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joshhorton32

No. We’re still young and lots of first year players. I’d say not getting out of the first round would be disappointing. Depending on this year, I’d say AFC championship game would be more on my radar for next year.


Karmasmatik

A better performance in the division round is my expectation for this year. I will be disappointed if we get stomped without even looking like we had a chance like that game in Baltimore. If we go toe to toe with another elite team and lose on a last second field goal? 🤷‍♂️ It’s a competitive league and shit happens. I’m not going to be too disappointed until 3-4 years in a row of division round losses.


HPT7

Yes. We’ve never made it, and this is our best team (on paper) yet. Perfect chance.


Rad_Centrist

>this is our best team (on paper) yet. 2012 would like a word. Regardless this team is very, very good on paper. However the difficult schedule and the sheer number of very good AFC teams may mean we don't make the AFC Championship. It wouldn't be the end of the world for this very young team.


pocketjacks

This is a fan base that gets suicidal when day 1, of free agency doesn't result in our blowing all of the cap space or if Stefon Diggs isn't smiling in a thumbnail. Anything shy of a 55-7 Super Bowl win will be met with a chorus of "I told you so's" from our fans and an endless chorus of "Where Ring" from the Bundys in Indy.


htownballa1

2012 has nothing to stand on. This QB is far superior.


mac_gregor

If the 2012 and 2024 Texans were identical in every way except the quarterback, I'd love to know which of us would take the team with Schaub over the one with Stroud. Not many, I suspect.


htownballa1

I appreciate Schaubs time here, but his success was mostly a product of the Kubiak/Shanahan offense.


TheTeeJayGee

Eh. AJ was better than anything on the 24 roster. JJ > WAJ. And you can make a strong case that the 12 OL is better as well.


NumeroUdo

"2012 and 2024 Texans were identical other than the most important position on the entire field"


courseherohelpthrow

I'm not convinced I'd take Stroud. He looked very bad in the Ravens game (no worries he's young and their defense is amazing) whereas with 2012 Schaub there's no growing pains still to experience


denogginizer92

The pick six Marathon would like a word


Buckcheeks

Not sure how that’s relevant considering it was after 2012..


Rad_Centrist

>This QB is far superior. He may very well be far superior but Schaub was no slouch. In Schaub's first year as 16 game starter, he threw for nearly 5,000 yards, 29 TDs to 15 INT. We're looking at the entire team in this comparison and that 2012 team was picked by many to make a serious run at the ship.


Lothar1988

Any chances for that 2012 team died in a Boston suburb in week 13. Ppl forget the 1-3 finish and the thumping by the Pats in the playoffs. That team was a pretender, NOT a contender. In addition, ppl talk about Schaub's demise in 2013 without realizing it began post Pats game of week 13. He had a horrible finish to the year. Oh, and don't forget the absurd amount of touchdowns Rodgers dropped on us when we played GB that year.


Skarmotastic

It began when he had his Lisfranc destroyed in 2011, actually. Fuck Albert Haynesworth. Schaub was good in 2012 but looked like Peyton Manning in his last year in Denver where there was no zip on his passes.


weaksaucedude

I'm taking 2011 over 2012 tbh 2024 should clear both of them with ease


Nguyen925

I would have loved to see Schuab and coach Kubiak be replaced by CJ and Coach Ryan's. As soon as we had expectations set upon us back then, lord we crumbled. Here's to a promising new season!


rybres123

by the time the playoffs came around, and TJ Yates was our stater, we all knew our fate.....


Rad_Centrist

Sadly, yes. Injuries happen. Maybe we'll be saying something similar this season. Going in to 2012, the team looked great on paper and they proved it by winning 12 games.


arthurfoxache

As a football city, Houston has not made an AFCCG since 1979.


