Bieniemy Should Coach The Texans, Says Michael Irvin
Houston Texans fans are smart enough to be braced for dozen stories just like this one, as fired former head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien's leather office chair remains warm, as three games remain in the 2020 NFL season and as candidates to serve as this team's next coach could ebb and flow in the coming playoffs.
But the concept of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy as a candidate is a no-brainer - and to Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin, now an NFL analyst and on Tuesday speaking on SportsRadio 610, the hiring of Bieniemy is a no-brainer, too.
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"I'm just saying,'' the legendary Dallas Cowboys receiver said, "I would want to rob off the tree that Patrick Mahomes is pulling his fruit off of. I would want to take that guy that they have over there as an offensive coordinator and see if he can create a similar thing right there in Houston. And you know you have the guy you need at quarterback. You can put the pieces around him. Deshaun Watson can do a lot of the same things Patrick Mahomes does.''
Frankly, this carries more weight than many of the reports (like one from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN) that Bienemy "could be the front-runner'' for the coming vacancy. ESPN wrote that two months ago. It seemed premature then ... and still does today.
From the ESPN report:
The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator has been on the head-coach interview circuit the past couple of years but hasn’t managed to get one of the jobs. His contract expires at the end of the season. The Chiefs would love to have him back, but they know he’s probably gone.
Houston definitely has interest, and some believe Bieniemy could already be the front-runner there. The quarterback, overall roster talent and organizational structure will be important to him, and the Texans can offer that, with the willingness to tie a new general manager to the coach.
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We believe in this space we've already covered the obvious nature of the Texans at least interviewing Bienemy, and additionally, the logical concept of creating a "Kansas City, Texas'' environment by also considering top Chiefs execs of now and of the past.
There are also people inside the Texans organization who might think it's a good idea - a list that very well could include Deshaun Watson.
Can what QB Mahomes does in Kansas City be a blueprint for Watson's continued growth? That thinking, as it relates to Bieniemy, makes this a sensible consideration.
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As Irvin said, "I would go get that offensive coordinator from the Chiefs that learned under that master, that master (head coach) Andy Reid for all of these years and I'm gonna tell him do with D-Wat what he did with Patrick Mahomes."
But "front-runner''? Irvin's thoughts are respected in this space. The Texans need upgrades and they need ideas, and the interview process will give all candidates a chance to shine ... and will give Eric Bienemy a chance to prove Michael Irvin right.