Tag: Houston Texans

Texans are blocking out the noise for vital three-game stretch

The Houston Texans are blocking out the noise for their vital three-game stretch. Their focus is on the Baltimore Ravens. That’s it.

Starting on Nov. 17, the Houston Texans will endure the toughest stretch on their 2019 schedule.

On Sunday, they will duke it out with the vaunted 7-2 Baltimore Ravens, four days later, they will host the 5-4 Indianapolis Colts, then the 8-1 New England Patriots the next Sunday on the NFL’s biggest stage, Sunday Night Football.

Houston’s three-game stretch against the Ravens, Colts and Patriots features a combined 20-7 record, with all three teams possessing playoff aspirations. However, the Texans don’t have their collective minds on that; their focus is on the Ravens.

“I think as soon as you put that film on of the Baltimore Ravens, it doesn’t take you a long time to focus on the Baltimore Ravens,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. “We’re very focused on the Ravens.”

At 6-3, the Texans are on-top of the AFC South race. Their record and divisional standing give them the third seed in the AFC playoffs. O’Brien and Co. are all too aware that the Baltimore game, like any against a tough AFC foe, is vitally important.

“I think that when you only play 16, you have to take it as 16 one-game seasons. I think that’s what we try to do,” said O’Brien. “Any time you go on the road to play an AFC opponent, that’s an important game. So, we’re going to do the best job we can of focusing on Baltimore. They’ve got a great football team and we’ll do the best job we can.”

O’Brien emphasizes the importance of focusing on their next opponent, treating it like a playoff game and then going from there. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins believes the same.

Hopkins, and the Texans’ locker room, could care less about the excitement, and subsequently, nervousness for the upcoming schedule. They are in Houston to get work done.

“We really block out the noise in here, honestly,” said Hopkins on Monday. “Not just saying that cliché, but we don’t really pay attention to really what goes on. As long as we handle business, that’s all that matters.”

Lamar Jackson and the red-hot Ravens in Baltimore present an immense challenge for the Texans. Those donning battle red and steel blue would be foolish to think about anything but those that reside in Maryland.

Texans Wire discussion forum: Will Houston miss Jadeveon Clowney down the stretch?

The Houston Texans traded away Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 31. With J.J. Watt out, will that decision come back to hurt Houston?

The Houston Texans traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for draft picks and edge defenders Jacob Martin and Barkevious Mingo in return. Will this decision come back to hurt the Texans now that defensive end J.J. Watt is out for the season?

Houston didn’t miss neither Clowney nor Watt in Week 9’s 26-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. The combination of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s play and the run defense shutting down Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette gave the Texans the ability to choke out Jacksonville and put the onus on rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew.

All of that is well and good, but Houston has Lamar Jackson, Jacoby Brissett, Tom Brady, and Ryan Tannehill left on the schedule. Who will get after these quarterbacks? Will Martin and Mingo help outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and defensive tackle D.J. Reader?

Houston returns from their bye week Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium to face the Ravens.

Texans designate TE Jordan Thomas to return from IR

The Houston Texans have designated tight end Jordan Thomas to return from the injured reserve with a ribs injury.

The Houston Texans have designated tight end Jordan Thomas to return from the injured reserve. The organization previously placed him on the eligible to return injured reserve on Sept. 1. He suffered a cracked ribs injury during preseason play.

The Texans have three weeks to activate Thomas to the 53-man roster. He did practice during Monday’s session.

Thomas, 23, practiced with the starters during OTAs. He had a strong training camp before a hamstring injury hampered his availability before the preseason started.

Houston drafted Thomas in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. A 6-6, 280-pound former wide receiver, he tallied 20 receptions for 215 targets and four touchdowns (all in the red zone) as a rookie.

When the Texans activate him, Thomas will be a much-needed addition to Houston. Though the team is getting production out of Darren Fells — the NFL’s leader in touchdowns at the position (six) — and Jordan Akins, the team does not possess a tight end to back them up.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien excited to regain offensive line continuity

Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien is excited for the return of Laremy Tunsil, who will give the offensive line continuity moving forward.

The Houston Texans, after much trial and error, have their offensive line.

A five-man unit of (left to right) Laremy Tunsil, Max Scharping, Nick Martin, Zach Fulton and Tytus Howard has given Houston its best blocking unit in eons. The problem: The quintuplet has struggled to stay together.

With Tunsil, Howard and Fulton each missing at least one start in 2019, the entirety of the unit has just 176 snaps together. In those snaps — worth two games and a half — they have allowed two sacks to Deshaun Watson.

As benefactors of the Week 10 bye, Houston won’t just have 176 snaps logged onto their rebuilt offensive line. Tunsil, who missed Week 9 (shoulder), is expected to come back for Week 11’s tilt with the Baltimore Ravens. Howard (partially torn MCL) returned in Week 9.

“I think any time you can have continuity up front, I mean, obviously that’s a good thing,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. You don’t want to have guys moving in and out based on injuries. You really don’t want that, but sometimes, obviously, that happens and you have to deal with it like any other teams does.”

