We all can agree that 2020 sucked and will go down in history in infamy. 2020 was even worse for Houston Texan fans. As a Houston fan, it was like watching a horror movie or a dumpster fire get ignited and then slowly become into a swirling fiery vortex. At times, I questioned myself, “what is the point?”
How does a team go from 10-6 to 4-12 in a year? In 2020, the Texans have officially become the new Cleveland Browns (sorry to the Dawg Pound).
After being the AFC South champions six out of the past ten years (2010 to 2020), the era of being a perennial dumpster fire has begun. After all of the drama, horrible trades, and wasting away of talent, the Texans may not find success for another five to ten years. This may be an overreaction, but how can you go 4-12 with a quarterback that had a career season and was a Top-5 quarterback?
Once again, this sounds like something only Browns fans would have experienced. The worst part is that the dumpster fire and the dystopia is only getting worse.
But to fully understand how bad this situation is and how it got started, we need to start from the beginning of the pandemics. Yes, you heard me “pandemics” plural. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began and it is also when I would say the Texans began their pandemic.
It all started when Bill O’Brien, the head coach and general manager at the time, decided to trade away one of the best wide receivers in the league, Deandre Hopkins. For what?
David Johnson, who was amazing in the past but did not live up to the hype. They also got a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick A.K.A a water cooler and some practice balls. Deandre Hopkins was worth more than that trade. The Arizona Cardinals made out like a bandit. Another lovely trade that was orchestrated by O’Brien was defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks for a third-round pick, Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin (Once again, for a water cooler).
Well, October came and the Texans started 0-4 and Bill O’Brien was fired as head coach. After the abysmal season, the plot thickened. Deshaun Watson and J.J Watt both had put the team on their backs and now the feeling was that they had a year of their careers wasted. Watt even emphasized this about Watson’s season.
After the firing of Bill O’Brien was fired, the Texans needed a general manager. The organization had promised Watson some input on the new hiring and that did not happen. Watson got short-changed and left scorned by the Texans. The wide receiver who practically built the Texans and future Hall of Famer, Andre Johnson, even came out and said that the Texans “waste players’ careers”. Now, Watson wants out but the Texans want him to stay. The situation is not getting any better.
It has gotten so bad that Watson took off everything Houston Texan related off his social media; he isn’t taking calls from the team; he is wearing other teams’ gear; and he has requested to be traded to get out. To add to the mix, the Texans hire David Culley as head coach instead of Eric Bieinemy, who I believe is probably the best coach for a head coaching position, and no one is jumping to get him.
If the Texans lose Watson, there is no hope. If he stays, the toxicity mixed with horrible trading and coaching hires will also destroy any hope. If Watson stays and the relationship can be fixed, then maybe there is a small glimmer of hope for the future.
But wait, things get better.
The Texans don’t even have a first or second round pick in the 2021 draft. How can you repair your team from the destruction left by O’Brien’s horrific trades. I personally feel bad for JJ and Watson. I think they should leave. They deserve better. J.J. Watt is my favorite player of all-time and he deserves to be in Canton one day.
Watson has so much potential that it would be a shame for him to waste it all and be the next Dan Marino. I want their success. Yes, for the city of Houston, it would be a shame for them to leave. The city has already lost sports stars: James Harden, Russel Westbrook, and George Springer. I am still recovering from this and it is a bad time to be a Houston fan, but I digress.
We had amazing teams during the 2010s. We had a great team in 2019. If we still had Hopkins and Clowney and a better coach, we could have made a deep run this year. The chronic pandemic of wasting of players’ careers needs to end for the Texans. Hopefully, both pandemics end soon.