The Texans’ first game under Nick Caley was a dud. Why Houston is still confident in new coordinator

The first game of Nick Caley’s career as the Houston Texans’ play-caller did not get off to the start anyone was hoping for — let alone the team’s fans who have grown tired of the same old, same old.

The Texans were shut out of the end zone for only the second time in two years in their 14-9 loss to the the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener last Sunday.

Even though the game came down to the last drive with the ball in the offense’s hands, it served as no consolation prize. Houston finished with nine points — all three of its scores coming on field goals and only reached the red zone once.

But even after a crushing defeat, quarterback C.J. Stroud, who perhaps has the most at stake this season, remained confident that Caley is the right man for the job.

“There are a lot of things that I think we didn’t get to because of the negative plays, so Nick kind of had his hands tied around his back,” Stroud said of Caley. “It’s hard to operate in second-and-20 and those types of systems. “We can’t expect to win close games like that. Our job is to make plays.”

That was an issue in 2024 under previous offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. The Texans often found themselves in third-and-long situations because their offensive line didn’t protect Stroud, and they never had answers for the defenses that stopped them.

The Texans’ stagnant offense ranked among the bottom in the NFL in most statistical categories, including most sacks allowed. Stroud wasn’t allowed to make protection calls at the line of scrimmage, something he yearned to do like he did at both Rancho Cucamonga High School and Ohio State.
That responsibility in the Texans’ offense last season was given to the center.

This year, things were supposed to be different and need to be different.
The Texans’ home-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, in front of millions watching, will be a telling sign of whether that is actually the case.

While some players behind-the-scenes often said they respected Slowik and his intellect, they also said his message and speeches in meetings during adverse situations last season often fell flat.

He didn’t always adapt to defenses or his players' strengths and many of those players rarely felt heard.

So when Ryans was looking for a new offensive coordinator this offseason, he said he was looking for someone who could connect with the players.

“It’s about how you interact with the players,” Ryans said. “That was the most important piece to me because I feel like coaching is all (about) relationships. If I can build that deep relationship, that trust factor with a player, as players and coaches we can accomplish anything because we have that tight relationship.”
Even in the low moments, he said. “That allows you to get through everything.”

Caley, a first-time playcaller, also understood the importance of that. His personality, and his desire to get to know people was no gimmick.

It’s not about us imposing what we want on the players,” Caley said. “This is really a partnership.”

Tight end Dalton Schultz said there’s been a constant stream of communication with Caley. He’s consistently asked players what they are thinking and how they could tweak certain plays to improve their operation.

“He’s been very upfront about, ‘Dude listen, I’ve got no ego in this,’” Schultz told the Chronicle. “‘What can we do well, and let’s do that.’”
Rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins said Caley is a “people-person.”

After mandatory minicamp when the players went on break, Higgins would often get a random call or text from Caley checking in to see how he was doing. That meant a lot to Higgins.

“You always want to be in the building with a good people-person, someone you can not only rely on, but be energetic with,” Higgins said. “You want to play for someone that you actually truly like.”

But the most important relationship Caley needed to have was the one with Stroud, the franchise’s quarterback. Stroud had a down year in 2024, and his relationship with Slowik had deteriorated over time.

For it to work, Caley and Stroud needed to be on the same page.

Caley said one spring day, before OTAs had even begun, Stroud surprised him by popping up at his office. Stroud happened to be in the area and wanted to say hello. Caley was still putting up the final touches on his new space, but they sat and talked.

“To me it was about establishing a level of trust, like we’re in this together,” Caley told the Chronicle. “We’ll work through all these things. We’re going to try to tailor this system around the strengths of our players.”

He said he made sure Stroud knew that the lines of communication were always open. Stroud and Caley were different in many ways. Caley, a Canton, Ohio, native, was all energy, all the time. While Stroud, who is from Southern California, is a little more laid back. “We balance each other out,” Caley said. “He used to tell me ‘you’re all gas, you’re all juice man. I’m this chill, Cali guy.’ I said, ‘we can agree with this, you don’t have to be anybody you’re not, I don’t have to be anybody I’m not, and we’re here trying to achieve the same common goal.’
“He’s the ying and I’m the yang.”

But relationships alone won’t keep Caley or Ryans or Nick Caserio around with the Texans if the offense continues to falter.

After making the divisional round in Ryans’ first two seasons as the head coach, Ryans, the team’s ownership group and its fans are yearning for more.
Winning is a must. And the offense must get going and find a way to put the ball in the end zone.
Fortunately, the Texans have 16 more games to prove that.
The issue in Sunday’s game wasn’t so much that the Texans couldn’t move the ball. They had just two three-and-outs among their nine offensive possessions, compared to the Rams’ who also had two.

But the Texans’ average distance to go on third downs was 10.7 yards, killing any chance at hitting on explosive plays.
Nico Collins, who was one of the lone bright spots in 2024, was targeted just five times in Week 1. He finished with just three catches for 25 yards, his lowest output since the 2023 season when he had 18 yards in a game Stroud didn’t play.
That can’t happen.
The Texans also had seven penalties on offense, including four presnap penalties. Stroud said that’s what happens when players “lollygag.”
The comment sparked outrage among the fan base, and criticism from talking heads on local radio stations.

In explaining what he thought about the comment, Ryans said Monday that the offense needed to do a better job of having a sense of urgency getting in and out of the huddle so that they could have enough time to make the proper checks at the line of scrimmage.

Saturday’s game against the Buccaneers might be the perfect opportunity for Caley to turn things around. The last time these two teams played, the Texans won 39-37 in a shootout. Stroud, then a rookie, had the best game of his career throwing for 470 yards and five touchdowns, a rookie record. The jersey he wore that day is enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While the Bucs allowed only 20 points against the Falcons in their season-opener, Falcons quarterback Michael Penix threw for 298 yards and a touchdown against their defense. He was sacked only once.

Stroud wasn’t discouraged after Week 1. But he felt the offense could do more.
“I think we'll be all right, but I think it's a good wake-up call for us,” Stroud said. “I love the confidence we have, but I always say there's a mindset that’s like, ‘Did I do enough?’ I think it's a healthy way to be because then you'll probably do more.”

Source: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/article/nick-caley-offense-bucs-mnf-21042575.php