Texans 100: Facts and Figures for Week 17 versus Titans, No. 26-50

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans face off for a Week 17 showdown. Next, we look at Titans QB Ryan Tannehill and Houston coach Bill O’Brien.

The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans finish up their regular season slate with a rematch at NRG Stadium. Next, we take a look at Texans coach Bill O’Brien as well as some facts surrounding Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Facts and Figures for Titans, No. 1-25

ryan tannehill facts

secret-texans-stop-titans-ryan-tannehill-tight-coverage — Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

26. Tannehill has the third-highest completion percentage in the NFL at 70.7%.

27. Tannehill has the second-highest touchdown percentage in the league at 7.5. Only Lamar Jackson’s 9.0 is better.

28. Tannehill’s 9.6 yards per pass attempt is the highest in the league.

29. Tannehill’s 116.5 passer rating is the highest in the league.

30. Tannehill’s 10.4 sack percentage is the second-highest in the NFL.

31. Tannehill’s three game-winning drives are tied for the fifth-most in the league.

32. Tannehill’s 6.3 yards after the catch per pass is tied with Patrick Mahomes for the second-most in the NFL.

33. Tannehill’s 81.4% on target completion percentage is the third-highest in the NFL.

34. Tannehill’s 2.6 seconds on average in the pocket is tied for the second-most in the NFL.

35. Tannehill has gained 1,000 yards off of play-action, the seventh-most in the league.

36. Among quarterbacks with at least 30 passes, Tannehill’s 68.57% red zone completion percentage is the second-highest in the NFL. Only Drew Brees’ 71.70% is higher.

37. Among quarterbacks with at least 30 passes, Tannehill’s 123.3 passer rating is the third-best on third down.

38. Tannehill is 1-4 in season finales with an 0-2 record on the road.

Pages: 12

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Eagles at Giants NFL matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) and the host New York Giants (4-11) will do battle at MetLife Stadium Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET (on FOX). We analyze the Eagles-Giants sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 17 matchup.

Eagles at Giants: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!

The Eagles can punch their ticket to the postseason with a victory in this battle, or a Cowboys loss against the Redskins, to wrap up the NFC East title.
The Eagles topped the Giants 23-17 in overtime on Monday Night Football Dec. 9, as QB Eli Manning and the G-Men nearly pulled the upset as 9.5-point underdogs while the under (45.5) cashed.
Philadelphia is 5-2 against the spread in the past seven games in the month of December, while going 4-1 ATS in their past five in Week 17.
New York has cashed in four of the past five games overall, and 7-3 ATS in the past 10 games in the month of December.
The G-Men are 1-4 ATS in the past five home games, and 0-5 ATS in the past five against teams with a winning overall record.
The over is 27-11 in the past 38 road games for Philly, while the under is 5-2 in their past seven overall.
The over has hit in six of the past eight for the Giants, including 5-2 in the past seven inside the division.

Eagles at Giants: Key injuries

Eagles: RB Jordan Howard (shoulder) is off the injury report and expected to serve as the third-string tailback. WR Nelson Agholor (knee) and TE Zach Ertz (ribs, back) are both out, while OT Lane Johnson (ankle) is questionable.

Giants: TE Rhett Ellison (concussion) landed on the Reserve/Injured list Saturday, ending his season.

Eagles at Giants: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Eagles 31, Giants 23

Moneyline (?)

The Eagles (-223) are in a winner-take-all scenario: take care of the Giants and they’re into the playoffs as NFC East champs. While that’s fully expected, you can’t risk more than double your return. So it’s a PASS on the moneyline.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Eagles on the moneyline returns a $4.48 profit with a Philly victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The EAGLES (-4.5, -106) can be trusted, as they have everything to play for, while the Giants (+4.5, -115) are playing for nothing but pride. Philly is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 trips to MetLife Stadium, too, while the road team is 4-1 ATS in the past five in this series.

Over/Under (?)

OVER 45.5 (-106) is the play in this one. The Giants defense has long since checked out, and was tuned up for 35 points last week by the lowly Redskins. The over has connected in seven straight meetings in New York, too, while going 6-2 in the past eight battles in this series overall.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1367]

Use your Anger: Texans give punter three-year extension

On Saturday, the Houston Texans locked up punter Bryan Anger to a three-year extension, locking him in for the long haul.

The Houston Texans found their punter.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Texans are signing punter Bryan Anger to a three-year extension. The terms of the deal are not yet known.

Anger, 31, signed-on with the Texans on July 23. He did not make the roster, losing the job to Trevor Daniel. However, on Sept. 17, before Houston’s Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Charger, he signed back with Texans.

On 40 punts in 2019, Anger has 1,846 yards, good for an average of 46.2 yards per punt. He has a long of 71 yards on the season. He has sent 21 boots inside the 20 and has a net average of 44.1 yards per.

The Texans rank tops in the NFL in punt return yards allowed with 73.

