Despite a penalty that infuriated most, Clowney had a good day

Pro Football Focus: Watson, line struggle while Clowney shines

Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson had an up and down day. Tim Warner/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.


Jadeveon Clowney - 77.6 Defense Grade

Clowney had one of his strongest graded games although the box score isn't going to be lit up by this. It was nearly a top grade in almost every category highlighted by an 87.0 run defense grade. He is absolutely a terror in slowing down rushing attacks. He had plenty of near misses that likely ended up as a positive play but could have been much more. If he hits on half those plays the Colts likely lose to the Texans.

Senio Kelemete - 60.0 Pass Blocking Grade

He allowed a sack, two hurries, and three pressures as the Colts were a terror to Deshaun Watson all day. It is the first time in a long time he dipped below average in the category. The plan and execution of the Colts definitely played a role in his dip. He has to play better as he is the entrenched starter there.

Deshaun Watson - 58.7 Offense Grade

His worst grade in a while. He was charged with creating quite a bit of the pressure on himself and PFF credited him with two of the sacks. He has to get rid of the ball faster and trust his reads. Watson, who usually has some success against blitzes, was terrible against pressure in the Colts game. He has to make a few more plays when the pressure is there and it won't go away. The Texans have an offensive line that is suddenly struggling again.

Sam Darnold 75.7 - Passing Grade

The rookie had it going in his return from injury. He wasn't asked to do a ton but played an efficient game against a nice Buffalo defense. He hit a huge portion of his yards deep down the right side showing he isn't afraid to take chances. The team kept him upright too. Darnold might have a decent game if the Texans secondary doesn't respect what he is capable of accomplishing.

As always, you can join Pro Football Focus here.

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Kyle Tucker returns to Houston this weekend. Composite Getty Image.

Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.

The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.

On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.

Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.

It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.

The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.

How the mighty have fallen.

Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.

Screenshot via: MLB.com



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