The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Aaron Reiss Discusses Bill O'Brien Maintaining Control of The Texans

Episode Date: January 14, 2020

Aaron Reiss of The Athletic joins Matt to discuss the Texans terrible loss to the Kansas City Chiefs to end the season, and the decision to stick with Bill O'Brien in his current role

This is Craig Ackerman. And the Rockets get the job done. Oh, here's another new catchphrase I have for you. Good gracious. Good gracious! You're listening to the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. All right. Rossi, I'm somewhat anticipating, somewhat nervous about Trashcan and Mobile joining us in 15 minutes.

We'll see. We'll see. That's exactly what it. It's a we'll see. It's a we'll see moment. Let's go to our man who we know won't let us down. Aaron Reese, final regular season slash postseason appearance for him here on the Matt Thomas show from the athletic. Aaron, thank you for the visits all year long.

Let me take us to the press conference yesterday when Bill O'Brien was asked a bunch of questions. He didn't have a lot of answers, but the one thing I did get was that there will not be any sort of massive restructuring that he kind of likes the way that the organization is put together. What was your impressions after he said such things? Yeah, you know, on one hand, I think that it's worth of keeping in mind, like, you know, what he does in public versus what happens is always like things can change, right? I mean, I'm sure at the time of the end of the last season, he wasn't talking about fire, Brian Gain, and, you know, this team has obviously taken a million turns. But on the other hand, I mean, I think it's not all that surprising.

You know, they, he's obviously been bolden to have this power, and I don't necessarily know. I've always kind of thought, why would a GM, if you had the options to go be a GM in a bunch of places, why would you take the job here where you'd have to work with the coaches turn through to GMs and obviously his mortgage in the future and kind of the main pillars of the team, and Watson and Tunsel and Hopkins at Watt, they're all kind of in place. So the team building challenge and the kind of legacy building of the job wouldn't really reside so much in that GM. So, yeah, not too surprising, but obviously it was not what fans wanted to hear.

I'm sure fans would want to hear that O'Brien was going to hear that O'Brien was going to get fired not get to hold on to kind of more power than most coaches in the league have. How often do you and other members of the media ask to speak to Cal and is it a fast rejection every time you do so? Yeah, I don't know how many times like the request is put in every week or whatever. But I mean, obviously when people have asked, it's been a rejection. Yeah. I mean, I

asked, I remember at an owner's meeting to talk to him. I didn't talk to me. He talked to John McLean, obviously. That was the only time he's talks since his dad passed away. So that was kind of the only time he's spoken publicly. But yeah, I mean, it's kind of an interesting thing

that he's not going to talk. I was talking to another reporter, you know, before the game in Kent City. And they said, you know, maybe like, maybe Cal's going to talk after this game, you know, if they win, you know, because they would, it would be kind of a validating moment for not only O'Brien, but you know, what Cal bought into with O'Brien and all these things.

And there was over time when he was going to kind of break this period of silence out of yet, obviously that did not happen because they did not win. So the idea that he was going to trot out there after that game was pretty much zero. So, yeah, it's basically kind of understood. You know, he's not going to talk. Well, I'll say this, Aaron, I think it's been, and I give the Texans credit because, may he rest, but Bob only spoke. really when the team was winning and when you were losing you to get to talk to him.

And I find at least there's consistency with Cal. He doesn't speak in good times or in bat, so I have a little bit of respect for that. Yesterday on the show, before all the Astro stuff hit, we talked about the field goal going for it, and you could justify that. There just wasn't any sort of realistic understandable recognition and why you go for the fake punt where they were in the field. the biggest travesty to me, even as big, if not bigger than the fake punt, was in the fourth quarter down 17 when Bill sends the punt unit out there,

when clearly they were in Kansas City territory, down three scores with less than 13 minutes left to go on the game. I don't know how you saw it that way, but that was the biggest, are you kidding me, moment in the Bill O'Brien coaching of 2019. Do you agree with that? Yeah, you know, I think you're right. I mean, that is in some ways worse than the, you know, the fake, the other fake pun or, you know, Chesa took the points there.

But also, it probably isn't getting as much attention fully because, I mean, if we're being honest, right, did anyone really think they were going to win it at that point in the game? You know, like, after everything that happened, I think at that, I think by that point, everyone kind of resigned to, all right, well, this game's over. I mean, I certainly got down to that point that game was over. But it doesn't make sense. And that kind of is one of a few examples that, in my opinion, you can't justify, you You know, going for the fake punt because you said, you know, I didn't think we could punt that many times in the game, which leads out of the game.

