Carlos Hyde with a huge day on the ground to help the Texans to victory.
Texans player of the game: Hyde rules on ground
Oct 13, 2019, 3:09 pm
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Carlos Hyde's day started rough but there was only one way to go after he fumbled on his first touch of the day.
Frank Clark dominates the line of scrimmage and knocks the ball away from Carlos Hyde
FUMBLE!! KC has the ball at Houston 20#Texans #ChiefsKingdom #Chiefs #KCChiefs #HOUvsKC #NFL #NFL100 #SundayFunday pic.twitter.com/UdDqMU9gfG
— Hunter W (@HW_Report46) October 13, 2019
Everything got going for Hyde after that. On the next drive Hyde would carry the ball for five, four, and 11 yards leading to a field goal. The following drive saw him rip off nine, 11, four, and seven yard rushes as well.
He'd follow that up with a 14 yard rush in the middle of a drive he would cap off with a two yard score.
Fumble excepted, Hyde has been doing great work between the tackles. Good reads, through arm tackles often, continues to get yardage.
Long carry of 11, but 17 for 75 and a touchdown as I type this. Sustaining run game. pic.twitter.com/GuxUmNay99
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) October 13, 2019
Hyde would continue to be a load for the Chiefs defense to stop throughout the day. Houston would use the threat of a Hyde run in run-pass option plays to keep the Kansas City defense on their heels.
Hyde would finish the day with 116 yards on 26 carries and one score. It was the first time sine week two of 2017 for him to go over 100 yards rushing. Hyde has been a great find for the Texans this season as their premier running back.
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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