Nate Burleson says Houston Texans have a case for the best NFL team in Texas

The Houston Texans have burst onto the scene over the past few weeks of this season in the NFL. Now, with them surging, Nate Burleson believes they have some argument as being the best team in The Lone Star State.

Burleson said so during coverage on CBS on Sunday in the midst of the action from Week 10. After Houston’s 30-27 victory in Cincinnati over the Bengals, he made the proclamation that they may very well be better than the Dallas Cowboys.

“I don’t want to cause a kerfuffle between Houston and Dallas fans. But, right now, the Texans are making a case for the best NFL team in Texas,” said Burleson.

Over their first nine games, Dallas (6-3) has a one game lead on Houston (5-4). Both are in second place in their respective divisions. Each are also in contention for wild card spots in their separate conferences.

It’s just that, after the past few weeks, the Texans are generating more buzz. After an 0-2 start, Houston has won five of their last seven.

At the center of that has been the phenomenal play of QB CJ Stroud. The No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has 2,626 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and only two interception so far in his rookie season. That includes 826 yards, seven total touchdowns, and just one pick over their past two victories over Tampa Bay and Cincinnati – both of which saw Stroud lead game-winning drives for the Texans.

To be fair, Dallas is no slouch in comparison. The Cowboys are right in the conversation once again, especially after their 49-17 blowout of the New York Giants on Sunday.

However, the vibes are high in H-Town at the moment and, with Stroud playing as well as he is, it’s not hard for someone like Burleson to at least pose the statement.

Stroud goes to great lengths to prepare teammates for opposing defenses

CJ Stroud has been nothing short of impressive through the first nine games of his career.

Not only has Stroud led the Texans on back-to-back game-winning drives in recent weeks but the 22-year-old has put up historic numbers for a rookie signal-caller. Just how has the former Ohio State standout put himself in the MVP conversation already, you ask?

It all comes down to preparation said Texans WR Tank Dell on Sunday.

“He just puts that that extra time and his preparation is amazing,” Dell told Pro Football Talk. “He’d just sent us videos all throughout the night. It’s like eleven at night, almost midnight, and he’s still sending us clips of how their defense is playing and telling us how we should adjust and things like that. I’d say it’s preparation. But then his swagger? He have that confidence about himself that he can be one of the best in the league. So, I’d say all that mixed in with each other.”