Nobody should expect to achieve the kind of success the Houston Texans did in 2023; they were one in a million.
Can you imagine how difficult it will be to have a season like to the 2023 Houston Texans’? It is nearly unheard of for two important rookies, a rookie head coach, and a host of underperforming players from the previous season to come together and win a championship. The majority of the important players on the squad didn’t come until the 2023 offseason, even though the Texans were rebuilding for a few years.
To crank up the volume came Tank Dell, C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson, Dalton Schultz, DeMeco Ryans, and others. Subsequently, players who were already on the roster began to produce but were not attracting much attention. Under Ryans, the Texans improved from 3-13-1 in 2022 to 9-8 in 2023, winning the AFC South. Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Derek Stingley Jr., and other players cranked up the pace.
It was a culmination of mostly unanticipated happenings. It is highly improbable that it can be replicated like a set of Lego instructions. A guidebook or formula exists for turning zeros into heroes in a single season. In Stroud and Anderson, the Texans acquired a possible MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Few teams can claim to have selected players of both sorts in the same draft.
The Commanders, who SI thinks have the best chance of duplicating the Texans’ remarkable comeback,
In the 2024 NFL Draft, they did select Jayden Daniels, who is a good starting point for a rebuild. However, rookie quarterbacks almost never have the same visual appeal as Stroud did. The NFL quarterback failure rate is high. Hence, despite the anticipation and excitement around Daniels, there isn’t really much cause for it historically. They have a much higher chance of finding a dud than a stud.
Daniels may always be the next big thing after Stroud. That is a possibility, but we have terrible news if you’re thinking that the Commanders will succeed just by picking the LSU prospect. The Commanders have the ability to turn things around, but it might take a few campaigns for them to win a division title and qualify for the playoffs.
It is ridiculous to think or expect them to accomplish this in a year. especially considering the Texans just happened to have such a turnaround. Therefore, to expect the Commanders or any other team to accomplish such a remarkable turnaround would be unjust and way too high.
