The Texans Look to Keep Winning and Avoid Repeating a Late-Season Hiccup from 2024
Don't let off the gas
The Houston Texans need to win their final three games. It would allow them an opportunity to be well-placed in the AFC playoff picture. The third overall seed in the conference is in play with some help. The fifth seed is a near-must if the division door closes.
Winning is all that gets the Texans there. Three more wins, and they will have 12 wins and a chance to be the top wild-card team, at least.
That only happens if they get their seventh straight win. The Las Vegas Raiders stand in the way.
Las Vegas doesn’t want to win. The Texans need the win. It is eerily similar to last year’s late-season game with the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee didn’t want to win; they wanted to secure the top spot in the NFL Draft as soon as possible. Will Levis and the uniformed players had different ideas, and a late-season stumble hurt the Texans.
DeMeco Ryans must have his team dialed in, and with this win streak, there is no reason to believe they aren’t ready for whatever the Raiders throw at them. The defense is better than last year’s defense. This offense is playing better than the offense a year ago. No reason to lose focus now.
Good teams typically smash bad teams in these situations. The Texans need to add to their good-team resume.
Houston also could use some help. The Denver Broncos, who own the only winning streak longer than Houston’s, host the Jacksonville Jaguars today. They present the most likely team to deal Jacksonville a loss, and throw the door open for the Texans to win the AFC South again.
Houston needs to handle their business, hope for some help, and keep growing this streak.
One Player to Watch
Running back Jawhar Jordan is the player to watch. The Houston Texans must find out what Jordan has at running back. This opponent and a banged-up Woody Marks make for the perfect opportunity. Jordan was excellent against a bad team last week. The Texans would be wise to see if he could replicate his impressive output against another bad team. If the Texans had another running back they could consistently trust behind Marks and Nick Chubb, it would be an excellent development down the stretch.
One Matchup to Watch
How the Houston Texans try to slow down the best player on the Las Vegas Raiders. Brock Bowers is the only way the Raiders can consistently move the football. Last week, Trey McBride shredded the Texans. Bowers surely must believe he can do the same, despite his team being worse. I can’t imagine DeMeco Ryans is going to let a tight end eat his defense alive in back-to-back weeks. I’m just not sure how they will stop him.
One Stat to Watch
There have been seven shutouts this season in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders have been shut out twice. The Texans absolutely possess the ability to make it three times this season. The defense didn’t love their performance last week. DeMeco Ryans said it wasn’t up to the standard. The Texans are one of the league’s best defenses; they’re pissed off, and Las Vegas stinks. Shutout number eight, the third for the Raiders, is in play.
Score Prediction
The Houston Texans win 35-3. No shutout but damn close. The Texans rolled against a team that was bad, but better than their opponent this week. DeMeco Ryans has them laser-focused. A mistake late-season against the Tennessee Titans hurt Houston in 2024. Ryans will make sure a late-season home win doesn’t derail where this team can go. C.J. Stroud looked good last week, and he will stay on a roll this week.