... for a deep playoff run. After an ugly loss, everyone writes you off as a bust—you are exiled to football purgatory where only a string of key victories can pull you out of mediocrity.

Two weeks into the season, the Houston Texans were 2-0. They had just knocked off the perennial AFC powerhouse Indianapolis Colts in impressive fashion and had erased a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter at Washington to win that game in overtime.

They were all the talk on ESPN. "This is the year when the Texans finally get over the hump" was the chant in Houston and around the NFL. With the Colts in the rear view, the Texans would never look back.

One week later, the Texans lost at home to a struggling Cowboys team that seemed to fi...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL