We’ll break the string of four straight NFC teams by flopping over the to AFC. 

And at No. 23 we’ll install the Houston Texans.

There’s a sense that the Texans are getting closer to contending for the postseason.  The problem is that they inhabit the AFC South, one of the most competitive divisions in the entire league.  And with the Colts and Jaguars both now regarded as elite, the Texans are relegated to jockeying with the Titans and Bills and Broncos and Jets and the second place team in the AFC North (whoever that might be) for a crack at the last seed in the playoff field.

The Texans could emerge with their first appearance in franchise history beyond Week Seventeen.  To get there, however, they need receiver Andre Johnson to stay healthy, and they need to find one or more running backs who can consistently move the chains.

The health of Matt Schaub isn’t all that critical, since Sage Rosenfels is arguably even better.  But the investment of draft picks and cash made in Schaub make it difficult if not impossible to put him on the bench (see Jaguars and Byron Leftwice, circa 2005 and 2006).

Tight end Owen Daniels was a pleasant surprise in 2007, and he’ll continue to get a lot of looks, especially as defenses try to keep track of Johnson.

The Texans defense is solid and getting better.  History might eventually view the decision to take Mario Williams in the first round and DeMeco Ryan in the second as the best one-two draft move ever.  They need their defensive tackles to step up and the secondary could use some work.  But with Williams and Ryans as the cornerstones, this team could be well on its way to becoming elite in its own right.

But not in 2008.