DeAndre Hopkins: Houston Texans are team to beat in AFC South

The Houston Texans are the defending AFC South Champions heading into 2016, and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins believes they will repeat.

After a few seasons of having the AFC South dominated by Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans were able to dethrone them in 2015. The AFC South certainly was one of the worst divisions in football, but the Texans were able to win it regardless and make the playoffs last season

The quarterback situation was a mess for the Texans last season, but that didn’t stop DeAndre Hopkins from having one of the best seasons of any wide receiver in the NFL. In 2015, Hopkins totaled 111 receptions, 1,521 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns.

In the offseason, the Texans addressed the quarterback position that held them back in 2015 with the signing of Brock Osweiler. While Osweiler isn’t proven yet, he is a better option than Brian Hoyer, and should help Hopkins repeat his performance of last season.

“I feel like we’ve earned that title to be the team to beat in the AFC South,” Hopkins said to Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. “When I got here, it was the Colts. We finally [got] over that hump. Hopefully, we can continue to be the team to beat.”

Unlike last season, the AFC South should be more competitive this season. The Colts were held back last season with an injured Luck, who missed a good chunk of the season, and played poorly hurt for other parts. The Colts were in the AFC Championship Game in 2014, and they should be better than they were in 2015.

The rise of the Jacksonville Jaguars will make the race for a division title a bit more interesting as they showed last season that they have a young emerging offense. This offseason, the Jaguars made moves to address their flaws on the defensive side of the ball, and they will be looking to make a big step forward and challenge for the division.

While it won’t be easy, the Texans can certainly repeat as division champions as the addition of Osweiler might be a great move if he can play up to his potential. It also doesn’t hurt to have the best defensive player in football harassing quarterbacks, as J.J. Watt will be looking to be the Defensive Player of the Year for the third year in a row.

It was a bold statement by Hopkins to call the Texans the team to beat in the AFC South, but it is also hard to argue with him.

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