The Texans’ Biggest Question For The 2019 Season

People often come up to me and ask, Matt, how many games will the Texans win this year and why? I’ll be grabbing items from the top shelf of the grocery store for the elderly, walking my big dog, in the middle of an excruciating set at the gym, or laying in the grass and reading a Virginia Woolf novel and they’ll come barging right in. I don’t mind it. This is the life I choose to lead. My answer has been the same. If Deshaun Watson plays at a MVP level they’ll make the playoffs. Houston will need to score around 27 points a game, and be stuck playing shootout against a ruthless schedule filled with great passing offenses that will shred apart their below average pass defense. If Watson can do this, and just as importantly, if Bill O’Brien runs an aggressive offense that puts the ball downfield, Houston would be able to win 10 games or so, and hopefully, finally, make it past the Divisional Round.

Yesterday, ESPN had a post that answered each team’s biggest 2019 question. This is what they had to say about the Texans. You can read about the rest of the AFC here as well.

Can Deshaun Watson make the adjustments necessary to become an elite quarterback?

There’s no telling how good the Texans’ franchise quarterback could be if he consistently had time to throw. Watson was sacked 62 times last season and his average time to throw was 3.01 seconds, which ranked third slowest among passer-rating-qualified passers, so it wasn’t all the offensive line’s fault. But even so, the line has room for improvement. The good news for Watson is that he’s due to have more help in 2019. The Texans are expected to have wide receivers Will Fuller and Keke Coutee for the season opener, they add DeAndre Hopkins, and they should have a talented group of receivers. Coutee made an impact in the six games he played last season, and if he can stay healthy, having a consistent slot receiver could help Watson get rid of the ball quicker. At the end of the Texans’ spring workouts, coach Bill O’Brien said he believed Watson’s grasp of the offense is “light-years” of where it was even a year ago. Watson certainly has the pieces around him to take a step forward. -- Sarah Barshop

I read this with my head nodding violently like I was at Woodstock 99’ again. I couldn’t agree more. What do you think? What is the Texans’ biggest question entering 2019?