100 Unanswered Questions From The Bill O’Brien Era - Part 1

It’s been less than a year since overlord Bill O’Brien was usurped from his throne atop the Houston Texans organization. The once optimism and winning ways of the Texans were quickly replaced by suspicion, doubt, and ultimately losses. O’Brien’s rise to power was methodical and rather unprecedented in the history of the NFL, but his removal from the organization was swift and decisive. Such action left so many questions unanswered, but in the wake of the recent Texans in turmoil, many have been lost or forgotten in the recesses of our mind. Winning solved many of our problems, but being the best team in a bad division masked most from seeing the truth.

Every Texans fan undoubtedly wants to pull up a chair, sit down, and ask Bill O’Brien a myriad of impassioned questions, and here are 50 of 100 questions that I would like to ask Bill O’Brien now that his tenure with the Texans is over:

Do you truly believe that you left the organization in a better place than you found it?

Why was Braxton Miller never given a chance to earn a role in the offense?

Whose idea was it to sign Brock Osweiler and make him franchise QB?

When the Texans lost 30-0 against the Chiefs in the 2016 AFC Wild Card Game, how were you allowed to keep your job?

At the time, did you believe Tom Savage was a better QB than Deshaun Watson?

Who supported you overthrowing the GM and anoint you the Offensive Coordinator/Head Coach/General Manager?

Why wasn’t there a plan to replace D.J. Reader, Christian Covington, Vince Wilfork, Joel Heath, and Angelo Blackson until the 2020 Draft?

Why was Whitney Mercilus re-signed so many times when he clearly did not fit the defensive scheme once Jadeveon Clowney came around?

There were two primary instances where teams traded up to draft players in front of Houston: in your first draft in 2014 when Minnesota traded for Teddy Bridgewater, and in 2019 when the Eagles traded up for Andre Dillard. Why was the organization’s draft opinions so obvious to these other teams?

Whatever happened to Jaelen Strong? Why wasn't he given a chance?

There were dozens of undrafted rookie free agent running backs that Houston never signed. Whey did you prefer below average veterans and stick with Alfred Blue?

Who came up with the phrase “tough, smart, dependable” and what is the true order of these three traits?

What were two scenes from HBO’s Hard Knocks that you cut out?

What was the (t)reason we kept Jeff Allen and Xavier Su’a Filo around for so long? They were so miserable in all aspects of football.

Truly. Honestly. And Literally..... who approved the Hopkins trade from a management perspective? We know you have zero ability to evaluate talent and execute a trade, because you are a coach and not a general manager. But whom else who had the ability to veto the trade, didn't?

Why were our Special Teams so horrid for such an extended period of time?

Between D’Onta Foreman and Tyler Ervin, why weren’t either given a true chance to start after their injuries?

How did things go so sour with Duane Brown in a matter of two years?

Why wasn’t Tyrann Mathieu resigned after his spectacular season in 2018?

What did you say to the team in the locker room when Drew Brees and the Saints came back with 47 seconds left in the first week of the 2019 season?

Why was Alfred Blue our starting running back in 2015?

The Texans always seemed to play to the level of the competition. Why was the mentality of the team so weak that they couldn't beat lesser teams?

Was there a single defining play in your time with the Texans that you think back on and say “what if...?”

If running the ball was such an important aspect of the offense, why wasn't the offensive line geared towards run blocking instead of pass blocking? Both of which we were horrific at in later years?

Which Texans team had the most talent?

What was the day to day relationship with Rick Smith before he stepped away, and what did the rest of the organization lack after his departure?

What was the line for cutting D.J. Swearinger?

If you didn’t get fired after the fourth game, what would you have changed heading into the Jacksonville Jaguars game?

Who approached whom for the DeAndre Hopkins trade? You or Arizona?

Would you have accepted being the co-Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator and let Mike Vrabel be the other co-Head Coach/Defenisve Coordinator to keep him around?

From all of the years, which player’s season or career ending injury was the most devastating to the team?

What was the true reason Brian Gaine was fired? What was the final straw?

Do you think your career in the NFL will always have a shadow casted over it by being dependent on Tom Brady?

Can you rank the following QBs from best to worst? Ryan Mallet, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler, Tom Savage and Bryan Hoyer.

What changed in the front office after Bob McNair passed away?

Which draft pick that never panned out had the most potential?

Which win were you most proud of in your career?

Why were so many of our stars consistently injured in the early parts of the season?

Who really is Jack Easterby and how much manipulation has transpired through his Rasputin techniques?

In 2019 the Texans signed a slew of veteran free agent secondary players. A good portion didn’t make it through the season. Why were these players so poor once they were acquired and who thought they would be assets?

There was an emphasis in the later years for aged players over draft picks. A first sign of this was the Demaryius Thomas trade in 2018. Was this trend due to you and your coaching staff’s inability to develop non-first round level talent or an organizational decision to actively waste money?

There are analogies of your tenure being compared to Game of Thrones, most noticeably with you being compared to King Geoffrey. What was the front office atmosphere and tone like from a day-to-day aspect?

Can you name a worse GM in history than yourself?

Why did we let A.J. Bouye leave when he was by far our best secondary player on the roster?

Speaking of the secondary, we drafted ten secondary players during your tenure and only one actually developed into a legitimate professional player. Why were so many fliers taken on defensive backs yet none actually panned out?

If J.J. Watt was not released, what did he have up his sleeve from your tenure to create problems for the organization?

Why would the Texans never blow a team out and always had to keep games in hand unreasonably close?

Can you explain how that the Texans did not receive a first round pick for Duane Brown, Jadeveon Clowney, Will Fuller, DeAndre Hopkins, or JJ Watt?

Why could you never find a place for Keke Coutee in your offense?

Who really calls the shots in the Houston Texans organization?

Check back for questions 51-100.