Texans still on track for No. 3 overall pick in 2022 NFL draft
The Houston Texans stunned the NFL when they knocked off the playoff-caliber Los Angeles Chargers 41-29 Sunday afternoon in Week 16 at NRG Stadium.
To beat a Derrick Henry-less Tennessee Titans squad in the rain is one thing; to beat a high-powered offense while battling COVID roster depletion yourself is an entirely other that demonstrates the Texans could be heading in the right direction.
As much of a dopamine hit the win over the Chargers may have been for long-suffering Houston sports fans and the Texans organization, did it come at the cost of their pick positioning for the 2022 NFL draft?
According to Tankathon, the Texans are still on pace for the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars are No. 1, the Detroit Lions No. 2, the 4-11 New York Jets beat Houston earlier in the year and are No. 4, and the equally 4-11 New York Giants are No. 5 due to having a higher strength of schedule than the Texans (.542 to .492).
General manager Nick Caserio told Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] on Dec. 7 that turning around the Texans will take a “collective effort.”
“We’ve made some progress in some areas, more so than others,” said Caserio. “Again, it’s going to take a collective effort with everybody involved. Every day is an opportunity to evaluate what we’re doing. Quite frankly, the standard that we have is high and candidly it hasn’t been good enough, and that’s all of our responsibility and I take full responsibility as someone that oversees the football operation.”
Coach David Culley was pleased with the victory of the Chargers and compared it to the Jamie Foxx movie “Any Given Sunday.”
“Just like our team, whoever the next team is up, all you want to do is keep getting better,” said Culley. “And you go play. And you know that movie, ‘Any Given Sunday’? It’s so true in this league when you play the game the right way and this football team played the right way today.”
The Texans will get another playoff-hopeful team in Week 17 as they go on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers, who are 8-7 and currently possess the No. 6 seed in the NFC.
