The Texans forced four turnovers in Week 9's 26-3 win against the Jaguars.

Analysis: The Texans looked like the dominant unit that was an every-week start a couple years ago even without DE J.J. Watt (pectoral) in the fold. They may not be as fortunate this week on the road against QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Jackson has thrust himself into MVP conversation with 702 rushing yards through nine games, putting him on pace to reach 1,248 yards and surpass Michael Vick's current record. He has 21 total touchdowns so far as well. Not even the Patriots could contain him in Week…read more

J.J. Watt will have season-ending pectoral surgery this week, with his recovery time estimated at four months.

Analysis: Watt's injury is, without a doubt, a big blow to the Houston defense. The former Wisconsin star racked up 24 total tackles, four sacks and three pass breakups through the first half of the 2019 campaign. The Texans' pass rush was struggling even with Watt, ranking 24th in sack rate (5.2 percent) and 26th in quarterback pressure (17.9 percent). Houston will take on a Jaguars defense that features running back Leonard Fournette - who ranks second in rushing yards (791) and first in rushing…read more

The Texans allowed 24 or more points in three straight games.

Analysis: They've played against solid offenses -- the Chiefs, the Colts and the Falcons -- in those games, but it's still not ideal. A matchup against the Raiders should get them back on track, as the Raiders have scored over 24 points just once this year while coughing up a turnover in five straight games. Meanwhile, the Texans currently have forced a turnover in 20 straight games dating back to last year, the longest active streak in the NFL. They just acquired CB Gareon Conley from the Raiders to…read more

The Texans have forced a turnover in every game this season.

Analysis: Despite their consistency taking the ball away, the Texans rank just 15th in the league with nine total turnovers. While QB Jacoby Brissett may hamper the Colts' production (compared to Andrew Luck), he manages the game well with just three interceptions all year, and he eludes the pass rush with a 3.46 sack percentage -- fifth-best in the league. Things could open up for the Colts with Bradley Roby (hamstring) expected to miss this matchup and T.Y. Hilton fresh off a bye week, so this adds up…read more

The Texans have forced at least one turnover in every game this season.

Analysis: The Texans' defense ranks 12th in the league with 22.0 points allowed per game, and it ranks 13th with seven turnovers through five games. However, they'll have their toughest test yet against the Chiefs, who scored at least 28 points in each game before laying just 13 on the Colts in Week 5. It's highly doubtful the Texans have the talent or coaching staff to match the performance of their AFC South foe, especially since Tyreek Hill (collarbone) has a good shot at returning in this matchup.…read more

The Texans have allowed 20 or less points in three straight games.

Analysis: The Falcons have fallen short of expectations a quarter of the way through the season, averaging just 17.5 points per game (26th in the league) despite QB Matt Ryan throwing for at least 300 yards in each contest. Ryan's accuracy has been flaky so far, though, as he's already thrown six picks -- just one shy of last year's 16-game total. Those turnovers give the Texans' defense solid upside, but it also has allowed at least 263 passing yards in every game. The Falcons' have firepower with…read more

The Texans have forced a turnover in all three games this year.

Analysis: The Panthers are coming to town, and QB Kyle Allen is ready to make his third career start. Allen looked excellent --- 261 passing yards and four scores -- against the Cardinals, but so does everyone. The Texans provide a tougher contest, as their pass rush is shaping up and has marked nine sacks over the last two games. Still, don't let a favorable matchup against Allen be a distraction, because the Panthers still have RB Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. McCaffrey has eclipsed 188…read more

The Texans reconfigured their offensive line for Sunday's win over the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis: Houston head coach Bill O'Brien had rookies Tytus Howard and Max Scharping playing new positions. Howard moved to right tackle while Scharping started at left guard. The result was just two sacks of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who had been felled 10 times over the first two games. Watson also has time to throw for 351 yards, the fifth-highest total of his career.

The Texans held the Jaguars to just 12 points in Week 2.

Analysis: The Jaguars aren't a threatening offense, but it was a solid performance by the Texans, forcing one turnover in the process. However, the Texans struggled against versatile RB Alvin Kamara in Week 1, allowing 169 scrimmage yards to him, but they were able to contain RB Leonard Fournette to just 3.1 YPC in Week 2. Unfortunately, Chargers RB Austin Ekeler -- he has 287 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns thus far -- is more similar to Kamara than Fournette. This spells trouble for the Texans,…read more

The Texans allowed 30 points and 510 yards in Week 1's loss to the Saints.

