Getty Images
Week 11 Matchup: New York Jets (5-4) @ Houston Texans (4-5)
TV Schedule: Sunday, Nov. 22, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Stadium: NRG Stadium
If the New York Jets are to get back in the thick of the AFC Playoff race, there couldn’t have been a better opponents for them to face than the Houston Texans in week 11. The Jets are 5-1 all-time vs. the Texans. It also helps that the Jets’ 13th-ranked running game faces the Texans’ 27th-ranked rushing defense. All in all, the Jets are a solid pick here even though the line is at pick’em.
This will be the first game for former Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick against his former team. Fitzpatrick guided the Texans to a 6-6 record in 2014 before injuries ended his season. His play this season has been a major reason why the Jets are playoff contenders. You could also say that his departure has hurt the Texans, especially on offense.
Houston has struggled all year in terms of quarterback play with Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. Mallett was released following a missed flight before the Miami Dolphins game in Week 7. Hoyer already had his struggles early on, getting benched during the third quarter of the season opening game against Kansas City Chiefs. Now, Hoyer is questionable after sustaining a concussion, and T.J. Yates led the Texans to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The other matchups are intriguing to watch, especially in the trenches and in the passing game. New York on offense is led by Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, and they face a good cornerback tandem in Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson if he is healthy. On the other side of the ball, DeAndre Hopkins, one of the league’s best young receivers, travels to Revis Island t face possibly the best cornerback of the last decade in Darrelle Revis. In the trenches, the Texans’ offensive tackle tandem of Duane Brown and Derek Newton will have to contend with the Jets’ three first-round defensive linemen in Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams. On the other side of the ball, J.J. Watt goes against D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who is still going strong after 10 seasons in the league. Another underrated matchup to watch is Vince Wilfork against Nick Mangold. Both faced off for years when Wilfork played for the New England Patriots.
As important a game as this is for the Jets, it is also important for the Texans. Houston is still in the thick of the AFC South race due to injuries to Andrew Luck. The Texans gained some ground on the Colts following last night’s game, but Houston can’t afford to struggle down the stretch. In this key AFC battle, the Jets are a more complete team than the Texans, and they will take this one on the road as Fitzpatrick gets a measure of revenge against his former team.
Prediction: New York Jets 27, Houston 17
