Fansided

Texans enter 2021 with more questions than answers

By Rucker Haringey

HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 27: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans looks on against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 27: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans looks on against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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The Texans’ 2021 fortunes are inexplicably tied to embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson. If he doesn’t play for Houston, this team is toast. 

Texans’ officials may claim that making the postseason is a goal for the franchise in 2021, but the reality is that Houston needs to rebuild. Their roster lacks the talent to be a legitimate contender in the AFC South.

A blockbuster Deshaun Watson deal could kickstart the rebuild, but it seems more likely that the Texans will hang on to him at all costs. That shouldn’t inspire their fans with confidence.

Best-case scenario

Winning five games or so? Houston has the worst roster in football and a 65-year-old rookie head coach in David Culley who has never been appointed to that position at any level. It’s tough to see the Texans shocking the world and somehow contending for anything more than third place in the AFC South.

With Watson likely on the bench for the season, the Texans are stuck with one of the league’s worst offenses to compliment a lousy defense. The team needs Culley to be a great hire, some of the young players to take another step and if it all happens, Houston can finish with a few wins.

Worst-case scenario

If Watson doesn’t play, the Texans roster looks like the weakest collection of talent in the league. Tyrod Taylor might be good enough to stop the offense from embarrassing itself, but he definitely isn’t anything more than a below-average NFL starter.

Things could be even worse if Houston were to decide to really dive into the idea of tanking and hand the starting job over to third-round draft pick Davis Mills. He’s got a big arm but he’s not ready to take meaningful snaps at the NFL level. If he’s forced into serious action as a rookie it could ruin his career.

Contending for the No. 1 overall pick and burning the long-term prospects of a young signal-caller would equal disaster for Houston.

X-factor

Collins is a potential go-to option for Houston’s offense on the outside due to his rare combination of size and speed. The team will need him to stretch the field right away if they’re going to achieve any kind of offensive balance.

The presence of Miller and Cooks alongside him on most plays should give Collins the chance to work against single coverage. That’s a recipe for success for the former Michigan star. He has a sneaky chance to be one of the most productive offensive rookies in this year’s class.

Biggest game

The Texans have zero margin for error. That’s why their home opener against the Jaguars is their biggest game of the year. Losing an early home game to Trevor Lawrence and company could easily send Houston into a tailspin. At the very least, the Texans need to win this game to postpone that sort of swoon.

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Bold prediction

This may or may not qualify as bold, but the prediction is that Watson won’t take a single snap for the Texans in 2021. The combination of his outstanding legal issues with the possibility of him demanding a trade just makes it clear that his long-term future doesn’t lie with the Texans.