The Good, Bad and Ugly series provides insight into the talent and depth of each position group and the relationships between the groups. The wrap-up blends the groups into an offense, a defense and ultimately a team providing a comprehensive look at how good this team can be and how it could disappoint.
Special teams are not analyzed because the composition of those teams, except for the punter and long snapper, are not yet determined. At this point projecting special teams performance as anything other than neutral is a crapshoot that unnecessarily complicates an already complicated picture.
J.J. Watt‘s surgery causes me to waffle a bit on my original prediction, but if everything else goes as expected 10-6 is still possible. Unless Watt is fully recovered before the Chiefs come to NRG that game should be moved to the loss column. It could be picked-up later… in Jacksonville or at home in a “must win” against Cincinnati.
If the team stays healthy it will improve as Watt and Duane Brown heal and Brock Osweiler becomes acclimated. Whether the team achieves The Good, The Bad or The Ugly depends in part upon how quickly the team gets to full strength.
Next: The Good