TEXANS VS. SAINTS
Examining Houston Texans best opportunities with Saints marching into NRG
Oct 13, 2023, 4:55 pm
CJ Stroud will have his hands full against the Saints defense. Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images.
Florio on Texans drafting Stroud: They didn't “take the cheese”
What: Texans vs Saints
When: 10/15, 12pm CST kickoff
Where: Houston, TX NRG STadium
TV/Radio: KRIV-TV, KILT-Radio
Betting Lines: Saints -1.5 (-110), O/U 42.5 (-110) *As of this writing
To be about five to six hours away (depending on how you drive I-10), these two teams don't meet often. Every four years is wild. Every preseason is very meh. Especially factoring in it's usually the last preseason game and no one of consequence plays much, if at all. Add in all the cross-over fans from so many natives of Louisiana living in Texas, and it's even more fun to think about these teams playing! There's always going to be some trash talk between the fans because of the factors listed above. Now, with both teams on an upswing, there's more wood added to the fire.
When the Saints have the ball: Derek Carr was brought in to be the new franchise quarterback. While he's thought of as an upgrade, the offense has struggled this season. In five games, they've scored more than 30 points once. It was last week against the dreadful Patriots. Outside of that, they've only scored 20 or more once. It was 20 on the nose against the winless Panthers. Getting Alvin Kamara back and in game shape should help. This will be his third game back from suspension. With Maliek Collins and Shaq Griffin back, the Texans defense will get a boost. They'll need it, since this Saints team may have gotten their mojo back last week. This matchup puts the Saints' 25th place total yards offense against the Texans' 18th ranked total yards defense.
When the Texans have the ball: C.J. Stroud could be without his favorite target this week. Tank Dell is questionable to play with a concussion. This would be a huge blow to a team that's very reliant on the pass game. Having Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard back will be welcomed against the 4th ranked defense in terms of total yards given up. This offense is ranked 11th in total yards. Stroud has been sacked 11 times this season. The Saints have 11 sacks on the season. 7.5 of those 11 come from their defensive line. Carl Granderson will be matched up against Tunsil most of the game. He leads the Saints with 3.5 sacks and earned an extension recently. However, it's Cam Jordan, their perennial All Pro that worries me going against George Fant all game. Fant was able to hold T.J. Watt at bay, so there's hope. Saints' rookie defensive tackle Bryan Bresee has shown he can pressure the pocket from the inside, where the Texans OL has taken the most hits with injuries.
Friday’s Injury Report for #NOvsHOU ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/44guQeSKpF
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 13, 2023
Outcome: In a game where I'm sure most will take the under, I'm expecting more scoring. But not by much. The Saints have more talent at running back and will want to run the ball. The Texans will have a hard time moving the ball because they don't run well and the Saints defend the run well. They've only given up a 100-yard rusher a handful of times over the last couple of seasons. If the Texans can keep the Saints off balanced by running the ball, they'll have a shot. Also, Carr is prone to bad mistakes. Add to it that their OL has given up 17 sacks this season, one could see him taking a beating and it leading to a Texans win. However, I think the better defense and better run game will win out ultimately. Saints 24, Texans 20
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How these 3 critical factors could swing battle between Texans and Jets
Oct 30, 2024, 3:06 pm
The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime
BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.
Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.
Series record: Jets lead 7-3.
Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.
Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).
Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.
Jets player to watch
Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.
Key matchup
Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.
Key injuries
Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.
Series notes
The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.
Stats and stuff
The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.
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