JamTex
Hall Of Fame Texans Fan!
At least the Texans stand for the National Anthem. None of them knelt.
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Game 4...The Tacks...Tennessee Titans!
- Thread starter JamTex
- Start date
At least the Texans stand for the National Anthem. None of them knelt.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
At least is the keyword.
JamTex
Hall Of Fame Texans Fan!
They stood to show respect to the flag and our National Anthem and locked arms to show unity and solidarity. I was proud of them. Very good way to handle the situation. Much better the most of the rest of the league. I was in the military myself. If I see even one of them take a knee, I'll turn the game off. But if they stand, I'll continue to be proud of our Texans.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
So Donald had to tell you this was an issue. Where was your indignation last year?
JamTex
Hall Of Fame Texans Fan!
I wasn't happy about it last year and i don't agree and never have agreed with kneeling during the National Anthem. Trump didn't convince me of anything. I never wanted politics in football. I want BBQ, beer, friends and players running down the field on Sundays.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
Imagine how great Gronk would be if he were ever actually healthy again? Seems like the guy plays hobbling around and only showcasing half his potential, and that's still good enough to be an elite tight end.
On the plus side, it was nice to see Ryan Griffin, who has similar size as Gronk, make some plays against the Patriots last Sunday. I hope Deshaun Watson keeps targeting him moving forwrd. Ryan Griffin is a hidden weapon for us. Most opponents likely don't think he's a threat and he could sneak in there with a few big plays that help us win.
I am a Titans fan. I don’t talk smack . Lots of people get into what happened last year with these teams. That was last year. Like the other games this year so far, those games are done as well move on to the next game. I think this game comes down to Titans OL against Texans DL and Texans OL against Titans DL. Won or lost in the trenches. Lots of times team makes most mistakes loses. I think it will be a hard fought game that could go either way. Hopefully neither team has injuries and may best team win. Then it’s on to the next game. God Bless.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Im of the opinion Gronk is overrated as hell. I know I know i'm a dumbass, but i just don't see anything Gronk does or has outside of his god given height and weight that make him anything special at the position. Not after watching guys like Antonio Gates, Jason Witten & Tony Gonzales' rack up numbers for years.
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Stop talking politics.
Gronk moves really well for his size. He is deceptively fast and has mastered the "push off." I would comp him with James Harden's ability to create contact "illegally" and have the other team give up free throws because of it.
Gronk moves really well for his size. He is deceptively fast and has mastered the "push off." I would comp him with James Harden's ability to create contact "illegally" and have the other team give up free throws because of it.
adama51
Walk-on
Same here.
Im no Gronk hater and he's a matchup nightmare but you could probably chalk it up to a good TE playing in a great offense with a GOAT QB. I think his popularity kind of clouds everyone's mind. Until he shows the consistency of the guys you listed I'm still gonna give him the sideeye
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
the bolded is the catch. That shouldn't be anything that makes him better than guys like Antonio Gates who is not that much smaller but is more athletic, a better route runner and has softer hands....or Jason Witten who again is more athletic & a better route runner and has awesome hands as well. Neither of those guys have to resort to mastering the art of pushing off either. Those guys know how to get open. Gronk is always open b/c he's a 6'6 265 lb target out in the field of 5'11 215 lb guys and easy to spot for TB12.
usernameJJ
Waterboy
WHAT?!!?
Just watched the Titans vs Seahawks game.
Titans front 7 look good, quick and swarming.
Mariotta looks better than he ever has.
Running back position is stacked.
Titans are definitely getting better.
But they didn't really beat Seattle, Seahawks beat themselves.
Penalties, bone head plays. The first half was more of what we should expect from the Titans. 2 of their TD's were a comedy of errors from Seattle. Exception not the rule.
Take those away and Titans lose.
We will definitely have our hands full compared to the last 9 years of Titan ineptitude.
We can beat them though!
Go Texans!
