How short-handed Texans can keep vibes high against struggling Patriots
TEXANS ON TAP
10 October
The Texans and Patriots square off this Sunday. Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Texans head to Foxborough this weekend to take on the 1-4 New England Patriots. The Pats will have a different look this week, with rookie QB Drake Maye making his first NFL regular season start.
The Texans also come into this matchup with some changes in place, as superstar receiver Nico Collins is on the injured list with a hamstring injury.
Receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell will need to pick up the slack with Collins sidelined. Diggs will have his work cut out for him though against New England's standout corner Christian Gonzalez.
Diggs may be able to escape Gonzalez when moved into the slot, but it's hard to know how both teams will choose to match up this week. Will Diggs play more on the outside with Collins out of the equation? Will Gonzalez shadow Diggs all over the field? Gonzalez had success pressing Dolphins all-world receiver Tyreek Hill last week, and recorded 1 interception and 2 forced incompletions.
Per PFF, Pats corner Marcus Jones was actually the highest-graded Patriots player last week against Miami, so this team has some talent in the secondary.
The big question for the Texans passing game comes down to Dell's usage. Even with Collins out for most of last week's game, Dell only received four targets and played on 68% of the snaps.
Houston receiver Xavier Hutchinson actually out-snapped Dell, playing on 71% of the snaps, but with one less target.
Texans OC Bobby Slowik likes having bigger receivers on the field to help block in the running game. So we should learn a lot this week about how Slowik will deploy his weapons with Collins injured.
Speaking of the running game, both Dameon Pierce (full) and Joe Mixon (limited) returned to practice this week. It would be huge for the offense to get those guys back, to say the least.
Slowik should also be prepared to get the tight ends more involved, to take advantages of mismatches. The Texans brought back tight end Teagan Quitoriano this week. If he's active, perhaps we see him used for pass and run blocking, with Dalton Schultz lining up in the slot from time to time.
Bulls on Parade!
On defense, the Texans should have success against a rookie quarterback in his first start, especially after seeing what they did to Josh Allen last week.
Both Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter played well against the Bills receivers. But Lassiter is dealing with a shoulder injury that may prevent him from getting on the field. He didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday.
Houston #Texans Thursday Injury Report for Week 6 at the New England Patriots: pic.twitter.com/pv9F3yZXnO
— Houston Texans PR (@TexansPR) October 10, 2024
Fortunately for Houston, the Patriots don't have a ton of talent at receiver. But with a new quarterback in the fold, anything can happen.
The Texans' ability to pressure Maye with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter should give the team a big advantage. Houston leads the league with a 42% pressure rate.
The Patriots' biggest weapons this season have been running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. Stevenson is dealing with a foot injury and didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday. If he's at all limited or doesn't play, that will work in Houston's favor.
What does Vegas think?
The Texans are favored by 7 points, and the total is set at 38. So don't expect too many points in this contest!
There are so many angles to cover in this matchup. Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap gets you ready for the big game!
NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
