The Houston Texans may have enjoyed winning the AFC South for the past two seasons, but their reign will finally come to an end in 2020.
According to Nate Davis of USA TODAY Sports, who released his latest predictions for the season, the Texans find themselves in the middle of the pack league-wide and don’t post a qualifying record to make the postseason, even in an expanded 14-team field.
Part of the reason why the Texans may not make the playoffs is because they open the season at the Kansas City Chiefs, versus the Baltimore Ravens, at the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4.
Houston Texans (7-9): With Hopkins gone, QB Deshaun Watson might rival Russell Wilson as the most indispensable player to any one team. But winning the division for the fifth time in six years now seems increasingly out of reach – especially when considering the schedule unfolds with the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers and Vikings.
The Tennessee Titans finished 10-6 and win the division, edging the similarly 10-6 Indianapolis Colts on the account of head-to-head tiebreakers. Both AFC South teams qualify for the playoffs while Houston misses the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Rather than disputing Davis’ prediction that the Texans will finish 7-9, here is one reason why it could be possible: injuries. If Watson misses any time, it could deplete the Texans to such a point where they aren’t competitive enough to win ballgames, even with A.J. McCarron filling in. What could really make Watson’s missing time especially impactful is if it’s combined with other key offensive starters missing time alongside the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
The defense remains a bit of a mystery, though bringing back defensive end J.J. Watt does provide some stability as far as the pass rush is concerned. Still, the defense isn’t good enough to overcome any offensive issues, like it was earlier in Watt’s career.
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