Houston Texans won’t go winless, but they’ll come close
It’s near impossible to go winless for a full NFL season, but the Houston Texans are about to make a strong run at the task.
The Houston Texans are horrific. Maybe historically horrific. Time will tell.
Could Houston end the upcoming campaign with a goose egg in the win column? Sure, and the Texans are definitely the most likely to do so.
However, only three teams in the modern era have gone an entire season without winning or tying a game. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were an expansion team which went 0-14. The Detroit Lions then became the first team to go 0-16, doing so in 2008. Finally, the 2017 Cleveland Browns.
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Going into 2021, the Texans are making a push to be the fourth team in the conversation. The Texans could be without quarterback Deshaun Watson as he’s dealing with significant legal issues. If Watson isn’t on the team or is on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, Tyrod Taylor steps into the fray.
Taylor, 31, is on his fourth team in five years after starting only one game for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. He’s not surrounded by much, a year removed from Houston trading away All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins before letting Will Fuller leave in free agency for the Miami Dolphins in March.
An anemic offense is paired with a defense leaking at every level. J.J. Watt was released in the offseason, allowing him to sign a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Whitney Mercilus and Zach Cunningham are anchoring the second level, but the duo isn’t enough to keep this unit from being at or near the bottom of most projected defensive rankings.
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Then there’s the coaching staff. David Culley is taking over the helm after interim head coach Romeo Crennel wasn’t retained. Culley is 65 years old and has never been an offense coordinator in his lengthy football career, let alone a head coach. Maybe Culley is a surprise, but this is a huge lift for Vince Lombardi, let alone a man of Culley’s experience.
If there’s a saving grace for Houston, it’s playing in an awful division with the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans could stumble into a few wins against that trio. If they don’t, 0-17 starts looking more possible by the hour.
The Texans aren’t likely to join the historic club of winlessness, but it can’t be ruled out.
