Last week was a lot of firsts for the Houston Texans as it was the first win of the 2023 season but also the first win as head coach for DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. It was an impressive victory as the Texans were in control almost the entire game and won by 20 points over the Jacksonville Jaguars by a final score of 37-17.
The Texans return home for Week 4 with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who enter this game with a 2-1 record after back-to-back wins over the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. The Texans will be looking to get back to .500 on the season but this week might be tough with the injuries they are dealing with and the players likely to miss this game.
The Texans have three key players miss the first two practices of the week which includes offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil and Josh Jones and starting linebacker Denzel Perryman. With that in mind, these are four bold predictions for this weekend's game.
Houston Texans give up three sacks to T.J. Watt
On a normal week, T.J. Watt creates a challenge for any team. He is probably the best pass rusher in the NFL and already has six sacks on the season, which leads the NFL in that category.
However, for the Texans entering this game it is a huge mismatch especially with the players expected to miss this game. Tytus Howard, the starting right tackle, has been on injured reserve this season after suffering a broken hand which was one of the reasons the Texans traded for Josh Jones with the Arizona Cardinals.
Unfortunately, Jones is dealing with a hand injury and is now set to miss this game while Laremy Tunsil looks like he will miss his third straight game with a knee injury. This means the Texans are likely to have George Fant and Austin Deculus, who has yet to take a snap on offense in a regular season game.
It could be a tough day for the Texans and T.J. Watt will have a field day, recording three sacks on C.J. Stroud.
C.J. Stroud throws first career interception
The fact that the Steelers have an excellent pass rush led by T.J. Watt but also Alex Highsmith, means that C.J. Stroud is not going to have much time in the pocket. The former Ohio State Buckeye quarterback has gotten off to a great start but could have a career first in Week 4.
Through the first three games, C.J. Stroud has yet to throw an interception and in the last two games has thrown four touchdowns and averaged 332 passing yards per game. However, with limited time in the pocket it could speed up Stroud processing and force him into ill-advised throws.
The other challenge for Stroud is that Mike Tomlin is a veteran coach that knows how to call a defense to confuse inexperienced quarterbacks. The Steelers have done a good job of forcing interceptions this season with four, which is tied for the fifth most this season.
The rookie quarterback has had a promising start to the season but this week is unlikely to see him have the same success.
Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary combine for 200 rushing yards
If there is one area of the Texans' offense that they should be able to have some success, it will be on the ground. So far this season, the duo of Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary haven't had that much success but that will change against the Steelers.
Pierce and Singletary combined are only averaging about 56 yards per carry and have only one rushing touchdown, which Pierce was able to do last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a game where the Texans will want to protect Stroud as much as they can, the best thing they can do is establish the run.
The good news is that the Steelers defense has struggled against the run this season as they have allowed 151.7 yards per game, which is the second most in the NFL. One of the reasons for their struggles has been the absence of Cameron Heyward, who was placed on injured reserve after Week 1.
Heyward is one of the best interior defensive lineman in the league and that is a tough player to replace. Expect the Texans to lean on the run in this game and the combination of Pierce and Singletary have success with over 200 rushing yards combined.
Najee Harris has two rushing touchdowns against the Houston Texans
Unfortunately, the Texans running backs won't be the only running backs in this game to have some success. It has been a slow start for Najee Harris this season but this game presents the best chance for him to get back on track.
Through three games, Harris does have 140 rushing yards and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry but has yet to find the end zone. In Week 4, Harris not only gets his first touchdown of the 2023 season but will add a second one later in the game.
In terms of yards allowed, the Texans are roughly in the middle of the league with an average of 117.3 yards per game. However, they have struggled to keep players out of the end zone on the ground as they have allowed seven rushing touchdowns this season. That is tied with the Denver Broncos for the most allowed this season.
The Texans are expected to be without Denzel Perryman for this game which should be an advantage for the Steelers and Najee Harris. The former first round pick has a big day and is a catalyst for the Steelers offense.