Patriots-Colts, this “rivalry” isn't.
This will mark only the third meeting between the Texans and Eagles; in Week 1 of the 2006 season, the Eagles went to Houston and got a 24-10 victory. The Eagles did so mostly with a group of players no longer on the team. QB Donovan McNabb passed for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns. His favorite target on the day was WR Donte Stallworth, who had six catches for 141 yards and a touchdown.
While many things have changed for these two teams, a few have stayed the same. The best performer for the Texans on that day was WR Andre Johnson, who had six catches for 101 yards. DE Trent Cole of the Eagles had the best defensive numbers on the same with two sacks.
The Eagles need to…
Find a balance in the offense
The Texans defense has been terrible this year. DE Mario Williams (+19.7) is the only defensive lineman with more than 50 snaps to have positive grade vs. the run, and no one in the secondary with more than 100 snaps has a coverage rating anywhere near good. The Eagles should be able to do anything they want on offense against the Texans, and it would be nice for the Eagles to show some balance in doing so.
The Texans need to…
Get Arian Foster to the second level
HB Arian Foster (+17.2) has made a fairly iron-clad case for the Pro Bowl. He's grading exceptionally well, he's a workhorse, and his raw numbers are terrific. The Eagles' defensive line is very strong in stopping the run, but past that the Eagles aren’t nearly as strong. The Texans have been very good in the run block, and need to be at their absolute best against the Eagles' front. If they don't win that battle, it's going to be a tough night.
Matchups
Texans WR Andre Johnson vs. Eagles CB Dimitri Patterson
Andre Johnson (+9.5) has continued to be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, catching 67% of the balls thrown his way and having 13.4 yards per reception. Few can consistently produce as well as him. With Asante Samuel (+4.3) hurting, Johnson could very well be up against Dimitri Patterson (-1.0) a lot on Thursday. Patterson has three interceptions on just 43 throws at him, but also allows over 67% of passes thrown his way to get caught, so this should be an interesting one to watch.
Texans RG Mike Brisiel vs. Eagles DLT Mike Patterson
Mike Brisiel (+6.5) hit a hot streak in the last four games, only allowing three pressures and getting it done in the run block. He will often see Mike Patterson (+13.5) who can be a bit up and down but is more often on the up. Whoever wins this matchup could go a long way in determining the success of the Texans offense.
Notes
On passes that travel more than 20 yards, QB Michael Vick (+37.8) is 18 for 36 for 663 yards, six touchdowns and 0 interceptions … Houston's offense is very disciplined (top 5 in fewest penalties), but its defense is the opposite (top 5 for most penalties). … Vick and Matt Schaub were teammates in Atlanta, who dumped both and wound up with Matt Ryan; remarkable that three of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league would be drafted by the same franchise within a decade.
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