After a disappointing 2013 season, Houston Texans bounced back and finished an impressive 9-7 but failed to make the playoffs for the third successive season. Indianapolis Colts were AFC South champions, finishing 11-5, but the Texans will be quietly confident of surprising their divisional rivals in the upcoming campaign. Houston have looked sharp in open training practice throughout the last few weeks and have upgraded considerably on defence after acquiring Vince Wilfork from New England Patriots in the offseason.

The Texans performed well in the 2015 NFL Draft and opted to sign all seven of their draftees onto rookie contracts. In fact, Christian Covington, who was the only Canadian to be drafted, was selected by Houston in the sixth round and will be aiming to make their final roster ahead of the new season. Houston will have high hopes for each of their draft selections but Covington may prove to be the steal of them all after falling to the sixth round. Meanwhile, they selected Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson in the first round of the draft and will be expecting the 16th overall pick to make an immediate impact this season.

Arian Foster’s injury could hurt Houston’s chances of reaching the playoffs. Simply put, Foster is their main threat on offense and the Texans running back was set to play a key role in George Godsey’s new-look offensive unit. Foster, who played his college football at Tennessee, had an exceptional season last year as he  rushed for 1,246 yards at an average of 4.8 yards per carry.  However, it appears that – for the time being at least – the Texans will have to cope without their focal point of attack.

Without Foster, Houston will find it tricky to win matches. In their opening match of the season, the Texans will face Kansas City Chiefs – who have one of the best defences in the league. For those interested in betting on the NFL, Houston are 20/23 to open their season with a victory over Kansas City.  You can find the market and many more at http://www.bet365.com/news/en/betting/us-sports/nfl.

In terms of a quarterback, Bill O’Brien’s side are yet to name their starting signal caller. Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer are both competing for the starting quarterback slot and, with just over a month until their opening match of the season against Kansas City Chiefs, O’Brien has a decision to make. While Hoyer started the majority of last season for the Cleveland Browns, Mallett has spent his entire NFL career sat under New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady – arguably the greatest of all-time. Hoyer’s experience and match practice could be the deciding factor as the season approaches but unless Mallett is given the opportunity to show his talent in a game situation, Houston will never truly know how gifted he is.

We know the Texans defence is going to be tough this season and their defensive displays will be crucial if they are to replicate their 9-7 record of last season. To improve, Houston must be lucky and avoid serious injuries throughout the campaign. If JJ Watt – who won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season – can stay healthy, along with Jadeveon Clowney and Vince Wilfork, they will cause mayhem on defense and will stand a great chance of winning each and every match. With a bit of luck, they will reach the postseason. And from there, who knows?

 

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