If you could describe the season of the 2018 Houston Texans it would have to be turnaround. This year has seen this team turn some horrible habits and foster them into some real success. The team started on a 3 game losing streak, only to turn things around and go on a 6 game winning streak. So many things that were failing in the beginning – such as the offensive line and defense – have suddenly turned around and put this team towards the top.
Winning Streak
This was not a good start to the year at all. A 3 game losing streak seemed like it contained the problems of one that was 10. The offensive line was not able to protect Watson while the secondary didn’t look like they could cover a shift. However, things turned around in a road game against the Indianapolis Colts, in which Houston pulled off a 37-34 overtime victory. The following week, the Texans had to force overtime for the win again, this time against the long-hated Dallas Cowboys. They beat the Cowboys 19-16 in front of a national televised audience and things took off from there. They had a 4th quarter comeback against the Buffalos Bills, to seal the game in regulation this time. The next 3 games, they flexed their dominance over their opponents by an average of 11.6 points.
The winning streak showed that this Texans team is willing to find ways to win games this year. They have had both overtime situations and near-loss situations, such as the Week 9 game against the Denver Broncos. This winning streak is important for the young players on this squad and something the veterans can reference to as energy to close out the season and head into the playoffs.
Offensive Line
A lot can be said about Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt and a select few others on this team, but the offensive line really proved their worth. The Texans’ success was mostly predicated on how well the O-line was able to pull things together but it took a while to get to that point. Injuries and lineup changes riddled through the unit and the team could not overcome these challenges early on. The failing performance racked up some damage on quarterback Deshaun Watson as well. The 2nd year QB leads the league with 75 quarterbacks hits and 2nd in the NFL with 30 sacks. But things have progressed as the season moves on. The lineup has become more consistent which has been a factor in their improved play. In 3 of the wins of this winning streak, the o-line has only given up 1 sack or less. Most notably this happened against the Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars, two teams who have been shining this year with their pass rush. The best thing that can be done for this offensive one unit is stay healthy. Watson is amazing at scrambling but the offense can not function if he’s running from defensive linemen all over the field. The same goes for the running game; it’s very important there are holes opening up for running backs to continue the season they are having this year. This offensive line will definitely have a huge impact of how far the Texans can go this season.
The Cowboys Game
Every Texans fan is waiting for the Cowboys game that happens in the regular season and the team did not disappoint. Houston was able to pull off the 19-16 overtime on national television and infused the fanbase with energy for the year and bragging rights for the next 4. For starters, it was the offensive line’s best performance as they only gave up 1 sack the entire game. It was also the 4th straight game that Deshaun Watson threw for 300 yards, finishing with 375 and a touchdown. When people look back on this game, they will more than likely point out the catch and run by wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to put the team into FG range for the game winner.
Playing the Dallas Cowboys is a big deal for this franchise, for obvious reasons; but beating this team the way they did was something even bigger. This was a national TV stage and the Texans did not squint their eyes in the spotlight. They played their game and stepped up in the moments that mattered. That is pretty huge considering this is a team coming off a horrible season but it shows the team is turning things towards the right direction.
Improvement
The improvement that has been seen with this team has been tremendous and surprising. Last year the Texans finished 4-12 and have already surpassed that win total. That can be attributed to having a healthy Deshaun Watson this, whose rookie season last year was cut short by a knee injury. Among other things, the defense appears to be getting back in their groove. Defensive end J.J. Watt is having a good bounce back year with 32 tackles and 9 sacks, which is 5th in the league. Him and linebacker Jadeveon Clowney have helped improved the run defense as they ranked 7th in the league right now.
Going Forward
If the Texans maintain everything they’re currently doing right, then they will have a strong finish to this 2018 season. The schedule is looking favorable right now with a 3-game home stand starting on Week 12 as well as games against the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. Plus, all the division games are at home, including the season finale against Jacksonville. Another thing to look forward to is the results of the Demaryius Thomas trade. The Texans traded for him from the Denver Broncos after Texans wide receiver Will Fuller suffered a season ending knee injury. In his first game – ironically, against the Broncos – he had 3 catches for 61 yards but it was all in the first half. Houston will find more ways to get him in the gameplan, especially after he has had some time with the playbook over the bye week.
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