WHEN: 7:20 p.m. CT
WHERE: NRG Stadium
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10. passes jacoby brissett has had batted down
The former New England Patriots signal caller has had 10 of his passes batted down at the line of scrimmage, which is tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. Houston has to be aware that Brissett’s passes come awfully close in passing lanes and knock them around. Furthermore, they need to be aware of pop flies that could be big momentum changers.
9. deshaun watson’s rank for time in the pocket
The Texans quarterback gets 2.5 seconds on average in the pocket to survey the situation and make his throw, tied for the ninth-highest in the NFL. If the Houston offensive line is able to give Watson a little more time, or even keep it at this level, the former Pro Bowler should be able to find the open man and make the Colts pay.
8. Texans Rb carlos hyde’s rank for first downs rushing
The 29-year-old has tallied 38 first downs on the ground in 2019, tied with Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey for the eighth-most in the NFL. He only produced one last week in Balitmore. Hyde will have to continue his climb into the top-10 for the Texans to present a multiple attack front.
7. carlos hyde’s rank for rush attempts per broken tackle
The former 2014 second-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers breaks a tackle every 8.3 rushing attempts, the seventh-most in the NFL. Hyde will need to continue to break tackles and earn those dirty yards for the Houston offense to keep the ball, melt clock, and churn yards on long drives.
6. texans’ rank for fewest sacks
The Texans defense has produced 21 sacks through 10 games, which are the sixth-fewest in the NFL. While losing defensive end J.J. Watt could be a part of it, the Houston pass rush has been anemic through the second and third quarter of the season. Houston will have to find a way to get pressure on Brissett or else he could have another opportunity to torch the Texans’ secondary, which is already down safety Justin Reid and cornerback Lonnie Johnson.
5. Houston’s yards per carry
5.0 — no, for real. It isn’t a trick of rounding up or down to get the figure this time. The Texans bust five yards a pop on average, tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the third-best in the league. The best protection Watson can get is for the run game to present a diverse attack. Running backs Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson will need to be effective.
4. the colts’ rank for rushing yards per game
The Colts rushing offense generates 141.1 rushing yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. Jonathan Williams, who will be filling in for Marlon Mack at running back, produced over 100 yards last week the the 33-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston has to find a way to curtail the Colts’ run game.
3. deshaun watson’s rank for passes off rpo’s
The third-year quarterback from Clemson has passed 50 times off of run-pass options, the third-most in the NFL. Houston needs to create more occasions for Watson to run these plays as he leads the NFL with the most passing yards off run-pass option with 442.
2. deandre hopkins’ rank for catches
The two-time All-Pro has hauled in 75 catches, the second-most in the NFL behind Michael Thomas’ 94. The Colts defense knows where the ball is going tonight, but the only one who can truly stop Hopkins is Hopkins himself. Nuk will have to be top notch with his execution because the division depends on it.
1. texans’ rank for false starts
The Texans offense has committed 22 false starts, the most in the NFL. Houston will need to fix this issue as they seek to beat the Colts for the first time since Week 4 of 2018 and stave off a sweep, which last occurred in 2017. It will take discipline in pre-snap for that to happen.