in the league, and their net yards per attempt sits at 6.9, placing them 7th. That passing game is doing a ton of heavy lifting, pulling the entire offense up.
The Elephant in the Room: That Running Game
Here’s where things get ugly, and where a lot of that Caley criticism gets its teeth. This team cannot run the football. Seriously, it’s not just bad, it’s abysmal. They’ve only got 509 rushing yards on the season, which is 25th in the league. And their measly 3.6 yards per attempt? That’s 28th. Ouch. This isn’t a new problem either, it seems like the run game hasn’t been right since Arian Foster was dominating. Caley absolutely deserves the heat for that inability to establish any kind of ground game. When he was hired, the big goals were simple: take care of the football and keep C.J. Stroud upright. He’s limited turnovers, which is huge, and he’s doing a better job lately of protecting Stroud. So, he’s met the bar he was originally brought in for, and he’s clearly adjusting on the fly. But that run game? That’s a giant question mark that overshadows a lot of the good.
C.J. Stroud Is Still Slinging It
Despite the run game woes, C.J. Stroud is out here proving why he’s the real deal. He’s stacking up against the best quarterbacks in the league, and the numbers are backing him up big time. Stroud has racked up 1714 passing yards, which is 2nd overall. He’s averaging 285.7 passing yards per game, putting him 4th. His net yards per attempt is 7.0, sitting at 8th in the NFL. He’s completing 65.3 percent of his passes (13th) and has a success rate of 48.5 (11th). His passer rating is a strong 100.9, also 11th in the league. The dude is playing at a high level, and that’s a massive reason why this offense is still a top-ten unit despite its glaring flaw.
So, where does that leave us? Caley leads a top-ten offense, Stroud is balling out, but the run game is a brick wall. There are still 11 more football games to go, and you know everyone will be watching to see how this all shakes out. Can Caley finally fix that run game, or will the passing heroics of Stroud continue to be the only thing keeping this offense afloat? It’s going to be a wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Battle Red Blog.
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