Tag: NFL Week 2

Texans coach Bill O’Brien expects ILB Zach Cunnignham to bounce back versus Ravens

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien expects inside linebacker Zach Cunningham to have a better performance against the Baltimore Ravens.

Houston Texans inside linebacker Zach Cunningham had a satisfactory conclusion to training camp. The former 2017 second-round pick from Vanderbilt signed a four-year contract extension worth $14.5 million annually.

However, his start to the 2020 regular season was pedestrian. Cunningham had seven tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs, but two missed tackles in the 34-20 loss at Arrowhead Stadium. Cunningham was also tagged with a horse collar tackle personal foul and an illegal contact.

It was a forgettable performance, but coach Bill O’Brien expects Cunningham to bounce back against the Baltimore Ravens.

“I think Zach will play better,” O’Brien said. “I think you’ll see improvement. I really believe that. We’ve had a physical practice week. I think that these guys understand now what it takes to be ready to go relative to the speed of the game. Like I said, we’ve had a good week of practice and we need to finish it off here this morning, but we’re excited about the opportunity we have on Sunday.”

The Texans get a Ravens team that trounced the Cleveland Browns 38-6 in Week 1. Quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 20 of 25 for 275 yards and three touchdowns while taking just two sacks.

Instead of looking at how formidable the task is, Cunningham embraces the opportunity to correct the mistakes and get back in the groove of playing football.

“It’s definitely a good opportunity for us to get back in the flow of things,” said Cunningham. “I definitely think we’re going to have a big improvement coming into this week. I think all the time off that we had kind of played into that.”

The Texans, along with the rest of the league, did not play any preseason games. As a result, not being able to hit other players and bring ball carriers to the ground factored into the tackling issues.

If Cunningham and the Texans get their tackling issues fixed, their defense ought to have a chance to stop the Ravens.

Jets injury report: Jamison Crowder out Week 2, 49ers lose George Kittle

The Jets and 49ers will both be without two of their top targets in Week 2.

The Jets and 49ers will both be without two of their top targets in Week 2.

Adam Gase made it known on Friday morning that WR Jamison Crowder (hamstring) will miss Sunday’s matchup. QB Joe Flacco (neck) will also miss another week.

LB Tarell Basham (hip), RB La’Mical Perine (ankle) and LB Avery Williamson (hamstring) are all questionable, though it looks like the latter two will play Sunday with the Jets stretched thin at both positions.

The 49ers, meanwhile, won’t have TE George Kittle (knee) at MetLife Stadium. CB Jason Verrett (hamstring) is also out, while DE Dee Ford (neck) is questionable.

Texans vs. Ravens final injury report: 4 questionable for Houston

The Houston Texans have four players on their final injury report for the Baltimore Ravens, including RT Tytus Howard and WR Brandin Cooks.

The Houston Texans released their final injury report ahead of their Week 2 encounter with the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium.

Inside linebacker Peter Kalamayi, who was limited Thursday with a hamstring injury, did not practice on Friday and was listed as questionable.

Also listed as questionable were receiver Brandin Cooks (quad), right tackle Tytus Howard (ankle), and running back Duke Johnson (ankle), who were also limited in practice.

Defensive end J.J. Watt was not given a designation, but was limited in practice with a hip issue.

Fullback Cullen Gillaspia (hamstring) and outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard (ankle) were full participants in practice for the third straight day. Receiver Will Fuller did not participate in practice, but it was not injury related.

DT Justin Madubuike (knee) and WR Chris Moore (finger) were declared out. OLB Pernell McPhee did not practice, but it was also not injury related.

CB Jimmy Smith (hip) was a limited participant and was given the questionable designation. RB Justice Hill (thigh) and OT Ronnie Stanley (hip) were full participants in practice and also given questionable designations.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes talks challenge of facing Chargers defense

The Chargers have held their own against the Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the past two meetings.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has dominated defenses across the NFL, but the one team that he has struggled to find a groove against in recent play is the Chargers.

In both matchups last season, Los Angeles held Mahomes under 200 passing yards, plus a combined two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Now, Mahomes is preparing to face a physical and heady Chargers defense that has faces that he’s seen before, but also a few that he has yet to see in the blue and gold, including Linval Joseph, Kenneth Murray and Chris Harris Jr.

“Yeah, they do a great job in their scheme and they have a lot of great players that make plays. They played us really well last year, that defense, holding us to some low numbers, stuff that we had been trending on getting better numbers, better scores, and all of that different type of stuff,” Mahomes said.

For Los Angeles, it all starts up front with the stout defensive line that was a force to be reckoned with in the season opener against the Bengals.

“I think when you see those pass rushers first off, they have a lot of pass rushers all across that D-Line. They added (Linval) Joseph and the young (Jerry) Tillery, that kid is really playing well.”

Last Sunday, the guys up front delivered in a big way, amassing 22 pressures, four quarterback hits, 15 hurries and three sacks. In order to minimize Mahomes’ time with the ball in his hands, they must carry that momentum into this weekend.

