Texans Offense Has Promise, But One Major Concern

Where do the Houston Texans' strengths and weaknesses lie for the 2024 season?

Jul 29, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / troy taormina-usa today sports

The NFL season is only a couple of days away, as the regular season kicks off on Thursday night. The Houston Texans don't kick off until Sunday, though, as they take on the Indianapolis Colts on the road.

Ahead of the NFL regular season kicking off, ESPN released team previews for each team in the league, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.

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Ranked No. 9 in the NFL, the Texans' biggest strength was quite simple, as ESPN listed Houston's offense as the strength. This makes sense, considering second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is set to be a superstar with an incredible supporting cast.

"The Texans' offense is loaded with Pro Bowlers, including QB C.J. Stroud, WR Stefon Diggs, RB Joe Mixon and LT Laremy Tunsil," ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime wrote. "And non-Pro Bowl WRs Nico Collins and Tank Dell are just as explosive. So if the group is healthy, Houston's offense will be dynamic. Stroud called the playmakers a "five-headed monster" at the beginning of training camp, and it looked like that at times throughout camp."

The offensive weapons will be of significant help to Stroud, who is looking to build off an elite rookie campaign. While the offensive studs might see a statistical dip while surrounded by so much talent, Stroud will benefit from having so many playmakers to spread to ball to.

Not every offensive unit is going to help Stroud, though. ESPN also happened to cite the Texans' offensive line as the biggest weakness.

"The Texans' offensive line has an injury history. On paper, the unit has talent, led by Tunsil, RG Shaq Mason and highly paid RT Tytus Howard," Bien-Aime wrote. "But everyone outside of Mason has missed time, either last season or in training camp. The offensive line depth isn't nearly as good as last season, when swing tackle George Fant stepped in and played effectively for Howard. The Texans need a healthy offensive line to reach their lofty expectations."

Without a stout offensive line, Stroud is going to face struggles in trying to get the "five-headed monster" clean targets and touches. For the offense to go, the line has to be a motor, and Stroud must be kept clean.

It'll be interesting to see what the Texans' ceiling is on the season and how healthy the offensive line can remain.

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