Team Preview: Houston Texans

Last season after wining their second consecutive AFC South title by going 12-4. The Texans came up short of making their first appearance in the Super Bowl by losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. With few new roster additions, the Texans look poised to win their third consecutive AFC South title and make it to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Team and Stadium Info:

2012-13 Standings:

Offensive Team Averages:

Defensive Team Averages:

Offensive Scouting Report:

Quarterback Matt Schaub holds the key if the Texans want to take a the next step. If he can put together a solid season, the Texans have good shot making it the Super Bowl in New York. Schaub has plenty of talent around for him to succeed with receiver’s Andre Johnson, rookie DeAndre Hopkins, and tight end Owen Daniels. At runningback, Arian Foster is one of the best at his position. The offensive line is solid with left tackle Duane Brown leading the way.

Defensive Scouting Report:

Defensive coordinator Wade Philips did an excellent job at turning the Texans defense around last season. Players such as  defensive end J.J. Watt and linebacker Brian Cushing make the other players around them that much better. Signing free agent safety Ed Reed helps not only to bring toughness on the field, but also brings added leadership off the field. The one glaring negative on the defensive side of the ball is someone needs to step up to help put pressure on the quarterback besides Watt.

Unit Ratings:

Key Impact Player:

Andre Johnson continues to be one of the true difference makers as he had one of the best seasons of his career even though he played through a groin injury. He finished the 2012-13 NFL season second in receiving yards with a career-high 1,598 yards and third in receptions with 112 receptions. He is big, strong, and fast making him one of the toughest receivers to defend on the cyber football playing field.

Other Impact Players:

Team Strength Charts:

Note: Click on each team strength chart image to view it in a bigger size.

Playing As:

On offense, use a good mix of run and pass as the Texans are the better balanced offensive teams in the game. When throwing the ball look for Andre Johnson as he is one of the top receivers in the game. Rookie DeAndre Hopkins has speed, if he gets 1 on 1 coverage, look to throw to him deep. When running the ball with Arian Foster, look to run towards the left side of the offensive line as Duane Brown will be open up running lanes.

On defense, defensive ends J.J Watt and Antonio Smith should be able to provide pressure without having to blitz all that much. This will allow you play more base defenses such as 2 Man Under, Cover 3, and Cover 4 defenses. Jonathan Joseph is one of top man coverage corners in the game. Consider assigning him to the opposing offenses top receiver to keep him in check.

Playing Against:

When playing against the Texans while on offense, look to the ball away from Jonathan Joseph. The Texans don’t have linebackers with a lot of speed to bring pressure off the edge, so don’t expect a lot blitz schemes to be called. Consider running a lot 3WR, 4WR, and 5WR receiver sets as the Texans don’t have much as depth at the defensive back position.

When playing against the Texans on while on defense, double up Andre Johnson as much as you can. He is a monster and needs the extra added attention. Don’t sell out on defense to stop the Adrian Foster as it will open passing lanes for the Texans receivers. Allow J.J. Watt to get pressure on his own. If he is not able to generate pressure, you may have to blitz more often.

Offensive Formations:

Defensive Formations:

Key Offensive Plays:

The Gun Bunch Verticals sends four receivers on vertical routes. Look for the inside slot receiver on the post route as he is open against Cover 2 coverage.	The Singleback Tight Doubles sends 3 receivers on crossing routes at different depths. Against zone coverage, the flanker will be the receiver that usually is open.	One of the top run plays in the game. If man coverage is called, send the flanker in motion to the left to clear out more running room towards the right side.

Key Defensive Plays:

A solid base defense to call when using the Texans. With 5 defenders in man coverage and the two safeties playing deep, it should give J.J. Watt enough time to get to the QB.	A good zone defense to call to overload the right side of the offensive line is the 3-4 Over Stack. This defense provides a 5 man pass rush, while 6 defenders drop in coverage.	The Sub 2-3-6 provides excellent pass coverage deep with four defenders playing 4 deep across. Underneath there are 3 defenders playing zone coverage.

Note: all ratings, formations, and plays are projected for this year’s pro football video game.