The Houston Texans have all the makings of one of the best teams in the AFC this season.
They juiced up their skill players on the offensive side, led by a quarterback entering his third season and primed for a breakout season, and have added to their defense to keep them as one of the best units in the NFL. After all, the phrase is defensive wins championships, so having Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter rushing the passer should help Houston again reign over the AFC South.
The Texans had a disappointing end to last season, but they still were able to get to the playoffs and win their Wild Card battle with the Los Angeles Chargers, so it is impressive that they were among the eight teams left in the NFL. Nonetheless, expectations will be higher this season, especially given the offensive weapons they brought in like Christian Kirk and Jayden Higgins.
If they don't live up to those ceilings, what could the future hold for Houston? CBS Sports Cody Benjamin broke down the best- and worst-case scenarios for all 32 NFL teams, and here's what he wrote on the worst-case scenario for the Texans.
"Ryans' defense, now featuring C.J. Gardner-Johnson, proves incredibly undisciplined, and Houston's dependence on aging, banged-up vets like Nick Chubb and Christian Kirk leaves Stroud flailing in a losing season," Benjamin wrote.
No mention of an offensive line that could present all kinds of problems is a little shocking, but the Texans could be reliant on aging stars like Kirk and Chubb, and one could even add Joe Mixon to that list.
Expectations are high in Houston, and after this offseason, it should have the tools in the arsenal to easily reign supreme over the AFC South. Hopefully, they get closer to the best-case scenario, which is a return to dominance for Stroud, in 2025.
