2011 NFL Predictions: 10 Reasons the Houston Texans Can Win AFC South

The Houston Texans have an opportunity to really turn heads this season and take over the top of the AFC South.

Their offense is amongst the best in the NFL and their defense looks to be a lot better after a busy offseason.

They have a long road ahead of them though, with games against the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, on top of their two annual games against the Indianapolis Colts.

However, with the talent the Texans have, they should win a couple of those games at least.

This year, the Texans are going to get over the hump. 

1. Matt Schaub

Matt Schaub is an elite quarterback in the NFL. 

He has 4,000-plus yards passing his last two seasons, including a 29-touchdown season in 2009 and 24 last year.

He has a loaded arsenal around him also.

Reigning NFL rushing champion Arian Foster joins wide receiver Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels to complete one of the best assortment of skilled position players on offense in the NFL.

Schaub has a very good presence in the pocket and makes reads as well as any quarterback in the NFL.

He is very accurate too. He has a 64.8 completion percentage throughout his career.

Schaub has all the tools to be a winning NFL quarterback, and this looks to be a good year for him to take that next step.

2. RB Depth

We all know about Arian Foster and his abilities to run the football.

He led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns last season. 

In the world of running backs, lasting more then four years due to wear and tear is rare, so it might not be a bad idea to try and preserve Foster for a longer career. Ben Tate, a second-round pick last year, was due to start last year before getting hurt and missing the whole season.

This year, he is healthy and can serve as a very valuable piece to this Texans offense.

He has had a very impressive preseason, clearly outplaying Derrick Ward, the current backup to Foster.

He had nine carries for 95 yards in the game against the New Orleans Saints.

Ward, as the backup to Foster last year, came off the bench and averaged over six yards per carry.

Both Ward and Tate are very good backs, so head coach Gary Kubiak has the luxury of giving Foster a little extra rest if he chooses and the offense would not miss a beat when Tate steps in.

3. Andre Johnson

Andre Johnson is a physical specimen that causes match up problems for any secondary in the NFL.

He has the explosiveness to be a deep threat, physical enough to gain yards after the catch on short screens and slant routes and has one of the best pairs of hands in the NFL.He had 1,200 yards last season and eight TD in just 13 games.

This year, Andre Johnson looks to play another big role in this offense. His value does not just stop at the stat line.

He spreads the defense and allows guys like wide receiver Kevin Walter and tight end Owen Daniels to run freely over the middle of the field.

He also commands a double-team, which should give guys like Jacoby Jones and Trindon Holliday some favorable one-on-one matchups down the field.

4. The Rookies

The Texans had a very successful draft.

Their first two picks, defensive end J.J. Watt and linebacker Brooks Reed, have shown what they bring to the table this preseason.

Both of them play with a high motor and get after the quarterback very well. 

Watt is a strong, powerful player that can quickly get off his blocks and make plays in the backfield.

Reed is fast and strong, and with guys like Mario Williams, Watt, Brian Cushing and Demeco Ryans playing along side of him, he should find some good rushing lanes.

He can wreck havoc once in the backfield.

Corner back Brandon Harris, out of Miami, is playing well and is having a good camp. Unlike Kareem Jackson, who was thrown to the wolves last year as the No. 1, Harris will be able to learn at a slower pace and ease his way into regular playing time.

So I guess you can say he is bringing his talents away from South Beach?

(I'm sorry, the joke was just too tempting. On to the next slide.)

5. Offseason Moves

The Texans did a lot of things to improve their team in the offseason.

First it started before the lock out, with the NFL draft.

With the selection of the rookies mentioned in the previous slide (J.J. Watt, Brooks Reed and  Brandon Harris), the Texans began to build around some key pieces in the new 3-4, get-to-the-QB defense set up by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

When the lockout ended, the Texans were unwilling to spend all their money on just one player, Nnamdi Asomugha. Instead they spent their money on two very solid defenders in Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning.

Combined, I believe this tandem is going to benefit the Texans a lot more than what Asomugha could've brought to the table.

This gives the Texans depth on the roster.

Both Joseph and Asomugha are very good pass defenders. Yes, Asomugha is better than Joseph.

However, Manning is way better than Glover Quinn, Dominique Barber, Troy Nolan and Shiloh Keo. 

