What Might Have Been

With the Houston Texans winding down yet another losing season, you can bet their fans are questioning the team's decision to pass on a potential once-in-a-generation offensive superstar with the No. 1 overall pick in last April's NFL Draft.

No, I'm not talking about running back Reggie Bush. Vince Young is the guy I'm referring to.

Granted, it's far too early to determine whether or not the Texans were justified in their selection, but early perception by the masses is they made a mistake. And missing out on Bush, who has been tearing up the league the past couple weeks, was bad enough. But passing on Young is a move the franchise could regret for a long, long time.

The popular line of thinking prior to the 2006 draft was that it would take Young a couple years to adjust to the pro game. So far, it's looking like that's not the case. The rookie has lit a fire under the Titans since taking over as the starting QB, and currently has the team on a four-game winning streak. In fact, the Texans have won six of their last eight contests, including wins over the Eagles, Giants, and Colts during that stretch. And their latest win was capped off Sunday by Young's 39-yard touchdown scramble in overtime.

The thing that hurts the most, though, is Young is a local hero, having played his college ball for the Texas Longhorns. (Remember that little national championship thingy last year?) And as fate would have it, he landed with a division rival, which means he gets to remind Texans' fans what they passed on... twice each season! If Young is what we thought he was (thanks Denny Green), Titans' management may never live this one down.