The 2007 Texans are like The Road Warrior was to Mad Max. The first year of the franchise was exciting and new to see, but after several years of seeing the same product, it grew old and bland fast. Now we have the next generation sequel, and the Texans are reloaded to kick butt.

I have to admit that I couldn't hardly tell you who any Texans were going into this season. My distaste for an inferior product had really set in hard. So, I didn't bother watching any preseason games or keep up with them in the media. When my brother got all bizarro fan on me prior to the season opener, I just laughed at him. There he goes again getting his hopes up on another losing season in the city of Houston. (You have to understand that being a Houston sports fan is very often a bittersweet experience. We love our teams, but our hearts are broken too often). So against my better judgment, I decided to at least watch a quarter or two of their first game; mainly just to see how QB Matt Schaub would do in his first game as a Texan. The first drive bogged down in a typical 3-and-Out. "Here we go again." But lo, to my amazement, the next time the Texans got the ball against the Chiefs, I saw a different team on the field than I was use to seeing in years past. There was a confident QB standing behind a blocking line with receivers and RBs flying all over the field. TOUCHDOWN!! What a drive!!  Of course the Texans went on to win impressively against a pretty bad team.  However, they repeated the same effort in a satisfying road win at Carolina the next week too.

Who replaced my Texans?!?! 

Yes, sportsfans, the Houston Texans have been body-snatched!! Call an Amber Alert!!! Where's that dark-haired baby that rolled around on the grass a lot in the back field? He's been taken. Where's that left tackle that spends more time on his back than Jenna Jameson? Are the Texans playing with 12 or 13 guys now??? The Texans for the first time in their young existence have a quality team on the field now.

Even though they lost this past week to the Super Bowl champs, Indianapolis Colts. They still showed a lot of poise and determination in not being intimidated and by making a late game run at a win. This looks like a team no longer willing to roll over week after week. They are playing with confidence and grit. They are playing like veterans.

I see remarkable improvement on all 3 fronts with this team:

Offense:
With the exit of David Carr and entrance of Matt Schaub, the Texans right away made a significant improvement. A confident QB who won't take a sack, but understands how and when to get rid of the ball, has already made miles of improvement for this team. An offensive line that was once truly "offensive", is now a year older and more experienced. LT Chester Pitts has now shaped into the QB protector the franchise had always hoped he'd be. Free agent acquisition, RB Ahmad Green is a proven commodity, and has already provided some extra run pop to go with long ball threat of WR Andre Johnson. This offense is scoring more in the first 3 games than they seemingly would score all season in the past. Schaub should maintain a high QB rating through the year with so many nice options to pass to now. Tons of potential here once a quality TE and extra WR is added to the mix. However, their Achilles heal early this year is the injury bug. With RBs Green and Ron Dayne hobbled with early injuries, as well as a twisted knee for Johnson, the offensive punch is tempered.

Defense:

These are the Texans' last three 1st Round draft choices: 2005-DT-Travis Johnson, 2006-DE-Mario Williams, 2007-DT Amobe Okoye. These three guys are studs already, and the rest of the NFL should fear the Texan front line for years to come. Mario "#1 draft choice and not Vince or Reggie" Williams already has 3 sacks this season thanks to the added presence of Okoye to the line. CB Dunta Robinson is one of the best tackling corners in the league who has no fear of the best WRs in the league. Topped off by the mad-skillz of Defensive Rookie of the year, Demeco Ryans, this defense is very formidable.

Special Teams:

Kris Brown is one of the most consistent kickers in the league, and hopefully with more offense this year, will be able to up his PAT totals and FG attempts. Supposed backup punter Matt Turk has been pounding the pigskin so hard down field that they oughta call PETA on it. Finally, kick returners Jerome Mathis and future wide-out star Jacoby Jones are keeping the Texans out of deep starting field position.

The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades:

With the very satisfactory performances by this young team over the first 3 weeks, I definitely find myself looking forward to watching them each sunday. I can see this team competing for a playoff spot this year. Head coach Gary Kubiak has instilled his Denver system in Houston, and Houston fans should be feeling that Rocky Mountain high now. Houston hasn't had a positive pro football experience here in well over 10 years, and I think it's time to get it started and keep it going. There is much to be optimistic about now, and we just have to pray that the injury bug doesn't keep plaguing this confident team.

I can easily see them going 9-7 now, but will that be good enough for a wild card spot? In a division that is looking strong top to bottom, they're gonna need every bounce, flag, and review to swing their way this season. The Texans also need to learn to be road warriors, and pick off a few games away from home they aren't expected to win. Beware you Tina Turners and assless leather pantswearing baddies of the league, our revamped Road Warriors are on their way.