Houston Texans: 10 Biggest Questions for the 2011 Season

Frustration is mounting for anyone who follows this Texans team. You can feel it among fans who follow religiously and media members who cover the team and while they would never admit it openly, you can tell the frustration is present among the players, coaches and front office executives.

The thing is, you can't really blame them. The Texans have existed for nearly a decade and while they have been a .500 team on a couple of occasions, they've never really been serious playoff contenders. 

By this time, I imagine most fans figured they would have been to the playoffs a few times and been a championship contender at least once. If nothing else, I assume most fans figured we wouldn't have this many questions about the way the team is put together and the way the team is run.

I have ten questions here for the Texans 2011 season, but I probably could have thought of ten more. We're in the lead-up to what is likely the most important season in Texans history. If they break through to the postseason, past sins will largely be forgiven. If they miss the playoffs yet again, though, there is feeling that they will be looking to start over once again.

Will the Texans Make a Serious Push to Acquire Nnamdi Asomugha?

Earlier this offseason, I would have told you there was no way the Texans would be players in the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes. He was simply going to be too expensive and the Texans had too many needs to be using so much of their money on one player.

Now, I'm beginning to believe. Jason LaCanfora of RotoWorld is reporting that the Texans will indeed throw their hat in the ring.

Beyond the obvious on-field reasons to sign Asomugha, his signing would show the fans that Texans brass is willing to make big moves to be successful. Real or imagined, there is a perception that the Texans are scared to make big splashes and that Texans owner Bob McNair is content to make money on the franchise without any real commitment to winning.

There is a ton of risk involved with signing him, of course. It will almost surely be the richest contract ever given out to a cornerback. If the injury bug bites or Asomugha isn't as effective in Houston, his contract will be a big hindrance to the Texans moving forward.

Who Will Start at Safety?

While the Texans have their sights set on Nnamdi Asomugha as a possible fix at the cornerback position, the safety spot remains a big question mark.

Ultimately, I think the Texans would like someone already on the roster to step into a larger role. Troy Nolan has had some playing time and some success in the recent past. Shiloh Keo is a 2011 draft pick the Texans are high on. He was a sure tackler and playmaker at Idaho and the Texans are hoping he continues that in the NFL.

If the Texans are able to get Asomugha to Houston, they could get help at the safety position in the form of Brice McCain or Glover Quin.  One of those guys will find himself on the outside looking in at cornerback and moving over to safety might be a way to get on the field.

Who, Besides Mario Williams, Will Give the Texans a Solid Pass Rush?

You can count on good production from Mario Williams. After a couple of up and down seasons to start his career, Williams has proven to be an elite pass rusher.

Now, the Texans are hoping he will have some help. Connor Barwin will hopefully be 100 percent after missing all of last season with an injury. While still raw at defensive end, there is hope he can be a pass rush specialist.

Time is running short on Amobi Okoye in Houston, but he has shown flashes of being effective at defensive tackle. If he can't get it done, Earl Mitchell will be given a shot there.

Brooks Reed is a 2011 draftee that was drafted strictly for his pass rushing abilities. He isn't a true defensive end or outside linebacker, but the Texans are more concerned with what he can do as a pass rusher and less concerned with his limitations from a positioning standpoint.

Drafted one round before Reed, J.J. Watt carries the most expectation. He was a blue-collar defensive lineman at Wisconsin and the hope is that he brings that to Houston with him.

Will Arian Foster Be Able to Duplicate His Production from 2010?

The short answer to this question is no. It would be an incredible feat for Foster to rush for over 1,600 yards in back to back seasons. He'll just have so much working against him.

For one, injuries are a part of the game. Foster was healthy for all of last season, but it's really rare that a physical running back like him has two healthy seasons like that in back to back years.

He also won't surprise anyone this season. Last year, he had more than his fair share of doubters when he put up huge numbers in the first couple of weeks. Teams were so concerned with stopping Matt Schaub and the passing attack that Foster was running wild. This season, he won't have that luxury. Teams will stack up to stop him.

I'm not predicting Foster will have a precipitous drop in production like his backfield mate Steve Slaton did. On the contrary, I think he'll be one of the top backs in the league yet again. I just think it's unreasonable for him to match, or even better, his production from last season.

Which Rookie Will Have the Biggest Impact?

This question is more difficult to answer than it usually is. Generally, the team's first round draft pick is the obvious answer to this question and the Texans are no exception in most years.

What makes this draft class difficult to predict is that so many of the players drafted will have a chance to contribute right away.

