If there is one team that has lofty expectations coming into this season, it has to be the Houston Texans who bursted onto the scene due to rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. This offseason, they only bolstered what was an efficient offense adding the likes of wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon which should prompt an exciting response from fans to hear what Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has to say about that additions.
Slowik talks how the Texans’ offense has no “limits”
With the acquisitions of Diggs and Mixon, it feels like Houston can attack from every angle which should scare any opposing NFL defense. This was echoed by Slowik who mentioned that the offense has no “limits” where they now have the talent to win in a multitude of ways according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
“It is really that, it takes all limits off whatever you need to do to win a game,” Slowik said about the improved Texans’ offense. “If we feel like we need to throw the ball deep to win a game, we can do that, if we have to throw it short to win a game, we can do that, if we have to run the ball 40 times to win a game, we feel like we can do that. It just enables and empowers us to do whatever is necessary that given week to beat the opponent in front of us, and everybody on our offense, and really on our team right now, is all in on that and that is what is making this really fun.”
While people will immediately point to Stroud as being the sole reason the offense was outstanding, which he deserves a lot of the credit, it was Slowik who put the offensive rookie of the year in the right positions to show off his talents. It led the 36-year old to be considered for head coaching roles before electing to coming back to Houston.
DeMeco Ryans talks the goals of their offense amidst Diggs acquisition
When it comes to Diggs, the NFL world was shocked when the Texans traded for the star as now the team has arguably the best trio of wide outs including the just recently paid Nico Collins and rookie standout Tank Dell. Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said to ESPN that the goal is to overwhelm any defense that stands in their way.
“We want to put defenses in binds, and I think with those three guys it allows us to do that because they are so different, and they can all do different things,” Ryans said. “But at the end of the day, they are all explosive finishers with the football, and that is what makes those guys great players. They can win on third down, and they can finish and get in the end zone, and that’s what we look for at all skill positions on offense.”
Diggs has been one of the more consistent wide receivers in the NFL going back to his first team with the Minnesota Vikings and then being Josh Allen’s favorite target with the Bills. Ryans talks about his first impressions working with the star pass catcher during offseason activities, describing him as “a guy who loves football.”
“It’s been really fun working with Diggs,” Ryans said. “You talk about a guy who’s dialed in, a guy who loves football. It’s been fun to work with him. It’s been fun just to see the chemistry that starts to build in our locker room with him, our quarterback, the other receivers, offensive players, defensive players. He’s going to be a really great fit with what we do here.”
Ryans talks Diggs inconsistent year last season with the Bills
Last season, Diggs caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards to go along with eight touchdowns in his fourth and what ended up being his final season with Buffalo. However, there was some concerns of the 30-year old’s production towards the end of the season where from weeks 10 to 18, he had 37 catches for 349 yards with just only 1 touchdown.
Still it should not take away from the fact that Diggs has been one of the best receivers in the league for many years, especially a reliable one that can stretch the field and also be a safety blanket. Ryans is not at all worried about the fall off late last season saying that when they looked at film, they saw the Maryland product “in totality.”
“We always go back to the tape and we look at a player in totality,” Ryans said. “We don’t look at this amount of weeks, or those weeks, we look at the entire season, we look at the guy’s entire career, what he’s done, how he’s been productive. [Diggs] has been an All-Pro player, he’s been a Pro Bowl player, over 1,000 yards for multiple seasons.”
Stroud to benefit from stacked Texans offense around him
In terms of Mixon, the long-time running back for the Cincinnati Bengals has been their featured player for seven seasons. Last year, he rushed for 1,034 yards to go along with nine touchdowns. There have also been concerns from the football world of Mixon since he is 30-years old which is considered by some the twilight years of a running back’s career.
If there is one person in the Texans organization that should be excited about the acquisitions of Mixon and Diggs, it is for sure Stroud who enters his second season in the NFL. In his rookie year, he threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions as he said the former Bills receiver brings “a lot of wisdom” to the offense.
“[Diggs] adds a ton of value to that room,” Stroud said. “There’s a lot of wisdom that he carries that I think he’ll spread to the other guys. He’s been reaching out to really everybody, and I think that whole room in general is going to be great. I think we’re all going to feed off of each other. It’s going to be very fun and very exciting just to work with everybody in that room, and I’m very excited for it.”
In any sense, the Texans are looking to make a ton of noise coming off of a 10-7 record, an AFC South title, but was eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens. They start this upcoming season on the road Sunday, Sept. 8 against the Indianapolis Colts.
