2009 NFL season in review: Houston Texans
Alas we come to the last team that failed to qualify for the 2009 NFL playoffs. The Houston Texans are a tough team to figure out. They seem to be a whole lot better on paper than their yearly record indicates. Of course playing in a division with the Indianapolis Colts is not exactly the easiest way to get into the playoffs. At 9-7 this was the first winning season in Houston Texans history, and if they continue to get better, as they have over the last few years, they will be in the playoffs very soon.
The 2009 Texans scored 388 points or 24.2 points/game. That was good enough for the 10th best offense in the NFL in 2009. QB Matt Schaub completed nearly 70% of his passes. He threw for 4,770 yards, 29 touch downs, while throwing just 15 interceptions. By far his favorite target was Andre Johnson who got 101 passes in 2009 for 1,569 yards and scored nine touch downs. On the ground the Texans gained 1,475 yards as a team, led by Steve Slaton with 437 yards and Ryan Moats who had 390 yards rushing.
The Texans defense gave up 333 points or 20.8 points/game. Their point differential was +55 and that means that out scored their opponents on average by 3.4 pointer/game. Their takeaway differential was -1, which seems to indicate they could use a little help on the defensive side of the ball. However with three pro bowlers on their defense other needs may take a priority.
Moving forward it seems the biggest need on this team is an offensive guard to help take down the number of sacks this team gives up and to open up some more holes for the running game. Of course we can not look past the need for an upgrade at the RB position. Current Mock drafts have the Texans all over the map when selecting with the 20th pick in April’s NFL draft. The clearest trend there is addressing the needs in their defensive secondary.
Related Links:
- Houston Texans News and Notes
- 2010 NFL Draft news, notes, and rumors
- 2010 NFL Free Agents
- 2010 Mock Drafts
- NFL Complete.com
