Mile High Report
C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
Are the Texans the team that started the season losing three straight games? Or is it the team that’s won three of the last four? Is it truly one of the better defenses in the NFL? Or does it feast on bad and injured offenses?
As it stands, Houston sits at 3-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Broncos as the slight +1.5-point road underdogs. The total sits at over/under 40.5, with a lean towards the under at -115.
We go “behind enemy lines” to get a feel for the Texans heading into Sunday’s game with Scott Barzilla from Battle Red Blog to preview Sunday’s game.
Scott: The short answer is that Texans fans are not happy overall with how the team is doing. They are 3-1 in their last four games, so even that answer is a qualified one. The Texans are first in points allowed by a considerable margin. The defense is everything it was advertised to be. Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t kept up its end of the bargain. Considering the Broncos vaunted pass rush, I would say most Texans fans are feeling pessimistic about this game in general. However, if they snuck out with a win, I’d imagine that everything would almost be back to normal.
Scott: The defense is the obvious one. They just make life for opposing quarterbacks miserable. If you look over the last two-plus seasons, there is a long list of QBs who have had their worst game against the Texans. That’s not an accident. Their chances of victory on Sunday hinge on their ability to capitalize on some mistakes from Bo Nix. If Nix plays a clean game, it will be very hard for them to win. The obvious area of improvement is on the offensive end. In short, they have to prove they can protect C.J. Stroud in a game against a good defense. They’ve beaten up on some weak defenses, but the next step is to consistently move the ball against a good defense. The Broncos have one of those, so this will be a good test this week.
Scott: The best way to get a win is to get to Nix and either create a strip sack or two or force him to throw contested balls that can get picked off. On offense, if the Texans get the ball out quickly and protect the football, they have a chance. I’d imagine a credible running game would be key there just to keep the Broncos honest. I wish I...