Titans front 7 look good, quick and swarming.
Mariotta looks better than he ever has.
Running back position is stacked.
Titans are definitely getting better.
But they didn't really beat Seattle, Seahawks beat themselves.
Penalties, bone head plays. The first half was more of what we should expect from the Titans. 2 of their TD's were a comedy of errors from Seattle. Exception not the rule.
Take those away and Titans lose.
We will definitely have our hands full compared to the last 9 years of Titan ineptitude.
We can beat them though!
Go Texans!
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Titans kicker Succop has a scary franchise-best streak of 45 successful FGs inside the 50, dating back to 2014. The NFL record is 46, set by Falcons kicker Matt Bryant. In his 3 games this season, he is 11 of 12 FGs.........and 8 of 8 inside the 50
What are the odds Billy's offense scores more than 20 points in two games back to back. I think last week was an anomaly, based heavily on the play of a rookie QB.
I'll be surprised if we score 17.
Our defense will have to hold the Titans to 16, or score themselves.
I'll be surprised if we score 17.
Our defense will have to hold the Titans to 16, or score themselves.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Allen coming back will be taking Mancz's place at RG. I wish that Allen would be tried at LG, his natural position before he joined the Texans. It's not like Su'a Filo has looked good there.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Did you notice the formations, motion and misdirection to take advantage of Mariota's skillset? I hope the Texans incorporate some of those concepts in the offense for Watson.
I thought about that too, but then my mind wandered to seeing Mariota on crutches and the feeling was gone.
Sevenfeet
Noob
Those "comedy of errors" were the Titans effectively blocking downfield to spring Demarco Murray on the 75 yard run play and then Jonnu Smith on the pass play. Give the Titans offense some credit for doing their jobs.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
I've been trying to remain calm until gameday, but I just can't take it anymore!!!!! The Houston Texans are going to spank that Titans ass on Sunday. I'm thinking Texans 37, Titans 16.
sorry man, but I cringe every time you make such outlandish predictions. Bad karma you know. It's a division game, it's gonna be close. Expect a tough game. I think the Texans will win, but it won't be easy. Titans ain't NE level, but their a good team. Will out D man up and stop the run is the question
austins23
Hall of Fame
I'll second the "gonna be a tough game" part. If our D can't stop the run it's gonna be a long day at NRG. I'd also be concerned about Walker. Our DB's have had a rough go of covering the big TE's. I'm not too concerned about the WR's, I think the secondary will do fine against them. But if we can't stop the run, Mariotta won't have to throw but about 20 times. Texans D needs him to throw about 30+, take the run away from them and get a couple short fields via TO's and we might be able to squeak out a close win. 21-17 / 19-17 type of win.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
If we lose we lose. But I'd rather have fun and go into the game feeling confident. I feel a little sad that my good friend on here "False Start" is boycotting the games due to politics. 15 years of watching Houston Texans Football, not once past the divisional round of the playoffs, but we should still be enjoying this team together even if we're nothing but a mediocre franchise. The Deshaun Watson era breeds new energy and excitement at least.
As a hardcore Houston sports fan, I'll be thrilled if the Astros win the 2017 World Series. We have a very good chance this year. That will put me on cloud nine and I'll have more patience with the Texans, and even Rockets, if that happens.
Goodwrench3
Brazilian fan
I think this time we'll win easily.
27-10
27-10
VondyP
Practice Squad
sorry to burst your bubble but the indians are gonna whoop dat azz
Wolfiegrrl
Fan of NFC Seahawks & AFC Texans
Looking at how our D played against NE, I really can't see how Mariota and the Titans offense wins this. TB12 has 15 years experience and our D sacked him 5 times, forced a fumble, returned it for a td, and had a few missed opportunities to ice the game. We efficiently stopped the run. Looking at how the D is playing more lights out, I'm going to bag our first loss on Real Life issues playing their part in distracting our team. Bag our second loss as going against the GOAT. Yea, TB hit us for 5 touchdowns and the win, but our Offense kept us in that game. Rest assured O'Brien won't make the 4th and 1 call for the field goal again. Watson lives, breathes, eats and sh*ts football. This game is going to be fun to watch.
badboy
Hall of Fame
He needs to have a serious talk with his teammates...
