Easily the most surprising team of the 2023 NFL regular season has been the Houston Texans. Their victory in Week 11 over the Arizona Cardinals was their sixth of the season, which is their most since 2019 when they won 10 games.
First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans has helped turn things around in Houston instantly. The team landed a star in the making with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State.
Stroud has produced record-setting statistics to this point as the runaway favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Some analysts believe he should be in the running for the MVP as well, as he ranks near the top of numerous statistics this season.
The former Buckeye is far from the only rookie making a positive impact for the Texans. The team made a splash, acquiring the No. 3 overall pick from the Cardinals to select Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., who is already commanding double teams and extra attention from opposing offenses.
As the season has moved along, Stroud has also developed incredible chemistry with wide receiver Tank Dell. The third-round pick out of Houston has caught 42 passes for 659 yards and six touchdowns, combining with Nico Collins to be a very productive one-two punch.
In what was expected to be a rebuilding year, the Texans are right in the thick of the playoff picture in the AFC. In fact, former All-Pro turned analyst Richard Sherman believes their storybook season will result in a playoff appearance.
“The Texans will make the playoffs!” Sherman said, on a recent segment of UNDISPUTED on FS1, as he feels really good about Stroud and the team after Week 11.
The future is now for the Texans, who are way ahead of schedule. They have blown away any and all expectations that were placed on them for the 2023 season as they are only one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for first place in the AFC South.
With an explosive offense and defense improving weekly, they are a dangerous team that will continue surprising opponents who take them too lightly.
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