Washington Redskins vs. Houston Texans: Breaking Down Houston's Game Plan

The Washington Redskins visit the Houston Texans in one of 13 games that christen the first Sunday of the 2014 NFL season. This is the only contest that features first-time head coaches facing off against each other. The challenges facing Jay Gruden and Bill O’Brien are strikingly similar in a number of areas.

Neither is exactly new to the league, both having served as offensive coordinators for the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots, respectively. Their scant experience consists of three seasons for Gruden under Marvin Lewis and just one for O’Brien on the staff of Bill Belichick. One way to compensate for their limited backgrounds was to hire defensive coordinators Jim Haslett and Romeo Crennel, both of whom have been working in professional football for over three decades. 

With the other side of the ball in knowledgeable hands, Gruden and O’Brien can focus on their offenses and remedial quarterback programs.

Robert Griffin III needs help getting over his breakup with Mike Shanahan as much as he needs to adapt his approach to the game.

“The Complicated Reinvention of RG3,” an in-depth exploration by Les Carpenter into his psyche, appeared in Bleacher Report this week. It reveals that the breakdown of his relationship with Shanahan over the course of the 2013 season continues to eat away at Griffin’s soul and confidence. The word he used to describe the aftermath, not once but twice, is “heartbreaking.”

The most productive means to overcome the lingering anguish would be for Griffin to stop playing the game as if he was still a zone-read quarterback running the spread option. What earned him the Heisman Trophy will only shorten his longevity at this level. Excelling as a drop-back passer had led to far more satisfying NFL careers than turning every foray out of the pocket into proof of your dazzling athleticism.

What ails Ryan Fitzpatrick is less melodramatic but just as frustrating. His turnover rate of 1.75 per game is the leading figure at his position since 2010. If O’Brien can school Fitzpatrick into correcting his wildness, then the Texans will have the transitional quarterback who can lead them out of the wilderness.

Since each team is in the midst of a therapeutic protocol for its most important offensive player, the game plan for Houston should center around running the football, moving the ball effectively on the ground and preventing Washington from doing the same. Put RG3 in passing situations and see if he remains as unsure in the pocket as he was in the preseason. 

Houston on Offense

At one point, Arian Foster treated the media as if they were as bothersome as his lumbar disks. In their latest encounter, he was as charming as his proclamation regarding his health was promising.

After not playing in the preseason, there are obvious questions about Foster’s readiness. When asked how he was feeling, Foster replied, “Wonderful, physically. I’m excited about that (Sunday’s regular-season opener against Washington). I can’t wait to play football.”

The leading rusher in franchise history better be ready, because he is expected to be the fulcrum of the offense. Bill O’Brien has announced to the world that Foster is a three-down back, likening him to Kevin Faulk or Danny Woodhead from the Patriots. Actually, his future with the team is closer to those “rotational” types of backs than his workhorse days of the past.

Gary Kubiak leaned on Foster the same way the Denver Broncos did on Terrell Davis, who was used up by the end of his 2,008 yard season in 1998. Foster was on that same path, with 1,115 touches from 2010-12, the most by any running back over that time.

O’Brien will use him on all three downs, but not on so many consecutive downs. The players behind him are unproven but will have to come through to keep Foster fresh.

James Palmer of CSN Houston confirmed as much:

"

If you didn’t know, Arian Foster will start Sunday. O’Brien added he’ll play a lot. But back ups will play at some point in the game.

— James Palmer (@JPalmerCSN) September 4, 2014"

Jonathan Grimes showed he could also fill that three-down role in the preseason, rushing for 132 yards and a 4.3 average while catching five passes for 60 yards. When he got his shot as the flaming wreck of 2013 was turning into cinders, Grimes managed 126 yards of total offense in his lone start against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.

Rookie Alfred Blue did not put up great numbers in the 2014 preseason but made the active roster because he looks the part. At 6’2” and 223 pounds, he hits the hole quickly with a long stride. To jump ahead of Grimes on the depth chart, Tania Ganguli of ESPN recommends that Blue work on his receiving and blocking skills.

This trio will be working behind an offensive line that is a mixture of old and new. Every starter is a holdover from 2013, but the scheme is new. There will be fewer slow-developing zone-stretch plays that involve dancing their men toward the sideline.

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Expect more straight-up man-blocking that will have running backs hitting the hole without delay. This GIF illustrates by example on this seven-yard gain by Grimes against the Broncos in the preseason. 

Ageless Redskins inside linebacker London Fletcher finally retired at age 38. His replacement, Keenan Robinson, was on injured reserve all last season. Paired with the undersized Perry Riley and fronted by smallish nose tackle Barry Cofield (6’4”, 303 pounds), the Redskins look soft up the middle.

The Redskins ranked 17th in rushing yards allowed in 2013 but were dead last giving up rushing touchdowns. Their in-the-box safety, Brandon Meriwether, is suspended for this game due to a preseason hit against Baltimore Ravens receiver Torrey Smith. This looks like the perfect area to attack.

When the Texans take to the air, the tackles will have to account for a pair of exceptional pass-rushers. Outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo, who have a combined 45 sacks in the last three years, are guaranteed to keep Duane Brown and Derek Newton busy all afternoon. Newton failed to show any improvement in the preseason, a key factor Haslett has surely noticed.

O’Brien’s passing offense keeps the defense off balance by running quick-tempo plays featuring slant patterns of less than 10 yards. Slot receiver Keshawn Martin was an afterthought in the Kubiak era but was “one of the most improved players on our team,” as his coach told the media. He could be the hot read when Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins attract too much attention.

