Hughley: Nick Caley is biggest question mark for Texans

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00:00There are a lot of storylines, a lot of things we have talked about

00:04leading up to training camp, a lot of things on people's minds.

00:11Mine is still Nick Kaley.

00:13Nick Kaley is still the one.

00:15We've been able to watch him every step from OTAs to mandatory minicamp,

00:22and now it feels like this is up another notch.

00:26Obviously, you would know if there's a difference between those camps,

00:29then you get to training camp.

00:31He is still, to me, potentially the biggest question mark

00:36and potentially the most important part of this team going into this season,

00:42and he is still the guy, Clint, that I'm going to be really eyeballing and watching

00:46and just seeing how he operates as a coordinator,

00:52how the offense looks and everything with him.

00:54I think Nick Kaley is still the top thing that I'm looking at.

00:58Well, there is an enormous amount of pressure on Nick Kaley.

01:01Say what you will, D'Amico Ryans has done a hell of a job re-energizing,

01:09really rebuilding the organization, re-energizing the fan base,

01:13winning games earlier than he should,

01:15doing everything you want your head coach to do.

01:17He's done a hell of a job from a defensive perspective,

01:21building the defense, calling plays, being a weapon on the sideline

01:24from the defensive play caller position.

01:26The one thing that's holding this team back

01:29from being a real Super Bowl contending team

01:34and getting beyond just in a bad division,

01:38the one thing that's holding them back is offensive football.

01:42And nobody's going to believe that it's C.J. Stroud.

01:44Nobody's going to believe that it's Nico Collins.

01:47Nobody's going to believe that it's Joe Mixon.

01:48And nobody's going to believe that you've got a $12 million tight end

01:51you can't get right.

01:52That is not – all of that stuff is – could be true,

01:58but it's pushed to the wayside.

02:00There is an enormous amount of pressure on the offensive play caller

02:04to not only call plays and be a weapon on the sideline,

02:08but also make sure that you get your best players the football,

02:12that you protect your quarterback,

02:13that you make this offensive line work.

02:17There is probably an unfair amount of pressure on Nick Caley,

02:23if we're being honest.

02:24And, yeah, so I think, Ron, it's fair to think that that's a huge watch

02:28in training camp this year.

02:30And the other part is with that pressure, I think especially fans,

02:37and, hell, I think everybody,

02:39the expectation is for this offense to be better than it was last year.

02:43And I think there is at the very least an argument

02:48that this team has less proven talent offensively than they did a year ago.

02:54Well, it's not an argument.

02:55That is 100% true.

02:56I know you believe that's true.

02:59I think there are some people who will tell you that some members

03:02of the offensive line may be better than last year's

03:06and that, you know, tightest been in that spot may be better

03:09and, you know, you add Nick Chubb.

03:13I mean, I mean...

03:14I'm just saying, I'm just saying,

03:15some people may have at least proven talent.

03:19Some people probably really believe Noel and Higgins can be some,

03:22but we just haven't seen it yet at this level.

03:24But just to make the point,

03:26he has that pressure that you talked about,

03:30and there is an argument that they, at the very least,

03:33have less proven talent, NFL talent, than they did last year.

03:38But the expectation from fans and from national people is,

03:43oh, well, this will be better because they have a competent coordinator.

03:46He's got to...

03:47Check this out.

03:47He's got to do more with less.

03:49The guy that just got fired was calling plays

03:53that allowed C.J. Stroud to win Rookie of the Year.

03:58That allowed C.J. Stroud to have a season...

04:00Two years ago, Clint.

04:02I agree, agree, agree.

04:03I'm going to get there.

04:04That same guy that just got fired,

04:06whatever he was doing,

04:07he did enough to get a free agent signer.

04:12Actually, it was a trade.

04:12Joe Mixon was a trade, wasn't he?

04:14Last-minute trade, I think.

04:15A Pro Bowl, 1,000 yards, 10 wins,

04:22second round of the playoffs,

04:23like the bar for Nick Caley,

04:26fair foul, the bar for Nick Caley is extremely high.

04:31You can be the reason that this team doesn't make a run

04:35to the AFC Championship or the Super Bowl,

04:38but you can't be the reason this team doesn't make the playoffs.

04:40You can't be the reason that this team isn't far and away

04:42the better team in the division, right?

04:45And if you're not, and it falls at the feet of the offense,

04:49Nick Caley is going to be the one catching it.

04:51I mean, Nick, there is a crazy amount of pressure

04:54for what he's got to live up.

04:58Now we get to the fact that he's greener than ever.

05:00He's never called plays before.

05:02So, yeah, I'm with you, Ron.

05:05I mean, this is the one thing that should be on everybody's mind

05:09before we see anybody take a snap is,

05:11what's Nick Caley going to look like?

05:12And I look at this, Clint, and I will say,

05:15and I know for you, as someone just texted in,

05:18you must take account for injuries last year.

05:21Yeah.

05:22Yeah, I know.

05:23I think maybe Nick's predecessor would like for some people

05:28to take account of that too.

05:29But I would just say, guess what?

05:31Guess what?

05:32If you're an injury cat, guess what?

05:35Nick Caley got the same guys that played with.

05:37There's no Tankdale.

05:39There's no Stephon Diggs.

05:40There's no Laramie Tunsil who was healthy the whole time.

05:43Right?

05:44So, yeah, I mean, I get your point.

05:46It's a valid point.

05:47But we're comparing two offensive coordinators here.

05:50Nick Caley's being asked to do more with less.

05:52Well, hell.

05:53Bobby would say,

05:54I'd like to get a hand at Higgins and Noel

05:58as opposed to Hutchinson and Mechie.

06:01Yeah.

06:02Two and three.

06:03But I would just say this for Nick Caley,

06:07and this is something we'll see too

06:09coming up over the next several weeks and months,

06:13is I hope,

06:15because I know there were some issues

06:16with a lot of people with the play calling

06:19and some of the things that his predecessor did.

06:25I just hope for Nick Caley that he has,

06:29whether it's due to injury or just play or whatever,

06:32that he has better parts.

06:38Successful than his predecessor.

06:40Well, not that you're saying this,

06:41but the truth of the matter is

06:42he's not going to have better parts.

06:43You better hope he just,

06:44the lesser parts,

06:45he has a better hole.

06:47Or they're better in some form, right?

06:51Yeah, that's what I mean.

06:52Like the hole is better than the sum.

06:55What is the phrase?

06:57The hole is better than the sum of the parts?

06:59Something like that?

07:00Yeah, I mean,

07:00you just hope that

07:01you subtract Laramie Tunsil,

07:04you subtract Tankdale,

07:05you subtract Steph Diggs,

07:06and the guys that come together

07:08actually bring the team closer

07:09and the whole team is better offensively.

07:13But look, let's not,

07:14let's not,

07:15this is what Nick Caley signed up for.

07:18Nick Caley didn't walk in here

07:19with a,

07:20with a,

07:20hey man,

07:21be patient with me

07:22and let me learn this thing.

07:23Nick Caley joined a team

07:24that needs to win right now

07:25and the offense has got major problems

07:27that they got to fix right now.

07:28I mean,

07:29he joined a team

07:29that's second round of the playoffs

07:30looking to go to an AFC championship

07:32and a Super Bowl.

07:33I mean,

07:33this is what he signed up for.

07:34Yeah.

07:34At the very least,

07:35I hope that Nick Caley

07:37is in a position

07:37where he doesn't have handcuffs on him

07:40with play calling,

07:41with just taking things out

07:43of the playbook

07:45or things he wants to run

07:46that I think

07:46his predecessor

07:47probably had to deal with.

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