The Texans are in a very different position than they were at this point last year.
Few people were projecting them to win the AFC South and win a playoff game as the offseason program wound down in 2023, but that’s exactly what happened thanks in large part to the contributions of a number of rookies. Quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson starred on the field while DeMeco Ryans proved to be the right choice as a first-time head coach on the sideline.
Their presence would make the Texans a favorite for another playoff run on their own, but adding the likes of Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and Danielle Hunter to the roster has pushed the bar even higher heading into the 2024 season. Handling the change in expectations has been a frequent talking point around the team as a result and Anderson’s view is that the team will be able to do it because they expect even more from themselves.
“Of course you’re going to see stuff like that, but I think it’s very important that we keep the main thing the main thing, and the main thing right now is just us being able to control what we can control,” Anderson said, via Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com. “And that’s everybody showing up for workouts, everybody making sure that they’re honing in on their playbook and everybody coming to practice, competing and having fun, so when the season comes, we can go out and compete and win games, and we can focus on getting to the ultimate goal, which is the Super Bowl. But for right now this offseason, we just want to keep building that team chemistry and making sure that nobody’s expectations are higher than the expectations that we have for ourselves.”
The Texans pulled off a remarkable turnaround in 2023, but that doesn’t guarantee anything for 2024. Anderson’s answer suggests they know that and that there’s still a hunger for growth that could make for an even more successful run this time around.
