Texans vs. Broncos: 10 Things to Expect from Houston in Week 3

The Houston Texans are starting the 2012 NFL regular season with the hopes of improving their stellar performance from last year. Last season marked the first time the Houston Texas clinched the AFC South and made it into the playoffs.

The team seems to be firing on all cylinders. Matt Schaub is proving he is worth the contract extension he recently signed, the defense is improving their already impressive play, and the two-headed beast at running back led by Arian Foster are running over defenders.

But now in Week 3 they face a familiar foe in Peyton Manning, who has been the Houston Texans’ nemesis for virtually the entire existence of the Houston franchise.

Here are 10 things to expect in Week 3 as the Houston Texans face the Denver Broncos. 

Matt Schaub

Last season, quarterback Matt Schaub played only 10 games due to a foot injury suffered by a quarterback sneak in a 37-9 win over Tampa Bay. 

Despite missing six games, Schaub’s tenure as Houston’s starting quarterback earned him a four-year $62 million contract extension this offseason, as reported by NFL.com.

Schaub and his aerial attack has been declining over the years, considering Arian Foster and Ben Tate’s rushing production. 

This may be a good sign for the former Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback. His production has steadily declined, but he still manages to put up solid numbers for any quarterback. 

The Broncos defense has proven that they can compete with the best, as they allowed 19 points and 209 passing yards to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their Week 2 performance was less than stellar, however, as the Broncos defense allowed 27 points to the Atlanta Falcons.

Given that Schaub has thrown for 266 and 195 yards in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, he should find no problem managing the game with his passing against the Broncos. 

Kareem Jackson

Peyton Manning has shown no favorites when it comes to his receivers  this season. It seems that both Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are getting an equal share of receptions. 

This is why the focus won’t necessarily be on Jonathan Joseph to stop the Broncos number one receiver, because the Broncos don’t have one pass catcher that truly stand out. 

Instead, the success of the Broncos’ pass attack will rely more on cornerback Kareem Jackson’s ability to defend. 

Jackson will see more targets thrown at his receiver than usual because of this and must step up if the Texans hope to shut down Peyton Manning’s passing game. 

Andre Johnson vs. Champ Bailey Matchup

Arguably the most anticipated matchup in the Week 3 game has to be the matchup between Andre Johnson and Champ Bailey.

In 2010 Bailey was supposed to cover Andre Johnson, but Johnson was sidelined with an ankle injury, according to ESPN. 

Both players are now healthy, setting up one of the most anticipated matchups in Week 3.

Andre Johnson put up 119 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, but only had three receptions for 21 yards in Week 2, according to ESPN.

Bailey may get the best of Johnson, but nevertheless, the matchup is crucial in determining the winner.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate

Arian Foster isn’t the only running back on the Texans roster capable of putting up big numbers.

Much like last season, backup Ben Tate has shown he can take over a game as well, even with Arian Foster dominating it.  

Although he only ran for six yards in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, Tate put on a clinic as he rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to NFL.com. 

Fantasy owners had no worries in Week 2, as Arian Foster still managed to put up an impressive stat line with 110 rushing yards and a touchdown. 

In the two games played so far in the regular season, the Denver Broncos have allowed 75 yards per game against the Steelers and 67 yards against the Falcons.

While these numbers are initially alarming, the running backs in Atlanta and Pittsburgh have not performed as well as they should have.

Foster and Tate, on the other hand, are simply continuing the success from the previous year. Regardless, the running back duo should be the biggest concern for the Denver Broncos defense. 

Continuing the Defense's Success

Last season, the Texans defense was the second best in the entire league, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They are proving that last season was no fluke, as their defense is currently the best in the league with only 196 yards per game allowed, according to NFL.com.

However, Manning hasn’t faced a Texans defense led by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips. 

The last game that Manning went up against a Wade Phillips defense was on December 05, 2011. Manning threw for two touchdowns and a staggering four interceptions, losing in a shootout 38-35. 

Knowing how well prepared Manning is for games, this December matchup might be the focus of film study to prepare for the Texans on Sunday. 

A Moral Victory for Gary Kubiak

This upcoming matchup between the Texans and Broncos is a homecoming of sorts for head coach Gary Kubiak.

Kubiak has a long history with the Broncos franchise. He was John Elway's backup from 1983 to 1991.

After he retired, he began his coaching journey with Texas A&M and the San Francisco 49ers, only to wind up back in Denver. He served as quarterbacks coach under Shanahan and was later promoted to offensive coordinator, contributing to the Broncos' two Super Bowl wins.

A Texans win may be a moral victory for not only the Texans roster, but Kubiak himself considering all his ties to the Broncos franchise.

Texan’s Front Seven

Week 1 showed how dominant the front seven of the Texans can be. 

Namely, defensive end JJ Watt was impressive as he had 1.5 sacks, and three tackles against rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins, according to ESPN.com.

He also deflected four passes, two of which were intercepted. 

Reggie Bush, who is generally considered an above average back, also had trouble running the ball against the Texans. Considering that he exploded for 172 yards and two touchdowns versus the Raiders and was only able to rush for 69 yards against the Texans speaks volumes to the Texans defense. 

The Broncos lack a legitimate running threat. Combining that with the pressure from the defense, and the Denver Broncos instantly become one-dimensional—that is, if they weren’t already. 

Look for the Texans to eliminate any threat of the run to force Manning into making difficult throws. 

Texans Secondary

Peyton Manning has only played two regular-season games since 2010, but his performances in those games showed little rust.

In Week 1, Manning dismantled the dominant Steelers defense, as he threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-19 win.

More importantly, he scored 17 of the team's 31 points in the fourth quarter, showing that he is still comfortable in high-pressure situations.

Manning was unable to continue his offensive onslaught in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, throwing three interceptions and 241 passing yards.

Look for Manning to test the Texans secondary throughout the game to set the pace, just as he did with Troy Polamalu in Week 1 versus the Steelers.

Will Manning Continue His Dominance of the Texans?

Even with a decade under their belt, the Texans still have not found a sure fire way to topple Manning. In fact, the team's record against Manning is a paltry 2-16. 

With that record, the rivalry is more of a one sided affair, but the Texans have last year’s momentum on their side, something that Peyton Manning does not have considering that he was out for the entire season. 

The team is arguably one of the most balanced squads in the league with their passing, running and defense. Expect a close game throughout as the Texans rough it out in Denver. 

Show Dominance over AFC South...with a Win over AFC West?

The Texans should be glad and focused on facing Manning, who has been the team's rival for the entire franchise's history.

There have been moments of success in the decade that the Texans have been in existence, but Manning has always been there to spoil their time in the sun.

Coincidentally, the Texans made the playoffs for the first time when Manning had neck surgery and had to sit the entire season.

Their first regular-season game in 2011 was a win against the Manning-less Colts. This set the momentum for the rest of the season. 

As gratifying of a win as that may have been, it surely wasn’t the most ideal situation to prove dominance in the division. Having Peyton Manning lose to the Texans as a proverbial passing of the torch would have made last season’s win perfect, but this was not the case. 

This game can prove to the Texans that they can beat Peyton Manning, possibly setting the momentum for the rest of this season as well.