The relentless pursuit of dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs has ignited a seismic shift within the NFL. Fueled by their youthful ambition, the Houston Texans, are emulating the blueprint laid by Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

During a recent segment on “First Things First,” analyst Greg Jennings boldly proclaimed the Texans as the team most capable of upending the Chiefs’ reign, stating, “When you look at this team and what they were able to do with the rookie quarterback last season rookie head coach and missing pieces defensively they struggled a bit but they had the Rookie of the Year offensively you had the Rookie of the Year those two pieces are in their second year heading into their second year coming back.” Jennings believes the offseason moves have armed them with the necessary firepower to dethrone the defending champions.

Nick Wright echoed Jennings’ sentiments, highlighting the Texans’ calculated offseason strategy. “There’s only been two archetypes to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs on with Mahomes employed Tom Brady or how the Bengals did it which was some similarities here stud quarterback in year two with a loaded team around him.” Just like the Bengals, the Texans have doubled down on protecting their most prized asset – their young quarterback, CJ Stroud.

The Texans have also bolstered their receiving corps, trading for the dynamic Stefon Diggs. Much like the Bengals’ duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Diggs’ arrival provides Stroud with a potent aerial attack capable of stretching defenses and keeping them on their toes.

While the Texans are busy emulating the Burrow blueprint, the Ravens aren’t resting. By adding the bruising Derrick Henry to their backfield, they’ve assembled a one-two punch that could very well redefine the term “ground and pound.”

The Joe Burrow approach may not fly with the upgraded Ravens

“I think Greg is going to open things up for Lamar’s running but also his passing I mean you are going to have to now worry about Derrick Henry and so and I also think that they learned from that AFC Championship game be who you are do you all right run the football they stopped doing it,” Broussard stated, highlighting the potential impact of the Henry-Jackson tandem.

Head coach John Harbaugh emphasized the intangibles Henry brings to the Ravens‘ locker room, stating at Henry’s introductory news conference, “I just think the person [and] the guy that loves football — that fits us really well, too. He’s a tough, physical guy. You play at the high school he played at. You play at the college he played at, [and] where he’s been with [the] Tennessee [Titans] and the kind of leader he’s been. Everybody you talk to talks about him in terms of a guy who just loves football, is about football and wants to compete, wants to do his best, wants to do everything he can to help the team win.”

The Ravens’ offseason moves extended beyond just Henry, as evidenced by their strategic draft picks. According to the team’s press release, “The Ravens made nine picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and didn’t trade once. That’s how strongly they felt about the players that were available when they were on the clock.” Notable selections included cornerback Nate Wiggins from Clemson and offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten from Washington, bolstering their defense and offensive line, respectively.

With a locker room filled with hard-nosed, competitive players, the Ravens are primed to make a deep playoff run and potentially hoist the elusive Super Bowl trophy once again.