SOUTHERN COMFORT?
Feasting on their division isn’t all it seems to be for Texans.
Once upon a time, or more specifically, around the second Sunday of September, everything was setting up spoton perfect for the Texans in 2016. They had signed the best freeagent quarterback on the market in Brock Osweiler, a well-spoken young man who had made a significant contribution to the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl run the previous season. They had added a hot-shot running back with relatively few miles on his body in Lamar Miller. They had a super-fast rookie receiver in Will Fuller, the top draft pick. And their defense wore the look of potential greatness. For an added bonus, most of the teams on their schedule were dealing with serious issues.
When Chicago arrived in town for the season opener, the Bears were missing linebacker Pernell McPhee, who had collected 13½ sacks the previous two seasons. Also, Chicago was coming off a miserable preseason that followed a terrible 2015. The Bears’ confidence was already shot. Straight from the starting gate, they knew they were going to be lousy.
Kansas City, the Texans’ worst nemesis the previous year with bookend victories at NRG Stadium to begin and end the season, followed, but the Chiefs wouldn’t be bringing linebacker Justin Houston, another quarterback scourge and the most talented, dominant player on KC’s roster.
Then the Texans would get to go to Foxborough without having to concern themselves with Tom Brady, who had been suspended for the first four games because of Deflategate. Further, the Patriots’ best running back, Dion Lewis, like McPhee and Houston, had already been declared out while he rehabbed a carryover injury and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer would also be on the physically-unableto-perform list.
The Texans’ trip to Minnesota