Last Year
Baby steps had been the name of the game for the Houston Texans as they crawled up the NFL ladder in minor increments during their first three seasons of existence. Their win totals of four, then five, then seven games suggested that they were ready to produce their first non-losing season in 2005. Instead, the franchise output a calamitous two-win campaign. With a new conductor in place and the success bar as low as ever, the Texans will try to turn the page on last year's disaster and return to the grouping of growing teams. So far, so good.
What We Learned From Last Year
Every team is optimistic in the offseason. Coaches preach success, players eye the Super Bowl, and fans incessantly rave about their team.
The Texans were no different heading into the 2005 season and although very few people could have predicted a meager two-win crop, there were ominous red flags that foreboded trouble.
The trepidations had stemmed the foundation of the team, more specifically, the performance on the line of scrimmage.
The offensive line had permitted opponents to sack franchise quarterback David Carr 140 times in his first three seasons, while the defensive line, which proved to be equally inept, finished last and second-last in sack total at the completion of the previous two seasons.
The unit that protected Carr was riddled with busts and underachievers, who either arrived via draft or free agency. Tackle Todd Wade was presented with a lavish $10 million signing bonus and a long-term contract to secure a tackle position, but mustered unspectacular performances in only nine games. You can chalk Victor Riley as another import who busted, while Chester Pitts never met second-round expectations and Milford Brown often looked confused. With the likes of Seth Wand, Steve McKinney, and Zach Weigert all manning positions on the line, it was clear that the Texans' linemen not only played without any chemistry, they were mostly comprised of stopgap players.
On the other side of the ball, the Texans' defense just never looked comfortable in the 3-4 scheme. The majority of the players imported were inexperienced with this type of alignment and clearly looked out of place. Defensive tackle Robaire Smith, who received a six-year, $34.6 million deal last summer, started at the end position while first-round pick Travis Johnson also rotated off the edge. Both were natural tackles and struggled to adjust to their new role. At nose tackle, an aging Seth Wand wore down and his moderate effectiveness diminished as the season progressed.
The four linebackers behind the front three continued the theme of misused talent as converted defensive end Jason Babin lost his starting job at the outside position to Shantee Orr. Morlon Greenwood endured the rigors of the 3-4 switch and although he led the defense in tackles, he did not make many game-altering plays in his first season in Houston.
The Texans had several talented players at the extremities on both offense and defense, but porous play at the line of scrimmage negated any strengths.
On offense, Andre Johnson was often blanketed by opposing secondaries and struggled to beat the double-coverage. Corey Bradford and Jabar Gaffney were decent "B" and "C" options, but neither offered consistent explosiveness to warrant special attention. The lack of a reliable tight end further limited passing lanes. Running back Domanick Davis was once again an unheralded workhorse, who rarely seems to get applause for his work.
On the outside of the defense, the Texans appeared to have the most promising young duo of cornerbacks when they acquired Phillip Buchanon from the Oakland Raiders for a second- and third-round pick, but Buchanon did not hold up his end of the bargain in his first season. Dunta Robinson, on the other hand, is one of the NFL's best-kept secrets.
Overall, the Texans are not as bereft of talent as one might sense a 2-14 team to be. A switch to a 4-3 defense will slot the playmakers in their front seven back to their natural positions and an infusion of talent and coaching into the offensive line should finally unlock an offense that was handcuffed by shoddy protection.
This Year
The Texans had their most effective offseason to date, replenishing their roster through the draft and free agency and not surprisingly enough, Coach Gary Kubiak and company assessed that the Texans drastically needed to improve their lines.
The offensive line likely found their tackle tandem of the future in third-round picks Eric Winston and Charles Spencer and added veteran Mike Flanagan in free agency. The Texans will be switching to a zone-blocking scheme, which means there will likely be an adjustment period. Flanagan's leadership will be vital and along with the two rookie tackles, this unit will already be much better.
The Texans made the right choice in drafting Mario Williams over Reggie Bush simply because Williams plugs a hole on this team, while drafting Bush would have been redundant — on some levels.
