The New Orleans Saints became such a trendy Super Bowl pick that Kris Jenner probably frantically started working on setting up one of her daughters with Jimmy Graham. Perhaps, it's inevitable that Drew Brees and the Saints would get overconfident, buy into their own hype and watch a crying man blow their would-be dynasty to smithereens.

If the Saints won the Super Bowl this February, they'd have two titles in three years, vault past everyone as the NFL's new force.

Then, they went and got knocked off in the second round. It ended with San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis catching a touchdown pass from Alex Smith (yes, that Alex Smith) in traffic with 00:09 seconds left, with insanely intense Jim Harbaugh and his 49ers sprinting off the field with a 36-32 no-way win in the signature game of these playoffs so far.

Davis broke down in tears after his 180-yard receiving day because of how far he's come. But the brains behind the Houston Texans should be crying for joy right with him.

For Davis also showed how far the NFL is going, how the stage has been set for a new world order to take over America's most popular sport.

Despite Tom Brady's status-quo affirming touchdown binge in Foxboro later Saturday night, it's clear there is plenty of opportunity for the NFL's risers. No matter what happens Sunday afternoon, the Texans fit right into that group of young teams on the come (add the Detroit Lions to the 49ers and Texans too).

The Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers aren't going anywhere, but this could be the Patriots' last run of excellence, even with that 45-10 romp over the Broncos, and the New Orleans Saints showed against the 49ers Saturday that they're not as Super as everyone thought. There will be openings for new powers — and soon.

It's hard not to call the Texans contenders for that status, thanks in no small part to The Rooks.

Two Of A Kind

J.J. Watt never doubted himself. He came into the NFL certain he'd make an impact in his rookie year. He expected to arrive in a rush.

Brooks Reed didn't know what to expect. He just wanted to make sure he made a good first impression, laid a foundation in practice that made the coaches think he deserved to be in the league.

"I wanted to prove that I was an NFL player," Reed told CultureMap. "I didn't have a lot of expectations."

Reed became a starter too though, giving the Houston Texans two rookie starters on defense — the second-ranked defense in the NFL. No matter how this season, already the greatest in Texans' franchise history, ends, it will be remembered in part as the season that Watt and Reed came into their own.

And that might just make it the season when the foundation for a future NFL dynasty was put in.

Whether it all ends for this season in Baltimore Sunday or continues on to the AFC Championship Game against those Patriots, Bob McNair's franchise will benefit from this season and Watt and Reed's early start for years to come.

The only thing better than being good in the NFL is being good and young. Besides the 22-year-old Watt and the 24-year-old Brooks, the Texans have 24-year-old Brian Cushing (their Team MVP this season), 25-year-old Arian Foster (who's arguably already the best running back in football) and 25-year-old Connor Barwin (an 11 and 1/2 sack force in Wade Phillips' attacking defense). Even the big free agent signee, the $50 million game-changing "veteran" cornerback (Johnathan Joseph), is only 27.

Who has more young talent in football?

"I think they'll be around for the next five years," CBS analyst Phil Simms said of the Texans — and by around, Simms means competing for the biggest prize of all.

"Our young'uns don't even know what they've learned yet," defensive end Antonio Smith said.

Smith, a grizzled 30-year-old, is talking about Watt and Reed in particular, not realizing he could almost be talking about the whole defense. The Texans are so young they often don't look at many of their young players as being young. Cushing talks about Reed like the rookie's his little brother, even though the two men are the same age.

Watt's already established himself as an emerging star, one capable of changing games on the force of his freakish athletic ability and drives. He has the signature moment from the franchise's first playoff win — the no-he-didn't, close-range interception against the Bengals and the new nickname with dairy cred.

Barwin — who else? — has dubbed Watt "The Milk Man" because "he's white," he actually loves the stuff (Watt orders milk when he eats out at restaurants) and he delivers.

Reed hasn't done anything nickname worthy yet. But he's picking up sacks (seven in 12 games played), squirting into the gaps cleared by others and finishing plays. He's a legitimate factor — which is more than the Texans probably had the right to expect from a second-round pick who was forced to replace Mario Williams.

Especially when you consider Reed's wide-eyed introduction to his new life. Which happened to come against these Ravens in Week 6.

"I remember lining up and seeing (Ravens left tackle Bryant) McKinnie at like 6-10," Reed says. "I was like 'Whoa, the guy are a lot bigger here than in college.' "

Reed laughed. Watt isn't the only defensive rookie with a sense of humor. Of course, every offensive tackle is not as large as the Ravens' giant (McKinnie actually measures in at 6-foot-8 and around 360 pounds). The 6-3, 260-pound Reed is fine with having to rely on agility and a little deceptive speed.

During the NFL combine, Reed clocked a 4.68 second 40-yard dash, showed he has some speed to go with that desire.

"Every kid dreams of playing in the NFL," he said. "But it wasn't a real possibility for me until deep into my college career. People weren't talking about me as a sure NFL guy."

He is one now, an important young cog on a team full of them. You didn't need to break down in tears to see the future a la Davis. Sometimes, it's staring everyone in the face.