The leading projections forecast the Houston Texans offensive strategy to tilt 1.4% more towards running than it did last year (context-neutralized) with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik now calling the plays.
With a 5.5-point advantage, the Texans are favored in this game, suggesting more of a focus on running than their typical approach.
At the present time, the 9th-most run-focused offense in the NFL (41.5% adjusted for context) according to the predictive model is the Texans.
Our trusted projections expect this game to have the 2nd-highest number of plays run among all games this week at 132.0 plays, given the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
This year, the weak Cardinals run defense has surrendered a whopping 139.0 adjusted rushing yards per game to opposing squads: the 3rd-most in football.
Cons
The air attacks of both teams (including both volume and effectiveness) figure to benefit from the still “weather” conditions (read: zero wind) inside this dome, while run volume may drop.
In regards to run support (and the ramifications it has on all run game metrics), the offensive line of the Texans ranks as the 2nd-worst in football last year.
Devin Singletary’s 41.0 adjusted yards per game on the ground this year shows a noteable drop-off in his running skills over last year’s 54.0 mark.
Devin Singletary’s 4.0 adjusted yards per carry this year indicates a remarkable diminishment in his rushing skills over last year’s 4.8 rate.