The Texans look to rebound after a collapse in the divisional round last season. Will Deshaun Watson keep them competitive after an offseason of transition?
It is 24-0. Texans have their eyes set on a home AFC Championship showdown with division foes. You blinked.
It really happened that fast for the Texans, as the Chiefs took a 28-24 lead by the end of the 2nd quarter. Naturally, the team was disappointed in being unable to keep that lead. It turns out they were disappointed enough to ship out their star receiver to Arizona.
Out goes DeAndre Hopkins, in comes David Johnson and Ross Blacklock. Many people were struggling to make sense of this trade, as it seems Hopkins was undervalued by the Texans. Regardless, this offense will be able to survive this trade.
Deshaun Watson is still one of the premier QB’s in the NFL. Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, and Will Fuller is a solid trio of receivers if they can all stay healthy.
This defense will be where the eyes are. It was a unit that struggled in terms of yardage allowed all of 2019. The Texans were the only playoff team in 2019 to allow more PPG than they scored.
We all know about the production JJ Watt and Whitney Mercilus can put up. But in order to once again get back to the playoffs, the rest of the defense will need to carry more weight.
Let’s take a deeper look at the Texans 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 13th (5792 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 15th (3783 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 9th (2009 yards) |
| Total Defense | 28th (6213 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 29th (4276 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 25th (1937 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 23.6 |
| PPG Allowed | 24.1 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 20th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 21st |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 27th |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Brad Seely left as Special Teams Coordinator (yet to be replaced) |
| Chris Rumph replaces John Pagano as OLB Coach |
| D’Anton Lynn replaces Anthony Midget as DB Coach |
Offseason Additions
| Brandin Cooks WR |
| David Johnson RB |
| Randall Cobb WR |
| Eric Murray FS |
| Jaylen Watkins CB |
| Michael Thomas FS |
| Brent Qvale RT |
Offseason Losses
| DeAndre Hopkins WR |
| DJ Reader DT |
| Johnathan Joseph CB |
| Taiwan Jones RB |
| Barkevious Mingo OLB |
| Tashaun Gipson FS |
| Carlos Hyde RB |
| Mike Adams FS |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 2 (40) – Ross Blacklock DT TCU |
| Round 3 (90) – Jonathan Greenard Edge Florida |
| Round 4 (126) – Charlie Heck OT North Carolina |
| Round 4 (141) – John Reid CB Penn State |
| Round 5 (171) – Isaiah Coulter WR Rhode Island |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – at Kansas City Chiefs 8:20 PM ET NBC (Opening Game) | 1-2 |
| Week 2 – vs Baltimore Ravens 4:25 PM ET CBS | 0-2 |
| Week 3 – at Pittsburgh Steelers 1 PM ET CBS | 0-1 |
| Week 4 – vs Minnesota Vikings 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 5 – vs Jacksonville Jaguars 1 PM ET CBS | 4-2 |
| Week 6 – at Tennessee Titans 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 7 – vs Green Bay Packers 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 8 – BYE | |
| Week 9 – at Jacksonville Jaguars 1 PM ET CBS | 4-2 |
| Week 10 – at Cleveland Browns 1 PM ET FOX | 2-0 |
| Week 11 – vs New England Patriots 1 PM ET CBS | 1-2 |
| Week 12 – at Detroit Lions 12:30 PM ET CBS (Thanksgiving) | 0-0 |
| Week 13 – vs Indianapolis Colts 1 PM ET CBS | 2-5 |
| Week 14 – at Chicago Bears 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 15 – at Indianapolis Colts TBD | 2-5 |
| Week 16 – vs Cincinnati Bengals 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 17 – vs Tennessee Titans 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
Miscellaneous Notes
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Bill O’Brien has had a winning record in 5 of 6 seasons as HC of HOU
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JJ Watt has missed at least 8 games in 3 of the past 4 seasons
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HOU was the only team to win their division with a negative point differential (-7)
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| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 57.3% |
| Rush – 42.7% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. JJ Watt DE 87.0 |
| 2. Deshaun Watson QB 82.4 |
| 3. Justin Reid FS 76.7 |
| 4. Duke Johnson RB 75.9 |
| 5. Will Fuller WR 75.2 |
| Players who opted out of 2020 season |
| Eddie Vanderdoes DT |
Burning Question: Will the defense be a liability?
Bottom Line: It is very hard for me to bet against a team led by Deshaun Watson. He is one of the premier players in the NFL going forward. Yes, the Hopkins trade takes away his favorite option. But, Houston did a nice job bringing in guys who have proven they can contribute at that position. Overall, I am not too worried about the offense.
On the other hand this defense worries me plenty. The unit struggled in 2019, and the Texans did not do much to improve in the offseason. Ross Blacklock was a nice pick at the top of the second round. Is he enough to turn around a defense that allowed the 5th most yards in 2019?
This team will still win games due to their elite QB, but to win at a consistent level will be a tougher task. This defense will not make it harder on him and the offense as a whole. According to my projections, the Texans will slightly miss out on the playoffs in 2020.
Predicted Win Range: 7-9