Although the Texans don't have an explosive, hyped runner in their backfield, they do have an underrated, productive back in Domanick Davis and a quality prospect in Vernand Morency. Kubiak was part of Denver's 1,000-yard back factory and these two runners should see an increase of production because of an improved line and smarter coaching.
Everyone around camp is raving about the progress David Carr has made in the offseason and if his entourage of blockers can keep him under 100 hits this season, he should finally breakout.
Receiver Andre Johnson will have his first reliable starting partner in Eric Moulds, who was acquired for a fifth-round pick. Moulds is an 11-year vet who will have a lot of wisdom to pass along to Johnson. Moulds has lost a step and has never pieced together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he is an excellent possession wideout who will take attention and pressure off of Johnson.
Tight end Jeb Putzier and wideout Kevin Walter were also signed, who are another pair of sure-handed targets. Carr has more options this year than he has ever had before.
It is of the essence that the one-time touted Triplets of Carr, Johnson, and Davis step it up. Davis has been the most consistent contributor, but the production of Carr and Johnson this season will fully tell whether they still hold the superstar potential that they were once deemed to have.
On defense, the front four figures to be much more effective than last season with the addition of Williams and free agent Anthony Weaver. Williams is pretty much a sure thing, but Weaver got a ton of money for a player who has only shown flashes here and there. He will start at tackle with Robaire Smith. Former first-round pick Travis Johnson has shed some weight and is working hard to put together a stronger second season and along with Seth Wand, the Texans finally have some depth at tackle.
They will also have a deeper rotation on the ends as Jason Babin and Antwan Peek were both solid defensive ends in college, before they were changed to linebackers. N.D. Kalu should also help out in spots.
The second level also stands to gain from the switch back to the 4-3. Sam Cowart is a seasoned veteran who will man the middle. Injuries and age have narrowed his skills, but he can stop a gap for a season. Morlon Greenwood should be more comfortable back in the 4-3 and the Texans are very high on second-round pick, Demeco Ryans, who will likely start at one of the three positions right off the bat. Kailee Wong should also be of service, as he fended off injuries and retirement to return.
The defense has already suffered a couple of key injuries with the loss of linebacker Wali Rainer (broken leg) for the season and starting cornerback Demarcus Faggins (broken foot) for more than the first month of the regular season.
Faggins took the starter's role from Buchanon at the end of last season, but the good news is that Buchanon has been working hard — staying late after practice — to hone his tackling skills and regain his spot. This is a contract year for Buchanon, so expect good things from the former first-rounder. If he plays well, and Faggins can return after the team's October 5th bye week, the cornerbacks shouldn't be the biggest concern.
The Texans will start Glenn Earl and C.C. Brown as their safeties, but these two are borderline starters right. Earl is a big hitter, but has much to prove in coverage, while Brown is more versatile, but more likely a backup.
New defensive coordinator Richard Smith is all about pressure. He seems to have the adequate pieces on the defensive line to help out his secondary and with a more aggressive approach, the Texans will improve on their 31st total defense ranking.
This team was 7-9 in 2004 and with a re-tooled offensive and defensive line, combined with a strong infusion of quality rookies, the Texans should be back on track as a barking underdog in the NFL and will no longer be a pushover from week to week.
Over/Under: 5.5
With a coaching staff who knows what their doing, the Texans immediately go from underachiever to underdog. They are still behind Jacksonville and Indianapolis in this division, but with a couple of confidence-building wins early on, seven to eight wins is entirely possible. They play: PHI, @IND, WAS, MIA, @DAL, JAC, @TEN, @NYG, @JAC, BUF, @NYJ, @OAK, TEN, @NE, IND, and CLE.
Fantasy Sleeper
While the talk of the town has been David Carr, fantasy talk of Andre Johnson has been very quiet. With Eric Moulds and Jeb Putzier to keep defenses honest, Johnson will reassert himself as one of the top young wideouts in regular and fantasy football again. At this point, most fantasy players are not expecting much from him, but you won't regret having him on your team.
This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].
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