C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
Are the Texans the team that started the season losing three straight games? Or is it the team that’s won three of the last four? Is it truly one of the better defenses in the NFL? Or does it feast on bad and injured offenses?
As it stands, Houston sits at 3-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Broncos as the slight +1.5-point road underdogs. The total sits at over/under 40.5, with a lean towards the under at -115.
We go “behind enemy lines” to get a feel for the Texans heading into Sunday’s game with Scott Barzilla from Battle Red Blog to preview Sunday’s game.
MHR: How are Texans fans feeling heading into Sunday? How does the season align with the expectations of the franchise and fans?
Scott: The short answer is that Texans fans are not happy overall with how the team is doing. They are 3-1 in their last four games, so even that answer is a qualified one. The Texans are first in points allowed by a considerable margin. The defense is everything it was advertised to be. Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t kept up its end of the bargain. Considering the Broncos vaunted pass rush, I would say most Texans fans are feeling pessimistic about this game in general. However, if they snuck out with a win, I’d imagine that everything would almost be back to normal.
MHR: What does Houston do well at this point? Where do the Texans need to improve?
Scott: The defense is the obvious one. They just make life for opposing quarterbacks miserable. If you look over the last two-plus seasons, there is a long list of QBs who have had their worst game against the Texans. That’s not an accident. Their chances of victory on Sunday hinge on their ability to capitalize on some mistakes from Bo Nix. If Nix plays a clean game, it will be very hard for them to win. The obvious area of improvement is on the offensive end. In short, they have to prove they can protect C.J. Stroud in a game against a good defense. They’ve beaten up on some weak defenses, but the next step is to consistently move the ball against a good defense. The Broncos have one of those, so this will be a good test this week.
MHR: How does Houston get the win on Sunday? What will the Texans do to attack Denver on offense and defense?
Scott: The best way to get a win is to get to Nix and either create a strip sack or two or force him to throw contested balls that can get picked off. On offense, if the Texans get the ball out quickly and protect the football, they have a chance. I’d imagine a credible running game would be key there just to keep the Broncos honest. I wish I had more, but the path to victory for the Texans is a pretty limited scenario.
MHR: What is your best bet for Sunday’s game at FanDuel Sportsbook? And what do you think of the current spread?
Scott: I don’t understand the current spread. The Broncos are the better football team. The better football team should be favored by a healthy margin. I probably would have set the line at Broncos -5. I see the Broncos winning because the Texans have never solved a defense with a good pass rush. I don’t think that starts now. My best bet is the under. These are two stout defenses, so I don’t see either offense moving it a ton.
MHR: What are your expectations and predictions for Sunday’s game?
Scott: I am going with a fairly low-scoring game. I will say Broncos 21-14 in this one. I think the Texans defense keeps the Texans in the football game most of the way, but I just don’t see the Texans offense moving the football against this defense. The Cowboys demonstrated that a good offense can move the ball against the Broncos, but the Texans do not have a strong offense. They have an average offense that performs well against mediocre to average defenses. There is a difference.