Texans Mania

5 burning questions that will determine if the Texans' season is a success or a flop

5 burning questions that will determine if the Texans' season is a success or a flop
Will Jadeveon Clowney put it into overdrive? Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

Where were you on September 8, 2002, when the expansion Houston Texans shocked the world and defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-10? It's hard to believe the Texans franchise is entering its 15th season. With a less-than-stellar mark of 106-134 during those previous 14 years, we take a moment to examine the burning issues and questions facing the Texans in advance of their preseason opener vs. Carolina Wednesday night in Charlotte.

1. Is Bill O'Brien on the hot seat?

Yes, the Texans head coach is on it. After a trio of 9-7 seasons, will his fourth year at the helm allow the Texans to take a notable step forward?

In year four, Pete Carroll won a Super Bowl with Seattle. There have been others: Mike Ditka in Chicago comes to mind, and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton brought Lombardi's prize to Bourbon Street in his fourth season. Of course, we know the legend in Foxboro: Bill Belichick had already won a pair of rings by his fourth year in New England, and in his fifth campaign he would pull in yet another.  

O'Brien will need to advance out of the second round of the playoffs if he expects a new contract beyond next season. He has a championship-caliber defense, but is that enough?  

2. How will the quarterback situation be handled?

He might not want to admit it, but for yet another season O'Brien will have a rotating carousel at the quarterback position. Does anyone really believe that Tom Savage will last a 16-game season fully upright with his limited mobility in the pocket and suspect offensive line? Does anyone believe that the public urging to "see what No. 4 can do" will subside and not intensify with each passing week to see Deshaun Watson in action? I guarantee you by a wide margin that there will be more Watson than Savage jerseys this year in the stands at NRG.

The Texans made a bold move in jumping up 13 spots on Draft Night to nab Watson. An even bolder move would be to actually play him. That will inevitabily come, and how the coaching staff handles juggling Savage and Watson will, in large measure, dictate the season the Texans have in 2017.

3. Can the Texans stay healthy?

Will J.J. Watt revert back to All Star form? Can Duane Brown on the offensive side get back to Pro Bowl caliber? Defensive back Kevin Johnson has Pro Bowl potential, but he needs to remain on the field to realize greatness. It should also be pointed out that there are aging vets on this squad.  Can Cushing and Jonathan Joseph endure another 16-game season?

4. Can the Texans beat New England?

Their postseason ended at the hands of Tom Brady. Their two-game winning streak to start 2016 also ended at the hands of the Patriots in resounding fashion. The combined scores of those defeats last year were 61 to 16.

As fate would have it, the Texans travel again to Foxboro in Week 3. Can they control the clock, force a few turnovers, and surprise with a gadget play for a chance? A victory could very well catapult the Texans into something special this year.  

5. How important is the Clowney factor?

How good can Jadeveon Clowney be? If you talk to his teammates and coaches around the league, the consensus is that Clowney has barely scratched the surface and that greatness is within reach. It's scary to think how good the Texans defense could be with a healthy Watt and Jadeveon at the helm.

One NFL insider told me last week, "Don't be surprised if Clowney leads the NFL in sacks this season." That's lofty praise for a guy who amassed a total of six sacks last season, but something not to be taken lightly. Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent had three gears in which he played; when fully primed and powering off the line, he was unblockable. Clowney, much like Dent, has different gears. If he puts it into overdrive, he'll wreck havoc on opposing quarterbacks and good things will happen for the Texans.

In closing, I'm predicting an 11-5 season for the Texans. They'll have the division sown up, and the New Year's Eve finale vs. the Colts in Indianapolis will be non-eventful. The Texans will earn a bye, win their divisional round, and inevitability face Tom Brady again in Foxboro in January. Enjoy the season, everyone!

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Originally appeared on CultureMap. Craig Larson Jr. is program director of SB Nation Radio Network.

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The Texans will look to get back on track this Sunday against the Colts. Composite Getty Image.

C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are looking for answers after their passing game couldn’t get going in a loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Houston’s passing attack had been a strength all season, and the Texans ranked fifth in yards passing per game through their first six games. But on Sunday at Lambeau Field, Stroud was limited to a career-low 86 yards in the 24-22 loss, which snapped a three-game winning streak.

Stroud was 10 of 21 and didn’t have a touchdown pass for the first time this season. The second-year player was under duress for much of the day and was sacked four times and hit seven other times.

“We have to go back to the drawing board and see what those issues were,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “As we watch the film, we’ll see what happened, starting for me the communication and just guys being on the details of the job.”

The Texans scored a season-high 41 points in a win over New England a week earlier in which Stroud threw a season-best three touchdown passes despite being without star receiver Nico Collins.

They were unable to replicate that success Sunday with Collins out for the second of at least four games after a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve.

Stefon Diggs led the team with five receptions against the Packers, but they only amounted to 23 yards. Tank Dell, who the Texans expected to step up with Collins out, was targeted four times but didn’t have a catch.

Stroud discussed the importance of getting Dell more involved in the offense.

“We have to find a way to try and get him the rock early and often and then go from there,” he said. “It has to be a focus for us, not only just him, but the whole offense clicking early. That is really my job to get the ball out on time and to where it is supposed to go. So yeah, that definitely has to be fixed.”

Ryans spoke about his confidence is getting Dell going.

What's working

The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their last two games after they hadn’t caused any in their previous three games.

Houston scored 16 points off three turnovers Sunday. The Texans had two interceptions and recovered a fumble on a punt. In their win over the Patriots, they scored 17 points off a season-high four turnovers.

What needs help

The Texans won’t get to where they want to be this season if Stroud doesn’t get back on track. Before Sunday, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year was averaging more than 262 yards passing a game, giving the team confidence that the problems in the passing game are fixable.

Ryans knows the line must give Stroud more time to throw and said the coaching staff will focus on improving in that area this week.

Stock up

RB Joe Mixon continued to shine Sunday in his second game back after missing three games with an ankle injury. Mixon, who is in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati, had 25 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay.

Mixon is confident the Texans will rebound this week if they quit making mistakes.

“Does it look I’m worried? I’m not worried at all,” he said. “Like I said, we got a ... good football team. At the end of the day, we are our own worst enemy.”

Stock down

Dell was unable to help Stroud get the passing game going. The second-year player had a solid rookie season with 709 yards receiving and seven touchdowns in 11 games before breaking his leg. But he hasn’t been able to build on that success this year and has just 194 yards receiving with one score in six games.

Injuries

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion), CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) all missed Sunday’s game and it’s unclear if any of these starters can return this week.

Key number

3 — Safety Calen Bullock had his third interception Sunday to tie Dunta Robinson and Jumal Rolle for most interceptions by a rookie in franchise history through the first seven games. He leads NFL rookies in interceptions this season and is tied for third-most among all players.

Next steps

The AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) return to division play Sunday when they host the second-place Colts (4-3), who have won two in a row and four of five.

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