After a dominating performance against the Raiders on Sunday, odds makers are willing to roll with Gang Green in Week 13.
New York has won three straight to improve to 4-7 on the season. After a dominating performance against the Raiders on Sunday, oddsmakers are now willing to roll with Gang Green in Week 13.
The Jets will travel to Cincinnati this week as 3.5-point favorites, per BetMGM. Despite a 34-3 win last week, oddsmakers are only favoring New York by a narrow margin against an 0-11 Bengals team.
Still, the Jets are -186 in the money line, -115 against the spread and the greater odds sit with the over, set at 39.5 total points.
The Bengals, as 3.5-point underdogs, sit at +155 in the money line, -106 against the spread and hold the advantage of playing at home on Sunday.
The last time these two teams met was in September 2016, when the Jets lost on favorable territory, 23-22. However, New York has gotten the better of the Bengals all-time. The series currently sits at 17-9-0 by way of gang Green.
Still, the Jets have dropped their last two meetings with Cincinnati. They’ll take the field at 1 p.m. on Sunday with hopes of flipping the script yet again.
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The Houston Texans and New England Patriots face off on Sunday Night Football. Next, we look at facts surrounding Tom Brady and Bill O’Brien.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will face off on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium on Dec. 1. For the Texans, it is a nice measuring stick game to see how the first place squad in the AFC South would fare against the best of the conference.
Next, we take a look at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
26. Brady’s 1.1 interception percentage is the sixth-lowest in the NFL.
27. Brady’s 3.9 sack percentage is the third-lowest in the NFL.
28. Brady’s 267.5 passing yards per game are the 10th-highest in the NFL.
29. Brady is 1/11 quarterbacks to have thrown two-plus red zone interceptions this season.
30. Brady’s 58.2 completion percentage in the red zone is the eighth-highest in the NFL among quarterbacks who have started every game this year.
31. Brady is tied with Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Jacoby Brissett, and Andy Dalton for the fourth-most red zone rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with three.
32. Brady is tied for the seventh-most interceptions thrown on third down with three.
33. Brady has the sixth-most third down conversions in the air 44.
34. Brady is 7-1 against the Texans, an .875 winning percentage. Among AFC teams not in the Patriots’ division, this is the highest against one opponent with five or more games played.
35. Brady has a 104.5 career passer rating against the Texans. Among quarterbacks with four or more starts against Houston, this is the second-highest in club history. The top spot belongs to Peyton Manning at 108.9.
36. The Texans have sacked Brady 19 times, which are the fifth-most against any one particular opponent.
37. The Texans’ 21 sacks of Brady are the third-most in Brady’s career among teams outside the AFC East. Only the Broncos (28) and Steelers (25) have sacked Brady more.
38. The only game Brady lost to the Texans was on Jan. 3, 2010 in the season finale when Houston beat New England 34-27. Brady completed 17-of-26 for 186 yards and an interception as he was pulled midway through the second quarter to stay fresh for the playoffs.
39. Brady is one of three active NFL players to have played before the formation of the Texans franchise. The other two players are Drew Brees and Adam Vinatieri.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots get ready for battle on Sunday Night Football, and we have the facts to whet your appetite.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will meet on Sunday Night Football for one of the more exciting matchups of Week 13. Football fans should be thankful for another bout between a young gun in Deshaun Watson and the old guard in Tom Brady.
series facts
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1. The Texans are 7-4 for the first time in team history.
2. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, 68/124 teams that started 7-5 made the playoffs with 24 of them having won the division.
3. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, 83/102 teams that started 8-4 made the playoffs with 44 of those teams having won the division.
4. The Patriots are 10-1 for the third time in team history. The two previous teams made the playoffs (2015, 2004) with the 2004 team having won the Super Bowl. Neither achieved home-field advantage.
5. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, here are the final fates of 11-1 teams:
Lost divisional 7/18
Lost conference title game: 7/18
Lost Super Bowl: 2/18
Won Super Bowl: 2/18
6. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, here are the final fates of 10-2 teams:
Lost wild-card: 2/42
Lost divisional: 9/42
Lost conference title game: 13/42
Lost Super Bowl: 8/42
Won Super Bowl: 10/42
7. The Texans are 1-10 against the Texans with a 1-3 mark at home.
8. The Texans are 14-23 in prime time games with a 9-10 record at home.
9. The Patriots are 71-50 in prime time games with a 32-33 record on the road.
10. The Texans are 32-44 in December games with an 18-16 record at home.
11. The Patriots are 127-88 in December games, including playoffs, with a 60-62 record on the road.
12. The Patriots are 37-42-1 in the Central Time Zone, including playoffs, with a 7-6 record in prime time.
The Baltimore Ravens are 5.5-point favorites over the San Francisco 49ers, and even that looks like a safe bet with how well they’ve played.
Few expected the Baltimore Ravens to dominate the Los Angeles Rams like that. Baltimore was a 3.5-point favorite against Los Angeles for Week 12, only to spank them 45-6. With the San Francisco 49ers coming to town in Week 13, oddsmakers are giving the Ravens a bigger spread to work with.
