Monson: Houston, there's no problem winning the Super Bowl

Kurt had first pick this time around and he took the NFC. Since there's no sympathy here and no recourse, I'm all in on the other side of the tracks.

In the AFC, everybody wants to bet on the Broncos or the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Where's the fun in that? It's a quarterback's league, and riding the arms of PM and TB is like sucking on the prognosticator's pacifier, seeking good comfort. I'm heading in a different direction, barreling toward a head-on collision with crazy.

No, I'm not running with the Bengals.

It's gonna be … the Texans.

Is there an echo in here? Yeah, they were a chic pick last year, and I got caught up in that. But the more the notion rattled around the brain, the more enticing it became to go for a mulligan.

Why?

Call it a feeling. That Texans defense lost Brian Cushing last season, and a lot of its mojo. But J.J. Watt had a terrific year without him. Now, Cushing is back and so is Watt. There's a lot to like about that.

There's been chatter about Arian Foster and his durability. He's run the football 100 times more than any other back over the past three seasons and suffered the consequences. But it looks as though he'll be ready to go. Mix with that a passing attack that now is bolstered by the addition of rookie receiver DeAndre Hopkins, alongside Andre Johnson, and Matt Schaub has big-time playmakers all around.

Schaub is not an elite quarterback, only good, and that's troubling. But there were a lot of questions about a fellow named Flacco in Baltimore last season and that worked out fine. I'm giving Schaub — and that shoulder of his — another chance. If he stays healthy, and the defense improves, the Texans could win it all.

It's a crazy shot, but an open one, nonetheless.

gmonson@sltrib.comTwitter: @gordonmonson