The Houston Texans face off against the Carolina Panthers in their Week 3 matchup on Thursday night football. Houston has a depleted roster but they've competed surprisingly well in their first two games. We'll see if they can earn their second win against Carolina. It's time to continue our NFL predictions series with a Texans Week 3 prediction.
The defense has looked subpar, to say the least. However, they're going up against a young Panthers offense. This could allow the Texans to take advantage of Carolina's lack of experience. There isn't much this defense can do to slow down Christian McCaffrey. However, if they can pressure Sam Darnold and force him to make bad throws, then Houston has a shot at winning on Thursday night.
On the other side of the ball, the Texans' offense has been better than most expected. Unfortunately, Tyrod Taylor fell to injury and now Davis Mills takes over, as he makes his rookie debut. To keep this game competitive though, Houston will need to establish the run early. Lastly, Brandin Cooks is by far the best receiver on the team. Look for him to have a big game as the ball should come his way frequently. With that said, here are three bold Texans Week 3 predictions against the Panthers.
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Texans Week 3 Predictions
4. Texans defense bothers Sam Darnold all night
In Week 1, the defense was able to bother Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars just enough to earn the win. This is something they should try to replicate, as pressuring Sam Darnold is their best bet. The Panthers have a plethora of talented receivers and of course, there is Christian McCaffrey. Forcing Sam Darnold to make mistakes gives the Texans their best chances of winning.
3. Davis Mills shines on the NFL's center stage
Tyrod Taylor looked great under center in their first two games. However, he fell to injury during their Week 2 matchup versus the Cleveland Browns. Now, rookie quarterback Davis Mills takes the reins as he faces a young Panthers defense.
Everything about the Texans has been surprising so far and anything can happen on Thursday night football. Look for Mills to potentially light it up in his debut.
2. Phillip Lindsay scores a touchdown and leads Houston in rushing yards
Phillip Lindsay found the endzone in the Texans matchup against the Browns. He looked like the most fluid running back in Houston in Week 2 and that should carry over into the next game. With Mills under center, Houston will want to establish the run early. This will remove any pressure off of their rookie quarterback, increasing their chance of winning the game.
Additionally, it allows the Texans to control the clock, keeping the ball out of Christian McCaffrey's hands. If Houston can maintain that game plan, their chances of winning increase exponentially.
1. Brandin Cooks goes off for 150+ yards and one touchdown
Brandin Cooks might just be the most underrated and underappreciated wide receiver in the NFL. He's overlooked every season, despite producing spectacular numbers year in and year out. Cooks happens to be the best player on a bad Texans offense. For that reason, we should see Davis Mills target the veteran receiver often.
With Nico Collins on the IR and the rest of the receiving core well below par, look for Cooks to do the bulk of the work for the Texans offense on Thursday night.
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