The Bukafax
Practice Squad
Holy the dillusion is unreal. Looking how the D gave up 5 TDs you can't see how Titans O could win?
Titans Oline shut down 2 better front 7s lmfao. Twatson will give a pick 6 book it.
Our D looked like they're still working things out. Tennessee's offense looks to be in mid-season form.
Brisco_County
Apples and roadmaps
"Twatson?"
We have a subforum for rival fans, but I see you've already visited there and you gifted us with the nugget of cleverness that is "JJ Twat." (I'm going to borrow that one later and get totally laid).
Just be ready when Deshaun Twatson throws his balls all over the field to Deandre Twatkins and Will Fluffer. Then D'Onta Foreskin and Alfred Blueballs will run it down the defense's throat and trigger your gag reflex.
See, I can talk like a Titans fan too!
Just don't steal my material.
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Brisco_County
Apples and roadmaps
Hoptimus Prime
Waterboy
Lmao 2 better front 7s? They don't exist...
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Titans-Texans: Matchups to Watch
Here are some of the key matchups that I will be looking for on Sunday.
by Mike B. Herndon@MikeMiracles Sep 30, 2017, 9:24am CDT
The Titans got a big statement win last week against the Seahawks. Now they turn their attention turns to an AFC South rival, the Houston Texans. This is a big opportunity for the Titans. The Texans are the defending division champs largely because of their win over the Titans in Week 4 last season at NRG Stadium.
That matchup featured a 2-1 Texans team facing off against a 1-2 Titans team. A Will Fuller punt return touchdown late in the 3rd quarter broke a 20-20 tie and proved to be the final score of the game. The Texans went to 3-1 (1-0 in the AFC South) while the Titans dropped to 1-3 (0-1 in the AFC South). Over the next 12 games the Titans found their identity and went 8-4 to close out the season, but they never could make up that early gap.
This year the roles are reversed. The Titans are the team at 2-1 (1-0 in the AFC South) and sitting atop the AFC South standings, while the Texans are 1-2 (0-1 in the AFC South) and needing to jumpstart their season. A Titans win this weekend would be devastating to the Texans hopes of defending their AFC South crown as they would find themselves two games back both overall and in division play with a return date at Nissan Stadium in Week 13 looming. As the Titans found out last year, that can be a tough mountain to climb.
A win would give Tennessee a 3-1 start and, almost as importantly, a 2-0 AFC South record with 3 of the remaining 4 division games set to be played at home. Here are some of the matchups that might decide whether or not that win comes home on Sunday.
Marcus Mariota vs Texans Secondary
Can you feel it? I can feel it. The Marcus Mariota explosion game is coming soon, possibly even this Sunday. He has been playing well these first three weeks, but he hasn’t had the flashy, big numbers to show for it yet. Part of that is due to the secondaries the Titans have faced the last couple weeks. Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye are among the best pairs of corners in the NFL right now and the Legion of Boom is still the Legion of Boom (I wonder if Jeremy Lane realizes that nobody is including him in their mind when they talk about the LoB).
That changes this week as he faces a banged up Texans secondary that, frankly, wasn’t all that good to begin with. A.J. Bouye was the Texans best corner last season by a pretty wide margin (Texans fans would have told you this too up until the day he signed with the Jaguars and then he magically became "just a product of the system"). With him in Jacksonville, and the perpetually injured Kevin Johnson out with a sprained knee, the Texans are left relying on a couple of older veteran corners in Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson with several complete unknowns playing behind them. Joseph is still playing at a reasonably high level, but Jackson seems to have taken a step back so far this year in a larger role. His 1.9 yards allowed per cover snap is 10th worst in the NFL through three weeks. He has also given up a 107.1 QB Rating when targeted to this point per PFF. The Texans third best healthy corner is probably backup safety Eddie Pleasant which tells you a lot about where their depth is right now. The next most experienced corner, Marcus Burley, is questionable for Sunday with a knee injury of his own. Playing behind those corners are a pair of decent-but-not-spectacular safeties in Andre Hal and Corey Moore.
