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It was getting fairly evident from Davis Mills’ play the primary two weeks of the season that discovering 5 wins on this schedule was was going to be robust. In flip, there was actually no cheap path to get to 5 wins with out the Texans’ beating the Bears on Sunday. The Bears are terrible, and so they ran proper via the Texans’ protection like a sizzling knife via butter.
The Texans must choose themselves up shortly, as a result of an offended Chargers staff is coming to city on Sunday (extra on that in a minute). Let’s get to Sunday’s winners and losers:
WINNERS
4. Jalen Pitre
There weren’t many brilliant spots for the Texans on Sunday, however Pitre’s afternoon was one in every of them. He was in a position to choose off Bears QB Justin Fields, not as soon as however twice on errant throws over the center (Fields’ specialty!), and added a sack and a pair tackles for loss within the run protection. Sadly, the Texans did nothing with both of the turnovers attributable to Pitre, turning the ball over themselves after the primary one after which being pressured to punt after going backward 9 yards after the second. This was why they drafted Pitre, his capability to make sport altering performs, and sometime these performs WILL change video games when the ball is given to a quarterback able to scoring factors within the fourth quarter of NFL football video games.
3. Jerry Hughes
Hughes, a Fort Bend County native, has been a sneaky good signing thus far by Nick Caserio. Hell, really, with three sacks thus far this season, there actually is not something sneaky about it. For 2 years and $10 million, Hughes has given the Texans Professional Bowl stage productiveness within the move rush via three video games. On Sunday, he sacked Fields twice and had a pair tackles for loss. It is a lengthy season, and Hughes is a number of years faraway from being a double digit sack contributor, however thus far, he is been one of many few brilliant spots alongside the defensive entrance.
2. Dameon Pierce
Pierce is the one constant brilliant spot on an offense that is filled with fairly miserable performances thus far this season. On Sunday, Pierce obtained to his profession excessive in yards in sport with 80 speeding yards. He additionally made a pair good performs within the passing sport on a few catches (21 yards). Lastly, he obtained into the top zone for the primary time in his profession. The one blemish was a few fumbles that, thankfully, his teammates had been in a position to recuperate, and that most likely led, partly, to the Texans’ utilizing Rex Burkhead slightly extra down the stretch. The Texans have to be taught to stay via a few of Pierce’s rookie errors and maintain feeding him the ball.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
When City Meyer obtained fired final season with a few month to go, I laughed and laughed. Why would not I? City Meyer looks like an entire slime ball of a human being, oozing conceitedness from each pore. Nonetheless, I’d not have laughed fairly as laborious, if I might identified that, three video games in, it seems to be like Jacksonville might need lastly gotten their store righted. Doug Pederson has introduced a stability as head coach, and Trevor Lawrence, who was a large number beneath Meyer as a rookie final season, appears to be clicking in Pederson’s offense. The Jags adopted up their 24-0 Week 2 win over the Colts with a 38-10 thumping of the Chargers on Sunday. Now, the Chargers come to Houston this Sunday possible pissed off, and it seems the Jags, the Texans’ Week 5 opponent, may really be good. Robust occasions, Texans followers!
LOSERS
4. Pep Hamilton
The Texans offensive coordinator has managed to keep away from criticism via the primary couple video games, regardless that the Texans have but to attain some extent within the fourth quarter of video games. The blame has largely fallen on David Mills. Nonetheless, on Sunday, the Texans fan base appeared to succeed in their boiling level on the staff’s fascination with backup operating again Rex Burkhead. Positive, it is not as dangerous as Week 1, when he had 19 touches towards the Colts, however Burkhead having the second most targets within the passing sport (5) and being the goal on the play that resulted within the backbreaking interception by Roquan Smith was simply an excessive amount of. Pep is within the crosshairs now.
3. Brandin Cooks
After all, the plater focused probably the most by Mills on Sunday was lead receiver Brandin Cooks. Sadly, the seven targets Cooks acquired resulted in simply two catches for 22 yards. Extra troubling, for the second straight week, Cooks had an enormous drop. Final week, it was a probable landing close to the coal line at Denver. Yesterday, it was early within the third quarter, from the Bears 29 yard line, Mills hit Cooks within the palms on what would have been a troublesome catch, however one which Cooks is paid to make. Cooks must get it in gear, or the Texans’ offense has zero probability.
2. Davis Mills
Mills’ season lengthy audition to be the total time starter for Texans had its third straight underwhelming efficiency on Sunday, largely due to the fourth quarter. Mills was 7 of 9 on move makes an attempt, however apart from a 30 yard completion to Pharaoh Brown, every little thing was dink and dunk stuff. Nothing that remotely threatened the Bears’ protection. Within the fourth quarter of video games, Mills is now 12 of 25 for 124 yards and an interception this season, a horrific passer score of 46.1. Additionally, the Texans are 5 of 25 on third down over the past two video games. In case you weren’t already, begin setting your DVRs for Alabama and Ohio State video games so you’ll be able to watch Bryce Younger and C.J. Stroud.
1. Tackling and toughness
This was speculated to be a matchup of two groups with the worst run defenses in football. Nicely, a kind of two defenses lived all the way down to its repute, and that protection belonged to the Texans, who gave up a head spinning 281 yards on 40 carries, probably the most the Bears have run for since 1984. For some perspective, that was earlier than the Tremendous Bowl Shuffle was recorded! Even if you happen to take away the Bears three greatest runs — a 29-yard scramble from Fields, a 41-yard finish round from Equanimeous St. Brown, and a 52-yard run from Khalil Herbert — they nonetheless averaged 4.3 yards per stick with it their 38 different carries. The Texans’ run protection is a large number, and it is not getting fastened anytime quickly.
Hearken to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Additionally, comply with him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast and like him on Fb at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
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