Can the Texans go undefeated?

Matt Schaub & Co. face favorable schedule, but have more to prove

Originally Published: September 23, 2012
By Matt Williamson | ESPN.com

If I were to submit my Power Rankings right now, the Houston Texans would sit on top. I am sure many Atlanta Falcons' fans will dispute my claim after the Falcons took down the San Diego Chargers on the road. And the Arizona Cardinals were also extremely impressive Sunday, but I still have questions concerning their offensive line and quarterback situation.

Until Arizona answers those questions to my liking it's going to remain outside the conversation when I'm talking about the best teams in the NFL. By contrast, Houston looks to have the AFC South all but wrapped up -- after just three weeks.

The Texans' recipe is pretty simple. Along with Arizona, Seattle, Philadelphia and San Francisco, Houston has one of the five elite defenses in football, although this wasn't the Eagles' finest performance in Week 3. The Texans' defense is really without weakness. Because they are so dominant on this side of the ball, Houston can be a run-first operation on offense. And no team in the NFL is as good at running the rock as the Texans, with their zone blocking scheme and great pair of running backs.

Everything on offense stems from that running game, as Matt Schaub is great at selling play-action and is very efficient with the passing game. Andre Johnson remains an elite wide receiver and some young wideouts like Lestar Jean and Keshawn Martin are coming on to contribute. Houston also has a deep and versatile group of tight ends/fullbacks that they use extremely well to go along with one of the top offensive lines in the league.

Houston is good. Very good, in fact. But how good can they be by the end of the season? Can they win the Super Bowl? For sure. I mentioned that their division cannot keep up with the Texans, but how about the rest of their schedule? Can they go undefeated?


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Matt Williamson

ESPN.com
  • Hosts "Football Today" podcast
  • Joined ESPN in 2005
  • Was an NFL and college scout for the Cleveland Browns

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