From red zone to third down there's plenty of similarities in the two teams

Texans and Raiders not too different ahead of Sunday showdown

Texans Deshaun Watson
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Friday Stoots Six-Pack gets you ready for the Sunday afternoon game against the Raiders.

Raiders reject to Texans key player

The Raiders decided to dump the former first-round pick to get "younger" according to Jon Gruden.

The Raiders have decided to recently move on from top picks Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack so I expect the Texans to get more than enough value out of Conley to validate the use of the third-round pick to get him.

Bill O'Brien mentioned the 2017 draft process let them know a lot about Conley and you can definitely see the Texans moving towards the type of cornerback they see themselves needing in the current NFL.

As Conley said above, he's a man corner. Lonnie Johnson said he loves to play press man when he was drafted. Bradley Roby can play man with the best of the Texans defensive backs. They still have some zone plays, but they want to get nasty with the wideouts they will see.

I am excited about Conley. I liked his game coming out of Ohio State and the Buckeyes have had plenty of solid defensive backs in recent years. He doesn't have to be a star, just be reliable.

Red zone woes for both teams

In the last three weeks, the Raiders and the Texans are the two worst teams in red zone defense. Only Miami is worse than both teams when considering the whole season. This could be pretty interesting on Sunday. The team that can get a stop in the red zone might win.

The Texans had the best red zone offense in the NFL ahead of last week's game but struggled to showcase that effectiveness against the Colts dropping to fourth in the NFL after settling for a field goal

Last week Derek Carr fumbled trying to do too much on the goal line. He also threw an interception and the team turned it over on downs trying to punch it in. The Raiders will leave points out there so if the Texans can keep the pressure on them they could overwhelm them.

Thrillers on third down

Oakland converts 50 percent of their third downs. The Texans convert about 49 percent. They are two of the top four teams in the NFL.

Oakland sets themselves up with a solid rushing attack. They don't face a lot of third and long situations via their ability to stay on schedule with their offense. On the rare occasions they face third and long Derek Carr isn't afraid to try to make a big play. Last week he hit Keelan Doss for a big play on 3rd and 11.

Houston gets there by staying on schedule but they also have a dynamic quarterback that can cover up some of their issues when they don't succeed on first and second down.

With both of these defenses struggling and the offenses succeeding the way they have been long drives and points might shorten this game up for both sides. Extended drives would do wonders for loosing up each team's defense late.

Raiders can't make Texans make a mistake

The Raiders have forced 5 turnovers all season. They can not turn teams over. They recovered two fumbles and caught two Chase Daniel interceptions. The other was a Jacoby Brissett interception.

That's it.

Not to say the Texans are amazing, they have just 10 turnovers, but the Raiders lack the talent needed to turn teams over. Meaning, they only feast on other team's mistakes.

If the Texans play a clean game and could get Oakland to make a rare mistake, they don't turn the ball over much themselves, it would go a long way in making sure they get a win.

Josh Jacobs can ball

The Raiders rookie running back is eighth in the NFL in rushing after just six games with Oakland. Five of the seven players in front of him have all played at least seven games.

He is banged up right now, but said this week he didn't have to practice to play on Sunday. If he can't go, the Raiders are nowhere near as dangerous or effective on the ground. If they can't run on the ground, Carr will have to take more chances and they don't have the talent to stick around in a shootout.

In addition to Jacobs, the Raiders are banged up from center to right tackle. Wideout Tyrell Williams might make a return though so that will be the best weapon on the outside the Raiders have had since he was hurt.

Tearing down the Waller

​The best weapon in the Raiders passing attack is tight end Darren Waller. He has an incredible story and earlier this month got a new contract to stick around with the Raiders. Easy guy to root for on any given day.

Waller has the sixth most catches without a drop this season. He's 16th in receiving yards which is third among tight ends. He only has a couple of scores, but he can get the Raiders in position.

With the success Eric Ebron had last week, Waller could be a problem. A healthy Tashaun Gipson would go a long way in slowing down the big tight end weapon. He, unfortunately, isn't healthy yet. So slowing down Waller could be tough.

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RIP, Hoffy. Photo by Trish Badger.

