Houston had a problem in their 13-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at NRG Stadium.
According to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, the Texans did not have any of their other playmakers step up when Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey locked down Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The matchup between DeAndre Hopkins and Jalen Ramsey went mostly to the Jags corner, who held Nuk (five catches on eight targets for 40 yards) to short gains. Hopkins did much of his damage when Ramsey — who blew up at the coaching staff on the sideline in the first half — was in zone coverage. With Hopkins neutralized, Watson’s passing game wilted. The Texans leaned on Carlos Hyde (90 yards) who out-carried Duke Johnson 20 to 6. Holding on for the win brings a modicum of relief, but the Texans need more when Nuk is negated as he was for the most part by Ramsey Sunday.
Texans receiver Will Fuller had four catches for 40 yards on seven targets, and receiver Kenny Stills had two catches for 38 yards. Slot receiver Keke Coutee, who was an impactful wideout for the Texans last year as a rookie, caught just two passes for seven yards in his 2019 debut.
It is true no one else emerged for Houston in the passing game. However, the Texans offense was still able to make a few key plays to stay ahead of the Jaguars, such as Watson’s 2-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter. The Texans’ offense took care of its first job, which was to possess the football and not turn it over back to the Jaguars. Beyond that objective, Houston struggled and edged Jacksonville for a 1-1 start to the season.
