Titans vs. Texans: What's the Game Plan for Houston?

Offensive Game Plan

Without a solid performance from the running game, the Houston Texans' offense is like trying to eat a delicious bowl of ice cream without a spoon. Sure, you could get the job done by shoving your face in the bowl, but it would be much easier and a lot more enjoyable if you had a spoon.

With the tremendous play of DeAndre Hopkins this year, the Texans are capable of moving the ball while leaning on the pass, but the offense runs more efficiently when the run game is working and setting up the passing attack.

Establishing the run over their remaining schedule won't be easy with Arian Foster out for the year, but it also won't be impossible.

Second-year player Alfred Blue had a huge game with 139 yards during their Week 3 victory over Tampa Bay, so there is some evidence—as small as it may be—that the running game can survive without Foster on the football field.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Regardless of who is carrying the ball, the Texans should focus the direction of their running game behind left tackle Duane Brown.

Through seven games this season, the Texans are averaging 4.9 yards per carry running behind their left tackle, but they have averaged less than four yards per carry in every other direction.

The majority of the Texans' rush attempts this season have gone toward the middle-left and middle-right, between the center and either guard, but runs in those directions have gone for just 3.5 and 2.9 yards per carry, respectively.

Ben Jones has done a decent job in pass-blocking this year, but he ranks 25th among centers in the run-block rating from Pro Football Focus, so trying to jam running plays up the middle probably isn't the best strategy.

During that Week 3 win against Tampa Bay when Blue had a great game, he picked up 57 yards on 13 carries on his combined runs around the left end and toward the left tackle. From that same game, Blue also picked up 40 yards on seven carries around the right end and toward the right tackle.

Blue had a combined average of 4.85 yards per carry on 20 attempts around either end or toward either tackle but averaged 3.81 yards per carry on 11 attempts up the middle toward the two guards or center against Tampa Bay.

That's a very small sample size, but running toward Brown more often than Jones seems like a solid strategy.

Their opponent this week, the Tennessee Titans, ranks 30th, 22nd and 26th, respectively, in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and yards per carry allowed this season, so leaning on the running game should yield positive results for the Texans even without Foster available.

Defensive Game Plan

The Texans just made Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill look like a Hall of Famer, so nothing is a guarantee with this team, but facing Zach Mettenberger instead of Marcus Mariota is a better matchup for them this week.

Besides reading/recognizing screen plays and tackling in the secondary, one of the biggest issues the Texans defense has had this season is keeping the quarterback contained.

Their team pass rush hasn't been good this year, but they've had several plays per game that would have turned into sacks where a player broke free in the backfield, but the edge players on the other side lost contain and allowed the quarterback to leave the pocket, avoid the pressure and get rid of the football.

Mettenberger has a big arm, but he runs like a refrigerator, so losing contain on him isn't one percent of the concern that it would be if they were facing a great athlete such as Mariota.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The second-year quarterback from LSU has natural physical talent but was inconsistent last year and might provide the Texans defense with a chance for a "get right" game this week.

Last year, Mettenberger ranked 32nd in the league in the accuracy percentage, according to Pro Football Focus, which factors in passes thrown away, spikes and dropped passes.

In his first and only start so far this season, Mettenberger was held to under 200 yards passing with one touchdown and two interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons last week. Mettenberger ranked 27th out of 28 quarterbacks last week in the overall rating from Pro Football Focus; unfortunately, Brian Hoyer ranked 26th.

The worst thing the Texans could do this week would be to give Mettenberger easy throws by playing off-coverage or blitzing too much. They need to get up on the Titans receivers, drop seven or eight into coverage and wait for Mettenberger to make a mistake.

The Titans rank 27th in sacks allowed, so rushing just the normal four, with J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney leading the way, should be good enough to get pressure on Mettenberger.

Key Players and Matchups

Kendall Wright Against a Banged-up Texans Secondary

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The Baylor product caught 94 passes for 1,079 yards in 2013 and is currently averaging a career-best 13.4 yards per reception this year.

Wright's highest yards-per-game average against any team he's played more than once during his career also happens to be against Houston. In his last two games against the Texans, Wright has a combined 14 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

With Kareem Jackson already being declared out for the game and the year-long struggles of safeties Rahim Moore and Andre Hal, keeping Wright in check will be a tough job.

Can the Texans Stop Delanie Walker?

The Texans' weekly inability to cover quality tight ends is well-known by their fans, which could be a problem this week against Delanie Walker, who leads Tennessee in receptions and is second on the team in receiving yards.

Since joining the Titans in 2013, Walker has caught at least 60 passes in each of the last two seasons with a career-high 890 receiving yards last year. Walker's 890 receiving yards last season ranked fourth among tight ends and put him ahead of several big-name players, including Jimmy Graham and Antonio Gates.

Walker may have had a career-best season last year, but the Texans did hold him in check during their two meetings. In two games against Houston last season, Walker had a combined five receptions for 43 yards. He averaged 56 yards per game against everyone else but just 21.5 against the Texans.

Prediction

The Titans are on the road, they haven't stopped the run all season and are starting a backup quarterback who struggled badly in his visit to Houston last season.

Nothing is guaranteed with this team, but on paper, the Texans might not have an easier win on their schedule than this week, with the exception of the home game against Jacksonville in Week 17.

They will need to run the ball well and force a few turnovers to win any game with this year's roster, and both of those factors look favorable to come through this week.

Prediction: Texans 24, Titans 20

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference. Follow me on Twitter for more news and opinion on the Texans: @sackedbybmac.