The Greatest Teams: 2009 Houston Texans

We start off the AFC South teams with a look at the youngest NFL franchise, the Houston Texans. The Texans' history is a short one, spanning almost one decade of existence in the NFL. Unfortunately, the Texans have not been as dominant a team as other franchises have all been at one point or another, making this decision a relatively tough one. The 2009 Texans featured a team that was on the brink of reaching the playoffs for the first time in team history, and also featured the first winning season by the club. For these reasons, we have chosen this team as the greatest Texans team of all time.

On offense, quarterback Matt Schaub completed his first full season as a Texan since being traded from the Atlanta Falcons back in 2007. Schaub threw for a league-high 4,770 yards, with 29 touchdowns to boot. Runningbacks Steve Slaton and Ryan Moats primarily carried the load, with newcomers Chris Brown and Arian Foster also providing run support. Unfortunately, the rushing offense was ranked 30th in the league. However, the star power in the passing game bolted Houston to first in the league in passing offense. And by star power, we mean All-Pro Andre Johnson, arguably the best receiver in the league today. Johnson recorded his fourth 1,000 yard receiving season (leading the league), and a career high 9 touchdowns. Receiver Kevin Walter and Slaton contributed to the passing game as well, but not so much so as tight end Owen Daniels, who recorded 500 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns before tearing his ACL midway through the season. The O-line proved to be average at best, anchored by the young tackles Duane Brown and Eric Winston. Veteran center Chris Myers may have been the best lineman, but his flaws in pass protection frequently resulted in Schaub throwing quickly.

The right side of the defensive line was particularly menacing, featuring Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams. Defensive ends Williams and Antonio Smith combined for 13.5 sacks on the season. Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans continued his Pro Bowl form, while rookie linebacker Brian Cushing particularly stood out, recording 4 sacks and 4 picks (enough to earn him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors). Declining cornerback Dunta Robinson led the group of corners, while safety Bernard Pollard led the often injured safety core. On special teams, the veteran group of kicker Kris Brown and punter Matt Turk continued their consistency, while young receivers Jacoby Jones and Andre Davis earned respectable roles as return specialists.

The 2009 Texans, under coach Gary Kubiak, went 9-7, their first winning record in franchise history. They came 10th in the league in points scored, and managed to finish second in the AFC South. Unfortunately, after 4 straight losses to division opponents (primarily due to injuries that riddled this team), even 4 straight wins at the end of the season could not save the Texans, as the New York Jets won the tiebreaker and left the Texans out of the playoffs. Still, this '09 squad proved its worth, keeping the Texans as a preseason favorite for a surprise playoff pick.