The 2023-24 Houston Texans finished the season on a high. They went 10-7, won the AFC South, won a Wildcard playoff game, and generally shocked the world by how well they performed. They were armed with a first time general manager in his third season, a first time rookie head coach, and a rookie quarterback on a team that won seven games in the previous two seasons.

Now that the bar has been established, how will things look moving forward? The roster has some important building blocks, but need more pieces in place. Who, what, when, and how that happens is something we'll have to wait and see. I'm not here to lay out what I think their offseason plans will look like. Not yet. That will come at some point. For now, I'm trying to foreshadow what the Texans will be doing a year from now.

Scene: New Orleans, LA during the pre-Super Bowl festivities in early February 2025

Date: some time before the February 9 game

“The Texans completed another successful season. They finished 12-5 and won the AFC South for the second year in a row. CJ Stroud is set to win his first league MVP award after throwing for over 4200 yards, 30+ touchdowns, less than eight interceptions, along with a surprising 400 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns. They ended with the number two seed and lost the AFC Title game to the Ravens in Baltimore.”

"DeMeco Ryans proved winning coach of the year last season was no fluke. Despite losing 21 different players to various injuries for large stretches of time, he was still able to navigate his second coaching campaign to better results than his first. He was runner-up for coach of the year. No coach has ever won the award one year, then finished that high the following year. Another milestone for the budding star.”

“Will Anderson Jr and Derek Stingley Jr both finished in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year. Anderson had 15+ sacks, 4+ forced fumbles, 3+ fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns. Stingley finished with 6+ interceptions, 10+ pass breakups, and 2+ defensive touchdowns. They both showed up big and bright during the Texans' three national TV prime time games, so that also helped get the word out.”

"The offense took a turn…for the better! (insert running back name here) ran for 1200+ yards and 8+ touchdowns, while (insert running back number two name here) contributed with 500+ yards rushing and 5+ touchdowns. Nico Collins and Tank Dell continued where they left off last season. Both guys were Pro Bowlers, however, Dell made it as a return specialist. He ran back a combo of three plus punt/kick returns. His constant field flipping returns made him more valuable as a returner this season, given the fact that (insert new wide receiver's name here) took some targets away from him. No wonder Frank Ross got a couple token interviews to be a head coach this hiring cycle."

I can totally see me writing something like this next year around this time. While that 28-24 loss to the Ravens in the AFC Title game will hurt, it'll be another speed bump on the road to success. This team is so much fun to watch now that I can't wait to see how they grow and continue to develop!