Why Bill O'Brien is the coach to lead the Texans to the...

After spending four days at the NFL meetings in Orlando and talking with head coaches and general managers about the Texans, I'm even more convinced Bill O'Brien can be the first Houston coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl.

Not next season -- they still have too many weaknesses to overcome -- but some season.

Next season, the Texans are trying to return to the playoffs after finishing 4-12 and in last place in the AFC South in what turned out to be O'Brien's first losing season.

Since Deshaun Watson is returning at quarterback after making such a huge impact on the Texans and the NFL before suffering his season-ending knee injury, I started asking NFL people about O'Brien during the Indianapolis scouting combine.

O'Brien and Watson have a mutual respect and hold the key to the franchise.

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I resumed my conversations at the league meetings and got a lot of feedback on O'Brien and what his team is capable of accomplishing with Watson and the return of other injured players like J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus.

In Orlando and Indianapolis, almost everyone I talked to about O'Brien brought up Watson and his incredible play-making ability.

The consensus was that O'Brien finally has a franchise quarterback, and fans are going to see what kind of coach he can be.

A lot of coaches and general managers pointed out that for a head coach to be consistently successful, he needs the support of his owner.

Most NFL people I know believe Bob McNair is one of the league's best owners. He's patient with his staff and makes sure the team doesn't have money issues when it comes to winning.

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McNair allows his general manager – in this case Brian Gaine – to spend what it takes to acquire talent as well as people in the personnel department.

If O'Brien needs an expensive assistant, wants to create a new position for a coach or has to pay dearly to keep one from leaving, McNair writes the check.

After a supportive owner, a successful head coach needs a solid general manager who works well with the personnel department and coaching staffs. The general manager and his staff have to understand what kind of system the coordinators run and what kind of players the position coaches need.

After McNair hired Gaine and extended O'Brien's contract for four years, the office no longer had a mausoleum-type atmosphere. O'Brien's relationship with former general manager Rick Smith had run its course.

Now, it's like a cloud has been lifted, and O'Brien is more relaxed around the office. Smith is out. Gaine is in. O'Brien and Gaine are on the same page.

And, perhaps most important of all, O'Brien knows he finally has a big-time quarterback, and that would make any coach happy, right?

The NFL people I spoke to in Orlando pointed out that O'Brien's players always play hard, no matter how dire the situation. And that's a credit to their coaches. Even his most vocal critics would admit that.

O'Brien's most vociferous critics are in Houston and always will be. That won't change unless the Texans win a Super Bowl.

Houston fans know O'Brien needs to improve his clock management. They know he should be more aggressive at the end of games when he's trying to protect leads. I believe he will be now that he has so much confidence in Watson and knows what his quarterback is capable of achieving.

O'Brien said Tuesday he doesn't want Watson or any of his other players to look back at 2017 because they're starting from scratch.

But that doesn't keep the rest of us from looking at last season and what the Texans did and did not accomplish.

NFL people were impressed with how creative the Texans' offense was during Watson's six starts in which they averaged 34 points a game, including 39 over the last five.

O'Brien oversees the game plan, coaches Watson and calls the plays.

Amazing, isn't it, how good a coach can look when he has an outstanding playmaker at quarterback?

O'Brien is a better coach now than he was in 2014 when McNair hired him away from Penn State. He's grown as a coach. The players see it. So do people around the office. The media sees it, too.

Coaches and general managers around the league believe that O'Brien is a superb tactician – devising shrewd game plans but being able to adjust and adapt on the fly.

When his offense is awful as it was last year, he's constantly adjusting and not so stubborn he just bangs his head against a wall hoping his strategy works.

Some things seemed to produce a common theme about O'Brien.

He's smart, has common sense and a strong work ethic. He knows how to connect with his players.

O'Brien demands a lot from his players and coaches, and he's willing to put in the time it takes to help them do their jobs.

O'Brien is organized. He's inquisitive. He wants to get every piece of information possible because he believes it might be the difference in winning and losing.

He communicates well with his players and coaches. They respect him because he lets them know where he stands and they stand. They know what he expects from them. He has a player council he meets with every week during the season.

O'Brien is an authoritative figure who commands a room. When he's talking, his players listen.

But he also listens to them. He welcomes their ideas. They appreciate his flexibility if they make strategic recommendations. If he has a rule they believe needs to be changed or adjusted, he'll listen to their reasons.

O'Brien has a good coaching staff. He doesn't hire yes men. He wants coaches who'll tell him when he's wrong and push him to be the best he can be.

In summation, O'Brien has a supportive owner, a general manager he trusts, a solid coaching staff and a dynamic quarterback who has the talent and work ethic to become one of the most prolific in Houston history.

And that's saying a lot about Watson when you consider George Blanda, Dan Pastorini, Ken Stabler, Warren Moon and Steve McNair played for the Oilers.

But only Blanda won a championship.

Can O'Brien and Watson end that 55-year drought?

It says here they can.

And will.