As Texans head to playoffs after rocky run, team looks inward
Form Aaron Wilson. Many, many good quotes from players and coaches, so the entire thing it’s worth reading.
“I feel like we got to go back and check ourselves and see who we really want to be,” Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter told KPRC 2. “I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Whether it’s ongoing pass protection issues regardless of offensive line configurations with Stroud sacked 52 times for the second-highest total in the NFL behind Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams, a running game stuck in neutral despite the presence of Joe Mixon, season-ending knee injuries suffered by wide receivers Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs, ongoing public outcry against embattled offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik or a traditionally stout defense that unraveled against the Ravens, the Texans don’t look primed for a playoff run. They look like a team that’s headed for a fast exit to the postseason and headed toward an offseason with plenty of big-picture questions.
That view isn’t accepted, of course, within the team. They insist they can right the ship before the playoffs, when they’ll host an AFC wild-card game against either the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens or the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We have more than enough time to really get this thing figured and see what kind of team we want to be,” said Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr., one of the few defensive players who had a solid game against the Ravens.
What’s the difference between the Texans and the elite teams in the league? It’s a recurring theme.
“It’s a thin margin,” Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil said. “We make mistakes and they capitalize on them. Play a team like that and we can’t make mistakes. It’s not talent. It’s details. It’s injuries, too. We’re banged-up. I don’t want to blame it all on injuries. Watch film, bounce back, fix our mistakes. We’re still in the playoffs. We can’t dwell on it. It’s a bad L.”
“I don’t see a comparison between us and other teams,” he said. “I think we have everything we need through and through, players and coaches, in this building to be a great team. I think we just have to focus on ourselves and just get better. Absolutely, there’s always time. It’s just where your focus is, how focused we are on the details and how seriously we all take it.”
“What are you going to do? Cry and weep about it?,” Stroud said. “Of course, it’s not easy, but, at the same time, it’s part of the game, sometimes you go out there and lay an egg. It’s not easy to sit out here and say that, but that’s what happened. We didn’t play well at all from the first play to the last.”
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