As is becoming more and more commonplace, Justin James Watt dominated the line of scrimmage from start to finish. This is unconfirmed, but I hear he actually made Jacksonville right tackleGuy Whimperlive up to his name and, you know, whimper. What I can confirm is Watt’s impressive stat line. He had a team-high five tackles, two tackles for a loss, one-and-a-half sacks, three quarterbacks hits, two passes defensed, and recovered a fumble in Jacksonville. I am sure Watt would give credit to his coaches, teammates, and remark that winning a championship is his only goal. Personally, I am happy to see him get recognized for his play. If you follow him onTwitteror read any interviews, you know Watt is a hard-working, big-dreaming, humble son-of-a-gun. It is that work ethic that gets me,and Diehard Chris, excited becausehe still is only scratchingthe surface of his immense talent.
For those who love odd facts, no Texans defensive player has received the weekly honor since Glover Quin in week 12 of the 2010 season. Yes, a Frank Bush-coordinated player won something. You may remember that as Quin's three interception day versus Rusty Smith and the Tennessee Tians. No defensive lineman has taken the honor home for Houston since 2007. Naturally, that would be Mario Williams and his three-and-a-half sack performance against the Denver Broncos, who are coincidentally this week's opponent for Watt and the Texans. Congratulations to J.J.Watt on what we hope is the first of many weekly, and yearly, awards for him in Houston.
If the Houston Texans believe this is their year, then taking care of business in the first two games of the schedule is essential.Â
They were served up two organizations in rebuilding mode and did everything they could to set them back even further. The defense has given up a single touchdown, which came from the single mistake they have madeâ€"a 32-yard pass that is the only gain of any significance given up by the top-ranked squad in the NFL.Â
The Texans rank first in so many categories; to save space, just go to their page at Pro Football Reference. So far, they have fattened up their stats on a couple of crews destined for their respective division cellars.
The defense might continue in this manner depending on which version of Peyton Manning turns up in Denver this Sunday.Â
If Manning has to throw over the outstretched fingertips of J.J. Watt, then we might see even more floaters than Peyton threw against the Falcons. The tipped passes Watt has amassed total five in the box score, with at least two more unaccounted for.Â
All the attention Watt is receiving has overshadowed some excellent work by Antonio Smith on the other side of the line. The line has been so good that it has left the linebackers without a lot to do. When you are limiting the opposition to less than 200 yards per game, who can complain?Â
The pass rush has been so intense that Kareem Jackson ranks ahead of Johnathan Joseph in the cornerback rankings at Pro Football Focus. Going back to his rookie year in 2010, did anyone ever think this day would come? Nothing demonstrates their dominance more than his rise to this status.
Some other observations about the defense:Â
Connor Barwin has yet to record a sack, but the year is young. He needs to get off the schneid if he wants the big contract or even the franchise tag.
Whitney Mercilus has yet to show much at OLB, but he's earning his keep on special teams. His learning curve is difficult to judge at this point, but as a No. 1 pick, he'll get the benefit of the doubt.
Brian Cushing has not been practicing much, and you have to wonder if his aching ribs are still a bit tender. His play on game day has not suffered so far.
