Two-a-Days: Houston Texans

TheSportsWatchers want to get you in shape for the upcoming 2010 NFL football season. So in the spirit of NFL training camp, we are doing two-a-days to get you in gear for each and every NFL team.

The Houston Texans continue to be one of the most disappointing teams in all of NFL football. Their inability to overcome mediocrity has kept a talented team out of the playoffs since 2002, when they first entered the league. Is this the year they finally break the postseason seal, or do they leave Houston fans wanting more, yet again?

2009 NFL Football Recap
The Houston Texans finally had a season in which they overcame being a .500 team—they went 9-7. As close to .500 as that may be, it’s a far cry from what the Texans have accomplished in past years, and 2009 was the franchise’s best season. The Texans had one of the most potent offenses in the league a year ago, finishing fourth in total offense and #1 in the passing game. In fact, both quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson finished the year as the #1 yardage leaders in their respective categories. More importantly, Schaub actually played in all 16 games, which had a lot to do with the Texans ability to get beyond .500 last year. Despite the Texans prowess in the passing game and better than average defense, their rushing game, which was ranked 30th last season, prevented them from winning several games they should have had last season.

2010 Offseason Transactions
Besides inexplicably giving head coach Gary Kubiak an extension through the 2012 NFL season, the Texans also made a few other on-field transactions. The Texans made sure they held on to wide receiver Kevin Walter, and they sured up the offensive line by signing OT Rashad Butler and OL Wade Smith. Linebacker Danny Clark was brought in to fight for a starting linebacker spot on the weakside. And to replace cornerback Donta Robinson, the Texans used their first round draft pick on Kareem Jackson from last year’s championship Alabama football team.

2010 NFL Prediction for the Texans
The Texans 9-7 record a year ago was impressive, and perhaps was the breakthrough point for this organization even though they missed the playoffs. The Texans just recently gave Andre Johnson a contract extension, but one has to wonder if they are too focused on their passing game, when it was their running game that hurt them deeply. The Texans did draft running back Ben Tate in the second round, but will he be prepared to even surpass Steve Slaton or Ryan Moats on the depth chart? Not to mention, the Texans really could have used a big talent on the offensive line, a spot they addressed, but did so with rather mediocre acquisitions. However, despite their offensive problems, this is still the same team that had the fourth best offense in the NFL last year, so as long as the running game isn’t as painful as it was last year, they should do well again on that side of the ball. The Texans defense stands to be quite good too, if rookie cornerback Jackson can live up to his billing and fill the very big shoes left by Donta Robinson. If he can’t, the Texans are in a world of trouble. Fortunately for them, I think the rookie plays well enough not to hurt the defense with his presence. However, the schedule isn’t all that kind to the Texans, and they will find it difficult to put together a string of wins in 2010. As a result, the absolute best we can see the Texans doing is going 9-7, and we think we’re being too kind with projection.

No related posts.