It seems like just yesterday Houston Texans fans were clamoring away that 2013 was their year. Visions of Lombardi trophies were dancing through their heads, and for good reason. A decent quarterback, strong run game and outright scary defensive unit had led the Texans to the playoffs in two straight seasons.

Well, last season certainly did not turn out like Houston had expected. Everything was just off: offense, defense and special teams. With so much expected from the 2013 Houston Texans, where did they go wrong?

Let’s start with the offense, which was strong throughout 2012. Matt Schaub threw for over 4,000 yards in 2012, but settled for 2,310 yards in just 10 games in 2013. He threw four interceptions returned for touchdowns in the first six games, only four less than his touchdown total.

In Game 6 against St. Louis, Schaub injured his ankle and backup Case Keenum relieved him. Schaub’s stock was falling in Houston, so fans welcomed Keenum like he was already an All-Pro quarterback. Needless to say, he wasn’t, and the Texans found that out.

So, all of a sudden, the rest of the season was devoted to choosing between two evils, instead of one consistent non-evil in Schuab.

Then, there was the running back situation. Arian Foster began the year as one of the league’s top backs, but after six games, he only had one touchdown. Granted, he was running relatively well at that point, averaging 88.5 yards per game. However, he couldn’t find the end zone and Houston was 2-4.

Foster injured his calf and back in the preseason, and it showed during the season. Eventually, he had to get back surgery, which landed him on Injured Reserve in November. Houston held hope, though, in backup Ben Tate, who seemed poised to take the role.

Tate did pretty well in the role, given the fact that the Texans resorted to throwing throughout the season, as they were trailing for the majority of it. However, Tate only found the end zone three times, all in one game. He also threw in a one-yard performance against Jacksonville, so there’s that.

To top it all off, Tate was placed on Injured Reserve in December for aggravating a rib injury suffered in October.  The luck just wasn’t on the side of the Houston Texans offense.

On the other side of the ball, the problem wasn’t as clear. With stars like J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing returning, and future Hall of Famer Ed Reed, the Texans looked like one of the best defenses in the league.

However, Cushing tore his LCL and broke his leg on a tackle by Jamaal Charles in Week 7 and the Texans released Reed after Week 10. That left Watt to lead what was once a vaunted Texans defense.

Watt put up pretty good numbers: 80 tackles, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two blocked kicks/punts. It wasn’t 2012 for Watt, but the future is still bright for the 24-year-old defensive end.

However, the rush defense for Houston failed miserably. The defense allowed opponents a hefty 122.4 yards per game, good for 22nd in the league. With a front seven that weak, it gave opponents an easy outlet to burn crucial time.

I will give the rush defense so credit, it had to face the rush often, as the Texans trailed in most of their games.

If you had to pinpoint one of the most positive aspect of the 2014 Houston Texans, it would have to the pass defense (you could make a case for Andre Johnson) Houston ranked third in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, at 195.2. You also have to factor the “when we’re winning, we run” mentality teams used against Houston.

Still, allowing less than 200 yards per game is a great number. Only Seattle and New Orleans topped it.

There always seems to be an equally bad component to every good statistic for Houston, though, as it picked off opposing passer only seven times last season. That ranks last in the NFL, and adding the 29 touchdowns allowed through the air, makes the pass defense look a whole lot worse.

It simply was a head-scratching year for the Houston Texans. They came in with a veteran head coach, veteran quarterback, pro bowl running back and receivers and a scary defense. At least they still have the one running back (assuming Tate leaves) and receivers.

Houston will be in a transition phase, just a year removed from making the AFC Divisional Round. That’s not what fans expected.