Happy Thanksgiving to all of the Toro Times readers and Houston Texans fans out there! I sincerely hope that each one of you enjoy a day filled with the three F's... Food, Family, and Football. And hey, just because the Texans aren't playing today, it doesn't mean that as you're going around the dinner table expressing everything you're thankful for that you shouldn't express your gratitude for what may be the scariest team in the entire AFC.
But if you want to take your gratitude to the next level and not just regurgitate the basic platitudes most fans will offer up, here is just a small sampling of some of the Texans-related topics that you can bring up to friends and family members today:
-While the Texans' win-loss record may be just 6-5, according to Pro Football Reference, their Expected Win-Loss record is 7.3-3.7. For context, that's the same exact Expected Win-Loss record as the 9-2 Denver Broncos, and a superior mark to the 7-4 Jacksonville Jaguars, the 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers, the 7-4 Buffalo Bills, the 6-5 Pittsburgh Steelers, and the 6-5 Baltimore Ravens.
-Although Myles Garrett is running away with the Defensive Player of the Year award, you can be thankful that Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter are the only duo in the NFL right now with at least 10 sacks apiece.
-Along with Kevin Byard, Tremaine Edmunds and Nahshon Wright of the Chicago Bears, Derek Stingley Jr., Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre are the only other trio of teammates who all have at least 3 interceptions in 2025.
-Give some love to DeMeco Ryans and Matt Burke while we're at it, because under this head coach and defensive coordinator combination, the Texans have established an identity and style of play that jumps off the screen when you watch them. All 11 men on the field relentlessly swarm to the ball on every single play, and at least some of that can be credited to the coaching staff.
-After a disastrous 2024 season, the Texans offensive line has finally gotten it's act together, materializing into a league-average unit behind the play of Ed Ingram and Tytus Howard. This glow-up is equivalent to having a Turkey & Cheddar Lunchable for Thanksgiving Dinner last year, and then getting to carve up a 20 lb. bird filled with stuffing this year.
-You better express some gratitude for backup quarterback Davis Mills, who we may not even see again this year, but if the Texans end up making the Playoff this season, Mills will be among the biggest reasons why. For three games in CJ Stroud's absence, Mills gave the Texans solid quarterback play... and not just solid for a backup. Mills was legitimately a league-average performer in his stint as QB1, and there aren't many other teams around the league who could even reasonably ask for that if their starter went down with an injury.
-While the jury is still out on offensive coordinator Nick Caley, you could at least be thankful that the Texans didn't hire Chip Kelly to run the offense. Have y'all seen some of the stories coming out of Las Vegas regarding why Chip got fired? My man was up in the booth calling plays that the Texans hadn't even installed. That's like showing up to Thanksgiving dinner at someone's house but thinking it was Fourth of July, so instead of bringing a pumpkin pie and a bottle of wine, you showed up with hamburger buns and fire crackers.
-Not sure what portion of the readership here also backs the Houston Rockets -- I'd assume there is a generous amount of overlap -- but it's worth noting that the Rockets are 12-4 and have the second-best net rating in the NBA behind only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
-Last but not least, we'll end with this... I know the Texans are currently third in their own division and still on the outside looking in for a Wild Card berth, but today as you're reflecting on what you're thankful for, don't forget to offer your appreciation for the fact that the two teams ahead of Houston in the AFC South are quarterbacked by Daniel Jones and Trevor Lawrence, a pair of signal-callers who are about as trustworthy down the stretch as a half-baked turkey.
It may not seem like it because we've already arrived at the holiday season, but there's plenty of season left for the Houston Texans.