Calling plays for the first time puts a lot of pressure on offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Coach Bill O’Brien is showing a lot of faith in Kelly and Weaver by giving them that additional responsibility when the Texans are trying to improve on last season’s 10-6 record and advance beyond the divisional round of the playoffs.
Both are excited to prove they’re up to the challenge O’Brien has given them. The first time fans can see Kelly and Weaver’s impact is Sept. 10 when the Texans begin the regular season at Kansas City.
“As far as pressure is concerned, I don’t feel a ton of it,” Weaver said Wednesday in a Zoom conference call. “I know calling the plays will certainly be a new test for me, but it’s one I’ve been preparing for a long time.”
Then Weaver laughed and added, “It’s not the pressure I faced running out as a true freshman at the University of Notre Dame against the University of Michigan. That was pressure because I was going to get smacked in the face by (offensive tackle) Jon Runyan. This is nothing. I can handle this.”
No assistant on the staff has coached with O’Brien longer than Kelly. Their relationship dates back to Penn State, where Kelly was a graduate assistant under O’Brien in 2012-13 before following him to Houston.
Kelly has learned a lot about coaching, including game preparation and dealing with players, from O’Brien.
“It’s going on nine years now — holy smokes,” Kelly said about coaching for O’Brien. “Being able to work under him (and see) his ability to relate to players and get a feel for the locker room (is) the best I’ve been around.
“Trying to get a feel for the people you’re working closely with is a skill I can’t stress enough how important it is to know which buttons to push to get the most out of the people you’re responsible for. Being able to learn from him in that area has been great.”
Kelly has played a vital role in the Texans’ offense and game plan, but he’s smart enough to know he can’t try to be O’Brien on Sundays. The game plan and play calls must have Kelly’s fingerprints on them.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Kelly said. “Being a first-time play-caller is, obviously, you’re doing everything for the first time. (When) that happens in Kansas City is going to be the first time I’m doing it where it actually counts.”
Kelly got to call plays in the 2019 preseason. Looking back, that was an invaluable experience since there are no preseason this year because of COVID-19.
“I think it was really important,” Kelly said. “Having to figure out simple things — what hash is the ball on? What’s the down and distance?
“Little things like that can’t be taken for granted. Being able to continue to put myself in those positions throughout camp to make sure I’m as prepared as possible when we take the field against Kansas City.”
There are advantages and disadvantages for Kelly and Weaver in their new role that presents challenges.
The advantages are that Kelly has O’Brien as a resource, Deshaun Watson as his quarterback, an offensive line that returns all five starters and talented pass catchers at receiver, tight end and in the backfield.
The biggest disadvantage Kelly faces is no DeAndre Hopkins at receiver because of the trade with Arizona, no on-field coaching in the offseason and no joint practices and preseason games to experiment and evaluate.
Weaver has similar advantages and disadvantages. This is his fifth season with the Texans, so he’s familiar with his players. He has a healthy J.J. Watt, reliable veterans in Whitney Mercilus, Benardrick McKinney, Zach Cunningham and Justin Reid and talented rookies Ross Blacklock and Jonathan Greenard, the top-two draft choices.
Weaver also can rely on Romeo Crennel, the associate head coach who’s one of the most decorated defensive coordinators in NFL history.
Without a legitimate offseason program that included OTAs and preseason games, Weaver and Kelly will have to make up for lost time in training camp, including two or three scrimmages O’Brien spoke about recently.
“Knowing the roster, it’s good to know what the strengths and weaknesses are of the different players so you can take advantage of what they do well, try to capitalize on their strengths and the different matchup issues they may present,” Kelly said.
Weaver and Kelly spent the virtual offseason program going over things like their schemes, playbooks, calls and situations — the mental part of the game. Now they’re on the field doing conditioning drills and walk-throughs until the players put on pads Aug. 14.
“There’s not so much of a challenge of getting the defenses installed as much as it is evaluating players without seeing them play against other teams,” Weaver said. “We have a very high football IQ defense, so everything we’ve put in this far, they’ve been able to handle.
“I don’t see that sponge leaking any water quite yet, so that gives a huge advantage. The only thing we’re missing is the opportunity to see these guys compete against other teams.”
Weaver isn’t concerned about his players’ learning ability or their focus. He knows every team in the league has been forced to overcome the same obstacles caused by the coronavirus.
“I feel great about it right now,” Weaver said. “You can tell there’s a laser-sharp focus on the attention to detail and everything it’s going to take for us to be successful on Sundays.
“These guys are ready to showcase their ability.”
The same might be said about the Texans’ new play-callers.
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