Tag: Texans

Texans versus Broncos: Who has Houston in Week 14?

On Sunday, the 8-4 Houston Texans will host the 4-8 Denver Broncos. Who will win the NFL Week 14 bout? A slew of NFL analysts chime-in.

The 8-4 Houston Texans are -7.5-point favorites over the 4-8 Denver Broncos in Week 14, according to BetMGM. That digit sits at the fifth-highest of the week; for a good reason, as Houston is surging while Denver is injured and will start a rookie quarterback.

The experts in Las Vegas have the Texans winning at home on Sunday. Do the NFL experts believe the same thing?

CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): Texans

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Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans, at home, have the momentum after a thrilling win over the New England Patriots. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco sees them building on that with a win over the Drew Lock-led Broncos.

“The Broncos won in Drew Lock’s first start last week, but this will be his first road start. That will be a challenge against an improving Houston defense. The Texans lit up the Patriots last week, and Deshaun Watson will build on that. Texans take it,” said Prisco.

Pick: Texans, 26-13

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In their own words: 4 keys for the Texans to beat the Broncos

On Sunday, the Houston Texans will host the Denver Broncos. Here are their keys to victory, according to Deshaun Watson, Bill O’Brien and Co.

Sunday’s tilt with the 4-8 Denver Broncos is less intimidating for the 8-4 Houston Texans than their Week 13 matchup with the then-10-1 New England Patriots. However, it’s still a must-win game with the AFC South division not yet clinched.

The Texans currently check-in as a playoff team. To continue that high-status, besting the Broncos would need to happen. Here is they can do so, from the players and coaches.

Bill O’Brien: Stay disciplined against the run

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Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans saw the Broncos in 2018. In Denver, Houston defeated them 19-17, in large part due to their ability to stop the run.

The Texans limited the Broncos to 75 yards and a touchdown on 20 rush attempts. Running back Phillip Lindsay, who would go onto a Pro-Bowl appearance, recorded 60 yards on 17 attempts, good for 3.5 yards per rush.

How will the Texans repeat their rush defense performance? Coach Bill O’Brien explains.

“I think any time you talk about the running game, it’s always about discipline. It starts with discipline, it starts with being able to set the edge of the defense,” said O’Brien on Wednesday. “It starts with good fundamentals upfront, low pads, good footwork, good hand placement, gap control, good gap control, being able to recognize what the scheme is when the ball’s snapped. Hopefully we can do that. They do lot of different things in the running game. Mike Munchak, as you know, is their line coach, does a great job. It’s going to be a challenging day relative to the run because they do a good job of running the football.”

Offensive line coach and Houston Oilers great Mike Munchak has molded the Broncos’ power-rush attack, which ranks 16th in the NFL with 108.3 rush yards per game.

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Texans credit system versatility for fitting in new cornerbacks

Houston Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel cites versatility as a defense for letting Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves fit in.

In Week 1, the Houston Texans’ secondary lacked two prominent names currently in their Week 14 roster, Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves.

Both first-round picks, Conley (2017) and Hargreaves (2016) were discarded by their old teams — the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively — and found themselves in Houston shortly after, via trade and release, respectively.

The Texans’ schematic versatility has allowed each to see consistent playing time with their new team.

“I’m not sure because I haven’t studied them that much in the systems they were in, but I think that the versatility of our system helps them because we do a couple of different things and put them in a couple of different positions. So, I think that has helped them perform,” said Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on Thursday.

Before rushing both into the system, Crennel had to experiment with them in practice to prep them for the Texans’ defense.

“Probably a little bit more in practice than in the game,” said Crennel. “You look at them and see if they’re better press man, off man, zone guys, and what can they do. As you get a feel for what they can do, then you can ask them to do more, and particularly as they learn the system and understand what’s required from the position by the defensive call. Then when they have success, you feel good about it and you keep calling it.”

Conley and Hargreaves had made plays for the Texans defense.

In four games, Conley, an Ohio State product, has 14 combined tackles and six pass deflections while allowing a 50% completion rate when targeted, per Pro Football Reference.

