The Houston Texans have been terrible for the entire decade to this point.
Regardless of whether Houston had a franchise caliber quarterback or not, the club has struggled to win more than four games. The nadir was last season when the Texans posted a 3-13-1, and one of their paltry wins was in Week 18 to ensure they lost the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
With the Texans using their Nos. 2-3 overall picks to take quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson, the expectation is Houston will have pillars on both sides of the ball to bring back competitive football on Kirby Drive.
In the meantime, what does success look like for Houston in new coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season?
According to Josh Liskiewitz from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ success in 2023 should be measured by how quickly the draft class is able to acclimate to the NFL along with the progression of offense coordinator Bobby Slowik’s scheme.
Looking big picture, the 2023 season for the Houston Texans is about developing the young talent on the roster. Will Stroud’s accuracy he showed at Ohio State translate quickly to the NFL level? Can Collins, Metchie and 2023 third-round pick Tank Dell form a viable corps of young weapons on offense? Can the youth on defense elevate their play and form a strong foundation for the future?
Success for the 2023 season should be measured more on the advancement of this young group of core players than by actual wins and losses.
What may help Texans fans stomach further losses is a changing composition. In 2022, Houston lost seven games by two scores or more and had a 3-6-1 record in one-score games. A quick turnaround would be welcomed, but the reality is there may still be work to do for Houston to complete the rebuild.
