Fansided
Fansided

What Can the Houston Texans Expect In 2016?

By Sam Weaver

Jan 9, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (59) reacts with defensive end J.J. Watt (99) after sacking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (not pictured) during the second quarter in a AFC Wild Card playoff football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (59) reacts with defensive end J.J. Watt (99) after sacking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (not pictured) during the second quarter in a AFC Wild Card playoff football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Dec 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (left) talks with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) after a game at at EverBank Field. The Jacksonville Jaguars won 51-16. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (left) talks with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) after a game at at EverBank Field. The Jacksonville Jaguars won 51-16. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /

The Obstacles

The AFC South has been far from formidable in recent years.  The Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning dominated the division, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans lagged far behind the majority of the league.

But in the past few years, the AFC South has quietly been developing an arsenal of talent which may come to fruition this season.

Colts:  Indianapolis will get starting QB Andrew Luck back this year after he missed the majority of last season due to injury.  The Colts also had a solid draft, selecting center Ryan Kelly to protect Luck, safety T.J. Green to shore up their secondary, and DT Hassan Ridgeway to add talented depth to their defense.  The Colts are consistently a threat to Houston’s division title, and this year should be no different.

Jags:  The Jacksonville Jaguars have long sat at the bottom half of the division.  Last year, their offense seemed to gain some firepower as QB Blake Bortles, WR Allen Robinson, and WR Allen Hurns developed chemistry.  They added running back Chris Ivory during the 2016 offseason.

Then the Jaguars turned their focus to their defense, adding safety Tashaun Gipson, DT Malik Jackson, and cornerback Prince Amukamara during free agency.  The complimented these impressive additions with an even more impressive draft.  Jacksonville selected Jalen Ramsey, perhaps the most talented overall player in the draft, in the first round, and then Myles Jack, a projected first round selection before his injury, in the second round.  All of these moves coupled with the return of 2015 first round pick Dante Fowler Jr. will make the Jacksonville defense a force to be reckoned with.

Titans:  Tennessee has made vast improvements to their team in the past few seasons.  The addition of QB Marcus Mariota has made a huge difference to their offense, and they added physical running back Demarco Murray this offseason.

During the draft, the Titans added running back Derrick Henry, OT Jack Conklin, DE Kevin Dodd, as well as other potential playmakers.  Tennessee also agreed to terms with tight end Delanie Walker, who was a huge contributor to the Titans’ offense last season.

All of these teams in the AFC South have the potential to stand between Houston and a division title.  Major changes to their offenses and defenses will pose a challenge to the Texans, who will have to be at their best as a unit to overcome the obstacles.

Next: 2016 Projections

Home/NFL Hot Takes