Analysis: The Texans led for most of the game, explaining why Saints QB Drew Brees threw 43 times for 370 yards. While it exposed holes in the Texans' secondary, their Week 2 matchup -- the Jaguars -- don't have as threatening of a wide-receiver corps or signal caller, as rookie sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew will be under center. Minshew looked excellent in his first NFL action after Nick Foles broke his collarbone, completing 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns and an interceptions against…read more

LB Brennan Scarlett is expected to start at outside linebacker after the team traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks.

Analysis: Clowney is obviously better than Scarlett, but Scarlett can play both in coverage and against the run. Still, that's probably not enough to stop the Saints. QB Drew Brees may be on the decline, but he still completed a league-best 74 percent of passes last year while posting a 32:5 TD:INT ratio. The Saints kept their main pass catchers around, and they added TE Jared Cook this offseason. That leaves a limited upside for the Texans defense, especially when Houston's offense is good enough now to…read more

Jadeveon Clowney (contract dispute) has yet to report to Texans' training camp heading into Saturday's preseason game against the Cowboys.

Analysis: Clowney is still reportedly expected to rejoin the team prior to Week 1, but it remains a possibility his absence extends into the regular season, which would be a significant blow to Houston's defense. The Texans finished ranked 12th in total defense (343.1 YPG) and fourth in scoring defense (19.8 PPG) in 2018, while also finishing fourth with 29 takeaways. The departures of Tyrann Mathieu and Kareem Jackson are sure to be felt in the secondary, Tashaun Gipson and Bradley Roby attempting to…read more

The Texans enter their Week 17 matchup against the Jaguars with the sixth-ranked scoring defense (20.9 PPG) in the league.

Analysis: Houston provided an uninspired performance against the Eagles last week, allowing 32 points, over 500 yards of offense and registering only one sack, though they did force three turnovers. Sunday's game was the first time since Week 4 against the Colts that the Texans allowed an opponent to eclipse 24 points. The Jaguars averaged 11.3 points over the last four games but are now going back to the previously benched Blake Bortles for the regular-season finale. Bortles has struggled significantly,…read more

Houston has the fifth-ranked scoring defense (20.1 PPG) entering their Week 16 game against the Eagles.

Analysis: The Jets managed only 318 total yards and 22 points despite possessing the ball for over 35 minutes Week 15 against the Texans, as QB Sam Darnold was sacked six times. Houston has played well defensively since the start of the season, having allowed more than 27 points in only one game, and no more than 24 since Week 4 against the Colts. The Texans run defense has been particularly dominant, as they yield a league-best 3.6 yards per carry. Starting QB Carson Wentz (back) has already been ruled…read more

The Texans enter Week 15 with the league's fifth-ranked scoring defense (19.9 PPG).

Analysis: Houston took a step back this past week losing to the Colts in a 24-21 nail-biter. It was the most points the Texans have surrendered since Week 4's 37-34 overtime win over Indianapolis. Despite the loss, Houston's spirits entering Saturday's tilt with the Jets shouldn't fall too low. New York enters this week with the 30th-ranked total defense averaging just 296.9 YPG. Sam Darnold is back under center, but there hasn't been too much of a gap between him and Josh McCown under center. The Jets…read more

Houston boasts the league's third-ranked scoring defense (19.6 PPG) entering Week 14.

Analysis: The Texans meteoric rise this season has been well-documented by now. A win over the Colts on Sunday will all but wrap up the division and a first-round bye remains in play for Bill O'Brien's unit. Indianapolis was shut out in last week's 6-0 loss to Jacksonville, but prior to the poor performance Andrew Luck had the Colts' offense playing its best in over two years. It's going to be tough to keep a lid on Luck for two consecutive weeks, but if nothing else, the Texans have proven capable of…read more

The Texans enter Week 13 with the league's 5th-ranked scoring defense (20.2 PPG).

Analysis: Houston's masterful turnaround has sprung whispers of a potential dark horse super bowl run. The offense is deservedly credited, but the defense has been magnificent during the eight-game win streak. The Texans have kept opponents to 23 or less points in each if their last seven contests and 17 or less in five of those seven games. Bill O'Brien's bunch has effectively kept opponents out of the end zone thanks to the rejuvenation of J.J. Watt and his presence up front. Sunday's tilt with…read more

The Texans have the seventh-ranked total defense (330.5 YPG) entering their Week 12 game against the Titans.

Analysis: Houston has a similarly ranked scoring defense -- 20.5 PPG ranks seventh -- and are allowing an even better 16.2 points over their last six games. The Texans managed to hold the Redskins under 300 yards of offense last week and safety Justin Reid made perhaps the play of the game with a 101-yard interception return for a touchdown to flip the script on a red-zone opportunity. The Titans have been a bottom-five offense for the year with 17.8 PPG and 295.4 YPG, but have shown competency at times…read more