There are more than the star players to watch between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those who watch the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers all know the starpower this game brings in Week 3 with names such as Ben Roethlisberger, Deshaun Watson, T.J. Watt, J.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster and David Johnson, to name just a few in this game who are very recognizable, but there are others in this game who need to be watched at Heinz Field as well.
The secondary of the Houston Texans will be tested by a rookie wide receiver who is coming off a big game. There is also the play of the Texans’ offensive line, and their interior defensive line that needs a closer look too.
Both teams have players who will make a difference in this game that many don’t know a lot about unless they follow one of the two teams. But even more so, at least for the Houston Texans, it will be interesting to see if a certain linebacker finally can get his chance and play an extended amount of time on defense.
As for some of the star players who won’t be mentioned for their abilities after this final mention, the resurgence of Roethlisberger has been outstanding to watch, and the same can be said about fellow veteran player J.J Watt last Sunday as he had two sacks.
It should be fun to watch to see if Watt finds “Big Ben” behind the line of scrimmage on Sunday and adds to his sack total for the season. Remember, Watt is just two sacks away from collecting 100 for his career.
As game day is just a few hours away, here are three key players to watch in Week 3 when the Houston Texans face the Steelers on the road, as the Steelers look to move to 3-0 overall, while the Texans are trying to avoid going 0-3 to start the season.
3. Chase Claypool, Wide Receiver (Steelers)
Two games into his rookie season, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool has five receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown, averaging 25.4 yards per reception. In the season opener against the New York Giants, Claypool had two receptions (on two targets) for 39 yards, with a best reception of 28 yards.
Last week vs. the Denver Broncos, the rookie Claypool had three receptions (on three targets) for 88 yards and one touchdown that went for an 84-yard reception. According to ESPN.com, Claypool is projected for 40 receptions this season for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
As for stopping him, the secondary of the Texans has players who are talented, but they just need to be in the right places at the right times, because when Claypool gets an opportunity, it will most likely be for big yardage downfield.
Vernon Hargreaves and Bradley Roby will be in the game most snaps, but one of them must be on JuJu Smith-Schuster depending on the situation, so the Steelers could have a solid advantage with Claypool against the secondary when they decide to go to him in this game. The Texans also have Cornell Armstrong and Lonnie Johnson Jr. at cornerback who’ll be called upon in this game to defend against Claypool, plus the safeties will need to be on high alert to help stop the big play from happening as well.
It will be interesting to see how the Houston Texans secondary works to slow down the speed that Claypool has, with his combine time being 4.42 seconds on the 40-yard dash. The Steelers offense seems to be back as they are 2-0 this season, and don’t be surprised if Claypool gets the most targets he’s had in his short career to date, as it will be up to the Texans defense to stop the long-yardage play from occurring this weekend.
2. Jordan Akins, Tight End (Texans)
Last week against the defense of the Baltimore Ravens, it was nice to see Jordan Akins have seven targets, and it was even nicer to see him total seven receptions for 55 yards, including a 12-yard reception as he continues to find his role in the Houston Texans offense.
Akins caught most passes for under 10 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per receptions Week 2, but his receptions were tough yards to gain for the Texans, and he ended up being the third-leading receiver in the game for Houston. Last week, only Brandin Cooks (95 yards) and Randall Cobb (59 yards) had more yards receiving.
Though Akins didn’t record a touchdown, he’s another valuable option that the Steelers linebackers are going to have to focus on in Week 3, because if they allow Akins to get open, there is no doubt Deshaun Watson will be looking for him to gain first down yardage. In Week 2, of the seven receptions by Akins, three were for a first down. Also looking back at Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Akins had two receptions (one two targets) for 39 yards with one touchdown, and both receptions were for a first down.
What will be important for Akins this week once he makes catches are the yards after catch numbers, as last week he totaled 36 yards after catch for the Houston Texans, so keep an eye on that number once Week 3 against the Steelers begins.
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.