TEXANS-RAMS
Breaking down this weekend’s matchup in Los Angeles.
The records: Texans 3-5, Rams 6-2 The rivalry: The Texans are 1-2 against the Rams, beating them in St. Louis in 2009 and losing to them in Houston in 2005 and 2013.
The coaches: The Texans’ Bill O’Brien is 30-26 in four seasons and 1-2 playoff games. Sean McVay is 6-2 in his first season with the Rams. At 31, he’s the youngest head coach in modern times in the NFL. His grandfather, John, was the Giants’ head coach for three seasons in the 1970s, then went on to become a 49ers executive during their glory years. How they compare: Offensively, the Texans are 12th in yards gained (fourth rushing, 16th passing) and third in points scored. The Rams are third in yards gained (fifth rushing, 10th passing) and first in points scored. Defensively, the Texans are 20th in yards allowed (ninth rushing, 21st passing) and 30th in points allowed. The Rams are 16th in yards allowed (26th rushing, ninth passing) and ninth in points allowed.
Plot lines: The Texans’ challenge going forward is to find away to move the ball and score points behind Tom Savage or T.J. Yates, something they had come to take for granted with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. The defense, in turn, must slow down a suddenly explosive Rams team that has scored more than 40 points three times, including a season-high 51 in its most recent victory over the Giants.
Six degrees of separation: Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips held the same job for the Texans under Gary Kubiak from 2011 through 2013 and is the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL, having begun his pro career as a Houston Oilers assistant in the 1970s. He still makes his off-season home here. Linebacker Connor Barwin, a second-round draft pick in 2009, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Texans, registering 19 sacks in the three full seasons he played.
Trending: The Texans have lost two in a row for the first time this season. They’re 3-5 at midseason for the second time in three years. The Rams have won three in a row and five of their past six, giving them two more victories than they managed all last season. They’re trying to end a playoff drought dating to 2004.
Go figure: The Texans had become the NFL’s highest-scoring team behind Watson but have managed only 14 offensive points in the six quarters Tom Savage has played. Rams quarterback Jared Goff has thrown 13 touchdown passes in eight games this season after throwing only 5 as a rookie last year in seven games, all of which the Rams lost. Behind Goff, they Rams are leading the NFL in scoring and have outscored their opponents by a larger margin than other team.
Worth pondering: Can the Texans, trailing both Jacksonville and Tennessee by two games in the AFC South, find a way to remain in playoff contention with Savage at quarterback and without J.J Watt and Whitney Mercilus on defense? Can they even finish 6-2 for a fourth consecutive 9-7 season?