Philadelphia's offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon)...
the Texans began their search by interviewing a fired head coach who’d later sue them along with the NFL for racial discrimination and nearly concluded it by hiring a former journeyman quarterback whose coaching experience consisted of assisting his son’s high school football team .
This year’s respectable search reflects Houston’s favorable positioning. Caserio indeed wields a wealth of draft picks and salary cap space. But after an NFL-record 10 head coaching hires were made in 2022, the Texans are among only five teams that hold a vacancy. Such a circumstance naturally created the unique crossovers this weekend contains. Rarely do coordinators on the same team interview for the same head coaching job. Rarer still do they coach in a playoff game against another coordinator who is also interviewing for the same job. Enter Philadelphia. Obviously, Saturday night’s outcome between Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka won’t ultimately decide who’ll eventually be offered the Texans’ job. McNair and Caserio, who interviewed 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans on Friday, are poised to undergo a round of second interviews next week. But the playoff pitting of NFC East rivals provides a prudent opportunity to observe in prime time what Gannon, Steichen and Kafka can offer the Texans. What is it they can supply the rebuilding franchise in its push for postseason contention? What makes them the right person for the job? Mike Kafka, the offensive coordinator for the Giants, will face the Eagles on Saturday in the playoffs.Steichen and Kafka clearly both run effective offenses. Both are former quarterbacks coaches, and, ironically enough, Kafka quarterbacked the Eagles himself in four games while playing for Andy Reid during the 2011 season. Kafka may be finishing his first season as an offensive coordinator with Brian Daboll, but the 35-year-old mostly belongs to the Reid coaching tree. The future Hall of Fame coach has built his career on versatility. He’s coached six playoff teams that had top-10 rushing offenses; he’s coached four playoff teams that had bottom-10 rushing offenses. Kafka experienced both situations in five seasons working with Reid in Kansas City, and it’s clear Kafka recognized New York’s offensive personnel signaled a strength in the run game and subsequently fielded the league’s No. 4-ranked rushing attack. The resurgence of 2019 No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones can be largely attributed to the quarterback’s efficiency as a runner in Kafka’s offense. Jones rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. This also bears the fingerprints of Daboll, who, as Bills offensive coordinator, generated similar production with Josh Allen in 2021. The Texans obviously don’t have an Allen-Jones caliber of quarterback under contract, and Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, the two top prospects in the draft, are pocket passers on the quarterback spectrum. Caserio’s tendency to hire coaches with run-oriented tendencies has proven ineffective so far in Houston. The Texans often failed to adapt last season under offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who had few offensive answers beyond rookie running back Dameon Pierce. So, if the Eagles limit the rushing tandem of Jones and two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, can Jones beat the Eagles with his arm? In the two games New York was held below three yards per carry in the regular season, Jones fielded polar outcomes: he threw for two touchdowns with a 112.1 quarterback rating in a win over the Ravens, and he was sacked five times with a 71.4 rating in a loss against the Seahawks. Reminder: Gannon’s defense surrendered the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL. The same question applies to Steichen, although he’s more often demonstrated flexibility — first as offensive coordinator for the Chargers in 2020 with pocket passer Justin Herbert, then elevating dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts into an NFL MVP candidate who threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Indeed, the Eagles have more explosive firepower at wide receiver with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith; but the Texans should have enough draft capital and cap space to supplement the roster with more receivers in a balanced attack.The Eagles have a defense Lovie Smith would approve. They generated 15 more sacks than the NFL’s second-highest total. They pressured quarterbacks at the league’s highest rate . They tied for the fourth-most turnovers in the league . But who’d they tie with? The Texans. Disruption wasn’t an issue for the Texans last season. They could not limit explosive plays, especially against the run. Opponents gained 2,894 yards rushing against the Texans in 2022, the most ever surrendered in the franchise’s 21-year history. Saquon Barkley was one of five running backs who rushed for over 140 yards against the Texans last season. In Barkley’s only game against the Eagles this season, he gained just 28 yards on nine carries in a 48-22 loss. If Gannon’s defense can stop Barkley again, it will offer necessary encouragement that the 40-year-old coordinator can solve the run defense issues that have plagued the Texans for the last two seasons.
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