Houston Texans - Something to Prove

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Houston Texans captured the crown of the AFC South again last year for the second year in a row however they eventually met their demise in the AFC Championship game to their hated rivals from Jacksonville - Houston looks to avenge that loss along with proving other preseason prognosticators they are wrong when picking a paper champion in the Jaguars - Iron sharpens Iron and that is the Texans team mantra this year as the youngsters continue to mature on the field and the vets continue to play at such a high level and flexing their leadership and experience through their on field performance

Offense:
Not much took place this offseason as far as adding parts to an already talented offense - Extended injuries to Osweiler, Hopkins, and Miller slowed the offense down last year and allowed some of the youngsters to see the field and gain valuable experience - Each player mentioned above returns with the intent of getting back to their 2017 Super Bowl level of play - Jeremy Hill was cut lose as he was more of a detriment to the run game and big trucking back Darkwa was added to flex his muscle and move the pile with his combination of speed and power - Speedy young WRs Doss and Gannon were added via the draft and free agency to allow Devon Allen to step into the starting lineup and ensure he can stay healthy - The youngsters will handle kickoff and punt return duties along with some spot plays to stretch the field - WR Braxton Miller was traded to the Giants this offseason as the Texans look to add some depth to the starting offensive line - RG Banner was brought in to compete for a starting position - Both tackle positions were vacated this season and LT Beal, RT Otto, along with RT Moton and Banner will all compete for the two starting spots - The offensive line has been a point of focus during the spring training in hopes of moving the younger linemen along faster in their development

Defense:
With ten returning defensive starters the Texans look to continue their dominant ways - MLB McKinney was the only loss as the Texans chose not to resign him (signed w Ravens) as last year's draft pick Josey Jewell has shown explosive growth during his first season of professional football - He showed he can compete in spot duty last year and will be expected to fill big shoes left behind by McKinney - The defensive front line is still led by the now 30 year old JJ Watt who again led the team with 16 sacks last year - Clowney will continue to wreck havoc from the edge along with veteran Whitney Mercilus - Both men combined for 17 sacks off the edge last year - Watch for #1 pick Shon Arnold to get valuable playing time at both DE and DT this season - The front office plans to move him to a starting spot next year as aging vets Mercilus and Lotuleilei are playing for their starting spots next year - Arnold could help make that decision easier for the Houston front office - Besides Jewell, veterans Kirksey and Smith remain at outside linebackers - The coverage backers will be expected to blanket the young crop of speedy TEs that have entered the AFC South division - Defensive backfield remains the same with King, Brown, Hal, and Dillon manning the back half of the defense - King will matchup versus every teams best receiver as Brown will continue to cover the fastest player on the field - Dillon has shown flashes of being that hard hitting safety that will lay the wood and make teams think twice when he moves into the box - Veteran Hal will continue to play centerfield and work to compete for every pass thrown his way

Again big expectations are in play this season as the Texans plan to run through the AFC South yet gain, win the division title, and then contend for yet another Super Bowl title - Stay tuned for yet another exciting season of Houston Texans football!
 
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