According to BetMGM, the Ravens are 5.5-point favorites over the 49ers. Given how Baltimore has handled their business since Week 7, even that lofty spread over the best team in the NFC seems like a solid bet. Over the last five games, the Ravens have beaten their opponents 202-62 and are actually getting even better with each week.
The last game Baltimore had a smaller margin of victory than the 5.5-point spread currently offered this week was way back in Week 5, an overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Keep in mind the Ravens have since added several impact defensive players, including trading for cornerback Marcus Peters. They’ve also since blown out four playoff-caliber teams in their seven-game winning streak.
With the 49ers set to travel across the country three days after Thanksgiving, and with kickoff at 10 a.m. PT, everything appears to be in the Ravens’ favor here. So if you’re looking to place down some money on a game this week, Baltimore looks like a pretty safe bet to cover even a larger spread.
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On Tuesday, the Houston Texans worked out ex-Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon and Marcus Murphy, Tommylee Lewis and Victor Bolden.
New week, new running back workouts.
In continuation of a seemingly new tradition of trying out tailbacks weekly, the Houston Texans worked out Kenneth Dixon and Marcus Murphy on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Texans worked out running backs Kenneth Dixon and Marcus Murphy, wide receivers Victor Bolden and Tommylee Lewis and punter Cameron Nizialek
In addition, Houston worked out wide receiver Victor Bolden and Tommylee Lewis and punter Cameron Nizialek.
The Texans did not sign any of their work out attendees.
Dixon, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, has two seasons logged in the NFL. He was suspended for two-games in the 2017 season for violating the NFL performance-enhancing drug policy. He tore his meniscus in the same season.
In 18 games throughout his career, Dixon has 715 yards and four touchdowns on 148 rush attempts.
Murphy was released by the Buffalo Bills during roster cuts. He rushed for 250 yards on 52 attempts in 2018.
Lewis, famously known for being the victim of a non-call DPI with the New Orleans Saints, was released by the Detroit Lions after training camp . He served most of his three-year tenure in the bayou as a returner and backup slot receiver.
Like Murphy, Bolden was released by the Bills during cut-down day. He has one reception for 10 yards throughout his career.
The Houston Texans are still in the top-10 in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings to start Week 13.
The Houston Texans are one of the top-10 best teams in the NFL in the latest Touchdown Wire power rankings.
According to Doug Farrar, the Texans come in at No. 9 in the power rankings after spending last week at No. 13 overall.
One of the things you want to see from a franchise quarterback is the ability to recover from a really bad game and keep the good play going after that. Deshaun Watson had this opportunity after his disaster against the Ravens in Week 11, and he took advantage. Following a game in which he was frustrated by the Ravens’ new-look defense with 18 completions in 29 attempts for 169 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and six sacks, Watson completed 19 of 30 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns and one pick in a 20-17 win over Indianapolis that put Houston in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. Watson riddled the Colts’ secondary with deep shots to DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. Perhaps even more importantly for the Texans’ postseason prospects, a secondary that has been a liability most of the season did a great job shutting down Jacoby Brissett and the Colts’ passing game.
The Texans are currently 7-4 and first place in the AFC South. It is all in front of them as they neutralized the Colts’ tiebreaker. Now, if they get in a tiebreaker situation with Indianapolis, it will come down to division records, and the Colts and Texans each only have one at this point.
The Tennessee Titans finished No. 11. Indianapolis is No. 14. The Jacksonville Jaguars are at No. 24.
Houston will have a chance to move up in the power rankings as they host the 10-1 New England Patriots Sunday night at NRG Stadium. A win against the cream of the conference will only make the Texans a team to be feared to start December.
Linebacker Dylan Cole tore his ACL in Week 12 and is done for the year. What will the Houston Texans miss with Cole out of commission?
Dylan Cole did not play more than 39% of defensive snaps in any single game in 2019. However, when the Houston Texans lost him for the season on Thursday to a torn ACL, they felt it.
Cole, the team’s special team captain, wasn’t a superstar on the Texans’ 53-man roster. However, his loss to the team was as profound as when J.J. Watt suffered a torn pectoral in Week 8. The third-year linebacker is a leader.
“I think any time you lose a guy like Dylan, like when we lost J.J., you lose guys that — forget about the team for a second, just the personal part of that,” coach Bill O’Brien told reporters Monday. “It means so much to those guys to play. Dylan was a captain, special teams captain, was a leader in the locker room. Was really, really good at his role, like one of the better players in the league at his role.”
Cole played a unique role for the Texans. Since going undrafted out of Missouri State, the undersized linebacker (6-0, 237) had earned praise for his electric athleticism, intensity and speed in special teams.
Cole also excelled as a coverage linebacker for the Texans. Often, Houston brought him out to play third downs. He recorded a below-average 91.9 passer rating in coverage before the injury, per Pro Football Reference.
