Texans X-Factor: Star Player or Assistant Coach?

Entering his first season with the Texans, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has a new opportunity to help the young team return to relevancy — potentially making him Houston's X-factor.

Every NFL team needs its X-factor, whether it be on offense or defense.

For the Houston Texans — arguably the squad that's set to look to most different from last season — there is an opportunity for plenty to emerge, especially at the beginning of the season. 

But while a team's X-factor is more often than not a player, that isn't always the case, and for this year's Texans, CBS Sports has a different idea for who the young squad's game changer could be. 

As the passing-game coordinator for the 49ers, [Bobby Slowik] was in charge of helping Kyle Shanahan marry his diverse run game to the pass, and he'll have to bring that bag of tricks to the Texans," the site wrote. "We're about to see if he and the Texans are up for it."

Slowik has been in the NFL since 2011, taking on a variety of roles on both sides of the ball, though most recently, he was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers. 

His success in San Francisco earned him the same role for Houston, where he'll take the sidelines for rookie coach DeMeco Ryans and company, looking to be the "X-factor" in making the Texans' offense among the top in the AFC.

That wouldn't come without struggles, however. especially for a team set to feature a completely re-designed offense, but it is doable.

"With Houston not having nearly the same pass-catching (or offensive line) talent that the Niners have, it will be a challenge for Slowik to replicate that success," CBS Sports continued. "But other Shanahan-system coordinators have been able to get pretty good results outside of San Francisco, so it's certainly not an impossible task." 

One of those coordinators was the New York Jets' young coach Robert Saleh. Now entering his third year, Saleh has done with the Jets what the Texans are hoping to do: return to relevancy. 

Adding pieces like Corey Davis and Zach Wilson helped kickstart that process, which only furthered with cornerback Sauce Gardner and is now set to go one more step with Aaron Rodgers taking the helm on offense. The Jets have found a level of success very different from what they've been used to. Sound ideal and familiar? 

If Slowik can do what Saleh has done, even in a smaller capacity, Houston may very well be on its way to AFC relevancy. He's now the Texans' X-factor, and will do everything he can to being success back to the franchise. 

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