Texans vs. 49ers: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
Sunday Night Football features two playoff teams from last season that have started things off this season in a questionable manner, as the Houston Texans travel to Candlestick Park to take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers rolled to a major win over St. Louis last week after dropping two in a row to playoff contenders Seattle and Indianapolis. San Francisco features the No. 3 overall pass defense in the league as its main strength. The 49ers' secondary is surrendering just 190.5 yards per game.
Houston is no slouch against the pass either, owning the No. 1 defense in that regard, but has been even more disappointing than San Francisco. Matt Schaub and Co. have lost two straight to playoff contenders Baltimore and Seattle.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
The pair of 2-2 teams collide in a huge national matchup that has early-season playoff implications. Here is everything that fans need to know about the game.
When: Sunday, Oct. 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, Calif.
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket
Betting Lines (via Vegas Insider)
- Over/Under: 42.5
- Spread: San Francisco (-4.5)
Texans Injury Report (as of Oct. 3 via NFL.com)
| Brian Cushing | LB | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Wade Smith | G | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Brice McCain | CB | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Chris Myers | C | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Brandon Brooks | G | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Darryl Sharpton | LB | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Tim Dobbins | LB | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Derek Newton | T | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Andre Johnson | WR | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Ed Reed | S | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Greg Jones | RB | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Garrett Graham | TE | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Ben Tate | RB | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Johnathan Joseph | CB | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Arian Foster | RB | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Eddie Pleasant | S | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Bryan Braman | LB | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Owen Daniels | TE | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| J.J. Watt | DE | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| DeVier Posey | WR | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Duane Brown | T | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
49ers Injury Report (as of Oct. 3 via NFL.com)
| Kyle Williams | WR | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Carlos Rogers | CB | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Demarcus Dobbs | TE | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Patrick Willis | LB | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Joe Staley | T | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Bruce Miller | RB | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Nnamdi Asomugha | CB | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Mike Iupati | G | -- | Full Participation in Practice | -- |
| Ray McDonald | DT | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Anthony Davis | T | -- | Did Not Participate In Practice | -- |
| Quinton Patton | WR | -- | Out (Definitely Will Not Play) | -- |
| Vernon Davis | TE | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
| Justin Smith | DT | -- | Limited Participation in Practice | -- |
Which Quarterback Will Turn Things Around in the Spotlight?
As great as the rosters are in Houston and San Francisco, both team will only go as far as their quarterbacks allow. While that sounds generic, that is especially the case for these two teams which are talented enough to make the Super Bowl if their quarterback play is above average.
Both teams' 2-2 records point out that the 49ers' Kaepernick and Texans' Schaub are simply not playing well enough at this juncture.
Kaepernick started the season off with a bang against Green Bay, passing for 412 yards, but has fallen flat on his face since then with just 444 total yards passing in his next three contests.
Schaub has not been without his struggles either, highlighted by Houston's overtime loss last week when he threw a wobbly pass in the direction of Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, who promptly returned it for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Schaub's mistake allowed Seattle to come back from a 17-point deficit to win, much to the disdain of Texans' fans:
Which quarterback overcomes the other team's elite pass defense will see his team emerge victorious.
Prediction
As iffy as both quarterbacks have been, Kaepernick will come out on top at home thanks to his running ability.
Houston has an elite pass rush that has 13 quarterback sacks already, but Kaepernick's outstanding ability to make plays on the run will nullify the Texans' pass rush, led by J.J. Watt. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson evaded the Texans' last week with 77 yards on the ground.
Fans have seen what Schaub is capable of when forced out of the pocket. It is not pretty. This will be the definition of a defensive battle, but Kaepernick's legs will be the great equalizer at home in a victory.
Score: 49ers win, 20-17
Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")