Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: Things to Watch
Sep 8, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan (left) brings down Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) for a five yard loss during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
After watching both the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans games from Week 1, there are a few things in particular to watch in this weeks upcoming match-up between the divisional foes.
Offensive line vs. J.J. Watt
The Titans revamped offensive line abused the Pittsburgh Steelers this past week. The stats weren’t as gaudy as some would of hoped, but they got the job done and in time the numbers should come. For the first time in awhile, the Titans played a physical brand of football that was fun to watch.
Look no further back then to this April’s draft when the Titans selected Chance Warmack with their No. 10 selection. One of the biggest reasons for the selection was this week’s match-up against J.J. Watt and the many other battles in the trenches that will follow. Warmack was asked about how he felt about facing Watt when he was drafted. He simply stated that he looked forward to it.
Since then, I too have looked forward to the matchup. It is our biggest guy versus their biggest guy and the matchup will be pivotal in deciding the winner of this game. Watt has wreaked havoc in the Titans backfield since he has been a Texan. It’s time for the Titans offensive line to shut him out.
Titans need more touchdowns
The Titans did a great job controlling the game and put together some solid drives. Unfortunately, they’re settling for way too many field goals. Locker needs to finish drives. That starts with getting the ball to the bevy of playmakers on the Titans roster. The Titans and Locker need to make sure that Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Delanie Walker, or Chris Johnson are scoring touchdowns on a weekly basis.
Titans must pressure Matt Schaub
The Houston Texans offense was ineffective for the first three quarters of their Monday night matchup against the San Diego Chargers. One of the main reasons for their ineffectiveness was the pressure that was put of Matt Schaub throughout the game. It is simple: when Schaub doesn’t have a clean pocket, his level of play drops substantially. Jurrell Casey, Derrick Morgan, Zach Brown, and Akeem Ayers need to bring the heat. How do the Titans allow for this pressure to occur?
Titans need to limit the Texans two-headed running attack
The Chargers held the Texans to just over 100 rushing yards, which is a good effort considering the success the Texans have had the past couple of years. When their run game is ineffective, their play action becomes ineffective. If the Texans are unable to properly run the play action, then the Titans can unleash the dogs and bring the heat on Schaub.
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