If he plays, Marcus Mariota could be dealing with winds. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
I apologize for the late post here but uncertainties with the path of Hurricane Florence after landfall necessitated that I wait so I could give the most accurate information. Originally, I thought Florence wouldn’t really impact any games on Sunday but that has changed a bit now. While nothing looks extreme there are some things worth noting. So lets get to it.
Texans @ Titans (Sunday 12:00 PM) – I had this game up in the air as Nashville will be on the outer fringes of Florence on Sunday. Right now it looks like any rain should hold off until after the game but wind may be an issue. Currently the forecast is for Northeast winds at 15 MPH with gusts over 20 MPH. The orientation of the stadium would have the wind blowing diagonally across the field. With Florence continuing to move inland I wouldn’t rule out some stronger wind gusts during the game. It shouldn’t have a tremendous affect on the quarterbacks save for some very deep throws, but kickers could be impacted.
QB: ↓
RB: ↔
WR/TE: ↔
DEF: ↔
K: ↓↓
Colts @ Redskins (Sunday 12:00 PM) – By Sunday Washington will be on the outer northern fringes of Florence. It appears that there could be some showers passing through during the game but it shouldn’t be a deluge. Winds also look to stay under 10 mph which should be manageable for kickers. Overall not much impact on this game, but I wanted to mention it as some people were concerned about this game. I’ll spare the page length and just tell you I would give neutral impacts to all position groups.
Eagles @ Buccaneers (Sunday 12:00 PM) – The story here will be heat with a potential side of some lightning. This will be a typical Florida summer afternoon – hot and suffocatingly humid. The heat index will be hovering around 103 degrees during the game. Conditions like this negatively affect the defense more than any other position group. Later in the game though the possibility exists for some thunderstorms to pop up. The prospect of rain from these storms isn’t terribly concerning but there may be some issues with lightning as we saw last week in the Titans-Dolphins game. From a fantasy standpoint the effects of a delay are minimal, but from a gambling perspective it could be a bit more significant as a delay has the potential to shift momentum. Winds throughout the game will be out of the southwest at about 9 MPH which shouldn’t be an issue for kickers.
QB: ↔
RB: ↔
WR/TE: ↔
DEF: ↓
K: ↔
Patriots @ Jaguars (Sunday 3:25 PM) – Some showers and thunderstorms may be possible wrapping around the southern edge of Florence. While any rain shouldn’t be too extreme, given that this is Florida the potential for lightning exists in any storms that do come through. So don’t be surprised if this game goes into a delay at some point. Again, maybe a bigger deal for gambling than fantasy. Aside from the possibility of a few thunderstorms the main issue here, as in Tampa, will be the heat and humidity as the heat index will be around 103 degrees. Overall I would give a slight bump down to defenses with this heat, but the Jags are more acclimated to these conditions than the Patriots. I really think the heat will have more of an effect on the Patriots, especially given the ground and pound nature of Jacksonville’s offense. Winds will be around 10 MPH which shouldn’t be an issue for kickers.
QB: ↔
RB: ↔
WR/TE: ↔
DEF: ↓ (NE DEF:↓↓)
K: ↔
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After the beating C.J. Stroud took in Houston’s divisional playoff loss to Kansas City it was clear the team’s top offseason priority should be upgrading its offensive line.
Instead, the Texans traded five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and 2022 first-round pick left guard Kenyon Green and released right guard Shaq Mason.
They added tackle Cam Robinson and guards Ed Ingram and Laken Tomlinson, but as the NFL draft approaches their porous offensive line remains the most glaring weakness of the team.
Though the Texans won’t say that they plan to use their first-round pick (No. 25) on an offensive lineman, they’ve said plenty about the need to better protect Stroud this upcoming season. Stroud led Houston to its second straight AFC South title last season despite being sacked 52 times, which was the second most in the NFL.
“Getting better protection for C.J. is definitely a main point of emphasis for us,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We know when C.J. is protected, he has a clean pocket, he’s a pretty good quarterback. ... He’s capable of making any throw on the football field. But it’s just a matter of protecting him and giving him that comfort when he’s in the pocket.”
General manager Nick Caserio said he doesn’t believe they have to draft an offensive lineman next week.
“We feel like we have to add good football players to our football team,” he said. “That’s what we’re focused on. Whatever those positions entail, that’s what’s going to work. That’s how we’re going to approach it and handle it.”
Houston’s pick in the first round is one of seven selections it has in this year’s draft. The Texans return to the first round this season after not having a pick in the opening round last season because of trades, including the one to move up to get defensive end Will Anderson with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Though the offensive line has several holes, Houston’s top priority should be drafting the left tackle of the future.
Robinson could protect Stroud’s blind side this season to give whichever player they draft a season to develop and learn behind him.
A couple of players who could be available when the Texans pick are Kelvin Banks from Texas and Oregon’s Josh Conerly. Banks was a three-year starter for the Longhorns and won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman last season. Conerly started 28 games at left tackle in the past two seasons for the Ducks and was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award given to the nation’s best offensive lineman.
Pick ’em
The Texans have two picks in the third round and two in the seventh this year after receiving the 79th and 236th overall picks from the Commanders as part of the trade for Tunsil.
Needs
Along with the offensive line, the Texans could use some help at receiver. Nico Collins, who has had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, has developed into an elite option. But the Texans need a solid second option after they moved on from Stefon Diggs after one disappointing season that ended in a season-ending injury in Week 8.
They traded for Christian Kirk, but he’s coming off a tough season where he had a career-low 379 yards before breaking his collarbone in October. The Texans also don’t know when they’ll get Tank Dell back, with the receiver still recovering from a serious knee injury he sustained in December.
Don’t need
The Texans are set at running back after signing Joe Mixon before last season and having a reliable backup in Dameon Pierce.
Draft success
While Caserio has added some stars to the team with first-round draft picks including Stroud, Anderson and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., he’s also had a knack for finding starters beyond the first round since joining the Texans.
Caserio nabbed Collins in the third round in his first draft with Houston in 2021 and added safety Jalen Pitre in the second round in 2022. He also found starting linebackers Christian Harris in the third in 2022 and Henry To’oTo’o in the fifth in 2023.
Last year he drafted cornerback Kamari Lassiter in the second round and safety Calen Bullock in the third. In their rookie seasons, Lassiter started 14 games while Bullock started 13.