Houston Texans (2002-) AFC, South Division, the NFL's Youngest Franchise Replaces the Houston Oilers

[DonRocks]

Although the Houston Texans are the only NFL franchise never to have played in a conference championship (they are the NFL's youngest franchise), they were the AFC South Division champions in 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016. 

With both J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson out for the 2017 season with injuries, it will be tough for the Texans this year, but look for them to come charging back next season, assuming these two men conquer their injuries.

"Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, Bonding in Treatment Room (Video)" by Paul Jackiewicz on torotimes.com

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There's also one thing I don't understand: Media pundits have universally derided Bill O'Brien for starting Tom Savage over Deshaun Watson in the first game this season. I think that was *exactly* the correct thing to do, because it took all pressure off of Watson. Had he started the Texans' first game, fifty-million eyes would have been on him, and the pressure would have been enormous - with Watson on the bench for a tiny fraction of the season, he got to ease into his position (so to speak), and when he finally came out, nobody was even looking: pressure reduced by 50%, and Watson got to see what the game looks like from the sidelines - how could this have possibly harmed the Texans, with the possible exception of losing their first game? (Don't forget, Tom Savage took the Texans to the playoffs in both of the previous two seasons.) I contend that, even if O'Brien absolutely knew that Watson was His Man, he did the correct thing by letting Watson sit for a brief time.