As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. Like last year, Josh Carney and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Josh on the players.
Today, the Houston Texans’ offense.
ALEX’S SCHEME REPORT
TEXANS RUN GAME
Like the Las Vegas Raiders, the Texans want to be built around the ground game. And like the Raiders, they’ve had difficulty doing that. Starting RB Dameon Pierce is averaging just 2.5 on 40 carries. The only back with that many rushes and a worse average is Josh Jacobs at 2.4. Pierce’s longest run of the season is 10 yards.
As a team, the Texans rank 31st at 2.8 yards per carry, tied for last in the NFL with a long run of 14, have just one rushing touchdown, and only five runs of 10 or more yards (tied for 26th).
Backup RB Devin Singletary does have 20 carries on the season. Not an insignificant number. But he’s only been slightly more successful. QB C.J. Stroud has 10 runs this season.
Unlike the Raiders, it’s more of a zone-based scheme with a good dose of stretch runs. They can also do it out of two-back with a fullback, No. 47 Andrew Beck (who had a wacky kick return touchdown last week as an upback). Their OC Bobby Slowik came over from San Francisco and you see that 49ers flair with Zorro motion and movement with the fullback pre-snap.
But they also mix in a power run game, too. There’s also wham blocks, usually done early, to slow down aggressive and one-gapping defensive linemen. Two examples below.
Some other offensive stats. The Texans are averaging 22 points per game, 18th in the league, but they’ve been improving. They scored nine points in Week One, 20 points in Week Two, and 37 points in Week Three’s win over the Jaguars. They’ve been excellent on third down, fourth overall at 48.1 percent, but an NFL-worst 27.3 percent in the red zone. Just 3-for-11. They are plus-two in turnover differential in part because they have just two giveaways this year.
TEXANS PASS GAME
Led by rookie QB and second overall pick C.J. Stroud. He’s come on strong in the last two weeks with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s completing 64.5 percent of his passes and his 7.5 yards per attempt is seventh in the league. He has been sacked a lot, 11 times, but stayed clean with zero sacks last Sunday as he got to play with a lead throughout the game. I’ll let Josh expound on it below but just watching Stroud, especially in a two-minute drill against the Jaguars, was really impressive. He’s going to be a stud.
It should be noted that Stroud has fumbled the ball three times so there’s a chance to get the ball out. Pittsburgh has forced seven fumbles this year. Numbers to note.
Stroud’s top weapons are WRs Nico Collins and rookie Tank Dell. Downfield threats with Collins averaging 17.3 yards per catch with Dell coming in at 16.7 following a big game in Week Three, 145 yards and a score. Don’t sleep on WR Robert Woods, either. The Texans’ version of Allen Robinson II is Woods, who has 15 receptions and is averaging 11 yards per catch. Eight of those receptions have come on third down, which leads the team and is tied for second-most in the NFL. Six of those have gone for first downs.
Conceptually, they love to use the middle of the field. Digs, overs, crossers. A lot of Yankee concepts, Dagger route concepts, and some boot-action. A cut-up of what I’m talking about.
As written above, they like to use Woods on third down. They’ll use split backs with Woods aligned as a running back, sometimes with really wide splits, and run angle/option routes to get him matched up on linebackers.
And there’s a lot of simple spacing/stick concepts. Houston uses a lot of 2×2 formations and mirror concepts to each side.
Overall, their formations feature a down of reduced splits on early downs. Really try to condense things which helps open up their out-breaking routes and reduces the ground that needs covered on crossers.
Josh’s Scouting Report
It’s Texans week, Steelers fans!
Entering the Week Four matchup against the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh will face off against rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud for the first time and will do so with him playing behind a makeshift offensive line due to injuries.
Though things haven’t gone as smoothly in front of Stroud from a health standpoint as expected, the rookie signal caller has been darn good.
He looks calm, cool and collected, is playing with great anticipation and has impressive touchdown and accuracy on his throws. He looks quite advanced overall and has excitement rather high in Houston.
Stroud looks like a veteran at times, especially when working through progressions and hanging in the pocket.
When he’s able to hang in the pocket and let his arm go to work, the Texans offense hums.
He doesn’t have the best supporting cast around him, but he’s developing great chemistry with rookie receiver Tank Dell and veterans Nico Collins and Roberts Woods, the three of whom are his top receivers.
Woods is the sure-handed veteran who brings a great route-running presence to the table. He’s tough over the middle, knows how to get open and has great hands overall.
He’s become Stroud’s security blanket, whether it’s on third down or when he’s under pressure and needs to unload quickly.
Where Stroud and the passing game have been rather dynamic is on RPOs and play-action over the middle with Collins. He’s been terrific early in the season on skinny posts and slants, catching and running after the catch with physicality.
He hasn’t exactly shown the ability to win on contested catches in the NFL like he did in college, but he’s coming into his own in Year Two with the Texans.
Dell is the big-play threat. He had a breakout game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week Three, finishing with five catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, coming through on two big plays down the field.
Second-year pro John Metchie III is working his way back from beating leukemia and is starting to get up to speed in the Houston offense, developing chemistry with Stroud.
At tight end, Houston has a solid duo with free agent signee Dalton Schultz and young Brevin Jordan.
Jordan had a touchdown in Week Three while Schultz has been the underneath security outlet for Stroud. With the receivers having so much success on the outside, the Texans haven’t utilized the tight ends in the passing game much.
Though Stroud has grabbed hold of this offense and made it his, Houston still wants to run the football quite a bit and has a hammer of a running back in Dameon Pierce, a guy I really like watching.
He’s not all that shifty, but he runs with great power behind his pads, consistently falls forward and knows how to just put his head down and plow ahead when lanes aren’t there. He matches exactly what the Texans want from an offensive mindset standpoint.
Free agent signee Devin Singletary is a nice change-of-pace guy behind Pierce and brings good explosion to the table while still having some power to his game.
Up front, the Texans are in shambles. It’s a real concern. Yet, they continue to play well offensively. Here’s how I expect them to line up left to right on Sunday:
LT — Austin Deculus
LG — Kendrick Green
C — Jarrett Patterson
RG — Shaq Mason
RT — George Fant
The right side of the line is steady with Mason still playing at a high level and Fant continuing to be a dependable veteran.
Everything else is a major concern though.
Green, as is well known from the Steelers, has really struggled in the NFL. He’ll make his third straight start for Houston, this time against his old team. We’ll see how he holds up. Deculus will make his first NFL start and will play in his eighth career game with the Texans.
It could be ugly on Sunday.
On special teams, Houston is quietly pretty steady.
Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is 8-of-9 on the season, though his long is just 38 yards. He’s missed on just three of his last 41 attempts and has missed just 26 kicks in his seven-year. Steady kicker overall.
At punter, Ty Zentner has stepped in as a rookie and solidified the position for Houston. On 11 punts this season he’s averaging 43.27 yards with a long of 54 yards and has one punt downed inside the 20.
In the return game, Woods handles the punt returns, though Dell has gotten some looks, too. Woods is averaging 8.5 yards per punt return, while Dell is the big-play threat, averaging 13.5 yards on two punt returns.
In the kick return game, Singletary and fellow backup running back Mike Boone handle the duties. Singletary is the primary guy though Boone served as the returner against Jacksonville. This is a sneaky special teams unit overall.
Rookie Will Anderson blocked a field goal against the Jaguars and fullback Andrew Beck had an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the same game. Yes, you read that right.
