The Houston Texans Desperately Need a Win Against Overachieving 49ers

Houston has to start the homestand strong

The Houston Texans wouldn’t have a chance if C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr., Nico Collins, and other key backups were set to miss the game.

Houston is, in reality, just missing Collins. The San Francisco 49ers are missing a ton. Their starting quarterback is out. A key wideout is down. The two stars of the defense, and some of their backups, are injured. San Francisco has still cobbled together a solid record.

The Texans, facing fewer challenges, are a disappointing 2-4. It is the start of a three-game homestand, and the Texans need a win as badly as ever under DeMeco Ryans. The coaching staff has been bristly this week as they’ve defended questionable decisions and actions in the loss to the Seahawks.

Those defenses were followed by a simple message from the head coach. If the players do what they’re supposed to do, they will be better.

“It’s always baffling as a coach when you go through, and you practice a certain thing, and you work it a certain way and guys get in the game and do something completely different,” Ryans said. “That’s being disjointed.”

It’s rare to have Ryans place the onus squarely on the players. He hasn’t always defended players, but he’s usually spread the blame out. The message this week was that it wasn’t the people in the organization who wore headsets to blame. It was the people who wore helmets.

If Ryans is right and Houston wins, it will be an honest assessment of where the Texans were before this game. If he’s wrong, it will be interesting to see where he places blame.

It’s been a disappointing start, but the opportunity to get right and be right is in front of Ryans and his team.

One Player to Watch

Christian McCaffrey is the most dynamic player in football. The Texans have nobody who is a solver for McCaffrey. He requires attention and assets that will make things easier for the other 49ers. They are not a one-man team, but McCaffrey can do it all if given the opportunity. The defensive approach must account for him but not over-commit. When he does get the ball, tackling is of the utmost importance.

One Matchup to Watch

The coaching familiarity is worth watching in this one. DeMeco Ryans was previously Kyle Shanahan’s defensive coordinator. The latter has to be aware of what the former likes to do. Robert Saleh was previously the boss of Ryans. He will know what his former pupil can bring to the table. The talent will have to win out for the Texans if they have designs on winning. There isn’t a coaching advantage by any means.

One Stat to Watch

George Kittle is 35 yards better on his made-up holiday of National Tight End Day. It is indeed National Tight End Day. The Texans have nobody to defend Kittle, who was a box score no-show last week in his return from injury. The “holiday” and the low output last week spell doom for the Texans. Kittle can help the ground game and will be a menace through the air. It will be interesting to see the approach the Texans have for Kittle.

Score Prediction

The San Francisco 49ers win 24-20. I don’t believe the Houston Texans can keep the star offensive players of the San Francisco 49ers out of the end zone. There shouldn’t be any belief in this offense. One mistake often leads to a chain reaction of disappointment and failure. C.J. Stroud isn’t playing well. The offensive line can’t block. Nico Collins is missing this game. The defense would have to deliver a generational performance to support what is expected to be the level of output from this offense.

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