As the fourth season of the Houston Texans begins this Sunday in Buffalo against the Bills, Houston professional football fans no longer consider the Texans an NFL expansion franchise. As a result, it’s now put up or shut up time for a franchise that has largely received a free pass from a fan base that, for the first three seasons of the team’s existence, was simply thrilled that the National Football League had returned to Houston.
That inherited goodwill is pretty well used up, as the boo-birds let the Texan team members know during an awful final regular season loss last season to the moribund Cleveland Browns. That debacle blew the opportunity for the Texans to finish the season at an even 8-8. Nevetheless, a 7-9 record for a third year franchise is still respectable, and the Texans do have a number of positive factors working in their favor, not the least of which is a wonderful fellow in owner Bob McNair. So, even with the team’s generally awful 2005 pre-season performances, there remains an air of cautious optimism regarding the Texans’ chances this season.

The Texans’ 2004 season was an odd one as the team was wildly inconsistent, either combining a good defensive game with a poor offensive one or a lousy first half performance in a particular game with an inspired second half effort. The team’s first (against San Diego) and last (against the Browns) games were awful, but the Texans recovered from the San Diego loss to win four of six games to rise to a 4-3 season by midseason. Then, despite some close games, the Texans faded to 3-6 down the stretch to end the season at 7-9.
Some aspects of the Texans 2004 performance were very encouraging. Andre Johnson bloomed into an All-Pro receiver and QB David Carr had his second and third 300 yard passing games, flinging five TD passes and only one interception in those games. The defense laid the wood to division rival Jacksonville in two games, allowing a total of six points and forcing four turnovers. One of the Texans’ two first round draft picks in the 2004 NFL draft — CB Dunta Robinson — was spectacular all season, which included a two-interception game against the Raiders and a two-sack game against the Colts. After overcoming nagging early season injuries, RB Domanick Davis was one of the best running backs in the NFL with a 4.5 per carry average and ten TD’s.
Unfortunately, the three big issues for the Texans going into the 2004 season — a deficient offensive line, the lack of a pass rush and mediocre play at quarterback — remain the team’s big question marks going into this season. Although the Texans football management team of GM Charlie Casserly and Head Coach Dom Capers have done a solid job of developing the team over its first three seasons, the fact that the team’s main problems beginning this season are the same ones that existed before last season is a reason for Mr. McNair to pause and contemplate the direction of the franchise.
The Texans did make an unsuccessful off-season run at signing All-Pro Orlando Pace in an effort to shore up the troublesome offensive left tackle position that still has not recovered from the ill-fated Tony Boselli deal. However, after Pace re-signed with the Rams, the Texans settled on mediocre Saints right tackle Victor Riley to provide competition for Seth Wand, the Texans’ starting left tackle last season who was overmatched in only his second season out of Division II college football. Riley has beat Wand out during the pre-season, which does not bode well for the prospect of the offensive line improving much this season. The other members of the unit are reasonably capable and durable, but no one will mistake this unit for the OLine of the Broncos or the Chiefs. Which begs the question — why on earth is Texans management giving OG Chester Pitts — who leads NFL offensive linemen in penalties over the past two seasons — a lucrative new contract?
On the defensive side, Texans management decided after last season that this unit was getting too old, so the team jettisoned several of veteran players such as Aaron Glenn and brought in a new cornerback (the Raiders’ Phillip Buchanon), two new linebackers and a rookie defensive lineman that the team selected in the first round of the draft (Travis Johnson). Nevertheless, 2004 first round draft choice, LB Jason Babin — who is in the second season of making the transition, like Wand, from small college football to the NFL — still has not shown the ability to pressure the passer consistently. Consequently, although younger and faster than last season’s defense, it remains unclear whether this season’s defensive unit will be any more effective than last season’s unit in generating the type of pass rush that leads to turnovers and wins.
However, the most important element in the Texans’ ultimate success remains the development of the franchise’s first draft choice, QB David Carr. Carr has been the sacrificial lamb of a deficient offensive line during his first three seasons, so his lack of development is somewhat understandable. Nevertheless, he has a poor throwing motion that makes his passes prone to deflection at the line of scrimmage and he still has not shown the ability to pick up secondary receivers. Moreover, after completing almost 65% of his passes for an average of 270 yards per game in the first eight games of the 2004 season, Carr had a pedestrian 59% completion rate for an average of 172 yards per game in the final eight games. There is no way around it, that’s a troubling trend.
Consequently, the Texans’ upcoming season revolves around the development of Carr and the offensive line. If Carr and the OLine show consistent development, the Texans could finish 9-7. Add in a defensive unit that is more successful in putting pressure on opposing QB’s and the team could reach 10-6, and be a viable candidate for a Wild Card playoff berth. On the other hand, if Carr and the OLine’s inconsistent play of the past three seasons continues, then this could easily become a 5-11 or 6-10 team, which would not go over well in Houston’s hard-knuckled pro football circles. If that happens, then the Texans’ privileged existence as the city’s conduit back to the NFL will end, and Mr. McNair will be dealing with the difficult task of selling a very high-priced product to an increasingly dissatisfied customer base.