Houston Texans Predictions
July 1, 2008
Houston’s wait to reach the playoffs may finally be over this season. Last year’s 8-8 finish was the team’s best in its six-year history. The main pieces of the team return for 2008 and some depth has been added to its thinnest positions. If the Texans are to finish without a winning record this season, it will be a disappointment. At least there’s expectations down in Houston for their pro football team, but playing in the NFL’s toughest division with the AFC South won’t help matters. Let’s see how we feel things go for this team with our 2008 Houston Texans predictions below.
Offense:
The Texans offense rides on Matt Shaub’s ability to bounce back from a disappointing season at quarterback. He missed five starts and left four other games early with various injuries. But backup Sage Rosenfels won four of his five starts in Shaub’s place. The Texans have still made it clear that Shaub will be the starter this year. Shaub has a strong arm and just needs to stay off of his back after he gets rid of the ball. He’s also a great leader, but the Texans know they have a capable backup in Rosenfels if things go sour at quarterback.
The Texans are still waiting to produce a running game under head coach Gary Kubiak. Injuries haven’t helped matters. But the Texans feel they have a three-headed monster in Ahman Green, Chris Brown and rookie Steve Slaton. Both Green and Brown must stay healthy for them to be effective. Slaton will ideally be the third down back as he adds playmaking quality to the team that has been lacking for two years now.
The Texans have one of the best receiving corps in the league. Pro Bowler Andre Johnson missed seven starts last year, but still managed 851 receiving yards while leading the league with an average of 94.6 yards per game. Kevin Walter picked up the slack as a starter and Andre Davis was the surprise of the group. Davis averaged 17.7 yards per catch last year to solidify his No. 3 spot and the primary kick returner in Houston. Second-year man Jacoby Jones will be given a chance to get on the field as well.
New assistant head coach/offense Alex Gibbs has this offensive line headed in the right direction. Run blocking has been terrible the last two years, but Houston traded for center Chris Myers and used its first-round pick on left tackle Duane Brown, who’ll eventually replace Ephraim Salaam. Right guard Fred Weary should retain his starting job after suffering a season-ending leg injury last year. Young, inexperienced players in Mike Brisiel, Kasey Studdard and Brandon Frye will all be fighting for starting spots. Charles Spencer is expected to make a comeback at guard after a serious knee injury in 2006 has kept him out of action until now. Eric Winston is their right tackle and guard Chester Pitts will try to keep alive his streak of starting every single game in franchise history.
Defense:
The Texans hoped to add a pass rushing defensive end in the offseason but failed to do so. The unit remains intact from last year, with Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye leading the way. Williams lived up to his billing in his second season by recording 14 sacks. The Texans are hoping they see the same big strides from Okoye in year two. Tackles Travis Johnson, Jeff Zgonina and Anthony Maddux will remain part of an eight-man rotation their coaching staff uses to keep players fresh. Anthony Weaver will be opposite Williams while N.D. Kalu and Earl Cochran rotate in.
DeMarco Ryans is the leader of this defense. He’s coming off his first Pro Bowl season and he’ll be making all the calls on defense. Marlon Greenwood will return at weak-side linebacker as a great run stopper. Zac Diles is hoping to win a job at strong-side linebacker, which is vacant after Danny Clark left in free agency. Diles will try to hold off newcomers Kevin Bentley, Chaun Thompson and rookie fourth-rounder Xavier Adibi.
Corner Dunta Robinson will miss at least half the season with knee/hamstring injuries so the secondary is a major concern in Houston. C.C. Brown and Will Demps will be pushed for their starting jobs by Glenn Earl, who missed last season due to injury. Brandon Mitchell, Brandon Harrison and Dominique Barber will compete for playing time as well. They add youth and athleticism to this unit, but all three are inexperienced. Jaques Reeves will start opposite Fred Bennett at corner with Jamar Fletcher and DeMarcus Faggins competing for the nickel back job. This secondary looks to be the biggest weakness heading into the season.
Info Plays 2008 Houston Texans Predictions
Finally there are expectations that the Houston Texans will be asked to live up to. They offer one of the best passing attacks in the AFC, but their secondary will allow opposing offenses to put up a ton of points again this season. They are going to have to rely on outscoring their opponents, which has seemed to work very well for their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars and Titans will make it tough for the Texans to finish anywhere other than at the bottom of the barrel in the AFC South. This tough competition will ultimately have the Texans finishing in last place in the AFC South in 2008.
