TEXANS VS. PANTHERS
How Houston Texans can capitalize on 2 massive advantages over Panthers
Oct 27, 2023, 5:09 pm
CJ Stroud has something extra to prove this week. Photo by Logan Riely/ Getty Images.
What: Texans @ Panthers
When: 10/29, 12pm CST kickoff
Where: Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium
TV/Radio: KRIV-TV, KILT-Radio
Betting Lines: Texans -3 (-120), O/U 43.5 (-110) *As of this writing
In what's being billed as the 1 vs 2 & 3 matchup of top picks from this past draft, the Texans travel to Charlotte to take on the Panthers. Quarterbacks Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud were the first two picks. Defensive end will Anderson Jr. was the third overall selection. All three players are heavy contributors to their teams. Stroud is a leading candidate for AFC Rookie of the Year. Anderson Jr can still make a case for AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Young missed a game with an injury but hasn't impressed much in the five he has played.
When the Panthers have the ball: This could be a get right game for the Texans defense. The Panthers are winless for two very specific reasons. One of those being they can't score. 19 points a game only works when your defense is the '85 Bears or the '00 Ravens maybe. They average 10 more yards rushing per game than the Texans, but also average about 50 yards less passing per game. The pass rush should be able to get to Young. He gets sacked three times a game on average. The Texans only have nine sacks on the season. It's a good time for old teammates to get reacquainted. Anderson Jr. was Young's teammate at Alabama. He along with Jonathan Grenard and company need to take advantage of a bad offensive line. While the Panthers aren't a run heavy team, they may turn it up a notch knowing Sheldon Rankins is out. Their best bet is to run the ball successfully, and hope play action gives them a pass threat.
When the Texans have the ball: Tank Dell being back in the fold is great news. Robert Woods being out is terrible. Not all is lost. This offense just beat the toughest defense they'll face all year. The Panthers may be without All Pro defensive end Brian Burns who is questionable with an elbow injury. That's great news for the pass heavy Texans. It's also great news for the run game facing a Panthers defense possibly down their best defender, but they also give up almost 150 yards a game on the ground. Giving up that many yards rushing is a reason why they allow a league worst 31 points a game. That's the second reason they're winless. They can't stop teams from scoring! I expect all the weapons and play calling creativity to be on full display in this game. Bobby Slowik is probably licking his chops doing the Birdman hand rub.
Friday’s Injury Report for #HOUvsCAR ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/qWinOiBg5O
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 27, 2023
Outcome: Well, let's break this down as simply as possible. The Panthers can't score enough points and they give up way too many points. Meanwhile, the Texans can score if they protect their quarterback, and have a good enough defense to keep them in games. Outcome seems pretty straightforward to me. Add in the fact that Stroud probably has a chip on his shoulder by not going number one overall and facing the guy who did. Even if Burns does play, this Texans offensive line shut down the Steelers pass rush and pulled out a win over the tough Saints defense. They'll cover the -3, but I'm leaning on the under since the Panthers are apparently allergic to the end zone. Texans 24, Panthers 13
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!