Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills REVIEW: 3-1 is definitely better than 2-2!!!

Audio Recording: 'EPISODE68 - Bulls On Parade Talk - Week 4 vs. Buffalo...' From 'Bulls On Parade Talk'

Turn down for WATT???!!!!

The Houston Texans returned home and have won their third win of the season.  It wasn't pretty at all but the bottom line is that the Texans are 3-1!!!  After only winning two games total last year, the fan base for the most part have to feel pretty good about this win especially considering our next opponent.

The game once again started really slow especially for the Texans.  The lack of rushing yards was the key to the slow start even with Arian Foster returning.  The Buffalo Bills scored the first 10 points of the game in the second quarter.  Near the end of the half however, the Texans scored the next 7 points closing the gap.  This gave the Texans major momentum at halftime which carried over into the second half.

The second half appeared to start in a similar fashion; however, the defense made a big play wiping out the tipped pass which resulted in a Buffalo interception which is how the Texans' first offensive series in the second half started.  With the Bills threatening in the red zone, the Texans brought the blitz and they left J.J. Watt UNBLOCKED!!!!  What do you think happened next?  J.J. Watt jumped up and picked off the pass intended for the running back and took it 80 yards for a PICK SIX!!!!  From there, the momentum was solely on the Texans' side.  They had to change their gameplan to more passing to move the ball down the field and score the last 6 points of the game which came courtesy of Randy Bullock.  Randy Bullock nailed a 55 and 51 yard field goals to increase the lead.  The defense for the most part did their job and held Buffalo in check for a major portion of the game overall.  

False start, pass interference, and illegal contact penalties need to be cleaned up as well as the running game.  Ryan Fitzpatrick was the team's leading rusher for the game.  That should pretty much tell you right there that the running game needs work.  The team will continue to monitor Arian Foster as he continues to recover from his hamstring injury.

Overall, the Texans did just enough to win the game: 23-17.  It wasn't pretty but a win is a win.  This positive momentum will be key as we look ahead to the next game which is against the Dallas Cowboys.

What do you want to see fixed immediately on the Texans right now?

Week 4 Preview + Prediction vs. Buffalo Bills

The Texans have quite a challenge in front of them in the Buffalo Bills.  There's plenty of speed offensively especially just looking at C.J. Spiller and Sammy Watkins alone.  The only question is can their quarterback, E.J. Manuel, make the right decisions and throw the ball accurately enough to give the Texans something to worry about.  The one thing working for them for sure is the running game.  Since the season began, the Texans have continuously struggled stopping the run.  Therefore, I look for the Bills to try and get their running game started early and often throughout the game.  The key for the Texans defensively is to keep E.J. Manuel in the pocket and make him read the defense.

It will be about assignment football.  Everyone needs to do their job and remember their fundamentals that they started working on with their position coaches in offseason workouts.  This particularly is fact especially as it pertains to tackling.  When you have an offensive player in your grasp, you can't let go.  Big hits are good for making highlights but you need to make sure you get the player down and stop him from getting extra yards after contact.

It will also be a game of reunions.  This will be Ryan Fitzpatrick's first game against Buffalo for the first time in a Texans uniform.  It will also be former #1 overall pick Mario Williams' return to Houston for the first since he tested free agency for two days in late March 2012.  Doug Marrone and Bill O'Brien were assistants under Coach George O'Leary at Georgia Tech many years ago as well.  So there will be several reunions to look out for in this matchup at NRG Stadium.

Overall it will be all about execution once again.  Who's going to get off to a hot start early and keep it going during the game?