Houston Texans will receive the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs, for the Sunday Night Game in Week 5.But the Texans, for their part, are on a wave of euphoria – and this is particularly true of quarterback Deshaun Watson.However, the rookie is now facing the most difficult test so far, the game will be played live on DAZN from 2.30 a. m. on Monday night!
The first four matchdays were crazy, even for the NFL, to say the least: it was impressive to see that in fact everyone can beat anyone, and seasonal forecasts could be rewritten from week to week.And the two teams, who will meet in Houston on Sunday evening, have been the focus of several debates – albeit at different ends of the spectrum.
If you want to commit yourself to a constant team in the young season, that would probably be the chiefs for most of them.Kansas City shines with a stable defense on all three levels, has a dynamic returner in Tyreek Hill and offers above all an offense that has been seen far too seldom by the Chiefs over the past few years: creative and at the same time efficient, with no unnecessary risk and at the same time unusually aggressive.
The Texans on the other side had a turbulent start to the season.Ten allowed sacks to start at home against Jacksonville, another quarterback exchange in the first game and a lucky away win in Cincinnati against desolate Bengal.Since then, however, the trend has been clearly on the upswing, with euphoria in Houston since the last matchday, thanks to one man: Deshaun Watson.
The Texans have managed to adapt their offense to the rookie quarterback within a very short time.This became clear in the canter victory against Tennessee.Houston makes it as easy as possible for Watson, while at the same time putting pressure on the defense.
Meaning: Lots of play action, plus misdirection and other fakes as well as some run-pass options and zone reads.All these layouts have one thing in common: They make an offense simplified from the quarterback’s point of view with simpler reads for the defense look complicated and difficult to calculate.Tennessee felt this very strongly.
But the big question will still be: How quickly can Watson make the next step out of this?He is already more patient through his reads than against Cincinnati, but mistakes still happen.And with Kansas City, there’s no doubt that Watson’s most difficult test awaits.The Chiefs undoubtedly have a top coach’s baton and will be defensively causing Watson a lot of problems.Kansas City’s Defense is experienced and disciplined, easy play-action passes should be the exception rather than the rule against Tennessee.
Above all, however, Watson’s previous tendency to force the pass to DeAndre Hopkins is put to the test.Hopkins expects the duel with Marcus Peters, and not only that: Peters – like hardly any other Cornerback – tends to read the quarterback himself in Man Coverage and suddenly appear in a previously unplanned area of the field.It’s a big challenge,”says QB coach Sean Ryan,” He will see different fronts and disguises.We know there’s something like that in a rookie quarterback.”
Instead of an offensive explosion, the route for Watson could be: Make as few mistakes as possible, act consistently and prevent the Chiefs-Defense from controlling the game.Then the Texans-Defense could make a decisive difference to the game.Because if you want to identify a weak spot in Kansas City, it’s unquestionably the passport protection.Here, the Chiefs have so far even belonged to the sediment of the NFL.
Some of this was visible early on in the game against Washington and it showed that the engine of the so far strong chief’s offense stutters when the opponent’s pass rush dominates.This is precisely where the Texans’ great strength lies, as is well known.With J. J.Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus, Houston has more than enough firepower to cause Kansas City trouble,”I know the stats aren’t there yet, but you can see the plays on tape,”warned quarterback Alex Smith – who’s been playing a great season so far – ahead of Watt,”It’s sometimes impossible to block him.He can destroy a game if you give him a chance.”
Conversely, however, it can be said that a great game of the Texans front will also be urgently needed.In the Secondary, the Texans are still wobbling and Kansas City’s Offense is able to use possible mismatches for their own benefit with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce as well as the scheme.
And of course, one thing must not go unmentioned: Kareem Hunt may have to leave the rookie-of-the-year title Watson to Kansas, but what Kansas City’s Running Back has played so far is a feast for the eyes – and will also be a rehearsal for Houston.Hunt adds 33 Forced Missed Tackles and 27 broken tackles to the outstanding run-blocking of the Chiefs.The latter would have taken him to 18th place in the entire 2016 season.space.And there are still some games to play.
nearby
Houston Texans (2-2) – Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) (Monday, 2:30 a. m. live on DAZN)
The SPOX NFL Predictor, Week 5:
Pascal
De Marco
35-28