Texans vs. Steelers: 3 Key players to watch in Week 3

1. P.J. Hall, Defensive Tackle (Texans)

When Ross Blacklock made a rookie mistake and was ejected from the game in Week 2, the Houston Texans saw P.J. Hall step up and have a nice game for them against the Baltimore Ravens. This week he should play an important role on the interior defensive line, as he’s sure to be in the mix of things this week.

This season in two games Hall has no missed tackles, one QB pressure, one hurry and eight total tackles, with a tackle for loss.

Defensive tackles aren’t the most recognizable players on the roster, and maybe our eyes don’t go there each play every week. Still, the hustle and drive Hall has brought to the Houston Texans defense don’t show up on the stat sheet, as he’ll help make things better for the rest of the front seven, especially if he helps stuff the runners of the Steelers. With running backs like James Conner and Benny Snell, that is a formidable duo for the defense of the Texans to slow down, and first in line has to be Hall when the Steelers try to control the interior line.

From time to time in Week 3, if you see No. 96 on the field during an important down, see how helpful he is to his teammates. Better yet, he could be the one making the third down stop or drawing attention to allow the defensive ends or linebackers to make the big stop, because at some point in the game, that scenario is likely to happen.

The Houston Texans at the Pittsburgh Steelers is scheduled for a noon CT kickoff, as the game will air on CBS.