JENNY DIAL CREECH THINKS 7TH STRAIGHT WIN LEGITIMIZES TEXANS.
A 7th straight win in a game pitting 6-3 teams would legitimize the Texans’ playoff prospects
After their fourth win in a row, the Texans raised several eyebrows.
Then they earned win No. 5, which was really a head turner.
So when their sixth in a row came two weeks ago in Denver, the Texans were suddenly a team making headlines.
Sunday in Washington, the Texans bid for a seventh in a row. And this time, they have to beat another 6-3 team to do it.
Both teams are looking for a signature win.
Despite identical records, their leads in their respective divisions and the handful of star players each team boasts, neither is really in the conversation about teams with shots at making deep playoff runs.
If the Texans win this weekend, they should be included in the chatter.
It’s still a little unbelievable the Texans — a team that started the season 0-3 — are on this win streak.
But they are. And this game is their biggest yet.
While they’ve done enough to earn a lot of respect, the Washington game will speak volumes.
The Texans are coming off an open date. They are rested and on a roll.
Deshaun Watson looks like the franchise quarterback the Texans hoped he’d be when they drafted him in 2017.
This season, Watson has thrown for 2,389 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also has rushed for 268 yards, which is the fourth most by a quarterback this season.
He also ranks fourth among quarterbacks this season for the number of times he has been sacked this season at 30.
But in the last three games, the offensive line has looked better. Watson has had more time, more protection.
He has thrown eight touchdown passes since his last interception.
“He’s got a skill set that is very dangerous inside the pocket and outside the pocket,” Washington coach Jay Gruden said. “It’s just how you want to defend him, not to mention he’s got a heck of a weapon out there in (DeAndre Hopkins). Adding Demaryius Thomas helps them on the other side.”
Strength vs. strength
That combination makes the Texans a tough team to defend.
Thomas was added just before the Texans played in Denver. Although he hadn’t been with them long, he caught three passes for 61 yards.
In addition to the offense performing at a high level, the Texans’ defense is starting to live up to hefty expectations this season.
And Washington is a great matchup for the defensive unit’s strengths.
Washington has a good running game. The team averages more than 120 rushing yards per game. Resurgent running back Adrian Peterson is fifth in the league with 672 yards this season.
But the Texans are good at stopping the run. They’re allowing just 92.9 rushing yards per outing, which ranks No. 6 in the NFL.
“Certainly, they are one of the most disruptive fronts in football,” Washington quarterback Alex Smith told reporters earlier this week. “I think when you just talk about just creating problems, penetration, they’re all over the place. They obviously are really, really talented. They get up the field. They’re wellcoached.
“As a defense they’ve been together a long time. The bulk of that defense has been together, so they know what they’re doing. They play fast, but certainly, I think it does start with how disruptive they are up front.”
Washington possesses offensive weapons in Smith and Peterson. It also has former Texans safety D.J. Swearinger, who has an ax to grind with his former team in Houston.
Both teams boast a lot of talent. Neither team is satisfied.
Avoiding the blindside
Sunday’s game will say a lot for both.
Like the Texans, Washington wants to prove it belongs in the playoff conversation and postseason race.
“We have to win a game,” Texans defensive stalwart J.J Watt said. “We have to win to even keep conversations like that alive. I think that’s part of the reason this team is doing what they’re doing, and we’ve had the opportunity to be in this situation is because we’ve taken it one week at a time and nobody’s looking that far ahead. If you start to look that far ahead and you start to think about things like that, that’s when you get blindsided.”
The Texans have been impressive. They’ve gutted out several wins and have strung together six in a row.
Number seven would be the biggest yet.
Number seven would elevate them to a different level.
Number seven would officially make them one of the NFL’s best this season.