History of Houston Texans
Teams move, and new teams are created. It’s one of the main origin stories for teams around the NFL, and it’s why the Houston Texans exist.
For the Texans it actually took two moves for them to become a new franchise. The first and most consequential of those moves was the Oilers move to Tennessee. One of the original AFL teams in 1960, beloved by fans in Houston, was gone for the greener stadium pastures of Tennessee.
Move to Houston
That left Houston as a valuable market, but one without a clear path back to being an NFL city. But then the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. The NFL promised that it would give a team back to Cleveland as soon as possible. The only problem is that when that happened. The NFL had 31 teams, meaning that in every single week of the regular season someone wasn’t playing.
That was no good, so getting a 32nd franchise was a top priority. Stepping up was new owner Bob McNair. Houston won the bid, and after considering team names that included the Apollos, Stallions, and Wildcatters, the Houston Texans were born.
The Texans are the youngest franchise in the NFL. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that they are one of the four teams to never play in the Super Bowl. The fact that it took them 10 seasons before they first had a winning record is less excusable.
They have won the AFC South six times since that first winning season. Eight total wins in the last two seasons has not excited the fanbase.
As a young franchise the Texans haven’t had many great players. Their ring of honor has one – wide receiver Andre Johnson. He was one of 15 Hall of Fame finalists in 2022. However, he didn’t make it this time. He will at some point.
Another former Texan that is a lock for future Hall of Fame status is J.J. Watt, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year with the Texans. In 10 seasons in Houston he recorded 101 sacks,
NFL Big Changes from Last Season – Houston Texans
The Texans begin the 2022 season with a number of changes. If any of them can be called ‘big” remains to be seen.
Lovie Smith is their new head coach this season, but he hardly qualifies as new. His very first coaching job was in 1980 and his NFL coaching career began in 1993. He’s been a head coach with the Bears and Buccaneers, and he was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2005.
He turned 64 in May, however, and he feels more like a placeholder than someone who is going to lead a new era in Texans football.
Smith is going to be his own defensive coordinator, and his offensive coordinator is Pep Hamilton. He was the quarterbacks coach in Houston last season. It’s a new role for him with the Texans – he was the OC with the Colts from 2013-2015 – and it keeps some continuity for second year quarterback Davis Mills.
New Additions
The Texans weren’t very busy in the free agent market this season, but they did add a number of exciting new pieces in the NFL Draft. The most talked about these new players is cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. from LSU. Houston ranked 29th in yards allowed per pass attempt, and Stingley fills an immediate need.
Along with the third overall pick, the Texans also had the 15th pick. They used it on Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green. The rookie is slated to start at left guard next to tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Aiding the improvement in the secondary with the Stingley pick is second round pick Jalen Pitre, a safety out of Baylor. Along with playing deep safety, Pitre spent a lot of his college career in the slot. He will play all over the field in Smith’s defense.
* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
AFC South
