Houston Texans Last Season
The Houston Texans tied for the second worst in the NFL in 2021 at 4-13. The sorry season was overshadowed by the Deshaun Watson scandal around his alleged coercive and lewd sexual behavior, which made his trade inevitable.
One of the Texans’ wins did come against the Tennessee Titans, who ended the season with the best record in the AFC. Another solid win came in a 41-29 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers. The other two wins came against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team with the worst record in the NFL.
Wide receiver Brandon Cooks reached over 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season with the Texans, while rookie quarterback Davis Mills showed promise.
Houston Texans Key Additions
The most significant additions for the Texans came from the NFL Draft. The Texans ended up with the third overall pick. The Texans were also able to get the 13th pick in the draft after trading Watson to the Cleveland Browns. They flipped the 13th pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 15th pick and additional picks.
They had a solid draft, selecting players who can be impact pieces. They chose corner Derek Stingley Jr. with the third pick, and he has the talent to be something special. They also selected offensive lineman Kenyon Green with their other first round pick, an immediate starter in the interior of the team’s offensive line.
They drafted safety Jalen Pitre, wide receiver John Metchie III, linebacker Christian Harris and running back Dameon Pierce. The draft is a solid first step in the right direction.
Metchie will miss the entire season, however, as he was diagnosed with a form of leukemia.
In free agency, due to the team’s status, they could not attract any big-name players. They brought in offensive lineman A.J. Cann and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on short-term deals, as the teams biggest free-agent signings.
Houston Texans Key Subtraction
The Texans’ quarterback room saw the most major change happen. Watson was already rumored to be on the trading block before the public was aware of his numerous sexual assault allegations, the deal finally went through.
Watson was not the only quarterback to leave, with Tyrod Taylor signing with the New York Giants. He only played in six games and only finished four of them as rookie Mills eventually took over his starting job.
The secondary also took a massive hit, losing three players. Terrance Mitchell joined the New England Patriots, while Justin Reid and Lonnie Johnson ended up on the Kansas City Chiefs. Also on defense, Jacob Martin, second on the Texans in sacks with just four, signed with the New York Jets.
Houston Texans Head Coach Analysis
At the end of the 2021 season, David Culley was fired from his first head coaching job after one year. He did not do a standout job, but te team was prepared for every game, and there was just not much he could do with the roster.
A 22-13 win over the No. 1-seeded Titans and a blowout win over a good Chargers team is something few fans expected. The Texans also went 2-1 against teams with the same or worse record than them beating the Jaguars twice and losing to the Jets, essentially playing well against the teams they matched up with talent-wise. The team also kept it close against the Patriots in a 25-22 loss, as well as with the second game with the Titans losing 28-25.
Last season’s defensive coordinator Lovie Smith will be the head coach in 2022 and seems to be a good fit. He is already familiar with the team and could offer a new voice to the team. The defense was noticeably the best-looking unit on the team, and maybe Smith can transition that progress to the whole team.
Houston Texans Injured Players at the Beginning of the Season
For most of the 2021 season, the Texans were able to stay away from any significant injuries. The biggest one that did occur was to star offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil, who required thumb surgery after five games. He has fully recovered and will be ready to play come Week 1.
Last season’s sack leader, Jonathan Greenard, is dealing with a foot injury and is questionable for Week 1 before training camp. Starting safety Eric Murray is also questionable for Week 1 after offseason shoulder surgery.
Metchie is gona for the year after his leukemia diagnosis.
Houston Texans Offense
Last season, the Texans had one of the worst offenses in the NFL. They ranked 30th in points scored and 32nd in total yards. The offense could not stay on the field, having the lowest number of first downs and the third- lowest time per possession, at 2:33 minutes per possession.
When Taylor was hurt early in the season, Mills took over but struggled, leading to many of the team’s issues on offense. When Taylor returned from injury, Mills won the starting job back and played well in the season’s final five games. He still had his hiccups, like 163 yards on 32 passes in Week 17.
Cook was pretty much the only receiving target, with 134 targets, doubling second place Nico Collins with 60. .
The offense had little run game to show for, having the least amount of rushing yards in the NFL. Rookie running back Pierce and interior offensive lineman Green should at least balance out the team a little more.
