The Saints’ decision to move on from run-game coordinator T.J. Paganetti has put a familiar kind of pressure back in the spotlight, and for Texans fans, it naturally turns the conversation toward Cole Popovich.
New Orleans made the change after repeated problems in its rushing attack, and it landed less than a week after the Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive pass-game coordinator Jonathan Cooley for their own struggles on that side of the ball. That kind of midseason shakeup always gets attention around the league, and in Houston it raises the obvious question: how long can the Texans keep riding with Popovich if the results stay stuck in the mud?
Popovich’s resume is not the issue. The Texans’ official website credits him with plenty of success before Houston, including his 2022 season as offensive line coach at Troy University, where the Trojans went 12-2, finished No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and beat UTSA in the Cure Bowl. He also helped develop CoSIDA Academic All-American Austin Stidham, running back Kimani Vidal and eventual fourth-rounder transitioned-center Jake Andrews, who is now on the Texans’ roster.
He brings 15 years of coaching experience, including six NFL seasons with the Patriots from 2015-20, when he won Super Bowls LI and LIII. He then spent 2023 and 2024 as Houston’s assistant offensive line coach under Chris Strausser before being promoted to offensive line coach and run game coordinator in 2025.
That promotion has come with plenty of scrutiny. In his first season in charge of the unit, Popovich oversaw an offensive line and rushing attack that finished near the bottom of the league in several categories, with some bright spots mixed in.
The problems have only continued into 2026. Through seven games, Houston’s line is sitting near the bottom of the NFL again, with the 10th-worst pass-block win rate at 46% and the 11th-worst run-block win rate at 72%. The run game has been even harder to ignore: the Texans rank fourth-worst in yards per game at 84.7 and fourth-worst in yards per carry at 3.6, while also tying with six other teams for 10th-most rushing touchdowns with six.
There are caveats. Injuries and a wave of new faces have played a role in the struggles.
But the bigger picture is hard to miss when a unit keeps landing among the league’s worst in the same areas. Popovich has won at a lot of stops, but that success has not carried over cleanly in Houston, and the pressure around his work has only grown with each rough week.
For now, the question is whether DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio will keep waiting for the pieces to come together, or whether patience eventually runs out. Until then, Texans fans are left hoping the answer on both fronts changes before the numbers get any uglier.
In Other News...
Texans Backfield Shuffle Puts Fresh Focus On Their Depth Plan
The Texans made another quiet tweak to the bottom of their roster as they head into the second half of the regular season, releasing defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy and running back Deuce Vaughn while adding rookie running back Josh Pitsenberger to the practice squad. It is the kind of move that rarely draws much attention on its own, but it does speak to how Houston keeps sorting through depth as the season wears on.
Pitsenbergers return is the most notable part of the shuffle. The undrafted rookie from Yale had already been in the Texans orbit before landing on injured reserve and later being waived with an injury settlement, and now he gets another chance to stick around in the organization. For a team trying to keep its backfield and practice squad flexible, these are the small transactions that can matter later, even if the bigger picture is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Still Waiting On Reed Blankenship For A Bigger Reason
Reed Blankenships absence has become a familiar part of the Texans defensive picture over the past couple of weeks, with the safety still working back from surgery on his left hand and continuing through concussion protocol as the team moves into Week 8. He has already missed multiple games, leaving Houston to adjust its back end while veteran M.J. Stewart has filled in as a replacement starter.
For the Texans, the bigger issue is not just whether Blankenship can get back on the field, but when he can clear the checkpoints that matter most. His availability for the next stretch will hinge on how he holds up in practice and how the medical evaluations go, which leaves Houston waiting on more than just a return date. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Trade Rumors Put Jadeveon Clowney In An Awkward Spot
Jadeveon Clowney has found himself in the middle of a familiar kind of NFL noise as the trade deadline approaches. According to ESPNs Adam Schefter, other teams have shown interest in the Texans edge rusher, even though Houston is not actively shopping him and Clowney has not asked to be moved. For a player whose name always seems to surface when teams start looking for pass-rush help, it is the sort of chatter that comes with the territory.
Clowney has appeared in five games this season and has delivered moderate production, enough to keep him on the radar without making any move feel inevitable. For now, the expectation is that he stays put through the deadline, which leaves Houston with a decision to make only if the market shifts in a meaningful way. Until then, the Texans are holding steady, and Clowney remains in an awkward spot where his name is circulating even as nothing appears close to happening. [Read more 🡒]