Manning gives Houston stability in a second position on defense.

Manning also gives Kareem Jackson more room to succeed as the No. 2 cornerback. Jackson not only is no longer defending the best WRs in the NFL, he also has some help being him playing safety.

This makes the combination of the two players much better than just spending all the money on Nnamdi.

In the world of running backs, lasting more then four years due to wear and tear is rare, so it might not be a bad idea to try and preserve Foster for a longer career.

6. LB Depth

In the new 3-4 defense, is the depth at linebacker going to be powerful?

Brian Cushing is looking to overcome critics who say his play dipped off because of he got caught juicing with his drug test failure. 

Cushing is having a quiet camp, and that is not a bad thing. He looks like he is ready to play ball and the past is behind him.

DeMeco Ryans is a bit of a concern coming off of his Achilles injury and now, more recently, is having elbow issues. 

Ryans recorded 110-plus tackles in every season leading up to 2010. He is an absolute force in the middle of the defense.

Mario Williams has had some issues with his transition to outside linebacker, but he looks like he is coming along recently.

Most have been critical because Williams came up empty on the stat sheet against the San Francisco 49ers.

However, I agree with Wade Phillips' and Gary Kubiak's defense of Williams.

What I have seen is Williams getting pressure on the QB and forcing some hurried passes, and getting the quarterback to move into space for another Texan to wrap him up.

On the other side of the ball Connor Barwin will start but expect to see a lot of Brooks Reed. Both of these guys have good bursts of energy to rush the passer.

Xavier Adibi also adds an additional pass-rushing threat.

7. Wade Phillips

Wade Phillips was not a very good head coach. He failed in Dallas with some very good teams.

However, he is an elite defensive coach and is looking to really turn this Texan defense into what he had in Dallas (before 2010).

His units were top 10 in total defense in every year while he was coaching—up until the disaster that was the 2010 Dallas Cowboys season. 

His defenses were known for their ability to get to the quarterback.

The Wade Phillips led Cowboys were ranked third in sacks in the 2007, first in 2008 and seventh in 2009.

He knows how to construct a defense, and I have no doubt the Texans' defense is going to be very good in 2011.

8. Jaguars/Titans Will Not Win the AFC South

Well, if I am going to predict the Texans are going to win their division, it is necessary to explain why the other teams in the division are not going to win.

The Colts will get their own slide.

The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars both are looking for the future.

Titans are working on bringing Jack Locker along to be their quarterback of the future slowly, as they plan to go with veteran Matt Hasselbeck to start, while Locker sits in the wings.

Similar situation in Jacksonville: David Garrad is mentoring rookie Blaine Gabbert.

Overall, I think these teams lack the offensive punch of the Texans and the Colts.

Garrad is solid, but he lost Mike Sims-Walker. 

Hasselbeck is over the hill and is no longer the quarterback he once was in Seattle.

Both of these teams have a premiere back, Maurice Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson. However, it will not be enough to get them over the hump and win the division.

9. The Colts Are on the Decline

There is plenty of concern in Indianapolis over the health of Peyton Manning's neck. 

If Peyton Manning is not healthy, the Colts have no chance.

No one knows if Manning will be able to play week one in Houston. No one knows what kind of effect the neck injury will have on him once he comes back.

Yes, he came back from his knee injury with no training camp in 2008.

However, this is a neck injury. When you are talking about a neck, head or back injury to athletes, it can only hurt their career.

Defensively, the Colts did well to add Tommie Harris this offseason to shore up a weak run defense. However, I feel like they need more.

If they want to succeed they will need Gary Brackett and Antoine Bethea to stay healthy. Both have missed time this preseason due to injuries.

Overall, I just feel the Texans have gotten better, while the Colts have regressed.

10. They Are Hungry for It

This Houston squad has heard the hype year in and year out.

Every year it seems expectations are sky high and they can never live up to them.

It seemed once the Texans could run, they could not pass. Once they could defend the pass, they could not defend the run.

And then the inverse would happen.

This year, Houston looks to have everything running on all cylinders.

They have a group of guys that have been in Houston for a while and want to bring playoff football back to Houston.

Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, DeMeco Ryans, and Mario Williams have been looking forward to playoff football since they arrived in the Bayou City.

They are so close, they can taste it.

The city can taste it too.