“Anger‘s done a good job. He’s flipped the field for us,,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said of Anger on Dec. 11. “He’s punted well. He’s come in here and he’s a good teammate. He does a really good job as a teammate and I think he’s punted well.”

Anger was a third-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 out of California. He moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016 and finally the Texans in 2019.

[vertical-gallery id=43029]

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Browns at Bengals NFL matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Cleveland Browns (6-9) and host Cincinnati Bengals (1-14) will tangle at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (on Fox). We analyze the Browns-Bengals sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 17 matchup.

Browns at Bengals: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!

The Bengals wrapped up the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft with their overtime loss last week in Miami.
The Browns topped the Bengals 27-19 in Week 14, covering as 6.5-point favorites as the Over (43) connected.
The Browns are 0-5 against the spread in the past five road outings and 3-7-1 ATS in the past 11 games overall. They’re also 2-5-1 ATS in the past eight as a road favorite, and 1-4 ATS in the past five on the road against a team with a losing home record.
The Bengals are 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall, and 1-4 ATS in the past five inside the division. They’re also 1-5 ATS in the past six against teams with a losing record, and 1-6 ATS in the past seven at home.
The over has connected in four in a row for the Browns against losing teams.
The under is 12-3-1 for the Bengals in the past 16 as an underdog, and 10-4-2 in the past 16 vs. AFC.

Browns at Bengals: Key injuries

Browns: DE Olivier Vernon (knee), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (illness – expected to play) and TE Ricky Seals-Jones (illness) are all listed as questionable.

Bengals: CB William Jackson III (shoulder) has been ruled out for Week 17.

Browns at Bengals: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Bengals 23, Browns 20

Moneyline (?)

The BENGALS (+125) can’t ruin their chances at the No. 1 overall pick with a win, and they showed last week in a hellacious comeback in Miami that they’re not throwing in the towel. The Browns (-154) have nothing to play for in this one and are primed for the taking.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns a $12.50 profit with a Bengals victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The BENGALS (+2.5, +105) are plus-money at home, and therefore a pretty nice value. The Browns (-2.5, -129) haven’t been terribly consistent this season, and they’re especially erratic on the road.

Over/Under (?)

PASS. The 44.5 total is going to be close. If there was a lean, it would be to the under, which is actually 41-14-3 in the past 58 in December for Cleveland and 12-3-1 in Cincinnati’s past 16 as a ‘dog.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1367]

If you’re in the blue, you’ll see Ravens vs. Steelers on CBS in Week 17

The Ravens vs. Steelers game got bumped up to a later time but will still only be viewed in a small portion of the country.

The Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week 17 matchup means a great deal to the AFC playoff picture. So much so that the game was flexed to later in the afternoon to maximize the number of people who could watch. Yet, even with the game flexed to 4:25 p.m., it’s still only available in a small part of the country.

Pittsburgh hangs on to their playoff hopes by a thread. They’ll need to not only beat Baltimore but get a little help from around the league to squeak into the postseason and secure a wild-card seed. For the Ravens, they’ve already clinched the AFC’s top seed and will have a first-round bye as well as home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, making this game far less important for them.

Still, any AFC North rivalry is bound to be a good game, regardless of who is playing. And you don’t get more chippy than Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore.

If you’re in the blue, you’ll see the Ravens vs. Steelers in Week 17 on CBS.

NFL Week 17 broadcast map:

█ Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

[vertical-gallery id=39807]

5 bold predictions for the Ravens in Week 17 vs. Steelers

With both the Ravens and Steelers seeing key starters sit in Week 17, our bold predictions feature some new names and stats to reflect it.

The Baltimore Ravens will look to sweep the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, finishing their regular season campaign in Week 17 against their division rival. But both teams will be without key contributors that could make this a more sluggish affair.

The Ravens are resting several starters with the No. 1 seed already locked up, giving them two weeks without any gameday action. The Steelers are banged up and have already ruled out starting center Maurkice Pouncey and running back James Conner.

So our bold predictions for this week reflect the change in rosters, giving us some new names to focus on. Take a look at what the writers here at Ravens Wire believe could happen this week.

Matthew Stevens:

Justice Hill has his first 100-yard game on the ground

I’ve been a big fan of Hill after seeing him play in Baltimore. In spite of his smaller stature, Hill has shown enough grit and power to go along with his speed and that makes him very dangerous. With Mark Ingram sitting out and Gus Edwards potentially seeing a smaller snap count this week, the Ravens’ rushing attack should fall on Hill’s shoulders, especially if he starts out strong.

Hill breaks off a few big runs and gets enough carries to go over 100 rushing yards in this game, which bookends his first career touchdown run from last week.

Pages: 12345

The trick to Pittsburgh’s takeaways and other questions for Steelers Wire in Week 17

I sat down with Steelers Wire managing editor Curt Popejoy to not only get some insight on what Pittsburgh has going on now but their future.

The Baltimore Ravens wrap up their regular season with yet another AFC North rivalry, this time against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, this game doesn’t mean much to Baltimore and will see several key starters sitting out to rest up for the postseason.

