3 reasons the Houston Texans can win the Super Bowl
J.J. Watt
After leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5, Watt appears likely to join Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who is the only three-time winner of the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. Watt and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (12 sacks) helped pace the Texans to a franchise-record 45 sacks this season. Houston will get another pass-rush boost if Jadeveon Clowney is able to return from a foot injury that sidelined him for the Week 17 finale against Jacksonville.
DeAndre Hopkins
Despite all of the turmoil at quarterback (see below), one constant for Houston was Hopkins' production. The wide receiver helped Texans fans forget about Andre Johnson's offseason release with 111 catches for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 23-year-old Hopkins didn't slump when matched against standout defensive backs either, like Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets and Indianapolis' Vontae Davis.
Resiliency
The Texans face long odds to reach the Super Bowl, but this squad already is used to overcoming adversity. Houston is the only NFL team since 1950 to reach the playoffs with four different quarterbacks winning games during the season (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden). The Texans also rebounded from a 2-5 start to win seven of their final nine games, including the last three to secure their first AFC South title since 2012.
