TEXANS 42, DOLPHINS 23
Texans open up the offense in 42-23 defeat of the Dolphins
Oct 25, 2018, 10:54 pm
The Texans came up tough against the Dolphins. Bob Levey/Getty Images)
The Texans took control and never looked back in a 42-23 defeat of the Miami Dolphins in the Thursday night prime-time matchup. Bill O’Brien used the same winning formula from the Jacksonville game to manage the offense early, opening it up in the second half for big plays and the most points they have scored in a game all season. The offense finished the game with plays of 34, 58, 73, and 49 yards to the tune of 427 yards of total offense and a five-touchdown night for Deshaun Watson.
He didn’t have to pass for a lot of yards, but Watson had a big game anyway. He threw for more touchdowns than incompletions, finishing the game 16 of 20 for 239 yards and 5 touchdowns. The most important stat was that he went the entire game without taking a sack.
It helped that there was a lot of balance to the game plan. Lamar Miller led ground game with 133 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown, including a big 58 yarder to set up a touchdown. The Texans ran for 188 yards as a team and got 8 of their 17 first downs on the ground.
In the air, Will Fuller led the way in yardage with 124 yards and had two of the biggest catches of the night. The first one was a 34-yard catch and run and the second was a huge 73-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. DeAndre Hopkins had another big night as well with 82 yards and two touchdowns, one a 49-yarder. Rookie tight end Jordan Thomas had a breakout night at tight end. He caught his first two career touchdown passes on short yardage plays in the red zone, contributing to a 4 for 4 night for the Texans offense.
It wasn’t the greatest of nights for the defense but limiting Miami to field goals was crucial in the win. The Dolphins were trotting out former Texan quarterback Brock Osweiler to lead their offense and he did little to help his team. Miami’s first touchdown came on a running play after a bad penalty call on a field goal attempt gave them a fresh set of downs. They got one more when a trick play resulted in Danny Amendola throwing a touchdown to Kenyan Drake. The rest were field goals. The defense may have given up 370 yards of offense but the bend, don’t break play helped secure the win.
J.J. Watt got his 8th sack of the season on the first drive. He then blew up a 4th and 1 play to get the ball on downs. Houston would get five quarterback hits and seven passes defensed on the night as Osweiler could never really settle in. Tyrann Matheiu got his second sack of the season in the fourth quarter to help force a Miami punt. He wasn’t the only safety to make a splash play either. Justin Reid pulled down his second career interception on the first play of the second quarter.
This game looked close at the half with Houston leading only 14-10, but after they scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half it just never looked close again. Deshaun Watson threw for four touchdowns in the second half to lead his team to a convincing win and a 5-3 record.
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The World Series is in full swing and as we wait to see which team brings home the hardware, odds have already been released for the 2025 season.
According to Draft Kings and Fan Duel, the Astros have the sixth-best odds to win the championship next season. So while many in the national media are burying the Astros and saying the window is closed, the oddsmakers don't agree.
Of course, these odds have been released before free agency, so things will change based on the moves made this offseason.
For Houston, Alex Bregman's future with the team is up in the air. So that could have a big impact on their chances in 2025. Something else to monitor heading into the offseason is if the club would consider trading either Framber Valdez or Kyle Tucker.
If Breggy leaves, it's hard to imagine Houston moving on from Tucker. They can't afford to lose two of their best bats, and the team clearly has more depth in the rotation than they do in the outfield.
Trading Framber could clear about $18 million off the books and bring some top prospects into the farm system. And if Bregman is off the books as well, perhaps the team could afford to re-sign Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi would be significantly cheaper than signing Valdez to a long-term deal.
This could change the market
Another thing to consider this offseason is super agent Scott Boras, who also happens to represent Bregman. Boras was unable to secure blockbuster contracts for several of his clients last offseason. Many had to settle for shorter prove it deals.
It's fair to wonder if his clients will be more willing to take the first deal they are offered that they view as acceptable. As opposed to rolling the dice on what Boras is promising.
Maybe this could be a good thing for Bregman's chances of returning, if the Astros are willing to give him a reasonable offer.
Finally, Yankee GM Brian Cashman is still blaming the Astros for not being in a World Series over the last 15 years. We thought we were past this, but if he wants to go there again, we're more than happy to put him in his place!
Don't miss the video above for the full conversation!
*The Astros are always in season for discussion. Our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts drop Mondays!
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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.