The Houston Texans were one of four road teams that lost through the first Sunday of Week 1 in the NFL. For the Baltimore Ravens, it was good to be the home side as they mounted a 25-9 victory at M&T Bank Stadium.
Houston held on as long as they could against the Ravens, a wild-card playoff team from a season ago. The Texans showed they still have some growing pains a game into the DeMeco Ryans era. However, there are other aspects that could be fixed and would lead to quicker success.
Buy Texans TicketsHere are four areas where the Texans must start improving.
Red zone
The Texans were 0-2 in the red zone. Even worse, the Texans posted an 0-1 mark in goal-to-go situations. This was a pattern that was evident in preseason and still seems to plague the offense.
Penalties
Although the Texans had fewer penalties than the Ravens (9-88 to 13-106), Houston’s infractions came from players who are more dependable. Starting cornerbacks Steven Nelson and Derek Stingley both incurred pass interference calls defending Odell Beckham, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil had two penalties. The bigger ticket players have to be the most disciplined.
Play-calling
Case in point: Houston faced a third-and-5 from the Ravens’ 16-yard line in the second quarter with 4:45 until halftime. The play-call was for C.J. Stroud to throw a swing pass to receiver Noah Brown on the right side, which was technically a run and lost a yard. With wideouts Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz in the red zone, the Texans need to choose play-calls that fit the personnel and the situation.
Pass protection
This could take a while with the injuries, but it is evident the pass rush affected Stroud. As the Texans regain Tytus Howard and address left guard, it should help build a fortification around their rookie quarterback.
