O-Line VS Titans Complete Breakdown

This is going to be rather long but I had a bunch of free time at work so I decided to watch every offensive snap from our game against the Titans and look at our O-Line and this is just a breakdown on what I saw as a unit and individually. Please keep in mind I'm no expert just a fan with a bunch of free time. I hope you all enjoy and if there is anything anyone wants me to look at or have question let me know I am so bored at work. The first part is a overall summary then moves into individual assessments.

Edit: I had Jakob as our fullback but it was Brooks thank you to DarthNobody14 for pointing that out.

Overall the Texans’ offensive line put together a performance that was, in many ways, a step forward from what we’ve seen in the past. On an individual level, there were plenty of lapses, Andrews being tossed around by interior defenders, Juice whiffing or falling down at times, Ersery struggling with technique on the edge, and even Schultz and Chubb busting assignments that led directly to negative plays. But as a collective unit, they often managed to hold it together just long enough. Stroud frequently had a pocket that wasn’t clean, but it was functional, the kind where he could at least set and get the ball out, or the backs could squeeze through for a few yards. Instead of seeing total collapses where rushers came free untouched, the line usually did “just enough” to keep the offense on schedule.

That doesn’t mean the group played at a high level. The biggest issues, stunt recognition, individual collapses in pass pro, and guards or the center being physically overpowered still showed up repeatedly. The run game had its moments when double teams clicked or Ed at right guard delivered a great block, but too many plays were destroyed before they could get going by a single lineman losing his matchup. On the edges, Ersery and Howard were rarely in control, leaving Stroud to work under pressure more than the box score might show.

Before halftime, the Texans’ offensive line was shaky and inconsistent, the interior especially struggled with stunts and raw power, with Andrews and Laken both having multiple busts that killed plays early. Ed flashed dominance, but the tackles were unreliable and Schultz’s blocking lapses added to the mess. After halftime the unit settled down. While mistakes still showed up, they managed to hold together better as a group and gave Stroud more functional pockets. The switch from Laken to Juice at left guard was noticeable as Juice brought more mobility and did climb to the second level effectively, but he also had some ugly whiffs where he simply lost his man clean. Overall, the line’s second-half performance was steadier.

Still, there was a noticeable difference from some of the uglier outings in the past. The Texans weren’t undone by constant breakdowns where the quarterback had no chance. Instead, the line played in a way that gave Stroud and the backs opportunities to execute not always clean, not always pretty, but enough. That makes this performance an improvement, even if it was far from ideal. Going forward, though, the concern is that better defensive fronts will exploit the same issues, the slow stunt recognition, the vulnerability at left tackle, and the inconsistency at center. If those don’t get cleaned up, what was “just enough” against the Titans could look like “nowhere near enough” against the stronger teams.

Player breakdown.

LT Ersery –

For a rookie left tackle just four games into his NFL career, Ersery showed both the raw tools that got him here and the steep learning curve he’s still climbing.

Pass Protection:
This was where his inexperience showed the most. His hand placement was often high, his depth in his sets was inconsistent, and he struggled to process stunts quickly enough. That led to him giving up inside counters and being late to adjust when defenders twisted across his face. Still, he wasn’t a complete liability. There were series where he held up adequately, buying Stroud just enough time to deliver, and his footwork flashed when he trusted his technique instead of over setting.

Run Blocking:
More steady here, though still raw. He could seal the edge well enough to keep plays alive and had some encouraging climbs to the second level, where he got hats on linebackers or defensive backs. Those reps showed his athleticism and effort. The downside was consistency, a few missed assignments or slips where he ended up on the ground hurt drives and reminded you that he’s still adjusting to NFL level strength and speed.

Overall:
Ersery played like what he is, a rookie LT thrown into the fire. The mistakes were there, especially against stunts and inside counters, but so were the building blocks: athleticism in space, the ability to recover when beaten, and flashes of solid edge sealing. Right now, he’s a weak point that defenses can exploit, but the experience he’s gaining is invaluable. If he can clean up his hand placement and learn to trust his set points, you can see the framework of a capable starter. The important thing is that despite the bumps, he wasn’t collapsing on every play, more often than not, he at least gave Stroud a chance, which is more than you usually get from a rookie just a few games into starting at LT.

