NFL - Houston Texans v S. Seahawks

13 December 2009

Preview By Tipster Jumbo (New Zealand)

The Texans will try to snap a four-game slide Sunday, while the Seahawks are hoping to move a step closer to another winning season.

The Expectation was high for the Texans heading into this season and they seemed to have their best chance to reach the playoffs for the first time in its eight seasons of existence. Second-year RB Steve Slaton was trying to build off a 1,282-yard rookie season, and QB Matt Schaub was coming off his best season.They also had one of the Leagues best receivers in Andre Johnson, and emerging stars on defense in Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans and top draft pick Brian Cushing. After alternating losses and wins in their first five games, the Texans seemed to give their playoffs hopes a boost with three straight wins from Oct. 18-Nov. 1, but now four straight losses have followed. The Texans are currently two games behind Jacksonville for the AFC's final berth and trails four other teams in the conference's playoff hunt. But talk is more about sacking the coach rather than making it to the ply offs now, However that aside the Texans can still have their best season ever if they can win a couple more games Another reason the Texans are struggling is that Slaton is now gone for the season and they will have to go with Brown and Moats to help their running game that's tied for 29th in the NFL with 88.7 yards per game. Passing though is still their bread and butter though with WR Johnson and Schaub, Schaub has a career-best 3,449 yards and 22 TDs, and the Texans have become the league's fourth-best passing offense with 278.9 ypg. Houston's defense is becoming a problem and they have struggled to keep opponents off the scoreboard, giving up an average of 22.2 points. The Texans have allowed at least 20 in each game of this slide, including last week's 23-18 loss at Jacksonville. Last Sunday The Jaguars scored 17 straight points to open the game and Houston didn't get within a touchdown until 4:01left in the game. Schaub's dislocated his non-throwing shoulder on the team's first offensive play, and the Texans had three passers throw an interception, including Brown. After returning in the second quarter, Schaub is expected to play again this week.

Seattle QB Hasselbeck's sore throwing shoulder hasn't helped in his team's attempt to bounce back from last season's 4-12 finish, but the lack of a running game has hurt more the Seahawks are near the bottom with 93.4 rushing yards per game, but they've shown signs of improvement on defense in their first back-to-back wins this season. After giving up an average of 30.2 points during a five-game stretch, Seattle has allowed 17 points in consecutive weeks, including last week's 20-17 victory over visiting San Francisco. The win kept alive the team's hopes for its sixth winning season in seven years. The Seahawks are alive for a postseason berth, but are three games behind Philadelphia and Green Bay. They also have two other teams in front of them and are among a group of four 5-7 clubs in the NFC. A loss and wins from the Eagles and Packers would eliminate Seattle from the play off picture though,

These sides have met only once before and that was in 2005 in Seattle in which the Seahawks ripped the Texans a new arsehole winning 10-42.

The Seahawks have scored 20 or more in 4 of their last 5 matches while allowing 17m or more in their last 5 games, On the other side the Texans have scored 17 or more in their last 5 matches but have allowed 20 or more in their last 4 matches.

The Seahawks have won their last 2 matches against low sides in the Rams 27-17 and 49ers 20-17 but have only won 3 of their last 5 with two heavy road losses to the Vikings 9-35 and Cardinals 20-31, they are 1-6 in their last 7 road games and are also 1-6 ATS in those meetings, On the other side the Texans were looking great but now have dropped their last 4 with the last 3 losses being big ones and those losses may of derailed their season altogether, the sides they have been playing have not been easy though with losses to the Jags, Titans and Colts twice, the Texans are 1-4 in their last 5 games and are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 5 home matches, they are also 2-4 I their last 6 matches played at the Grass of Reliant Stadium.

The Seahawks are big outsiders in this game but they do have a slight chance here I reckon, the Seahawks rush attack has improved and in 3 of their last 4 matches they have gained over 100 yards on the ground while the Texans have allowed over 107 yards on the ground in each of their last 3 matches, other than that the Texans lead the Seahawks in almost every other aspect of the game, but and this is a big but, the Texans have a negative turn over ratio in their last 5 matches of -4 and have had only one game which was against the Titans where they were in the positive in that regard. Other than that though the Texans shade the Seahawks in every other aspect but not by much, in fact it is not by more than 10 yards in any category passing or rushing and scoring or defence.

The Seahawks might be having a shit season but they are in with a chance here, they are still playing for something and a win today with other results going their way and they are still alive which is unbelievable when you think about it considering how their season has gone, The Texans meanwhile are in free fall, it wasn’t that long ago when they were looking great but the heartbreaking loss to the Colts and then losing to the Titans has really derailed them, it did not help when they had the Colts again but then let then go and so they have gone from the inside looking out to the outside looking in and they look to be trying very hard in their recent matches, In fact you could almost say a bit to hard and it is starting to show, I am going to go with the Seahawks here even though it sounds like madness, they are at least winning and now have a chance with a win to extend their season, they had the longest road losing record of any side only 3 weeks ago but broke that with a win over the Rams and although looking bad last week against the 49ers they did win the game, I was happy as I had bet on them but it was real nail biting stuff, regardless they did win and I’m prepared to go with them here with the Start….Good Luck.