The Houston Texans certainly are much further ahead with their rebuild under general manager Nick Caserio than they were a year ago, but their journey through the 2022 season may be dramatic.
According to Cody Benjamin from CBS Sports, the Texans qualified as one of six teams in for a bumpy 2022 campaign.
The one that needs no explanation. QB Davis Mills is respected for his veteran-esque poise in bad circumstances, and new coach Lovie Smith is respected for his industry-tested character. Rookie Dameon Pierce may also bring juice to what figures to be a heavy run game. But they’ve relied heavily on free-agent leftovers for years, and it shows, especially on “D,” where older reserves like Jerry Hughes and Christian Kirksey will be asked to start at premium positions. Smith, meanwhile, hasn’t coached a winning team since 2012, making him a curious figurehead for a rebuild presumably geared toward unearthing young talent.
If “bumpy” is meant to be defined as having peaks and valleys, then certainly the Texans qualify. There are winnable games for Houston on the schedule, and they could catch their first five opponents by surprise and start 3-2. However, the later Houston gets into their schedule, the harder the teams will become, and that isn’t even factoring in the attrition every NFL team takes on throughout the course of a regular season.
Coach Lovie Smith knows that the Texans have a tough task ahead if they want to win more than four games for the first time since 2019.
“Time for us to do our jobs now,” Smith told reporters Monday after practice. “We’re playing a good opponent. The Colts have been one of the teams for a while. In an ideal world, you want to start off at home, against a division opponent.”
The Texans are 2-0 all-time against the Colts on Opening Day with all contests having been played at NRG Stadium.
