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Pro Football Focus and the Texans Week 4

Pro Football Focus and the Texans Week 4
Andrew Luck is back on the field but did not impress last week. Joe Robbins/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 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. You can join Pro Football Focus here.

Jordan Thomas - 90.4 Overall Grade (Season)

He currently has the best overall grade of any Texans player on the offense and he has been a pleasant surprise for the Texans as a late-round rookie. He rumbled for a big gain of 39 yards in the first quarter. He's been serviceable blocking and his skills as a former wideout have been put to use in the passing game. He should be seeing more time for the Texans. 

Martinas Rankin - 50.1 Pass Blocking

The Texans left tackle allowed eight pressures against the Giants and added on two penalties as well. It was a performance he would like to forget. There were a couple of times he ended up on his rump via the pass rush. He has to be better because there isn't an option that is better than him unless they try Davenport back here, but I can't imagine he would be much better. He struggled as well and had twice as many penalties. 

J.J. Watt - 92.4 Overall Grade

No reason to be shocked here. Watt had a monster game, but there were flashes the week before in stopping the rushing attack of the Titans. 

Zach Fulton - 79.2 Pass Block

Fulton is already better than Jeff Allen was as a member of the Texans. I was worried about Fulton because he was coming over in the same way Allen did, but he's been impressive enough early. He boasts the second highest pass blocking grade on the team behind Greg Mancz. 

Zach Fulton - 31.5 Run Block

Fulton posted the lowest run blocking grade of any of the Texans players but I am not picking on him. No one was good at run blocking and the Giants are stout up the middle so it makes sense someone has a bad grade. 

Andrew Luck - 54.7 Overall Grade

Luck is coming off his worst game of the season against the Eagles. He threw for just 164 yards and averaged just 4.1 yards per attempt. His performance has dropped each game and it there has to be worry associated with his repaired and seemingly healthy shoulder. Luck has been great against the blitz grade-wise as he's almost 14 points higher than when he isn't blitzed. 

Margus Hunt - 80.2

A former second-round pick who is finally displaying the traits that made him the 53rd overall pick in the 2013 draft. He is the 36th highest graded defensive lineman in football. The Colts invested in him when he was a low-risk high reward player and it's reaping the benefits. With the Texans struggling on the offensive line, in seemingly both running and passing the ball, Hunt is poised for a big day if the Texans can't neutralize the big Estonian defender. 

As always, you can join Pro Football Focus here.

 

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Rockets beat the Grizzlies, 119-115. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.

Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.

Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.

Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.

Key moment

With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.

Key stat

Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.

Up next

The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.

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