We’re getting there folks. The NFL’s pre-season is officially underway which means people’s appetities for football are starting to get extreme.
That’s why we are here to help soothe your appetities.
IT’S THE 2017 NFL PREVIEW AND IT’S TIME TO PREVIEW THE HOUSTON TEXANS!
Are you excited? Sure you are.
LETTTTTTTTTTTTT’SSSS GET READY TO FUMMMMMMMMMMMBLEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
2017 NFL Preview
Record Last Five Seasons: 12-4 (2012), 2-14 (2013), 9-7 (2014), 9-7 (2015), 9-7 (2016)
Last Playoff Win: 2016 Wild Card vs. Oakland
Last Playoff Appearance: 2016 Divisional vs. New England
Super Bowl Wins: None
Last Super Bowl Appearance: Never
The Head Coach:
Bill O’Brien
Coaching Record: 27-21
Playoff Record: 1-2
Grade: C+
2016-17 Team Leaders:
Passing Yards/Touchdowns: Brock Osweiler (2,957), Brock Osweiler (15)
Rushing Yards/Touchdowns: Lamar Miller (1,,073), Lamar Miller (5)
Receiving Yards/Touchdowns: DeAndre Hopkins (954), DeAndre Hopkins/C.J. Fiedorowicz (4)
Tackles: Benardrick McKinney (129)
Interceptions: Quintin Demps (6)
2017 Projected Starters:
Grade Key:
- ELITE
- GREAT
- GOOD
- NOT GOOD
- ROOKIE
- HORRIBLE
Offense:
QB: Tom Savage
RB: Lamar Miller
FB: Jay Prosch
WR: DeAndre Hopkins
WR: Will Fuller
TE: C.J. Fiedorowicz
LT: Duane Brown
RT: Chris Clark
RG: Jeff Allen
LG: Xavier Su’a-Filo
OC: Nick Martin
Defense:
DE: J.J. Watt
DE: Christian Covington
DT: D.J. Reader
LB: Benardrick McKinney
LB: Brian Cushing
LB: Jadeveon Clowney
LB: Whitney Mercilus
CB: Johnathan Joseph
CB: Kareem Jackson
FS: Andre Hal
SS: Corey Moore
The Schedule:
vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (September 10)
vs. @ Cincinnati Bengals (September 14)
vs. @ New England Patriots (September 24)
vs. Tennessee Titans (October 1)
vs. Kansas City Chiefs (October 8)
vs. Cleveland Browns (October 15)
BYE WEEK
vs. @ Seattle Seahawks (October 29)
vs. Indianapolis Colts (November 5)
vs. @ Los Angeles Rams (November 12)
vs. Arizona Cardinals (November 19)
vs. @ Baltimore Ravens (November 27)
vs. @ Tennessee Titans (December 3)
vs. San Francisco 49ers (December 10)
vs. @ Jacksonville Jaguars (December 17)
vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (December 25)
vs. @ Indianapolis Colts (December 31)
Three Things I Like About The Texans This Season:
-The Defense: This goes without saying, but the Texans are a really good defensive ball club, especially when fully healthy. They have absolutely no weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball, especially with J.J. Watt back at full pace. There’s a reason a team with QB problems like the Texans have actually made the playoffs the last few years. This defense is one of the NFL’s best on paper.
-J.J. Watt IS BACK!: J.J. Watt played in only 3 games last year for the Texans thanks to an injury. Houston still ended up making the playoffs and even earned a win in the post-season against the Raiders. These guys are going to be PUMPED to get one of the NFL’s best defensive players back and fully healthy. Watt is a difference-maker when on-the-field and is likely hungrier than ever thanks to this injury. Good luck offensive lineman!
-AFC South: Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but as everyone knows, the Texans play in the AFC South and that’s been a miserable division over the last few years. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the NFL’s whipping boys for a decade now. The Indianapolis Colts have a roster that would be more competitive in college football. The Tennessee Titans are easily the best team in the division on paper, but they still have to prove that they can take the next step as well. The Texans have owned the AFC South the last couple of years which is one of the reasons they’ve made the playoffs under O’Brien. If the Titans don’t take the next step this season, it wouldn’t shock me at all to see the Texans win another divisional crown with a playoff appearance as a nice consolation prize.
Three Things I Hate About The Texans This Season:
-Bill O’Brien: Hate is kind of a strong word here, because I like Bill O’Brien, but I’m not a massive fan of his. O’Brien has been in the NFL for three years and every single year he’s finished with a 9-7 record. Jeff Fisher became a running joke because his teams constantly finished either 8-8 or 7-9. Is Bill O’Brien the next Jeff Fisher? Are we sure O’Brien is even a good NFL head coach or is he just an average one? The guy was supposed to be a QB guru, but the team brought in Brock Osweiler with a huge contract and he was so horrible that he’s gone after only one year. Now O’Brien is relying on Tom Savage and rookie Deshaun Watson to help push his team over that 9-7 hump and into the NFL’s elite. Good luck with that one.
-The QB Situation: As I just mentioned, Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans are relying on either Tom Savage or rookie Deshaun Watson to help get them to that next level amongst NFL teams. I personally don’t think Savage is any good myself and even though he’s the starter right now, I foresee Watson eventually taking that spot. The quesion then becomes, do the Texans improve with Watson as the QB? I’m not sure myself. Yes, Watson was a fantastic college football player, but how many times have we seen great college football players flame out in the NFL? Too many to count. The Texans need one of these guys to step up or they could be facing their first losing season since 2013.
-The Schedule: With the way the NFL schedule is put together, teams get a little rewarded somewhat when you finish with a bad record. The NFL’s 16 game schedule consists of:
*6 division games
*3 games against another AFC division
*4 games against an NFC division
* 3 games against the other AFC division champs
The big one to follow there is the “3 games against the other AFC division champs”. Depending on where you fall in your division at the end of the year also impacts who you will play the following year. Since the Texans won the AFC South last year, they also get to play the Patriots, Chiefs, & Steelers as a reward. Good luck with that one.
The Prediction:
6-10