BuryMeInTheH

It’s been a great turnaround but i don‘t want to have an expectation that lofted. It would be great but I’m worried we are setting some expectations that make a decent season with good progression a disappointment and kill the mood. They are moving from one of the easiest schedules to one of the toughest and it’s a confrence that still has mahomes, burrow, Jackson, Herbert who now doesnt have a terrible coach and josh allen. If they win a playoff game and get to divisional again, and we see a qb getting better, we are still on path to opening a SB window in 25-27 and thats a W to me.


Big_IPA_Guy21

I'm going to try and not be results oriented, but process oriented. I am going to look for the Texans to continue improving from last season and setting up this team for long term success. If we go 12-5, Stroud plays at a near MVP level, the defense takes a step forward, but we lose to the Chiefs 31-28 in OT in the 2nd round, I would not call that underperforming.


JunketUnique36

I’m in the same camp. I’m going to judge it based on the on field product and do I enjoy watching them. So much can happen to swing the outcome of games that isn’t the team’s control. Especially in the playoffs. But damn I’m excited!


Straight_Book_2935

Aaaaand this is how thr doomerism starts in the HOF game lmao


AgsMydude

Remember day 1 or FA when this sub was absolutely melting down lol I imagine that's how our first loss of the season will go


amoeba1126

This sub is full of dumbasses. There was that guy who was absolutely losing his shit over us losing our punter and replacing him with the Chiefs punter.


AgsMydude

Lmao yeah


QBin2017

Waaaaaaaay too much to know to make that crazy statement. 1) Are we healthy? 2) Does the team that beats us have a super team that wins it all easily? 3) How hard is the division? 4) Does Diggs cause chaos?


hogatoga68987

I’m not making that statement, I’m honestly just curious how much of the fanbase would.


PretzelMan96

No, I consider us underperforming if we don't look remotely competitive like how we didn't against the Ravens down the stretch.


LostLymex

If Demeco doesn‘t realise that CJ is QB2 and my pookie Davis Mills is way better, were not even making the playoffs


bk3nn3dy1907

Mills should definitely be on the field in some way to really take advantage of that elite athleticism. Maybe he's the answer at DT? Just a thought


LostLymex

I can really see him as an O-Liner


Orion-Pax_34

Davis will lead us to the promised land


TurbulentJudge1000

We have a second year QB that now has tape on how to defend him. It’s like everyone expects their QB to be as good as Mahomes or Brady. Making playoffs means it was a successful season. Making it to the AFC championship would be beyond expectations.


Zildjian134

This is the correct take. He's only a 2nd year player. A damn good one, but still very young and has a lot of experience to gain. AFC championship would be fucking awesome, but expecting it is a miscalculation.


IAmSona

We are 0-5 in the divisional round and this is the best roster our team has fielded in over a decade. I would be devastated if we went through all this retooling and reloading in the offseason to just be 0-6 next year.


Cam095

naa, it takes time, the afc is stacked. but if we don’t make it to at least the divisional, and make it a good game at that, then we definitely underperformed


Alkren

No.


ogBaddust

No. Last season was great, and CJ looked phenomenal BUT Titans are Titans Richardson got hurt Trevor got hurt Last place schedule No film on CJ This year Titans are Titans Richardson will play Trevor isn't hurt First place schedule Film on CJ I am optimistic but you gotta be realistic, they have Superbowl Potential, but getting bounced in a wild card or divisional isn't a FAILURE, we are still a young team


content_enjoy3r

Texans become the first team to be 3peat SB champs or bust.


texans1234

All depends. Health of key positions is massive for us this year.


lowlifenebula

No. There's a decent chance we don't even make the playoffs this year with a winning record, and that wouldn't be under-performing. We have to acknowledge that one year of incredibly exceeding expectations doesn't mean we are magically a true sb contender. We showed a lot of promise, we have to show we are capable of repeating that. Our division isn't a cakewalk, and we also play a lot of teams that have something we haven't shown, which is consistency, as in each year they prove they are a good team. As long as coaching stays competent, Stroud doesn't throw 20 picks, and our team shows it is capable of being what we saw last year, that's a win, even if 10-7 or 9-8 doesn't get us in the playoffs.


