AFC South Rival Analysis: Houston Texans

Key offseason moves

• Additions: Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, Azeez Al-Shair, Stefon Diggs, Tommy Townsend
• Draft: Kamari Lassiter (cornerback), Blake Fisher (tackle), Callen Bullock (safety), Cade Stover (tight end), Jamal Hill (defensive back).
• Lost: Jonathan Greenard, Sheldon Rankins, Blake Cashman, Devin Singletary, George Fant

Strengths

The Texans have a certain quarterback named CJ Stroud who set the NFL on fire in his rookie season. While I still believe Anthony Richardson has the potential to be better than him, I have to acknowledge that Stroud can easily become a top 5 quarterback in the league over the next two seasons. He leads an explosive passing game coordinated by Bobby Slowik, who will remain with the team after being touted as a potential head coaching candidate all offseason, and who will now add an All-Pro caliber receiver in the person of Stefon Diggs. Nico Collins is good enough to be the No. 1 receiver on most NFL teams, and Tank Dell was nearly impossible to cover from the slot in his rookie year. Just thinking about how this passing attack matches the Colts’ thin secondary scares me. Early last season, their offensive line was ravaged by injuries, but once it got healthy again, it coincided with Stroud’s rise to stardom. A more experienced quarterback, more comfortable in Slowik’s system, with even better weapons will be this team’s calling card.

Their defense also features a dangerous edge rusher duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, while Colts hater Denico Autry was brought in on the interior. Head coach DeMeco Ryans is a defensive specialist and he will surely look for ways to improve a defense that was disappointing last year, but has the potential to become at least average. Adding Lassiter and Bullock to what was a thin secondary will surely help in the long run.

Weaknesses

As mentioned, the Texans defense was unreliable last season. I don’t think even the most optimistic Houston fan expected to be as competitive as they were, and it showed they were missing some veterans and some depth. I like their offseason additions and think they’ve improved every position group, but I think their secondary still has a little more to become reliable, and their pass rush is too dependent on Anderson Jr. or Hunter . This is a tough team to find weaknesses in, but another thing that would worry me is a sophomore slump from Stroud, which seems unlikely to say the least, and more wishful thinking than anything else. A busy schedule on the horizon will test them, as the only reason for their skepticism is the lack of wins against good opponents last year.

Verdict

I’m torn in my analysis of the Texans. On one hand, they look like a team with no glaring weaknesses, led by a young superstar quarterback who was even an MVP candidate at times last season, a brilliant head coach, and an incredible offensive coordinator. They also added one of the best wide receivers of the last decade and one of the most consistent edge rushers. However, the lack of marquee wins against established, healthy teams and a much tougher schedule this year give me reason to be wary of another playoff berth. There’s a chance this is a team that overperformed last season. Even taking that into account, the Texans have to be considered division favorites and are the biggest threat the Colts face right now.