Browns vs. Texans -- the first 4 years

The honeymoon is officially over for the Houston Texans. At 0-4, they are staring at the rest of the NFL as the only remaning winless team. It wasn't supposed to go this way. The Texans progressed slowly but steadily through their first three seasons, increasing their win total from 4 to 5 to 7, narrowly missing a .500 finish last year with a week 17 loss to Cleveland. So naturally, year four equals playoffs, right? Apparently not. David Carr, the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, has already been sacked 27 times this season as the Texans have the lowest-ranked offense in the league. The defense has given up far too many plays. And the team has already fired its offensive coordinator, giving Chris Palmer the boot after just two games.
Oddly enough, it was Palmer who was the first head coach in the new era of the Cleveland Browns. He lasted just two years, posting a 5-27 record. And while Dom Capers has far more credibility in the coaching ranks than Butch Davis ever did, it is the Browns who earned a playoff berth in their fourth season back, not the Texans, it would appear. Like Houston, Cleveland improved its win total in its first three years, also reaching 7-9 by year three. But unlike Cleveland, Houston does not appear poised to go 9-7 and reach the postseason, as the Browns did in 2002. Granted, Cleveland played in a much weaker AFC that year, but Houston is miles away from the playoffs at this point. The offensive line is porous, a trend that started when the team made All-Pro tackle Tony Boselli the first pick in the expansion draft, only to have Boselli retire because of injuries before ever playing a snap for the Texans.
Now, the coach, quarterback, and even general manager Charlie Casserly are in hot water. Casserly must share some of the blame after jettisoning some of the Texans most productive defensive players in its first three seasons. Jamie Sharper was a salary cap casualty, Aaron Glenn and injury liability, and Jay Foreman was simply not needed was the apaprent logic behind these moves. Yet the youthful exuberance supposed to be displayed by the Texans of defense has yet to be seen, and the biggest defensive acquisition, cornerback Phillip Buchanon from the Raiders, has been a complete bust, so much so that he was benched after week 2. So far, not so good.
The Texans remaining schedule is no walk in the park, either, as they head to Seattle and host undefeated Indianapolis in the next two weeks before getting a visit from -- guess wh0 -- Cleveland, against whom they are 0-2 lifetime. As of now, it looks like the Texans are regressing, not progressing.