I know Bob McNair well enough to say the Texans' owner is infuriated, frustrated and disappointed with his team's ugly October.

For the first time since anybody can remember, McNair visited with his beleaguered players during Monday's 45-minute open locker room session for the media.

McNair isn't shy about talking with his players, but Monday was the first time he'd done it in front of reporters.

McNair didn't do any interviews, but he chatted with his players and asked questions that need to be answered in the wake of Sunday's 44-26 loss at Miami that included a 41-0 halftime deficit.

The Texans couldn't block, run or pass. They couldn't tackle, stop the run or cover receivers. The defense was so undisciplined and chaotic that in the first half it looked like roaches scattering when a light comes on.

In my 37 years of covering the Oilers, Texans and NFL for the Chronicle, I've never witnessed a first half as pathetic as Sunday's. The Dolphins blow-torched the defense for touchdowns covering 53, 50, 54 and 85 yards.

"That's a bad representation of what we're all about," inside linebacker Brian Cushing said.

The Texans were ill-prepared, lifeless and aimless in the first half. They embarrassed McNair, the city of Houston, the organization and, most importantly, themselves.

What are the Texans going to do to avoid another humiliation? Can they really prevent another one as they prepare for the next game against Tennessee at NRG Stadium?

They've lost running back Arian Foster for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. They need to cut quarterback Ryan Mallett for his repeated transgressions.

Maybe McNair's team needs a lobotomy or a heart transplant. Or both.

Or perhaps new cellphones with state-of-the-art alarm clocks. Slow starts have become routine.

In their five defeats, the Texans have trailed by 27-6 (Kansas City), 24-10 (Carolina), 42-0 (Atlanta), 13-0 (Indianapolis) and 41-0 (Miami). That's a 147-16 deficit.

McNair is as baffled as everyone else, but there's one thing he's sure about: His team is 2-5, the same record after seven games as in 2013, when the Texans finished a league-worst 2-14. A repeat of that performance is the last thing the owner wants to relive.

'Nobody is happy'

I guarantee you O'Brien and general manager Rick Smith are feeling McNair's wrath.

"I'm not going to really get into the discussions I have with Mr. McNair," O'Brien said. "Nobody is happy with where we're at.

"He's the owner. He's the boss. He's not happy, and that's the way it is. That's life in the NFL. But I'm not going to get into the details of what he and I talk about."

As bad as the Texans have played, they're still one game out of first place in the AFC South, the league's worst division.

"Yeah, as crazy as that sounds, but we've got to take care of business," Cushing said.

Business is back to basics. Again.

No finger-pointing

No matter how bad it gets, you won't find O'Brien blaming his players. It might drive McNair, fans and media crazy to hear him take the blame after losses, but his players appreciate it.

"Any coach worth his salt is not a finger-pointer," O'Brien said. "To me, you're pointing that finger at that guy in the mirror, and you've got to figure out what you can do to improve the team.

"Coaching is getting guys to improve, getting guys to play the game the way you see the game should be played in all three phases."

An indication of how bizarre the Miami game was?

The much-maligned special teams were terrific - except for Nick Novak's missed extra point - and hardly anyone noticed because of the disastrous first half.

Maybe Sunday against Tennessee, the Texans will have an offense and defense the special teams can be proud of.