HOUSTON — Believe it or not, football is won in the trenches. Maybe that’s part of the issue with the Houston Texans in their question to get past a four-win regular season.
The Texans have won eight games in two years. Even if Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson suited up for Houston in 2021, the results likely wouldn’t have changed by much. Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) during 2020 and set a franchise record of 33 passing touchdowns.
Houston won four games, the same amount as the Tyrod Taylor/Davis Mills combination a year later. The biggest difference between last season and the impending one is, barring injury, Mills will get his shot to become the Texans’ next long-term starting quarterback.
No matter what, Mills is going to need better protection. Since 2017, the Texans have allowed at least 40 sacks per season — twice surpassing 50. Mills was sacked 31 times against Taylor’s 13 last season for a total of 44.
Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard
Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard
Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard
It’s not just Mills who needs protection. The run game in Houston reached a new low last fall as 13 players combined to rush for just over 1,400 yards. The Texans also rushed for a franchise-low 3.2 yards per play and only scored eight rushing touchdowns, both dead last in the league.
The reason? Injuries, inconsistencies and insufficient blocking. How does Houston fix the issue?
The answer might lie with fourth-year pro, Tytus Howard. He could also hold the key to Texans’ general manager Nick Caserio’s draft strategy.
Howard, 25, was drafted in 2019 out of Alabama State to be an offensive tackle. He started at right tackle and performed accordingly before new coach David Culley elected to move him inside in 2021. The results varied week to week.
In large part, much is unknown about Howard inside due to injuries. Last season, he played 11 games at left guard and four games at left tackle last season because players were missing extended periods of time. He looked more natural on the edge, but will the new coaching staff agree?
Texans’ offensive line coach George Warhop said that while he was in Jacksonville, the Jaguars were considering drafting him to play right tackle. In the end, Houston used the No. 23 on Howard and Jacksonville selected Florida’s Jawaan Taylor to play the same role.
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“You watch him (last) year, and I thought he did a nice job at guard,” Warhop said in February of Howard. “I mean, so to have that flexibility going into the season, to manage to get the five best on the field, I think that’s good for us.”
The decision on where Howard plays could decide who is in play for Houston in the draft. Should the Texans view him as a guard, likely Alabama’s Evan Neal and North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu are both options at pick No. 3.
Should the Texans target defense early, Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross are less polished, but still a high-upside option at No. 13. Cross comes from a pass-heavy offense in Starkville while Penning has been known for his mean streak as a run blocker.
Charles Cross
Ikem Ekwonu
Evan Neal
If the Texans want Howard on the edge, the only logical option early would be Ekwonu. The 6-4, 310-pounder shined at left guard to begin his career with the Wolfpack before moving outside this past fall.
Just because Ekwonu would play inside during his rookie season doesn’t mean the Texans plan on keeping him there long-term. Houston must decide if it wants to pick up Howard’s fifth-year option.
Should the franchise elect to let him walk, Ekwonu likely is viewed as the next right tackle.
Moves like this are common in the NFL. Recently, Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil started his rookie season in 2016 as a guard due to Braden Albert blocking on the blind side when a member of the Miami Dolphins. A year later, he became the left tackle until his trade in 2019.
Howard’s role will start a chain effect on how Houston upgrades its offensive line. Regardless of where he lines up, the Texans need to bolster their trenches.
After all, games are won upfront.
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