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It’s football time in Houston
SUPER BOWL OR BUST
Commentary: One hot summer afternoon, my friend Jackie Fairchild and I took out our bicycles and went for a ride along Buffalo Bayou and around downtown Houston. Before heading home, we attended a rally that was the birth of a franchise.
On September 6, 2000, about 16,000 football fans gathered near Texas Avenue to hear the Houston NFL expansion franchise officially announce its team name. We knew it would not be Oilers since the rights to that name belonged to Bud Adams, the traitor who had taken our team with him to Tennessee.
Speculation had finalist names as Stallions, Apollos, Bobcats and the eventual winner. Everyone stood with excited anticipation as team owner Bob McNair stood in front of a canvass with a drawstring attached, that when pulled would reveal the name and logo of our new team.
Excitement filled the hot and humid evening air as McNair announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to be a Houstonian, and I’m proud to be a Texan. And so, with great pride and anticipation, I introduce to you, your Houston Texans.”
Two years later, the Texans made their official on-field debut, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 at Reliant Stadium. A raucous home crowd of 69,604 witnessed David Carr, the team’s first quarterback (and still the cutest), lead the team to victory.
The Houston Texans begin their 25th season this month.
Before revealing our NFL predictions, let’s take a look at the local college scene. The Rice Owls, 5-8 in 2025, but still managed to qualify for a bowl game. Look for more of the same mediocrity on South Main in 2026. Their September 12 date with Notre Dame might be uglier than the president’s poll numbers.
The Houston Cougars finished the 2025 season with a 10–3 overall record capped by a 38–35 victory over the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl. The Coogs are ranked #24 in pre-season polls so anything less than an 11 or 12-win season in 2026 will be a disappointment.
The Texas Southern Tigers finished the 2025 season with a 6–5 overall record under second-year head coach Cris Dishman, who was an Oilers favorite from 1988-1996. The Tigers should improve on the 2025 mark.
Houston Christian went 2-10 in 2025 so things should get a little brighter this year. It can’t get much worse. Thoughts and prayers going out to Husky Stadium on Fondren Road.
Admit it, your eyes frequently roam below the Mason-Dixon line while watching a game on TV. Most players do not wear jock straps. Instead, the overwhelming majority wear modern compression shorts or spandex tights and, as a result, their skintight uniforms do not leave much to the imagination.
Now there is a web site dedicated to fawning over NFL player’s packages. Check out Redditt’s bulge page at: reddit.com/r/NFL_Bulges/.
Azeez Al-Shaair is just one of the Texans whose bulge is featured on the website. In 2015, he led the Texans in tackles while anchoring the NFL’s top ranked defense, a performance that culminated in his first career selection to the Pro Bowl squad.
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Here are the predictions for NFL teams by division and the play-off outcomes, as well. Before you call me a homer, keep in mind that Sports Illustrated, and ESPN analysts Jeremy Fowler and Aaron Shatz agree with my Super Bowl predictions.
Sports Illustrated has the Texans, led on defense by Will Anderson, Jr. winning the Super Bowl
The Texans under DeMeco Ryans are 32-19 the last three seasons, including a franchise record 10-game winning streak last season.
American Football Conference
AFC East
New England Patriots 12-5
Buffalo Bills 12-5
Miami Dolphins 6-11
New York Jets 5-12
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers 11-6
Baltimore Ravens 9-8
Cincinnati Bengals 5-12
Cleveland Browns 4-13
AFC South
Houston Texans 13-4
Jacksonville Jaguars 10-7
Indianapolis Colts 8-9
Tennessee Titans 6-11
AFC West
Denver Broncos 12-5
Los Angeles Chargers 11-6
Kansas City Chiefs 8-9
Las Vegas Raiders 3-14
National Football Conference
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles 10-7
Dallas Cowboys 9-8
New York Giants 4-13
Washington Commanders 4-13
NFC North
Chicago Bears 11-6
Detroit Lions 10-7
Green Bay Packers 9-8
Minnesota Vikings 8-9
NFC South
Carolina Panthers 10-7
Atlanta Falcons 9-8
New Orleans Saints 6-11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-9
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks 13-4
Los Angeles Rams 12-5
San Francisco 49ers 10-7
Arizona Cardinals 6-11
The Texans will go where no Houston football team has gone before. Look for the defense to remain stellar and, with an improved offense, the Texans will defeat the Denver Broncos 31-16 in the AFC Championship Game and advance to their first Super Bowl.
Seattle outlasts the Chicago Bears 38-34 in the NFC Championship Game.
Super Bowl LXI will see the Bayou City celebrate its first professional football championship since the Houston Oilers won the first two AFL championships in 1960 and 1961. Houston Texans 31, Seattle Seahawks 22.
That’s my take.
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