Many Houston Texans fans had high hopes for the Texans as they woke up on Sunday morning, riding high from the momentum of the first ever postseason win in as many appearances. How fitting it was to face the Baltimore Ravens in our second postseason match up, the same Ravens that beat us in a heartbreaker at home in a Monday Night Football classic, the same Ravens that defeated us in the previous meeting in the regular season; many Texans fans saw it as a chance for revenge, and revenge is what they wanted.
Filled with excitement and exhilaration, the Texans went into Baltimore looking for their first AFC Championship appearance, a team that could essentially win almost any game set in front of them. Only defeated by themselves. making mistakes in late, critical game clutch situations. As was the case in the game with Baltimore; miscues, and errors simply became the downfall of the Texans.
There is an old adage that says “If you put the small things in place, the big things will situate themselves” and that is the mantra the Texans lived and died by week to week, whether there is a direct or indirect correlation between the success of all aspects of the players, the Texans also depended on success as a team.
You can attribute the loss to individual plays and situations, but when one player is not as productive as they should be, usually another steps up to compensate for the lack of production, yet today was different as the catalyst of our offense, quarterback T.J. Yates, made rookie mistakes critics expected to see in his first start.
Yates, a third string rookie going into the season, ended up being the starter as both quaterbacks ahead of him, Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, went down with injuries.
Doubts piled on the Texans as more and more players fell victim to the injury bug, but resilience built, as many young players stepped up for the Texans and made a name for themselves in the league. Without a doubt, the Texans had a banner year and made it a memorable one, erasing the memories of the Houston Oilers’ and their heartbreaks, and showing promise for a very bright future.
A future where the Texans are respected, are given the limelight, and are considered a major threat, despite being overlooked the entire season, it seems that the team thrives on being ruled out of everything and doubted, almost as if the saying “Never count out the underdog” is based on them.
Fueled by their loving fans, the Texans rode the momentum till the wheels fell off; never giving up on a play and playing their hearts out, and it did not go unnoticed as the fans cheering their hearts out for the team every game and going out in droves to public appearances to meet their favorite players and made sure that the players knew they had full support from the fans.
Fans of the young Houston franchise should not focus on what brought the team down, yet rejoice at what brought them together and cemented their names in history. Nothing is certain yet about the immediate future of the Texans, but what is certain is that the Texans will continue to make history and provide their adoring fans with the best football in the National Football League.
A heartfelt thank you to all the members of the Houston Texans staff, players, coaches, and front office members, without them, this season might not have been possible, a season that nearly did not take place due to a lockout, the off-season is hard enough, but had a work stoppage occurred, it would have been torturous on everybody. A new appreciation for the game of football is shared by all who feared that there would not be a season this year, a beloved fixture in American living, and as the Texans prepare for the off-season, it will be a happy one as barriers were broken, and a new standard in Houston football has been set.
– Richard Perez