FALCON POINTS
Why the Jets win is bad news for the Texans on several fronts
Dec 22, 2020, 8:00 am
2021 can't come soon enough. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Can we finally put to bed some stereotypes in sports?
When the New York Jets shocked the world and knocked off the LA Rams, it improved their dismal record to 1-13, same as the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags, however, now have the inside track to the first pick in the draft, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. That is bad news for the Texans on two fronts.
First, they will have a generational talent in the division again, a player who could be every bit as difficult to beat as Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. While it will be fun seeing Lawrence and Deshaun Watson go after each other twice a year, the advantage goes to the Jags, who have better young talent, a plethora of picks and cap space to burn.
Interestingly enough, the two worst teams in the division in 2020 likely will have the two best quarterbacks moving forward. While Ryan Tannehill has done admirable work in Tennessee and Philip Rivers is still slinging away in Indy, no one in their right minds would take either over Watson or Lawrence moving forward.
The worst news for the Texans concerns their GM search. Jacksonville is now clearly the better job, and the Jaguars have an opening at GM. Who wouldn't want a team with Lawrence, several other high picks and lots of cap room? Compared to the Texans job, it is a no-brainer. The Texans can be fixed, but the Jags will be a much easier path to success. The Texans have Watson and Laremy Tunsil, but that is about it. The new GM will have to decide what to do with J.J. Watt, find free agent help on a terrible defense and do something about the worst running game in the NFL.
Jacksonville has work to do, too, hence the one win. But they have assets to use and are not hamstrung by some of the horrible contracts given out by Bill O'Brien. It would not be a shock if the Texans were the worst team in the AFC South over the next couple years. All because of a game they did not even play.
So while the Jets win might not have seemed to be a big deal on the surface, it was the second loss dealt to the Texans on Sunday after another fumblefest against the Colts.
And this loss could prove to be much more devastating moving forward.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.