CODY STOOTS: PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS
New WR Thomas set to contribute while Texans face struggling Von Miller
Oct 30, 2018, 3:36 pm
Pro Football Focus grades each individual player's performance and assigns them a grade. All 32 teams use Pro Football Focus.
Each week we will take a look at some of the good and bad from the Texans and a look at the upcoming opponent as well. They also do great fantasy analysis and draft coverage as well. Stats are for the previous game unless otherwise noted. You can join Pro Football Focus here.
Julie'n Davenport - 79.7
Senio Kelemete - 86.8
Nick Martin - 83.2
Greg Mancz - 80.5
Kendall Lamm - 61.2
Now, THIS is some pass protecting! The Texans allowed just one quarterback hit in the win over the Dolphins and no sacks. That's incredible considering where these guys were weeks ago. It's the highest pass block grade for Mancz at right guard and for Davenport this season. They have to maintain something close to this if the Texans are going to compete for a playoff spot and more. It's doable, they've now showcased they can pull it together. The Broncos boast the seventh highest graded pass rush in football and have two huge sack guys in Bradley Chubb and Von Miller. This isn't an easy task but success against these guys and this offensive line is for real.
Miller is in the middle of a career low year as far as Pro Football Focus grading. He's never finished below 90 in any season he's been graded and his pass rush and run defense grades are also at all-time lows. He's on pace for a career low in hurries per snap. He's doing all this while amassing eight sacks which is two off the league lead. It is important to see Bradley Chubb's development, he's the 31st best pass rusher from the edge defender spot, as he sets Miller and the Broncos up for success with his activity opposite Miller.
The former Texans quarterback is far from his Minnesota version where he checked in 17 points better overall, but he has put together two of his better grades the past two weeks. The Broncos are starting to ask a little less of Keenum than when the season started as he is down on his attempts. Keenum has yet to play a clean game this season with an interception in all his contests and there is one thing very clear about Keenum that should alarm Broncos fans. Keenum isn't scrambling anymore. He had 21 scrambles last year keeping defenses honest and this year has just four through half the season. It isn't a huge thing but one has to wonder what else is missing from what Keenum did in Minnesota.
The Texans added Thomas at the cost of a fourth-round pick and another later pick to help with the Will Fuller injury. Thomas is in the middle of the lowest graded season of his career and was set to have the least productive year in his career since his rookie season. It will likely all change now as he goes from a crowded room of pass catchers to the clear-cut second best receiver on the Texans. Thomas has often been associated with drops and he has six this season, but just one in his last four games. He should see all his numbers get boosted with better quarterback play and more targets. He is still productive, graded out as one of the 40 best wideouts in football, and will help the Texans where injuries have hurt them.
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.