Lone star state of affairs. (Insider: NFL).

Jerry Jones has to look only a few hours away, to that other Texas franchise, to find a model of how a team should be operated in this league. Like his Cowboys, the Texans aren't in the playoffs. But Houston's future, even without Bill Parcells, still is rightfully more optimistic.

Although the Texans don't compete in the same division or conference as the Cowboys, it will be intriguing to watch how these two franchises, with differing front-office philosophies and stark opposites in owner personalities, grow in the next few years.

Jerry Jones, in a manner befitting his marketing approach, is going the big-splash route with his supposed Bill Parcells partnership. Bob McNair, the low-key Texans owner, is allowing Charley Casserly, his general manager, to mold a championship team.

The Cowboys won five games this season, one more than the Texans, who finished with the second-most victories for a first-year team. Still, the Texans have the lead because of David Carr. While Parcells inherits Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter, the Texans are convinced they already have a playoff quarterback. Even though Carr was pummeled in his rookie year, thanks to a horrid offensive line, he showed the toughness, arm strength and leadership warranting the draft's No. 1 choice. Now, he just needs a lot more help for an offense that was easily the league's worst.

That's where most of Houston's offseason energy will be focused. Casserly needs to find a running back, at least one elite receiver, an all-purpose tight end and enough linemen to prevent a repeat of the 2002 sack feast that featured Carr as the main course. The Texans still haven't eliminated Tony Boselli from their 2003 plans; they just know they can't leave themselves vulnerable again if he is unable to resume his career. The Cowboys are even more unsettled, beginning with the Emmitt Smith decision.

"We're on course" says Casserly, and that doesn't mean he's promising a postseason appearance in 2003. just improvement.

Look for the Cowboys to have a flashy offseason, the Texans a methodical one. And bet on Houston to reach the playoffs first.