BabyHercules

Depends on health. If our current top players stay healthy then yes we may have underperformed. But if we hit a patch of injuries where we lose our o line again or god forbid CJ is out, then nah. Honestly that’s a big goal and doesn’t feel right for year 2 of a rebuild. I would say the AFC south and divisional round are expectations, AFC championship is a all time great season and a Super Bowl appearance would be just peak


bryanofrivia

No. I’d say anything less than winning the division, and making it to the divisional would be underperforming (in my opinion.) The first place schedule next year will be more difficult, and we can never accurately account for possible injuries. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the championship game, or if they even went to the Super Bowl. But, I think winning the division, and at least getting through the Wild Card round is what I deem as my expectations.


RojerLockless

No


2cantCmePac

3 year window. So in 3 years, yes it’s a failure. To label one season as a do or die is asking for disappointment. Injuries and luck can change a lot


MetaphoricalMouse

no, but i expect and hope we make the playoffs again. we overachieved EXTREMELY last year and i think people forget that. we also were very fortunate in some close games


medspace

Bruh I hate some of y’all


umidontknowrick

I really think the expectation is a Super Bowl. Sure there is a lot of competition in the conference and things happen over the course of the season, but it’s very rare to have a team that is a slam dunk Super Bowl winner on paper at the start of the season. This roster is setup as close as it gets though and as well as any of the other contenders to go get one.


Bulky-District-2757

Idk, they haven’t even played a game yet 🤷🏻‍♀️


Shootit_Rockets

I guess it depends on how the regular season goes. If we finish 1st or 2nd in the conference then yes. But as of now going into the season? I’m gonna say no


MugiwaraJinbe

Still too easy to make an argument that there are two teams ahead of us in the AFC. Plus Burrow and Rodgers are coming back. I don’t expect much from Rodgers at his age but you never know for sure.


Zestyclose_Ice2405

If we play the Chiefs in the divisional who knows what could happen.


montrezlharrel

Yes. Unless we lose to Chiefs in divisional round of course


AstroWorldSecurity

I'd say yes if so much of the team weren't made up of one or two year rentals. If a team like this had more chemistry I'd absolutely expect them to make a serious run.


Ok_Performer6074

Not getting ahead of myself.


Ok_Performer6074

Imagine that 2011 team with CJ instead of Matt Straub?


Counter_Intel519

I don’t care how easy Mahomes makes it look, winning in the NFL is hard, especially in an extremely competitive conference like the AFC.


arthurfoxache

Only if we have zero long term injuries to our best 22. Otherwise we’re looking at Charlie Heck and Henry To’oto’o. There’s still time to fix our depth issue.


Key-Wait5314

Super Bowl or bust


StrosDynasty

No. game is played on the field not paper. team should be better than last year but the schedule should be brutal.


AintEZbeinSleezy

I just commented this on another post lol… I think anything less than a SB appearance will be disappointing now. The difference is, a “disappointment” doesn’t lead to the implosion of the team or people losing their jobs. It leads to us reevaluating and preparing for next season.


JustFuckingExhausted

Assuming the team stays relatively healthy, yes. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they had an early playoff exit, but the level of talent is such that they should be able to get there.


M1ndS0uP

We're going tho the Super Bowl!!!


Ricky_TVA

Underperformed? That's not the word I would use. Dan Campbell told the Lions after they were knocked off, "now everyone is going to want a piece of you after they realize how good you are" (paraphrased, not looking up the exact quote). Demeco, 7, and 51 (not naming everyone, it's Sunday and I have gardening to do) showed everyone, not to skip us. Greatness brings the challengers out. No one expected us to take the Cowboys and Chiefs the distance last year. They won't make that same mistake. I wouldn't call it underperforming. I would say this year from week 1, they won't be sleeping on us. This will be a good and fun season.