Meanwhile, Hargreaves, a Florida product, is adjusting to a position change from outside cornerback to inside cornerback. In doing so, he has 11 combined tackles and two pass deflections.

Conley and Hargreaves are playing to stay in Houston. Crennel’s flexibility and versatility as a defensive mind could pay dividends in their efforts to do so.

OLB Jacob Martin says he will excel in whatever the Texans ask him to do

Houston Texans outside linebacker Jacob Martin has flourished as of late, in large part because he will do whatever the team asks of him.

The name Jacob Martin no longer stands as a “throw-in” for the Houston Texans’ trade away of Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks. He is a blossoming pass-rusher for the 8-4 team down in Houston.

In back-to-back prime time games, Martin has shown just that. While defeating both the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, the second-year Temple product has 2.5 sacks and four quarterbacks, leading the Texans through those two weeks.

Martin’s recent boom of production should come as no surprise. He’s worked at it meticulously and, since joining the team on Aug. 31, has volunteered to do whatever he can.

“I would just say, just staying consistent with my craft and my technique. Not changing anything up, not changing my preparation up,” said Martin on his development on Thursday. “And, obviously, just waiting for my number to be called.”

Through 12 active games, Martin has played in 35% of special teams snaps (111) and 22.5% of defensive ones (183). Recently, he’s seen an uptick in defensive snaps, going from 13 to 24 to 45 since Week 10.

“Anything I can do for this team, I will,” continued Martin. “Whatever they ask me to do. If that’s strictly special teams, then that’s special teams. If that’s pass-rushing, that’s pass-rushing. But, whatever they ask me to do, I will excel at.”

Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel sees growth in Martin. In the process, he is experimenting by moving him around and giving him a bigger role in the defense.

“I think he is beginning to experiment with different moves. His straight-line ability really helps because he’s really fast off the edge, but he’s been experimenting with things and we’ve been moving him around a little bit along that front.”

The Texans have struggled to get to the quarterback in 2019. That is only emphasized since J.J. Watt’s pectoral tear in Week 8, which earned him a spot on the injured reserve. Perhaps Martin will provide a boost as Houston gears up for a playoff run.

Vernon Hargreaves feels like he could be with the Texans long-term

2016 first-round selection cornerback Vernon Hargreaves feels like he could be with the Houston Texans long term.

A Florida native, former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Vernon Hargreaves should feel foreign in Texas. Yet, the newest member of the Texans secondary feels at home in Houston.

“It’s great. It’s hard to put it into words,” Hargreaves said on Thursday. “It feels good that they want me here. It feels good that I’m playing better. I think I fit in. We’ll see how the season ends, but I feel like I could be here for the long term.”

A first-round pick in 2016, Hargreaves wore out his welcome with the Buccaneers, leading to a release on Nov. 12. The Texans picked him up off waivers.

In two games, including one start, with the Texans, Hargreaves has recorded 11 combined tackles and two pass deflections. According to Pro Football Reference, he has allowed a 117.2 passer rating in coverage. Most of his snaps have come as a nickel cornerback.

Hargreaves is, essentially, auditioning for a spot with the Texans in 2020. With four games left in the regular season, the 24-year-old must show he is worth that $9.594 million fifth-year option for next year. If not, Houston can cut him with no dead cap, if he does not sustain a serious injury.

“We’ll see how it works out. It’s going good right now, and I’m happy,” said Hargreaves.

Johnathan Joseph acting as a coach for young Texans cornerbacks

Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph doesn’t just play for the team, he also coaches up the younger players on the roster.

Officially, the Houston Texans have three coaches teaching the cornerbacks — defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, secondary coach Anthony Midget and assistant secondary coach D’Anton Lynn. Unofficially, there are four.

Cornerback Johnathan Joseph, 35, acts as a pseudo coach for the Texans’ young cornerback group, which includes Gareon Conley, 24, Vernon Hargreaves, 24, and Lonnie Johnson, 22.

