The reeling Houston Texans (1-8-1) take on the red hot Miami Dolphins (7-3) this Sunday in a game that Vegas expects to be a complete blowout (The Dolphins are 14 point favorites over the Texans). Is there any possible way the Texans could pull off the impossible and beat this Dolphins team? Honestly, I doubt it. But if it happens, these are some things that the Texans need to do to pull it off:
Keep Kyle Allen Clean and Make Life Easy for him
If you don’t know, the Houston Texans are benching starting QB Davis Mills and will start backup QB Kyle Allen for this game. It’ll be Allen’s first start since 2020 when he played in Washington. There’s no better way to get a QB eased into the game then to give him a clean pocket and to “make the layups”. A clean pocket is vital to any NFL quarterback, but it is so much more important to a quarterback that is making his first start in a few years and looking to get back into the swing of things. Odds are, you’ll start the game off with some runs and short throws and play-action passes, which are all quick rhythm things that will get Allen eased into the game and to settle the nerves a bit. If Houston can start off quickly and get the ball rolling early, it’ll give Kyle Allen some momentum to build off of and some confidence to make some big time throws.
The Pass Rush Needs to Consistently get Home
The Dolphins are one of the best offenses in the NFL. They have one of the best QB’s this year in Tua Tagovailoa and 2 great WR’s in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle that can absolutely wreck havoc on a game and keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night. Tua Tagovailoa is very good when pressured, he’s currently 5th in completion percentage when facing pressure from the pass rush (per PFF). But if the pass rush can keep getting home, which will be a very tall task, they may be able to force Tua into some unforced errors and steal an extra possession or two which could keep them in the game. The Dolphins love to throw the deep ball, I mean why wouldn’t they? They have 2 major deep ball threats and a QB who is 1st in deep ball completion percentage (63%). If the Texans can get home, that eliminates the deep ball threat and forces Miami to win the game by getting short gains instead of the big chunk gains that they are used to getting. The Houston Texans can’t afford to give up the long ball, and they especially can’t afford it when their best CB (Derek Stingley Jr.) has already been ruled out due to injury. This is the most concerning part of this game to me, I’m not sure the Texans will be able to take away the long ball.
Score Touchdowns and be Aggressive
Field goals won’t win this game for the Houston Texans. They absolutely need to be aggressive and try to score a touchdown whenever possible. 4th and 1 from the Dolphins 45? You go for it. 4th and Goal from the Miami 2? You better not kick that field goal. If the Texans want to beat a big time team, they need to make big time plays and call big time calls. It’s easier said than done, especially for this Texans offense that is near or at the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive statistic. But the Texans have to capitalize on every opportunity they have to score points, because this Dolphins offense can put up points quick, fast, and in a hurry. I think for Houston to have a chance in this game, they are going to have to score at least 27 points. Now that I think about it, it might be impossible for this offense. They haven’t scored 25 points in a game yet, and have only put up over 20 points once (!!!) all season. Kyle Allen needs to have an excellent day to give this Texans team a chance.
Do the Houston Texans have a real chance to upset this Miami Dolphins team? Let me know your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter! Let’s all hope the Texans can catch lightning in a bottle and give Texans fans some hope that they desperately deserve…