For the first time in a long time, when it comes to the Houston Texans, it feels good to say the following — the bye week sucked! I hated having to wait two weeks for the next Texans game! This is what happens when you have the brightest young star in the league at quarterback, and the team has won three out of its last four games. You want the next game to get here NOW!
So here we are, in Week 8, with the Texans currently sitting on the fringe of the playoff hunt, and having one of the easiest remaining schedules, according to the current win-loss records of all 32 teams. DeMeco Ryans and his crew are in a phenomenal spot, with statistically the best chance to build further momentum this weekend, as they take on the winless Carolina Panthers.
What was billed before the season as a game whose sole intrigue was the first and second overall picks in the draft facing off against each other, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, has turned into a game where the Texans can further notify the rest of the NFL that the Texans aren’t respecting any old arrangements from 2021 and 2022.
As always, we’ve got things to watch for in this game. Here are the four of the utmost importance and intrigue to me:
4. DeMeco Ryans coming off of a bye week
In DeMeco Ryans’ rookie season as a head coach, we still have several “firsts” to experience. For the first time as a head coach, Ryans’ team will be coming off a bye week. Considering how much positive attention the Texans have garnered while winning three out of their last four games, I would imagine that reminding his players to steer clear of reading their press clippings has been a priority. Panthers head coach Frank Reich was 4-0 coming off a bye during his five seasons in Indianapolis. (He was fired before the bye week in his fifth season with the Colts.)
3. New Panthers play caller
Obviously, things have not gone well for Reich in Carolina thus far. The team is winless, and their rookie quarterback is barely averaging over five yards a pass attempt. So Reich, who has called offensive plays every season of his head coaching career, has ceded play calling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Brown is known in Houston as one of the Texans’ interviewees for the job that eventually went to Ryans. Brown has never called plays in his entire NFL coaching career, which includes the last three seasons with the Rams, so this will either be a massive ambush of the Texans’ defense, or a first timer struggling with the basics.
2. Return of Tank Dell
Offensively, the Texans get back their game changing rookie, wide receiver Tank Dell, who was knocked out of the Atlanta game in Week 5 with a concussion, and is now returning. The Panthers is very banged up with injuries, and even when healthy, they give up a ton of yards to opposing wide receivers. Nico Collins and Dell should both have big games, and Dell’s field stretching speed should open a ton of room in the middle of the field for Collins, Robert Woods, and tight end Dalton Schultz.
1. Battle of the top two
This is the battle on the marquee — Bryce Young versus C.J. Stroud. They will forever be linked as the top two players selected in the 2023 draft, of course, but it goes beyond that. Both are from Southern California, so they’ve met on the high school circuit, in both football and basketball. There is a tremendous mutual respect between them. Right now, it’s no contest as to who the better NFL quarterback is. It’s Stroud in a landslide. I can state with great confidence that Panther fans would much rather see a big performance from Young, even if it is in a losing effort. Texan fans feel confident they’ve found their guy. Panther fans are not sure what they’ve found yet, and that is the definition of “sports fan hell.”
SPREAD: Texans -3
PREDICTION: Texans 31, Panthers 19
SEASON RECORD: 2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