“It’s good,” said Crennel on having Joseph in the room for young cornerbacks. It’s like having a coach in the locker room that when I’m upstairs watching videotape, he’s downstairs talking to them about technique and about his study habits and the things he looks for and looks at, and that helps those guys because you have a peer who’s done it a long time and knows what he’s talking about.”

Though not a household name outside of Houston, Joseph is one of the game’s most respected cornerbacks. In year 14 of his historically great career, he remains a starter in the Texans’ secondary.

On Sunday, in a 28-22 win over the New England Patriots, Joseph became the NFL’s all-time leader in career games with multiple pass deflections (50), surpassing Ronde Barber and Champ Bailey.

When Joseph talks, his teammates listen.

“He’s trying to help you and so they pay attention — sometimes more than they pay attention to me,” said Crennel.

At 35 years old, Joseph’s career could be coming to an end soon. His contract expires at the end of the 2019 campaign. However, his impact on the Texans goes further than on the playing field. Those younger cornerbacks will have learned something by the time he calls it quits.

Perhaps, when Joseph does decide to hang up his cleats, he will find himself on a coaching staff. The Texans are not opposed to hiring some of their former roster members, including Joseph’s former teammates Andre Johnson, T.J. Yates, Brian Cushing and Akeem Dent.

Broncos DB Kareem Jackson says facing Texans won’t be personal

On Sunday, former Houston Texans defensive back Kareem Jackson will face his former team as a member of the Denver Broncos.

On Sunday, defensive back Kareem Jackson will be playing at NRG Stadium. However, for the first time, he won’t be doing so wearing Houston Texans’ red and blue. Instead, he’ll be in Denver Broncos’ orange and blue.

Jackson, a 2010 first-round pick from Alabama, spent nine seasons in Houston before opting to move to the Rocky Mountains on a three-year, $33 million deal. Despite leaving the Texans, his return won’t be personal.

“No, it’s not personal. For me, it’s just another game on the schedule,” said Jackson to the Broncos media on Thursday.

Days after signing with the Broncos, Jackson stated that the Texans did not have an interest in resigning him after a standout 2018 campaign. However, the 31-year-old is a “pro’s, pro,” as his defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said on Thursday; emotions won’t mirror onto the gridiron.

“Obviously, with me having ties there for nine years — I’ve never been in this situation going back to a place where I played before. It’ll be good to see some familiar faces and stuff,” said Jackson. “Other than that, it’s another game on the schedule and I prepare the same way I prepare any other week.”

There is a caveat to Jackson’s notion, though: it hasn’t hit him yet. Perhaps when he walks into NRG Stadium as an opponent, it will.

“Honestly, it really hasn’t hit me yet,” said Jackson. “Obviously, just preparing this week. I’m sure once I get there, get in the stadium and start to see a lot of people that I call my friends and a lot of the guys that I played with, that definitely will be very emotional for me. Just trying to keep that to a minimum as much as possible and just continue to focus on what we’re there for.”

Jackson started nine years for the Texans. While he had his ups and downs as a player, he was a fan and locker room favorite in Houston. Now, he’ll just be in town for a quick visit.

Why is Texans QB Deshaun Watson so good in prime time?

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is 6-2 on prime time since coming into the NFL in 2017. Why is he so good under the bright lights?

When Deshaun Watson plays, the Houston Texans are must-watch TV. Subsequently, the NFL has made the Texans a regular during the hours with the nation watching: prime time.

Watson’s Texans respond to playing in prime time with a national audience watching. Since his debut NFL start, a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on “Thursday Night Football,” the 24-year-old is 6-2 on prime time, with losses coming against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017 and New Orleans Saints in 2019 Week 1.

Why is he so good in prime time?

“That’s hard. I’m not sure, honestly,” said Watson on Wednesday. “Everyone of course gets geared up. It’s the only game on and like you said, it’s primetime, the lights are shining so you’ve got to be a little extra focused. As a quarterback and especially in this league, to be successful and to be good you have to be focused every week. So, I don’t know. I just go out there and play ball, really. That’s all I can really say about that.”

