2010 NFL Season Preview: Houston Texans
Biggest Question Heading Into Next Season
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Key Additions
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Key Losses
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Moats did rush for 390 yards and four TD last year. However, they have enough talent to replace his services.
G Chester Pitts
Pitts is a quality guard and I'm surprised that they didn't keep him.
CB Dunta Robinson
Even though Robinson wasn't great, he was their best cover corner. He will certainly be missed.
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Draft Recap
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1st Round (No. 20 Overall): Alabama CB Kareem Jackson
2nd Round (No. 58 Overall): Auburn RB Ben Tate
3rd Round (No. 81 Overall): Arizona DT Earl Mitchell
4th Round (No. 102 Overall): Miami LB Daryl Sharpton
4th Round (No. 118 Overall): Wisconsin TE Garrett Graham
5th Round (No. 144 Overall): Northwestern CB Sherrick McManis
6th Round (No. 187 Overall): Colorado State G Shelley Smith
6th Round (No. 197 Overall): LSU WR Trindon Holliday
7th Round (No. 227 Overall): Pittsburgh WR Dorin Dickerson
The Texans had a solid draft as they filled their needs and got great value for their picks.
Coaching Outlook
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Rick Dennison will take over Kyle Shannahan's former position as the team's offensive coordinator. In the past, he's been the Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator. He did well with Cutler and Marshall and I expect him to do the same with Schaub and Johnson.
Frank Bush is entering his second season as the team's defensive coordinator. He's done a great job developing their young talent, and he will be responsible for continuing to build on their success.
Offense Outlook
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Matt Schaub has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the league. A primary reason he's played so well is because he has arguably the best receiver in the league at his disposal. Moreover, Owen Daniels is a great tight end who can really command the deep middle of the field.
Even though their rushing attack struggled last year, I expect them to bounce back with their new dynamic duo of Steve Slaton and Ben Tate.
Blocking for them is, for the most part, a solid offensive line. However, left tackle Duane Brown is the weak link as he has allowed 19 sacks in the past two seasons. He will have to improve if he wants to keep his spot as the starter, and more importantly keep Schaub's blind side from being terrorized.
Defense Outlook
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Their defensive line, anchored by former No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams, is a decent group. Even though Williams has developed into one of the best pass rushers in the league, he has little help next to him as Antonio Smith only had 4.5 sacks last season. At defensive tackle, both, Amobi Okoye and Shaun Cody have been disappointments.
Their linebacking core, led by DeMeco Ryans, is the defense's strongest group. While he's become one of the best middle linebackers in the league, Brian Cushing has also grown into one of the most promising players in the league and even won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season. Of course, he will also miss four games due to a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
As for their secondary, while their nothing spectacular, they're improving. Their starting corners are set to be rookie Kareem Jackson and second-year Glover Quinn. Moreover, they made a huge splash last year by signing strong safety Bernard Pollard, who made an immediate impact in their run support. Alongside him will be Eugene Wilson, who's a reliable cover man.
Overall, this is a young group with a bright future.
Special Teams Outlook
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They have a quality return game with rookie Trindon Holliday and Jacoby Jones. Meanwhile, their coverage unit didn't allow a single score.
Their punter, Matt Turk, was decent as he had a 42.8-yard average and pinned over 35 percent of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
At kicker, Kris Brown, who's usually rather consistent, was absolutely horrendous last season, nailing only 65.6 percent of his field goals. He will need to improve on that this season.
Fantasy Outlook
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Johnson is a sure-fire first-round selection and should be the first receiver taken off the board.
QB Matt Schaub
Barring any injuries, Schaub should have another great season. I project him to be good for at least 4,500 yards and 25 TD.
RB Ben Tate
Tate, their second round draft pick, should get a majority of the carries and many expect him to be one of the high-impact rookies this year.
TE Owen Daniels
Daniels has emerged as one of the better tight ends in the league and could push for a 1,000 yards.
Schedule
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Week 2 @ Washington Redskins
Week 3 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 4 @ Oakland Raiders
Week 5 vs. New York Giants
Week 6 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 7 Bye
Week 8 @ Indianapolis Colts
Week 9 vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 10 @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 11 @ New York Jets
Week 12 vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 13 @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 14 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 15 @ Tennessee Titans
Week 16 @ Denver Broncos
Week 17 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Texans have a moderate road ahead of them this season. Along with their AFC South opponents, they will be facing the NFC East and AFC West.
Moreover, their travel itinerary is busy as they will be traveling all across the nation.
In A Nutshell
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Even though their schedule is brutal, the Texans have all the pieces in place to make the playoffs for the first time.
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.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")