Are Houston Texans NFL's Most Improved Team?

With five weeks of NFL play in 2023 behind us, we should have a good feel for where and what teams are with regard to talent and ability.

With five weeks of NFL play in 2023 behind us, we should have a good feel for where and what teams are with regard to talent and ability. The 49ers are good, the Patriots are bad, etc. There are, of course, exceptions and for some teams, we know less than we did going into the season. See the Cowboys, who play well against bad teams and are overmatched by good teams.

While the Houston Texans hold a 2-3 record through five games, it seems difficult to categorize them as one of the bad teams. With wins over the Jags and Steelers and losses to the Ravens, Colts, and Falcons (barely), this feels like a team on the rise. And that's good, considering where they've been in recent seasons.

If the Texans aren't bad or good, let's put them in the "most improved" category. With 12 games to play, rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans needs just one more win to match the team's total from 2022. It would be difficult to call the Ryans hire a success just yet, but he's certainly off to a good start. And it's highly unlikely he'll be a one-and-done Texans coach like his two predecessors. 

Texans QB C.J. Stroud (L) & coach DeMeco Ryans / FanStreamSports.com

Ryans was brought on to provide some stability to the team, and he's done just that. A defense that was ranked No. 30 or lower the previous three seasons has improved drastically, which is no surprise considering his playing pedigree.

On the offensive side of the ball, likely Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate C.J. Stroud is turning heads early this season making plays behind an injury-riddled offensive line and a seemingly average group of receivers.

The team is ahead of schedule for its rebuild mode, and that can largely be attributed to the play of Stroud. On Sunday against the Falcons, the Texans' rookie signal caller made history. With 186 passes thrown, Stroud became the all-time leader for most attempts to begin an NFL career without an interception. A record Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott held since 2016 with 176.

If Stroud and Ryans continue the current run, the Texans will could be in the playoffs discussion with the division seemingly wide open for the taking. And that would just add to the legend the rookie head coach and rookie quarterback are building in Houston.