3 bold predictions for Week 16 of 2023 season

2. Texans clinch their first winning season since 2019

It began with a strong offseason, highlighted with the hiring of a new head coach. Former Houston Texans Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans had certainly made a name for himself as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier this year, he became the eighth different head coach of a franchise that first took the field in 2002.

Prior to this season, the Texans owned a 11-38-1 record this decade. Just 14 games into Ryans’s tenure, Houston owns an 8-6 record. Last week, the team won a divisional road game in overtime without its star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Texans’ defense came up big in a 19-16 victory at Tennessee.

The club returns home this week and the task ahead is a Cleveland Browns’ club that boasts the NFL’s top-ranked defensive unit. Kevin Stefanski’s team owns a 9-5 record despite the fact that the club has gone through four different starting quarterbacks while committing a league-high 30 turnovers.

It’s also worth noting that Cleveland is a perfect 3-0 this season vs. AFC South squads. However, that mini-streak comes to an end on Sunday afternoon at Houston. Those numerous Browns’ miscues catch up with them this Sunday as Houston’s impressive bounce back season continues.