The current state of Houston Sports going into 2020

Are we Texans?

Consistency: Qualifying for the playoffs is not enough

The Texans took criticism from a recent blog entry and in hindsight, they deserve it. On four to five different occasions, the Texans played the best football possible that had them in the conversation for a Super Bowl contender. But then, they get blindsided by an ugly loss

• Lose a great game to the Saints; an ugly win against the Jaguars,
• Beat the Chiefs in Kansas City; lose to the Colts the following.
• Beat the Chargers in LA, lose to the Panthers the following week.
• Enter the bye week with two straight wins over the Raiders and Jaguars at 6-3; lose to the Ravens exiting the bye week.
• Win two straight against the Colts and the PATRIOTS; lose to the Broncos.

The loss to the Ravens gets a pass because they are playing at a tremendous rate and Lamar Jackson is currently the frontrunner for the MVP. But the other four losses (or three losses and one ugly win) are just… inexcusable.

The Texans beat the New England Patriots for the first time in a decade two weeks ago and they lose to a Broncos that’s starting a new quarterback in his first game? Was the win over the Patriots the Texans’ Super Bowl this year? Are they just toying around with us right now?

I can’t say how many teams are in the same boat we’re in as far as inconsistent play. But the Texans seem to make a habit out of it. In contrast to past teams in the Houston Oilers, who while they couldn’t get to the Super Bowl tried their best to win. Sure, the Oilers blew a 35-3 lead against the Bills. Sure, a controversial call derailed the Oilers a trip to the Super Bowl in 1979 against the Steelers. But Earl Campbell, Warren Moon, Bum Phillips, and company made the Oilers a contender to win it all. They just didn’t.

Right now, the onus is on Cal McNair, who is trying to fill in the shoes of his father as owner of the team. He now is in a similar situation Jerry Jones is in with Jason Garrett. The trouble is the Texans have played better against teams that are playoff contenders (minus Baltimore) and not against the teams struggling. That’s making Bill O’Brien’s job in some good hands although O’Brien hasn’t been the best coach to this point.

There’s no question that Houston Sports fans have arguably the best quarterback in our franchise history and one of the best receivers in franchise history. Yet, for all they do to try and get the Texans to the promised land, inconsistency is showing. The blame goes to the players and to the coaching staff, who all of a sudden, find themselves in a best-of-three scenario with Tennessee for AFC South supremacy. Houston will need to win out if they want to clinch a playoff spot and hope the Titans lose. (Of course, the Texans just defeated the Titans 24-21, so they have the one-up on Tennessee).

But whether the team gets to the playoffs or not should take away from the fact that Houston Sports fans are tired of hoping to get to a Super Bowl. Chances are that will probably not happen this year. Yet, the future of the team needs to be in that mindsight. Not just physically, but mentally there. Talking about it is one thing, but backing it up is another. Texans fans want a championship, but they can’t depend on a team that is teasing us with so much potential. Or else? Certain superstars from the team could be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with other teams.