Houston Texans X-factors in Wild Card Round
By Jair Lopez
The Houston Texans will host the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs.
The Houston Texans have a solid group of playmakers on both sides of the football but they a couple of X-factors that their performance will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game. It isn’t too difficult to figure out who is the most indispensable player on the offensive side of the ball.
Deshaun Watson
The Texans will have a shot to contend as long as they have Deshaun Watson at quarterback. The offense took a sharp decline last season when he was lost for the season with an ACL injury. The Texans are 14-8 with Watson as the starter and 1-9 in his absence last season. Watson’s ability to be a dual-threat quarterback has impacted the production of the receivers and running backs within the offense.
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His ability to tuck the football and run will be an issue for the Colts defense and make them stay honest in the run game. They won’t be able to blindly pursue the running back knowing Watson can read the defense and opt to keep the ball in read option run plays. Combining his production from the two games he played against the Indianapolis Colts, Watson completed 56 of 83 passes attempted for three touchdowns, one interception, rushed for 76 yards, and had an impressive pass completion of 67 percent.
Jadeveon Clowney
On the defensive side of the ball, Texans most underrated defender is outside linebacker, Jadeveon Clowney. He is second in the team with nine sacks, and he’s been one of the most consistent players against the run and the passing game. His ability to line up anywhere and rush the quarterback is an underrated aspect of his game, not every defender has the capability and the desire to move across the defensive front to make plays.
Questionable personal foul and offside penalties have blemished his best season yet with the Texans. In the two games he’s played against the Colts, Clowney has two sacks, four tackles for loss, six combined tackles, four quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
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Clowney’s performance against the Colts can change the outcome of the game in a positive way. Although his late offside penalty against the Colts in Week 14 allowed them to run out the clock against the Texans, he wasn’t the reason they lost the game. Clowney will be motivated to help the team bounce their AFC South rivals out of the first round of the playoffs.