Texans' Plan vs. Colts: Up-Tempo Offense?

Ahead of their Week 2 contest against the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans are aiming to play faster to help improve their offensive struggles.

HOUSTON — From the debuts of Will Anderson Jr. and C.J. Stroud to the solid job of containing quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Houston Texans put together an encouraging performance despite their Week 1 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.

But given that the team did sustain a 16-point defeat, there are several flaws coach DeMeco Ryans and his staff would like to fix ahead of Sunday's home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. At the top of the list, enhancing the offensive tempo.

"The biggest improvement that I would like to see from the offense is their tempo, just in and out of the huddle," Ryans said. "Just getting the play calls, getting in and out of the huddle faster and just playing faster. That’s what I expect to see this week."

The Texans' slower pace played a part in several mishaps at M&T Bank Stadium. A handful of the problems came during the first half, which led to the Texans using all three timeouts. They also used an early timeout at the start of the second half following a touchback on a kickoff.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik took responsibility for the slow operation. And following their preparations ahead of the Colts, Slowik said the pace during practices has been one of the most noticeable differences leading into Week 2.

"Efficiency and speed are the No. 1 things we have to improve," Slowik said. "How fast we can get the play calls in and how clear we can be with it. We have to make sure the rest of the coaching staff is on personnel substitutions. It's all a trickle-down effect."

Ryans believes playing faster would not only help the offense become more efficient. But most importantly, assist with the production of Stroud.

The rookie quarterback from Ohio State finished his debut, completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 242 yards. But despite helping the offense move the chains, the Texans failed to score a touchdown.

Houston's season-opening loss to the Ravens laid the groundwork for what can be an encouraging year for the franchise's rebuild. However, improving on the smallest details can make the 2023 campaign successful.

"I think we did some really good things, and it’s very encouraging to see what C.J. [Stroud] did when it comes to throwing the football," Ryans said. "He’s very talented, we just have to play better around him, and we can play better around him just by increasing the tempo and playing with more urgency."