Lambeau Field was the site of David Culley’s first action as a coach in the NFL.
The Houston Texans prevailed 26-7 over the Green Bay Packers Aug. 14 in the preseason opener. Even though it won’t count towards playoff qualification nor towards Culley’s overall record as a coach — that feat remains for Sept. 12 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium — the game did accomplish one goal: get the staff prepared for game day.
Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, who was a coach for the Chicago Bears from 2004-12, critiqued Culley and thought the exhibition contest in Green Bay “went well.
“It’s David’s first time as a head coach, but he’s been on the sideline quite a few times,” Smith said. “I know I’ve been on the sideline a lot, and David’s been on the sidelines more than I have. When you’re prepared, you have an idea of how it’s going to go, and again, he had us all prepared for every situation. That will be the case each week.”
Culley’s path to being a coach is uncommon, as it details no coordinator experience from 1994-2020. The 65-year-old worked as a receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1994-95), Pittsburgh Steelers (1996-98), Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2012), Kansas City Chiefs (2013-16), and Baltimore Ravens (2019-20). From 2017-18, he was the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills, and it is worth noting he was an assistant head coach during his Chiefs tenure and the passing game coordinator for the Ravens.
Nevertheless, 2021 is Culley’s first time as the top boss on the sideline, and the staff assembled appears to have the cohesion necessary to develop talent and generate wins.
Said Smith: “When David Culley is going to put together a staff, as he was put together a staff, you know what kind of guy he is, what kind of guys he’s going to have on his staff. I know I’ve enjoyed a lot of the guys. I knew some of the guys, most I did not. That’s been a lot of fun, too.”
The Texans take on the Dallas Cowboys for their second preseason game Aug. 21. It will be another chance for Culley to demonstrate how well prepared his staff is for game days.
