Wait until next year! This is what we have heard about the Houston Texans for the last couple of years after not making the playoffs. Still a relatively young franchise, having played their first season in 2006, the team was built to be successful fairly quickly but had yet to play the 1st postseason game in franchise history coming into this season. They've have moderate success and possess one of the most potent offenses in the league, defensively there were struggles which ultimately lead to them losing games down the stretch that could have gotten them into the playoffs.
This year it was supposed to be different. Coming into the season they had improved the defensive side of the ball while keeping all their talent offensively. The AFC South, after years of being dominated by the Colts, was now up for grabs. Peyton Manning injured and probably out for the season. The Jaguars went young and cut starting quarterback David Garrard before the 1st regular season game and turned the team over to their rookie QB Blaine Gabbert. The Titans drafted a rookie QB, Jake Locker, but brought in Matt Hasselbeck to tutor the rookie and lead the team this year. Unfortunately the teams best player Chris Johnson held out and is just now getting back to his Pro Bowl form here in week 13. That left the Texans. In tact offensively much improved defensively and in position to run away with the division currently with a record of 9-3 tied for the best record in the AFC.
But all is not well in Houston. They lost Mario Williams, their best defensive player, for the season in October with a torn pectoral muscle. Star WR Andre Johnson was lost for much of the season with a right hamstring injury only to return for a game and a half and then injure his left hamstring. And finally Pro Bowl QB Matt Schaub was lost for the season after breaking his foot. His backup, Matt Lienart, was lost to a broken collarbone in the very next game. Leaving the offense to be run by rookie QB TJ Yates who is now backed up by Jake Delhomme, yes that Jake Delhomme.
I hope for the Texans sake they can find a way to keep that division lead and earn the first playoff experience in franchise history. And if they don't I hope ownership doesn't fire the coaching staff. They are certainly moving in the right direction. Just hope that direction doesn't continue to include a pit stop on injured reserve for the teams best players.
And now backing up Jake Delhomme...JEFF GARCIA.
ReplyDeleteI threw my name in the mix as well. I can throw interceptions as well as those guys.
ReplyDeleteI hope TJ can be a much needed steward for this team's playoff aspirations. This is definitely a bit of a homer shout out for sure but he's a good kid and I'm hoping he can make the most of the opportunity he has now been given so early in his career.
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