As we do our wrap-up TV and radio shows on the 2019 season it comes back to you through the haze and sting of the playoff exit – there were some tremendous moments and big steps forward this season.
No one is throwing a parade for some of the bright spots but there were plenty. And when the team makes its improvements for next season, it's going to interesting to watch them aim for the next level.
You can bet there will be changes. There always are. Last offseason saw numerous free agent acquisitions who provided a shot in the arm. The draft yielded big contributions from young players. Then the post August 1st moves, like the trades with Miami, Cleveland and Oakland, definitely made an impact.
Also, as Drew Dougherty wrote on Tuesday, there are more draft choices than you might have thought. Knowing what the organization did last year, status quo will not be in effect. The Texans will do what it takes to be better when the opening bell hits in September.
While we're on the subject of the regular season, it's important to remember that just to have the opportunity to get to the postseason stage took a monstrous amount of work, big plays and memorable moments.
We should always remember beating the Patriots in primetime, the eye-kick play against the Raiders, the handling of the Jaguars in London, downing the Chiefs in Kansas City and winning two crucial road games at Tennessee and Tampa Bay with the season on the line.
It's relatively easy to overlook these things when you're coming off the emotional ride and loss in the Divisional Round. That's the rub. The deeper you go in the postseason, the more it hurts to lose.
You'd love to see the Divisional Round at home. And the Texans will strive for that. But it's important to appreciate the grind to get any kind of playoff ticket punched. That's the start of the second season. A season that ended earlier than the Texans wanted but one they look to build on.
