Why is it that the harder the Texans try, the more they seem to keep losing?
How do other teams break losing streaks?
The Jaguars seem to have it figured out. Under new head coach Gus Bradley, the Jags are 4-1 in their last five games after starting out 0-8. I asked Coach Bradley what the difference was in the past month to get back on the winning track. His answer was surprising.
"I think we tried to keep the focus, I know this is unique, away from winning," Bradley said. "We really just tried to challenge our guys on getting better. But not to be naïve, without a doubt, when you have some victories that go along with it, that validates it. And I think the players feed off of that."
Forget about winning? Is that even possible for professional athletes to do?
On Monday, Wade Phillips made a similar statement about taking some pressure off of players. He felt that the team looked "a little bit uptight" after losing their past 11 games.
"I think you can loosen up a little bit," Phillips said. "All of the pressure has been on them. They put on themselves. We put it on ourselves rightfully so. We've just got to go play now. We've got to go play and play as hard as we can."
The Texans have lost seven consecutive games by a touchdown or less.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have been outscored 47-7 by opponents, including the Texans, in the first half of their last three games but still managed to pull out wins in all of them. In Sunday's 27-26 win over Cleveland, the Patriots even managed to recover an onside kick. With 1:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady threw yet another game-winning touchdown.
Everything seems to go right for the winning teams, while anything that can go wrong, will for the losing teams.
Maybe the key to breaking a losing streak is to act like it's already over.
