May 11, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; General view of NFL Wilson Duke football at the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on the Las Vegas strip on Las Vegas Blvd. Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis (not pictured) has pledged $500 million toward building a 65,000-seat domed stadium in Las Vegas at a total cost of $1.4 billion. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (not pictured) said Davis can explore his options in Las Vegas but would require 24 of 32 owners to approve the move. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
Top 10 Factors That Could Lead To A Disappointing Season
Brock Osweiler – That’s right, the same guy that is a potential key to Texans success could also lead to disappointment. The Texans and the Broncos before them have opinions that are the polar opposite of the negative reviews by pundits such as Jayson Braddock, Jason La Canfora, and Pro Football Focus. Somebody is wrong.
Jadeveon Clowney’s Health – If, as the law of averages suggests, Clowney is free from major injury in 2016, he will be a definite asset; perhaps a breakout player. However, it is difficult to project against the injury trend that Clowney developed in the first two years.
Inside Linebacker Depth
– Brian Cushing and Benardrick McKinney form a very good linebacker duo. Behind them it is very thin. If the Texans fail to find free agent linebacker depth they are vulnerable to injury at that position.
Vince Wilfork’s Age – Vince still believes he has gas in the tank. If he is wrong and especially if injuries impact Cushing and/or McKinney the interior defense will get gashed.
No Replacement For Jared Crick – There are a number of suspects, but no can’t miss prospects to play opposite J. J. Watt. An aging nose guard, unproven defensive end options, little linebacker depth; look out for the ground and pound offenses.
New Offensive Weapons Are Just That – New – Incorporating all the new offensive players, especially the skill position players, into an efficient offense is a daunting task. The offense may struggle, especially early in the season.
No Improvement At Tight End – The tight ends significantly underperformed as receivers last year. Unproven Anthony Denham and undersized rookie free agent Stephen Anderson are competing to change that. If they can’t, receivers and running backs will have to compensate. There are options, but no proven options.
Weak Special Teams
– This is a chronic Achilles heel for the Texans. They added new special teams coach Larry Izzo and should have more overall special teams speed. However, until proven otherwise special teams is projected as a weakness.
Mandatory Credit: Larry McCormack/The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK /
Distractions for J. J. Watt – Many players have allowed off-field distractions to negatively impact on-field performance. Watt appears to be one of those rare players with sufficient discipline to continue performing at an elite level while cultivating off-field business and celebrity opportunities, but if he can’t…
Tougher Schedule – Thanks to winning the 2015 AFC South the Texans are assigned a tougher non-conference schedule. Couple that with the fact that every AFC South opponent is improved and the 2016 Texans could end up a better team with a worse record.
