The Houston Texans were one of the most impressive teams in the NFL last season and they are expected to be even better this year after making the playoffs again and adding a number of solid players in the offseason, including rookie DeAndre Hopkins.
The team already has an All-Pro in Andre Johnson and now they have an exciting young rookie in the mix as well after taking Hopkins. Johnson has always needed another threat on the other side of the field to stretch the defense and now he has it. Johnson said he is helping Hopkins along and that he is expected to be a major part of the offense this season.
"I try to help as much as I can with him and all the other young guys," Johnson said, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. "I guess he gets it a little bit more because he sits next to me in meetings. It's just (some) plays that he sometimes gets confused with. Most of the time, he knows what he's doing. But you're going to have questions with the system being new for him. He'll continue to get better and better."
Last season the team ranked 11th in passing yards per game and eighth in rushing, while the defense was 16th and seventh in passing and rushing yards allowed per game while going 12-4 in the AFC. The team looked like it was going to be the number one seed, but they ended up faltering at the end of the year while the Broncos won 11 straight games.
The team starts the season with San Diego and Tennessee before playing the Super Bowl champion Ravens and then they will play the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams all in a row. Last season Johnson had 112 catches for over 1500 yards and four touchdowns and the next receiver was Owen Daniels with 62, so the team needs some new blood on offense.
Arian foster strained his calf in practice on Tuesday and he will be out for a bit, but the injury is not considered serious. Foster has been excellent for the Texans, rushing for 1,424 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.