Following the Monday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Houston Texans will go on the road to face the ascending Seattle Seahawks.
Houston looks to be turning things around. They are currently on a two-game win streak after starting the season 0-3. On top of that, they should be coming into this game refreshed after they had a bye last week.
“Every team has to fight this,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters. “Having a bye week is, ‘How do you get back into football?' Making calls, throwing and catching the football, tackling, those fundamental things of football that you miss for a few days. It's like, how quickly can you get back to that and execute that on game day?”
Even though they currently have a losing record, Houston is equipped with one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Texans are third in yards allowed per game and first in points allowed per game. That unit will have to be elite to stop a Seahawks offense that is fifth in points per game.
“Whoever we play, it’s about us playing our defense,” Ryans explained. “They have great players on their offense. We’ve got to be able to account for everyone. So, we'll play our defense the right way. Everybody will be on the same page, communicate well, [and we’ll] go make plays on the football when the ball is up in the air."
Unlike the Texans, the Seahawks have a winning record through the first six weeks of the season. One of the reasons they are 4-2 is because they have leaned on wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who currently leads the NFL in receiving yards and receiving yards per game. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak compared Smith-Njigba to a Hall of Fame wideout who used to play for the Texans, Andre Johnson.
“I think - just growing up and being around - what does a true professional look like? It’s just someone that comes to work and is passionate about the game, passionate about their craft. A great citizen. A great teammate,” Kubiak said during a press conference. “Just the kind of person that Jax is, the kind of worker that he is, that’s what Andre was when I was growing up.”
The goal now is to make sure that Smith-Njigba continues to improve on what has already been an awesome year.
“Obviously, Jax has a solid start to the season. He’s young in his career. We’re just gonna keep pushing to make him better,” Kubiak said. “And he does that with himself. That’s what great players do. They’re very self-motivated, and that’s what he is.”
There is one major flaw with this Seattle team. Both of their losses have come at home, which is becoming a common trend under head coach Mike Macdonald. Eight of his nine losses as Seattle's head coach have come at Lumen Field.
“We have to win at home. We have to defend our home turf. We know that,” Macdonald told ESPN after the Seahawks lost to the Buccaneers 38-35. "It’s really important that we play better at home. It’s been an important emphasis since I was hired. Hasn’t come to life yet. We’re determined to make it come to life.”
Prediction for Houston Texans @ Seattle Seahawks (-3)
Houston has the playmakers needed in the secondary to contain Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Couple that with the fact that the Seahawks are 4-8 at home since the start of last season, and it feels like the Texans will come out on top.
Prediction: Texans 21 - 20 Seahawks
How to watch Houston Texans @ Seattle Seahawks (-3)
Texans @ Seahawks starts at 10 p.m. EDT at Lumen Field. You can watch it on ESPN, or stream it via the ESPN app.
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