The Houston Texans are not having a good season, but if they want this one to be memorable even if they don’t make the playoffs, they can achieve that by becoming the first team to beat the Arizona Cardinals. It’s a tall order, though, to say the least. Check out our preview of this game below.
After a gallant stand in the loss to the New England Patriots at home in Week 5, the Texans imploded in Week 6, as they lost to the Indianapolis Colts on the road, 31-3. Davis Mills went 29/43 for 243 passing yards with zero touchdowns and an interception. A bright spot for the Texans in that game was Jonathan Greenard, who had both of Houston’s two defensive sacks. Houston is going to need the same energy from Greenard and the Texans’ defensive line in order to contain Kyler Murray in Week 7. That’s a tough ask, but Houston’s secondary could surprise. The Texans have six defensive interceptions on the season, tied for fifth in the NFL. Justin Reid and Lonnie Johnson each have two picks, so far this season.
The Texans are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games after giving up more than 30 points in their previous game.
Who’s going to stop the Cardinals? Arizona is the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL, and it’s not like the Cards managed to go 6-0 by beating minnows. The Cardinals have wins against the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns. Arizona’s offense is almost scoring at will. With Kyler Murray under center, the Cards are fourth in the NFL with 32.3 points per game and seventh with 403.0 total yards per contest. Moreover, the Cardinals are tops in the league with 0.491 points per play. In their 37-14 road win over the Browns in Week 6, the Cards leaned on Murray, who passed for 229 yards and four touchdowns without an interception on 20/30 completions. Houston’s defense will be stretched to the limit by Arizona’s receiving corps that features a resurgent AJ Green, Christian Kirk, DeAndre Hopkins, and newcomer tight end Zach Ertz.
The Cardinals are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games after a win.
