Deandre Hopkins is the featured receiver for the Houston Texans, but he cannot catch the ball if he does not have a capable person to throw it to him. Deshaun Watson could be very good as a quarterback, but the Texans looked terrible this Sunday. The first week of the season was not the best outing for Houston, and they must ensure that they have done something to get everyone involved in their offense.
The Texans will have a lot of problems if they cannot figure out how to get Hopkins the ball. If you were Hopkins, you would be upset about an offense that cannot throw to you.
The Texans got surprised
This whole problem could be solved pretty fast by the Texans if they are able to adjust in practice this week. They need to watch their tape to figure out how they can make it easier for Deshaun Watson to run the offense. He was not prepared today, and the Texans were stunned by injuries that they did not expect. A good showing from Watson next week would be more than enough to calm any fears that they may have.
The fan base surely needs to see something better than what they just got, and they will be pleasantly surprised if the Texans can figure it out in one week.
What if Hopkins gets upset?
Deandre Hopkins would be very upset if he spent a couple weeks playing without seeing the ball. Someone who is new to the NFL like Watson may be asked to make less mistakes, and Watson cannot throw the ball downfield in a conservative offense. Short patterns for Hopkins are hard for him to run because he is not a slot receiver. He will have to fill a role that he was not made for, and he will be hit more often than he normally is. That can cause a lot of problems in the locker room, and it would be difficult for Bill O'Brien to calm everyone if they see what a disaster the offense has become.
Hopkins could become a problem in the locker room, or he could go to Watson and work with him to figure out how they can get the offense back on track.
The defense has to improve
Watson and Hopkins have to figure out how they can play together, and the defense in Houston has to stop giving up so many points. They are wasting a lot of time if they allow the Houston offense to sit on the bench. Hopkins and Watson cannot make any progress if they are watching the game from the sidelines, and the Texans defense was supposed to be a lot better than this. The Houston defense is far better than most in the NFL on paper, but they were absolutely terrible today. We should expect them to improve instantly, and they could help this offense get on track.