Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting the Houston Texans’ last game

Every week, we’ll break down the Green Bay Packers’ next opponent based on their last game. What did they do well? Where do they struggle? Who is playing well? Who can’t win their matchups? We watched the All-22 to bring you a full scouting report.

Texans Offense

Stats

• 8th in DVOA
• 8th in passing DVOA
• 23rd in rushing DVOA
• 17th in EPA/play (5-95% Win, i.e. not garbage time)
• 8th in EPA/dropback (5-95% Win)

Week 6 Notes (42-36 OT loss to Titans)

• DT Jeffery Simmons ate up Zach Fulton and Senio Kelemete
• Titans created pressure with some overload blitzes
• Every time they hand the ball to David Johnson, they’re doing the defense a favor
• Running a lot out of empty
• Ran an end-around pass with Randall Cobb
• Will Fuller’s speed is a problem — have to get Jaire Alexander on him more often than not
• Deshaun Watson is basically impossible to corral
• When they’re in that pistol, it’s a run or straight drop (didn’t use play-action)
• If you play man and don’t hold your rush lanes, Watson is going to kill you with his legs
• Watson’s accuracy has been awesome
• If you don’t move him off his spot, he’s going to find someone or create time to find someone
• David Johnson looks so slow
• They’re going to come with specials and trick plays
• Ridiculous TD to Cobb off scramble, rolling to his right
• Tennessee DL started to assert itself as the game rolled on
• Great design to put FS in a bind on late go-ahead TD deep to Fuller
• Deshaun missed a couple throws high. When he misses, that’s where he misses — Titans had a couple chances at tipped interceptions because he threw high in the middle of the field
• Teams are going to be so scared to play man vs. Watson’s legs, they’re going to play more zone and if you don’t disguise it + get pressure, he’s going to kill you
• One explosive run for David Johnson and it was on late TD drive in 4th Quarter
• Titans got pressure on Watson on 4th-and-goal but it didn’t matter

Texans Defense

Stats

• 27th in DVOA
• 20th passing DVOA
• 28th rushing DVOA
• 31st in EPA/play (5-95% WP)
• 29th in EPA/dropback (5-95% WP)
• 32nd in EPA/rush (5-95% WP)
• 5th in adjusted sack rate

Week 6 Notes

• Pre-snap motion can get them to move
• Tannehill didn’t play well early but guys weren’t particularly open either. He got on track going to more play action
• They struggle in zone coverage
• The cutback lanes are there
• JJ Watt is still throwing in the 90’s — He ate up Ryan Kelly, got a sack fumble off the backup LT too
• When Lewan got hurt, they flipped Watt
• Went down 14-0
• They struggled to tackle Derrick Henry
• Communication breakdowns in the back end
• LB Tyrell Adams can be taken advantage of
• This team did not tackle well, even when it’s not Henry
• Massive hole led to 95-yard Henry TD run — one broken tackle and off to the races
• 2-point conversion on terrific misdirection design
• Bradley Roby INT off a slight overthrow on a shot play. Better throw might be a TD
• Gave up game-tying TD on last drive of regulation
• It’s not like they were blowing coverages left and right or getting blown off the ball — it’s a few mistakes here and there
• Ryan Tannehill was extremely accurate after first drive or two
• AJ Brown made a great play on the game-tying TD
• Make these DBs tackle!
• Derrick Henry broke a tackle on a swing and turned it into a chunk play to set up game-winning TD