Houston Texans' Nick Caserio Details Work Remaining For Franchise Following Hot Start

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio is not resting on his laurels entering the team's bye week.

The Houston Texans (3-3) are literally more successful than they were a season ago, and there are still 11 games left on the schedule. Is that enough? Not hardly.

The Texans finished the 2022 season with a record of 3-13-1, and they already have three wins so far in this campaign. General manager Nick Caserio recently spoke with the media about what he views as the next step for the franchise as it looks to surpass last season's win total in Week 8.

"We're in a decent spot, a lot of work in front of us, a long way to go," Caserio said. "Three wins basically gets you zero in this league. We've got a lot of work in front of us. I think the focus this week is trying to clean up some things relative to our team, practice tomorrow, try to work on some of the areas that we think we can improve, do a little bit of a self-scout, personnel, are we using the players the right way. Then start to think about Carolina."

Oct 15, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98), linebacker Blake Cashman (53), safety Jimmie Ward (1) and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) bring down New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / © Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The winless Carolina Panthers will play host to the Texans next Sunday following the bye week, but despite their record, Caserio knows that his franchise has also scraped the bottom of the barrel in recent seasons. Carolina can still be dangerous.

"Good football team," Caserio said. "I know what their record is. You can't do anything about that. But they've got a lot of good players. Each week is a challenge. Half the league is 3-3 or 3-2, right? Like nobody has done anything to this point. We'll see how it goes." 

The Texans may not be at the top of the league in terms of record or power rankings this week, but their noticeable improvement from a season ago has put the NFL on notice, especially with a successful young quarterback in C.J. Stroud. To echo Caserio's words, however, this early success "gets you zero" in the long run if it's not sustained.

"We haven't done anything," Caserio said. "We've earned what we've earned. A lot of work in front of us. Players have done a good job to this point, but 11 games left, so it's a week-to-week endeavor in this league, and that's how we're approaching it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

The Texans will face the Panthers at noon CT on Oct. 29, and the game will be televised on FOX.