Offensive Line Development
Rob Carr/Getty Images
Going into the Dolphins game, all the talk was about how well the right side of the line would do. Coming out of that win, everyone was asking what is wrong with the whole shebang.Â
When the main thrust of an offense is based on running the ball, 83 yards and a 2.4 average can be unsettling. Their next effort required a correction of those statistics.Â
The Jaguars will admit the Texans pulled it off to the tune of 216 yards and a 4.5 average. Most of the gains were behind the interior of the line, a welcome change over the Miami game. There were no sacks allowed as well, as Matt Schaub kept his passes short and took few shots downfield.Â
The most interesting development in Week 2 was the rotation of Ben Jones and Antoine Caldwell at right guard. Caldwell is now getting the bulk of the snaps, but that could change later on. Derek Newton was up against Jaguars rookie Andre Branch, who was easier to handle than the Miami combo of Randy Starks and Jared Odrick.Â
Rookie RG Brandon Brooks has been inactive so far, an indication he needs more time to adapt to the pros, unless Caldwell or Jones is injured, at which point he will have to learn the game under fire.Â
Running Game Gets Going
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
There is not a running back around who can get his yards without some blocking upfront. At least that was the story in the first game versus Miami.Â
Foster looked like the Arian of previous years when the holes started appearing in the Jaguars defense. Sports talk in Houston is rife with the “Get him a pork chop†calls, but it is still too early to judge the impact of his conversion to veganism. A few more outings like his Jacksonville outburst of 110 yards, and that sort of blather should die down.Â
Ben Tate had his own reversal last week with a 5.8 yard-per-carry average, and he looked more elusive than ever. Some room to run can make all the difference.Â
The passing game is where these two really need to start pitching in. Foster is so far off his pace of 11.6 yards per reception that led NFL backs in 2011 that I'll keep the actual figure unrevealed. Tate is not the receiver Foster is supposed to be, but his 6.5 YPR is actually ahead of his well-paid running mate.Â
Justin Forsett looks like good change-of-pace substitute. Would the coaching staff risk him returning kicks if Holliday is relieved of the job? The answer is probably yes.
Passing Game Goes Short
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If you never fall behind, passing seems like an unnecessary proposition. If there is no choice but to throw, then why gamble on putting the ball in low-completion or high-risk locations?Â
This has been the formula throughout these two 20-point wins. Out of Schaub’s 46 completed passes, only 12 have gone to wide receivers. It's a conservative strategy made possible by a cluster of turnovers in one game and a determined rushing attack in the other.Â
Gary Kubiak has hinted he is limiting Matt Schaub’s exposure to injury by not calling any long, drawn-out pass routes. Coach will have to air it out eventually, but only when circumstances demand it.  Â
The pass rush of Denver did not put much heat on Matt Ryan in their 27-21 Monday night loss to Atlanta. The Broncos have lost some of their mile-high mojo the last two years, going just 7-9 at home.Â
The Falcons were held to 67 yards on 28 rushes, so their run defense is no pushover. If the Texans revert to their form against the Dolphins, and the defense is unable to deliver the field position they did that day, then the thin air of Invesco Field will aid the Texans when they need to strike deep.
Special-Teams Anxiety
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Every kick return by Trindon Holliday is accompanied by the same question: Will he break a long run or will he bobble another one? Through two games he has done both, mostly helping the Texans cause and not hurting it much.Â
His 36-yard punt return set up the first touchdown last Sunday, but he did not communicate with Glover Quin on a later punt that glanced off the safety’s helmet and out of bounds. The mistakes Holliday makes are the kind coaches can only put up with for so long.Â
Jacoby Jones, the previous holder of this position, made one too many of these mistakes and had to change his address to Baltimore. At least he was 6’3†and could grab a pass now and then.Â
With Holliday’s stature, it would be hard for the quarterback to even spot him amidst the traffic on the field. He has the job for the foreseeable future, or until his uncertain hands do more damage than his speed.Â
The coverage teams are just a problematic, allowing one punt return for a TD and ranking 29th at 21.6 yards per return. That is closer to a kickoff-return average. Every game, there is at least one coverage gaffe where the center of the field is wide enough for a Peterbilt 587 semi to charge through.Â
Some do not believe special teams are one-third of the game, an old coaches maxim. But everyone agrees when things go wrong in the kicking game, it can undo all the hard work done by the offense and defense.
If you're like me and love to watch specific matchups, then the Sunday afternoon tilt between Peyton Manning and the Houston Texans defense will be must-see TV.Â
The only question is, who will come out on top?Â
I'm banking on the Texans, so let's take a closer look at how it will shake out.
