Houston Texans
Quarterback. Quarterback. Quarterback. Sure it cost Houston a second-round pick next year to rid itself of Brock Osweiler’s absurd contract, but the team’s situation under center is what held it back from true contention last year. In an otherwise competitive AFC Divisional Playoff loss to New England, Osweiler showed his true colors. He threw three interceptions, two of which were downright ugly.
So in order for the Texans to take that next step, they decided to invest a whole heck of a lot on quarterback Deshaun Watson. They dealt away a first-round pick next year to Cleveland in order to move up to the 11th spot for the reigning national championship quarterback.
The idea here is to build up the quarterback position to go with an otherwise stacked roster. In his first season with Houston, Lamar Miller provided a ton in the backfield. He put up 1,261 total yards en route to creating the balance that will be needed should Watson earn first-team reps as a rookie. DeAndre Hopkins fell on hard times at receiver, but that was primarily due to the lackluster play of Osweiler under center. If it is indeed Watson at quarterback, that should change.
Though, the primary reason we believe Houston could be looking at Super Bowl contention this upcoming season is its defense. Even without three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt for all but three games, Houston found away to rank in the top 11 in the league in points allowed and the top 10 in total defense.
Jadeveon Clowney finally came into his own, earning a Pro Bowl spot while teaming up with Whitney Mercilus to form a solid pass-rushing tandem. With Watt back healthy, this could be the best pass-rushing defensive front in the entire NFL.
In an AFC South that remains the worst division in football, Houston should be considered odds-on favorites to come out on top again. Surely Tennessee and Indianapolis will be improved. But the Texans being able to fix their quarterback situation changes the landscape here. It could also potentially lead to conference championship contention.