10 greatest Houston Texans teams of all time

The Houston Texans are the NFL’s youngest franchise. Houston joined the league as an expansion team during the 2002 season, but they still have a rich history just like any other franchise. The first era of Texans included some of the best players in franchise history. Those included some truly legendary players like J.J. Watt and Andre Johnson.

Houston seems to be on the right path ahead of the 2025 season. Head coach DeMeco Ryans, a former franchise star at linebacker, and quarterback C.J. Stroud have fans optimistic about the future.

If the 2025 Texans make a deep run in the playoffs this year, they could still become one of the best teams in franchise history.

But which Texans squad is the best of them all? And how do you compare those early teams to the most recent iteration of the Texans?

Below we will explore the top 10 Texans teams of all time.

10. 2007 Texans

Regular Season Record: 8-8

Results: Missed the playoffs

Superlative: First non-losing season in franchise history

Since the Texans are such a young franchise, not every team on this list is going to be great.

The 2007 were not a particularly impressive squad, but they have their place in Texans lore. By finishing 8-8, the Texans logged their first non-losing season in team history.

It may not sound like much, but it was a stepping stone for the Texans. They would soon become a much better team, as you’ll see later on this list.

9. 2016 Texans

Regular Season Record: 9-7

Results: Lost to Patriots 34-16 in Divisional Round

Superlative: Defense dominates without Watt

There are (almost) no teams here on out that didn’t make the playoffs.

The Texans had the best defense in NFL based on yards allowed. Even more impressively, they did that without J.J. Watt for much of the season.

Houston had to lean on quarterback Brock Osweiler in the playoffs because Tom Savage was in concussion protocol. Osweiler did his best, helping the Texans cruise past the Connor Cook-led Raiders 27-14 in the first round.

But the Raiders simply couldn’t handle Belichick, Brady, and the Patriots.

8. 2015 Texans

Regular Season Record: 9-7

Results: Lost to Chiefs 30-0 in Wild Card Round

Superlative: J.J. Watt, defense dominate

The 2015 Texans were true to form, looking like most of the successful Houston squads from that era.

J.J. Watt was a great as ever, winning his third Defensive Player of the Year award in 2015.

The defense was great, but offensive struggles held the team back.

Houston had a rotating cast of quarterbacks throughout the season. Brian Hoyer, Brandon Weeden, Ryan Mallett, and T.J. Yates all had starts for the Texans in 2015.

This imbalance put the Texans at a huge disadvantage in the playoffs. They didn’t score a single point against the Chiefs.

7. 2009 Texans

Regular Season Record: 9-7

Results: Missed playoffs

Superlative: Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson connection shines

Okay the 2009 Texans missed the playoffs too, but hear me out.

Houston missed the postseason despite having nine wins because of a complicated series of tiebreakers.

The headline for this season was that the offense was finally working. Both Matt Schaub (4,770) and Andre Johnson (1,569)  led the NFL in passing yards and receiving yards respectively.

Even though Houston missed the playoffs, the 2009 season was one of the first signs of greatness from the young organization.

6. 2020 Texans

Regular Season Record: 4-12

Results: Missed playoffs

Superlative: Watson played like MVP, team underperformed

It’s hard to know where to rank this season compared to the others. So I decided to put it middle of the pack.

Watson played like MVP, putting up 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

So how did the Texans manage to finish with only four wins?

Houston simply could not close out close games. In fact, the Texans lost a whopping eight one-score games in 2020.

This is the ultimate “what could have been” season, as it ended up spelling the end of the Deshaun Watson era in Houston. The franchise spent a few seasons lost in the darkness as a result.

5. 2023 Texans

Regular Season Record: 10-7

Results: Lost to Ravens 34-10 in Divisional Round

Superlative: DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud era begins in earnest

We’ve finally reached the most recent iteration of the Texans.

There’s a ton to like about the 2023 season. Houston rose back into prominence on the backs of rookie quarterback CJ Stroud and new head coach DeMeco Ryans.

The Texans logged their first AFC South division title since 2019 and made the playoffs.

Houston crushed Cleveland 45-14 in the first round of the playoffs, but could not hang with an incredible Baltimore team.

After the season, C.J. Stroud won Offensive Rookie of the Year and Will Anderson Jr. won Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The 2023 offseason for the Texans could be remembered as one of the most transformative in league history.

4. 2019 Texans

Regular Season Record: 10-6

Results: Lost to Chiefs 51-31 in Divisional Round

Superlative: Two wild playoff games

Another “what could have been season”

The story of the regular season was domination by Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins logged 104 receptions for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns. It was not his best season in Houston, but it helped the Texans win 10 games and make the playoffs.

Spirits were through the roof after Houston pulled off a comeback win against Buffalo in the first round.

But then the wheels fell off.

Houston delivered one of the biggest choke jobs in NFL playoff history the week after. The Texans were up 24-0 on the Chiefs, but let them climb back into the game and win.

Houston lost 51-31 in a game that every Texans fan wants to forget.

3. 2018 Texans

Regular Season Record: 11-5

Results: Lost to Colts 21-7 in Wild Card Round

Superlative: AFC South title, loaded defense

This Texans team walked so the 2019 squad could run.

Houston started the regular season 0-3, but then went on a nine-game winning streak. No other team in NFL history has won that many consecutive games after starting 0-3.

Deshaun Watson played well enough, going over 4,000 yards. But the star-studded defense is the headline.

Houston had plenty of talent on defense, going beyond just J.J. Watt. The Texans also had prime version of Jadeveon Clowney and Tyrann Mathieu to go with an aging Watt.

The Texans won the AFC South, but flamed out in the playoffs against a divisional opponent.

2. 2011 Texans

Regular Season Record: 10-6

Results: Lost to Ravens 20-13 in Divisional Round

Superlative: First playoff win, ascending defense

The 2011 season was the first time that the Texans felt like they had arrived.

Houston logged their first playoff appearance as a franchise, and got their first playoff victory, against the Bengals.

QB Matt Schaub suffered an injury that forced backup T.J. Yates into action for the postseason.

Houston’s defense became the face of the franchise during the 2011, thanks to both J.J. Watt and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

Watt put up 56 total tackles, five-and-a-half sacks, and two fumble recoveries in his rookie season.

Wade Phillips led Houston’s defense in a season where they’d rank second in the NFL.

1. 2012 Texans

Regular Season Record: 12-4

Results: Lost to Patriots 41-28 in Divisional Round

Superlative: Best regular season, most balanced team

Houston won 12 games during the regular season, their best in franchise history.

The Texans did that in impressive fashion, too. Houston got off to a red hot 11-1 start to the regular season before dropping a few games before the playoffs.

J.J. Watt posted a whopping 20.5 sacks in his sophomore season and won Defensive Player of the Year as a result.

Houston still lost to the Patriots in the playoffs, but they put up a much better fight than they would in 2016.