The Houston Texans are 2-3 on the young season, which in the future, is hopefully something that we would be greatly disturbed by. Right now, it’s actually a sign of progress, especially when you consider that the two teams the Texans have beaten are leading their divisions, and the Texans beat them both by 20 or more points.
There is a lot to work on, to be sure, but good things are happening. Far and away, more important than all the other positive developments combined, is the fact the Texans appear to have landed their quarterback of the future. C.J. Stroud is the real deal, and now, it would appear the Texans have landed the most coveted asset in team sports — a highly performing quarterback on a cheap rookie deal for the next four seasons or so.
The ramifications of Stroud are massive, from both a roster construction standpoint, and a performance standpoint. Here are the three biggest things that C.J. Stroud affects long term, if indeed these first five games are indicative of what he will be moving forward:
The Pied Piper Effect in free agency
If the first several months of his NFL career are any indication, C.J. Stroud is a guy that other players gravitate to and want to play with. His teammates with the Texans love him. If indeed this is a team on the rise, with a productive, young quarterback, it’s likely that Stroud has a Pied Piper effect, especially for players on the offensive side of the football, in free agency. Certainly, I would hope the days of the Texans having to budget for a “Texans tax” in overpaying guys to come here would be over.
The days of “invasion Sundays” are over
If you’re one of the diehards who has stuck with the Texans through the last couple very grim seasons, then you experienced the horror of being in a home stadium where road fans outnumber home fans. It happened last season with teams like Kansas City, Dallas, and even Philadelphia in town. It happened again in Week 4 this season with Pittsburgh. I would expect that, over time, as this season rolls on, we are back to a nearly full stadium consisting of practically all Texans fans, except for the rare fan bases that travel unconditionally, like Pittsburgh and Green Bay.
No more double digit dog days!
This one is very specific to us gamblers out there, but it is indicative of the improved quality fo the team that Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans are putting together. If you’re an underdog by double digits (10 points or more) in an NFL game, you’re not a very good football team. When your team is routinely a double digit underdog in multiple games throughout the season, your team is a disaster. In 2021 and 2022, the Houston Texans were double digit underdogs a staggering 17 times, including 11 times in 2021 alone! For some context, the Texans were double digit underdogs a total of 23 times in their first NINETEEN seasons, from 2002 through 2020! WOW. It hurts just to type that. I feel like Stroud makes them “double digit spread proof” for the rest of this season, especially considering they play the third weakest schedule for the final 12 games.
The Texans are 2-3, and the arrow is pointed up. Let’s all go enjoy the ride!
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