Didn't think he could punt that many times after the game. And they needed to score 50 points, which you then walked back a little and said it was maybe hyperbole. And I kind of believe them because it would probably said 50 because they scored 51 or whatever. But you can't say, like, you know, you need all these points. You're not going to punt and then do what yours talk about there, punting in that situation. And in my opinion, I know if you think that it's a little more excusable, how do you not have a play call ready for, you know, fourth or one? and there's a wrong game at the King City 13. And how do you, especially that one of Blake Hardy, after you take a time out?

It's just like, it didn't really make a ton of sense. And, you know, if you're going to be that conservative, if you're that conservative throughout the game, in some ways, I think it's harder to criticize you. But then when you, the next possession, call the fake pun, it just makes everything came so much worse. Aaron Reese from The Athletic on the Texans beat with us here on the Matt Thomas show. I'm going to put you in the speculation monitor here.

Is Romeo Cornell back next year? based on what O'Brien said he's back so we'll see for now I'm going to trust that's what's the case so I'm trying to think

will there be any significant staff changes that you that you can think of right off the top I mean will will Bill at any point as he said a lot during his press availability yesterday re-evalued everything

will he take some of the stuff off his plate and trust to other folks or do you think that he has molded, he along with Jack used to be, the kind of organization they want? I think that they believe in what they have, they have working here. Maybe there's some changes, but I don't think, I don't necessarily know if it would be anything that would a rise level of kind of fan recognition, right? I mean, even if you changed, you know, a director of college scouting or something. I mean, that's not, that's not me reported.

I'm just saying, you know, if you do some sort of thing like that, I mean, I don't know if fans, you know, care or notice that, of stuff. I mean, it matters, certainly, but I don't think you're going to see any sort of major changes necessarily. And, you know, he speaks really highly of Tim Kelly, the offensive coordinator, and believe Tim Kelly can be a head coach one day and gave Tim the ability to call him plays in the preseason

and does Tim runs a lot of meetings, which is at least one area where he seems kind of defer to someone else because of the other responsibility he has. Maybe, you know, he gives Tim more ability to call plays move forward, but, you know, I doubt it. All right. I'm going to have you

get your prediction hat on. How much are we going to spend talking about Laramie Tunsell's contract and future and how much are we going to spend about Deshawn Watson's contract and future this offseason

and how much pressure will it be for Bill to get both of those guys signed before the start of next season? A ton. I don't know how much, in some ways I don't know how interesting the Tunsel thing is because unless he's going to reset the market by million,

because, I mean, everyone, I think, kind of knows what the deal is there, right? I mean, he could not have more leverage if he wanted it. And O'Brien only, you know, adds to it every time he says, you know, we want Larry Me back here. I thought that that's, you know, breaking news, obviously. You don't give up all the things they give up together if you don't expect to have back. But, I mean, he has a little leverage in the world, even with the penalties and stuff, and he made his first pro ball.

And even if he did make his first pro ball, I mean, they gave up everything just as a saving face sort of move. they have to sign them to a long-term deal. So I think that's, in my mind, that's kind of like a foregone conclusion, unless Laramie tries to drive up the price to some, you know, astronomical unheard of some number. Watson is a little more intriguing to me because obviously Mahomes is up for a contract extension too. And I wonder what sort of, you know, waiting game there might be there of one guy resetting the market than the other. But there's an amount of pressure on them to get it done one way or another, whether he goes before or after Mahomes. because, you know, even if they wait, like, the price for quarterback only goes up, I mean, the price and most positions are in football, I mean, the price only goes up with time.

And, you know, given the team-building challenges that they have, you know, if you can get some of that money out of the way earlier before you're really starting to pay the price for not having these cheap, younger, impactful players that first-round picks can be, that's important. So, you know, I think the urgency is certainly there. And, you'll be on those two. I'd be interested to see what they obviously do with DJ Reader and that kind of him. too is another guy's extension eligible. All right, we'll leave it at that. Hey, we may bother you when breaking news sets on the Texans. Thank you for your Tuesday visits all year long.

They've been great. And we appreciate it. Enjoy that we'll think we'll be a very busy off season for you and the team. Thanks for the time, as always, Aaron. Yeah, thanks, man. You got it, Aaron Reese with us from the athletic. Aaron J. Reese on Twitter for all Texans news. Back?

Oh, yep, Trash Cannon Mobile is still there. This could be Radio Gold or a complete disaster. Extra.