The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Insider

Texans are in a position to turn things around fast

Texans are in a position to turn things around fast
Deshaun Watson and the Texans can turn things around quickly. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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It’s so not the start we expected.

Yes, we’re talking the Texans.  The team we thought would be – worst case – 1-1 after the first two games. We even had hopes of 2-0 dancing through our heads. Who wouldn’t with a healthy Deshaun Watson working his offensive magic and a full-speed J.J. Watt taking the defense up a few levels.

Instead we’re looking at 0-2 with the home opener on the horizon. Shaking your head? Thinking slow start? Or worse?

Yes the last two weeks have been a mess. Slow starts. Mistakes. Turnovers. Head-scratching decisions. Dropped passes. Turnovers. Only three sacks?

Sigh all you want. But don’t write this season off.

Houston, there is a solution.

We’re here to tell you that the playoffs are still within reach. Forget about that stat everyone’s hammering hard  - only 10.9 percent of the NFL teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs. Yes, 1-1 would have been better, but it is what it is.

With the desperate and stumbling Giants heading to NRG Sunday for a battle of 0-2s then a trip to Indianapolis followed by a Sunday night home game with the Dallas Cowboys and a home matchup against the Buffalo Bills .  . . well, this is definitely the stretch to make up some ground.

Run the tables and the Texans are at 4-2 and that chance of making the playoffs just jumped to 62.3 percent. Go 3-3 and Houston has a 38.3 percent chance of extra games. Go 2-4 and it drops precipitously to 8.6.

Start 0-4 and . . . well if a team did that it could tie the 1992 San Diego Chargers as the only teams to make it to the playoffs. But, let’s not go there.

The bottom line here is the Texans are close. Maybe thisclose.

A 1993 Dallas Cowboys close? That year an Emmitt Smith contract dispute meant 0-2 start for the Cowboys but, once signed, Smith led them to the Super Bowl XXVIII title.

Different situation, but . . .

Possible.

What we do know is Watson has shown flashes of what could be – even with a struggling offensive line. The running game – without D’onta Foreman who is out until at least late October – is solid. All-pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins is still one of the best in the league and Will Fuller is on Fire!

And then there’s the fact they opened the season with back-to-back road games. Now, they’ll play three of the next four in NRG. Hmmm.

Regardless, Sunday will feature Hopkins and the Giants’ Odell Beckham, two of the best receivers and playmakers in the game. Edge to . . well, when asked what Hopkins did well, Watson didn’t hesitate.

"Everything. There's nothing that he can't do."

Assuming the Watson – Hopkins, or Watson – Fuller connection is on point as expected  . . . well, it would then be up to the Texans’ defense to limit Beckham – on offense and as a returner – and slow down the very dangerous Saquon Barkley.

For the most part, the Texans are taking it a day at a time. Will Jadeveon Clowney be back? Will Fuller? Will the play calling and focus and intensity be there Sunday?

“Can’t get ahead of ourselves and can’t look back on the previous games,’’ Watson said. “You got to focus on that day and today’s Wednesday, and focus in on the game plan and try be the best we can today, and then we’ll focus on tomorrow when it comes.”

If nothing else, your takeaway from the first two games should be those flashes you did see and that the Texans are better than 0-2. They could have won both games – losing to the Patriots by 7 and the Titans by 3. Things obviously could have gone better, and mistakes need to be corrected.

But, if they learn from that . . .

Well, the 2015 Texans were a much different team - as was the competition - but they too started 0-2 and won the AFC South.

Time to turn it around boys.


 

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The Astros beat the Padres, 6-4. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Rookie Cam Smith homered on his first two at-bats and had a career-best four RBIs to power the Houston Astros to a 6-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

Smith connected off Kyle Hart (2-1) on a three-run homer in the second inning to put the Astros on top and added a solo shot off the lefty in the fourth that made it 5-2.

San Diego's Luis Arraez, who had three hits, sent a high fastball from Bryan King into the first row in right field for a two-run homer that cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh.

Jake Meyers tied a season high with three hits for the Astros, capped by a run-scoring single in the eighth to give them some insurance.

Houston starter Ryan Gusto (2-1) gave up nine hits and two runs in five innings. Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

The Padres went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

The Astros trailed by 1 with two on and two outs in the second inning when Smith sent his first home run into the seats in left field to make it 3-1.

An RBI single by Yainer Diaz extended the lead to 4-1 in the third.

Oscar Gonzalez cut the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single on a ground ball with one out in the fourth.

Smith’s second home run came on a full count in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 5-2.

Hart yielded 10 hits and five runs in five innings for his first loss this season after the team won each of his first three starts.

Key Moment

Smith's first home run that put the Astros on top for good.

Key Stat

Smith was 1 for 10 in Houston’s three-game series against St. Louis this week before breaking out Friday night.

Up Next

Houston RHP Hayden Wesneski (1-1, 4.00 ERA) opposes RHP Michael King (3-0, 2.42) when the series continues Saturday night.

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