Seattle Seahawks at Houston Texans Line
The 5-7 Seattle Seahawks take on the 5-7 Houston Texans Sunday in a Week 14 NFC West versus AFC South Division battle. Last week, Seattle was able to squeak out a 20-17 win over division rival San Francisco while the Texans fell 23-18 to division rival Jacksonville for their fourth straight loss. These two teams have not faced off since the 2005 season when a powerhouse Seahawks team crushed the developing Texans 42-10 in the only meeting in the series. NFL lines makers expect Houston to return the favor, listing the Texans as a 6-point favorite with the total set at 45.
Houston jumped out to a 5-3 start this season, looking like a team capable of getting into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. But since, the Texans have lost four in a row to leave their playoff chances looking mighty bleak. The question now is if the Texans will quit or if they’ll fight to the end. If the answer isn’t fight, they could be in trouble against a Seahawks team that clearly hasn’t quit with back-to-back wins as proof.
The tight end position doesn’t get a whole lot of shine in comparison to running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers, but it should get a whole lot more. We have seen just how valuable good tight end play is to teams, as evidenced by Antonio Gates in San Diego and Dallas Clark in Indianapolis for example. Texans tight end Owen Daniels was having a monster season before going down with a knee injury and Houston has not won a game since that injury. Backup Joel Dreessen has not been any kind of threat in the passing game and nobody else wants to step up to aid Andre Johnson. The Texans need to have somebody else step up and make some plays this week to get back in the win column.
Maybe the guy stepping up to make plays will be on the defensive side of the football. Houston defensive end Mario Williams has been at his best in December with 13 sacks in 16 career December games. Getting pressure on Matt Hasselbeck is another key to victory. It is worth noting that the Seahawks are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog.
The passing game is where the Seahawks really have a chance to hurt the Texans. If Houston isn’t able to bring a consistent pass rush it puts its suspect secondary in a world of hurt. Houston’s defensive backfield has been susceptible to giving up the big play all season long and Seattle is not short on weapons to run at them. Leading wide receiver Nate Burleson can flat out fly and fellow wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh is one of the best pass catchers in the league, ranking second in the NFL with 355 receptions since 2006. Plus, the Texans also have to worry about running back Justin Forsett, who is also a great weapon in the passing game. Forsett has a touchdown in four straight games. It is worth noting that the Texans are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
