C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are out to prove last year wasn't an anomaly. The reigning Rookie of the Year only saw his front office add more talent this offseason, so why should anyone believe last year was a fluke?
Fans and the organization, alike, have high hopes for 2024, and rightfully so. The offseason has treated Houston well, and this is one of the most well-rounded rosters in all of football.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon seems to think the Texans could soar to new heights, too, so those die-hard fans chugging the Kool-Aid might not be far off, quite frankly.
As for what Gagnon believes is Houston's ceiling? Here's what he had to say about the "boom" potential for Stroud and the Texans:
"That remarkable 2023 campaign was just a taste of what was to come for Stroud and Co., and additions Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs put the Texans over the top in a shocking run to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans."
Could C.J. Stroud lead the Texans to a Super Bowl in just his second season?
A Super Bowl run would be quite the story for Houston, wouldn't it? A team that hasn't been able to get the quarterback position right since its berth (and say what you will about Deshaun Watson's tenure) finds a franchise quarterback, surrounds him with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and they go all the way in Year 2?
It sounds like somewhat of a pipe dream for lifelong Texans fans.
But when the rubber meets the road and things get real, just where are the Texans going to end up this coming season? Gagnon believes they're going to go pretty far, and wrote his prediction as follows:
"The talent is there and so is the mindset. They win a dozen or more games, take the South and push the Kansas City Chiefs hard in the AFC title game."
O.K., to be fair, an AFC Championship Game would be a sufficient ending to the season, even if it ended with a narrow loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Sure, fans are probably sick of the Chiefs at this point, but looking at it from Houston's point of view, 2024 would be a massive success.
Houston improves on a Divisional Round appearance and moves on to the Championship Game. Fans would be thrilled.
Then, in 2025, Stroud takes them all the way. That's the only logical outcome, right?
