The Houston Texans' Week 12 tilt against the New York Jets will be a battle between teams who currently own an identical 2-8 record. As much as they have struggled throughout the season, both squads will surely be eager to get a dub which makes the Texans-Jets matchup more exciting to watch.
Just last week, David Culley's squad was able to nab its second win of the season with a thrilling 22-13 upset victory over the Tennessee Titans. On the other hand, the Jets suffered a 24-17 defeat against the Miami Dolphins which eventually sent them on a three-game losing skid as of the moment.
On Sunday, only one team will prevail and be able to improve a 3-8 record. Both squads will certainly make sure that they won't miss the chance to get back on the win column and swing the momentum back in their favor once again.
With that said, here are our Texans Week 12 predictions.
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Texans Week 12 Predictions
4. Houston's defense will make it hard for opposing WR Elijah Moore to score touchdowns.
Currently, rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore is on fire and has emerged to be the Jets' top offensive weapon thus far. In their past few games, the Ole Miss product has been showing up and producing great numbers for the Jets including 141 yards and a touchdown scored against the Miami Dolphins last week.
Certainly enough, Moore will continue to be the focal point of the Jets offense though he will be facing a tough challenge against a Texans defense that has been coming out with strong outings as of late. Last week against the Titans, linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill stepped up with seven total tackles and an interception.
Cornerback Desmond King also generated seven tackles and two interceptions while a fellow ballhawk in Terrance Mitchell snatched an interception of his own as well. Surely, defensive coordinator Lovie Smith will need his men to play at their best in order to limit Elijah Moore and the rest of the Jets' offense as much as possible.
3. David Johnson and Rex Burkhead will lead the ground game for the Texans.
The Texans' running back room has seen a facelift over the past few weeks as Mark Ingram was recently traded to the New Orleans Saints. Just a couple of days ago, rusher Phillip Lindsay was also dropped by the Texans and was eventually claimed off waivers by the Dolphins.
Without them, the RB unit will now only be led by reliable veterans in David Johnson and Rex Burkhead. In fact, the two already starred in their most recent victory against the Titans as Burkhead notched 40 yards on 18 carries while Johnson generated 18 yards on 13 attempts.
It may not have been their best output but they are surely capable of putting up better numbers, especially with the departure of the other running backs. Hopefully, both Johnson and Burkhead will get to be more productive starting with their game against the Jets as they embrace a larger role within the team's offense moving forward.
2. Tyrod Taylor will throw at least 200 yards and a passing touchdown against New York.
In Week 11, quarterback Tyrod Taylor was at the forefront of the Texans' offense en route to bagging a huge win at the expense of the Titans. With his limited production in the passing game influenced by the opposing defense, the former Pro Bowler then utilized his rushing skills in order to score points for his team. He ran 28 yards on six attempts to generate two rushing TDs to power the Texans to their second win of the season.
Matching up against a less talented Jets defense, Taylor is expected to have a better outing from the pocket and use the passing game more to reach the endzone this time around. Chris Conley, Brandin Cooks, and rookie Nico Collins are just some weapons who are poised to receive passes from their QB on Sunday against the Jets.
1. The Texans will secure a win over the Jets and improve to a 3-8 record.
This season, the Texans' defense has evidently improved under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. Yes, the rotation still has more room for improvement but it was able to get the team a couple of wins, especially in Week 11 where the defense managed to step up and make life harder for the Titans.
Not to mention that the Texans gained a confidence-boosting win after dealing an upset to the AFC South division leader which was no easy feat for them. For their upcoming matchup, Houston will have to rely on its defense once again in order to get their offense going. If Tyrod Taylor and the rest of the unit get to show up as well then they will have an easier time overcoming the struggling Jets.
Having a winning momentum and a home-field advantage will surely give an advantage to the Texans as they look to improve to a 3-8 record after their Week 12 tilt against the Jets.
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