LG Laken

Pass Protection:
Laken was shaky in the first half. He had several snaps where he blocked no one or was late sliding to his assignment, leaving Andrews or Ersery exposed. On a couple of stunts, he was slow to recognize the looper, which created interior pressure. That said, when he did engage squarely, he could anchor decently against a DT, but those moments were the exception rather than the rule.

Run Blocking:
This was a mixed bag. He had a couple of really nice highlights, like the huge hit on a DT before climbing to the linebacker, which was one of the best single blocks of the half. At times, though, he was late climbing or didn’t sustain, which limited gains.

Overall:
Laken looked like a veteran who knew where to go but lacked the burst and consistency to execute snap after snap. He had flashes of physicality, but his lapses in recognition and assignment hurt the unit.

LG Juice

Pass Protection:
Juice looked more mobile and comfortable in space than Laken. He had several clean pickups on stunts, including multiple plays where he and Andrews worked well together to pass off defenders. He wasn’t perfect there were still ugly losses (including a few reps where he simply got beaten clean by a DT or fell off balance), and he wasn’t immune to slow reactions. But compared to Laken, he looked quicker and more aggressive with his sets.

Run Blocking:
Juice showed the athleticism that makes him intriguing. He climbed to the second level on several runs and got good positioning against linebackers and DBs. When his feet were right, he opened lanes. But his lows were killer, on multiple plays he was beaten so quickly by a DT that the defender made the stop immediately. His performance was very boom or bust, alternating between impressive second level work and complete play killing misses.

Overall:
Juice was more dynamic than Laken he added movement skills, could climb, and showed better stunt awareness in stretches. But he was also more volatile, with outright whiffs that turned into negative plays. The swap felt like trading Laken’s steadier but limited play for Juice’s athleticism and higher ceiling, but with the risk of drive stalling busts.

C Andrews

Pass Protection:
Andrews was the definition of boom or bust. On his best reps, he was flat out dominant picking up stunts with quick eyes, anchoring cleanly, and even pancaking defensive tackles to give Stroud clear throwing windows. He had multiple snaps where he worked well with Juice or Ed to pass off rushers, and when his technique was locked in, he looked like a stabilizing force in the middle.

But the lows were killers. Several times he was completely overpowered, rag dolled by a DT, flattened back into the pocket, or just too slow to recover on an inside move. Those were “drive-killing” losses where the defender either made the tackle in the backfield or forced Stroud to rush. What stood out most was that his bad reps weren’t just small leaks they were catastrophic breakdowns that directly wrecked plays.

Run Blocking:
He had some really strong double team work with both guards. When he and Ed worked in sync, they could move defensive tackles off their spots and open lanes for Chubb or Marks. He also pulled a couple of times to the second level and got just enough of his man to spring gains. His highlight was the pancake block on a DT in the second half, which was one of the best single run-blocking reps of the day.

But again, consistency was the issue. Too often, he lost balance or was late to climb, and in those cases defenders either re-entered the play or shut it down. He had at least three reps where he got tossed by a DT and the run was stopped at the line.

Overall:
Andrews had the widest gap between highs and lows of anyone on the line. When he was right, he looked like a centerpiece capable of overpowering DTs and controlling the middle of the pocket. But when he was wrong, he was a liability who gave the Titans freebies. His game was a constant swing between highlight dominance and outright collapses, which made him unpredictable and unreliable over the course of the game.

RG Ed

Pass Protection:
Ed’s day in pass pro was a rollercoaster. On one hand, he had some of the most dominant single reps of the game stonewalling a DT with sheer strength, helping bail out Howard with a late pickup, and even pancaking on a couple of snaps that gave Stroud clean vision. When he locked in, defenders simply weren’t moving him.

On the other hand, his recognition of stunts was a consistent issue. He was late or failed entirely to pick up loopers multiple times, which led to free rushers or collapsed pockets. Several of his bad reps came from exactly that not from losing a man physically, but from mental lapses in processing what the defense was doing. The Titans clearly knew they could stress him this way, and it worked.

Run Blocking:
This is where Ed was at his best. Over and over, he brought physicality inside, driving defenders off the ball or pancaking them flat. His strength at the point of attack was the biggest reason some of Houston’s inside runs popped for positive gains. Even when he wasn’t dominant, he was at least solid, sealing lanes or holding his block long enough for backs to slip through. He looked especially good when working in tandem with Andrews on doubles those reps often moved DTs two or three yards back.

