Texans looking to become the fourth team in NFL history to accomplish rare feat

The Houston Texans will have a lot to be playing for over the final two weeks of the 2023 regular season.

Not only are the Texans in the race for the playoffs, but the team also still has a legitimate shot to snatch the AFC South title from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

There's also some personal achievements for two of the Texans new found young leaders over the final two weeks of the season that they could potentially secure.

The Texans enter into Week 17 with an 8-7 record on the season. The Texans share the same record with the Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts heading into a pivotal weekend in the NFL season. However, the Texans are still in third place in the AFC South standings due to various head-to-head tiebreakers.

According to Next Gen Stats, the Texans still have a 17 percent chance to win the division with two games left to be played against divisional opponents. The odds seem slim, but the Texans got some great news that could boost their chances.

The Texans are expected to have rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and could potentially have rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr. back on the field for the first time since Week 14's loss to the New York Jets. Both players have missed the last two weeks due to injury. Stroud was not listed with a designation on the team's final injury report while Anderson was listed as questionable.

The Texans two first-round picks have been phenomenal in their rookie campaigns and have been a major reason why the Texans are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Having Stroud and possibly Anderson back on the field will be a major boost for the Texans this weekend against the Tennessee Titans. It's also going to be a major boost for the how the NFL awards could shake out with the two being back on the field.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Texans top two rookies are among the top odds to take home the rookie of the year honors entering Week 17. 

Stroud has the best odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year at -1600 but has been losing some ground since suffering his concussion. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua now has +500 odds to win the award after torching the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 and is surging up the board.

As for the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, Anderson has +4000 odds to win the award, tied with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon. However, both players are currently trailing Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who has -20000 odds to win the award.

If the two players can stack together two monster performances in the final two weeks and secure the division title, those odds will only look better entering the postseason. Anderson especially will need to have some dominating performances down the final stretch. 

If Stroud and Anderson each take home both awards in 2023, they will become the fourth teammate duo to take home the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards in the same season.

Stroud and Anderson will join 2022 Jets winners Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, 2017 Saints winners Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, and 1967 winners Mel Farr and Lem Barney. Let's see if the Texans can keep making some history.