Well, what can we say? Our beloved Bulls on Parade are under .500 after a 34-3 onslaught by the San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Matt Schaub is having the worst season of his career, and the secondary is hemorrhaging yardage.
Luckily, the St. Louis Rams will be in town Sunday afternoon. The Rams are ranked 29th in total offense, but the Texans, on the other hand, are seventh in the league while racking up 390 yards a game.
Defensively, the Rams allow 29 points per game. If there was ever a week for Matt Schaub to get out of his slump, it is against the Rams. The Rams are near the bottom of the league when it comes to stopping the run. They allow an average of 126 yards rushing per game, which gives the Texans, who are a top-10 rushing attack — 130 yards per game on the ground — a vulnerable spot to attack.
With the Rams having difficulties trying to stop the run and Matt Schaub’s interception problems, I expect there to be a heavy work load for both Arian Foster and Ben Tate. I expect coach Gary Kubiak to limit Schaub’s passing attempts to mainly third-and-short situations.
Tight end Owen Daniel’s leg injury will force him to miss his first game of the season. Backup tight end Garret Graham has been spectacular thus far, and I expect him to get a lot of balls thrown in his direction. Now the question is whether the Texans implement rookie tight end Ryan Griffin, or we see fewer two tight end formations. Receiver DeVier Posey looks back to full strength, and Keyshawn Martin looks to have made big strides in the offseason. And that’s not to mention Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins.
As for the defense, the Texans need to turn the ball over — they have forced only three all season. In four seasons, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford tends to throw the majority of his interceptions when applied pressure. I expect the Texans’ defense to shut down the Rams’ running attack. From there, it will be a blitz-heavy look for the defense. Look for outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus to continue his strong season.
Case Keenum watch: While I don’t think this is the game for Keenum to get his first regular season action, I do think it is coming. Kubiak is growing tired of Schaub’s inability to hold onto the football. Eventually he will turn to Yates, who I don’t think can get the job done. Kubiak cannot go back to Schaub after he benched him late in the second half at San Francisco. It would be Keenum mania in Houston. I’m not sure it would happen, but that is the scenario in which it could.
