Texans Smash Jaguars: Six Points
Offensive line, secondary surprise despite injuries; Stroud continues to shine
Here are a few thoughts about Houston’s surprising road rout of the Jaguars today.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Texans play this well in all three phases. It’s a bonus that it comes on the road with so many injuries. You have to take your hat off to head coach Demeco Ryans and his staff, not only in the sterling game plan, but in pushing the team just enough this week. The team needed a victory and, based on the first two games, it’s surprising it came on the road against Jacksonville, despite Houston’s historic advantage over the Jaguars.
Despite the win, I’m really wondering what happened to the D-line that played in Week 1. So far, we’re just not seeing the pass rush from the front four that we saw against the Ravens. Later this season, that’s going to force defensive coordinator Matt Burke to blitz, putting a lot of pressure on a secondary that’s been riddled with injuries so far. If the offense can continue to score points, maybe it won’t matter. But you have to rush the passer to win in the NFL.
The Texans were clearly committed to the run today, and hats off to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik for that. A struggling offensive line really benefits from a chance to fire out and dictate the pace and, of course, shorten the game if you can move the chains. The biggest surprise was the Texans’ ability to run between the guards. That kind of downhill running took a big toll on the Jags, especially on a hot September afternoon. It almost looked like a different offensive line today despite missing left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Also, though much has been made of the Jags’ inability to tackle, RB Dameon Pierce is a hard-nosed runner.
You just can’t say enough about QB C.J. Stroud’s poise; it’s no surprise he’s been able to avoid turnovers. The Jags’ pass rush was pretty vanilla, but when pressure came, Stroud kept his eyes downfield and avoided stupid throws. This is where drafting a QB with extensive experience at the highest level comes in handy. Also, with the Texans up by two TDs in the second half, a lot of offensive coordinators would run the ball exclusively. Kudos to Slowik for using his best offensive player to get first downs. Even though he’s a rookie, Stroud offers the team’s best chance to move the ball.
The wide receivers didn’t look like a team strength entering the season, but that’s changing. While in Week 1 we saw Robert Woods be the main target, and last week, Nico Collins stepped up, this week, it was Tank Dell. Good to see Dell, known more for his play between the hash marks, making plays downfield and establishing a rapport with Stroud. In an offense that is still inconsistent running the football, the Texans are establishing an identity as a passing team.
DE Will Anderson wasn’t a factor in the pass rush so far, but great players find a way to make great plays. His field goal block in the second quarter led to a 14-0 lead and gave the Texans momentum they would never lose. GM Nick Caserio took a big risk spending a bundle of draft picks on Anderson, but so far, it looks like it was the right move.