The Texans pass defense put up pretty good raw numbers in Week 1 and Week 2, but those two matchups were against Blake Bortles and the worst version of Andy Dalton I’ve ever seen. The Jaguars hardly bothered to throw the ball since they had a lead and found decent success running. In Week 3 the Texans finally played a real quarterback and were promptly shredded by Tom Brady for a final line of 25 of 35 for 378 yards, 5 TDs, and no interceptions. That’s a whopping 10.8 yards per attempt. Now obviously, Brady is the GOAT and the Patriots passing game isn’t something I’m ready to compare the Titans air attack to just yet, but I’d say Mariota is a lot closer to Brady than he is to Bortles or Bad Dalton right now.
Further, Houston’s pass defense has struggled the most over the middle of the field and deep over the first few games as evidenced by their 28th ranking among NFL defenses in DVOA vs passes over the middle and their 23rd ranking in DVOA vs deep passes. Those just happen to be the two areas that Marcus Mariota loves to attack the most.
During last year’s Week 4 matchup the Titans started Tajae Sharpe and Andre Johnson at wide receiver. The trio of Rishard Matthews, Eric Decker, and Taywan Taylor will be a massive upgrade over that group the Texans saw at NRG in 2016. Not to mention the added element from Jonnu Smith as a second receiving threat at tight end. I think all that adds up to Mariota’s best statistical passing day of the season to this point.
Titans Offensive Line vs Texans Defensive Line
This is the premier matchup of this game. The Titans have the best offensive line in the NFL through three games and have spent the past two weeks silencing two of the best fronts in football. The Texans finally have J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus all healthy and on the field at the same time. The Titans offensive line has allowed the 2nd lowest overall pressure rate in the NFL so far this season while the Texans defensive line has generated the 5th most pressure. This is strength on strength.
The Texans are going to move Watt and Clowney around to try to keep the Titans guessing and attempt to find good matchups along the line, but we should expect to see a lot of Conklin vs Watt and Lewan vs Clowney. Don’t let Watt’s lack of sacks fool you. He’s still playing at a very high level. His 14 total pressures in just 3 weeks are good for 2nd in the NFL among 3-4 defensive ends per PFF.
Where the Titans have a little more advantage in the trenches could be in the running game. As we’ve written about many times here, a great way to slow down a great pass rush is to run at it. The Texans are a dominant run defense when teams try to run to the right. Per Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com teams are averaging negative 1.1 yards per carry on runs to the right against the Texans. That happens to be where J.J. Watt camps out most of the time and he’s still one of the toughest run blocks in the league, even for a mauler like Jack Conklin.
The good news is that the Titans are at their best when they run left. Per Sharp Football Stats the Titans are averaging a ridiculous 12.5 yards per carry when rushing outside the tackle to the left side of the field. Even if you remove DeMarco Murray’s long touchdown run to that side from last week, they are still over 6 yards per carry wide left.
That makes perfect sense when you consider the personnel. Taylor Lewan is still the Titans best offensive lineman and running behind him usually means good things. The guards also work better running left. That generally allows Spain — who is more of a phone booth mauler type — to play to his strengths while Josh Kline often gets the opportunity to pull around and lead block — which just so happens to also be what he does best. Lastly, Derrick Henry is better running left than he is right. This is a quirk that I picked up on when I did my summer review of his rookie year and it has continued in to this season.
Derrick Henry has a wicked stiff arm, especially when running to his left.