Editor's note: Gow Media founder and chairman David Gow — the company that owns CultureMap, our sister sites SportsMap and InnovationMap, and ESPN 97.5 — shares his memories of Ken Hoffman, who died on Sunday, July 14. Gow hired Hoffman twice — once for 1560 The Game, the company's first radio station where Hoffman co-host a show, and again for CultureMap in 2017, where he continued the column he wrote at both the Houston Post and Houston Chronicle. We join him in mourning the loss of our friend and colleague.

In the annals of Houston history, Ken Hoffman was unique. Full stop.

Since news of his passing, I have been flooded with messages, calls, and heart-felt remembrances – from his fans, work colleagues, and many friends. The words affirm what we all know: he was one-of-a-kind, creative, quick-witted, iconic and quirky.

I thought to myself, if Ken could hear this showering of affection, he likely would have winced and cried out “ENOUGH!” Today Ken’s son, Andrew, noted to me that Ken hated to be in the spotlight, which was ironic since Ken’s writing continually placed him front and center in the narratives of our city.

Ken Hoffman was a multi-dimensional man of many passions. Years ago, when he and I were planning to discuss the potential of his joining CultureMap, I offered some great restaurant options, and Ken insisted we meet for lunch at Fuddruckers. As he savored his favorite burger, he explained to me why Federer had a more complete game than Nadal; why the Beatles stood above all others; why West U Little League was tops in the city — amongst many topics. His potential move from the Chronicle to CultureMap was almost a lesser thing to him.

Finally, the lunch moved to the matter at hand. Ken was a writer, a storyteller — perhaps the best in the city — and he would be bringing his talents to Gow Media. Alleluia! Ken could look at an event, issue or even just a small occurrence and see something that no one else could see. I was thrilled that we would get his distinct style, voice, and perspective.

Notably, his passions rubbed off on others. In short order he had many work colleagues going with him to his latest, favorite fast-food offering. He hosted many colleagues at his house on Lake Conroe. He loved talking baseball with everyone up and down the halls.

For me, he tapped into my latent love for the Beatles. Twice he convinced me to fly — first to New York City and then to Mexico City — to watch Paul McCartney live on the “Get Back” tour. After each song, Ken would share the backstory on how the song came to be. His knowledge and entertaining manner made it fun to love what he loved.

Importantly, his diverse interests and personality enabled him to connect with many. In the building of Gow Media, he established a personal connection with nearly everyone — other writers, on-air sports guys, account execs, and administrative team members. Outside the company, Ken’s network of friends included top city politicians, the owner of one of Houston’s iconic jeweler stores, a top grocery CEO, leading media stars, etc. Ken’s range of relationships was impressive. He had an ability to ask sometimes blunt questions in a way that never seemed to offend — rather his questions and genuine interest nearly always led to a strong relationship.

A colleague at work used to note that Hoffy would often present himself with a sometimes flippant, almost gruff manner. Some of this was due to Ken’s writing, which was regularly filled with sarcasm — delivered in an artful way. Some of it was due to Ken’s humor where he would enjoy good-natured back-and-forth banter with others. No one was safe from his barbs — not even the CEO of the company. I would often try to get ahead of him (“Ken, your profile picture looks like it was taken when you were working at the Houston Post”) — but it was impossible to “out-Hoffy,” Hoffy.

Though he would assuredly resist my writing this, underneath his seemingly carefree façade was a tender heart. He committed himself to meaningful causes, for example, he was a consistent participant in the MS-150 bike ride (and probably the event’s number one recruiter). As recently as the morning he passed away, he was talking with a colleague about how to manage work-life balance.

One family in West U hired him as a writing tutor for their son, but Ken provided so much more. Ken invested extra time with the boy and developed him as an intern at Gow Media. When the boy’s father died suddenly, Ken was faithfully present amidst the family’s grief. Ken’s ongoing commitment over years helped the boy mature into an exceptional young man.

His all-too-soon passing has created a void. In our city, we will miss his voice and perspective. Amongst his many work colleagues and friends, we will miss his wit and talent. And with his family, his wife Erin and son Andrew, we grieve with you.

But I take heart that my friend Ken is likely approaching all the luminaries in heaven asking sometimes blunt questions — maybe even tossing around a few barbs. He has likely already discovered the best cheeseburger in paradise. He is undoubtedly connecting with others, sharing his unique perspectives and passions. And he will assuredly make a mark there, as he has here, with all of us.

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