CODY STOOTS

Pro Football Focus and the Texans Week 4

Cody Stoots
Sep 26, 2018, 5:58 am
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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Houston drops the game to Arizona

D-backs outslug Greinke and Astros to take series opener

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

With the series win over the Rangers by taking two of three games in the middle of the week, the Astros welcomed the Diamondbacks to Minute Maid Park for a three-game weekend series, Houston's final three regular-season home games. Here is how the opener unfolded:

Final Score: Diamondbacks 6, Astros 3.

Record: 25-26, second in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Zac Gallen (2-2, 3.00 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Luis Garcia (0-1, 2.53 ERA).

Houston scores first, but Arizona grabs a lead against Greinke

Houston would get on the board first on Friday night, with George Springer reaching base in the bottom of the first on an error, moving to second on a walk, then to third on a single, as the Astros loaded the bases with no out to threaten a big inning. Instead, they would come away with just one run, with Springer taking home on a wild pitch, grabbing the 1-0 lead, but leaving runs on the table.

They doubled their lead in the bottom of the third, getting a two-out RBI-double by Kyle Tucker to make it a 2-0 Houston lead. The D-backs responded in the top of the fourth, getting back-to-back singles to lead off the inning before a three-run homer by Kole Calhoun off of Zack Greinke would put Arizona in front, 3-2. Greinke would finish one more inning before Houston would move to their bullpen, striking out the side to bring his total to nine on the night, making the bad fourth inning the one blemish on his night. His final line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, 89 P.

Astros tie it, but D-backs take the opener

George Springer would get Greinke off the hook in the bottom of the fifth, leading off the half-inning with a solo bomb to tie the game at 3-3. Luis Garcia was first out of Houston's bullpen and retired Arizona in order for a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth. He returned for the top of the seventh but would allow a leadoff single, RBI-triple, and wild pitch to bring in two runs. He would face two more batters, allowing a double and getting a strikeout, before Dusty Baker would come out to get him, now down 5-3.

Blake Taylor would make his return from the IL after Garcia, getting back-to-back outs to finish the inning. He continued on in the 5-3 game in the top of the eighth, but allowed a one-out solo homer to Calhoun, his second of the night and fourth RBI. That made it a 6-3 D-backs lead, which would go final as Houston would go scoreless after Springer's home run back in the fifth.

Up Next: The middle game of this three-game set will start Saturday at 6:10 PM Central. The pitching matchup will be Luke Weaver (1-7, 6.70 ERA) for Arizona and Cristian Javier (4-2, 3.22 ERA) for Houston.

astros recap astros vs diamondbacks mlb mlb recap zack greinke george springer kyle tucker kole calhoun astros

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