WATSON'S BOLD MOVE
Here's how Deshaun Watson is taking another step as the leader of the Texans
Oct 22, 2020, 12:15 pm
WATSON'S BOLD MOVE
In the midst of preparing for their Week 7 match against the 4-1 Green Bay Packers, the Houston Texans are dealing with trade speculations with the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Texans could be heading towards a rebuild sooner than anyone could have expected, despite sitting at a 1-5 record on the season. Canfora reported that Houston could depart from several of their key players. In particular, Whitney Mercilus, Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, and Randall Cobb — to name a few. During his media availability Wednesday afternoon, the one guy who is safe from all trade rumors, Deshaun Watson, tried his best to silence all the hoopla via Zoom.
"Them boys ain't getting traded," Watson said. "Nobody's going anywhere. We're going to stick with this team and keep pushing forward. We just basically squashed it and letting everyone know to focus on ball, and focus on this team."
Watson said everybody on the team participated in a post-practice meeting to squash any rumors of a trade that might have a player's mind running rampant. Randall Cobb — who has been in a few trade speculations — says he does not know what to believe but plans to stay in Houston for the "long haul."
J.J. Watt has been at the forefront of all trade rumors. The future Hall of Famer is in the twilight of his career, and the idea of playing his final years through a Texans rebuild is mind-boggling to many. And with his favorite team from his childhood making their way to NRG Stadium this Sunday, many believe that the Packers could make an attempt to acquire the All-Pro defensive end.
"My goal since I got here was to bring a championship to the city of Houston," Watt said. "That remains my goal until the day I'm not a Houston Texan anymore. That will always be my goal. That's what I'm working towards. That's what I'm working towards today and that's what I'll work towards tomorrow."
As of now, it is uncertain what moves the Texans will make ahead of the November 3 trade deadline. But if the Texans enter the bye week with a 1-6 record, it may be best for interim general manager Jack Easterby to get a jumpstart on rebuilding the Texans' roster.
Coty M. Davis is a reporter for ESPN 97.5 Houston/SportsMap covering the Houston Texans. He is also the co-host of Locked On Texans, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Follow Coty on Twitter @CotyDavis_24.
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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