Henry’s right handed stiff arm — when he’s running left — is one of the best tackle breaking moves in the NFL, however he doesn’t seem as apt to use his left arm to stiff arm when running right. I’m not saying it never happens, it does, but he uses the right handed stiff arm far more frequently and effectively.
The running game should be able to find some traction against this Texans defense running left. The Titans use of misdirection and deception will help them open up some holes and wear down the defense both physically and mentally as well. If the Titans can hold up in pass protection against a strong front for a third straight week I think this will be a big day for the offense.
Deshaun Watson vs Titans Pass Defense
Watson has played one and a half bad games and one pretty good game so far and I’m not sure what to make of him yet. The physical talents are obvious. He’s incredibly elusive and dangerous when on the run outside the pocket. The arm strength is there. The two things I can’t figure out yet are the accuracy and the ability to read a defense.
Those were the two knocks on him coming out of the draft and they remain questionable for me at this point. Watson’s adjusted completion percentage (a metric that takes drops, throwaways, spikes, batted passes, and errant passes that were the result of a QB hit out of the equation) ranks him dead last among 26 qualified passers through the first 3 weeks of 2016 at 64.1%. During the Cincinnati game in Week 2 — which the Texans had no business winning — Watson regularly was making just one read — almost always DeAndre Hopkins — and then pulling the ball down and taking off running. That may have been by design, but it looked a lot like a guy who had no idea where to go with the ball if option #1 was unavailable. That appeared to get a bit better against New England in Week 3 as you would expect from a developing rookie quarterback, but the Patriots also chose not to bring pressure throughout most of the game for some reason.
The Titans will certainly bring the heat on Watson. Tennessee currently ranks 9th in the NFL in percentage of blitzes sent and they are 11th in the league in creating pressure. The Texans offensive line allows the 5th highest pressure rate leaguewide and are replacing their injured backup right guard with their somehow-even-worse starter, Jeff Allen. Allen’s PFF grade of 29.6 is the third worst grade among all graded offensive linemen in 2017 and he’s coming off an injury himself. Their right tackle, Breno Giacomini, is the worst pass blocking tackle in the league per PFF as well. This game up front sets up to be almost an exact replica of the Seahawks game last week. Horrendous offensive line with a mobile, elusive quarterback behind it. Only this time the quarterback is a rookie making his third NFL start and not a former Super Bowl winner.
THE REST OF THE STORY
Here are some of the key matchups that I will be looking for on Sunday.
by Mike B. Herndon@MikeMiracles Sep 30, 2017, 9:24am CDT
The Titans got a big statement win last week against the Seahawks. Now they turn their attention turns to an AFC South rival, the Houston Texans. This is a big opportunity for the Titans. The Texans are the defending division champs largely because of their win over the Titans in Week 4 last season at NRG Stadium.
That matchup featured a 2-1 Texans team facing off against a 1-2 Titans team. A Will Fuller punt return touchdown late in the 3rd quarter broke a 20-20 tie and proved to be the final score of the game. The Texans went to 3-1 (1-0 in the AFC South) while the Titans dropped to 1-3 (0-1 in the AFC South). Over the next 12 games the Titans found their identity and went 8-4 to close out the season, but they never could make up that early gap.
This year the roles are reversed. The Titans are the team at 2-1 (1-0 in the AFC South) and sitting atop the AFC South standings, while the Texans are 1-2 (0-1 in the AFC South) and needing to jumpstart their season. A Titans win this weekend would be devastating to the Texans hopes of defending their AFC South crown as they would find themselves two games back both overall and in division play with a return date at Nissan Stadium in Week 13 looming. As the Titans found out last year, that can be a tough mountain to climb.
A win would give Tennessee a 3-1 start and, almost as importantly, a 2-0 AFC South record with 3 of the remaining 4 division games set to be played at home. Here are some of the matchups that might decide whether or not that win comes home on Sunday.
