Bill O’Brien’s favorability rating among Texans fans took a dive when he traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. But understanding the pulse of a fan base requires knowing more than that, especially given the Texans’ unique power structure.
Do fans disapprove of O’Brien The Coach, or just O’Brien The GM? How confident are they that the man who empowered O’Brien, team chairman Cal McNair, will do a good job leading the franchise in the future? And if they have little faith in both men, do they trust quarterback Deshaun Watson to carry the Texans to a Super Bowl anyway?
The Athletic recently surveyed Texans fans to get answers to these questions and others. We’re not professional pollsters, but in the form of more than 300 responses, we received a closer look at an unhappy fan base.
Which best describes your feelings toward the Texans?
Respondents answered this survey after the Hopkins trade, but it would’ve been interesting to see how differently they felt before that move, if at all. Dealing a superstar player in consecutive offseasons likely fuels the sense of resignation many fans appear to have.
How do you feel about the Texans’ current leadership structure?
There’s a couple ways to look at these results: Fans are skeptical of an O’Brien-led organization, or they simply don’t believe coaches should hold as much power as O’Brien does. Perhaps some fans are also skeptical of the credentials of executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby, who was previously the Patriots’ character coach and the Chiefs’ chaplain, but he operates behind the scenes and doesn’t meet with reporters. O’Brien is the face of the team and this era of Texans leadership.
What grade would you give O’Brien and the Texans’ front office since the team fired GM Brian Gaine?
Forget O’Brien’s moves as GM. What grade would you give O’Brien for his most recent season as Texans head coach?
On March 15, when the Texans agreed to re-sign cornerback Bradley Roby, a reader commented: “Pretty happy so far with GM BoB so far.. still early….”
That reader had no idea. A day later, Hopkins was no longer part of the Texans. And the segment of fans who thought O’Brien is a better general manager than coach appears to have faded — if it was even significant in the first place.
A sizable portion of respondents gave O’Brien a B for his work as a coach during the 2019 season. But only seven people gave the front office a B for its work since Gaine’s firing.
Which recent Texans trade do you dislike the most?
Which recent Texans trade do you like the most?
No surprise when it came to the least popular trade. But it’s interesting to see most likeable trade generated such mixed results.
The Carlos Hyde deal has plenty of fans, but I’d argue the trades for Gareon Conley and Duke Johnson brought back better value. Houston traded offensive lineman Martinas Rankin, a 2018 third-round pick, for one season of Hyde. The Texans gave up 2020 third-rounders for Johnson and Conley, but they’re under team control for at least one and two more seasons, respectively. Johnson could take over a bigger role in the offense this season, and Conley is one of the team’s top corners.