I sat down with managing editor Curt Popejoy of Steelers Wire to not only see what Pittsburgh has going on right now but to get an early preview of their offseason. Take a look at our five questions with the enemy this week to see where the Steelers stand in Week 17.

James Conner is ruled out. Who will be his replacement and what differences can we expect there?

Conner has missed so much football this season it’s hard to imagine the team is even giving it much thought. Once again it’ll be some combination of Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Samuels and Kerrith Whyte trying to create something of a run game. I want to say the Steelers are going to make a stronger effort to establish the run this week but I’ve been saying it for a month and it hasn’t happened.

Pages: 12345

Rams vs. Cardinals Week 17 ultimate preview

The Cardinals and Rams clash in the NFL’s regular season finale. Kyler Murray is in doubt to play and Chandler Jones has the chance to make history.

Another season nears its conclusion without a postseason spot for the Cardinals, yet something feels much different this time around. There is much more hope for the future surrounding this team as opposed to the others who failed to reach the playoffs.

Leading the Cardinals in Week 17 will be Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Kyler Murray (if his hamstring holds up) and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Chandler Jones.

If the large sum of cap space and draft capital are used correctly this offseason, the Cardinals may very well be in the playoff conversation in 2020. But that’s a conversation for another day. In the meantime, the Cards have one more game to close out a frustrating, yet promising 2019 campaign.

Time for our Week 17 preview between the Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. Read on. . .

[protected-iframe id=”16364e67f2a2e913eaf5ca135bda360d-112738498-106269283″ info=”https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/21052588/download.mp3″ ]

Pages: 12345

Tim Kelly knows why the Texans are lackluster on their opening drives

The Houston Texans offense is one of the NFL’s best. However, they suffer from self-inflicted wounds on the first drive of games.

The Houston Texans are the NFL’s 11th-ranked scoring offense, putting up 24.3 points per game. Despite so, they are the NFL’s 30th-ranked first-quarter team, scoring 2.7 points per first-quarter.

Houston’s first quarter woes start from the beginning. They struggle to start in the first drive of games, not recording a touchdown once on the opening drive in 15 attempts, making them the NFL’s worst first drive team.

The Texans struggle early despite possessing an offense littered with starts. They have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Deshaun Watson, an All-Pro receiver in DeAndre Hopkins and a 1,000-yard rusher in Carlos Hyde. So why do they struggle?

Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly blames execution.

“I think each game is independent, let alone each year,” Kelly said on Thursday. “I think it is, it’s all execution, and that’s the frustrating part with it is because a lot of times it’s mostly a self-inflicted wound that ends up stalling the drive. Again, that’s something we’re going to focus on this week and hopefully we can come out and get some better results.”

Generally, the Texans start games as if they are hungover. Whether it’s a bad throw from Watson, a penalty on the offensive line or an errant turnover, Houston finds themselves in a hole they dug too often.

“Just, you look at it on tape and there’s a lot of things we could do better relative to our first drive of a game,” coach Bill O’Brien said on Thursday. “Sometimes it’s penalties, sometimes it’s missed assignments, sometimes it’s a TFL, a sack, maybe it’s bad play call. Whatever it is, we’re all in it together and we need to fix that.”

The Texans can’t go into the postseason with an inability to score in the first drive or first quarter. Though they have gotten by doing so, sitting at 10-5, that won’t cut it in the playoffs where every possession matters.

If Houston can’t fix their woes, they may see another quick postseason exit.

Rams RB Todd Gurley is excited to watch Texans’ Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins in the playoffs

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley is excited to watch Houston Texans’ duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson in the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams won’t be visiting the playoffs in 2019. The Houston Texans will be. With the extended free time of not being in the postseason, a Ram is excited to watch the Texans.

Rams tailback Todd Gurley is especially excited to watch the Texans’ duo of quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the postseason. He has a strong relationship with both of them.

“Like I said, we won’t be the only team at the house and we’ll still get the chance to watch some good playoff football and root for your brothers that are still in the playoffs,” Gurley said via Cam DaSilva of Rams Wire. “All the good relationships that I have with players. Players from the Houston Texans — get to watch DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson in the playoffs. I just kind of just look forward to that — supporting my brothers. Just going out to the Super Bowl and I guess doing events there and being able to go to the game and still support whoever is playing in it.”

Gurley is excited to watch Houston’s duo. However, he may not get the chance to do so Sunday. While he is expected to rest for Los Angeles’ season finale, he may tune-in to the Texans versus the Tennessee Titans without Watson and Hopkins playing.

Both Watson and Hopkins are questionable for Sunday with a back injury and an illness, respectively. If the Kansas City Chiefs lock-in Houston at the fourth-seed before their 3:25 pm CT kickoff (by beating the Los Angeles Chargers), the two may not play.

However, Gurley will be able to watch the Texans duo in the first round of the playoffs. Houston will not enjoy a first-round bye, meaning that Watson and Hopkins will play, barring injury.