Offense
Texans brass and fans alike hope new head coach Gary Kubiak is able to bring a little of the Denver Broncos offensive success to the Texans this season. The Broncos offense finished in the top 10 an astounding nine times in his 11 year tenure, which included seven top five finishes as the Broncos offensive coordinator.
The leader of the Texans, young David Carr has been sacked 117 times in the past two seasons, culminating in last year's debacle in which he was sacked 68 times as the Texans limped to a 2-14 finish. This season the Texans are hoping that with new blocking schemes implemented by Kubiak, new weapons such as Eric Moulds, and a healthy Domanick Davis that David Carr will flourish and show the promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick just four years ago.
The Texans offensive line is made up of the “who’s who of who?” If David Carr is to succeed then the offensive line needs to keep him off of his back and allow him to make plays to his formidable duo of WRs Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds, and make Kubiak look like the genius that most believe he is.
Running back Domanick Davis looks to improve on his 2005 campaign in which he racked up over 1,300 total yards in just 11 games. Health will be the key here as Davis has missed eight games in his three seasons, including five games last season. If the Denver running backs are any hint of what to expect from Davis, 1300 yards rushing and 1,700 total yards would not be out of the question.
Defense
The Texans drafted big DE Mario Williams first overall in the 2006 NFL draft much to the surprise of many NFL observers and to the chagrin of many of their fans. Local hero Vince Young was a fan favorite, as was electrifying RB Reggie Bush. Mario Williams was the last pick most fans expected the Texans to make, but coach Kubiak believes he already has his quarterback and running back, and what he really needed was a defensive end to rush the quarterback in the Texans newly implemented 4-3 alignment.
Defensive ends Jason Babin and Antwan Peek will compete for the job opposite Williams, and the Texans hope that along with converted defensive tackle Anthony Weaver they will be able to pressure the quarterback and protect a weak secondary that registered only seven interceptions all of last season. The secondary gets considerably weaker after No. 1 CB Dunta Robinson with Lewis Sanders, Phillip Buchanon at corner, and C.C. Brown returning at free safety after starting thirteen games as a rookie, along with Glenn Earl at strong safety.
The linebackers hope to improve with the return of the emergent Shantee Orr, who registered seven sacks last season in his first season as a starter, and rookie DeMeco Ryans manning the middle.
Synopsis
Now is the time for David Carr to show the Texans he was worth the vote of confidence they gave him by picking up his $8 million option, and for the Texans to take the next step towards competing. This is year five of the Houston Texans existence. While still young as far as franchises are concerned, with the parity level in today’s NFL, and the impatience of fans and owners alike, the Texans need to show that they can take a step forward in their progress. Although in a division with the offensive juggernaut Indianapolis Colts, and a great defensive team in the Jacksonville Jaguars, the best I can see the Texans finishing this season is third. Coach Kubiak will have a few years to build this team in his image before feeling the pressure to win and I think he is just the man for the job.