Markets
The look-ahead line for this game had the Texans as short favorites, and after Week 2 not much has changed. I was hoping for a Broncos cover on Monday night, not only because I picked them, but also for some value on Houston in Week 3. I don't see this line hitting the magical 'three', but it will be interesting to see what it closes at (odds from SBRforum).
Home Field Advantage?
Week 2 saw an astonishing 11 home teams cover the spread after splitting Week 1 going 8-8.
Was it also a coincidence that the replacement refs had a horrible weekend? The jury is still out on what the specific impact these officials are having, but I saw many 50/50 calls go in favor of the home team this week. I'm not saying the refs decided any games, but their unpredictability and inability to control and call a game is getting more concerning.
Last weekend could have been an anomaly, but one thing I do know is if you like a road team in Week 3, you better be sure of your advantages. The fact that the Broncos enjoy an inflated home-field advantage playing in the thin air of Mile High should tell you just how much I like this Texans team.
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Super Bowl Bound?
So far, there are a couple of NFL teams that I was very wrong aboutâ€"the Kansas City Chiefs are a prime example.
However, one team I appear to be spot on with is the Houston Texans. I picked them before the season to win the Super Bowl and placed them at the top of my power rankings before seeing a single snap.
I realize it's only been two weeks, but I saw much of the same domination last year before they suffered some huge injuries to key players. The Texans beat up on much inferior opponents, but that's what top teams are supposed to do, so I'm not going to take anything away from their victories, thus far.
Defense Wins Championships?
Since the Broncos don't face the 49ers this year, chances are this will be the toughest defense Peyton Manning sees all year.
On one side, he will see DEs Antonio Smith and Connor Barwin. On the other side he'll see end J.J. Watt and LB Brooks Reed. These guys play relentless football and come at you on every down. The scary thing is they can often get pressure without bringing extra guys.
Over the middle, the Broncos offense will have to deal with Brian Cushing. Even their reserve guys can make plays:Â Whitney Mercilus was taken in the first round and is coming in as a pass-rushing specialist.
Peyton will want to play the underneath game with Stokley, Willis McGahee his tight ends and McGahee, but the Texans defense will make it tough-sledding for every yard and every first down.
Who covers?
Texans -1
Broncos -1
If he wants to attack them vertically, the news might be even worse.
Safeties Danieal Manning and Glover Quin are as versatile as they come. They can make tackles in the run game, line up at cornerback or roam free and patrol center field. On the outside is Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson. This group doesn't get as much national attention as it should, but it provides great back-end support for one of the NFL's most formidable front seven.
Expect Manning to have game plan that uses a lot of base two-tight end sets so as to give him an advantage at the snap.
But as we saw vs. the Falcons, the Broncos' passing game is not a well-oiled machine just yet. If they hope to win this game, they'll have to do it playing smart and efficient ball (and not turn the ball over four times in the first quarter). So far, Manning has thrown five balls past 20 yards this season and three of them were picked off by defensive backs.Â
That's not an encouraging sign for Bronco fans.
Can Anybody Stop Foster and Tate?
When you line up Denver's defense against anybody, I'm going to like their chances at slowing them down. It did a pretty good job against the Steelers in Week 1, and it wasn't terrible vs. the Falcons either.
The one question that I do have is how it will do in make-or-break situations.
The true identity of a defensive unit is found on third down and in the red zone. So far this Broncos D has had trouble in these areas, though putting too much weight on their play in those areas after two games may not be fair. After all, Big Ben knows how to get it done when things are on the line, and Denver's defense was repeatedly put in bad spots by Peyton's turnovers against Atlanta.
Still, things aren't going to get any easier with Houston on deck.
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Matt Schaub isn't about to win any passing titles or lead the league in touchdowns, but he doesn't have to. He's in the perfect scheme that allows him to pick his spots and win on play-action.Â
When you have guys like Arian Foster and Ben Tate in the backfield running behind a dominant offensive line, the QB is going to have a choice all day between Owen Daniels over the middle or Andre Johnson on the outside.
