As we head into the offseason, it’s a good time to reflect on several articles and takes – some accurate, others completely wrong. Let’s start with revisiting an article I published in December 2023 where I covered the rapid ascent of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in his rookie year and how head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik were the “masterminds” behind his growth and development.

Just a year ago, Stroud was in his rookie campaign and finished strong playing in 15 games, capturing a 9-6 record as a starter, and threw for over 4,000 yards. Specifically, Stroud went 319/499 for 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions, a 100.8 passer rating. He rushed for an additional 167 yards on 39 attempts, and scored three touchdowns on the ground. Stroud’s rookie year was one for the ages as the team improved upon their 3-13-1 record from the season prior.

Although Stroud was productive in year one, the main reason for his rapid ascent was the culture put in place by new head coach DeMeco Ryans. The young coach was impressive in year one turning around the franchise and that was in part to the coaching staff he assembled. One of the big hires which directly impacted Stroud was that of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Slowik comes from the Mike and Kyle Shanahan coaching tree and had stops with the Washington Redskins (2011-2013) and the San Francisco 49ers (2017-2022). Slowik brought a system that has worked for decades in the NFL and the results were positive in year one.

The NFL is a results driven business and even after reaching the playoffs once again and winning a Wild Card game, Ryans and the franchise brass decided it was best to move on from Slowik after witnessing a decline in their franchise quarterback.

Compared to his first year at the helm, Stroud’s statistical numbers were a big let down. The following regular season statistics decreased from year one to year two under Slowik’s leadership.

• Yards – 4,108 in Year 1 | 3,727 in Year 2
• Yards per Game – 273.9 in Year 1 | 219.2 in Year 2
• Touchdowns – 23 in Year 1 | 20 in Year 2
• Interceptions – 5 in Year 1 | 12 in Year 2
• Passer Rating – 100.8 in Year 1 | 87.0 in Year 2

Due to the decrease in the following categories above, on January 24, 2025 the promising young coordinator was fired from his position with the Texans, highlighting just how fast one year can change in the NFL coaching cycle. Here is some of the things that went wrong under his tutelage in year two.

• Lack of Adaptability with Playcalling
• Predictable Playcalling
• Offensive Line Regression
• Offensive Line struggling to pick up stunts
• Had his QB at 3rd and 9 at the Highest Rate in the NFL

Some individuals are actually questioning the firing due to injuries that occurred on offense that prevented his scheme from working. Slowik installs a scheme from the Shanahan tree which requires a full back. Texans got rid of the fullback and traded for a third wide receiver which forced a slight scheme change. Not only that, two of the three wide receivers got injured this year, which directly impacted the offensive production.

Does a healthy Stefon Diggs prevent Slowik from getting fired? Who knows… but his inability to adapt and the decline in Stroud was ultimately the icing on the cake.