By: Charlie Moon

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

If 2023 was any indication, the Texans might be ready for a big step forward in 2024.

After a 10-7 regular season and a 34-10 1st round road playoff loss at Baltimore in 2023-2024, the Texans look to make a step this season under 2nd year head coach DeMeco Ryans.

And for all the talk about the phenomenal rookie season for CJ Stroud, it just might be the defense that becomes this season’s difference.

For one, Ryans was one of the best defensive players of his time, so he knows defense.

Time for a deep dive…

Answer this question. If you see your team set a franchise record in sacks, and improve its run defense from one season to the next from 32nd all the way to 6th… would you make not one, not two, but three changes to its defensive line? It just doesn’t happen.

That should give you an idea of what Demeco Ryans sees in his defense, and where he thinks they can go.

Out on the defensive line is Jonathan Greenard, Maliek Collins, and Sheldon Rankins. In comes a definite off-season homerun in 2023 All-pro Danielle Hunter. He was 3rd in the league with 16.5 sacks, bested only by the likes of T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett.

Now throw in a couple guys who had great 2023 campaigns and you have a defensive front that could dominate, come 2024. 33-year-old Deneco Autry had one of his best seasons with 11.5 sacks.

And another guy along that defensive line Ryans wouldn’t let go for even a Jeff Bezos payday, Will Anderson, Jr. Anderson looks to build off his 2023 campaign that saw him voted as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Out of Alabama, he will definitely be a great bookend to a guy like Danielle Hunter.

Ultimately, Ryans and his staff think last year’s 20.8 per game and 13th-ranked defense, is something they can build on, and become one of the league’s top 5 defensive units.

On the flip side, the offense scored 22.8 points per game and ranked 13th in the NFL. But it never really felt like a middle of the road offensive unit.

Deep dive #2….

CJ Stroud’s rookie campaign was one to remember. In 15 starts, he put up 4,108 passing yards (8th in the league) 23 TDs (13th) and just 5 INTs (tied 7th).

Stroud had the 3rd highest QB Rating for any rookie in the history of the NFL. Let’s face it. That’s phenomenal. But need we not forget, Stroud was just a rookie.

The offensive line is a good one – all intact from 2023. But It’s the playmakers that Houston lacked last year that would have made Stroud even more dangerous. They added two guys – one on the outside and at RB.

Steffon Diggs has been one of the most consistent and dangerous wideouts of the last 9 years. He spent the first 5 at Minnesota and yes, that was Diggs on the other end of “The Minnesota Miracle” in that miracle final play and pass from Case Keenum of the 2018 playoff win against the Saints.

He spent the last 4 years on the other end of Buffalo Bills gun slinger Josh Allen.

The Texans also added Joe Mixon, another veteran. Mixon spent all seven years at Cincinnati, including four 1,000-yard seasons.

By all accounts, most projections have this year’s schedule tougher than last year’s. But what DeMeco Ryans has instilled is something the Texans haven’t had in a while – grit. And when you add pure grit to a group of Texas men in oil country, things usually turn out okay.