TNF: Dolphins vs Texans Game Thread

Thursday Night Football, Week 8. Tonight the Miami Dolphins travel west to Texas to take on the Houston Texans. These two teams are fighting for playoff spots in the AFC.

The Texans come into the game red hot, winners of their last four games and sitting in first place in the AFC South. The Texans are led by second year quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is going through the typical growing pains of a young NFL quarterback and hasn’t played near the level he displayed in his spectacular rookie season cut short by injury. Nonetheless Watson is still playing solid football aside from turning the ball over a bit too much. Watson’s favorite target is DeAndre Hopkins, having an All Pro type season as he averages more than 100 receiving yards per game. On defense J.J. Watt is back to terrorizing quarterbacks with a league leading seven sacks, a great comeback story after two injury marred years.

For the Dolphins it’s all about Brocktoberfest. Much maligned quarterback Brock Osweiler has been an unlikely hero for the Dolphins in the absence of the injured starter Ryan Tannehill. In two starts Osweiler has thrown for six touchdowns and two interceptions while posting a very un-Brockish 107 passer rating. Despite Osweiler’s heroics the Dolphins come into the game traveling in the opposite direction from the Texans, losers of three out of their last four games after opening the season with three consecutive victories. Given the autumn season and Osweiler’s underwhelming career arc, it would not be surprising to see Brock turn into a pumpkin on the road against a tough Texans defense. On the other hand, in the unlikely event Osweiler continues to light it up, at what point might the Dolphins consider a quarterback change even when Tannehill returns to full health?

It’s the Dolphins and the Texans in an AFC matchup with playoff implications for both teams in tonight’s Thursday Night Football action.

Enjoy the game everybody.