Houston Texans must take inspiration from the rival Colts

The Houston Texans season ended with perhaps the perfect example of the approach they must adopt during the offseason to build on their success.

Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien’s men failed to register a sack on Andrew Luck as they contended with an increasingly-familiar masterclass effort from the Indianapolis Colts offensive line. Saturday’s Wild Card clash proved the latest exhibition of the incredible work carried out by general manager Chris Ballard to transform last season’s incompetent unit into arguably the NFL’s best.

This was one final glaring reminder of the Texans’ priority over the coming months — compete in the trenches. Ballard and the Colts worked with an unwavering dedication to ensuring Luck wouldn’t be exposed to a season of pain upon his return from a 616-day injury layoff.

They selected All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson with the sixth overall pick in the draft, as well as using one of their two second round picks on Braden Smith, who has flourished since converting to right tackle.

While the pair played starring roles in restricting the Colts’ opponents to just 18 regular season sacks, Deshaun Watson was sacked a league-high 62 times following his return from a torn ACL. That tally could have been even higher were it not for his ability to operate outside of the pocket.

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The frustrating aspect of Watson’s inadequate protection is the talent the team boasts elsewhere on the field. It shouldn’t be forgotten that this side overturned a 0-3 start to the season to win the AFC South with an 11-5 record. In truth, the Texans are set in most positions and it’s for that reason that they must and can afford to fixate on shielding their franchise quarterback from similar punishment next season.

General manager Brian Gaine will be under no illusions regarding the predominant issue, having made efforts to strengthen the offensive line a year ago. The signing of Seantrel Henderson soon became irrelevant when the right tackle broke his ankle in the Week 1 defeat to the New England Patriots.

Free agency pickups Zach Fulton and Senio Kelemete meanwhile failed to offer any significant improvement in pass protection, while penalty-prone tackle Julie’n Davenport struggled for much of the season. Such was the latter’s struggle early on that he was benched for Kendall Lamm in the Week 4 overtime win over the Colts.

Watson finished the regular season with 551 rushing yards off 99 attempts. It’s likely a lot of those runs were down to improvisation more so than play design. Houston have an undeniably-gifted quarterback at their disposal, the most reliable hands in the NFL with DeAndre Hopkins and widely-envied ferocity and athleticism on defense. To let this offensive line become a restraint would be a monumental shame.

Frank Reich’s success with tight ends in Indianapolis this season marks another advert for the value of the Texans rebuilding their offensive line. The Colts may be something of an exception in light of their depth in the position, but there is certainly reason to following suit.

Jack Doyle’s expertise as a blocker have been a welcomed ploy in freeing up Eric Ebron as an outright receiving weapon on his way towards 13 touchdowns. To have the athleticism of Mo Alie-Cox and the versatility of Ryan Hewitt in reserve has also been an added bonus.

In Houston, Ryan Griffin led the position group with 24 catches for 305 yards, but failed to find the end zone. This was followed by rookies Jordan Akins (17 catches for 225 yards) and Jordan Thomas (20 catches for 215 yards and four touchdowns).

Speaking to HoustonTexans.com, O’Brien said:

"I really believe in those two guys. Going through a rookie year at that position is hard. It’s totally different than, especially for both of them, the way that they were used in college, they weren’t asked to block."

Adapting to NFL blocking responsibilities is difficult for any rookie tight end, but especially for once-wide receiver Thomas and an Akins used regularly as a pass catcher in college. Strengthening in pass and run protection equates to a greater freedom to unleash the pair as weapons for Watson to exploit.

The Texans signal-caller could have benefitted from more tight end usage particularly during Will Fuller’s injury absence. In fact, Hopkins’ unrivalled 163 targets alone underline the need for more options in the open field. Fixing the offensive line solves more than one problem.