Hyde has his best day in weeks to help Texans get road win

Texans player of the game: Hyde helps Houston take down Titans

Texans player of the game: Hyde helps Houston take down Titans
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Texans running back Carlos Hyde

The Texans got a huge day out of Carlos Hyde as he set a career high and helped Houston take a commanding lead in the AFC South.

Hyde rumbled for the score there, his lone one of the day, but all day had nice runs. He had 46 yards in the first half helping the Texans a ton on their second scoring drive. He carried five times on the drive with carries of seven yards and two carries of six yards. Deshaun Watson would finish off that drive.

In the second half, Hyde was again helping the Texans in the red zone. He bounced a play outside that looked dead to get the Texans a first down. Watson would toss an interception but on the ensuing drive Hyde would have the above rush to finish it out and get the score.

Hyde has now rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also has a career high in yards per attempt. Not bad for a player the Texans added via trade for a player they were going to cut.

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The Texans can make a statement with a win against Detroit!Composite Getty Image.

Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.

The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.

CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.

If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.

Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.

What's working in the Texans' favor?

They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.

Bulls on Parade

We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.

And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.

X-factors

The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.

Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.

What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?

The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.

An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.

What does Vegas think?

The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.

Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!


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