That said, the occasional bust showed up here too. On one run he completely missed his assignment, letting the DT knife through. But overall, the run game went as Ed went, when he won, Houston found room but when he missed, the play was usually dead.

Overall:
Ed was the most impactful lineman on the day. His physicality and willingness to finish blocks gave the Texans their best trench moments, and his highlight reel looks better than anyone else’s. But his inability to consistently recognize and handle stunts makes him unreliable, and those mental busts offset his raw power. If he can tighten up his awareness, he has the tools to be a true anchor on the right side. As it stands, he’s a tone setter in the run game but a liability defenses can exploit in passing situations.

RT Howard

Pass Protection:
Howard was steady at times, but rarely dominant. Most of his reps landed in the baseline range where he did just enough to steer edge rushers wide and give Stroud a pocket, but he often gave ground while doing it. He looked most comfortable when he had help, but when left on an island, he could get walked back or beaten around the corner. On at least two occasions, his man collapsed the pocket into Stroud.

Where he did stand out positively was in stunt recognition. Compared to Andrews or Ed, Howard looked more alert as he peeled off to pick up loopers and at least prevented some total busts.

Run Blocking:
Howard’s work in the run game was very middle of the road. He wasn’t a liability, but he wasn’t creating movement either. When asked to seal the edge, he generally did his job, but defenders often recovered to stay in the play. His best run-blocking reps came when he drove defenders back a step or two and gave the backs a clear lane off his hip. He wasn’t as physical or imposing as Ed inside, but he also wasn’t getting tossed around like Andrews at his worst.

Overall:
Howard’s game summed up to “just enough.” He wasn’t consistently beaten, but he wasn’t winning his matchups either. He gave Stroud functional pockets more often than not, though he wasn’t someone you could trust in true one on one situations against quality rushers. In the run game, he was serviceable, but didn’t bring the kind of push Ed did. His presence wasn’t the Texans’ biggest problem, but it also wasn’t a solution. Against better pass rushing fronts, his tendency to get walked back or lose late could become a bigger concern.

TE Dalton Schultz
Schultz had a rough day. Multiple times he outright lost his assignment giving up pressure, letting his man make a tackle for loss, or being overpowered on the edge. Those reps were costly, as they directly ended drives or erased good work from the line. He did flash on one or two run plays, including a strong block on the TD run where he sealed the edge and gave Marks the crease, but those were the exception.

FB Brooks
Brooks was one of the bright spots. He delivered some of the best single blocks of the game, especially early. His blow up of a defensive tackle in the first half was textbook fullback work and directly sprung a run. When asked to climb to the second level, he was reliable in finding a linebacker or DB and sticking to him. He wasn’t perfect (had a couple collisions or ineffective chips), but overall he brought physicality and steadiness.

RB Nick Chubb
Chubb had a very up-and-down day in protection. On one snap he completely blew a stunt pickup, leading directly to a sack. On others, he squared up and gave Stroud enough time to get the ball out. He wasn’t as decisive in pass pro as Marks, and the Titans exploited that.

RB Woody Marks
Marks stood out as the best of the backs in protection. He had multiple good blitz pickups and even one highlight block on a rusher, which was one of the most dominant blocks of the day by anyone in a Texans uniform. On screens, he executed well both selling the fake and turning upfield behind blockers. In the run game, he benefitted when the line opened lanes, but his blocking contributions made him unique among the RB group.

Overall, this was a step forward for the Texans’ offensive line compared to some of their earlier outings and last year. The unit wasn’t dominant by any stretch, but they managed to avoid the complete breakdowns that had doomed drives in the past and instead did “just enough” on most plays to keep the offense moving. The flashes of power from Ed, the climbing ability from Juice, and the occasional dominance from Andrews showed what this group is capable of when they’re on the same page. But the inconsistency, especially in handling stunts, the rookie mistakes at left tackle, and the center’s struggles with power, remain major vulnerabilities that better defenses will key on. If the group can clean up communication and turn their flashes into steady play, they could be a functional unit that gives Stroud the time he needs. For now, though, they’re still a work in progress, improved, but far from where they need to be if this team is going to compete with stronger fronts.