Value of Things: the 2023 Houston Texans by the numbers

What was the good, bad, and ugly from last season?

This space is usually reserved for analysis of the previous week’s game. We have not played any games yet in the 2024 season, so we are going to take a step back and look at the 2023 season. We will use the same numbers we use for the analysis so we can look at what areas the Houston Texans will likely be strong in and which areas they might need a little work in.

The ideal coach and general manager relationship is a fluid one. However, in general the GM wants to give the coach the very best players that he can afford within salary cap constraints. The coach’s job is to take those players and use them in the most efficient way possible. Obviously, statistics can tell us whether that happened or not, but sometimes the whys and what fors are a little more complicated than simply accepting the numbers at face value.

2023 Numbers

Total Yards: Houston Texans 5,820, Opponents 5,622
Rushing Yards/YPC: Texans 1,647/3.7, Opponents 1,643/3.5
Passing Yards/YPC: Texans 4173/6.5, Opponents 3979/6.5
Sacks: Texans 46, Opponents 47
Turnovers: Texans 14, Opponents 24
Penalties: Texans 100/805 (20th)

Unfortunately, profootballreference.com does not track opponent penalties. Such a number would be interesting because it does indicate some level of success on the part of your team. You can induce your opponents to commit penalties by applying pressure on the offensive or defensive end. It’s also good to see how you are doing relative to those other teams.

I should note that we have attached rushing yards per attempt to the rushing numbers and net yards per passing attempt to the passing numbers. Usually we would also include time of possession, but those numbers were not readily available either. I think we have enough to go on here for our analysis.

The Good

The Texans committed the fewest turnovers in the league last season. I’m not certain how repeatable that is. Obviously, C.J. Stroud had an amazing rookie season, but he also got lucky on some pickable balls. It is not completely outside the realm of possibility that he may improve overall and still turn the ball over a little more often. It’s what statisticians lovingly call regression to the mean.

The Texans were seventh in the NFL in passing yards. This happened in spite of Stroud missing two games and the team not having the best skill position talent in the league late in the season. Add Stefon Diggs and two superior pass catching backs to the mix and you have the makings of an even better passing attack. It should not be a huge shock for the Texans to finish 2024 with a top five passing offense according to yards and net yards per attempt.

The Bad

This is one of those areas where the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The Texans surrendered the 11th most passing yards in the league last season. They were 27th in net yards per passing attempt. The simplistic analysis would say the Texans pass defense needs to improve, but that ignores why this happened. The Texans were not as good against the run as their numbers would indicate. DeMeco Ryans prioritized improving in that department, so they sold out in defending the run.

Their 46 sacks were solid, but they should improve in that area due to the addition of Danielle Hunter. Will Anderson should also be better in year two than he was in year one. If Denico Autry performs well after his suspension that will be an added bonus. Add in some improvement on the back end and hopefully this turns around. Still, the questions on the rush defensive end will fester until the Texans prove they can consistently stop the run without selling out.

The Ugly

The Texans were one of the worst running offenses in the NFL last season. This is a complicated topic. The Texans will likely never be on the San Francisco 49ers level in terms of their ability to run the football. Joe Mixon is not Christian McCaffrey. Furthermore, the Texans might be more talented in the passing game than the 49ers even with all of their high profile targets. So, they will likely be a pass first team.

The key stat here is the yards per attempt. For instance, the Kansas City Chiefs averaged 4.3 yards per attempt. They are clearly a pass first football team with the best quarterback in the NFL. Still, they were able to run the ball when they needed to. The Texans were not last season. So, the totals are not such a big deal. Whether Mixon gains 1,200 yards, 1,000 yards, or 800 yards is not the issue. The issue is whether the Texans as a team are capable of gaining yards on the ground consistently.

It would have been nice to have seen Mixon in the preseason, but it is perfectly understandable why we didn’t. THEY didn’t need to see Mixon. it does appear as if there is more depth at the running back position then there was a season ago. Hopefully that and a more healthy offensive line will do the trick.