2014 NFL Preview: Everything you need to know about the Houston Texans

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Houston Texans

Schedule | Roster

To say 2013 was a disaster for the Texans would be a massive understatement. Houston came into the season as the two-time defending champion in the AFC South and looked poised to make another march to the playoffs. However, after earning a couple of close wins to start the year, everything fell to pieces and the once-mighty Texans dropped their final 14 games.

Quarterback Matt Schaub lost his confidence and was shipped out of town in the offseason. Neither T.J. Yates nor Case Keenum could do much better under center than Schaub and the Texans wound up with the worst record in the league and the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in franchise history.

Preseason Power Ranking - #28

Jadeveon Clowney was added to sack the quarterback, not play quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick has that job. Enough said. More...

Key Additions/Departures

Key Additions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, DT Jerrell Powe, S Chris Clemons, S Kendrick Lewis

Key Departures: QB Matt Schaub, RB Ben Tate, TE Owen Daniels, DT Earl Mitchell, DT Antonio Smith, S Danieal Manning

Fitzpatrick was brought in and announced as the new starting quarterback. Houston then traded away Yates as well as Schaub, which leaves only Keenum and fourth-round rookie Tom Savage behind "Fitzmagic" on the depth chart.

Tate's departure opens a hole in Houston's backfield and may force the Texans to lean even more heavily on Arian Foster. Considering Foster is coming off a season-ending back injury, the Texans' backfield looks a little shaky heading into the new season.

2014 Draft Class

The Texans appeared to waiver on what to do with the No. 1 overall pick, but eventually decided to go with the consensus top player in the draft, Jadeveon Clowney. Combining Clowney with 2012 Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt makes for an intimidating defense that will have opposing quarterbacks fearing for their lives.

We knew heading into the draft that the Texans were going to select a quarterback at some point, although it was a little surprising to see them wait until the fourth round where they drafted Pittsburgh's Tom Savage. He may be viewed as the potential quarterback of the future, but Houston lacks a true starting quarterback now, and taking one earlier in the draft may have gone a lot further in helping the team win this year.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Bill O'Brien
Offensive Coordinator: Bill O'Brien
Defensive Coordinator: Romeo Crennel

O'Brien takes over after two years as the head coach at Penn State. As the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, O'Brien opted not to hire an offensive coordinator in Houston and instead will run the Texans offense himself. 

Romeo Crennel, another member of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, will run the defense and should find creative ways to employ the frightening combination of Watt and Clowney. Crennel's record as a head coach is spotty at best, but he's proven to be a solid coordinator and should do well with Houston's defense.

2014 Schedule

After finishing 2013 in the league's basement, the Texans get the benefit of a last-place schedule this season. Houston doesn't face a team that made the playoffs last year until Week 6 at home against Indianapolis. The Texans only face three teams (the Colts, Eagles and Bengals) that qualified for the postseason in 2013. 

Bold Predictions

At least three quarterbacks will start games for the Texans. Houston opted for the generational talent, Clowney, with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, rather than addressing its glaring quarterback need. The veteran Fitzpatrick was signed as a stopgap, but his gunslinging style is a poor fit for O’Brien’s offensive system predicated on discipline. Fitzpatrick will be benched at some point, giving Keenum a few starts. After the Texans are eliminated from playoff contention, they’ll give the rookie Savage a look. - David Woods

Clowney will lead the NFL in sacks. The pairing of Clowney and Watt is going to be deadly for quarterbacks, and should give the No. 1 overall pick ample opportunity to shine. Clowney slipped from 13 sacks as a sophomore to three as a junior at South Carolina, but also played through a sports hernia injury. If he stays healthy, look for Clowney to rack up the sacks. - Caitlyn Holroyd

Foster leads the league in rushing. Foster missed eight games last year because of back surgery, but he’s in the perfect place to put up massive numbers this season. The Texans’ quarterback situation is dire and they’ll be handing the ball off a ton. And if oft-injured receiver Andre Johnson goes down, that will only increase Foster’s workload. - Michael Amato

The Texans “earn” the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight season. No team has had the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back years since the Cleveland Browns in 1999-2000, but the Texans will finish with the NFL’s worst record for the second straight season. Clowney makes the Houston defense scary, but the offense has no teeth. Foster’s handcuff, Tate, is gone and the starting back has struggled to stay healthy even when splitting carries. Fitzpatrick provides little confidence at quarterback and his best receiver, Johnson, doesn’t even want to be there. Expect a lot of low-scoring games with Houston coming out on the losing end. - Mike Dickson