NFL Debate

Contributors Jhett Folk and Britton Gray talk Texas

Hot in Texas

Britton Gray
Contributor

Going back to the first debate Jhett and I had, I predicted that the Houston Texans would make it to the Super Bowl, and they starting to prove that I may have made the right choice.

The teams that once dominated the NFL over the past decade are slowly becoming less of a threat to win championships and the Texans are proving they are a team that can get the job done.

The New England Patriots are no longer running away with games like they used to. The Indianapolis Colts lost their franchise quarterback, not to mention the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburg Steelers have ageing, injury-prone defences.

The Houston Texans are built to win now and could be the top team in the AFC for several years to come.

The Texans’ top-scoring offence and explosive players are proving difficult for opposing teams to deal with.

One of the Texans’ strengths is their ability to balance out their attack. They can carve up defences with the run or the pass, a rarity in today’s pass-happy NFL.    

Arian Foster, is leading the league in rushing yet again and continues to prove that he is the best running back in the game.

If teams do manage to stop Foster, the Texans just unload their passing game, which includes quarterback, Matt Schaub, and wide receiver, Andre Johnson.

On the other side of the ball, the defence has slowly been built from scratch into one of the best defences in the league.

Even after losing Mario Williams, – who was considered one of the best pass rushers in the league – Houston has proven they do not need him on their roster in order to succeed.

Despite losing perennial pro-bowler Mario Williams to the Buffalo Bills in the off-season, the Texans’ defence hasn’t skipped a beat.

Wade Philips is the best defensive coordinator in the league and has turned these football players into defensive warriors.

The Texans have allowed the second-fewest points in the AFC and lead the league with a +88 point differential.

Defensive end, JJ Watt, is arguably better than Williams and may even be the best defensive end in the NFL. He has an astounding 9.5 sacks through seven games and gives any QB a reason to fear the Texans defence.

Despite their short history, the Texans have remained a stable team.

As the youngest team in the NFL, they haven’t gone through the growing pains most teams experience in their early years.

One of the hardest jobs in sports is being a head coach in the NFL and the Texans’ Gary Kubiak has seen some tough times.

Kubiak inherited a team with a 2-14 record. Six years later he is still with the team and now leads one of the most talented squads in the NFL.

The Texans are a prime example of why you shouldn’t give up on a coach after just a few years.

They are one of the most well rounded teams in the league and may be the only legitimate threat left in the AFC.

The Patriots are no longer the same team they used to be and are getting old.

Houston is a great team with a stable coaching staff and that’s often a recipe for success.

This is why they were – and still are – my pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year.

Houston, we have a problem

Jhett Folk
Contributor

The Houston Texans are unquestionably one of the best teams in the National Football League right now.    

They hold a 6-1 record and show no signs of slowing down. Their defence is impeccable and there offense is keeping up with – if not outdoing – the best offenses the NFL has to offer.

Star running back, Arian Foster, is in top form and remains a very key cog in the Texans engine. Wide receiver, Andre Johnson, poses an incredible deep threat that is rivaled only by the likes of the Arizona Cardinals , Larry Fitzgerald, or Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson.

Not just that, but the team is collectively playing well together.

However, I’m still not convinced that the Houston Texans are the best team in the American Football Conference.

My problem with considering the Texans as numero uno in the AFC begins with the consideration of other stellar teams in the conference.

The Baltimore Ravens – though embarrassed by the Texans already – still pose a possible big threat in the future. The Pittsburgh Steelers, whose defence is still in the upper echelon of the NFL, might be one of very few teams that can go blow for blow with this intense Texans D.

Another big question mark in the AFC comes out of Denver, as you can never truly count out quarterback, Peyton Manning.

The final very big threat is – as I’m sure you could have guessed – the New England Patriots.

For starters, in Baltimore, the Texans would have to fear quarterback in Joe Flacco who, while on his game, can throw with the best of them. They’d also have to take into account the ever-dangerous Ravens running back, Ray Rice, who is one of the most versatile players in the NFL.

Once the Ravens can establish their style of football, they have proven to be almost unstoppable.

The next big name threat is the Pittsburgh Steelers. These guys are perennial Super Bowl contenders, and they are a team with great leadership as well as coaching.     Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, is a character that can steal a game all on his own with extremely unorthodox plays. Linebacker, James Harrison, and the rest of the Steelers defence can beat a team senseless, which often leads to victory.

Threat number three comes from the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos, which
in my opinion, should be the Texans biggest fear coming out of the AFC.    

Peyton, for those of you wondering, has quite the history of making the Texans look like his water boys and Denver’s defence, when at the top of their game, is the best in the league.

Add to that characters such as Broncos wide receivers, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, and the Broncos can steal a game with some huge yards after the catch.

But, the final threat in the AFC for the Texans need no introduction.

The New England Patriots have been one of the strongest and most feared teams in the NFL since the introduction of quarterback, Tom Brady, to the league. He is basically the exact reason for that fear.

Brady is a cerebral assassin that very rarely is denied his victory. If the Texans think they need a challenge, they’ll receive more than enough from Brady and his offense.

The main issues that worry me about the legitimacy of the Texans number one ranking are the injuries issue, the quarterback position, and their inexperience.

The final reason that really sticks out to me is that the Texans have never really been the top dog before. Can they handle the pressure of number one?