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Editor’s note: This is the third of a five-part series on the quarterbacks and teams best equipped to challenge Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and potentially stop them from becoming the first NFL team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat. No. 3 on our list: C.J. Stroud and the Texans. No. 5 was Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, and No. 4 was Brock Purdy and the 49ers.
The Texans stunned the NFL world.
After three consecutive seasons with four or fewer victories, they won the AFC South last year. They won a playoff game, too, trampling the Cleveland Browns in a wild-card matchup. Houston had 11 total victories to show for in a franchise-altering 2023.
With DeMeco Ryans, a finalist for 2023 Coach of the Year, and C.J. Stroud, who put together one of the best rookie quarterback seasons in NFL history, Houston’s upside is as high as any team in the league.
“Our future is bright,” Stroud said after the Texans’ divisional-round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
In only Year 2 of the rebuild, C.J. Stroud & Co. are one of the Chiefs’ top challengers in the AFC.
How shocking is the Texans’ fast rebuild?
No team has garnered more hype than the Texans entering 2024 — and not just because of their breakout season last year. They haven’t rested on their laurels. Taking advantage of the financial flexibility afforded by Stroud’s rookie contract, Houston was aggressive this offseason in building its team into a Super Bowl contender.
It traded for perennial Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs and star running back Joe Mixon. It signed Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter, standout defensive lineman Denico Autry and middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency.
The Texans have arguably the NFL’s top receiving trio in Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Adding Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz, Houston has what Stroud has called a “five-headed monster.” And once Autry is in the fold — he’s suspended for the first six games for violating the league’s…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/biggest-challengers-chiefs-three-peat-no-3-c-j-strouds-texans
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Publish date : 2024-08-22 14:52:41
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