2006 Houston Texans

As their AFC South rivals, the Indianapolis Colts racked up an astounding 14 wins and 2 losses, the Houston Texans accumulated its mirror image, 14 losses and only 2 wins. Thus, 2005 saw both the best and worst records in the National Football League within the same division. The Texans beat out the Colts at one thing, however: selling tickets. The 57,000-plus average paid attendance at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis is pretty impressive, but it can't touch the number tickets sold at Reliant Stadium, averaging over 70,000 tickets per game!

The excitement of the Texans' 2006 season started with the NFL Draft, where they got the #1 pick -- surprise! Their choice was neither USC's Reggie Bush nor hometown boy Vince Young from Texas but Mario Williams, an outstanding defensive lineman from North Carolina State. The decision came from new coach Gary Kubiak, himself a Houston native, who opted to extend the contract of QB David Carr. The Texans have added Eric Moulds, another Pro Bowl receiver to play alongside Andre Johnson.

Some Houston Texans history: The Houston Oilers were entrenched as an NFL franchise, playing their games in the Houston Astrodome, until ownership decided in 1997 that Tennessee was a more suitable venue for football. The NFL accepted Houston's proposal for an expansion team after a competing bid from Los Angeles, California, fell apart in 1999. The Texans are owned by businessman Robert McNair, and the general manager is Charley Casserly. The franchise selected its team name in September 2000. In early 2001 Houston hired Dom Capers, former defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as its first head coach. Capers was also the first head coach of the Carolina Panthers, who joined the NFL in 1995.

In 2002, while Houston knew that its offense would be young with six rookies starting there, it also built a veteran defense to carry the bulk of the load. The offense finished near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive statistical category, but the defense remained among the better teams in the league. The running game had no playmakers and never let the offense get on track, whereas the defense kept the team competitive in most games.