As for the rest of the back seven, Mahomes recognized the playmakers that the units have, even without safety Derwin James and linebacker Drue Tranquill.

“Then you get to the linebackers and there’s a lot of young talent there. With the DBs, a couple of Pro Bowlers and All-Pro guys. They have a really good defense and a really good scheme. We have to do our best job of being within ourselves and finding a way to put points on the board.”

The Chargers defense must keep the Chiefs offense off the scoreboard and the field as much as possible while managing to create turnovers if they want to pull off the upset.

Saints break out their ‘Color Rush’ uniforms for Week 2 at Raiders

The New Orleans Saints will make the 2020 debut of their “Color Rush” alternate uniforms on the road in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders

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“Color Rush” fans, rejoice: the New Orleans Saints announced that they will be wearing their popular alternate jerseys in their upcoming Monday night game with the Las Vegas Raiders, the first time the gold-on-white kits will be used in 2020.

Commonly ranked high among the best uniforms across the NFL landscape, the only complaint we have for these alternates is asking why they haven’t been upgraded to full-time status yet. When you have something so crisp and so clean, why not promote it?

The Saints are attuned to the broad appeal these uniforms attract, having worn them as often as the NFL would allow them in 2019 (teams may wear alternate uniforms three times each year). They even appealed the league office so they could wear the alternates again in the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, but the NFL wouldn’t sign off on it.

New Orleans won its Week 1 game wearing the black-on-black combo, but here are their win-loss records in each permutation from the 2019 season:

  1. “Color Rush” alternates: 3-0 (1.000)
  2. White jerseys, white pants: 5-1 (.833)
  3. Black jerseys, black pants: 5-2 (.714)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 0-1 (.000)

And for the extra-superstitious: we’ve put together the total numbers for every combination used in the Sean Payton era, all the way back to 2006 (and let’s not forget the unique gold jerseys worn in a 2002 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which Cameron Jordan wants to dust off):

  1. White jerseys, white pants: 5-1 (.833)
  2. “Color Rush” alternates: 6-2 (.750)
  3. “Black and Gold” throwbacks: 2-1 (.667)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 23-13 (.639)
  5. Black jerseys, black pants: 42-27 (.609)
  6. White jerseys, black pants: 38-25 (.603)
  7. White jerseys, gold pants: 31-24 (.564)

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Against Texans, Ravens can prove they’ve learned from tough playoff loss

The Baltimore Ravens can prove they’ve learned playoff lesson to not overlook an opponent when they take on the Houston Texans in Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens looked great in their Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. But as attention is turned to the Houston Texans for Week 2, Baltimore is presented with a unique test. The Ravens need to prove they’ve learned from previous mistakes and remain focused on the opponent at hand.

On paper, this week’s matchup against the Texans is one the Ravens should win handily. Houston has struggled to stop the run and protect quarterback Deshaun Watson, two things Baltimore has done well. Considering the Ravens destroyed the Texans in Week 11 last season and their wildly divergent performances in Week 1 — Baltimore beat the Cleveland Browns 38-6 while Houston looked like a second-tier team in every regard against the Kansas City Chiefs — it’s no shock Baltimore is heavily favored for this game.

But an inclination to overlook the Texans in order to mentally prepare for a much tougher Week 3 game against Kansas City would be a big mistake, and one the Ravens should have fresh in their memory.

As quarterback Lamar Jackson noted this offseason, Baltimore was booted from last season’s playoffs because they overlooked the Tennessee Titans. Much like this week’s matchup, the Ravens looked to be the superior team on paper but started the game flat, allowing the Titans to dictate the game en route to an embarrassing loss. After an entire offseason bemoaning crushed Super Bowl dreams, Baltimore seems to know better this time around.

Defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who is normally unafraid to make bold statements and create headlines, shied away from any such declarations this week. When asked about the team’s success against Watson and the Texans’ offense, Martindale wasn’t taking the bait.

“Oh, we’re not overconfident – trust me,” Martindale said Thursday. “He gets better every year. He’s a Pro Bowl quarterback for a reason; it was just one of those days last year.”

With Super Bowl aspirations once again this season for Baltimore, it all starts with beating the opponent put in front of them until they get there. But how they perform on Sunday night will go a long way toward dictating if that hard-earned lesson has stuck with them or not.

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Tim Kelly says the Ravens present ‘unique challenges’ for Texans’ pass protection

The Baltimore Ravens present a problem for the Houston Texans with the way they attack the quarterback. Tim Kelly is ready for Baltimore’s challenges.

The Houston Texans allowed quarterback Deshaun Watson to take four sacks in the Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-20.

The pass rush won’t get any easier as the Texans face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 in the NRG Stadium opener. The AFC North club dialed up the second-most blitzes of Week 1 with 23. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers had more.

Baltimore defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale’s philosophy is to get to the quarterback by any means necessary. His pressure did get to Watson in the Week 11 game last year with the Ravens sacking the two-time Pro Bowler six times in the 41-7 loss.

Second-year offensive coordinator Tim Kelly is well aware of how formidable the Ravens can be to the Texans’ pass protection.

