The Rockets are already off to a rocky start. Photo by Getty Images.
Rockets roll the dice on big name in free agency
Not only will the Rockets likely be without James Harden in their first game of the season because of his alleged appearance at a club while not wearing a mask, now Shams Charania is reporting that John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins aren't expected to play due to contact tracing.
Several Houston Rockets, including John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and possibly more, are expected to miss tonight's season opener vs. OKC due to coronavirus contact tracing, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 23, 2020
Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the contact tracing is connected to rookie KJ Martin. The Rockets will need to lean on Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and PJ Tucker when they face the Thunder on Wednesday night. Houston has yet to play a game and the drama is already building.
Promising rookie forward Jae'Sean Tate is among the group of Rockets sent home due to contact tracing, per source. https://t.co/BEdU3HNrEG — Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 23, 2020
This season is officially upon us! Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