“So, now the next guy has to step up, whoever that guy may be,” said O’Brien. “There’ll be a couple of guys that may have to step into those roles that he played.”
The lead candidates to fill-in for Cole include inside linebackers Peter Kalambayi and Tyrell Adams. Veteran outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo could also see an uptick in snaps.
However, there is no replacing Cole’s on-field presence as a leader. He is much more than a special teams body — like anyone who suits up.
“It’s more personal when that happens, for me, because I have a lot of respect for Dylan and I know how hard he works and how well he plays,” O’Brien said. “So, it’s just a tough thing.”
Spectators will be delighted to see the battle of DeAndre Hopkins and Stephon Gilmore in Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots.
Perhaps no cornerback in the NFL is playing at the level of New England Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore — who the Houston Texans will see on Sunday.
Gilmore, 29, was a first-team All-Pro in 2018. In the following year, he is well on his way to making it back. The 6-1, 202-pound cornerback is playing at the highest level of his career. Pre-Week 12, he allowed a 40.6 passer rating in coverage, per Pro Football Reference.
“He’s got really good size, length, speed. Very smart. He’s been playing for a long time,” said Texans coach Bill O’Brien while talking about Gilmore on Monday. “Very instinctive, good ball skills, does a good job of being patient. He’s patient, he never panics, he’s got a lot of confidence in himself.”
In Week 12, Gilmore shadowed Dallas Cowboys’ Amari Cooper. The result: two targets, no receptions and an interception for the corner. The Patriots won. In Week 13, he will face a new challenge in the Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins has 81 receptions for 839 yards and six touchdowns on the year. He is coming off of a game in which he hauled in six receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Hopkins has never scored a touchdown against the Patriots. Versus New England with Gilmore, he has caught a total of 15 passes for 154 yards split between two games.
While Hopkins has not found the end zone against Gilmore’s Patriots, time has passed since their last matchup. The wide-out, dubbed “Nuk,” has developed chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson. His game has improved from contested catches to physically imposing with boxing-type releases, fluid route-running and refined footwork.
By all means, Hopkins vs. Gilmore is slated to be the premier wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup of the 2019 season. No. 10 vs. No. 24 will keep spectators glued to their screens.
“It’ll be a good battle,” said O’Brien.
The 7-4 Texans will host the 10-1 Patriots at NRG Stadium at 7:20 p.m. CT.
Bill O’Brien says there’s “no hard feelings” over the Houston Texans unable to get New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio.
The Houston Texans tried. After firing general manager Brian Gaine after one season, they put all their focus on plucking one of the NFL’s most respected and coveted front office men in New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio.
Led by vice president of team development Jack Easterby, the Texans made an all-out push to hire Caserio. The Patriots blocked all attempts, with owner Robert Kraft settling on the threat of tampering charges to take away their employed, general managing protegé.
Before their Week 13 matchup with Caserio’s Patriots, Texans coach Bill O’Brien spoke on the matter, using 134 words to say, it is what it is.
“I think in the NFL — there’s only 32 teams,” said O’Brien. “Sometimes you work in an organization where you know a lot of people and you have a respect for their jobs and what they do and at the end of the day you try to do the best you can to, at times, communicate and maybe you get a chance to work together. In that instance it didn’t really work out. Whatever happened, happened. There’s no hard feelings.”
“We have a lot of respect for the Patriots,” said O’Brien. “I have a lot of respect for [coach] Bill (Belichick). I’m very grateful to Bill for the opportunities he gave me, and then obviously I have a lot of close friends on the staff over there that I worked with. So, there’s none of that, not on our end.”
Ultimately, the Texans chose to entrust O’Brien and four others as general manager. Since, the O’Brien-led front office has made their fair share of team-altering trades, including shipping off a treasure trove of picks to South Beach for tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills.
If O’Brien and Co. remain interested in Caserio, he will be contractually available soon. However, not until after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Injured cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Lonnie Johnson returned to practice for the Houston Texans on Monday.
The Houston Texans may have their complete secondary for their challenging Week 13 tilt with the New England Patriots. On Monday, safety Justin Reid and cornerbacks Lonnie Johnson and Bradley Roby returned to practice, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson.
Texans' Monday practice includes Justin Reid and Lonnie Johnson Jr. They missed the game Thursday. Bradley Roby is practicing too
Reid suffered a concussion and shoulder injury in Week 11’s 41-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He was not cleared from the concussion protocol in time to make Houston’s 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
If Reid plays on Sunday, he will insert as the Texans’ starting free safety, where he has played since joining the starting lineup in 2018.
Like Reid, Johnson sustained an injury against the Ravens. His foot injury caused him to miss Thursday night’s tilt with Indy. A second-round pick out of Kentucky, he started over Johnathan Joseph while Roby missed time.
Roby has not played since Week 6’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs, in which he suffered a hamstring injury. He has been questionable since and was a game-time decision for Thursday’s win. If he is playing, he will likely insert as a starter, either in the slot or outside.
