The Houston Texans gutted out a win in London last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was their first win over a decent team. The New York Giants come to town reeling. They haven’t won in two weeks. They’re starting their third quarterback. They arrive, though, as a first-place team.
There was plenty to like about last week’s win, but lots to clean up.
The Texans can lean on the offense, specifically C.J. Stroud. He’s been excellent. His foes this week are down two of their best defensive backs. This team spent an offseason building a run-first offense. They’ve smartly abandoned that in favor of making Stroud the focal point. They added Marvin Harrison Jr., and Tank Dell is back. Jaylin Noel has never been more dangerous. Nico Collins is still excellent. The rushing attack showed signs of life last week. That hopefully is here to stay.
The defense could use a solid day. Any quarterback with a pulse has given them trouble. J.J. McCarthy isn’t exactly a daunting foe. He lit up the New Orleans Saints in a comeback bid, but his NFL career hasn’t been good. McCarthy has some decent weapons. The offensive line isn’t bad. The defense can’t let the Giants light them up.
If the Texans want to get back into any playoff conversation, they’ll need the defense. This is a great chance to regain confidence. Momentum might be tough with the bye week next week, but feeling something close to last year’s defensive dominance would go a long way. When you’re struggling like that group, anything would help.
If they win today, they’ve staved off disaster for a third week and kept playoff chances alive. They shouldn’t have been 0-4, but getting to 3-4 ahead of their bye week would mean the Texans started to turn things around.
One Player to Watch
Arvell Reese has been everything the New York Giants could’ve hoped for when they drafted him. He is all over the field for them. He plays traditional linebacker. He can cover. He is an excellent rusher. Reese is the type of player that can take over a game if you don’t account for him. It will be interesting to see if the Giants add to his pass-rush workload to offset some missing pieces in the secondary.
One Matchup to Watch
Malik Nabers is an absolute monster. The New York Giants target him a ton. He’s rattled off 23 catches for 286 yards and a touchdown. That’s with 35 targets. They will go to him. He is the main way they can move the ball. The Texans haven’t exactly put the lid on opposing top wideouts. They need a better plan for Nabers, or he will keep the Giants in this game.
One Stat to Watch
Two running backs are the “stat” to watch this week. The Texans only have Woody Marks and Dare Ogunbowale active at running back. This is a pass-first team, but they still have to do some work on the ground. Marks has to hold up. He’s been solid this year, but last year as the lead back he got a little banged up. Ogunbowale hasn’t been a productive offensive player. It’s a risk to have just two running backs. Marks has to be as solid as ever in this one.
Score Prediction
The Houston Texans win 34-13. C.J. Stroud and the passing attack should have a good day against a depleted New York Giants secondary. This offense has put up points when they have Nico Collins, and they have Nico Collins. Nick Caley is in a zone as the offensive coordinator. The defense for the Texans draws an easy quarterback opponent in J.J. McCarthy. For the first time in a long time, the Texans can cruise in the second half.
