The Houston Texans 2020 went just about as awful as it could. Although they finished with a better record than the Jacksonville Jaguars, their 4-12 season was a disappointment. They started the season 0-4, and the head coach evaluation began. Houston was supposed to be a team that would compete in the AFC South. Unfortunately, they found themselves as one of the worst teams in the entire conference in 2020. This is what led to former head coach Bill O’Brien being fired after the 0-4 start.
Romeo Crennel took over as interim head coach but only could capture 4 wins. As the season came to a close, the Houston organization had more to worry about. Allegations surrounding franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson circulated, and J.J. Watt asked for a trade. Not only was the 4-12 season disappointing, but the organization faced a lot of questions.
Who would they have to lose in order to become a winning team again? As they head into the 2021 season, for now, Watson is still a Texan, but how long will that last?
2021 Houston Texans Futures Betting Odds
Houston Texans Super Bowl Champion Odds: +10000
Houston Texans AFC Champion Odds: +6000
Houston Texans Win Totals Odds: Over 4.5 (-115) / Under 4.5 (-115)
Houston Texans AFC South Champion Odds: +2800
The Houston Texans are in danger of becoming a forgotten team in 2021. They have the worst odds in each futures category. Last to win the Super Bowl, last to win the AFC Championship, and last to win the AFC South. Needless to say, the oddsmakers feel like the Texans won’t do much of anything this year.
Honestly, they’re probably right, especially with all the questions surrounding Deshaun Watson. Watson could likely not play for the Houston Texans in 2021, leaving them with Jeff Driskel. First-year Head Coach, David Culley, has been tasked with making something out of nothing.
J.J. Watt has left the team. Although Watt was plagued by injuries, he was a force on the defensive. This has left them with plenty of holes on their defensive line, not easily fixed. We’ve seen a glimpse of it in the preseason against the Green Bay Packers.
The Texans lost the game 26-7 and left fans disappointed at what the future holds for Houston. The AFC South title shouldn’t even be on the Texans’ radar this year. Odds are, the Houston Texans won’t be seeing the playoffs for a long time, regardless of Watson.
2021 Houston Texans Offseason Grade: B-
Key Additions: (RB, Mark Ingram), (RB, Phillip Lindsey), (DB, Desmond King)
Key Departures: (DE, J.J. Watt), (RB, Duke Johnson), (TE, Darren Fells)
The offseason panned out well for the Houston Texans that saw many players added to the roster. This is great in the long run as more of these players get a feel for the team. Perhaps the most significant is Mark Ingram. Ingram spent a lot of time in Baltimore and has a winning attitude.
The support he brings into the locker should do wonders for such a new team. He’ll also pull his weight on the field, especially alongside Phillip Lindsey. Desmond King is a great addition to the secondary and should provide guidance for the other defensive backs.
The departure of J.J. Watt hurts the team in a couple of different ways. One way is that the team loses a dynamite pass rusher. The other and more important way is that J.J. Watt kept the entire team together.
The city of Houston loved him and supported him, and frankly was the reason they showed up. Without that type of impactful player, others on the team could lose morale quickly. However, there wasn’t a chance the organization was going to be able to keep Watt from departing.
Houston Texans 2021 Preview
The Texans are under a lot of scrutiny right now due to the Watson investigation. The first thing they should do is make a decision about that. If there’s another quarterback worthy of a starting spot, they should grab them. Dropping Watson could be the best thing for the Texans in the future. Aside from that, their 2021 season should be similar to their 2020 season. This time though, it shouldn’t be considered a bad thing as the team is rebuilding.
Houston Texans Futures Best Bet
At this point, the safest bet on Houston is no bet at all. The chances of them even making the playoffs are incredibly slim, let alone winning a title. The only bet you could make sense of is the over 4.5 wins. They claimed four wins last season with a broken-down team with zero leadership at the head coaching position.
This season, with a new head coach, they should be able to win five at a minimum.
