Why the Houston Texans Are the Most Underrated Team in the NFL

With Patrick Mahomes still recovering from ACL surgery and the Chiefs dynasty seemingly being put on hiatus, the AFC is looking to be wide open once again. Last season, the Patriots pulled off a surprise run to the Super Bowl, but whether due to the schedule or an overall down year in the conference, many feel a new team will emerge from the AFC this season.

The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are the two favorites out of the AFC, and for good reason. They obviously have a talented roster, but more than just that, they might have the two best players in the sport. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have received plenty of personal hardware over the first eight seasons of their careers, but they’re still chasing an illustrious Super Bowl appearance and win to further cement their all-time status.

Unfortunately for them, Super Bowls aren’t won with just one player. In the last two seasons, the Seahawks had the best defense in the league and won the Super Bowl, and the previous year, the Eagles had the second-best defense and won the Super Bowl.

The phrase “defense wins championships” is more than just a saying; it’s the real deal in the NFL. Looking back at last year, the second-best defense in the NFL now has the 10th-best odds of winning the Super Bowl in 2027: the Houston Texans.

Houston is the most underrated team in football, and if they can get a marginally better performance from their offense, they absolutely can win a Lombardi this year. Mostly, what version of C.J. Stroud will we see this season?

Stroud’s playoff performance is the last thing people remember from the Texans, but statistically, there were a lot of similar things from Stroud’s third season to his rookie of the year and 8th-place MVP finish in 2023. However, I think a lot of Stroud’s struggles are out of his control. PFF projects the Texans to once again be one of the worst offensive lines in the sport, with a preseason projection of just 27th.

There’s hope that this group can take a step forward, but it’s still a massive weak point. C.J. Stroud has been sacked 113 times in the first three seasons of his career, and if they can keep him healthy, he can thrive. Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller at least give the Texans more depth up front, even though I’m not sure if they’re perfect fixes.

My favorite move the Texans made was a trade for David Montgomery. The rushing attack was far too inconsistent for Houston, and while Montgomery has his flaws, he is consistent. During his three seasons in Detroit, Montgomery had at least 700 yards, 8 touchdowns, and averaged at least 4.2 yards per carry each year.

Pairing him with Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz makes a very interesting offense at the very least. But most importantly, this offense doesn’t even need to be that good. Their defense will carry them to an AFC South title; from there, they’ll need an easier route, but I don’t see why they can’t make a trip to Sofi for the Super Bowl in February. The Texans are currently +1800 to win the Super Bowl, a number that will only get lower during the year.