Breaking Down the Houston Texans' Blueprint for Winning the Super Bowl - Bleacher Report

It has taken six years for Gary Kubiak to be this enviable position. He has a well-balanced roster, a clear-headed and consistent approach to his offense and a defensive coordinator who has seen it all. 

But this same offense can, at times, seem like a “one-trick pony.” When the running game stalls, it lacks the contingencies in personnel and philosophy to play from behind. In a recent post that praised Kubiak for being an underappreciated innovator, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com noted a glaring drawback in his approach. As told to Kuharsky by his colleague Matt Williamson: “I also think it is telling that Kubiak really only features one wide receiver -- and everyone knows it.” 

Williamson was referring to the over-reliance on Andre Johnson to get the tough yards through the air. This turns Houston’s best receiver into a magnet for double coverage. Schaub’s second read in most situations is a tight end.

As good as Owen Daniels is, and Garret Graham and James Casey might be, none of them can be confused for Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski. In other words, they are not game-changers, zone busters or difference makers. 

When it works, the synergy of zone blocking, superb ball-carriers, and play-action passing can look unstoppable. But succeeding in the red zone, where the sideline becomes an extra defender, is difficult when there is only a single wideout that demands attention. 

In goal-to-go situations during their drive to the AFC South title, the wide receivers only recorded three touchdowns. This could be explained by having Andre Johnson out of the lineup for nine games. But over his career, Johnson has been on the sideline when the Texans are that close to a score. 

Kubiak prefers running backs and tight ends when the field is shortened. James Casey and Garrett Graham need to make up for the loss of Joel Dreesen. Foster and Tate must be able to get to the end zone and not have their kicker, Shayne Graham, booting 20-yard field goals on fourth down.

Wade Phillips has been coaching NFL defenses in one capacity or another since Gerald Ford was the POTUS. He has seen the game evolve from the “gotta run” grind of the Seventies to the “gotta pass” onslaught of the present. 

His response is to confuse the offense with multiple looks, then launch pass-rushers from every direction. Everyone in his front seven has an array of stunts designed for him. Which explains why Bradie James bagged eight sacks in 2008 as a Dallas Cowboys ILB, Brian Cushing brought so much pressure from the middle last year and the defense had a record 44 sacks in 2011. 

There is a drawback to this concentration on backfield penetration. The intermediate zones become the sole responsibility of the defensive backs and the lone linebacker left to patrol the area. The preseason game against New Orleans exposed this weakness and Drew Brees fully exploited it. 

Even before that, the expanse of open space in the middle of the field on many passing downs was hard to dismiss. Phillips tries to counteract this with a reliance on some nickel but mostly dime packages. To keep up the pressure, a safety may decide to join the rush and abandon his zone. The better quarterbacks can turn this situation to their advantage. 

In the end, the key for Wade is to keep the offense guessing. If he can sustain that perplexity into his second year with the Texans, they will maintain the defensive excellence that surprised everyone with their amazing turnaround.