Houston recently employed the help of Roderick Johnson and Chris Clark to negate the injuries to Tunsil and Howard. That will no longer be the case for the Texans. O’Brien is giddy to get the offensive line he and former General Manager Brian Gaine slaved over to create.

“Any time you can have (Laremy) Tunsil and (Tytus) Howard at tackle, and (Max) Scharping and (Zach) Fulton at guard, Nick Martin at center, that’s a pretty good group and that’s good continuity,” O’Brien continued. “So, hopefully we can have that this week.”

Despite the never-ending rotation of players, the Texans offensive line has produced in 2019. Houston is eighth in the NFL in ESPN‘s Pass Block Win Rate (61%), 11th in adjusted line yards (4.37) and ninth in run-stuffed rate, per Football Outsiders.

The Texans’ offensive line should be together for their fourth start as a cohesive unit on Sunday. From there, the only place to go for Tunsil, Scharping, Martin, Fulton and Howard is up.

Ravens extend lead for No. 2 seed in AFC playoff race

The Baltimore Ravens inched closer to the top seed in the 2019 AFC playoff picture and are even closer to locking up a first-round bye.

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The Baltimore Ravens took care of what could have been a trap game, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 49-13 to improve to 7-2. They moved a little closer to the top seed in the 2019 AFC playoff picture, while improving their lead on a first-round bye, thanks to help from other teams in Week 10.

Let’s take a closer look at the seeding in the AFC playoff picture and how things changed this week.

2019 AFC playoff picture:

Seed Team Overall record Conference record
1 New England Patriots 8-1 6-1
2 Baltimore Ravens 7-2 5-2
3 Houston Texans 6-3 5-1
4 Kansas City Chiefs 6-4 4-3
5 Buffalo Bills 6-3 4-2
6 Pittsburgh Steelers 5-4 4-2

The Bills, Colts and Chiefs all lost on Sunday. Buffalo fell to the Cleveland Browns and dropped to 6-3 on the season, a full game below Baltimore. Kansas City lost to the Tennessee Titans and is now 6-4, which is important considering they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Baltimore after beating the Ravens in Week 3. Indianapolis fell to the Miami Dolphins and to 5-4, which knocks them out of the AFC playoff picture for the time being because they lost to Pittsburgh.

With the Patriots having a Week 10 bye, they sit tight in the top spot but remain vulnerable to being supplanted. If New England were to lose in Week 11 to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Ravens beat the Houston Texans, Baltimore would jump to the No. 1 seed. Even without a Patriots loss, if Baltimore were to beat Houston next week, they would effectively have a three-game lead on one the top-two seeds in the 2019 AFC playoff picture.

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Where do Colts sit in AFC South standings in Week 11?

How do the standings look in Week 11?

As Week 11 begins, the playoff races are beginning to heat up. The Indianapolis Colts took a tumble in the AFC playoff picture following their rough loss against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Even with two of the teams in the division enjoying their bye week, the Colts’ loss at home slid them down the standings in the AFC South all the while giving some breathing room to the leaders.

Here’s how the AFC South standings look entering Week 11:

1. Houston Texans (6-3)

One of the teams that enjoyed their bye week, the Texans gained a half-game in the standings thanks to the Colts’ loss. Now, Houston has a full one-game lead over the Colts in the division and have a chance to control their fate down the stretch of the regular season.

In Week 11, the Texans have a tough matchup on the road against the Baltimore Ravens (7-2).

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Even with Brian Hoyer replacing the injured Jacoby Brissett, this matchup seemed like a cakewalk. However, it would turn out to be the complete opposite. A bad showing from the offensive line and an even worse showing from Hoyer led the Colts into one their worst upset losses in recent memory.

The Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11.

3. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

It seems most of the AFC South has the Kansas City Chiefs’ number. The Titans are the latest team in this division to beat the Chiefs in an upset win. Derrick Henry had another monster game taking 23 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns while the Titans blocked Harrison Butker’s attempt to tie the game in the final seconds.

The Titans get to enjoy their bye week coming off of a huge home win against one of the best teams in the NFL.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

The Jaguars may be in last place, but they are still just two games behind the leading Texans. They also just go their starting quarterback to return as Nick Foles is ready to take snaps under center for the first time since breaking his collarbone in Week 1.

The Jaguars are on the road against the Colts in Week 11.

Ravens reach top spot in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings after Week 10

The Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Cincinnati Bengals 49-13, putting them into the top spot on USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

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The Baltimore Ravens are officially the best team in the league. At least if you’re to believe USA TODAY Sports’ latest power rankings, which place them in the No. 1 spot.

“NFL’s most explosive offense deserves its accolades. But ascending defense is first to record TDs of 65-plus yards in three straight games since 1970 merger.”

As I noted elsewhere, the offense has gotten a lot of credit for where Baltimore sits, but it has been the ascension of the defense in recent weeks that has put them over the edge. While the defense still sits near the middle of the pack after nine games in both yards and points allowed, they’re creating big plays from even the best quarterbacks and helping out an offense that was already on fire.

Considering how they took down the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and now the Cincinnati Bengals; the Ravens might be the most complete team in the NFL right now. That’s a scary proposition considering this team is really built for the cold-weather football we’re just starting to get into.

