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2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Houston Texans

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Duane Brown
Left Guard: Chester Pitts
Center: Chris Myers
Right Guard: Mike Brisiel
Right Tackle: Eric Winston

2008 Injuries:
None

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The Houston Texans started their season on the wrong foot by losing their first four games but no one can blame them because of the very difficult circumstances they had to go through. The offensive line made a big step forward in the running game jumping from 3.8 yards per carry to 4.3 yards per carry. However, it also allowed 32 sacks as opposed to the 22 the year before despite all starters staying healthy.

Last season, the battle for the left tackle position was won by 2008 first round pick Duane Brown over the veteran Ephraim Salaam. Salaam was still used sparingly during the year but has now left for Detroit and Brown will need to step up his game. He has good size at 6’4” and 315 lbs and is quite athletic with quick feet. He has the ability to play both left and right tackle but is a better fit on the left side because of his pass protecting skills. The problem however is he did not show those skills last season as he allowed 11.5 sacks which tied him for last place amongst starting left tackles. He still needs to gain some strength and become more physical in order to be an effective run blocker in the NFL. Just like most young linemen, he still has to improve his technique but he has excellent work ethic and should improve very quickly. Starting at right tackle is the 2006 third round pick Eric Winston who started all 16 games in the past two seasons. Winston also struggled in 2008 allowing 8.0 sacks and ranking 29th amongst right tackles, a large disappointment after his excellent season in 2007. Winston was recruited as a tight end in college and moved to offensive tackle in his sophomore season but suffered a torn ACL as a junior and was not the same player when he came back the following year. Winston had the potential to be a top ten prospect before his injury but dropped to the third round and has now regained the strength he had before the injury. He is a very physical and smart blocker who will occasionally get beat to the outside because of his slower feet. He is very intense and a perfect fit for the right tackle position in the NFL because of his very good run blocking abilities. Rashad Butler, a fourth-year veteran who has not started any games in the NFL, is the top backup at tackle.

Starting at left guard will be former second round pick Chester Pitts who has not missed a start since being drafted in 2002. Pitts was originally drafted as a tackle and played his first two seasons at left tackle but was moved inside for the 2004 season where he is a better fit. Pitts took awhile to adjust to the much more physical guard position but he seems to have improved over the last few seasons. He will occasionally make mental mistakes in pass protection but his strength allows him to open up some holes in the running game. Pitts has been with the team for a long time and although he has never been good enough to improve the whole line, he was never the problem. He still has a few years left in him and will improve if he is surrounded by better players. On the other side of the line the job belongs to 2006 undrafted free agent Mike Brisiel. Brisiel will never be a great lineman but he works hard on every play and will continue to improve as he gains experience. He still needs to cut down on the mental mistakes but he is good enough both in run blocking and pass protection to be a starter in the NFL. Kasey Studdard provides depth at guard.

Starting at center for the second consecutive season will be the 27 year old Chris Myers who was acquired from the Denver Broncos for a sixth round pick last off-season. Myers played five games at guard in 2006 for the Broncos and then moved to center for the rest of the season when Tom Nalen went down with an injury. In 2007, he started all 16 games for the Texans at center and many would agree that he was the weak link on this line. He is a good fit for the Houston zone blocking scheme but he needs to get stronger in order to avoid being pushed back into Schaub constantly. The coaching staff are certainly not convinced that he is the long-term solution at center since they drafted Antoine Caldwell out of Alabama in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Caldwell is a natural leader and a hard worker who should adjust to the NFL pretty quickly. He is a better run blocker than pass protector but he has all the skills to develop into a good starting center. He will be the top backup at center and guard this season and could replace either Myers or Brisiel later in the year. Chris White also adds depth at center.

2009 Outlook:
The Houston Texans impressed many people last year by having the third-ranked offense in the NFL and this offensive line certainly played a big role in that. All five linemen managed to stay healthy and they improved as a group throughout the season as they allowed only 12 sacks in the final eight games of the season. With one more off-season to work with Alex Gibbs, this line should improve as a unit in 2009 and be above average in both run blocking and pass protection but they will need to stay healthy as they did in 2008 since they don’t have any proven backups.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles