2009 NFL Preview: Houston Texans

By 49er16:

It seems like analysts have talked about the Houston Texans as a sleeper team for 15 years and they have still never made the playoffs. And once again I will ask, are the Houston Texans a sleeper team?

The talent is there for Houston. They have a top-5 receiver, a young and dangerous defense, and a steady quarterback. There is just too much talent for the Texans not compete for the division title. If they don't make the playoffs, head coach Gary Kubiak could be out of a job by the end of the season.

Quarterback: Injuries have derailed Matt Schuab's tenure as the Texans starting quarterback. Schuab has missed five games in the last two years. And to make things worse, the Texans back quarterbacks are the greatness in Dan Orlovsky and Rex Grossman. Of course Sage Rosenfels wasn't much better last season.

Offense: If Schuab stays healthy and the offensive line continues their improvement, then Houston could have one of the best offenses in the NFL. Andre Johnson is one of the best receivers in the league. Johnson lead the league last year in receptions and receiving yards. Also Kevin Walter emerged as a reliable number two receiver. Tight End Owen Daniels earned a pro bowl trip last season. Steve Slaton emerged as the number one running back. Their offensive success will all depend on Schuab's health.

Remember When?: Remember when everyone made fun of the Texans for drafting Mario Williams in front of Vince Young and Reggie Bush? Yeah, how has that whole thing worked out? Williams earned his first pro bowl trip while compiling 12 sacks last season. And how did Young and Bush do last season?

Defense: The defense should be vastly improved this season under new coordinator Frank Bush. Bush plans to make the defense more aggressive. Health though is a question right now. First round pick Brian Cushing and Jacques Reeves have both been hurt so far in training camp. If the Texans can get healthy, they should be improved on defense.

Schedule: The Texans have one of the easier early schedules in the league, which is a good thing for a team trying to recover from training camp injuries. And besides their usual road trips to Tennessee and Indianapolis and a trip to Miami, Houston doesn't have a tough road schedule. All their tough games are at home.

Video: Texans receiver David Anderson does his best Ron Jaworski impression.



Prediction: 9-7, 3rd AFC South. I don't trust Matt Schuab's ability to stay healthy for the entire season. And with Orlovsky and Grossman as the backup, the Texans will struggle on offense. Also the defense has already been hit by injuries. The secondary also lacks depth and has been hit by injuries. The Texans will have a winning record, but they won't be playoff bound.