Last week fans believed a victory should have been the outcome for the Houston Texans, after suffering a close defeat to the Atlanta Falcons. This Sunday, Neighboring NFC South opponent New Orleans Saints come into NRG Stadium to face the Texans for their AFC South tour. After a surprising start to the season to the season, the Texans can continue to surprise everyone with a win this Sunday. There are three keys to victory for Houston to accomplish victory against the Saints.
The first key for the Texans is Pass Rush! The name of the game is to get veteran quarterback Derek Carr flustered. That means send everything, including the kitchen sink after him. Texans last week gathered a total of ZERO sacks in the loss, which gave the quarterback enough time to pick apart the Texans’ secondary. History has proven, that if Carr gets uncomfortable he tends to make costly mistakes. This has to be the main focal point of Demeco Ryan’s game.
The second Key for Houston will come from the offensive side of the ball. New Orleans comes to Houston with the 3rd best pass defense in the NFL. To disrupt that dominance, Houston has to get the rushing game going. Accomplishing this goal means second-year running back Dameon Pierce has to be better at seeing the blocking holes and hitting them with explosiveness. The Saints are currently ranked 13th in rushing defense and allowing 98.3 yards per game. With all that being said, Bobby Slowik needs to run more up-the-middle run plays to suit Pierce’s style of running or split the carries more evenly with Devin Singeltary. No matter who is getting the ball, the name of the game is to run the ball!
The last and final key for a Texans victory is in the hands of rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. Stroud placed himself in the record books by having the most pass attempts with 0 interceptions for any first-year starting player. With the Saints’ pass coverage being named elite this early in the season, Stroud has to continue his streak and not turn over the ball in this game. This feat will not be easy and probably the best pass defense he has seen so far. Sunday will be the biggest test for the rookie quarterback this season. If CJ can keep the turnovers down, this helps the Texans offense give the defense a chance to stay rested by wearing down the Saints’ defense.
This game will not be an easy victory for the Texans but can come out victorious if a smart game is played. With two impressive wins over good defenses, Houston can start to turn the season around for more than just the rebuild. I am not saying playoffs like my other counterparts from the Texans Fan Battle, but second place in the division can be ideal for the Texans. After the game at 6 PM Central, tune in to watch the recap of the game and see what our thoughts are.
