With their Week 18 victory against the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans made the playoffs at 10-7 and completed an improbable one-year turnaround under head coach DeMeco Ryans, with players like C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, and Will Anderson Jr. leading the way.
Texans Complete Turnaround With C.J. Stroud, DeMeco Ryans at the Helm
From 2020 to 2022, the Texans went a combined 11-38. In 2021 and 2022, they had back-to-back one-and-done coaches, first with David Culley and then with Lovie Smith.
Over that stretch, you’d be hard-pressed to find a franchise lower than the Texans. But the franchise’s fortunes turned suddenly in 2023, and now, against the odds, they’re in the AFC playoffs.
The Texans’ turnaround first started with the hire of San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as head coach and Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator.
Then, with their first-round picks — one of which they added through the Deshaun Watson trade — the Texans added two franchise cornerstones in quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., at second and third overall.
The cultural overhaul spearheaded by Ryans and Stroud set things in motion, and when the Texans first started stringing together wins in late September and early October, a newfound belief began to set in.
Fast forward to today, and the Texans have finished at 10-7 under Ryans, the rookie head coach. They’ve just secured a 23-19 win over the Colts to solidify a spot in the AFC Playoffs.
MORE: Houston Texans Depth Chart
Intermixed with the Texans’ miraculous season are countless success stories. Stroud is not only an NFL Rookie of the Year candidate but arguably already a top-12 QB in the NFL after throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Finally benefitting from quality QB play, 2021 third-round pick Nico Collins emerged as a true WR1 in the Texans’ new-look offense, capping off his 80-catch, 1,297-yard, eight-touchdown season with a dominant 195-yard outing against the Colts.
Those are just the headliners. Tank Dell, before he suffered a season-ending injury, was a revelation. Bargain additions like Devin Singletary and Dalton Schultz made a difference.
On the defensive side, Anderson Jr. has already morphed into a game-wrecker, and young pieces like Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Derek Stingley Jr., and Jalen Pitre are ascending.
The Texans may earn the AFC South title with a Jaguars loss on Sunday. If the Jaguars win, the Texans will be a Wild Card team. Either way, they’ll be in the AFC Playoff field, and they’ll have a chance to compound their momentum with postseason success.
In actuality, however, what the Texans do in the 2023-2024 playoffs doesn’t matter as much as what they’re set to do over the next few years.
What matters most is that the Texans are where they are now after years of dysfunction and mediocrity. They’ve already completed a turnaround that was expected to take at least two years, and their Super Bowl window is wide open for the entirety of Stroud’s rookie contract, at the very least.
There’s still work to be done before Houston becomes an elite AFC contender. They’ll have a few notable free agency decisions to make in the 2024 offseason, both on the offensive line and along multiple levels of the defense.
Offensively, the Texans could use one more weapon to complete their attack. And on defense, Ryans needs at least one more interior disruptor and one more quality boundary cornerback for his unit to take the leap.
But those tasks will come in time. For now, the Texans can rest easy knowing that the ship is back on course. After going 3-13-1 in 2022, the Texans had a +7 win differential in 2023 and threw their hat in the ring with the AFC’s playoff forces.
Anything else accomplished in 2023 is just a bonus. With Ryans, Stroud, Anderson, Collins, and others, the foundation has been set.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!