Nick Wright lays out why CJ Stroud, Texans have best chance to challenge Chiefs
A NEW CHALLENGER EMERGES
27 February 2024
A NEW CHALLENGER EMERGES
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, and it doesn't look like they're slowing down anytime soon. But if they were to take a step back in 2024, free agency could be one of the main reasons.
The Chiefs were elite on the defensive side of the ball this past season, and two of their best defenders could be moving on to another team. Chris Jones and L'Jarius Sneed are expected to command a ton of money on the open market that KC may not be able to match.
So if that happens and the Chiefs aren't quite as loaded in 2024, which team has the best chance to challenge them? According to most sportsbooks, the Ravens, Bills, and Bengals have the best opening odds to win the AFC if we eliminate the Chiefs from the conversation.
However, FS1's Nick Wright doesn't see it that way. He's a huge Kansas City fan, so he doesn't really see any team as a true threat. But if he has to pick one, he's going with CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans.
Are the Texans the next team up to challenge the Chiefs?
— @getnickwright on why Houston reminds him of the Cincinnati Bengals when they beat KC: pic.twitter.com/NQNu6qeNCn
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 20, 2024
Nick makes the case that the Texans are already a playoff team, with Houston winning their division and a playoff game in 2023. They have a great QB, and consistency at head coach and the coordinator positions. He believes Houston has a similar blueprint as the 2021 Bengals, the only team to knock off the Chiefs in the AFC over the last five seasons.
Joe Burrow was in his second year, just like Stroud. He had two big time playmakers at receiver with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. And they were able to load up on defense in free agency before the season.
That does sound a lot like the Texans, who have the seventh-most cap space, according to PFF.
Updated cap space leaders 👀💰 pic.twitter.com/VyBkrB4aj9
— PFF (@PFF) February 23, 2024
And Nico Collins and Tank Dell provide Stroud with a ton of firepower out wide. If there's a team that can make a big leap and challenge KC, don't be surprised if it's the Texans.
What do the odds say?
If we look at those same odds from above for the AFC, Houston has the sixth-best odds to win the conference and head to the Super Bowl. Here's what the opening odds for 2024 look like.
Kansas City Chiefs +360
Baltimore Ravens +425
Buffalo Bills +475
Cincinnati Bengals +700
Miami Dolphins +1100
Houston Texans +1200
Los Angeles Chargers +1400
New York Jets +1400
Jacksonville Jaguars +1400
Cleveland Browns +2000
Be sure to check out the short video above as Nick makes his case for Houston.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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