TEXANS FOCUS ON PROTECTING WATSON AGAINST ONRUSHING JAGUARS

PROTECTION was on Texans coach Bill O’Brien’s mind during his final meeting with the press prior to Sunday’s game at the Jaguars. With both teams sharing a piece of the AFC South lead at 3-3, keeping quarterback Deshaun Watson upright will go a long way toward leaving Jacksonville above .500 for the first time this season. No quarterback has been sacked more than Watson, who has been taken down 25 times in the first six games along with numerous other hits that are slowly taking a cumulative effect on the second-year pivot. Although the Jaguars are 18th in the league in sacks, their ability to apply pressure on opposing passers doesn’t put O’Brien’s mind at ease. “We always have to try to establish the running game,” he said. “I’m not sure if there’s any team in the league that can just go out there and throw…maybe there’s a couple, I don’t know.” Establishing a steady ground game has been a lofty challenge for Houston, which has relied on Watson’s running skills to compensate for a running game that is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Starting running back Lamar Miller has been held in check as the struggles of the offensive line and his assorted injuries have conspired in him rushing for only 105 yards on 39 carries over the past three weeks, an average of 2.69 yards per attempt. O’Brien has commended Miller’s toughness and will continue to count on him until Texas City native D’Onta Foreman is ready to return from his Achilles injury within the next couple of weeks. Foreman missed the first six games after being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of the regular season. While eligible to participate in practice, O’Brien said he would make the final decision as to when the second-year back will be ready to take the next step toward returning to the field
Photo Credit: Michael Sudhalter Texans running back D’Onta Foreman is closer to returning to the team after being taken off the Physically Unable to Perform list this past week. The Texas City native has not played since suffering an Achilles injury last November.