The Houston Texans enter Week Three has big underdogs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans hope to avoid starting the season 0 - 3; however, even if they do loss this game, there have been some things to get excited about going forward. Most don't expect Houston to win a lot of games, as they are in year one of a rebuild under new and first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans.
One area the Texans might be able to take advantage of in the matchup is the Jaguars offensive line hasn't played well and according to PFF is ranked 29th. Will Anderson Jr. will have a chance to make a huge impact and help make things a little easier on the Texans' depleted linebackers and secondary.
As we head into this game, what are some of the Texans storylines we'll be watching for against the Jaguars? There are a few areas I'll have my eyes on specifically and some have the potential to trigger an upset win. Let's get into my three storylines to watch for.
Stroud and this receiving corps is turning heads
Throughout the preseason, the Texans receiving corps was much maligned being ranked dead last in the NFL by many media outlets. I can't say that it wasn't warranted but it was more about the group being inexperienced and unproven, not necessarily for a lack of talent.
Through the first two games of the season, Stroud has thrown for 626 yards (fifth in the league) and tossed two touchdowns, with no interceptions. He's completing over 63% of his passes and looks to be the best of the rookie quarterbacks this season, so far.
Nico Collins is having a fine 2023 campaign so far as well. He's currently sixth in the NFL in receiving yards, with 226 yards. Equally impressive, his other NFL ranks are 7th in targets (20), and tenth in receptions (13). He's averaging 17.4 yards per reception and earned a PFF overall of 89.0. In addition to Collins, Tank Dell is starting to catch fire as well.
Injuries are tearing through the Texans
It's not just the defense that's getting hit with the injuries but heading into this game, the Texans have a number of key defensive players that will be unable to suit up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The list includes middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, corner Derek Stingley Jr and safety Jalen Pitre. All three might be the best at their respective positions too.
As I mentioned, it's not just the defense but the offensive line has been hit hard too. The injuries up front started early too, with Kenyon Green out for the season and Juice Scruggs missing time as well. Now Laremy Tunsil is again ruled out of the Texans tilt with the Jaguars. Fortunately, Scruggs should be a go and that should help but the line but without the team's best lineman, it's never good.
What's happened to the Texans' running game
Well, I'm just about ready to throw in the towel on my preseason prediction that the Texans rushing attack would be top ten in the league. So far, stand ranked 29th in rushing, a long way from the top-ten.
I think the problem is two-fold. One is the obvious issue of the offensive line. PFF ranks the Texans offensive line the second worst, ahead of only the New York Giants. This is somewhat misleading though. The Texans battle with the Colts, four of the projected five starting linemen were out, as only Shaq Mason was the only starter on the field.
The second that is part of the issue is this team is playing from behind and forced to pass to try to get back in the games. This is evident by Stroud's 91 pass attempts through two games, which is surprising given the Texans were expected to be a run-first team. If the Texans can get their run game going, Houston might have a competitive offense, but it starts upfront and until the starters get healthy, this will continue to be an issue.