Marcus Mariota vs Texans Secondary
Can you feel it? I can feel it. The Marcus Mariota explosion game is coming soon, possibly even this Sunday. He has been playing well these first three weeks, but he hasn’t had the flashy, big numbers to show for it yet. Part of that is due to the secondaries the Titans have faced the last couple weeks. Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye are among the best pairs of corners in the NFL right now and the Legion of Boom is still the Legion of Boom (I wonder if Jeremy Lane realizes that nobody is including him in their mind when they talk about the LoB).
That changes this week as he faces a banged up Texans secondary that, frankly, wasn’t all that good to begin with. A.J. Bouye was the Texans best corner last season by a pretty wide margin (Texans fans would have told you this too up until the day he signed with the Jaguars and then he magically became "just a product of the system"). With him in Jacksonville, and the perpetually injured Kevin Johnson out with a sprained knee, the Texans are left relying on a couple of older veteran corners in Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson with several complete unknowns playing behind them. Joseph is still playing at a reasonably high level, but Jackson seems to have taken a step back so far this year in a larger role. His 1.9 yards allowed per cover snap is 10th worst in the NFL through three weeks. He has also given up a 107.1 QB Rating when targeted to this point per PFF. The Texans third best healthy corner is probably backup safety Eddie Pleasant which tells you a lot about where their depth is right now. The next most experienced corner, Marcus Burley, is questionable for Sunday with a knee injury of his own. Playing behind those corners are a pair of decent-but-not-spectacular safeties in Andre Hal and Corey Moore.
The Texans pass defense put up pretty good raw numbers in Week 1 and Week 2, but those two matchups were against Blake Bortles and the worst version of Andy Dalton I’ve ever seen. The Jaguars hardly bothered to throw the ball since they had a lead and found decent success running. In Week 3 the Texans finally played a real quarterback and were promptly shredded by Tom Brady for a final line of 25 of 35 for 378 yards, 5 TDs, and no interceptions. That’s a whopping 10.8 yards per attempt. Now obviously, Brady is the GOAT and the Patriots passing game isn’t something I’m ready to compare the Titans air attack to just yet, but I’d say Mariota is a lot closer to Brady than he is to Bortles or Bad Dalton right now.
Further, Houston’s pass defense has struggled the most over the middle of the field and deep over the first few games as evidenced by their 28th ranking among NFL defenses in DVOA vs passes over the middle and their 23rd ranking in DVOA vs deep passes. Those just happen to be the two areas that Marcus Mariota loves to attack the most.
During last year’s Week 4 matchup the Titans started Tajae Sharpe and Andre Johnson at wide receiver. The trio of Rishard Matthews, Eric Decker, and Taywan Taylor will be a massive upgrade over that group the Texans saw at NRG in 2016. Not to mention the added element from Jonnu Smith as a second receiving threat at tight end. I think all that adds up to Mariota’s best statistical passing day of the season to this point.
Titans Offensive Line vs Texans Defensive Line
This is the premier matchup of this game. The Titans have the best offensive line in the NFL through three games and have spent the past two weeks silencing two of the best fronts in football. The Texans finally have J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus all healthy and on the field at the same time. The Titans offensive line has allowed the 2nd lowest overall pressure rate in the NFL so far this season while the Texans defensive line has generated the 5th most pressure. This is strength on strength.
The Texans are going to move Watt and Clowney around to try to keep the Titans guessing and attempt to find good matchups along the line, but we should expect to see a lot of Conklin vs Watt and Lewan vs Clowney. Don’t let Watt’s lack of sacks fool you. He’s still playing at a very high level. His 14 total pressures in just 3 weeks are good for 2nd in the NFL among 3-4 defensive ends per PFF.
