By Brandon Simmons
An unfortunate playoff loss to the Houston Texans ended a great season of resiliency. The Texans went from last year, and at a portion of this year, to the top of the AFC South. They also saw the growth of their franchise quarterback, who became more of a field general at times during the year.
The Win Streak
After starting 0-3, the Houston Texans went on historical win streak to put them at the top of their division. The Texans won 10 straight games, becoming the first team in NFL history to go on that length of a winning streak after starting the season losing 3 straight games. The streak included overtime wins over the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, as well as down-to-the-wire missed field goal wins over the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos.
If anything, it showed that this team was learning to win the tough, close games on the big stages, which could aid this group in the immediate future. Only 4 of the wins during this time, were by more than 2 possessions. A lot of playoff games can be won this way and this was the experience this young group of talent needed for their future.
The Maturation of Deshaun Watson
In 2017, quarterback Deshaun Watson shined in a brief rookie stint before suffering a season-ending knee injury, but 2018 saw his comeback and growth all at the same time. His play guided the team to a 11-5 record and his first ever playoff game. Watson was the first NFL player to throw for 4,00 yards and 26 touchdowns while running for 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. His resiliency, not only showed in big games but through the big hits he received. In the Cowboys game, he took quite a few hard hits, then the next week against Buffalo, was sacked 7 times. It prompted him to take a bus from Houston to Jacksonville for the next game, as opposed to an airplane, for his body heal properly.
Watson is slowly proving to be one of the elite quarterbacks of the future. He is the prototypical dual threat a lot of teams are looking to draft these days, but Watson also displays an intangible ability to win football games. That is what the Texans need in order to put this franchise on the next level of championship organizations. This team has always fielded great skill players, but Watson has pretty much solidified his spot as the franchise QB.
DeAndre Hopkins Becomes Elite Receiver
One of the consistent compliments that can be said about the Houston Texans is they always find a great receiver, and DeAndre Hopkins is no exception to this. The former first round pick has done nothing but amaze since his arrival in 2013 and he has continued the consistency this year. Hopkins finished with career highs of 115 catches for 1572 yards. It helps that he had a healthy quarterback tossing him the rock this year, but this has been his work throughout the years. Another stat to really gaze at is that he had all these catches with 0 drops.
Many analysts have rightfully Hopkins in the conversation of the best receiver in the game. The receivers he has been compared to – Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, Jr. and Julio Jones – have had consistent quarterbacks in their corner; guys who have played at a high level and remained the familiar starter. Up until through last year, Hopkins has been playing with signal callers that have been related to backup roles or out of the league right now. A wide receiver with elite talent, will need a good quarterback to help enhance the route runner’s skills and use the receiver to win the biggest games. Hopkins was very visible in the Cowboys win, especially at the end with his spinning catch and run. Right now he has the league spinning on its head from his amazing talent.
Return of J.J.
Defensive end J.J. Watt returned to his dominant form, which should be no headline; but after 2 seasons of season ending injuries, it was a hopeful sight to see the franchise favorite on the field. In the past 2 years, leg and back injuries put Watt on the sideline and he only played a total of 8 games during that time. It was a hinderance for those who wanted to see him lined up alongside, former first round picks, linebackers Jedeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. This year was the first time all three of them were able to share the field, and it helped the Texans become one of the top run defenses in the league. The pass rush also saw some benefits of is return, with his 16 sacks this year.
The Texans’ season was completely full of ups and down, but it felt more like a step up for the future of this team. Watson played his first full season, through some near-injuries, and it might have grown more confidence in the young QB. This team has developed a bigger sense of fight with how they won close games. Going forward, a lot of things will still need to be addressed. The offensive line has had its issues this season, setting the mark for second most sacks in a season with 62. The secondary will need some work done on them as well particularly at cornerback. The Texans ranked near the bottom of the league defending the pass, and must correct it if they plan on winning big games against big time quarterbacks.