Despite Playoff Blowout, Future Remains Bright For Texans
Simply put, Saturday was not the Houston Texans' day.
The young and scrappy Texans were bludgeoned by the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens 34-10 in the Divisional Round of the NFL postseason, failing to produce anything of substance offensively throughout the day and finishing with just 38 yards rushing.
Even so, that doesn't dim the future of what's being created in Houston.
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First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans piloted a young roster in 2023 and a franchise that had won a total of 11 games over the last three seasons and won a division title, finishing with a mark of 10-7 and a playoff win last week.
His superb coaching job was met with remarkable growth and performance by quarterback C.J. Stroud who is a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Stroud was contained on Saturday against one of the top defenses in the National Football League, but he is unquestionably one of the top quarterbacks in football after just one season.
For Texans fans, that may not salve the wounds that Saturday brought. Houston has never reached the AFC Championship Game in its 22-year franchise history, but this meeting with the Ravens showed that the Texans still have some work to do.
It also signified, however, just how far this team has come in a short period of time.
The Texans were the laughingstock of the NFL not too long ago, but they showed themselves as one of the most dangerous teams in the league this season.
What should provide the most optimism, however, is the youth of the talent that made this playoff push possible. Rookies C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell and Will Anderson all have a year of experience under their belt, and if this type of season is what they're capable of "on the fly," imagine what they'll be beginning next season.
For now, Houston will have to watch yet another AFC title game from its living room, but with the current franchise trajectory, the Texans may be participating in this crowning contest in the not-so-distant future.
