HOUSTON — A day after the Houston Texans fell to 0-4 with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien said while he obviously has to “do a better job coaching,” he can’t concern himself about his job status because he doesn’t “have any control” over that.
“All I can control is what I can control, and I’ve got to do a better job with the team,” O’Brien said Monday. “That’s obvious. And we’re going to work hard to do that.”
The Texans started the season with what the Football Power Index said was the toughest schedule in the league against the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers before losing on Sunday to the then-winless Vikings. Only one team in NFL history has made the playoffs after starting 0-4: the 1992 Chargers.
Houston has struggled in many aspects this season, but one that stands out: Through four games, the Texans are the only team in the NFL not to force a turnover, and have a minus-five turnover differential.
The Texans also rank last with 181.8 rushing yards allowed per game. In Sunday’s loss, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
After the game, quarterback Deshaun Watson said he wasn’t going to let the slow start get him down.
“At the end of the day, it is what it is,” Watson said. “We’re 0-4. We’ve just got to keep fighting, keep pushing forward, and that’s it. But for me personally, I’m not going to let it take my joy. I’m going to continue to live life, continue to work my ass off, continue to come in here every day and play football. It is what it is.
“But at the end of the day my joy, my spirit, my smile, my energy, the love of the game is still going to continue to be there. That’s how I see it.”
Defensive end J.J. Watt, who called the start “terrible, “brutal” and “depressing,” said something has to change for the Texans to turn it around. Watt said that starts with him working harder and controlling what he can control.
“We obviously have to do something different,” Watt said. “We are 0-4. Whatever we’re doing is not working. Something needs to change. Something needs to be different.”
O’Brien said because of the strong leadership on the team, he isn’t worried about the morale from the winless start.
“Where we are is not good, obviously, but I do think we have good leadership on this team and we have guys that work hard and they believe in each other,” O’Brien said. “I think they feel like we’re close and we just need to get a win. But no, I’m not worried about the morale. I think we have good guys that understand what we have to do to try to dig ourselves out of it.”