Wounded Texans host Steelers in Week 16
The Houston Texans are a team that looked like it might have a solid NFL regular season in 2017. Then injuries started piling up and a mass rotation of personnel created a wound they were unable to heal, forcing them to the 4-10 record they have ahead of hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. The Texans look like they were in a shoot-out at high noon; barely patched together with a roster full of holes. How they will respond to a Steelers team that is heated after its near loss to the New England Patriots is uncertain. Houston is coming off of a 45-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
Scouting the Texans offense
Starting with the offensive line, Houston has been forced to utilize a number of different personnel packages in recent weeks. In Week One, the Texans started Kendall Lamm, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Nick Martin, Jeff Allen and Breno Giacomini. Behind that line, Tom Savage – who tends to check down through his reads on the field like a Sunday driver – was sacked ten times. Since that time, the Texans have rotated eleven different linemen into the offense. Giacomini has received 100 percent of the snaps, but Houston has had to bring in Chris Clark, Greg Mancz, Julie’n Davenport, Duane Brown, Chad Slade and Kyle Fuller to relieve their supposed ‘starters’. Regardless of who Houston has put in or how they’ve utilized their depth chart, the offensive line can’t seem to protect their quarterbacks and have allowed a combined 45 sacks. Their run blocking has been abysmal as well.
That type of weakness led to the season ending for Deshaun Watson. Savage has been moved to IR as of this week. Savage is joined by Martin, MyCole Pruitt and D.J. Reader as the latest to hit the bench due to injury. The Texans were basically forced to move guard David Quessenberry to the active roster.
T.J. Yates looks to be the starting quarterback against the Steelers on Christmas with Taylor Heinicke as the backup. Yates completed just 12-of-31 passes against the Jaguars for 128 yards. His single touchdown was matched with an interception. He was sacked four times and lost two fumbles. The week before, against the San Francisco 49ers, Yates was 14-of-26 for 175 yards and two touchdowns with one sack and rushed three times for 31 yards.
Receiver DeAndre Hopkins continues to be highly effective when the Texans quarterbacks are able to stay upright long enough to throw to him. Against Jacksonville, Hopkins had four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. He was head-to-head with Jalen Ramsey for most of the game and was able to grab the only Texans touchdown in the game on an acrobatic catch in the third quarter. On the season, Hopkins has 92 receptions for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The type of year (Hopkins has) had, with different quarterbacks, the catches that he’s made…I think he’s the best receiver in the league – Head coach Bill O’Brien
🔟 is #ProBowl bound.
What a year for @DeAndreHopkins. pic.twitter.com/GE7h00hSii
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 20, 2017
Running back LaMar Miller leads the team in rushing and is second in receiving. Miller has 220 carries for 796 yards and three touchdowns; he has 35 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns. Similar to how the Steelers utilize Le’Veon Bell, Miller presents a challenge to the Steelers’ run defense that continues to look for a leader at the inside linebacker position due to the injury to Ryan Shazier.
Scouting the Texans Defense
The Texans were devasted by the injuries to Whitney Mercilus and J.J. Watt. Counting on a strong front seven due to depth issues in the secondary, the Texans saw Johnathan Joseph slow down, Kevin Johnson regress, Kareem Jackson get burned by opposing receivers and the following defensive players placed on the injured reserved list: Christian Covington (DE), Brennan Scarlett (LB), Matthew Godin (DE), Ben Heeney (ILB) and D.J. Reader (NT). Outside of Jadeveon Clowney, the defense has barely been able to control games outside of a decent run defense.
Clowney is the type of player that has the ability to alter the outcome of any game. His big hits, quarterback hurries and tackles for a loss have opponents game-planning for him every week. A leader on a defense that needs one desperately, Clowney has set a new single-season career high through 14 games in quarterback hits with 20. He recorded seven of those in back-to-back games in the last two weeks. He has 9.0 sacks on the season. His ability to line up in different spots has allowed Clowney to utilize his size and speed to wreak havoc on opponents.
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