Last season the Texans finished 8-8-0 and finished third in the AFC South division, missing the playoffs.

Offense: Houston had their best season on the offensive side of the ball in the franchise’s history last season. The Texans finished third overall in total yards, fourth in passing yards, 13th in rushing yards, and 17th in points scored. Not many changes the unit from last season, and how well Houston plays is dependent on quarterback Matt Schaub and his ability to stay healthy throughout the season. Backup Sage Rosenfels was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, and to replace him the Texans brought in Dan Orlovsky from the Detroit Lions and former first round draft pick Rex Grossman to compete for the backup spot.

Defense: As well as the offense played last season, the defense was equally as bad. Houston ranked 27th in points allowed, 23rd in rushing yards allowed, 22nd in total yards allowed and 17th in passing yards allowed. That is why this year’s draft was dedicated to defense for the Texans. Three of the first four picks by the Texans were on the defensive side of the ball. Brian Cushing was drafted in the first round out of USC and is expected to start at strong side linebacker for Houston and should help the rushing defense. The Texans also brought in experienced linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and cornerback Deltha O’Neil, who should bring leadership along with talent to this young defensive unit.

Star Power: The face of the Texans franchise is a quiet wide receiver, a rarity in the NFL. Andre Johnson led the league in both receiving yards and receptions last season with 1,575 yards and 115 receptions. Expect more of the same from Johnson, and with a healthy Matt Schaub for an entire season, and a developing number two receiver in Kevin Walter, Johnson should have another huge season for the Texans.

Biggest Addition: Houston knew that they needed to improve their rushing defense, and by drafting Brian Cushing’s in the first round they were well on their way to doing so. Last season at USC, Cushing’s had 74 tackles, with four sacks and a forced fumble. Cushing is a hard hitter, and paired with tackling machine DeMeco Ryans to start and form a solid linebacker unit for the Texans for years to come.

Biggest Loss: With Matt Schaub only able to play 11 games in his two seasons in Houston, having a solid backup quarterback was a necessity for the Texans. But Houston decided to trade their backup quarterback, Sage Rosenfels, to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason and it may come back to haunt them. Rosenfels knew the system in Houston and played well when given the opportunity, throwing for almost 240 yards a game that he played in. Now the Texans are counting on career backup Dan Orlovsky and first round bust Rex Grossman to run the team if Schaub is unable to play. This could be a decision that may haunt the Texans later on in the season.

Biggest Game: Monday, November 23rd in Week 11, the Tennessee Titans come to Houston in a divisional matchup. This is the biggest game of the Texans season because they are coming off of a bye week if Schaub can stay healthy this game could have playoff implications for both teams, making it a must win for the Texans.