I expect the Texans to continue with their no-huddle power running game on Sunday and put a lot of pressure on the coverage units.
Bottom Line
I've seen a lot of power rankings out there that have the Texans number two behind the 49ers. When you look at the Super Bowl odds, you'll see the same thing. It's good to see Houston get their respect, but make no mistake about it, this is the best overall team in the NFL right now.Â
I would take them to beat any team in the NFL at the moment, including Week 3.
NFL Pick: HOU -1.
This article is from the Free NFL Predictions blog. For more picks and analysis, visit www.brooksbets.com, and follow Bobby Brooks on Twitter the entire football season for all things NFL betting.
 Jeremy Lin returned to action for the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 point guard, who inked a three-year long $25 million contract with the Houston Rockets in July, finally made it to the court for his first workout session.  The 24-year-old Harvard graduate, who Lin became an international sensation with the New York Knicks last season, arrived in Houston on Monday. Jeremy Lin is looking forward to settling in his new city, but for now he is crashing on his teammate Chandler Parsons’ couch. Jeremy Lin has also spent time with his former New York Knicks teammate Landry Fields and his brother.  “I would rank (Parsons') as in between my brother's and Landry's,†Jeremy Lin told reporters.  The New York Knicks took a big chance on Jeremy Lin after he got waived by the Houston Rockets last December. Signing Jeremy Lin paid off as he averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists for the New York Knicks.  A badly torn meniscus brought a premature end to Jeremy Lin’s sensational season with the New York Knicks. Nonetheless, Jeremy Lin did leave behind a spectacular show. Jeremy Lin went under the knife and six weeks of therapy to return from his injury in order to play for the New York Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat.  It soon became clear that Jeremy Lin would need more time to recover from his injury as the New York Knicks were tossed around by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs during the five games.  Those days are gone now and Jeremy Lin understands that he must get over his rusty form to become Linsational once again. The Houston Rockets have lined up a relatively younger team this year which is being coach by the Boston Celtics legend Kevin McHale. They have also signed in the services of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni.  “I learned a lot in New York,†Jeremy Lin said. “It happened so fast I think I learned (about) basketball, but I think I learned a lot about people, a lot about life. That was huge. On the outside looking in, it might have been all about the glitz and the glamour, but it was really tough for me to handle everything, from all aspects.  “The biggest thing (learned) is what it takes to be consistent every night and to do well every night. It’s one thing to do well once a week, twice a week, but to do it three, four times a week takes a lot of mental focus.â€
Week 3 of the NFL season matches up the Houston Texans against the Denver Broncos. The Texans are coming off a year in which they won the AFC South and went to the playoffs. Contributing to their title in the division was the injury to Peyton Manning. Without Manning the Indianapolis Colts fell into disarray and had a horrible season that resulted in having the first pick of the draft. The Colts decided to part ways with Manning and head coach Jim Caldwell and begin the Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano era.
After leaving the Colts, Manning decided to continue his career with the Broncos. By joining the Broncos Manning became part of a team with a decent running game, talent young receivers and a up and coming defense. This is a team that is much more ready to make a playoff run than the Colts at this stage.
During his career Manning has been incredibly successful against the Texans. His career stat line against the Texans is a win loss record of 16-2 with a completion percentage of 67%. He has thrown for 5,122 yards and has thrown 42 touchdowns and has been intercepted 9 times. These are amazing stats to have against one team and shows that the Texans have struggled against this quarterback. However, things look different coming into this game.
First, this is not the same defense that Manning has gone up against in the past. In previous year the Texans has been among the worst defenses in the league statistically. With the hire of defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips the Houston Texans defense has been completed rebuilt. In 2011, a year that Manning missed so he did not face this defense, the Texans finished #4 in scoring defense and #2 in yards. This is coming off a 2010 season where the Texans were #29 in scoring and #30 in scoring. This is a much stronger defense that will be better prepared to combat Manning.
