In 2019, houston texans broke buffalo bills advance to the divisional round match against kansas city chiefs Qualify for the AFC Championship Game. Head coach Bill O'Brien signed a contract extension in 2018, took over personnel duties before the 2019 season, and things seemed to be going well. They had a 24-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback, an All-Pro receiver in his prime, and arguably the best defensive player in football (when healthy).
Between losing to the Chiefs in the playoffs in January 2020 and making the playoffs in January 2024, Houston went through a partially self-inflicted nightmare, flipping the entire team to overcome any setbacks. Ta.
Although they signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a large four-year contract just before the start of the season, the Texans got off to a slow start in the 2020 season with four consecutive losses, leading to O'Brien being fired during the season. They went 1-6 with a bye, but officials hinted that they could trade JJ Watt, who was in the final year of his contract. The team won back-to-back AFC South titles the past two seasons before finishing 4-12 and trading receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Amidst rumors that Texans vice president Jack Easterby, who took over team personnel management when coach O'Brien was fired, disliked him, the Texans hired Nick Caserio, a highly regarded personnel manager for the Patriots, as general manager in January. I was able to hire him. 2021. Still, Houston struggled to fill its head coaching vacancy, ultimately settling on David Curry, who had never held a coordinator job in the NFL.
Months later, Watson was accused of sexual assault by a Houston massage therapist, raising the prospect of dozens more charges. Because there were no criminal charges against Watson, the NFL did not suspend him for the 2021 season, but the Texans did not play him. They kept him on the 53-man roster, but he was not fit for games.
Without Hopkins, Watson and the departed Watt, the team went 4-13 with stopgap stops at multiple positions. They were 30th in both goals scored and goals conceded. They fired Curry, who had been publicly shown to be incompetent in virtually every way a head coach is measured against.
After the season ended, the Texans seemed stuck on reverses instead of drives. After conducting head coaching interviews, the team ultimately promoted associate head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith despite the team's poor performance in 2021. They competed for the disgraced Watson and ultimately secured a big offer from the team. cleveland brownsbut did not upgrade at quarterback.
The 2022 NFL Draft class was weak at quarterback, so they brought them back and had three QBs start the game, led by Davis Mills. Unsurprisingly, their record in 2022 was even worse, with 3 wins, 13 losses, and 1 draw. They once again ranked 30th in terms of goals scored and goals conceded. After firing Easterby in October and firing Lovie Smith at the end of the season, the Texans were looking for their fifth head coach in four seasons.
What did the Houston Texans do in the 2023 offseason to return to the top of the AFC South and host a playoff game?
They added quality talent to multiple layers of the organization, then used the draft available from the Watson trade to add high-level players in key spots, ultimately moving them past the Watson era.
First, they hired former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans as head coach. Lyons spent his two years san francisco 49ers Following the departure of Robert Saleh, he took charge of the defense and immediately brought respect, credibility and accountability. Something Curry and Smith were unable to instill.
They selected QB CJ Stroud with the second overall pick, ultimately bringing stability to the position. Since then, they've made a huge leap forward, going from 12th overall draft pick to third behind pass rusher Will Anderson. Receiver Tank Dell was picked up in the third round.
With Stroud leading the way, they have grown in all aspects of their game. The rookie QB started 15 games and would have set numerous NFL rookie records had it not been for a December concussion. Dell was a solid performer, along with fellow young receiver Nico Collins, tight end Dalton Schultz and veteran Robert Woods. Free agent addition Devin Singletary ran for 53 yards per game, and the offense finished 13th in points and 1st in turnovers.
The defense also turned around. Houston finished 11th in points allowed and improved in every statistic, largely due to team effort. Jonathan Greenard set a career high with 12.5 sacks, which was joined by Anderson's seven sacks. Cornerback Derek Stingley, a fifth-round pick, had a solid season and earned his first alternate spot in the Pro Bowl.
Coupled with the collapse at the end of the season, jacksonville jaguarsAt one point, the Texans had the second-best record in the AFC at 8-3, but had a solid season, winning the division with a 10-7 record and 4-2 in the AFC South. They are ahead of schedule in the grand scheme of things.
Yes, the Texans lost to a wild-card opponent just a few weeks ago, but they didn't have Stroud or Anderson when they played the Cleveland Browns. Both first-round rookies are scheduled to play Saturday.
The Texans appear poised for a string of success this season and beyond. With a young coaching staff, a franchise quarterback, offensive and defensive leaders in place, and the fourth-most cap space in the NFL, they are poised for what could be a long run in the AFC playoff picture.
Three straight seasons of four or fewer wins and four head coaches during that span are welcome developments for Texans fans.
