Houston Texans 2005 Preview

By John Onan  |   Friday, August 12, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans have made solid strides during their three years of existence, building a nice nucleus of players on both sides of the football. Head coach Dom Capers believes his team is ready to contend for a playoff birth this season. It'll be a tall order though, considering they're in the same division with the powerhouse Indianapolis Colts and another team on the rise, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Strengths: The running game is solid, led by superstar in the making Domanick Davis who came on like gangbusters in the second half of the 2004 season. This will be the strong point of the offense, and as long as they have success on the ground, it'll make quarterback David Carr even the more dangerous passing the ball. Jonathan Wells will once again be around to spell Davis and should be able to step in just in case Davis is hobbled by injuries. As long as he can stay on the field, Davis could run for 1,500 yards this year.

Inside linebackers Morlon Greenwood (FA from Miami) and Kailee Wong will be the heart of the Texans defense in 2005, and Capers likes what he has been early on in camp. Wong moves to the inside from the OLB position, where two youngsters Antwan Peak and Jason Babin will occupy those slots in hopes of adding more speed to the defense. Both guys are talented, but haven't been tested on a full time basis. They'll need to make quick progress perfecting the defensive scheme, as Houston boasts some talented backups.

The Houston Texans were pleased by the kicking game in 2004, as K Kris Brown and P Chad Stanley were solid and will man those positions once again. The team is looking to upgrade the return teams, where J. J. Moses started last season. He was let go, and its possible former Raider Phillip Buchanon will step into the punt return duties. Rookie Jerome Mathis, a fourth round pick from Hampton, will get a good look for the kick return job.

Weaknesses: The offensive line was shaky at best last season and they return basically the same crew. The run blocking improved over the course of the 2004 season, but they'll need to do a better job protecting the pocket for Carr. This unit yielded 49 sacks last season. They hope to cut that number down significantly. If they don't improve on that number the Houston Texans passing offense will struggle.

On the other side of the line, Houston did a decent job stopping the run, but will look to improve on their lack of a pass rush. As a team, the defense only accumulated 24 quarterback sacks, which resulted in the drafting of former Florida State DE Travis Johnson with their first-round pick. If Gary Walker doesn't improve on his disappointing 2004 numbers, Johnson could be taking over the starting role at left defensive end. Nose tackle Seth Payne and right defensive end Robaire Smith assume the same positions they held a season ago.

Andre Johnson and Jabar Gaffney will once again line up at wide receiver, as the team failed to upgrade at the position. Johnson eclipsed the 1,000 receiving mark in his second year in the league, but had a difficult time later on in the season as opponents keyed on him. Gaffney or someone else will need to step up as a decent option for Carr, or Johnson will once again be double teamed downfield. In Capers offense, the tight end position is irrelevant as a pass catching option. Starter Mark Bruener is used mostly as an extra blocker or safety valve.

Also, the secondary underwent a major overhaul since we've seen them last, releasing former starters Aaron Glenn and Marlon McCree along with key backups. Dunta Robinson, who had a solid rookie campaign in 2004, will be paired with Phillip Buchanon at cornerback. Veteran Marcus Coleman and second yr man Glenn Earl will hold down the safety spots.

Overall, the Houston Texans got rid of a lot of guys they felt weren't helping the team get over the hump, but it remains to be seen if the replacements fare any better. This is a big year for the franchise as they believe they can snag their first playoff spot. However, I feel they didn't upgrade the passing game or the offensive and defenses lines and this might cost them dearly. Aside from division rivals Indy and Jacksonville, they do draw a bit of an easier schedule. In the end, they'll be hard pressed to do better than the 7-9 they finished at in 2004.
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