Four Downs: Texans visit Eagles on Sportsnet
Posted December 2, 2010 1:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Chris Morrison uses four downs to preview this week’s match up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans (Rogers Sportsnet all channels at 8 p.m. ET).
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Houston Texans
First down
It will be interesting to see how DeSean Jackson will respond after he was chewed out, in front of teammates, by head coach Andy Reid, following the Eagles Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears.
While Jackson is one of the most explosive receivers in the league, it’s no secret that Jackson has been inconsistent and streaky over his career.
Jackson has since downplayed any rift between Reid and himself. With the Eagles poised to make the playoffs and potentially a Super Bowl run, the tongue lashing could end up sparking the playmaker to become more consistent down the stretch.
Second down
For the second straight week, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is going to face one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL.
Last week it was the Bears’ Julius Peppers and this week Vick will be chased around by the Texans’ Mario Williams.
Working in Vick’s favour is the inability of the Texans to put pressure on the quarterback.
The Texans have 18 sacks so far this season (Williams accounts for eight and a half), which is third worst in the NFL.
The Eagles should be able to protect Vick against Williams, with double teams and running backs chipping him at the line of scrimmage, allowing Vick to find Jeremy Maclin and Jackson down the field.
However, Vick has moments where he tries to create something out of nothing which often results in him fumbling or being sacked. The Eagles have given up 32 sacks this season which is fifth most in the NFL.
Third down
Despite being picked apart through the air, the Texans defence has been stingy on the ground, allowing 100 yards per game.
In their shutout win over the Tennessee Titans, the Texans held arguably the best running back in the league, Chris Johnson, to five yards on seven carries.
In 11 games this season, only Thomas Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew have hit the 100-yard rushing mark against the Texans.
The Eagles have the third-ranked rushing attack, led by LeSean McCoy. This game could get ugly early if the Eagles have any success rushing the ball, opening up play action in the passing game.
Fourth down
The best defence could be a good offence for the Texans.
In Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans’ Arian Foster ran all over the Colts defence, disguising a weak Texans defence, allowing the Texans to control the clock and limit Peyton Manning and the Colts time of possession.
While it is unlikely Foster repeats his Week 1 performance, the Texans defence would benefit greatly if Foster could perform similarly to last week, when he was the top rusher with 143 yards and receiver with 75 yards.
Keeping Vick off the field for as long as possible might be the only chance the Texans have to win this game.
If the game becomes a shootout, quarterback Matt Schaub and receiver Andre Johnson will need to make an impact in the passing game and take advantage of an Eagles secondary that could be without cornerback Asante Samuel.
