Lions at Texans
Game Info
Kickoff: Saturday 8/17 at 8:00 PM
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Betting Odds: HOU -4.5 via Oddsshark
Network: Not nationally televised, WJBK or KTRK locally
Detroit Lions
Running Back Usage
All aboard the Kerryon Johnson hype train. With Theo Riddick gone, most expect Johnson to pick up the receiving back work. That’s a smart guess as C.J. Anderson appears to be the only threat for touches in the backfield. But keep an eye out for Ty Johnson’s usage. The Lions may have felt they could move on from Riddick due to the rookie from Maryland. His targets should be something to monitor this preseason.
Tight End Battle
It seems Detriot has struggled to find a contributor at the TE position for some time. Eric Ebron never lived up to his draft spot while with the Lions. So, they set out to fix that this offseason. The Lions signed Jesse James from Pittsburgh and drafted T.J. Hockenson out of Iowa with the 8th overall pick. Collectively, it’s a big investment. As of now, reports out of camp have James ahead of Hockenson. While the TE position is probably the toughest to make the jump from college, don’t expect that to stay that way much longer.
Defensive Line Depth
The TE position isn’t the only spot the Lions targeted this offseason. After adding Damon Harrison at the trade deadline last season, the Lions went out and signed Trey Flowers and Mike Daniels. This should be one of the toughest lines to run against as long as they are healthy. They are also hoping Flowers can bring their sack totals up from a year ago.
Houston Texans
Joe Webb, Preseason Superstar
Joe Webb played the entire week one preseason game for the Texans last week. He went 25/40 for 286 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. He also added 6 rushes for 47 yards on the ground. It’s not often that a QB plays an entire preseason game. You may want to play Webb this week in any DFS you play.
The Arrival of Duke
So if you haven’t heard, the Texans traded for Duke Johnson Jr. last week. They sent the Browns a fourth-round pick that can turn into a third-rounder. Johnson Jr. didn’t play last week as he was only recently traded. The Texans have not thrown to their RBs much while under head coach Bill O’Brien, but trading for Johnson Jr. says that will change. Also, Keke Coutee was injured in the last preseason game, Johnson Jr. can play an even bigger role filling in the slot. Hopefully, we’ll find out more in this game.
Will He or Won’t He
Jadeveon Clowney has been a no show at camp. The Texans franchise tagged him earlier this offseason and they failed to agree on a new deal before the deadline. Coach O’Brien was asked this week if he has any idea when Clowney will show and he said he “has no idea.” There has been some trade chatter but there are complicating factors. Because the deadline for contract talks with a franchised player has passed, Clowney would not be able to sign a deal with his new team. So the new team would have to give up assets with no assurance he stays beyond the year. It seems destined that Clowney plays for the Texans this season, but probably no more.
-Frank Costanzo (@FrankQBList)