The Texans are 6-3 for the first time is franchise history, and at this point if we were to not make the playoffs, I do not see Gary Kubiak leaving the city of Houston in one piece. For the first time in his career as the head coach in Houston, the fans are happy, optimistic, and playoff ready. We have not had a defense or offense this good, and we are not even playing with our two best players. Which is why I am going list 11 reason the Houston Texans will make the playoffs.
- We have a one-two punch in the running game with RB Arian Foster and RB Ben Tate that has resulted in the 4th best rushing game in the NFL, and Arian has averaged over 110 rushing yards and one TD over the past 3 games. It often seems like when one might get stuck in a rut, the other is able to go for a big run and pull them completely out of it.
- We actually have a badass defense, one with swagger, and actually gets accused of being rough and cheating. I love it. Not only are we statistically a top 10 defense, we let other teams know we are and we do not care how.
- We have scored 206 points this season (8th in the NFL) , and allowed 145 (5th in the NFL). This means we have a differential of 61 points, way more than last year. Last time I checked scoring more than your opponent is good right?
- We have a Takeaway/Giveaway differential of +6 (5th in the NFL), the Texans have never ever been good at turnovers, and now it is a normal thing. Turnovers win football games. With 7 forced fumbles and 10 interceptions, this Houston defense led by Wade Phillips is a force to reckoned with.
- We averaged 1520 yards of offense without Arian and with WR Andre Johnson at the beginning of the season, now without Andre and with Arian on total offense we have actually averaged 1642 yards. All I have to say is what will our offense look like with both on the field? I might be as bold as to say we might be the best in the NFL, once Andre’s hamstring has fully healed.
- We have one of the best front seven in the NFL even without Mario Williams, and that has resulted in over 20 sacks. J.J. Watt is turning into the DT/DE that the Houston Texans have needed, while DE Antonio Smith and ILB Brian Cushing have had Pro Bowl type seasons, and OLB Brooks Reed has stepped in surprisingly well in place of Mario Williams.
- Matt Schaub is very quietly having a great season. He had two bad moments this season in the 4th quarter, but to be fair his team should have never put him in that situation. A lot of QB’s would panic without their number one WR, especially one like Andre, but in Andre’s absence he has become the leader of this team.
- The Texans will beat Tampa Bay, their offense is sub par, and their defense is no match for our running game.
- Going into a bye week with an 7-3 record, can only make a team better right?
- The Texans will go undefeated this year in the AFC South, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis all have franchises that are in disarray, and are no match for us. The total points scored against points allowed of the previous division games is 99 to 28.
- I really do see us winning two out of three against, Atlanta, Carolina, and Cincinnati. Atlanta is a solid team, but they are for sure beatable. Carolina has a new explosive offense, but I do not see their defense beating us. I think the only game we might lose is to my red headed savior Andy Dalton, but then again I might just be biased because I went to TCU.
In conclusion, this is finally the year all Houston Texan fans have hoped for. Houston has had some bad luck in regards to its sports teams, but finally the football gods have blessed us. I see the Texans Ending the Season with a minimum record of 11-5 and a max of 13-3. I know I know I sound like a crazy completely hopeful blogger that went to the Texans whooping of the Browns today, but in all seriousness the cards fell in our place this year.
The AFC South has always been one of the most dominant divisions in the NFL, and the worst team has always been a .500 Texans team. In the year 2011 though, Peyton Manning got hurt, and the Jaguars and Titans started to suck, what more can one ask for? We have even played this well without our two best franchise players, so when we get one of them back I expect us only to improve. Our only three losses are to teams with records of +.500.
At the beginning of the season, I thought we would make the playoffs and lose in the first round, now I KNOW we will make the playoffs, and might be bold enough to say we make it to the AFC Championship, but don’t quote me on that.