Are the Texans the team to beat in the AFC?

The Houston Texans made franchise history this season, reaching the playoffs, capturing their division and winning a playoff game for the first time.

Now they seem poised to take the next step.

After all, their historic season occurred while being led by a third-string rookie quarterback, T.J. Yates. How far would Super Bowl participants, the Patriots and Giants, have advanced if injuries had sidelined their starting and backup quarterbacks?

Patriots rookie QB Ryan Mallett likely could not have kept the pace for a team that relied on its 317.8 passing yards a game, and the Giants did not even have a No. 3 quarterback on their roster.

The Texans compensated for their QB injuries because of the young, talented players on both sides of the ball, who have the franchise on the cusp of becoming a conference power.

Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense

In their first year in a new scheme, the Texans had the No. 2-ranked defense in the NFL. Each level — secondary, linebacker and defensive line — features a premier player.

ICONJoseph is a key part in Wade Phillips' scheme in Houston.

CB Johnathan Joseph — perhaps the best free agent acquisition in the league — became the shutdown corner the Texans have lacked since their inception. The Pro Bowler is just 27.

For a 3-4 alignment to be successful, a team must have a deep corps of linebackers, and the Texans do. DeMeco Ryans is just 27 and is flanked by two 25-year-old, linebackers who have yet to reach their prime — Brian Cushing and Connor Barwin. A former college tight end who is still learning his defensive position, Barwin had 11.5 sacks in 2011.

Part of an excellent 2011 draft class, rookie OLB Brooks Reed, 24, recorded six sacks. This unit should remain strong whether or not the Texans decide to re-sign OLB Mario Williams.

While Reed may replace Williams, another Texan who started his college career as a tight end is perhaps the Houston player with the most potential.

Anyone who watched the team’s playoff run had to come away impressed with J.J. Watt’s tour de force performance. The 22-year-old rookie defensive end racked up 3.5 sacks and athletically snagged an interception with one hand for a 29-yard TD return.

Strong O-line paces Texans

For years the offensive line was the Houston’s Achilles’ heel. Ask QB David Carr, who was sacked 76 times in 2002 and 68 times in 2005.

Now the Texans may have the most underrated offensive line in football. C Chris Myers (an unrestricted free agent) and OTs Duane Brown and Eric Winston lead the unit, and none of the three is older than 30. Their zone blocking is perfectly suited to the cutback running style of Arian Foster, a hard runner with great vision.

In addition to the 25-year-old Foster, one of the best backs in football, the NFL’s No. 2-ranked ground game has two capable players runners in Ben Tate and Derrick Ward to alleviate the burden on Foster (a restricted free agent) and replace him in case of injury.

Everyone focused on the injuries to No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks, Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, but the offense was limited further by injuries to its most talented player. WR Andre Johnson played just seven games, and repeated hamstring injuries made him less effective in the games he did play.

And would a normal offseason not truncated by a lockout have mitigated Johnson’s hamstring issues?

Add a healthy Johnson and quarterbacks to the mix, and Houston could rule the AFC for the foreseeable future.

The rest of the AFC

Sure, as long as QB Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick are around, the Patriots will be in the hunt. But their defense has major holes, and the losers of the Super Bowl often experience a drop off the following year.

Two other longtime AFC stalwarts, the Steelers and Ravens, are aging rapidly. During the 2011-12 season, Pittsburgh had nine defensive starters who were at least 30. Against the Broncos in the playoffs, the Steelers looked old and in need of an overhaul at the CB and OL positions.

The Ravens still have some nice pieces in place, but defensive anchors Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs will turn 37, 34 and 30, respectively, by the middle of next season.

And the Texans should rack up wins in one of the NFL’s weakest divisions, the AFC South. From the general manager to the head coach to the quarterback, the Colts, who won the division seven times from 2003-2011, have undergone a major rebuilding project.

As the AFC South’s longtime bully has fallen, look for the Texans to rise to the top of the hill.

Jeff Fedotin has written for Packers.com, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World and Rivals.com. After graduating from Northwestern University, he interned for the Buffalo Bills.