The Houston Texans are on pace to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft with their dismal 1-6-1 record.
The temptation for the New York Giants, who are 6-2 and playing their best football in the Daniel Jones era, would be to overlook the bottom-tier club from the AFC South.
However, Jones isn’t taking the cheese. The former 2019 first-round pick told reporters Nov. 8 that what he has seen on film of the Texans lends him to believe they are much better than their record indicates.
“You look on tape, I think they’re a good team,” Jones said. “They do a lot of good things on the defensive side of the ball. They’ve got a lot of good players, good sound scheme.”
One of the statistical leaders for the Texans on defense has been defensive end Jerry Hughes. The 34-year-old pass rusher has tallied 7.0 sacks for the Texans through eight games and is on pace to become the first Houston defender since J.J. Watt in 2018 to log double-digit sacks.
“Everyone in this league is good,” said Jones. “I think it’s something you’ve learned, it’s something I’ve learned, through these first few years. They’re a good team. They’ve got good players, and we’ll need to play our best game.”
Houston kicks off against the Giants Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from MetLife Stadium. The Texans beat the Giants in their inaugural season and have compiled a 1-4 record since.