VYPE
We knew some changes were coming.
Originally appeared on VYPE
With Shadow Creek, Willis and Tomball moving up to Class 6A and Fulshear shifting from Class 4A to Class 5A there was going to be some movement. So, how does the new-look 5A in the Houston-area for football teams?
Well, here we go.
Starting with Class 5A Division I. There are three Houston-area districts in this mix.
District 8-5A-DI includes Cleveland, College Station, Caney Creek, Lufkin, Magnolia, Magnolia West, New Caney, Porter and Waller. Lufkin moves from its East Texas district and is pulled into the Houston area. This is going to be a competitive district. In football, New Caney has been a power the past few years, we will see how they do under a new head coach in 2020.
That district is in Region II as well, meaning come playoff time they will be traveling a lot.
In Region III, District 9-5A-DI sees all of the Goose Creek CISD schools - Goose Creek Memorial, Baytown Lee and Baytown Sterling - get put together, which is nice for that district. Other teams involved will be Beaumont United, which moves down from 6A, Friendswood, Galveston Ball, La Porte and Port Arthur Memorial.
The final Houston-area district in 5A-DI is District 10-5A. Manvel and Foster headline this district when it comes to football. Both teams have been powers the past few years and should continue that trend in 2020. Angleton is another team to watch in the district along with Fort Bend Hightower, Fort Bend Kempner, Rosenberg Terry, Milby, Wisdom and Katy Paetow.
The story continues here
Coming off a disappointing loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, we examine what went wrong for the Texans, and how they can improve the team this offseason.
Once again the offensive line was the weak link on the team, and according to PFF had their worst performance of the season versus KC, posting a 44.9 pass blocking grade.
Right tackle Blake Fisher struggled the most, recording a 33.7 pass blocking grade. But it wasn't all on him, when he was given help from tight ends and running backs, it didn't make much of a difference. In some ways, attempting to chip pass rushers made things worse for Fisher. The help he was expecting didn't deliver, which caught him off guard.
Clearly the team missed tight end Cade Stover (broken collarbone), as Dalton Schultz was forced into more pass blocking situations where he failed repeatedly and looked like he had no interest in being physical.
Another area of concern was special teams. Kicker Kaimi Fairbairn was a big reason the Texans lost the game, shrinking in clutch situations and further proving he's a significantly worse kicker when he's not in the cozy temperature-controlled confines of NRG.
Considering the outlook in the AFC for the foreseeable future, trusting Fairbairn to perform in Buffalo, Baltimore, or Kansas City in January seems foolish.
But it's hard to believe Houston will move on from Fairbairn due to his contract. And the same goes for Schultz. One way the Texans can minimize Fairbairn's struggles would be to secure a bye in the playoffs next year, and avoid going on the road in the divisional round.
Looking for positives
Despite the loss, the Texans top players graded out well against KC, according to PFF.
Highest graded Texans
NIco Collins 85.5
CJ Stroud 85.3
Will Anderson 81.9
Danielle Hunter 80.8
Laremy Tunsil 75.9
Henry To'oTo'o 74.6
Final thoughts
Anyone with eyes knows that the Texans have to upgrade the offensive line next season. But next on the list has to be the receiving corps. At this point, you can't count on Tank Dell being healthy next season. Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III have been unable to get open in the NFL. So, should the team consider re-signing Stefon Diggs, who's also recovering from a serious knee injury and well into his thirties? That's a big no for me personally.
Hopefully the Texans prioritize youth and spend one of their first two picks on a receiver. A dynamic pass-catching tight end that can actually block should also be considered.
Don't miss the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap breaks it all down!