Big Love
America's New Team? New York NFL expert picks Texans to make Super Bowl in NewOrleans
As CultureMap detailed weeks ago, the New York media fell hard for the Houston Texans during the NFL playoffs. And the love's only continuing, with longtime New York Daily News NFL columnist Gary Myers picking the Texans to make the Super Bowl next season.
Myers' ultra-early forecast has the Texans emerging from the AFC to meet the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3, 2013. That would be a Super Bowl home game for the Saints, with the big game set to be played at the refurbished Louisiana Superdome. But it would be a relatively easy trip for Texans fans as well.
"I think Houston will be the team to jump to the next level in 2012," Myers writes.
The national love has been a long time coming for Bob McNair's franchise, but now that it's here, it's arriving in droves.
Myers' selection certainly isn't out of left field.
The Texans took a huge leap in 2011, making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history (and winning a game there) despite a crippling, almost unfathomable streak of injuries. Houston's young Bulls on Parade defense looked like the best D in the playoffs despite that 20-13 loss at Baltimore. Tailback Arian Foster is the most exciting — and arguably, the very best — running back in the NFL. Defensive end J.J. Watt is a budding superstar.
A Super season could come down to how quarterback Matt Schaub recovers from the crushed foot that ended his season in Week 10 in 2011.
Myers — one of the most respected voices in the NFL — seems confident in Schaub's comeback.
"The Texans made the playoffs and won the AFC South for the first time this season and might have gone a long way if quarterback Matt Schaub didn't suffer a season-ending foot injury in the 10th game," he writes. "They beat the Bengals in the wild-card game and nearly beat the Ravens in the divisional round with rookie T.J. Yates at QB."
The national love has been a long time coming for Bob McNair's franchise, but now that it's here, it's arriving in droves. The Texans are expected to get their first Sunday Night Football Game this upcoming season and are the favorites to be highlighted in the annual Thanksgiving Day showcase in Detroit.
Are you looking at America's New Team?
As for America's Old Team? Myers does predict that the Dallas Cowboys will rebound from the choke of 2011 and win the NFC East next season with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants only making the playoffs as a wild card.