Houston Texans: Why the Offense Is a Wide Receiver Away from Being Elite

Statistics are used more in American sports than they are in any other around the world. However, statistics do not always reflect the reality of what they are tracking.

Take the San Diego Chargers, for example. The Chargers last year ranked first—in terms of yards—in both offense and defense in the whole league. Where did they go in the playoffs?...Well, they didn't go to the playoffs. The Chargers finished with a 9-7 record and no playoff place.

When you think of the Houston Texans from last season, you think of one man. For maybe the first time since he entered the NFL, Andre Johnson is not that man. Nor is it David Carr or even Matt Schaub. Last season the Houston Texans hitched their wagon to Arian Foster.

Foster led the whole league in rushing with 1,616 yards rushing on 327 carries (third overall).

Despite those numbers, Schaub still ranked fifth in the league in pass attempts. The Texans were—statistically at least—a better team through the air than on the ground last season. As a team they ranked fourth in passing yards per game as opposed to seventh in rushing yards per game.

Nonetheless, it is the team's passing that needs to be improved before the start of next season. To this point, a defensive-driven draft was preceded by the re-signing of Derrick Ward and Owen Daniels to reinforce the Texans offense.

The Ward re-signing and the return of last year's second-round pick Ben Tate should improve the running game from last season. The Daniels signing came as somewhat of a surprise for a player that has struggled with serious injuries over the past two seasons. However, if he returns to full health, he could be a potent option for Schaub.

Schaub himself is a very talented signal caller who finished with a 2:1 touchdown ratio and quarterback rating of 92.0 last season. For these very reasons, it was no surprise that the team finished ninth in scoring last year.

This is, of course, without referencing one major aspect of the Texans offense.

In my mind—and I'm not a Texans fan—Andre Johnson is far and away the best wide receiver in the league. However, it is the Texans' wide receiving corps that is holding them back from taking that final step towards being an elite offense.

The running game looks better than stout. The quarterback is a stud. The pass-catching tight end just needs to stay healthy. The offensive line is a great run-blocking unit and a solid group of pass blockers. They have the best wide receiver in the league. Isn't this team already elite?

No. The Texans lack a viable complement starting across from Andre Johnson. The lack of a true No. 2 receiver in Houston prevented the team from making my list of top-10 receiving corps in the league.

The Texans do not have a bad receiving corps. Obviously they are led by Johnson, who is a perennial All-Pro and lives up to his reputation every time he steps on the field. He finished last season with 86 receptions in only 13 games. However, the player with the second-most receptions was Arian Foster with 66.

Kevin Walter was the team's other starting receiver last season. He was tied for third on the team in receptions with Jacoby Jones. Both players finished the season with 51 receptions. While this was considered a breakout season for Jones, it was below average for Walter as a starter.

Walter, in my mind, should replace Jones as the team's third-choice receiver. Jones is hitting free agency and will likely be too expensive to re-sign. This isn't necessarily a bad thing considering the team could then make a play for one of the bigger free agent receivers available to be their second-choice receiver.

While there are plenty of big-name receivers hitting free agency this year, the Texans are unlikely to be competing for the top-tier talent. Guys like Vincent Jackson and Sidney Rice will be looking to be atop the depth chart wherever they land.

The only big-name receiver that the team should consider overpaying for is Santonio Holmes. Holmes would be the perfect complement for Andre Johnson, as he excels at working the underneath coverage and will dominate the opposition if the secondary swings to Johnson's side (as if it ever doesn't).

A starting receiver must be able to take advantage of defenses focusing on his teammate. The second-choice receiver must be able to beat single coverage on a consistent basis and force the defense to respect him as well as the first-choice receiver. There is absolutely no question that Holmes would be able to do this.

Holmes, however, is not the only player that would be an immediate upgrade over Kevin Walter. There are a few more realistic prospects that would allow the Texans offense to turn into an elite attack.

Mike Sims-Walker was an effective receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars with little help as the first-choice receiver. Similarly to Sims-Walker, Santana Moss was fighting a losing battle for the whole of last season in Washington. Pitting Moss across from Andre Johnson would make him an even greater threat.

The other option would be to bring in Terrell Owens, but that would be a very risky proposition. For all his issues, Owens is always a great teammate when he is winning. The Texans would have to have great confidence in the team's mental strength and leadership if they were to bring him on board. There is no doubt, however, that he would put up huge numbers in the offense, as he was the lone bright spark on the Bengals offense last season in spite of his age.

The addition of just one of these receivers would drastically change the Texans' receiving corps. Their depth would improve dramatically. Kevin Walter goes from being an okay second-choice receiver to one of the best third-choice receivers in the league. The team would be hoping for either Trindon Holliday or former tight end Dorin Dickerson to step up as a fourth-choice receiver, but that wouldn't be vital for the team's success.

Provided Owen Daniels returns fully healthy (which cannot be guaranteed), the Texans would only need to go three deep at receiver, as they did predominantly last season. With Daniels and Joel Dreessen giving the team solid snaps at the tight end position, as well as Arian Foster coming out of the backfield, this offense would be overwhelmingly difficult to match up with.

Who knows? Steve Slaton could even turn into the team's fourth-choice receiver with the return of Ben Tate to the backfield. Slaton may not be much of a fan favorite anymore, but he did catch 94 passes during his two seasons as a starter and is elusive in space.

One thing is for certain: The Houston Texans will once again have a very good offense in 2011. Whether it can take the step and turn into an elite offense will be determined by the production they get from their receiving corps, excluding Johnson of course.

The Houston Texans' first trip to the playoffs in franchise history is on the horizon with this offense...well, provided the defense doesn't implode transitioning to a 3-4 scheme.

Serial tweeting about NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, Soccer and Rugby @Cianaf

Are you a big sports fan? Then make sure to check out Chicago Sports Authority, which is the website that hosts The Magazine that I write for.