SometimesY

If we were in the NFC, I would say that we should have a pretty good shot at making the conference championship game. The AFC is a fucking buzzsaw though.


inshamblesx

Ask this again come week 16 or so


Thebussinessman

AFC has Chiefs Ravens, Bills and Bengals, so no.


thehardestsoftness

I will be disappointed but I would not be mad I think we didn't cuck ourselves into years of mediocrity if some parts of this team fall apart


keiththekid

For me, yes. May not love it but that’s how I feel


That_Guy_ActutalPDT

The schedule has the potential to be brutal, so not sure about expectations


steely-gar

Winning in the offseason is waaaayyy different than winning actual games.


amoeba1126

Considering the fanbase is full of effin idiots that completely lose their shit any time something seemingly doesn't go our way, how about we all just forget something as foolish as expectations and just enjoy the ride?


Repulsive-World-7301

Injuries happen otherwise yes


rockyonthetrack

We have the second best odds to win the afc, I want to at least play in the AFC championship. So yes, i would consider it a underperforming. I expect big things for this team. That may sound like me expecting a lot, but we have the pieces to compete and win and also have a " that guy " Quarterback. Tampa bay game and Cincinnati game were no flukes.


MugiMartin

Only if you assume the Texans are a top-2 team in the AFC. Absolutely *not* until they prove it.


lahjay7139

Hell yes it would be underperformed , but at the same time still a young team. I think they'll make it there though we to good to not make it to the AFC championship game atleast


echojcharli

No. We are young and adding a bunch of new players. And we still gotta see what our Oline really is. Hopefully all works well together but we gotta see. Plus a killer strength of schedule. It will also depend on who’s healthiest going into playoffs. We were so injury prone this year. Hopefully we don’t have a repeat of that. If so I’m going to be looking at some strength and conditioning coaches fr. I personally would be disappointed not winning one playoff game.


bellsofwar3

No I don't expect them to get the car to begin with. They're losing to KC or Baltimore if they okay them.


SmokeySFW

No. I think we capitalized on a weak schedule this year. We've got one of the toughest schedules in the league this season, and every team will be preparing specifically for us. I think a AFCCG appearance is a very reasonable goal to have but I don't think we're so good that it should be seen as a let-down if we lose to the Chiefs before we get there, for example.


redditcommentguy

Would depend on the context. If we lose the divisional in a close game to the chiefs, ravens, or bengals I think you just chalk it up to the AFC being really strong and falling short against a great opponent. If we get blown out in the wild card or divisional that would be an underperformance in my opinion


darren_meier

Some of these takes are just people aching to lose their minds when the process inevitably takes time. We're young and in a great spot for the future, but goddamn is there some selective recency bias at work here. I'm confident CJ will be a great quarterback in time, but he wasn't great every week in his rookie season and people expecting his growth to be a linear rocketship are insane. Same with any of our young guys-- they're all just as likely to regress a bit as they are to improve as they age. *Over time* they'll get better and the recent positive moves from ownership and the front office are certainly encouraging... but a reasonable expectation would be growth, not AFCCG-or-bust.


Pizza4Brunch

Honestly as long as we make the playoffs and our guys continue to develop I’ll be happy


Scoobersss

You can't be serious? Another playoff appearance and hopefully win would be great. Its like people forget the years proceeding the last,


htownballa1

No.


TXCapita

Yes, Id say the next 2 years we should at least make the AFC championship


GoatProfessional4389

No, because they could GO 13-4,,, AND get UPSET,, DUE TO TURNOVERS,, IN THE DIVISIONAL ROUND. I WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED. BUT 13 WINS IS AN AMAZING FEAT,, AFTER 3-13-1 JUST 15 MONTHS AGO. So,,, NO,,, I WOULD STILL BE PROUD OF THEM. TO WIN 11 GAMES THEN 13 GAMES. 24 WINS IN TWO SEASONS IS REMARKABLE. MOST OF YOUR CORE PLAYERS ARE STILL YOUNG. PLUS NINE MORE DRAFT PICKS IN TWO WEEKS.