| The Houston Texans have started the season 1-4, but they may be one of the top 10 teams in the NFL. They started the season with three road games, @Pittsburgh, @Tennessee, and @Jacksonville, teams with a combined 12-4 record after week 6. The Texans quietly have had one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, ranking 5th in total offense (362 yards per game), and 7th in passing yards (248 yards per game). Houston won a big game last week in the final seconds vs. Miami and we see them continuing to build momentum into this week, and getting a big win against the cellar dwelling Detroit Lions is just what the doctor ordered. The Lions nightmare season continues, leading by one point with less than a minute left in the game, the Lions committed a pass interference penalty against the Vikings, and Minnesota kicked the game-winning 26 yard field goal with 9 seconds on the clock. That loss puts the Lions at 0-5 for the year, ranking last, or close to last, in every offensive and defensive category. Detroit hasn’t had consistent quarterback play all year long despite having two of the most talented receivers in Roy Williams (who now is in Dallas with the Cowboys) and Calvin Johnson; they also have had little production running the ball to compliment their passing woes. The Texans’ are hoping that quarterback Matt Shaub has finally turned the corner from being an average quarterback, to being on of the NFL’s premier passers. In his last two games Shaub threw for 307 yards and 379 yards, with 4 touchdowns. The Lions are giving up an average of 31.8 point per game second to last in the NFL having allowed 31+ points in every game but one. Now Detroit is facing a Houston team that is 5th in the league in total offense and coming off three straight games of scoring 27, 27 and 29 points. The Lions are just 2-11 ATS their last 13 away and they struggle again this Sunday. Look for Houston, who is coming off their first win, to build off that this week when Detroit comes to town. |
