The Houston Texans made several key additions in the off-season through free agency and the NFL Draft. Was it enough to position themselves as the favorites in the AFC?
With the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos losing both Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, and the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady facing a four-game suspension to start the season, have the Houston Texans found themselves in a position to be the new kings of the AFC?
Capitalizing on what turned out to be another down year for their division, the Texans somehow managed to make the playoffs last season, even with what seemed like a revolving door at the quarterback position. In the offseason, they made moves in both the draft and free agency to strengthen the quarterback position, as well as add some weapons to the offensive side of the ball.
In their biggest off-season move, the Texans landed the aforementioned Osweiler. He stepped in amicably when the Broncos lost starting quarterback Peyton Manning to injury. He played well enough to guide them to the playoffs, before ultimately being replaced by Manning, who would lead the team to a Super Bowl victory.
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Osweiler brings that experience to a Houston team desperate for some stability at the quarterback position. The Texans were so desperate to find “the guy,” they signed Osweiler to a monster contract (4 years, $72 million) in the offseason to convince him to leave the confines of the Mile High City.
The move isn’t without risk, however. Osweiler is still largely unproven, with only seven starts and just over 300 attempts to his name. That being said, he is an instant upgrade from anything the Texans had on their roster last season. Moreover, the offense that the Texans have built around him may turn out to be one of the best in football this season.
The Texans already had one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL with DeAndre Hopkins in the fold before they brought in Osweiler, but with an oft-injured Arian Foster, and unknown and unproven running backs behind him, the running game was sorely in need of an upgrade. Their top rusher, Alfred Blue, gained less than 700 yards on just 3.8 yards per carry, scoring only twice on the ground.
Enter former Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller.
Miller, who just recently turned 25, comes to the Texans after being severely underutilized during his four seasons in Miami. Though he averaged 4.0 yards per carry or more every season for the Dolphins, he was never made the focal point of the offense, totaling over 200 carries just once during his tenure.
This lack of carries should suit him well in Houston, as he is still young and on relatively fresh legs. With the increased usage he is sure to see in the Texans backfield, Miller has the potential to be one of the top backs in the NFL in 2016.
The improvements to the Houston offense didn’t stop in free agency. With their first selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected wide receiver Will Fuller from Notre Dame. The addition of Fuller to Hopkins instantly gives the Texans one of the most dynamic wide receiver duos in the entire league. With Fuller’s speed, teams will no longer be able to shade coverage over to Hopkins side of the field, lest they get burned by the deep ball.
Fuller will need to prove himself at the NFL level, but adding a receiver with that kind of speed has the potential to do wonders for the Texans offense. If Fuller can be a productive receiver, he should ease the pressure not only on Osweiler and Hopkins, but should also make the running game with Miller a legitimate facet of the offense again, hearkening back to Arian Foster’s prime years.
However, even with all the Texans improvements, and in spite of playing in a relatively weak division, have the Texans done enough to establish themselves atop the conference?
This, to me, is the most interesting storyline in the AFC this season. The Broncos lost both quarterbacks from last season and now face the prospect of playing the 2016 season with either Mark Sanchez (of “Butt Fumble” fame), or rookie Paxton Lynch.
However, in spite of the questions at the quarterback position, Denver still has a potent offense and an all-star defense, which makes them tough to discount. The are the defending champions, after all. They’ve earned the right not to be disregarded without playing a game.
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Then, as always, there’s the New England Patriots. It seems like no matter what obstacles you place in front of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick; they are going to overcome them and be there in the end. The year that Brady went down with a blown knee, the Patriots were still a playoff team. Last year, in the midst of the Deflategate scandal, they advanced to the AFC Championship.
This season, they face the prospect of Tom Brady missing the first four games due to the initial suspension from Deflategate being re-instated. However, even if Brady loses the appeals process and misses four games, does it matter?
Brady looked downright awful in through the first four games of the season two years ago, and the Patriots still went on to win the Super Bowl. At some point, though, I have to believe that the combination of age and a lack of supporting cast will catch up to Brady and the Patriots.
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If there was ever a time for a team like the Houston Texans to make a play in the conference and establish themselves as a new, albeit unlikely, contender, 2016 is the year. Can the Texans take advantage and become a front-runner? Only time will tell, but I like their chances.