After a dismal 2-14 record in 2013, The Houston Texans showed a valiant effort of bouncing back last season with a winning 9-7 record. And yet, they still failed at their ultimate goal of returning to the playoffs.
The new season should make for another compelling Houston run. But did it do enough to strengthen its roster during the offseason – enough to overthrow the Indianapolis Colts’ reign atop the AFC South? Read on as we look into the Texans and their prospects of becoming champions of Super Bowl 50.
There’s really nothing horrendous about Houston’s 2014 season as compared to the prior season, but there’s also nothing special about how the team performed last year in what could’ve been its shot at a third playoff berth in four seasons.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Texans lacked consistency and talent to compete with the rest of the league. They strung up no more than a few back-to-back wins last season, and only two of their nine victories were against teams with a winning record (Buffalo and Baltimore). At the other end of the spectrum, six of their seven losses were against teams with 10 or more wins in 2014.
Yes, that would mean that they lost both games to their division rivals in the Indianapolis Colts. The bright side was that the Texans took care of the games that they were supposed to win, sweeping their fellow divisional foes Jacksonville and Tennessee.
Offseason Review
If there was a glaring weakness in Houston’s team, it would be their offense – specifically at quarterback. Remember how Matt Schaub burnt the club to the ground in 2013? Well it seems as if the Texans still don’t have an elite playmaker to date, as a quarterback controversy continues to brew between Ryan Mallet and Brian Hoyer.
In a small sample size, Mallet showed briefly what he could bring to the table last season. He won and lost his two starts last year, and suffered a torn pectoral muscle in said loss that made him sit out the rest of the way. 400 yards for two scores and two picks isn’t too shabby, but Mallet’s 5.33 yards per attempt is raises a red flag.
Brain Hoyer will get the likely nod at starting QB over Mallet, as he had a far better showing even as he had to work with a tepid Browns offense. Hoyer had 3,326 yards in 14 games for Cleveland in 2014, but had more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (12). And , if the passing game doesn’t get going early on this season, the team will be in deep trouble because they will have no running game to back them up.
Arian Foster will miss significant playing time after suffering yet another injury. The four-time Pro Bowl running back has been instrumental to Houston’s offense, but he’s been mired with injuries as of late. Foster has missed 11 games for the past two seasons, so his latest setback isn’t as alarming to those who follow his progress. Even the team’s owner, Bob McNair, was not surprised about his prized back’s latest injury.
If only Foster was in full-strength this season, he would’ve dominated the rushing charts like he used to year-in and year-out. In spite of missing three games last season, Foster still racked up 1,246 yards and found the end zone eight times. The Texans better pray hard that he makes a return for a better part of this season, as there’s nobody else that stands out behind the seven-year vet in their running back depth chart.
The Houston defense, meanwhile, just got a whole lot bigger with the addition of Vince Wilfork. The 34-year old vet is in his 11th season in the league, but can still provide some run-blocking heft in the trenches while their other linemen and linebackers become freed to do more damage.
And speaking of linebackers, a return from injury by 2014’s first-overall pick in the draft in Jadeveon Clowney would be most welcome. A torn meniscus derailed what should’ve been an explosive rookie campaign, so you can bet that Clowney will be playing with something to prove.
Key Player – J.J. Watt
There’s a good reason why we left out J.J. Watt in the overview section above, and that’s because we needed a full topic to discuss this mammoth of a man and what he means to the Texans.
Where do we even begin with the list of Watt’s accolades from last season? Let’s see… His 20.5 sacks made him the first player in NFL history to have 20 or more sacks in two different seasons, there’s his five touchdowns (two offensive ones!) – making him the first defensive lineman to find the end zone five times since 1944, a career-high five fumble recoveries with four forced, and – obviously – the Defensive Player of the Year Award; his second in three seasons.
On a fun side note, Watt even has stratospheric numbers in the gaming world. The people behind Madden 16 gave Watt an inhuman 99 overall rating in the famed video game franchise’s latest release.
Everything is going well for the juggernaut that has left many quarterbacks face down his wake. Watt will even benefit from the addition of Wilfork in the D-line this year, as he’ll be even more unleashed from his side of the Houston pass rush.
Key Game – at Indianapolis (Dec 20)
Towards the tail-end of the season, Houston could very well be jockeying for playoff seeding given their cake schedule (the AFC South got matched-up with the lowly NFC South this season).
A Week 15 visit to Lucas Oil Stadium in the final season showdown against the Colts is going to be extremely crucial. The Texans have got to get over the Indy hump and beat them at least once this season to even have a shot at claiming the AFC South throne. They also face New England the week before, so two crushing defeats against elite teams will only deflate any momentum made earlier on.
Houston could get an early jump on the Colts in its Week 5 match at home, but getting two quality wins over the division’s alpha dog just strengthens the team’s case of actually being considered a playoff contender once more. As of the moment, Houston is still a +400 underdog to overtake Indianapolis as the winner of the AFC South.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
Ryan Mallet turns out to be a franchise QB in the making by recording over 3,000 yards in the air. Jadeveon Clowney has a stellar comeback year and Watt records his second consecutive DPOY award as the Texans boast a top-5 defense. A playoff berth with as far a trip as the AFC Conference Championship is within reach.
Worst Case Scenario
The quarterback situation ends up worse than their Matt Schaub debacle from 2012. Clowney has another setback with his recovery, and ultimately puts his professional career at risk. Foster’s absence for the majority of the season rounds out another season in Houston plagued with health issues. Third place in the AFC South at worst.
Complete Schedule
WEEK
DATE
OPPONENT
TIME (ET)
1
Sun, Sep 13
Kansas City
1:00 PM
2
Sun, Sep 20
@ Carolina
1:00 PM
3
Sun, Sep 27
Tampa Bay
1:00 PM
4
Sun, Oct 4
@ Atlanta
1:00 PM
5
Thu, Oct 8
Indianapolis
8:25 PM
6
Sun, Oct 18
@ Jacksonville
1:00 PM
7
Sun, Oct 25
@ Miami
1:00 PM
8
Sun, Nov 1
Tennessee
2:00 PM
9
Bye Week
10
Mon, Nov 16
@ Cincinnati
9:30 PM
11
Sun, Nov 22
N.Y. Jets
2:00 PM
12
Sun, Nov 29
New Orleans
2:00 PM
13
Sun, Dec 6
@ Buffalo
2:00 PM
14
Sun, Dec 13
New England
2:00 PM
15
Sun, Dec 20
@ Indianapolis
2:00 PM
16
Sun, Dec 27
@ Tennessee
2:00 PM
17
Sun, Dec 3
Jacksonville
2:00 PM
Writer’s Prediction
Too many missing pieces (Foster, Clowney, a good quarterback) haunt the Texans once more. Third in the AFC South with a 7-9 record.
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