Where the Titans have a little more advantage in the trenches could be in the running game. As we’ve written about many times here, a great way to slow down a great pass rush is to run at it. The Texans are a dominant run defense when teams try to run to the right. Per Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com teams are averaging negative 1.1 yards per carry on runs to the right against the Texans. That happens to be where J.J. Watt camps out most of the time and he’s still one of the toughest run blocks in the league, even for a mauler like Jack Conklin.
The good news is that the Titans are at their best when they run left. Per Sharp Football Stats the Titans are averaging a ridiculous 12.5 yards per carry when rushing outside the tackle to the left side of the field. Even if you remove DeMarco Murray’s long touchdown run to that side from last week, they are still over 6 yards per carry wide left.
That makes perfect sense when you consider the personnel. Taylor Lewan is still the Titans best offensive lineman and running behind him usually means good things. The guards also work better running left. That generally allows Spain — who is more of a phone booth mauler type — to play to his strengths while Josh Kline often gets the opportunity to pull around and lead block — which just so happens to also be what he does best. Lastly, Derrick Henry is better running left than he is right. This is a quirk that I picked up on when I did my summer review of his rookie year and it has continued in to this season.
Derrick Henry has a wicked stiff arm, especially when running to his left.
Henry’s right handed stiff arm — when he’s running left — is one of the best tackle breaking moves in the NFL, however he doesn’t seem as apt to use his left arm to stiff arm when running right. I’m not saying it never happens, it does, but he uses the right handed stiff arm far more frequently and effectively.
The running game should be able to find some traction against this Texans defense running left. The Titans use of misdirection and deception will help them open up some holes and wear down the defense both physically and mentally as well. If the Titans can hold up in pass protection against a strong front for a third straight week I think this will be a big day for the offense.
Deshaun Watson vs Titans Pass Defense
Watson has played one and a half bad games and one pretty good game so far and I’m not sure what to make of him yet. The physical talents are obvious. He’s incredibly elusive and dangerous when on the run outside the pocket. The arm strength is there. The two things I can’t figure out yet are the accuracy and the ability to read a defense.
Those were the two knocks on him coming out of the draft and they remain questionable for me at this point. Watson’s adjusted completion percentage (a metric that takes drops, throwaways, spikes, batted passes, and errant passes that were the result of a QB hit out of the equation) ranks him dead last among 26 qualified passers through the first 3 weeks of 2016 at 64.1%. During the Cincinnati game in Week 2 — which the Texans had no business winning — Watson regularly was making just one read — almost always DeAndre Hopkins — and then pulling the ball down and taking off running. That may have been by design, but it looked a lot like a guy who had no idea where to go with the ball if option #1 was unavailable. That appeared to get a bit better against New England in Week 3 as you would expect from a developing rookie quarterback, but the Patriots also chose not to bring pressure throughout most of the game for some reason.
The Titans will certainly bring the heat on Watson. Tennessee currently ranks 9th in the NFL in percentage of blitzes sent and they are 11th in the league in creating pressure. The Texans offensive line allows the 5th highest pressure rate leaguewide and are replacing their injured backup right guard with their somehow-even-worse starter, Jeff Allen. Allen’s PFF grade of 29.6 is the third worst grade among all graded offensive linemen in 2017 and he’s coming off an injury himself. Their right tackle, Breno Giacomini, is the worst pass blocking tackle in the league per PFF as well. This game up front sets up to be almost an exact replica of the Seahawks game last week. Horrendous offensive line with a mobile, elusive quarterback behind it. Only this time the quarterback is a rookie making his third NFL start and not a former Super Bowl winner.
THE REST OF THE STORY
Interesting. A titan fan coming from the forum that called Corey Davis a better WR than Deandre Hopkins. You want to talk "delusion?"
Sounds like we have a few players in need of stepping the fk up.
The crossing routes killed the defense against the Pats. I expect to see more of them against the Tacks. Hopefully the week of practice can help with the communication issues the secondary had last week.
dwight pugoy
Waterboy
Ughhh the fact that the Titans have a better O-line than ours is so........... Gross!!