Jets Visit Texans. Three Keys to a New York Victory

(AP Photo/Mel Evans)

The 5-4 Jets will head to Houston this weekend to take on the 4-5 Texans in hopes of getting back to their early season winning ways.

The Jets have lost three of their last four games while the Texans have won three of their last four; one of those victories being last Monday night as they beat the then undefeated Bengals by a score of 10-6 in Cincinnati.

But do not let those four wins confuse you. The Texans are playing above their talent level. Three of the four wins came vs. the Titans, Jaguars, and Buccaneers.

So the Texans really only have one quality win this year. For the Jets to get back in the win column, here is what they have to do on Sunday:

1. Stop the Run – The Houston Texans are one of the worst teams in the NFL when it comes to running the Football. They are ranked 28th in the NFL as they only average 87.2 rushing yards per game. And with the Jets defensive line, the Texans should have a lot of trouble running the Football. And if they cannot run the ball, then they will obviously have to resort to the pass. However, the Texans actually have a pretty good passing game. But if they overuse their passing game and it becomes predictable, then the Jets secondary should have little problems limiting it. So if the Jets play their best run defense and simply do, then the Texans will have problems putting points on the board.
2. Chris Ivory – After his beginning of the year outburst, Chris Ivory has really been struggling. He had a very quiet 99 yards against Buffalo last week but before that, his last 100+ yard game came against the Redskins on October 18th. But this Sunday against the Texans is a game where Ivory can really bust out of his slump. The Texans ranked 25th in the NFL in rush defense as they allow 118 rushing yards per game. And when Chris Ivory runs the ball effectively, the Jets win games.
3. Turnovers – Despite the similar records, the Jets are a better team than the Texans. The only way the Texans can realistically beat the Jets is if the Jets turn the ball over like they did against Buffalo. Last week, the Jets turned the ball over four times and still had a chance to win but that will not be the case every week. The Jets have to limit their turnovers and they will win the game.

My prediction: I think Chris Ivory will get back to the form he was in earlier this season and overall the Jets will come out on top. Jets win 24-10.