The season is over, but the drama is not. And in today’s episode, we will go down memory lane to talk about the Texans vs. Chiefs Divisional game. Yes, the same game where some of us felt like the refs were throwing flags like confetti – on CJ Stroud and his teammates, of course. That game gave the refs helping the Chiefs theory more legs than a centipede. Everybody had their two cents on the matter, from analysts to former players, from reporters to netizens. The NFL was accused of having a soft spot for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. And when the Texans lost the game, some of their players made comments that had everyone talking, leaving NFL officials quite enraged.

“Everybody knows how it is playing up here. You can never leave it in the refs’ hands.” That’s what RB Joe Mixon had to say after they lost to KC. Disappointed by what looked to them like unnecessary penalties, the Texans players were not having it. “We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game.“ Will Anderson chimed in, frustrated with how their important game turned out.

These statements by Mixon and Anderson spread faster than fire, and NFL officials slammed a $25,000 fine on both players. But now, the league has pulled a 180 and issued a statement. The decision came after Mixon filed an appeal.

“As you know, statements can be interpreted differently by every individual, and it seems like you clearly understand the weight and detriment public criticism toward officials can have… After reviewing the totality of the evidence, I find that you did not necessarily publicly criticize the officials. Accordingly, for the reasons set forth above, the NFL will rescind the $25,000 fine.” read the statement by Chris Palmer, the NFL hearing officer.

Well, we don’t know how much that will help the Texans now, but at least Joe Mixon’s fans are happy. So, as Mixon and Anderson put that money back into their pockets, a change has been brewing in the coaching staff.

CJ Stroud and Co. team will chart a new path

Texans OC Bobby Slowik had to pack his bags and leave for Miami as the team decided to part ways with him after two seasons. The decision came after Houston’s offense struggled under his mentorship. To state the truth, QB CJ Stroud was sacked 52 times this season. The decision to fire Slowik was a tough one, especially for HC DeMeco Ryans. He was the one who brought him on board with the Texans in 2023. Ryans and Slowik had worked together before with the Niners.

As reported by DJ Bien-Aime, “Before Ryans fired Slowik, Ryans asked players for their opinions and didn’t get many ringing endorsements, multiple team sources confirmed.” One player, who chose to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t think we had a true identity of what the f— we wanted to do.”

So, not many players were confident in Bobby’s coaching skills. That showed how much the team needed to make some major changes for next season. After firing Slowik, DeMeco signed Nick Caley as the new OC. Caley was serving as the Rams’ TE coach and pass game coordinator.

So now, as the Texans look to make a comeback next season, it will be interesting to see how Caley helps Stroud. And if he succeeds in bringing out the best in CJ Stroud, the team could be a strong contender for the big games.