Baltimore has a tough few more games on the schedule. In the next three weeks, the Ravens will play the Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. For as well as they’ve played, all three of those games will be tough sledding for Baltimore and will either prove them to be the best team in the league or muddy the waters a little bit. Regardless, it seems like the Ravens are destined to get their way into the postseason once again, where they can wreak havoc in the AFC.

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NFL odds: Ravens early favorites over Texans in Week 11

After destroying the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, the Ravens open Week 11 as early favorites over the Houston Texans.

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The Baltimore Ravens have been on a roll, winning five straight games to improve to 7-2. They sit atop the AFC North standings and are the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture. But they’ll enter the toughest stretch of their schedule, battling against three teams also vying for playoff contention. Yet, with the way they’ve been winning, NFL oddsmakers are feeling pretty confident about another Baltimore victory in Week 11.

According to BetMGM, the Ravens are 4.5-point favorites over the Houston Texans this week.

Baltimore is fresh off perhaps their best win of the season, scoring five touchdowns on offense and another two on defense in a 49-13 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals. After Baltimore dismantled the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in their previous two games, it seems hard to bet against the surging Ravens right now.

While the Texans sit at 6-3 and feature the No. 4-ranked offense, they haven’t been dominant this season. Houston’s defense has allowed plenty of teams to hang in games, something that could be a real problem against a Baltimore offense that is putting up the second-most yards and the most points in the league. During their five-game winning streak, the Ravens have outscored opponents 165-89 with just one of those games having a margin of victory less than the current spread for Week 11.

The Ravens will also host this game, which carries quite a bit of weight as well. Since the start of the 2016 season, Baltimore is 20-8 at M&T Bank Stadium in spite of going 34-23 in total over that span.

It all equals Houston’s toughest game of the season and a prime bet on the Ravens.

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AFC playoff picture: Jaguars exit Week 10 with No. 10 seed

The Jags came out of their bye week in the hunt for the wild-card, but their loss to the Texans really hurt.

Although we’re over a week removed from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Houston Texans, fans still are well aware of how costly it was. At the time, the victory would’ve put the Jags in second place in the AFC South with a 5-4 record and right in the heat of the battle for a wildcard seed when considering Week 10’s games. Instead, they will have to settle for the No. 10 seed with a 4-5 record.

As for the rest of the AFC, the standings for this week are as follows:

1. New England Patriots (8-1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
3. Houston Texans (6-3)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
5. Buffalo Bills (6-3)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)

7. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
9. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

Obviously, a wild-card spot is what the Jags will have to settle for because they have a lot of ground to make up to catch the AFC South leading Texans, who are 6-3 and have two victories over them. That said, they definitely need to win Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, who ironically are ahead of them in the playoff race and are in the same division. A win would put the Jags in second in the division with a 5-5 record and would help them leapfrog the Titans (due to Jacksonville’s Week 3 win), who also have a 5-5 record.

The key game to watch aside from the Jags’ during Week 11 will take place on Thursday night between the sixth seeded Pittsburgh Steelers and their divisional foes: the Cleveland Browns. The team’s typically play each other tough and a loss would knock the Steelers down to 5-5. Meanwhile, the fifth seed Buffalo Bills will take on the Miami Dolphins, while the seventh seed Oakland Raiders will take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Lastly, the ninth seeded Titans will be on their bye week.

Texans must tighten up their tackling against the Ravens

To beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Houston Texans will need to have sound tackling from the defense, according to Bill O’Brien.

If the Baltimore Ravens can make someone slip, they will. Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown, Mark Ingram, Willie Snead and Mark Andrews have torched defenses all season long with the ball in their hands.

On Sunday, Nov. 17, the Houston Texans will witness the slippery Ravens as they face them in Maryland at noon CT. The NFL’s top-ranked rush-offense (197.2 yards per game), Baltimore is capable of giving the Texans problems. Houston can negate that with sound-tackling and clean play.

“If you look at the games, whether it was the NFL or college, I do think that these games are coming down to mistakes – turnovers, bad tackling, penalties,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday.

The Texans are eighth in the NFL in missed tackles (68), as of Nov. 9, per Pro Football Reference. They have allowed the NFL’s most yards after the catch (1,205). That has to change against the Ravens.

O’Brien has three names in mind who will help the Texans’ tackling woes: Safety Justin Reid and inside linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham.

“So, I think any time you have guys that can tackle, which Justin (Reid) can do. We have guys that can tackle – (Benardrick) McKinney and Zach (Cunningham) and all the other guys out there,” said O’Brien. “We feel like we have a pretty good tackling team. I think that’s important, especially against a team like this.”

Reid, McKinney, and Cunningham have combined for 176 total tackles to 19 missed tackles on the year. They are not the problem. However, they also aren’t the entire solution for containing the Ravens’ defense. The three are second-level defenders.

To truly contain the electric Ravens’ offense, Houston must play with sound gap-control upfront while simultaneously setting the edge consistently. It won’t be easy without J.J. Watt.

However, that’s football. Adapt and survive or perish; it’s as simple as that.