Return of Stroud, addition of Diggs vaults Houston Texans into Super Bowl contention

HOUSTON TEXANS (11-8)

EXPECTATIONS: The Texans made a remarkable turnaround last season with first-year coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to go from worst to first in the AFC South. They spent the offseason upgrading their roster by adding star receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Joe Mixon and pass rusher Danielle Hunter raising hopes that this could be their year. The team should be improved thanks to the new additions and the continued development of last year’s AP Offensive Player of the Year Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who won the defensive rookie honor. They are expected to win their division again and have Super Bowl aspirations, but they have a difficult schedule with a Nov. 10 game against Detroit and games against Kansas City and Baltimore four days apart in December.

NEW FACES: Diggs, Mixon, Hunter, DE Denico Autry, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, DE Mario Edwards Jr., P Tommy Townsend, CB Jeff Okudah, CB Lonnie Johnson Jr., CB Desmond King, CB C.J. Henderson.

KEY LOSSES: DE Jonathan Greenard, LB Blake Cashman, CB Steven Nelson, LB Denzel Perryman, DT Sheldon Rankins, RB Devin Singletary, OL Michael Dieter, OT George Fant, DT Teair Tart, OT Josh Jones.

STRENGTHS: Stroud and a stacked group of receivers should be the team’s biggest strength. The second overall pick in the 2023 draft threw for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions last season. Nico Collins returns after finishing with a career-high 1,297 yards receiving and eight touchdowns last year. He’ll pair with Diggs, who has had six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, to give the Texans two elite receivers. They also return Tank Dell, who had 709 yards receiving with seven scores as a rookie before breaking his leg in the 11th game. The receiving group also includes veteran Robert Woods and John Metchie III, a standout at Alabama, who had a great preseason in his second year back after missing his rookie season fighting cancer.

WEAKNESSES: While Houston’s defensive end combination of Hunter and Anderson should be another strength of the team, the interior defensive line isn’t nearly as strong. The Texans signed Folorunso Fatukasi and Mario Edwards to one-year deals this offseason and they’ll start at the defensive tackle spots. Fatukasi was picked up after he was released by the Jaguars and Edwards has bounced around a lot and Houston is his fifth team in six seasons.

CAMP DEVELOPMENT: The Texans learned that they won’t have Autry for the early part of the season after he was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancers early this month. Autry signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the team in March after he had a career-high 11½ sacks last season for the Titans. He said in a statement that he did not intentionally violate the policy and that it stemmed from doctors submitting a prescription for a different medication that contained a banned substance.

FANTASY PLAYER TO WATCH: Mixon could be a good fantasy addition because he’ll not only pick up points in the running game but is also a threat out of the backfield. He had 1,034 yards rushing with nine touchdowns for his fourth career 1,000-yard rushing season last year. He added 376 yards receiving and tied a career high with three TD catches for the Bengals in 2023.

BetMGM Sportsbook: Win Super Bowl: 16-1. Over/under wins: 9 1/2.

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