As well as a 6-2 record, Watson has passed for 2,010 yards, 21 touchdowns and three interceptions on a 68.4% completion rate under the bright lights, good for a 121.1 passer rating. He also has three rushing touchdowns and 271 rushing yards.

The extra hours of preparation help the third-year quarterback.

“I like playing at night, if it’s home, for sure. I like playing at home and playing at night time,” said Watson. “Like you said, it’s a little extra rest and preparation and going in through the day and kind of getting your mind right instead of waking up really, really early and going straight to the stadium.”

On Sunday, Watson will not play on prime time; his two-week stretch of doing so will end with the 4-8 Denver Broncos come into town. Outside of prime time, he is 16-11.

Bill O’Brien says the Texans must improve their run game

The Houston Texans run game, led by Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson, has struggled as of late. Coach Bill O’Brien needs that to change.

An explosive Houston Texans run game has died down as of late.

While the Texans boast the NFL’s seventh-ranked running offense (129.8 yards per game), they haven’t found productivity since the Week 10 bye, averaging 91 yards per game in their last three outings.

In Week 13’s win over the New England Patriots, the Texans’ rushing offense hit a season low, tallying 52 yards on 23 carries, good for 2.3 yards per run. Duke Johnson, a receiving back, led the team in rushing with 39 yards on nine attempts. Houston’s lead-back Carlos Hyde had a day to forget, compiling 17 yards on 10 attempts.

Houston has tallied 122 rushing yards against the Baltimore Ravens, 99 yards against the Indianapolis Colts and 52 yards against the Patriots since their 216 rush yard performance in Week 9, a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Though the Texans are getting done over the air, they must spark a run-game going forward through December football.

“We need to improve in the running game,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Wednesday. “We’re going to work hard on that this week and see if we can get it better. This is a very challenging team, the Broncos, to run the ball against, but we have to — coaches and player alike. We’ve got to coach it better and the players have to work hard to execute it better, but we’ve got to try to improve in the running game.”

Hyde leads the Texans in rushing with 853 yards and four touchdowns on 184 attempts. Johnson trails with 385 yards and a touchdown on 74 attempts. Neither tailback can match Watson’s production as a scoring menace, as he leads the team in rushing touchdowns with five.

The Ravens, Colts and Patriots were tough tasks for the Texans’ run game. On Sunday, they will face a leaky run defense in the Denver Broncos, who sit at 20th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game (113.7).

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton will be a challenge for the Texans defense

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton will be a challenge for the Houston Texans defense, according to coach Bill O’Brien.

The Houston Texans game-plan to defend the Denver Broncos on Sunday starts with wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Sutton, a second-year former SMU Mustang, has grown into a start in a Broncos offense that has seen three starting quarterbacks in 2019. At 6-4, 216-pounds with catch-it-all hands, improved route-running and jump-ball ability, the Brenham native is a nightmare to defend.

Sutton has grabbed 54 catches for 906 yards and six touchdowns through 12 games of 2019 play. His production should not come as a surprise to the Texans coaching staff, who scouted him heading into the 2018 NFL Draft.

“We looked at him a lot. I mean, 6-foot-4, 216 pounds. Very good player, very physical guy, can run routes,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Wednesday. “The 50-50 ball is tough to defend with him. He’s really good at contested catches. So, yeah, he’s a very difficult challenge for us this week, no doubt.”

The Texans got a look at Sutton as a rookie in 2018. Then, he had three receptions for 57 yards in a Broncos loss. He’s a different player from that early November Texans win; a more developed one.

“You guys are seeing a person that is growing into his body,” said Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay to the Broncos media on Wednesday. “He understands his leverage and his body. You can tell that he went back for the summertime and really, really practiced his routes, which we all knew that’s what he wanted to do. Now you guys are seeing somebody that’s more comfortable and confident, and that’s going to continue.”

Last week, Sutton hauled-in four receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns en route to a Broncos 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. If the Texans don’t want to emulate the Bolts, the will enter NRG Stadium on Sunday with a clear-cut plan on how to stop Sutton, No. 14.