Riding a five-game winning streak built mainly against fellow AFC playoff contenders, the Houston Texans enter the trap-game portion of the schedule when they host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The Texans (8-5) are inside the playoff bubble as a wild-card team entering Week 15 after beating Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Indianapolis and most recently Kansas City during their streak, hurtling their way toward a third straight AFC South title. Houston is one game behind the first-place Jaguars.
“This is what we are supposed to do,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans told his team after a 20-10 road victory over the Chiefs last week.
“We just keep going, one game at a time. Everybody remain focused on the task in front of you. We continue to do what we need to do, we (are) going to do some special things.”
The Cardinals (3-10) were eliminated from postseason contention on Nov. 30. Their losing streak reached five games last week in a 45-17 blowout against the visiting Los Angeles Rams, who produced 35 unanswered points and 530 total yards.
The Cardinals have given up 40-plus points in three of the past five games, forcing coach Jonathan Gannon to face questions about his team’s effort level.
“No, no,” Gannon said, disagreeing with the premise and citing “lack of execution” for the squad’s defensive failures.
Said linebacker Josh Sweat: “I think everybody’s head is in the right place, but I mean, it’s over and over and over, so it’s only so much we can do.”
Houston may not reach the 40-point plateau against Arizona simply because it might not need to. The Texans rank No. 1 in the NFL in scoring defense (16.0 points per game) and total defense (266.3 yards) and are third in passing yards allowed (172). They are second in turnover margin (+12) and fourth in takeaways (1.7).
Houston intercepted Patrick Mahomes three times and stopped the Chiefs on two fourth-down attempts in the fourth quarter.
“We have a special group,” said Ryans, whose team hosts the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) next week.
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has beaten Indianapolis and Kansas City since returning from a three-game absence caused by a concussion. He threw for 479 yards, one touchdown and one interception in those two contests, taking a conservative approach that plays to Houston’s defensive strength.
Texans running back Nick Chubb (ribs) left last week’s game in the first half and did not return. Woody Marks has grown into a workhorse running back, producing 206 yards on 61 carries the past three weeks.
The Cardinals have the offensive weapons to potentially give Houston’s defense problems. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has passed for 2,459 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games as a starter, with three 300-yard games and a 452-yarder in a 41-22 loss to San Francisco on Nov. 16.
Trey McBride is tied for the NFL lead with 93 receptions and leads all tight ends with 937 yards. If he notches five receptions against the Texans, he would set a tight end record with 16 consecutive games of hitting that mark after tying Travis Kelce last week.
Wide receiver Michael Wilson, who has blossomed since Brissett took over and Marvin Harrison went out due to an appendectomy and later a heel injury, has 39 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns in his past four games. Both scores came against the Rams.
“He does everything right,” Brissett said.
Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) will not play on Sunday, Gannon said. Johnson left the Rams game in the third quarter, and NFL Network reported that he sustained a sprained MCL.
Also, Arizona did not activate running back Trey Benson (knee) this week at the end of his 21-day practice window, ending his season. He was injured in Week 4.
Eleven Cardinals did not practice on Wednesday, including Harrison, left guard Evan Brown (personal); safeties Budda Baker (thumb), Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ankle) and Jalen Thompson (hamstring) and wide receiver Xavier Weaver (hamstring). Running back Emari Demercado (ankle) was among five players limited at practice.
Houston’s Chubb, Marks (knee), cornerback Kamari Lassiter (foot), linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (ankle) defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (elbow/shoulder), offensive tackle Trent Brown (hand) and defensive end Denico Autry (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Lassiter and Al-Shaair had interceptions against Kansas City.
