T.J. Yates will make his first start since 2013 Sunday against the Jets. (Getty)
It’s T.J. Time for the Texans.
T.J. Yates will start for Houston in place of the injured Brian Hoyer, who suffered a concussion in Monday’s win over the Bengals.
With Yates under center, the Texans are a three-point home underdog, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Yates entered the game against the Bengals in the third quarter last week, and threw the winning score to DeAndre Hopkins. But at 5-11 passing with 69 yards, Yates didn’t exactly jumpstart Houston’s offense. After taking the lead, the Texans still punted on their final three drives.
If the Texans offense is going to run, Yates is going to need to feed Hopkins. Things could get complicated for the NFL’s most-targeted receiver, as he’ll likely draw coverage from Darrelle Revis for most of the afternoon. It’ll be interesting to see if the Texans still try to feed Hopkins regardless of the coverage.
After previously winning four straight on the road, the Jets have lost back-to-back games away from MetLife Stadium. If Gang Green wants to get back on track, look for a healthy dose of Chris Ivory in the backfield. Ivory hasn’t eclipsed 100 yards rushing since Week 5, but is up against a Texans front that is 25th against the rush. More specifically Houston is 28th in the NFL in giving up yards after contact, an Ivory specialty.
Since the Texans inaugural season, the Jets have weridly dominated this matchup. They are 5-1 against the Texans, with their only loss coming in their most recent meeting in 2012.
With two strong defenses taking the field, don’t expect tons of points Sunday. The total has been set at 40.5 points, and the total has gone under in four of the six meetings between these teams.
The Texans have been hot recently, but it’s tough to win in the NFL without a quarterback. Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme can speed up the game for an inexperienced QB, and the Jets need to take advantage of any Yates mistakes on Sunday.
The OddsShark computer is predicting a 25.7 – 20 Jets victory.
Jets vs. Texans pick: New York SU & ATS
