CODY STOOTS PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS
PFF: Watson's best game so far; Talented Browns team ahead
Nov 28, 2018, 7:05 am
Deshaun Watson has had some nice games, but Monday night was his best. Bob Levey/Getty Images
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 key grades as well as some from the Texans upcoming opponent. 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.
Deshaun Watson - 91.8 offense grade
His best grade of the season. Watson only made a handful of mistakes in this game and even then they were excusable ones because he was fantastic on this night. He took care of the ball and gave his pass catcher plenty of chances to make plays. He got his legs moving too as he was scrambling more than he has in recent weeks. He completed almost 80 percent of his passes. He was on against the Titans. His next task is a suddenly hot Browns team and it may not be nearly as easy.
Johnathan Joseph - 46.8 defense grade
A rare bad game from Joseph who has been on a hot streak recently. It's his lowest graded game since his last game against Tennesee in week two. The Titans seemed content to pick on Joseph and the dump offs the Titans like to use in their offense will affect his grade quite a bit. He allowed a big completion and all the passes his way to be completed. A rare bad game. I would expect he bounces back against the Browns.
Justin Reid - 33.2 tackling grade
Justin Reid finally missed a tackle. The nature of the Titans offense sets up for a hard night for grading safties. They throw it shorts and players have to run up from the safety position and make big plays. It was the first time his tackling grade had slipped below the 80's since week one of the season. It cost him his league-best tackling grade but it was a rare slip-up for Reid. He learns quickly and likely will be making big plays against the Browns.
Myles Garrett - 83.2 defensive grade (season)
The former top pick is the 10th best-graded edge defender in football when accounting for playing 50 percent of the team's snaps. He's a monster. He has 10 sacks on the season to his name and he is just as dangerous in slowing down the run too. He will be a tough one to slow down for the Texans. It will be important for Deshaun Watson to use his legs to escape some of the pressure and make sure the protection is there to handle Garrett.
Denzel Ward - 84.4 coverage grade (season)
He is a rookie and has the fourth-best coverage rating in football when accounting for playing 50 percent of the team's snaps. That is insane. He was widely panned when he was drafted but Ward is playing his tail off. He has tallied 11 pass deflections and three interceptions. The quarterback rating when throwing at Ward is 69.7 which is one of the best in the league. It will be a challenge for the Texans wideouts dealing with this talented rookie.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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