J.J. Watt was a positive. Houstontexans.com
Both teams came in at 0-2 and in desperate need of a win to salvage early season hope. The Giants looked desperate as the Texans looked inept in their 27-22 home opening loss. Here’s what I observed:
The Good
-JJ Watt is rounding into form. He made several JJ-type plays. One was an inside rush knifing through the line and stopping Saquon Barkley in the backfield. Another was an outside rush, then stripping Eli Manning of the ball forcing the Giants to kick a field goal. Oh, and he threw in three sacks as well.
-Part of the reason Watt looked so good was the play of the others in the front seven, particularly Jadeveon Clowney. While the box score only shows three tackles and one for a loss, Clowney was often opposite of Watt and took up attention to allow Watt to such a good game.
- Will Fuller showed off his added bulk a few times this game. He routinely caught passes and bounced off would be tacklers for yards after catch/contact. Holding onto passes, especially after contact, has been a struggle for him. If he’s put it behind him, this’ll be a welcomed sight.
The Bad
-Julien Davenport had five penalties called against him. Sure he’s in his second season and played college ball at Bucknell (an FCS school), but five penalties?!? One early in the fourth quarter took a touchdown off the board. It’s like a parent constantly giving their kids excuses using the “he’s/she’s only __ years old.” Accountability has to start sometime.
-Deshaun Watson made the cardinal sin of throwing a red zone interception. Down 20-9, Martinas Rankin allowed a sack, and then pressure as Watson had to roll out. He then threw the ball up to Lamar Miller, but Alec Ogletree picked it off as he was in better position.
-Watson also took some unnecessary hits. He scrambled a couple times and got out of bounds. However, there were a few times in which he didn’t slide and seemed to get banged up. He got up fine each time, but there are only so many hits you have in your career. Don’t waste them.
The Ugly
-Giants scored on all four of their drives in the first half to build a 20-3 lead. Texans defense has to help the offense when they can’t get going. Allowing that many scoring drives puts undo pressure on the offense whether they’re scoring or not.
-Speaking of the offense, the run game looked nothing like the one that came into this game leading the league. They managed only 59 yards on 19 carries, with 36 of those yards coming via Watson’s scrambling.
-Watson went 24 of 40 for 385 yards. But those 16 incompletions were bad. Several hopped in front of receivers and some sailed over their heads. He’s looking more comfortable, but his inaccuracy at times is scary, the bad kind.
The Texans fall to 0-3 on the season. Prospects for having a successful season are going down the drain faster than a new toilet on its first flush. Bill O’Brien isn’t going anywhere. Deshaun Watson is what he is. This defense isn’t going to magically fix itself. Maybe it’s time for Texans’ fans to face reality. Where have I heard that before? It’s not quite time to start looking at draft prospects, but if this keeps up, they could be on Ed Oliver watch.
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Oct 29, 2024, 9:38 am
The Houston Texans have a short week ahead of them as they head to the East Coast to play the New York Jets this Thursday, Halloween night.
The Jets are coming off a disappointing loss to the lowly Patriots, while the Texans came away with a costly win, as Stefon Diggs injured his knee and may miss a significant amount of time.
With Nico Collins also still out, the Texans may have to rely on Joe Mixon and the running game this week. But the Jets are fully aware Houston has struggled to protect CJ Stroud, so Mixon won't be sneaking up on their talented defense.
Even though the Jets lost to the Patriots, they were able to hold running back Rhamondre Stevenson to 48 yards on 20 carries. Stevenson was able to score 2 TDs against the Jets, however.
Things are getting heated
New York is getting crushed in the media this week for slipping to 2-6 against the Pats, so the Texans should have their hands full with an angry team looking to make a statement on national television. One factor to keep in mind is that the Jets knocked Patriots QB Drake Maye out with a concussion.
Let's not forget, they also knocked Stroud out with a concussion as a rookie last year. So this is a physical defense that shouldn't be taken lightly.
X-factors
Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein has struggled recently, and that continued on Sunday as he missed two more kicks. Houston should definitely have the advantage in the kicking game with Ka'imi Fairbairn.
The Texans defense looked terrific against the Colts this week, but they haven't been as dominant on the road. QB Anthony Richardson missed some throws downfield that could have gone for touchdowns with better QB play.
If Aaron Rodgers is able to connect on those opportunities, it could spell trouble for the Texans. And when it comes to playmakers, the Jets are loaded with Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall.
What does Vegas think?
The Jets are favored by a point at home, and the total is set at 42.
Don't miss the video above as we examine some of the most important matchups to watch this week!
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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.