Martin tried to prove he is more than just a slot man when he bailed out Ryan Fitzpatrick on this impromptu rollout against the Atlanta Falcons. The double move by Martin gave his quarterback, who managed to square up to the line of scrimmage while running for his life, a wide-open target for the 31-yard completion. 

NFL Rewind

If Martin isn’t the hot read, look for a check-down to a tight end. The Grimes run in the GIF was behind a strong-side left formation through the “C” gap opened up by tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and H-back Ryan Griffin.

The fullback position is fading away because two big, tall targets on the field are better than just a single tight end. The playbook may ask them to block more often than run a route, but their presence is critical to the passing game.

Garrett Graham looks questionable due to a back injury, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle:

"

OBrien on TE Garrett Graham "He may not be able to play. We'll have to work him out morning of the game. Not a major injury."

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) September 4, 2014"

This will put an even brighter spotlight on Fiedorowicz and Griffin.

O’Brien will want to keep Fitzpatrick’s passing attempts under 30 to minimize errors. If the Texans fall behind by more than two touchdowns, don’t expect them to go Air Coryell in a desperate effort to win. The installation of a new offense for a new quarterback is a process that cannot be measured by this single event.

Houston on Defense

Maybe Robert Griffin is still mooning over what might have been. Or maybe he was just waiting for a game that counts to get his act together.

It would be shortsighted to believe the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year completely lost it in the space of a single season. To which astute NFL observers might respond, “Matt Schaub hasn’t been the same since those two overtime wins in 2012. It can happen.”

Certainly the torn LCL and reconstructed ACL that took Griffin down are more obvious than the mysterious ailment that caused the rapid decline of Schaub. If the preseason is any indication, Gruden is still awaiting the comeback of the transcendent RG3.

Griffin seems perplexed by whether he should scramble or stay put on any given play. The following sequence shows how max pressure by the Cleveland Browns followed by the penetration of Armonty Bryant and Barkevious Mingo caused him to loft a lob pass that ended up in the hands of cornerback Joe Haden.

NFL Rewind

If Griffin had relocated in the pocket he could have bought enough time to throw the ball away. 

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When he decides to use his legs, as in this 18-yard dash to the sidelines, the Twitterverse implores him to use more discretion. 

Trey Wingo was just one of many to offer his unsolicited advice:

"

On that one run @RGIII took three unnecessary shots.... Slide Robert....slide

— trey wingo (@wingoz) August 19, 2014"

In the meantime, Gruden will call upon what is now the most reliable weapon in his arsenal. Alfred Morris has gained over 2,800 yards in his two NFL seasons and can power between the tackles or skitter around the edge. He is the Redskins’ best bet to stay out of 3rd-and-long.

The best bet to keep the Redskins in 3rd-and-long is Brian Cushing. Not only is he the emotional leader of the defense, but he is the only linebacker on the roster who can pursue from sideline to sideline.

Morris is anything but a receiving threat out of the backfield, having caught only 20 passes in his career. That dimension is not essential for a passing game that has DeSean Jackson lining up on the other side of Pierre Garcon.

One look at Jackson and the image of T.Y. Hilton of the Indianapolis Colts immediately comes to mind. Hilton has scorched the Texans for 20 catches, 392 yards and five touchdowns in only four games.

Nearly half (1,568) of the Redskins' passing yardage last season was in the check-down range (0-9 yards) according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Washington was in need of a deep threat, and Jackson is the first since a young Santana Moss was picked up in a trade with the New York Jets in 2005.

Cornerback Jonathan Joseph was a preseason spectator like Arian Foster, which should prompt Gruden to test him from the get-go. Joseph and Kareem Jackson are faced with two receivers who would each be the No. 1 on most teams.

Deciding who covers who could be avoided by using zone techniques combined with safety help. Danieal Manning was picked up after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals in the final preseason cut. Manning may have more fun during his second stay in Houston by playing in Cover 2 alongside Kendrick Lewis.

Back when Wade Phillips was calling the shots, Manning was left on an island as the deep safety in Cover 1. Pro Football Focus assigned him the third-highest passer rating (117.3) among safeties with over 1,000 snaps in 2012, his last full season in Houston. Now he can play closer to the line of scrimmage and concentrate on his half of the field instead of having to account for every vertical route.

The defensive backs will have their hands full if the Texans' pass rush does not make its presence felt. The current depth chart has J.J. Watt at right defensive end, the same side of the formation as Jadeveon Clowney. Watt has spent most of his time at left end, making the move confusing if true.

The change might be beneficial considering the left tackle for the Redskins is Trent Williams, a rising star at his position. If the thought is to overload that side of the line, the move makes sense.

On the other hand, it may not mean a thing. Watt has played on both sides of the line in his brief but spectacular career, making his placement on the line irrelevant.

Three of the four sacks of Griffin in the preseason came over the right side of the Redskins’ offensive line. The other was on a QB scramble where there were no linemen around to protect him.

Once the Redskins are in an obvious passing mode, it will be time to unleash the J.J.-JC pincer attack. Bring J.J. Watt from the left and send Jadeveon Clowney from the right. Trent Williams will probably give the rookie all he can handle, but that kind of experience is invaluable in the development of an all-around player.

The disclosure that Clowney’s injury in Denver turned out to be a concussion, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle, may limit his role to obvious passing downs. If that is where the Reskins frequently find themselves, then the defensive game plan will be working as designed.