3 reasons the Houston Texans season was a massive success

The Houston Texans 2023 was a roaring success. But why? Clearly, there are a lot of reasons why the team's 2023 season was seen as successful, after all, they won 10 games in a year where they were expected to be very, very bad. Yet, that never happened.

The team didn't look consistently great, there were weeks where growing pains occurred. injuries also derailed some of the team's success as well, as the team could've clinched the playoffs weeks sooner than they did, had they just been healthier and a bit better than they were at times.

Despite getting whopped by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round, however, it's with great certainty we can say this season was a success and these are the three biggest reasons why.

C.J. Stroud emerged as franchise caliber quarterback.

The emergence of C.J. Stroud as a franchise quarterback was highly important. A good team can be a good team without a great quarterback, but the odds of consistently being that good year in and year out become much harder to pull off. Just look at the Tennessee Titans. Stroud cementing himself as the team's guy was key to their success in 2023.

DeMeco Ryans and his coaching staff maximized talent once thought to be subpar

Guys like Devin Singletary, Nico Collins, Jonathan Greenard, and Blake Cashman were not seen as dynamic playmakers prior to 2023. DeMeco Ryans and his coaching staff unlocked their potential and gave them the opportunity to succeed. They weren't the only four players that had major breakout seasons, but they were some of our favorites.

Playoffs and an AFC South Championship

Now, a winning season is great, but the NFL is full of fluke-filled seasons historically, what makes this season different is that it doesn't feel like a fluke. They didn't luck their way into a winning record or even the playoffs. They got to the playoffs by winning the AFC South and then they beat one of the best teams in the AFC decisively. That's proof that things are trending in the right direction.