Texans look to bounce back after loss when they host Tampa Bay, losers of three straight
TAMPA BAY (3-4) at HOUSTON (3-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
OPENING LINE: Texans by 3, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Tampa Bay 4-3; Houston 4-3.
SERIES RECORD: Texans lead 4-1.
LAST MEETING: Texans beat Buccaneers 23-20 on Dec. 21, 2019, in Tampa.
LAST WEEK: Buccaneers lost to Bills 24-18; Texans lost to Panthers 15-13.
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (30), PASS (17), SCORING (27).
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (10), PASS (28), SCORING (T6).
TEXANS OFFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (23), PASS (11), SCORING (20).
TEXANS DEFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (11), PASS (23), SCORING (T6).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Buccaneers plus-8; Texans plus-5.
BUCCANEERS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Baker Mayfield has done a good job of protecting the football while throwing for 1,600 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. Tampa Bay’s sputtering offense, however, is only averaging 17.3 points per game. The Bucs have been outscored 60-37 during their three-game losing streak. The absence of a consistent ground game has been an issue, with leading rusher Rachaad White only averaging 3.3 yards per carry and unable to ease the burden on Mayfield to carry the offense.
TEXANS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB C.J. Stroud leads all rookies with 1,800 yards passing and nine touchdowns. He has just one interception, making him the only quarterback in the league with at least five starts and fewer than two interceptions. The second overall pick has thrown two touchdown passes in each of his three home games.
KEY MATCHUP: Tampa Bay WR Mike Evans vs. Houston’s secondary. Evans has 86 touchdown receptions and needs 68 yards receiving to become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 11,000 yards receiving and 85 touchdown receptions in his first 10 seasons. Evans, who grew up in nearby Galveston, Texas, will face a secondary that ranks 23rd in the league by allowing 236.1 yards passing a game.
KEY INJURIES: Coach Todd Bowles says his team is “probably the healthiest we’re going to be all year” entering a stretch in which the Bucs are going to play 10 consecutive weeks. … LT Tristan Wirfs (quadriceps) was injured during last week’s loss at Buffalo. He was limited in practice when preparation for the Texans began. … NT Vita Vea (groin), was a full participant Wednesday after sitting out against the Bills. … Mayfield (knee) remains on the injury report, but played against Buffalo and has not missed practice. … Houston C Jarrett Patterson was placed on the injured reserve this week after sustaining a lower leg injury against the Panthers. … WR Robert Woods missed last week’s game with a foot injury and could sit out again Sunday after missing practice this week.
SERIES NOTES: Houston has won the past four meetings. … These teams first met in 2003 when Tampa Bay won 16-3 for its only victory in the series.
STATS AND STUFF: With just 10 giveaways between them, the Texans and Buccaneers rank at the top of the NFL in fewest turnovers. Houston (four) is first and Tampa Bay (six) is tied for second with Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Chargers. ... The Bucs lead the league with a plus-8 turnover margin. They have 14 takeaways, tied with Buffalo for third behind Jacksonville (18) and Pittsburgh (15). … The Bucs offensive line has allowed 11 sacks through seven games, second fewest in the NFL. … Mayfield threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns last week. He has seven TD passes with just one interception in three road games this season. … White led the team with seven catches and tied his career high with 109 yards of offense last week. … WR Chris Godwin had five catches for 54 yards and his first touchdown of the season against the Bills. … LB Lavonte David led the Buccaneers with 14 tackles and had a tackle for a loss last week. He has had at least 10 tackles and a tackle for a loss in four of his past five games. He had 15 tackles in his previous road game and has had at least 10 tackles in his past two games against Houston. … LB Devin White had nine tackles last week and had a fumble recovery in his previous game against the Texans. … CB Jamel Dean defended two passes last week and had an interception in his previous game against Houston. … S Antoine Winfield Jr. has 11 sacks in 49 games, which is the third most by a defensive back within his first 50 games since 1982. … The Texans had six sacks last week, which was their most in a game since 2018. … RB Devin Singletary had 89 yards of offense in his only game against Tampa Bay in 2021 with Buffalo. … WR Tank Dell ranks second among rookies with 60.7 yards of offense per game. … Woods has 28 catches for 327 yards in his past three games against Tampa Bay. … WR Noah Brown led the team with a season-high 57 yards receiving last week. … TE Dalton Schultz has a TD catch in three of his past four games. … LB Blake Cashman had five tackles, including two for losses and his first sack of the season last week. … LB Denzel Perryman had nine tackles and a half sack last week. … DE Jonathan Greenard had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks last week. … DT Maliek Collins had a season-high two sacks against the Panthers. … CB Steven Nelson has had an interception in his past two home games.
FANTASY TIP: Houston WR Nico Collins has 18 receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns in three home games this season making him a good addition to fantasy rosters.
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