There isn’t a lot of optimism for the Houston Texans heading into the NFL playoffs.
Heading into the 2024 NFL campaign, the Houston Texans were media darlings. They were largely viewed as the second coming in the NFL, and they were considered by many to be the Kansas City Chiefs’ biggest threats in the AFC.
Times have certainly changed.
The Texans did win 10 games and capture their second straight AFC South division title, but they have still been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season.
Houston is preparing to face the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, and there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of optimism for the squad heading into the weekend.
Most recently, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports ranked the coaching staffs of all 14 teams heading into the postseason, and he had the Texans’ staff ranked last.
“Last year, the Texans were higher on this list despite being in just their first season. But the way this season has gone did not inspire all that much confidence,” Dubin wrote. “Specifically, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who looked like a star play caller last season, has instead looked like a liability this year. And you need to be able to generate explosive plays on offense, so the Texans have backslid from where they were last year.”
To be fair, Houston has been absolutely ravaged by injuries in 2024, as it lost two of its top three wide receivers—Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell—to season-ending injuries.
Nov 10, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
That being said, Dell’s injury just occurred on Dec. 21, and the Texans weren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard up until that point.
Houston ranked just 22nd in yardage and 19th in points this season, displaying how pedestrian—or below average—the Texans have been.
We’ll see if that changes against the Chargers this Saturday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/ as Texans Receive Another Rough Take Before NFL Playoffs.
