NFL Betting – Texans Ready To Compete In South
NFL betting - Houston Texans
- Are the Houston Texans ready to grow up?
- Can the Texans make the playoffs in the difficult AFC South?
- Is Matt Schaub an elite level quarterback?
The Houston Texans have been progressing slowly since the franchises inception and now many members from the online betting community believe they have fielded their best roster to date.
They finished 8-8 last year but that total is surprisingly high considering starting quarterback Matt Schaub only played in 11 games, Pro Bowl wideout Andre Johnson only played in nine games, starting running back Ahman Green only made six contests while top cornerback Dunta Robinson was lost for the season after nine games. Now with everyone healthy and more depth on the roster, the Texans should be prepared to break out.
The offensive line was upgraded with first-round pick Duane Brown and that's after they experienced some serious progress last year. Every season prior to 2007, the Texans line averaged 55 sacks per game. Last year, they gave up only 22.
With Johnson out, the Texans unearthed some real gems in their receiving corps, which makes them a pretty scary unit heading into this season. Andre Davis proved to be one of the best deep threats in the league while Kevin Walter was quite reliable. Tight end Owen Daniels is also a good option in the middle as he frequently knows how to get open.
After Green struggled to stay healthy last year, the Texans made it their focus to add depth. They signed Chris Brown and Marcel Shipp, and drafted Steve Slaton.
If Schaub can emerge as a premier starting quarterback, which a lot of online betting sharps believe he can happen, the Texans will have a surprisingly good offense.
On defense, the Texans finally turned a corner last year and much of it was due to the development of end Mario Williams. He finished with 14 sacks and anchored a line that has really made some progress.
The main concern on defense is the secondary particularly with Robinson expected to miss the first six weeks of the season. The good news is that the front seven is strong and with Jacksonville and Tennessee in the division, it's more important to have a stiffer run defense.
The AFC South is one of the toughest divisions in the NFL – if not the toughest – but the Texans have an opportunity to make a move. They aren't better than the Indianapolis Colts but they have dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars throughout their existence. The Tennessee Titans did make the playoffs last year, but the Texans are good enough to earn at least a split.
Everything has fallen into place for the Texans but for them to make the playoffs, they have to execute on a weekly basis and avoid injuries. They are now very much in the playoff picture, which is saying something considering their ceiling has been seven or eight wins since their inception.
Stans Simmons' Pick: Over 7.5
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Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions?
