Injuries and inconsistent play at QB from Matt Schaub led to a 2-14 finish for the Houston Texans in 2013 that meantin-depth the end of the Gary Kubiak era and the beginning of the tenure of Bill O’Brien.

And O’Brien got things turned around quickly. Improved play from the defense, including a monster season from J.J. Watt, and solid play by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick kept the team more competitive in 2014 and while a 9-7 finish did not send the team to the postseason, it did reinvigorate the fan base.

But Fitzpatrick is gone, so the QB position is likely to be manned by one of three barely proven entities in 2015. Additionally, Andre Johnson is gone to Indianapolis and Arian Foster is aging. So while there is improvement, there also are questions. So how far is this team from revisiting the playoffs and possibly making a run?

Patrick Starr, owner and editor of the blog State of the Texans, which covers the Texans independently and for Sports Talk 790 in Houston and Scout.com, shared his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Houston went from 2-14 to 9-7, finishing 4-1 in the last five games. How would you assess the season?

Starr: The season was a moderate success and from the outside view in Houston the team exceed expectations. The Texans made a small run late in the year due to a defense that controlled the game when the offense was able to muster points on the board.

Most importantly the season left more hope to a franchise fan base that was left searching for answers after the 2013 season.

Zoneblitz: After one season what are your thoughts on Bill O’Brien as head coach?

Starr: It is hard not to like how he makes his players and coaches accountable for their actions. As much as some did not was the “Patriot Way” in Houston, O’Brien is running his plan accordingly and it has taken off in year two with even more familiar faces moved for younger ones.

O’Brien has full control of the 53-man roster and he is putting his mark on the personnel and you do not have to look any further than his handpicked quarterbacks in house with Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage.

Zoneblitz: Last year you mentioned QB play as the main reason for the 2-14 season in 2013. QB play with Ryan Fitzpatrick was certainly improved, but he’s not a long-term answer, nor is it likely that Brian Hoyer will be. Is it Ryan Mallett? Tom Savage? What is the long-term picture at quarterback?

Starr: With Fitzpatrick traded to the New York Jets, the Texans are not getting caught like they were last season when they had only Fitzpatrick to fall back on. This year O’Brien took care of that issue by adding Mallett and Hoyer. O’Brien is trying to recreate a quarterback room that he has confidence in and knowing what this offensive system wants to do.

With that said, it still feels the Texans are not done looking for the position and with names like Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley coming up in recent weeks the organization will not rest until they find their quarterback for the long haul.

Zoneblitz: Andre Johnson is gone to Indianapolis. DeAndre Hopkins is coming off of a nice season but beyond him, how does the offensive skill position talent look?

Starr: That is one area of the Texans that the team needs to do everything in their power to upgrade. DeAndre Hopkins and Arian Foster are the only proven quantities.

The Texans are taking low risks on Cecil Shorts III and Nate Washington but there should still be some work to upgrade the speed and game breaking ability.

Also, look for the Texans to try and add a change of pace back that can catch in the draft to compliment Foster and Alfred Blue.

Zoneblitz: The Texans took Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick. Judging his rookie year is a bit difficult because of injuries, but what are your thoughts on that selection now?

Starr: It is still the correct selection almost a year later. If was an unfortunate injury but even when he came back to play he was still able to perform at a high level with a less than functional knee.

The time-table for his return looks late in training camp but that is best case scenario.

Zoneblitz: Houston went from its second worst scoring defense in team history in 2013 (428 points allowed) to its second best in team history last season (307 points) – how did the team make this dramatic improvement?

Starr: Their ability to create turnovers was the biggest difference. IN 2013 the Texans were -20 then they flipped the script in 2014 to lead the NFL with +12 turnover ratio.

Their defense was active and it was based around the play of J.J. Watt. Many times when we talked to defenders on the Texans, they felt they understood what teams wanted to do depending where Watt wanted to lineup.

The defense swarmed the ball and played a defense that was enjoyable to watch on game days.

Zoneblitz: How do you like the Vince Wilfork signing and what holes are left to fill to make the unit even better?

Starr: The biggest concern falls on the outside linebacker position at this point. With only Whitney Mercilus and John Simon as the only returning players to the position with significant time, the Texans need to find another player that can play the position.

They need someone to heat up the passer but finding another players who can play both the run and pass would be ideal.

Zoneblitz: What Texans players have a chance to break out in 2015?

Starr: At this moment, cornerback A.J. Bouye is one to watch especially with what he was able to do in his first full season getting significant snaps. He hit a wall mid-season with his play but came out of it late to tie for the team lead in interceptions.

Another to watch is Jared Crick because the defensive end was one of the most consistent players the Texans had all season. When given a complete three-down responsibility after injuries, he took off as a player. He ended up being one of the top defenders on the team on the inside of the defense.

Zoneblitz: How far are the Texans from making another run to and through the postseason?

Starr: I think the Texans are right back in the thick of things heading into 2015. With a little more stability at the quarterback position, the offense could be primed to take another step forward under O’Brien in year two.

Zoneblitz: Besides Wilfork, what is your reaction to the offseason moves at this point and what would you like to see the team do through the rest of free agency and in the draft?

Starr: The Texans made a positive step in free agency especially with the additions of Rahim Moore, Wilfork, Shorts, Hoyer and Mallett.

One of the best signings will end up being Nate Washington and what he brings to the offense. He still has to win a roster spot, but Washington still has enough to stretch the field as an outside threat.

As for the draft, this is the first time in a long time they can go in any direction in the first round. We could see a wide receiver, outside linebacker, safety or offensive lineman as a possible selection on day one. That pick will set up the draft plan moving forward but sitting at 16 they could play aggressive in the draft with 10 picks heading into the draft.

I think they are relatively done with signings until they figure out what happens coming out of the draft.

Follow Starr on Twitter at: @PatDStat
Follow State of the Texans on Twitter at: @SOTTexans
Follow Sports Talk 790 on Twitter at: @SportsTalk790
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @ZoneblitzCom

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