I’m not usually one to make predictions in the sports world. Mostly because things are so unpredictable in the first place, and because who cares what a sports writer thinks anyway?

On that note, I’ve decided to make a prediction about the NFL. This isn’t a prediction about who is going to win the Super Bowl or anything like that, because everyone’s guess is as good as mine.

I would rather talk about the newest addition to the league, the Houston Texans.

When an expansion team used to come into the league, it pretty much sucked for a long time. But things have changed. With the way the NFL is run, pretty much any team has a shot at winning it all when the players first report for training camp.

Just ask the 1999 St. Louis Rams, who after another dismal 1998 season, came back to blow nearly every team out of the water en route to a Super Bowl victory.

Last year’s Super Bowl championship team, the Baltimore Ravens, also came out of nowhere to stun the sports world by winning it all.

This past season’s New England Patriots weren’t even picked to make the playoffs, but it too went all the way to the big game and emerged victorious.

The expansion teams of late have been garnering more success than most expected. Since entering the league in 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars have become the most successful expansion franchise in the history of the NFL, having made it to the playoffs four times and playing in the AFC Championship game twice.

The Carolina Panthers, who also entered the league in 1995, made the playoffs in its second year. Many were amazed and confused how teams that started from scratch were able to get to the playoffs so quickly.

The new Cleveland Browns re-entered the NFL in 1999 and though it hasn’t made the playoffs, it led the NFL in take-aways last season and are expected to bring big things in the coming years if it gets more offensive weapons to play with Tim Couch.

A big reason why teams like this can go from bad to good so quickly is because of the salary cap. More and more teams have to get rid of good players at the end of the season because they can’t afford them any more.

This leaves expansion teams with the pick of the litter when it comes to the expansion draft. Then they get top picks in the regular NFL draft as well.

The Houston Texans have already built a strong basis for their team, grabbing big-time offensive and defensive linemen from the expansion draft along with other players that can make an impact.

With the upcoming draft, the Texans are expected to complete the package with lots of young guns.

I’m not saying that the Texans are going to win the Super Bowl, or even make the playoffs for that matter, but don’t be surprised if it pulls out a better season than at least four other NFL teams.

The NFL ceases to amaze me every year with teams that are supposed to be bad being good and vice versa, so this could be the year the Texans surprise many people.

Just an idea of what teams will fail to win as many games as the Texans: the Buffalo Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And with any luck, the Texans will out-shine the Patriots.

With my Vikings in a struggling state and my Raiders not being able to hold on to Jon Gruden, I just might have to root for the Texans this season.

Just to be bold and daring, I’ll say the Texans are my long shot to make the playoffs in the AFC, along with the Detroit Lions in the NFC.

Kyle Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.