In 2002, Texas Native, Clay Walker made a song called “Football Time In Houston” as the NFL introduced their newest member, the Houston Texans. “I’ve been waitin’ all week, just to kick this thing off” perfectly describes the level of excitement for the fans. C.J. Stroud has brought new life to the city and franchise and they’ve been fun to watch.
After a 21-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, they’ve been “battle red” hot. They’re riding high on a three-game winning streak, making it their longest since 2018. With seven games left to play, they are in prime position for a playoff appearance and are closing in on the division lead, Stroud and company have shown the future is bright in H-Town.
Football Time in H-Town
The Field General
What Stroud has accomplished has been extremely impressive. With him under center, they’ve been a completely different team compared to the last two seasons. Before he arrived they were a bottom-two team, especially offensively. They’re now fourth in total offense and second in passing.
He’s already eclipsed the most passing yards and touchdowns thrown by a rookie in team history. With his 17 touchdowns, he’s on pace to surpass Deshaun Watson for the most touchdowns thrown in team history (33) and yards (4,823) in a single season.
Each week, he continues to strengthen his case for Offensive Rookie of The Year. He’ll be the first Texans player to win the award and has shown the Texans are in good hands for years to come. It’s safe to say they have found their franchise quarterback.
Ask and You Shall Receive
On draft day the Texans showed the level of trust and respect they had for their rookie quarterback, he asked for a playmaker and they delivered. They selected Tank Dell in the third round and he’s been an absolute gem. The two worked out together at the Scouting Combine and Stroud wanted to pair up with the speedy and elusive wide receiver.
Dell has been one of the most impressive and productive rookies, he deserves some OROY mentions himself. In his last three games, he’s caught five touchdowns and broke a team record with the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie (six). The Stroud-to-Dell connection will be one of the most electrifying for years to come.
Free Agency
They made a huge splash in the offseason with the additions of Dalton Schultz, Noah Brown, and Devin Singletary. Each has been a huge boost for the offense but Singletary has added that much-needed spark to keep the offense balanced.
Singletary got off to a slow start while splitting reps with Dameon Pierce but he’s been on fire while Pierce is sidelined. In the last two weeks, he’s totaled 279 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. When Pierce returns it’ll be hard to turn back to him considering the high-level ball Singletary has played. The Texans should continue to ride the hot hand and let him cook.
Beating The Odds
It may feel as if the Texans are overachieving but they’re right where they want to be. Coming into the season they were projected for six wins and predicted to finish last in the division. They’re sitting at 6-4, one game behind in the AFC South, and already knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season. Currently sitting at the sixth seed and a Wild Card team, a win on Sunday could jump them up to the third seed in the AFC and not too far from being number one.
Without a doubt, DeMeco Ryans has changed the culture in H-Town. He’s brought much-needed energy to the team and it shows each week. They’ve gone from “it’s just the Texans” to a team capable of capturing 11 wins this season; they’ve won 11 the last three seasons combined. As the Texans continue to streak during the final stretch of the season it shouldn’t be questioned that Ryans is Coach of The Year.
Main Image: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
