The Houston Texans have made a significant change to the coaching staff after being eliminated from the AFC playoffs. The team has fired two members of the offensive coaching staff.
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NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Jan. 24 that the Texans have fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and offensive line coach Chris Strausser. Rapoport added that the rest of the offensive staff will undergo evaluation after the team hires a new offensive coordinator.
Slowik drew praise for his work with then-rookie CJ Stroud during the 2023-24 season. Stroud started 15 games and posted a 9-6 record. He earned a trip to the Pro Bowl after throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Stroud also won Offensive Rookie of the Year as the Texans won the AFC South and beat the Browns in the wild-card round. The season ended with a divisional-round loss to the Ravens.
This season was a regression. The Texans struggled with consistency on offense while falling to 22nd in total offense with an average of 319.7 yards per game. The passing attack ranked 21st as Stroud threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
The Texans also ranked 26th in red zone offense while scoring on only 49.1% of their trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Another indication of the struggles on offense was the number of sacks allowed. The Texans gave up 54 sacks — tying the Seahawks for the third-most in the league. Only the Browns (66 sacks) and the Bears (68 sacks) gave up more during the regular season.
Obviously, injuries played a role in the struggles. The Texans lost multiple players during the season due to various issues. Joe Mixon missed multiple games with injuries, as did top receiver Nico Collins. Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs both sustained season-ending injuries.
Despite dealing with injuries and inconsistent performance, the Texans still repeated as AFC South champions. The team hosted a playoff game against the Chargers and won after the defense accounted for four turnovers, a touchdown, and a two-point score on a blocked extra point.
Houston reached the divisional round of the playoffs but fell to the Chiefs in a game marred by penalties. The team's only touchdown was a Joe Mixon 13-yard run. The rest of the points came from two field goals and an intentional Chiefs safety.
