Houston Texans 5 bold predictions for 2020 season

The Texans rode Deshaun Watson to a playoff berth last season, but can they conjure up the same magic without DeAndre Hopkins in 2020?

Bill O’Brien’s disastrous offseason decisions have Texans fans bracing for the worst in 2020. Deshaun Watson will need to play like an All-Pro if he wants to drag this Houston roster into the postseason for another chance at glory.

The good news is that Watson is capable of that level of play. The Texans have a nasty habit of surrounding him with sub par talent. His degree of difficulty increases without the help of DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver, but Watson is used to making magic out of nothing.

The defense should continue to be a top 10 unit as long as JJ Watt stays healthy. His health record is questionable but there’s nothing the Texans can really do about that. There’s no way to scheme around the potential absence of the Hall of Fame edge rusher.

Add it all up and this team will struggle to sneak into the postseason. That’s become an annual rite of passive for Texans fans during O’Brien’s tenure. Here are five bold outcomes Houston fans should be watching for this season.

5. Kenny Stills will lead the team in catches

Someone has to emerge as Watson’s top receiver without Hopkins in the fold. Will Fuller is the most talented wideout on the roster, but his chances of staying healthy for a full 16-game season are pretty slim. That leaves Stills as the guy who is in line to catch the most passes.

He’s not consistent enough to be a quality No. 1 wide receiver, but he might put up big numbers with a quarterback of Watson’s caliber to lean on. He should be targeted as a sleeper in fantasy drafts for that reason.

If he and Watson both stay healthy it’s easy to envision a scenario where he catches 80 passes for 1,000 yards. He won’t replace Hopkins by any stretch of the imagination, but he can put up numbers in his absence.