Manageable Schedule
Having a 6-3 record at this point of the season was something that I did not see for the Texans at the beginning of the year. Their schedule came out during the offseason, while a lot of questions were not even answered for this team. However, a lot of questions began to come about on the more powerful teams listed such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders – teams who were entering preseason with some strong rosters – but experienced their own problems as the season began to near and progress. The same can be said about Houston. There was uncertainty about whether or not the team would sign Jadeveon Clowney to a new deal, running back Lamar Miller suffered a season injury in the preseason and there were still doubts casted over the offensive line. Yes, the Texans made some moves to fill the holes on the team, still the games have to be played.
The competition has certainly been tough but the Texans have managed to pull off the wins regardless. Their most impressive wins have to be over the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. These were games in which the Texans injury-riddled secondary had to step up and diminish the strong passing attacks of both teams. The Chiefs game was especially a highlight, since they took that win from the Chiefs in Arrowhead stadium, considered one of the toughest places to play in the league. There were also some games the team missed out on such as the matchup against the Carolina Panthers, in which they lost, despite the Panthers being led by an inexperienced QB in Kyle Allen.
Texans are sitting in a good spot right now to get a comfortable playoff spot; in other words, they can open the playoffs with a home game. The schedule going forward looks fairly even. The first few weeks will have games against the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots; after that, they will face the Denver Brocnos, play the Tennessee Titans twice and wrap up their home schedule with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Deshaun Watson Ascending to Superstar Status
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is rapidly gaining admiration for his style of play. In his 3rd year in the league, Watson is being recognized as dangerous dual threat QB as he kills teams with his legs as well as his arm. This year, Watson has thrown for 2432 yards and 18 touchdowns with a 70% completion percentage. In addition to that, he’s also rushed for 279nyards and 5 touchdowns. His numbers are good, but it’s the plays that have put a huge light on what he’s doing for this team. Recently, he drew some acclaim for not only escaping a near sack, but getting kicked in the eye in that escape and still throwing a touchdown. It’s this type of play that has put him in the conversation of MVP.
Watson has a long way to go for this, but he can potentially be the face of the league. The only thing standing in his way of doing that is winning the big games, particularly playoff games. He lost his first playoff start against the Colts last season, but as a young quarterback he will learn how to win, which is what he’s been doing this season. Seven of the Texans games have been decided by a touchdown or less. This can be attributed to Watson’s 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the 4th quarter this year, which gives him a 127.8 quarterback rating, the highest of any of his quarters. That type of play makes good action in the regular season and deep into the postseason.
The Growing Pains of the Secondary
The Texans secondary has been subpar for the most part. A lot of that can be attributed to inexperience and injuries. The latter has made its way through most of the team, but the defensive backfield has felt it the most, whether it was in the game or something lingering throughout the season. Cornerback Jonathan Joseph is one of the many examples of these injuries, as he has left a game once this year and even missed one. As a result of these ailments, the Texans have had to turn to their younger players and pick up some players along the way. This is the case for rookie Lonnie Johnson who has had some big moments as well as cornerback Gareon Conley, who was acquired in a trade with the Raiders. It’s a young group of DB’s trying to find their way and could prove to have an impact on the future of this defense.
Going Forward
As mentioned earlier, the Texans’ upcoming schedule has a mixture of the good and the bad. They’re starting out rough with the Ravens, Colts and Patriots; but they will finish with the Titans, Buccaneers and Broncos. On paper, this team could finish the year at 10-6; but they really have a shot at being 11-5 or 12-4. For now, that chance will surface during the games between the Ravens and Colts. Baltimore could be on a high after beating the Patriots and their running game is pretty strong. The Colts have beaten the Texans earlier this season and will look to use that blueprint against them in their second matchup. However, Colts QB Jacoby Brissett has been dealing with a knee injury and has already been ruled out against the Miami Dolphins. Sure there are injuries, especially to J.J. Watt, but the majority of this schedule has teams in which you can win in spite of that. In other words, the Texans have a legit shot to make the playoffs, and probably even catch a first round bye.