The Texans face a quarterback playing well while their line struggles

Pro Football Focus: Foles, Watson enter Sunday red hot

Nick Foles of the Eagles
Eagles.com

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.


DeAndre Hopkins - 93.5 Offense Grade

Had to get the crazy game by Hopkins on the board first. He put the team on his back and it showed. Amazing job by the NFL's most consistent and best wideout.

Deshaun Watson - 82.9 Passing Grade

I honestly didn't expect to see this number so high. This grade is his fourth-best in the category this season and when you really dig deep, it makes sense. The steely-minded drive late in the game showed Watson is every bit the player the Texans need him to be in crunch time. The really exciting part is it was his second-highest yard per attempt which shows the big play is right around the corner. Especially if the rushing attack gets going.

Texans Offensive Line - 45.6 Run Blocking Average

Nothing seemed to work on the ground and it would seem the offensive line would be to blame according to the grades. Nick Martin graded just into the average range but the rest of the offensive linemen had bad days. This, again, was a typical game where the line struggled in one aspect but succeeded in another. They graded out well in the pass blocking. If they ever put together a stellar game in both the elements watch out.

Nick Foles - 77.3 Passing Grade

The Super Bowl MVP did it yet again. He looked nothing like the Foles who struggled early in the season and every part the playoff wizard who led the Eagles through the big game. Everything was solid about Foles' game with his yards per attempt well over career average and his completion percentage being sky high. The veteran is dangerous and is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in football. He might even be sneaking into the top 25 the way he plays with the Eagles. There is more than enough here to be dangerous.

As always, you can join Pro Football Focus here.

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The Astros beat the Phillies, 2-1. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Cam Smith hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

The rookie's second hit of the game came off Orion Kerkering (5-3) and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.

Brandon Marsh tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning to end the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead on Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the second inning. They only managed three more hits off Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who struck out 11 with zero walks over six innings. Sanchez has not issued a walk in three straight starts.

Hunter Brown lowered his league best ERA to 1.74 by scattering three singles over seven shutout innings, with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a runner to reach second base.

Bryan Abreu (3-3) struck out Trea Turner to end the eighth, and then struck out Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in the ninth.

Abreu joined Julia Morales after the game and talked about his impressive performance!

Rafael Marchán had two of the Phillies' four hits. Bryson Stott reached base twice and scored the Phillies' lone run.

Key moment

Smith’s RBI.

Key stat

Brown’s 1.74 ERA is the fourth best in Astros history through 16 starts and the best since Justin Verlander posted a 1.60 ERA through 16 starts in 2018.

Up next

The Astros open a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday with LHP Brandon Walter (0-1 3.80 ERA) on the mound.

The Phillies open a three-game series at the Braves on Friday with RHP Mick Abel (2-1 3.47 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (2-4 4.77).

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