Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll take a look at two NFL teams as we head into the 2009 season. Below is a look at the Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons.
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Houston Texans
My boldest prediction this preseason is that the Texans will be one of the best teams in the NFL. Now, before you go and tell me how crazy I am, let’s look at the facts.
WR Andre Johnson is probably top three at his position. If he can keep himself healthy, I think Johnson is good for around 100 catches, 1,200-1,400 yards and 10-12 TDs.
Matt Shaub is one of the better quarterbacks in the league when healthy. If you average his numbers from 2008 for a full 16-game schedule, Shaub could have passed for around 4,429 yards and 22 TDs.
RB Steve Slaton had a great rookie season, rushing for 1,282 yards and 9 TDs. He also caught 50 passes for 377 yards and 1 TD. Slaton should follow that up with another solid year in 2009.
On the defensive side of the ball, DE Mario Williams is one of the best players in the league. Remember when everyone scoffed at the Texans for passing on RB Reggie Bush? Well Williams has proved his worth. He’s recorded double digit sacks the past two seasons and should be a major force in 2009.
And Williams isn’t the only solid player on a young defense. Look at the players they’ll have upfront: DEs Williams and rookie Conor Barwin, DT Amobi Okoye, LBs DeMeco Ryans, Cato June, Zach Diles and rookie Brian Cushing.
All of this and I still haven’t mention CB Dunta Robinson or TE Owen Daniels.
But there will be some questions. Can Shaub stay healthy? He’s only played 11 games each of the past two seasons. How will the team respond to the loss of starting CB Jacques Reeves, who was injured in camp and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks? Will the youngsters on defense be able to play at a high level?
In 2008 Houston was ranked 22nd in overall defense, 23rd against the run and 17th against the pass. They have the talent, but still haven’t put it together if they hope to make the playoffs.
I think Gary Kubiak is a good coach and he’s definitely shown that he has this ship turning around. Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the division. Of course, a lot of things need to fall into place for that to happen, but it could.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons shocked everyone last year, going 11-5 and making the playoffs. QB Matt Ryan was named Rookie of the Year and RB Michael Turner was one of the best players in the league. But what will year two of the Mike Smith regime bring?
Offensively, I think we can all agree that the Falcons have some of the best talent in the NFL. Ryan showed everyone how good a quarterback he was, throwing for 3,440 yards, 16 TDs and leading a team that many thought would win only a handful of games to the postseason.
RB Michael Turner was a huge reason for the team’s success and having a quality backup in Jerious Norwood helped as well. The pair combined for 2,188 yards on the ground and 21 TDs. As a result, the Falcons had the second best rushing offense in 2008.
Another big part of their success was the emergence of WR Roddy White, who caught 80+ passes for the second consecutive season (88) for 1,392 yards and 7 TDs. Currently, White is a holdout, but as long as he returns within the next couple of weeks, it shouldn’t make too big a difference.
The team does have another proven pass catcher, adding future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez in the offseason. In 2008, Gonzalez caught 96 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 TDs for a Chiefs team that wasn’t all that good. If he can add those kind of numbers to Atlanta’s stat sheet, they shouldn’d have a problem getting back to the postseason.
But the thing that will make or break the Falcons is their defense, which wasn’t all that solid last season. In turn, the Falcons signed free agent LBs Mike Peterson and Jamie Winborn this offseason and rookie DT Peria Jerry should fill in nicely for Grady Jackson, who left for Detroit. Losing LB Keith Brooking could hurt, but if John Abraham plays as well as he did in ’08 (16.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles) and the team can get a little bit of help, especially in the secondary (their passing defense ranked 21st in 2008) the Falcons should be in the hunt for the postseason again in 2009.
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