Houston Texans and the state of the AFC South
After what has been an exciting offseason up to this point, the Houston Texans sit in a prime position to remove themselves from the bottom of all power rankings and take a significant step forward when the 2023 season rolls around.
Add in the fact that their division is one of the worst in the NFL, and you've got a recipe for a cinderella season. Let's dive into what the 2023 Houston Texans will be and how their three divisional opponents stack up.
Houston Texans
With the draft and the bulk free agency in the rearview mirror, teams are starting to take shape. The Houston Texans are going to be one of the youngest teams in the league, as they'll have 14 players on rookie deals either starting or contributing significantly.
Their new-look offense, which will be led by new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud should be a pleasant change of pace for Texans fans after a couple of seasons. Slowik's knowledge of the west coast, zone scheme, which is now re-emerging as the popular offensive scheme, should lend this year's Texans team to having a better overall offensive output, but with so many new faces arriving it may take a while for this unit to get going.
Fan-favorite Dameon Pierce is joined in the backfield by former Buffalo Bill's running back Devin Singletary. Receiver is where the most question marks reside but excitingly and positively. Robert Woods and Noah Brown were brought in during free agency, Nico Collins has a clear path to becoming a true number one receiver, last year's second-round pick John Metchie looks to be back into focusing on football, and both rookies Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson have a chance to come in and contribute immediately.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Texans were a bad unit last year. Playing at a disadvantage for most of the snaps in 2022 certainly didn't help; however, there were still some bright spots such as Jalen Pitre, Steven Nelson, and, when healthy, Derek Stingley Jr. Adding Jimmie Ward to lead the secondary and drafting Will Anderson Jr. to bolster the defensive line should translate to an improved, more stable group in 2023. If all these new faces can coalesce, the Texans will be a much better team than people think.