The Houston Texans entered the 2013 season riding high hopes off of two postseason appearances. Some called them in-depthone of the top contenders to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. They looked the part for two weeks, with wins over San Diego and Tennessee. Then QB play went south and the wheels fell off, resulting in a 14 game losing streak to end the season.

So, change is rampant. Gary Kubiak is out, Gary O’Brien heads south from Penn State to replace him. The QB position is in flux and aging superstars Arian Foster and Andre Johnson are enduring more upheaval as they head into the twilights of their respective careers.

So what do the Texans have to do to get back on track? Patrick Starr, owner and editor of the blog State of the Texans, joined us and shared his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Houston went from 12-4 to 2-14. What happened?

Starr: Simply the lack of real quarterback play did the Texans in. Matt Schaub was the start of the issues, and then Case Keenum not providing much from that position hurt the Texans. Also, the loss of Arian Foster, sent the team into a tail spin, as it had no true feature back when needed. Some off the field issues with rookies, and Gary Kubiak going down with a TIA at halftime of the Sunday Night game versus the Colts sunk the ship for good.

This season ended just as quickly as it started.

Zoneblitz: Gary Kubiak led the team to 61 wins and two playoff appearances. Was firing him the right move?

Starr: You will not find anyone who supports Kubiak and what he did in Houston more than me, but the time was now. If there was one fault of Kubiak was his loyalty to players and coaches, which led to accountability issues for the poor play on the field. The team hit a ceiling with Kubiak and could not break through, and constant reoccurring issues during games led majority to believe the Texans were being out coached.

Zoneblitz: What are your thoughts on the Bill O’Brien hire?

Starr: We were at the press conference and from the get go Bill O’Brien gives off the vibe that it is a team-first mentality. He has already brought the Patriot feel with him to Houston, and brought an entire new staff that has worked with O’Brien in previous spots in his coaching career. There are only two coaching holdovers from last year’s 2013 staff, which will ensure there is huge change headed for Houston.

Zoneblitz: Matt Schaub fell out of favor last season. Does he have a future with Houston? And what is your overall assessment of the QB position?

Starr: That is the million-dollar question right now for the Texans, who will be the quarterback in 2014. Matt Schaub more than likely will not be in Houston, and that has to do with his play, his connection to Kubiak and the likelihood that the fan base will have mutiny if he is here.

The quarterback position right now is filled with nothing, at the moment, with Case Keenum and T.J. Yates. Keenum, the hometown favorite, took over the team and showed he is a long way off from helping any NFL team. As for T.J. Yates, he was passed by for whatever reason, and those reasons were not known. So right now the quarterback situation is up in the air.

Owner Bob McNair made it clear during the O’Brien press conference that the team will bring in a vet quarterback to compete for the Texans’ job.

Zoneblitz: What’s the future of Arian Foster?

Starr: I still think that Arian Foster is a key piece to the Texans and their offense. Foster can do it all: run, catch passes and, most importantly, understand defenses to pass protect. He had back surgery that ended his season early, but we saw him shortly after throwing a football with his teammates. I think his value is overlooked at times, but his 400-plus touches in 2012 really caused some concern with the amount of use he had during the season.

OTAs and training camp will be key for Foster to quiet his doubters.

Zoneblitz: What do you think the right move would be with the first pick in the draft? Teddy Bridgewater? Jadeveon Clowney? Someone else?

Starr: Right now Bridgewater or Clowney are the only real two options at the top spot of the draft. Both could instantly help this team, but there are plenty of people earmarking this pick as a quarterback. That is dangerous thinking at the moment, especially with a talent like Clowney there. It is hard not to like the thought of Clowney opposite of J.J. Watt on Sundays.

Zoneblitz: The defense went from allowing 331 points in 2012 to 428 in 2013. Injuries played a role but what else went wrong?

Starr: The Texans defense continued to give the same look throughout the game, and opposing offenses kept the Texans in base personnel to take advantage. The defense could not stop anyone in the red zone, which was hard to watch. The Texans were last in the league in giving up touchdowns in the red zone at 67 percent clip.

Zoneblitz: Before 2013, the Texans went to the playoffs twice. How far away is this team from getting back to being a contender?

Starr: It all depends on the quarterback position. If they can find one that can play consistently, there could be a chance. Luckily, the Texans play in the AFC South which still appears to be up for grabs, even thought the Indianapolis Colts look to be the early favorite in 2014.

Zoneblitz: What would you like to see Houston do in the draft and free agency?

Starr: The number one priority finding a quarterback of the future and possibly a stop gap who can play until the young quarterback is ready. Also, it will be important to address the lack of size on the defensive line and find a pass rushing threat at outside linebacker.

Follow State of the Texans on Twitter at: @SOTTexans
Follow Patrick D. Starr on Twitter at: @PatDStat
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