If you listened to the narrative on the Texans without any context, the franchise has taken a step back.
DeMeco Ryans isn’t a very good coach and quarterback C.J. Stroud isn’t quite as good as first thought.
But here is the reality: In the second year of both Ryans and Stroud, the Texans have ended the regular season 10-7 for a second straight year, captured the AFC South title in each of those seasons, and are set to host a playoff game at NRG Stadium in back-to-back years. The Los Angeles Chargers come into town Saturday, and the Texans will have a chance to advance to the second round of the playoffs for consecutive years.
Yet, some fans and even talking heads have suggested the Texans look to move on from these two. How quickly we’ve forgotten the 3-13-1 disaster that Stroud and Ryans walked into last year and quickly turned around.
This city and the Texans fans should be proud and excited about what’s happening around here. Ryans and Stroud, who are tied at the hip, have returned hope and expectations to Texans football. For that, we should be grateful and appreciative.
Yet, some sectors of the fan base believe the Texans should be better and deserve better.
Those folks are delusional. The players and coaches know this but can’t say.
I can.
For those of us who understand the game and know how long it takes to rebuild an NFL franchise the right way, you see something special is happening here. And it’s happening ahead of schedule.
Some franchises could only dream of the instant success the Texans are enjoying right now. My hometown team, the Cleveland Browns, comes to mind.
Sure, making it to 10 wins hasn’t gone as smoothly this season. The Texans have battled through injuries, personal conduct and inconsistent offensive play – issues that were non-issues in 2023. The Texans started the 2024 campaign with a trio of receivers that could have been the best in the league this season. But Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell all missed significant time this year due to injury, with Diggs and Dell both having their seasons ended prematurely.
Stroud could have played better this season. He missed on some throws and took way too many sacks. But those things happen when NFL defensive coordinators have an entire offseason to dissect every movement and tendency a quarterback has. Year 3 will be most telling in this chess match called the NFL.
So instead of throwing up your hands and being ready to move on, trust the process and enjoy winning again.
