The Texans seemed to take a small step back last regular season after their 2023 breakthrough, but two stronger showings in the playoffs might have swung the pendulum back in the right direction.
This offseason, Houston made significant changes to the roster at wide receiver, along the offensive line and in the secondary. Will it pay off? With C.J. Stroud entering Year 3, the Texans expect to be competitive. The back-to-back reigning AFC South champs should again be the favorites in the division. Houston’s schedule appears competitive but not daunting. DeMeco Ryans looks the part of a very capable young coach, logging a pair of 10-win seasons with playoff victories in his first two years on the job.
The question is whether the Texans can elevate their performance level, having struggled to consistently beat their toughest opponents over the past two years. This season, they open with a tough pair of games (at Rams, vs. Bucs) and also face the Ravens, Bills, Chiefs and Chargers, with most of those contests on the road.
The hope, offensively, is that Stroud can bounce back and the OL and receivers will jell quickly. Defensively, the Texans finished top 10 in several major categories last season, but the red-zone performance ranked near the bottom of the league. Simple improvement in that one category could work wonders, but reaching a Super Bowl level might require significant offensive output, as well.