HOUSTON TEXANS

2005 Record: 2-14
CJ's Team Rank: 28

THE CHARLES JAY LINE
To win Super Bowl: 200-1
To win AFC South: 15-1
Total wins: Over 5.5 -110, Under 5.5 +100

New head coach Gary Kubiak finally gets his opportunity to take the helm of an NFL team after many years as a highly-regarded assistant with the Denver Broncos. He rolled the dice right away, passing on Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush in the draft in favor of N.C. State defensive end Mario Williams.

By doing so, the Texans were giving a vote of confidence to running back Dominick Davis (4.2 ypc, 976 yds.), who would have easily made it to the 1000-yard mark had he not missed five games with injury. Davis' health is a concern, as Houston does not have much in the way of depth at the position.

Starting QB David Carr finds himself on a hot seat of sorts this season. Carr (60.5%, 14 TD, 11 INT) should benefit a great deal from the tutelage of Kubiak, who has a well-earned reputation for working with quarterbacks, and Mike Sherman, the former head man at Green bay who has signed on as assistant head coach. For sure, Carr will have people to throw to - Andre Johnson has been to the Pro Bowl, but caught only two TD passes last year, and Eric Moulds, who had 81 receptions in 2005, has been added to balance the passing attack.

The problem for Carr will be finding time to throw. The Texans' offensive line gave up 68 sacks last year, and lack of protection has always plagued him. Two offensive tackles - Charles Spencer and Eric Winston - were drafted in the third round, and between these additions and more stability in terms of health, there is hope for the interior.

The defense, which allowed 27 points per game, will shift to a 4-3 alignment, and some difficulty should be expected during the transition period. Houston had 37 sacks last season, which was not all that bad, but Kubiak looks to improve upon that figure, as a way of easing things for the secondary, which intercepted just seven passes a year ago. The development of Williams - a super athlete - will be the key to all that, along with the contributions of second-round selection DeMeco Ryans from Alabama.

There appears to be little question that Kubiak is destined to be a star in the coaching ranks, and should eventually get results in the Lone Star State. The question is how soon that will happen. It doesn't say much for this team that its biggest weapon last year was kick returner Jerome Mathis. Giant strides have to be made on the offensive line, and Williams needs to be a big-time player quickly, for the Texans to escape the cellar, even with the presence of a rebuilding Tennessee team in the same division.