ClutchPoints
One of the most intriguing games on the Week 7 NFL slate will come as the final matchup of the week, as the Houston Texans make the trip up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a late-night Monday Night Football battle.
The game comes as the second leg of a Monday doubleheader that starts with the Buccaneers and the Lions, so NFL fans will be treated to a pair of games between playoff-caliber squads in prime time to finish the week.
The Texans had an extra week to prepare for this game and are coming off of a bye. DeMeco Ryans and company will be looking to keep the momentum going from a two-game winning streak going into the bye as they try to erase the damage of an 0-3 start.
On the other side, the Seahawks are also playing some very good football and currently sit at 4-2, right in the thick of the NFC playoff race as the picture starts to take shape in the middle of the season. Seattle is coming off of a dominant 20-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars where its defense dominated and now will head back home looking to get to 5-2.
Despite the recent winning streak, this Texans team is far from completely buttoned-up. There is still one area where they can be exposed, and the Seahawks are well-equipped to exploit it.
Even as Houston has started to play some better football in recent weeks, this offensive line is still full of holes and can be the downfall of an offense that has been very inconsistent to far in 2025.
Everything starts with the running game, and the Texans currently rank 28th in the league in rushing success rate. While it isn’t quite as bad as it was in 2024 when the Texans had arguably the most lifeless running game in football, there are still far too many situations when CJ Stroud is being asked to bail Houston out in obvious passing situations.
The pass protection has also improved by the numbers, upgrading to a middle-of-the-pack group after a terrible season in that department last year. However, when it gets bad, it can get really bad.
In obvious passing situations when defenses can get more exotic and throw some different pressure looks at them, Houston still has lapses in communication and execution that allow free runners into the backfield. At times, when this happens early in games, Stroud can get happy feet in the pocket and it affects his timing and accuracy.
If you’re an offensive line that is struggling and has holes, the Seahawks are one of the last teams you want to see. Seattle has a number of talented players up front, and it can rotate through multiple players at each position to keep everyone fresh.
Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II form one of...
