The Houston Texans have played two games decided by no more than two points. The Los Angeles Chargers have played two games which have also gone down to the wire. Logic says that these two AFC playoff hopefuls should engage in another tight contest in Week 3. What\u2019s the best bet here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Texans are facing a depleted Charger team. Melvin Gordon is continuing his holdout, tight end Hunter Henry is done for the season, safety Adrian Phillips is out for this game left tackle Russell Okung is out for four more contests. It doesn\u2019t end there as the secondary is decimated. All-Pro safety Derwin James is out, cornerback Trevor Williams is out and cornerback Michael Davis missed this past weekend\u2019s game against Detroit and will be questionable for this upcoming game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chargers ae not playing with anything close to a full roster and moreover, their losses are significant. James and Phillips are key members of the secondary \u2013 both of whom were All-Pros last season. Gordon is a centerpiece player on the offense and Henry is an important member of the supporting cast. With all of these limitations, the Texans have a prime opportunity to go on the road and beat a Charger team which is extremely vulnerable at the moment. They also don\u2019t enjoy a huge home-field advantage since its stadium seats fewer than 40,000 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chargers\u2019 best hope for this game is their pass rush matched against the Houston offensive line. The Chargers have Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa up front, one of the nastiest and most overwhelming pass rushing combinations in the NFL. The defensive front four is their foremost strength. It is exactly why they contained the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and limited the Detroit Lions to just 13 points in Week 2. The Chargers always have a chance because of their defense, and in this game, they have an offense they can dominate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Houston\u2019s weakest point is its offensive line. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is a great player, but the Texans have not been able to prevent him from getting hit a lot over the past few seasons. This season, the hits have kept coming. Watson was sacked six times in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints and then was dropped four more times in Week 2. The Texans\u2019 offense regressed from their performance against the Saints against as they were lucky to walk away with a 13-12 win over Jacksonville in Week 2. The Jags scored a late touchdown, went for two but failed to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chargers can easily sack Watson six or seven times, making his life miserable and constantly shutting down Houston\u2019s offensive possessions. That is their path to victory even though they have so many injuries everywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Texans could smoke the Chargers\u2019 weak secondary, but their offensive line might not allow them the time necessary to do that. The Chargers\u2019 offense still has Philip Rivers, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler, and they should have a good day against the Texans defense that is not very good. Look for plenty of points in this game as well as an over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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