Houston Texans Defense
The Texans ranked 27th in points allowed and 31th in yards, which makes sense because their offense could not keep them off the field. This affected the team’s overall stats, holding up well against the pass, being middle of the pack in those stats while being the worst defense against the run.
They did allow 26.6 points per game, which put them as the sixth-worst defense, despite having the second-worst record in the NFL. Part of that had to do with opponents’ drives lasting only six plays which were the 16th best, placing them right in the middle of the NFL.
Though the defense wasn’t excellent, it was good enough to earn Smith the head coaching job. It is also the side of the ball that has the most talent, but they also gained a lot of talent in the draft. Rookie corner Stingley has all the tools to be a lockdown player and should make an immediate impact.
Houston Texans Special Teams
After starting the season with Joey Slye as the team’s kicker, he was cut, allowing long-time starter Ka’imi Fairbairn to regain his spot after starting the 2021 season injured. Due to the nature of the success of the Texans’ offense, he didn’t have that much to do. However, Fairbairn made a 61-yard field goal, tied for the third longest of the season, but only made 78.9% of field goals he attempted.
Punting was a standout of the Texans last season, also probably due to the team’s struggles on offense. Punter Cameron Johnston played all 17 games, leading the league in punts and yards. He did have the most opportunities to punt, but he also did a solid job of pinning the opponents inside their 20, doing that 37 times, for the second most in the NFL.
Kick returns were another strength for the team, but a cause of that could be they had more opportunities than most, having the fourth-most returns. All those returns led to the third-most return yards in the NFL, as well as one kickoff return touchdown.
Houston Texans Prediction for the 2022 Season
The 2021 season for the Texans was challenging, and it may not improve much in 2022. The team is in a rebuilding phase and has taken the necessary steps to do so, getting as many picks as they could in the Watson deal. The good thing is that new head coach Smith should be able to keep the same culture that Culley was trying to create. Cully wasn’t given a second season, Smith should be given the opportunity, even if the record does not change.
It is possible that the Texans’ record stays the same and they probably will not win more than five games. They added a lot of young talent, and the defense was solid, the roster still needs a lot of work. Getting more early draft picks will play a big part in the team’s rebuild, and the Texans will likely again be selected in the top five in the draft.
Mills seems to be the starting quarterback for the 2022 season, so how he plays this season will significantly impact his role in the rebuild. If he can carry the momentum and success, he showed last year into the season into 2022. Mills should have success.
Houston Texans Final Thoughts
It is officially the first season the Texans rebuild. They pretty much had the same record in 2020 as they did in 2021 Now Watson and his baggage have left the team, they have hired a new coach and had their first rebuilding rookie class, the rebuild can officially start.
This season should not be measured by wins in losses but by overall growth. Each game needs to have a focus on getting better. This team is young, and it will be essential to see what rookies succeed because they may become critical pieces in the team’s future.
It will be nice to see Smith get more of a leash to fail and make mistakes than Culley did because that is just a hard way to run a team.
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Houston Texans FAQs
Have the Texans won a Super Bowl?
The Texans have not won a Super Bowl or played in one. The team was formed in 2002 and has mostly struggled for most of that time. They have only made the playoffs six times.
What is the Texans’ weakness?
The Texans roster overall is not one of the team’s strengths, finishing with one of the worst records in the 2021 season. However, the offensive line run blocking and the running back group was a weakness for the team. The team had the fewest yards rushing and second-lowest rushing touchdowns.
How to get the NFL's permission to use the Houston Texans logo?
To legally use the Texans’ logo, you must go through many channels with the NFL and the team itself to gain permission. You would need to contact the NFL, offering information about your own business and reasons for wanting to use the logo.
Did Brock Osweiler steal money from the Houston Texans?
After starting seven games for the Denver Broncos in 2015 and looking decent, the Texans offered Brock Osweiler a massive contract to be theirstarting quarterback. Osweiler accepted the four-year and $72 million only to play one season with the team. He finished the year 8-6, throwing one more interceptions than touchdowns. Osweiler did win a playoff game that year but was immediately traded back to the Broncos.
