Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley laid it all out there ahead of their Week 3 game against the Indianapolis Colts, directly addressing the struggles in the red zone and the urgent need for the offense to “play fundamentally better” after their Week 2 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals. It sounds like a tough film session, but Caley isn’t ducking the issues, and that’s exactly what you want to hear from a guy steering the ship.
The Game Plan Shift and Stroud’s Rhythm
Caley definitely had a plan for Week 2, despite how it looked. He shot down any idea of overthinking personnel, explaining that while Week 1 saw the Texans high in 13 personnel usage and middle of the road in 12, the game itself forced adjustments against the Bengals. Sometimes the game just dictates how you roll, right? Caley felt shifting to more 11 personnel was what would give them a chance to move the ball, to “open it up a little bit.” And get this, C.J. Stroud was “dealing it and seeing the field well” during that stretch. So, the shift wasn’t a lack of confidence, or some drastic game-plan overhaul, but a genuine in-game adjustment. Caley is confident in the plays he puts in; he says he wouldn’t run plays they couldn’t execute, and that confidence comes from practice. But confidence only gets you so far if the execution isn’t there.
Red Zone Woes and the “Problem” They Face
Here’s the kicker: despite the in-game adjustments and Stroud finding a rhythm, the red zone execution was flat-out not good enough in Week 2. Caley admitted they stalled out on possession downs, which is brutal to hear for any fan. He pointed out that Week 1 was way better in short yardage and the red zone, which just makes the Week 2 struggles sting even more. The big “problem,” as Caley put it, is when you don’t convert on third down. That kills drives and keeps you from punching it into the end zone. The fix? Positive plays, playing clean, cutting out penalties, and just consistently moving the ball forward. It’s on the whole offense to do a better job, and Caley says they “own that.”
The Texans are gearing up for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. After this kind of honest talk from the offensive coordinator, you know every single red zone possession and every third-down attempt is going to be under a microscope. Can they take Caley’s words to heart and get that offense rolling like they did in Week 1, especially when it counts most? We’re all watching to see.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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