Houston Texans Predictions: 4 Keys to 2011 Season

NFL Kickoff is right around the corner. Chris Berman, Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth and all the NFL announcers are drooling over the fact that in a mere two days football will return, though we nearly did not have any this season.

Texas is especially happy to have football, between the Dallas Cowboys and the up-and-coming Houston Texans, who seem to be a big favorite as a sleeper pick this year. The Texans, under coach Gary Kubiak, are poised to make a run this year as the AFC South looks to be a little down—the Indianapolis Colts are struggling and both Jacksonville and Tennessee are not set on a future path. 

The Texans are looking to burst through mediocrity and into a playoff spot, and they will depend on some key players to get them there this year. From quarterback Matt Schaub to new cornerback Danieal Manning, all the players on their 53-man roster are important. But some are more than others.

Wide receiver Andre Johnson, running back Arian Foster, new defensive end J.J. Watt and the aforementioned Schaub are big keys to the 2011 season. 

Let's take a look at how these impact players could affect the outcome of this year.

Matt Schaub's Health Abides and Aerial Attack Eclipses the Elusive 100 QB Rating

Matt Schaub has been a very good professional quarterback. In his four years as the Texans' starter, he has brought consistency and accuracy to a run-heavy offense. With Andre Johnson leading his talented receiving corps, Schaub was able to flourish and become a 2009 Pro Bowler. The Texans are going to need a huge year from Schaub if they want to overtake the rest of the AFC South and make a serious playoff run.

Schaub threw for 4,370 yards last season, however, his completion percentage, touchdown totals and his overall passer rating declined. So this season Schaub is going to need to step up his game to unprecedented levels. His passer rating was a very pedestrian 92.0 last season, behind both Joe Flacco and Josh Freeman. Nothing against those playoff-bound quarterbacks, but they are not superstar passers.

Schaub is going to need to hit a 100.0 passer rating this year and become better at getting rid of the ball. Sacked 32 times last year, Schaub is going to need to throw the ball away to avoid injury, something that has always plagued him over the course of a year. 

If the Texans are to win the South, Schaub will need to overstep Peyton Manning as the best quarterback in the division. It's very possible, especially considering the talent he has around him with Arian Foster and Johnson. 

Schaub is the key to a balanced, aggressive offense and the difference in most of the Texans' games.

Texans Improved Secondary Must Stand Strong

The knock on the Houston Texans for years has been a weak pass defense. They have been picked apart by the best quarterbacks, such as Peyton Manning, and sometimes not the best quarterbacks, such as Vince Young.

Houston was dead last in pass defense last season, giving up 267 yards a game in the air on average—a complete embarrassment that lead to the hiring of Wade Phillips as the defensive coordinator this year.

To shore up the depleted secondary, the Texans added free agents Johnathan Joseph, previously with Cincinnati, and Danieal Manning, who was a rock in the Chicago secondary. Kareem Jackson showed signs that he can handle being the starting left cornerback, but the Texans brought in Jason Allen from Miami to provide extra depth as well.  

In the draft, the Texans nabbed cornerbacks Brandon Harris out of Miami and Roc Carmichael from Virginia Tech to build for a better future. Harris, the Texans' second-round pick was a three-time award winner at Miami and was a 2009 first team and 2010 second team All-ACC pick. Carmichael was a fourth-round selection

With strong safety Glover Quin coming into his third season, it is time to put up or shut up after very mediocre play last year.

That is the story, though, for the entire squad. It is a defining moment for a franchise that has had bright moments but never a golden season capped off with a trip to the playoffs. 

Andre Johnson Must Dominate Defenses and Show Superstar Status

It is hard for a wide receiver to be a key to an entire season. But when you are the best physical player in the entire league, as is the case for Mr. Andre Johnson, things must be reconsidered. Johnson, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection, has been a dominant force as a wideout for both David Carr and now Matt Schaub.

Johnson can change a game at any point in time. He has the size to go up and catch any ball, the breakaway speed to burn a cornerback and the physicality and brutality to muscle a seven-yard slant into a 70-yard touchdown catch. Without his big play-making ability, the Texans will be missing the piece they need to make a run to the playoffs.  

It is time for Johnson to take his phenomenal game to the next level with a 1,600-receiving yard season, as he helps lead the Texans to a berth in the playoffs. In the always competitive AFC South, Johnson goes up against some of the best secondary players in the league twice a year. However, Johnson has been extremely close to 1,600 yards twice, in 2008 and 2009, where he had over 1,500 receiving yards.

Johnson has the ability and has shown flashes of greatness reminiscent of the great receivers of all time. With his production, the Texans could be on their way to a great 2011 campaign.  

Arian Foster Rests Hamstring, Returns with Authority in Week 3

Arian Foster has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny this preseason, most recently regarding his tweets to fantasy football owners concerning his hamstring. Foster's banged up hamstring has many people worried, though, considering he has not rested it yet and limps off the field every preseason game. 

The Texans seem concerned but not concerned enough. They need to tell him to take a month off, to rest up and get better and then come back stronger than before. Foster is a great talent who came out of nowhere last season, and as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009, has been a true steal for the Texans. 

Foster will be among the best running backs in football this year if he can rest for a couple weeks. Take the next two weeks off, then ease back into training and a little bit of action for Week 3. Steve Slaton, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward will take on the brunt of the load.

The Texans defense is much improved and their pass coverage has been shored up considerably. This will give the Texans more time on offense, and more time to hand the ball to the dynamic number 23 as the season progresses. He needs to be out there, spending a lot of time taking the ball from Matt Schaub and pounding through holes on two good hamstrings.  

Foster ran for 1,616 yards last year and 16 touchdowns. He caught 66 balls for 604 yards and two more touchdowns. His 18 overall touchdowns and over 2,200 yards were first amongst running backs and wide receivers in the league, towering over the competition.

He is the key to a successful 2011 season for the Texans. Foster provides the energy and the boost that the Texans need to consistently put points on the board. And they will need him to be healthy for the long haul.