Top draft picks J.J. Watt and Brooks Reed will step in immediately to try to help the defensive front seven. Rashad (Roc) Carmichael and Brandon Harris will certainly be in the mix to get playing time at cornerback and Shiloh Keo is a favorite to start at strong safety.

Ultimately, I think Reed will have the biggest impact. He is a freakish athlete and he is a great fit for Wade Phillips' defense. He will be allowed to stand up at outside linebacker and do what he does best: rush the passer.

Watt will have an impact, but with some of his snaps likely to come at defensive tackle, his stats won't quite be as gaudy as Reed's. Carmichael and Harris might work their way into the corner rotation, but I don't think either of them will start. I'm really high on Keo at safety, but that's also not a position where guys stand out.

Will the Texans Re-Sign Vonta Leach?

All signs are pointing toward the Texans parting ways with Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach. There was a brief window before the lockout where teams could sign their own free agents, but they chose not to re-sign Leach.

After that deadline passed, Leach took to Twitter and basically admitted that his days in Houston were over.

Publicly, the Texans have had nothing but great things to say about Leach and they have expressed an interest in bringing him back. The evidence is just too great that they are letting him walk.

It's not all bad if they let him go, though. While Leach is an elite fullback that will be tough to replace, good fullbacks are pretty easy to come by.

With fewer and fewer teams using a fullback, there are more and more free agent fullbacks waiting around at home for a phone call. The Texans also have a guy in tight end James Casey that they have been grooming to play the position.

Spending money on a great fullback like Leach is money well spent, but that money is probably better spent elsewhere.

Will the Texans Be Better Than 1-3 After Their First Four Games?

We will learn a lot about the Texans after their first four weeks. They open up with the Colts at home. They have a pretty winnable game against the Dolphins next, but then they have games against the Saints and Steelers back to back.

I'll go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt and count the Dolphins game as a win. The Pittsburgh game is one I can't see them winning. Not only are they obviously the better team as they were in the Super Bowl last season, but they are a bad matchup for the Texans. Roethlisberger could easily torch the Texans secondary and their defense is one of the few that could slow down the Houston offense.

If the Texans find a way to get Asomugha in their uniform, I may have to rethink my prediction here, but I think the Texans will be sitting at 1-3 after this stretch. They just don't have the defensive horses to keep up with those high-powered offenses.

Will the Texans Unseat the Colts at the Top of the AFC South?

The Colts have long been the class of the AFC South. The script has largely been the same. Peyton Manning slings the ball all over the field to a litany of elite receiving options, they get enough production out of the running game to keep teams honest and the defense, while not dominant, finds a way to create turnovers.

I don't see that changing this season. For the Texans to move to the top of the division, they will have to start beating the Colts with regularity and I don't think they're ready to do that.

The Texans still very well may end up in the postseason, but they will be looking at doing it via a wild card spot, not via a division championship.

Will the Texans Make the Playoffs?

This is, of course, the question everyone wants the answer to. After all, it's really the only question that matters. This season has a feeling of finality to it and nothing short of the playoffs is acceptable.

Talent-wise, the Texans are a playoff team. They have a very good quarterback in Matt Schaub, last season's most prolific running back in Arian Foster and arguably the best receiver in the league in Andre Johnson.

Defensively, they have no fewer than half a dozen players they consider pass rush specialists. They are also solid at linebacker, led by DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing.

It's the other factors that will keep the Texans out of the postseason. First, they are in a competitive division. The Jaguars have quietly become a playoff contender led by the steady hand of David Garrard at quarterback and star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. And of course, the Colts are still the Colts.

The schedule is tough too. The Texans have nine games with fellow playoff contenders. Unfortunately, I'm fearful that the Texans wait for their first playoff appearance will continue.

If They Miss the Playoffs, Will Gary Kubiak Keep His Job?

The obvious answer to this question is no. After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

Another season without making the postseason will make six seasons under Kubiak without a playoff appearance. In an NFL where teams are accustomed to changing their fortunes in a single offseason, that type of drought just isn't accepted.

The confidence that owner Bob McNair has in Gary Kubiak is unmistakable. Most owners would have been on their third of fourth coach by now in the same situation. Most recently, McNair gave Kubiak a new three year contract extension.

On a team that is so adverse to spending money, eating the last two years on Kubiak's contract is probably not something they will want to do, even after another mediocre season. Barring a complete collapse, I think Kubiak will stay in Houston.