Do not overlook the Houston Texans in AFC South race

The AFC South is usually one of the most wide-open divisions in the NFL, and the lack of a consistently dominant team always leaves the door open for somebody unexpected to sneak through on top.

A year ago we saw the Jacksonville Jaguars go from worst to first and even make their way through to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Through four weeks the Houston Texans are giving their fans some reason for optimism that they might be able to follow in their footsteps.

Thanks to their 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the Texans have now won two games in a row (in a thoroughly convincing fashion) and are now entering a stretch of their schedule where they have a chance to potentially stack some wins.

Their next four games are against the four NFC South teams, none of which have really stood out as imposing opponents. That stretch is followed by a game against a Cincinnati Bengals team that has badly underachieved this season with an injured Joe Burrow, and then three straight home games against Arizona, Jacksonville and Denver. 

That stretch is part of a season-long schedule that has fallen dramatically in Houston’s favor. Of their remaining 13 opponents, only two of them (Cincinnati and the rematch with Jacksonville) were playoff teams a year ago, and outside of those games with Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, they do not really face another top-tier quarterback the rest of the way. 

But Houston’s chances are not just about other team’s weaknesses. The Texans are also a significantly improved team in their own right under first-year head coach Demeco Ryans, and that improvement starts at quarterback where rookie C.J. Stroud is already looking like a star.

Stroud has been about as impressive as a rookie quarterback can be through the first four games of the season, already throwing for six touchdowns and not throwing a single interception. His emergence has helped veteran receiver Nico Collins start to have a breakout season, while fellow rookie Tank Dell has made an immediate impact. 

As of Tuesday every team in the AFC South is 2-2 making it a complete free-for-all once again. Every team is in it, and the Texans have as much of a chance as anybody.