10 NFL head coaches under the most pressure in 2020
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. . Bill O'Brien. Houston Texans. 4. player. 10
It’s important to separate O’Brien the front office executive from O’Brien the head coach. He should already have been fired for his questionable offseason moves. O’Brien’s coaching record is actually quite respectable.
The question he’ll need to answer in 2020 is whether or not he’s made life too difficult for his quarterback. DeShaun Watson is one of the most dynamic signal-callers in football, but he’s really going to miss DeAndre Hopkins. If Watson wobbles under the pressure of being the offense’s sole talisman, it could be enough to get O’Brien the axe.
Don’t look for Houston to make that call during the regular season though. They’re a much better candidate to make a total regime change in the offseason. O’Brien has a real habit of keeping the Texans in the postseason hunt no matter what. Don’t look for that to change this year.
O’Brien’s hope is that moving on from big-name stars has allowed him to build a franchise with more quality depth. The proof will be obvious on the field this season for the Texans. It could easily turn into a make or break campaign for O’Brien. No matter what happens, he has no one to blame other than himself.