Ten questions the Texans must answer before they begin the regular season at Indianapolis

Locally and especially nationally, the Texans are being touted by the media as real Super Bowl contenders. Turn on a national television or radio network or tune in to a national radio or television network and it won’t be long before you hear predictions about quarterback C.J. Stroud’s second season. Read a sports section or a sports website and the Texans are the talk of the town. Virtually every national media outlet and some state media are expected to be in attendance at training camp.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Nick Caserio and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans do their best to downplay the hype, but there’s no escaping it. Not after what the Texans accomplished in Ryans’ first season — a 10-7 record, an AFC South title, a wild-card victory over Cleveland and a divisional-round loss to Baltimore. No matter how hard Caserio and Ryans try, the hype train is on hold.

The Texans are preparing to play Chicago in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, where receiver Andre Johnson will be the first member of the franchise to be inducted. In addition to the first training camp in team history, there is unparalleled excitement at NRG Stadium.

During Xfinity training camp, which includes a joint practice with the Rams and four exhibition games, the Texans have questions to answer before they begin the regular season on Sept. 9 in Indianapolis. Here are 10 of those questions:

DeMeco Ryans knows all too well what happened to the Jaguars last year, fresh off an AFC South championship and a wild-card win over the Chargers. They were the consensus pick to repeat as division champions. They were 8-3 11 games into the season. Then they suffered a monumental collapse — a four-game losing streak with one win in their last five games. They finished 9-8 and tied with the Colts for second place, one game behind the Texans. Jacksonville couldn’t overcome its first-place schedule. The Jaguars were 1-4 against division champions and 2-5 against teams with winning records. The Texans have a tougher schedule. They’ll play five division champions and 11 teams that finished 2023 with winning records. Instead of the NFC South, the worst division in the NFL, the Texans will play the NFC North, one of the best. And they know that, unlike last year, no team will take them lightly.

CJ Stroud had one of the best rookie seasons of any quarterback in NFL history. What does he do as an encore? Nick Caserio gave him more weapons, like receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon. Caserio added quality depth to the offensive line and at tight end. Defensive coordinators spent a significant portion of the offseason watching every play Stroud made. They studied Bobby Slowik’s offense. They’ve had plenty of time to formulate a better game plan that gives their players a better chance to execute those game plans. But the Texans have a great coaching staff, and no one needs to remind Slowik what’s coming. As opponents adjust to the Texans, the Texans will adjust to opponents. Barring injuries, Stroud should be even better than he was last season. His years of experience, great coaching, and a legion of talent around him should give him a chance to become even more elite at his position.

Bobby Slowik plays multiple formations, but the most effective one should be with Stroud lining up with wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Joe Mixon. That’s a lot of talent. Everyone wants the ball. Stroud showed as a rookie that no matter how many injuries there were at skill positions, he could still get the ball to his best weapons. Slowik and Stroud know that the best way to keep everyone happy is to win. Stats aren’t going to be their top priority.

Last year, the offensive line was decimated by injuries under first-year coach Chris Strasser, who worked his magic by moving pieces around to a point where the offense still functioned efficiently. Strasser started 11 different linemen. The injuries started in the first week of training camp and haven’t stopped. Without injuries, four positions are locked in: Left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is recovering from knee surgery, and right tackle Tytus Howard are out. Shaq Mason, the only player on the team to start 17 games last season, is anchored at right guard. Center Juice Scruggs, who was injured for much of his rookie season and then forced to play guard, plays the position he was drafted for. That leaves one availability at left guard, where Kenyon Green is training with the first team.

Caserio used the 15^e overall pick in 2022 on Green for a reason. Now it’s time for Green to prove he was worth the pick. He started 14 games as a rookie with mixed results. He flashed, but he was also overpowered too often, which eroded his confidence. He missed last season with an injury, but he worked hard to get stronger and in better shape. The coaches love his attitude and work ethic. They hope he can earn and keep the job. He’s been practicing with the starters early in camp. His job is to lose. In his third season, it’s time for Green to show the talent he had at Texas A&M and reward Caserio’s faith in him.

Dameon Pierce had a great rookie season, but struggled to adapt to Slowik’s zone scheme, which requires more patience and discipline than Pierce was used to. Pierce is a power back who likes to get the ball, hit the hole and run over defenders. Early in camp, he has improved dramatically, getting the ball, planting his foot and accelerating behind blockers to make plays at the second level. Newcomer Joe Mixon should be ideal in the Texans’ system. He and Pierce could be a dynamic one-two punch.

Defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Sheldon Rankins combined for 11 sacks last season, helping the defense set a team record for sacks. They also helped improve the run defense from 32^nd to the sixth. Then Collins was traded to the 49ers for a seventh-round pick. Rankins signed with the Bengals. The Texans didn’t use a high draft pick or spend a lot of money in free agency on a tackle. Seeing who the starters are and how they compare to Rankins and Collins will be one of the most interesting things about camp and the preseason. They have a lot of candidates. Khalil Davis and Kurt Hinish were the primary backups last season and both return. Tim Settle Jr. and Foley Fatukasi are six-year veterans who signed as free agents. Rookie Marcus Harris was a seventh-round pick. McTelvin Agim is a three-year veteran. In passing situations, expect end Denico Autry to move inside to join Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to give the defense three great pass rushers.

Derek Stingley Jr. proved last season that he can be one of the league’s best cornerbacks if he stays healthy. And that’s a question. He missed eight games as a rookie and six last season. If he can stay on the field, he could earn All-Pro recognition. The question is who starts opposite Stingley. Kamari Lassier, the top pick in the second round, could play outside or inside. If he starts outside, Desmond King II could play inside. He’s in his eighth season. If a veteran like Jeffrey Okudah, a former third overall pick like Stingley, earns the starting outside position, Lassiter could play the slot. Caserio signed five veteran corners and drafted Lassiter, so that’s an intriguing position to watch.

The Texans used a third-round draft pick on safety Calen Bullock to see if he can use his size and speed to cover a lot of ground and excel against the pass and run. At 6-3, 190 with 4.4 speed, he certainly seems like the right choice. Injuries wiped out three safeties last year, forcing Jalen Pitre to play with three veterans who were acquired off the street. Jimmie Ward, the leader of the secondary, has struggled with injuries and turned 33 this week. The coaches would love for him to stay healthy, but his physical style of play isn’t conducive to long-term sustainability. Eric Murray and MJ Stewart are veteran backups who were lost to injuries last season. If Bullock adapts to the NFL and plays the way the coaches hope, he and Pitre could give the Texans a formidable duo at physically demanding positions.

The Texans have an excellent special teams team under coordinator Frank Ross. They have been ranked No. 1 in the NFL for the past two seasons. Since Ross is an excellent coach, it will be fun to see what he does to try to take advantage of the new kickoff return rule. They are working on it in practice. Don’t expect the Texans to fall behind when it comes to adapting to the new rule that is designed to help the offense get better field position, because of their coaching and talent. Ross also has a new member of his kicking game, punter Tommy Townsend, who left the Chiefs for the Texans. Cameron Johnston performed exceptionally well for three seasons and signed with Pittsburgh. Townsend replaces Johnston as the holder for Ka’imi Fairbairn. Jon Weeks, playing in his 15^e season still the best snapper in the competition.