John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.
When second-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is calling pass plays this season, it'll be like he's stepping up to his favorite buffet and having a difficult time selecting what to eat first because he has so many enticing options.
Take the wide receivers, for instance: Does Slowik make quarterback C.J. Stroud's first option Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins or Tank Dell? Decisions, decisions and, obviously, a good problem to have.
Keep in mind Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and Slowik want to run the ball more effectively and consistently than the Texans did last season, but they know on what side the offense is buttered, and that's taking advantage of Stroud's remarkable passing ability and his plethora of talented receivers.
Slowik calls the plays, and Stroud has options. He'll go through his progressions, and if his first receiver is covered, he'll look to the second and even the third if he has enough time.
If you think Slowik and Stroud will have tough decisions to make, consider what the defense will go through. Defensive coordinators might stay up all night trying to devise plans to try to contain the Texans' offense. Diggs, Collins and Dell present enough problems, but there's also tight ends like Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover to cover, as well.
And then there's the running game that should be led by Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce. There are questions about the running game as the Texans prepare for the first game at Indianapolis, like how will Mixon adjust to Slowik's system, and can Pierce bounce back from his struggles in 2023?
The only question with the passing game is how much does Slowik want to throw, and how does Stroud distribute the ball?
The Texans have two preseason games remaining against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams, both at NRG Stadium. The Texans have been preparing for the Colts for weeks. Slowik bases his game plans on the best way to attack the defense, and you won't see him give away any secrets during preseason.
Everything on Slowik's offense starts with Stroud, whose outstanding rookie season enabled him to be voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In their second season together, Slowik and Stroud know defenses will be gunning for them, and they'll try to anticipate what's coming and make the appropriate adjustments.
Based on what we saw last season when the Texans compiled a 10-7 record and earned the AFC South title, fans should have faith that Slowik and Stroud know what they're doing. Slowik was asked after a recent practice what he's been looking for from his quarterback.
"I just want to see him grow," he said. "It can be something big that really affects the entire offense, or it can be something very small that's just for him individually. Every day we give out specific coaching points to individuals. Obviously, he gets a lot of those -- just focusing on those every day and emphasizing those every day. Stacking good days right now is really huge for C.J."
There aren't many offenses that boast three receivers as dangerous as Diggs, Collins and Dell. Let's look back at what they accomplished last season.
In what turned out to be his last season with Buffalo, Diggs caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards (11.1 average) and eight touchdowns. In five of his last six seasons with Minnesota and Buffalo, Diggs had more than 100 catches. He has six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He's caught at least eight touchdown passes in six of his last seven seasons.
One of the most impressive things about Diggs is his durability. He missed only two games during his four seasons with the Bills, none in 2023. That kind of durability is the best thing that can happen between a receiver and quarterback.
Now, let's move on to Collins. In his first full season as a starter, he played in 15 games, including 10 starts. He caught 80 passes for 1,297 yards (16.2 average) and eight touchdowns. At 6-4, 222, Collins became an inviting target Stroud could trust at any time in any situation. Collins excelled over the middle because he's fearless, can make the quick catches and breaks a lot of tackles because of his size and elusiveness. What quarterback wouldn't want a target like that?
And then there's Dell. He was exceptional as a rookie. He played in 11 games and made eight starts before suffering a season-ending fractured fibula. At 5-8, 165, he's as irritating as a gnat for defensive backs trying to cover him. He closed his rookie season with 47 catches for 709 yards (15.1 average) and seven touchdowns.
Dell is so excited about being back on the field after his injury and getting shot in Florida that his enthusiasm has been contagious throughout camp and preseason. Imagine what he can do to defensive backs if he can stay healthy for a full season.
"I've been fired up to see him pick up right where he left off (last season)," Slowik said. "He's playing really fast, and he's executing the routes really well. He's done everything we've asked him to do.
"He can run for days, and he embraces all phases of the game whether it's receiver, returner, run game -- all that stuff. He's all about it. He's been doing a great job."
The coaches and players were pumped to see Stroud and Dell collaborate on the Texans' first touchdown in their 20-12 victory at Pittsburgh last week. Stroud threw a perfect pass, and Dell broke two tackles to reach the end zone on the 34-yard touchdown.
"Tank's one of our most explosive players, and it's always exciting to see him when he gets the ball in his hands," Ryans said. "He's dynamic and explosive. I tell Tank, 'That's who you are, and I expect you to be explosive every time you touch the ball.'
"When Tank has the ball, everybody in the crowd needs to be standing (because of what's about) to happen. Any time he touches the ball, you have action, so I'm always excited to watch."
It's interesting to get the perspective of Case Keenum, the team's most experienced quarterback, on what Diggs is capable of doing. Keenum is invaluable behind the scenes as one of Stroud's mentors. He's also knows Diggs well from playing with him at Minnesota and Buffalo.
About Stroud, Keenum said, "He looks really good. I think he's learning how to communicate with receivers in different ways and on a deeper level. I've always said there's communication off the field, verbally talking through stuff, showing each other things, looking at film.
"Then there's communication on the field, where we may be telling a play, or giving a route or check, but also they (receivers) talk to us with their body language. The more we can see how they move in and out of breaks, especially when you're with new guys like Stef. They're all making strides in different ways than they did last year."
Keenum and Diggs combined to make one of the greatest plays in NFL history – the Minneapolis Miracle. In the divisional round after the 2017 season, Keenum threw a pass to Diggs, who scored on a 61-yard touchdown on the last play of the game, giving the Vikings a 29-24 victory over New Orleans.
"I played with him in 2017 and 2022, and I saw a big jump in experience," Keenum said. "I think when you've been to the playoffs, and you know what it takes to get to the wild card and divisional (rounds) and the Championship Game, but you haven't made it all the way to the big one and won the big one, that just leaves you hungry.
"I see a guy that's hungry for more. He's been there. He's tasted it. And he doesn't just want to get there (Super Bowl) – he wants to win it."
