Houston Texans: Five players who exceeded expectations

Our season wrap-up series begins by looking at five Houston Texans who exceeded expectations with their performance in 2016

After a second straight nine win season, the Houston Texans ended the year on a sour note with their 30-0 defeat in the playoffs. That heartbreaking loss may have left fans feeling a little bitter, but that doesn’t mean the entire season was negative.

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The team really did make some progress as they were able to overcome a terrible 2-5 start to the season and go 7-2 down the stretch. They also managed to keep winning despite a second straight season where there was a revolving door at quarterback. Then there was also the first ever win by the Texans in Indianapolis as they held off the Colts for the AFC South title.

For a team that wasn’t expected to win the division, and looked dead early in the season, the postseason berth speaks highly of their will to fight. It also speaks to the talent of those players who stepped up when they were needed most.

Here is a look at five players who went above and beyond expectations with their performance during the 2015 NFL season.

Next: Someone who wasn't on the team until November