Numbers show Texans’ overdependence on Andre Johnson

Andre Johnson wants the Texans to draft a receiver.

They haven’t shied away from doing that at various points in recent drafts. What they haven’t found yet, though, is a player who has lightened Johnson’s load.

There isn’t an unquestionable star in the group of receivers available in this year’s draft, and even if there was, it would take some trading up to do it.

That doesn’t preclude the Texans from finding a solid compliment to Johnson in a player not exalted as a game-breaking receiver.

Baltimore found Torrey Smith in the second round of the 2011 draft. In fact, Smith was the second receiver to go in that round, after the wayward Titus Young. The Broncos took Eric Decker in the third round in 2010 and the Steelers got this guy named Mike Wallace in the third round in 2009. Pierre Garcon was a sixth-round pick for the Colts in 2008. None of those guys were studs entering the draft. All of them played important roles for the teams that drafted them.
Statistically, it’s easy to show why the Texans need this. ESPN’s AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky collected these numbers from ESPN Stats and Info:

• The Texans were one of four NFL teams that targeted one receiver more than all the rest combined, along with the Lions, Chiefs and Bears. 
• Johnson was targeted on 58.1 percent of the Texans’ pass attempts to receivers, the highest rate in the league.
• Quarterback Matt Schaub’s completion percentage was 70.9 to Johnson with 31.6 attempts per interception. Meanwhile, his completion percentage to every other receiver on his roster was 56.5 with 21.6 attempts per interception.

At times last season, it seemed as if Schaub was keying too heavily on Johnson. Having a star receiver can have that effect to some extent, but that last bullet point shows that Schaub’s dependence on Johnson was totally justified. And for the sake of the Texans’ offense, that needs to change.


(blog.chron.com)