*Lack of information has never stopped anyone (especially media members) from making completely random guesses (they call them predictions) for what will take place.
**Why should we be any different? My six predictions for the 2014 Texans seasons are below.
The Texans take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 at NRG Stadium.
As we reach the quarter pole of the 2014 season, I thought it would be fun to look back and see how great (or bad) I did.
Prediction #1: The Texans will start the season 3-1
VERDICT: ROCK AND ROLL!
Always important to get off to a good start and I absolutely nailed this one. The Texans are off to a 3-1 start for only the third time in franchise history, and cemented that record with a 23-17 win over Buffalo this past Sunday. While they haven't been aesthetically pleasing, a win is a win, and the team now has more victories in the first four games of 2014 than they had all of last year. Improvement indeed.
Prediction #2: Whitney Mercilus will get 10 sacks
VERDICT: SWING AND A MISS
So far, this prediction looks unlikely. When I made the case for Whitney Mercilus getting double digit sacks, I did it with the belief that Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt would both be healthy and generating double teams. Unfortunately for Clowney, that hasn't been the case.
While Mercilus hasn't registered a sack yet, he does have four quarterback hits. More interesting is that the Texans only have six total sacks at this point, which puts them on pace for 24 this season. I assumed the Texans would get 50 sacks. Only time will tell.
Prediction #3: DeAndre Hopkins will lead the team in TD catches
VERDICT: ROCK AND ROLL!
Two out of three! Anyone who watched training camp saw that Hopkins was going to have a big year. He has everything you ask for, especially as a red zone threat. Each of his three receiving touchdowns has come via the big
play, including a 76-yarder against Washington. Hopkins is also averaging 16.9 yards per catch, another team high.
Prediction #4: Jay Prosch will become a fan favorite
VERDICT: BULLISH
Jay Prosch has definitely made an impact on the team, and has even become a receiving threat out of the backfield. He also was given a game ball by Bill O'Brien for his performance in Sunday's win over the Bills. However, four games is too short a time period to determine fan adulation. Let's check back on this.
Prediction #5: Texans practice squad will pay dividends on the field
VERDICT: STILL UNKNOWN
I wish I had said roster additions and not just practice squad players. The Texans have gotten some great dividends from a few late adds (Damaris Johnson, Darryl Morris), and just yesterday safety Josh Aubrey was added to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Names like EZ Nwachukwu and Max Bullough were popular during training camp and could help later in the year. That said, Aubrey is a start and we will learn more about this prediction as the time passes.
Prediction #6: Randy Bullock will make 90 percent of his field goal attempts
VERDICT: Rock...and Roll?
Technically...kicker Randy Bullock has hit on 8-of-9 field goals this year. However, that one field goal he missed was blocked. You see where I'm going with this? If you take that out...PERFECT! While I can't take the credit for that, the bigger point is that Bullock has kicked extremely well this season. He connected on two field goals over 50 yards against Buffalo, including a career-high 55 yarder. Bullock has been automatic since struggling early last year. That's all that matters.