Second, this is not the same Manning that has plagued the Texans over the years. Manning is in transition phase as he adapts to a new team. He is not as comfortable with with this group of teammates and coaches. He does not have the long standing familiarity that allows him to know exactly where his fellow players will be on any given play. He is also hampered by the residual effects of his neck injury and subsequent surgeries. Manning is not at the same level physically after his injury and the fact that he is 36 years old leads to diminished skill level. If last week against the Atlanta Falcons is an idication of how the game against the Texans will go Manning is in for a long afternoon.
Joe Serenka, Houston Texans Blogger, follow him on twitter @Texansblogster
After the Houston Texans week 1 30-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins, coach Gary Kubiak was not pleased with how the Texans ran the ball as a team. Houston averaged only 2.4 yards per carry on 35 attempts on the ground, a number that is certainly too low in Kubiak’s eyes. Led by Arian Foster, the Texans had no such problems in week 2. The Texans ran the ball a team record 48 times, rushed for 211 yards and averaged 4.5 yards per carry in Sunday’s 27-7 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Foster rushed for 110 yards on 28 carries and in the process became the Texans all-time leading rusher. He came into the game needing 20 yards to pass Domanick Williams‘ (known as Domanick Davis when he played for the Texans) franchise record of 3,195 rushing yards. Foster broke the mark with a 9 yard run in the 2nd quarter that gave him 3,199 yards (and counting) and put him at the top of the list.
In my preview column of the Jags game I predicted Foster would have 150 total yards in this game. He did his best job to make me look like a profit, adding 6 receptions for 37 yards to finish with 147 yards total. It was the 17th career 100 yard rushing game for Foster. Besides taking the large chunk of the Texans record 48 rushing attempts, he also combined with fellow RB Ben Tate to help Houston set yet another franchise record on this day.
The two headed monster rushing attack helped them set the franchise record for time of possession. Houston held the ball for an insane 43:17, besting the previous team record of 40:04 vs the Detroit Lions on 10/19/08. That left Jacksonville with only 16:43 to possess the ball, which kept the defense fresh as they dominated the Jaguars offense. The Texans also ran 83 offensive plays, another franchise record for plays run in a regulation game.
When the Texans running game is going this good, they are usually a shoo-in to win the game. With the win over Jacksonville, they improved to 34-5 under Kubiak when running the ball 30 or more times in a game. Foster added this game to the list of big games he’s had against the division rival Jaguars. Those include a career high 33 carry game in Jacksonville last season and a 180 yard rushing day vs the Jags in the 2010 regular season finale.
Much was made of Foster’s decision to go vegan this past offseason. Some people wondered if his diet decision would affect his performance on the field. His play thus far has answered that question with a resounding no. In the Texans first two games, he has rushed for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns, looking like the same two time Pro-Bowl running back as before.
He and Tate picked up where they left off last season, when they were the number one rushing tandem in the league. Foster finished 2011 fifth in the NFL with 1,224 yards and 1st in yards from scrimmage per game with 141.6. Tate almost hit 1,000 yards himself, finishing with 942 yards and averaging 5.4 yards per carry. As a team, Houston finished 2nd overall in rushing in 2011 to this week’s opponent, the Denver Broncos.
Last season, the Texans defense became known as the ‘Bulls On Parade’. An appropriate nickname for the Texans running game Sunday would be ‘Running of The Bulls’ as Foster and Tate ran wild as Jacksonville defenders played the role of matadors. With Tate’s 73 rushing yards on just 12 carries, Houston’s running game was in top gear. Foster is the ringleader of the ‘Running of The Bulls’ and Tate is a heck of a sidekick. They push each other on the field and the combo will look to continue punishing defenses across the league.
Houston Texans: Like this team?
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