“The Ravens are big,” Kelly said. “They’re physical. You look at [defensive end] Calais Campbell. You look at [defensive tackle] (Derek) Wolfe. You look at [outside linebacker] (Matthew) Judon. You look at [outside linebacker] (Jaylon) Ferguson, [defensive end] (Jihad) Ward. There’s a number of — [nose tackle] Brandon Williams on the inside. There’s a number of players — the rookie from LSU [Patrick Queen] is a really good blitzer. There’s a lot of different players that offer different skill sets and that will present their own unique challenges.”

With the threat the Ravens pose, the Texans had to quickly get over their disappointment in dropping the opener to the Chiefs.

“Our guys have been, like I said, as soon as we got back Friday morning, they were able to kind of put that Kansas City game to bed and be able to learn from it, clearly, but then really start to focus on their next opponent, which is the Ravens,” said Kelly. “We’re excited, like I said, to be able to go out there and see how much better we can go out and play.”

If the Texans can improve their pass protection against the Ravens’ blitz, then it should help their third-down conversions, which were 2-of-10 last year against Baltimore. The longer Houston can sustain drives, the more it keeps Lamar Jackson off the field.

Texans seek to stop Ravens tight end Mark Andrews

The Houston Texans know they have to stop Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in Week 2, but it will be easier said than done.

The Houston Texans gave up six catches for 50 yards and a touchdown in their 34-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. While Travis Kelce didn’t go off, he was still influential in the game.

The Texans will have another dynamic tight end on their hands as the Ravens visit NRG Stadium Sunday at 3:25 p.m.

“He is a very different tight end than Kelce, but he is incredibly talented,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “Big catch radius, big target — Obviously, the quarterback’s security blanket. We’re going to do everything we can to try to limit the X plays in the pass game, but they are a much different attack.”

Andrews tallied five catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens’ 38-6 drubbing of the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. The former 2018 third-round pick from Oklahoma benefits from the run game clicking.

“They are certainly a run-oriented tam and the run sets up their pass game,” Weaver said. “So, defensively you’ve got to be different, too. We definitely are going to do everything we can to try to limit their X plays. We know who he is and what he is to this offense and we’re going to do everything in our power to try to take him away.”

If the Texans can take away one of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s targets, and limit his carries on the ground, it should help Houston’s offense keep pace as the defending AFC South champions endeavor to even their record 1-1 and not fall to 0-2 midway through September.

Undeterred by Michael Thomas injury, 90% of experts pick Saints over Raiders

The New Orleans Saints received 90% of NFL expert game picks in their favor for Week 2’s road contest against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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With superstar wide receiver Michael Thomas expected to miss several weeks due to an ankle injury, it would be understandable if NFL experts weren’t riding too high on the New Orleans Saints in their upcoming game with the Las Vegas Raiders.

But that’s not the case. With or without Thomas, 90% of experts surveyed by NFL Pickwatch are picking the Saints to win again in Week 2. Just 10% of those in the know are siding with the Raiders on Friday. So that could be a good confidence boost for Saints fans.

And the experts are off to a hot start. 70% of them picked the Cleveland Browns to defeat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, and Baker Mayfield’s team came through for them.

The Saints are hardly the most heavily-favored squad this week, though, with nine different teams drawing 91% of expert picks or greater. That group includes NFC rivals like the San Francisco 49ers (98% over the New York Jets), Green Bay Packers (96% versus the Detroit Lions), Arizona Cardinals (95% over Washington), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (92% over the Carolina Panthers). While the Saints are on top of the NFC South standings right now, they must remain in the win column to hold their place in the playoff picture.

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Ravens vs. Texans over/under: Oddsmakers predicting high-scoring game

Oddsmakers are predicting a high-scoring game when the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans play in Week 2, setting a high over/under

It’s a clash between two of the best young passers in the league when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson takes on Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 2. With two great quarterbacks slinging the ball, oddsmakers are predicting a pretty high-scoring affair.

Over on BetMGM, the over/under is currently set at 50.5 points. That’s the second-highest total of Week 2, falling just below The Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys.

There’s good reason to believe this game could have fireworks. Baltimore had the highest-scoring offense last year, averaging more than 33 points per game. Houston was no slouch there either, averaging nearly 24 points a game themselves. Not only are Watson and Jackson two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, but there are also a few other big producers on the field along with them.

For the Ravens, tight end Mark Andrews and running back J.K. Dobbins are coming off a Week 1 win in which they each found the end zone twice. But you can’t forget wide receiver Marquise Brown and running back Mark Ingram either.

For the Texans, running back David Johnson was once considered to be among the best rushers in the league after posting 1,239 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in 2016. While DeAndre Hopkins was traded, Brandin Cooks is more than capable of making big plays down the field.

It’s worth noting that Baltimore failed to hit the 50.5-point total in either Week 1 against the Browns or the Week 11 matchup against Houston. With how the Ravens have been playing, both on offense and defense, there’s a real chance this game will be one-sided as well and fall short of the over/under set, making it an enticing but problematic bet.

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