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Why To Watch
For Houston, it all comes down to pass protection for QB David Carr. Seattle's defense must be licking their chops at the prospect of facing the worst offensive line in the NFL.
Seattle's offense is in playoff form as QB Matt Hasselbeck is making great decisions and spreading the ball around even though he is playing without some of his best weapons. The Seahawks are the frontrunners to win the NFC West while Houston just needs a win. These teams might provide a lesson in how and how not to play offense.


When the Texans have the ball
Rushing: The Texans have a potentially efficient run game with Domanick Davis even though he is running behind a mediocre offensive line. Some defenses are actually blitzing on run plays to confuse the Texans' blocking schemes. Knowing full well that stopping Davis stops this offense, Houston will run some power schemes vs. Seattle with some I-formation fullback ISO blocks and some tight end wham kickout blocks. The Texans have blocked fairly well early in the season at the point of attack in the run game (usually to the offensive right side), but their backside blocking has been marginal and they also do a poor job of sealing off and giving Davis good cut-back run lanes.

Seattle is not overly physical on defense, but it is pretty disciplined and plays solid gap-control schemes. Davis has the speed to bounce some plays to the outside, but the Seahawks get to the ball well and are active enough to make it tough for him. The problem for Houston is that it is so bad on first and second down that defenses tee off on Carr in too many third-and-long situations. The commitment to the run game is admirable; the success is not.

Passing: Changing offensive coordinators has not benefited the Houston pass protection schemes as QB David Carr continues to get pummeled. The Texans use zone-blocking concepts, but they are doing a horrible job of picking up the blitz and seem to be a totally non-instinctive group. However, Seattle is not a great blitzing defense and offenses usually do a good job of adjusting blocking schemes and picking up the blitz after they have seen it. However, there is no indication that Houston can make those adjustments. Even if the Seahawks decide to blitz Carr, they will likely play soft schemes behind it, whether it be man-off or zone.

The Seahawks do not match up well as a tight man-to-man group, and even though Houston lacks offensive playmakers (especially with WR Andre Johnson questionable), look for Seattle to give the Texans the underneath routes while concentrating on chasing and tackling. This will force Houston to drive the length of the field without any opportunities for big plays, something it has not shown the ability to do. The Texans will also use a very basic offensive game plan, as Carr will do very little audibling and checking off at the line of scrimmage. They will stay with the play called in the huddle, which will hopefully cut down on offensive line mistakes and penalties, but it will also make it easier for Seattle to game plan against. Facing three- and five-step drops by Carr, Seattle will gamble successfully that Houston can't put enough long drives together to stay in this game.

When the Seahawks have the ball
Rushing: The Seahawks have shown excellent offensive balance in their first five games and RB Shaun Alexander is getting a lot of carries with excellent production. They love to run behind the left side of their Pro Bowl offensive line, LOG Steve Hutchinson and LOT Walter Jones, mostly out of the I-formation with FB Mack Strong. Alexander shows patience in letting the hole develop, especially in waiting for the backside blocking form. The Texans are not getting great play out of their defensive line, especially in terms of eating up blockers and letting the linebackers flow to the ball and make plays. Their safeties are aggressive and will step up into the box and play the run. The more Houston is forced to concentrate on stopping Alexander and the run game, the more it leaves them vulnerable in their pass defense. Seattle will get good one-on-one matchups off play action from the run game. Seattle must block NT Seth Payne to give the inside run some juice and hopefully they can do it without two blockers.

Passing: Even without their go-to WRs Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram last week, QB Matt Hasselbeck found a new favorite target in WR Joe Jurevicius and spread the ball to eight different offensive players. This is a very efficient pass offense right now without a lot of mistakes and bad decision-making.

Houston has really struggled in terms of playmaking on defense -- it does not have a takeaway this season. The Texans sometimes get to ball but drop potential interceptions. Because they don't match up well vs. Seattle, Houston will likely play a lot of soft schemes in the secondary. Their concentration will be on letting Seattle have the underneath passing game and then closing and tackling without having to match up man-to-man. However, with Shaun Alexander as a constant threat in the run game, it forces the safeties to step up and play in the box and that's when Hasselbeck will get some quality perimeter matchups against the outmatched Houston corners. This is a tough game plan for Houston's defense because of Seattle's versatility, but Houston will play it safe and gamble on the fact that in a lot of 80-yard drives, Seattle will make enough mistakes to keep the Texans in the game.

Oct. 14, 2005
AP



GAME: Houston Texans (0-4) at Seattle Seahawks (3-2).

TIME: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EDT.

The Seattle Seahawks are probably not the best team for the Houston Texans to face right about now.

Houston, owner of the NFL's worst offense, continues to search for its first win of the season when it visits Seattle and the league's top offensive unit.

The Texans are the NFL's only winless team and are off to the worst start in their four-year history due in large part to an offense that averages a league-low 213 yards per game.

Houston has scored 44 points in four games, a total almost matched by Seattle in its 37-31 win over St. Louis on Sunday.

"As far as the records go, that has to be thrown out the window for right now when I go talk to the guys when I'm trying to get them encouraged and get them pumped up and ready to play," Texans quarterback David Carr said. "We have to lock it up, run the right route. I'll hit you and then we'll worry about the record later."

Houston converted none of its 13 third downs in last week's 34-20 loss to Tennessee, couldn't come up with a takeaway and remain the only team without one. The Texans have a turnover margin of minus-8.

"It all begins with the takeaway/giveaway," coach Dom Capers said. "Anytime you go four games and don't get a takeaway and you're minus-8, it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference what else you do. Statistics prove that it's awful hard to win when you don't get a takeaway."

The offense's task could be even more difficult this week as wide receiver Andre Johnson is not expected to be unavailable because of a calf strain.

Johnson, a Pro Bowler last season, was in for two plays against Tennessee before going to the bench. After the game he acknowledged that he'd been slowed by the injury for a couple of weeks.

Houston's defense isn't playing well either, allowing 346.3 yards per game, and will be trying to stop a Seattle team that leads the NFL in total offense with 396.8 yards a contest.

The Seahawks took over sole possession of first place in the NFC West on Sunday, racking up 433 yards in the victory over the Rams.

Helping fill the void left by injuries to receivers Darrell Jackson (knee) and Bobby Engram (ribs), Joe Jurevicius caught nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown for Seattle. Shaun Alexander ran for 119 yards and a pair of scores, and Matt Hasselbeck threw for 316 yards and two TDs as the Seahawks won for the third time in four games.

"I wouldn't say we didn't miss a beat, it's not the same with those guys out," Hasselbeck said. "But we all had confidence (that other guys) would play well ... and they played great."

Jackson had surgery Wednesday to repair cartilage damage in his right knee, and Engram is listed as out for this game.

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said that Jackson will remain in Florida - where the surgery took place - for another week and have one more examination before returning to Seattle to rehabilitate the injury.

"I can't tell you how long it's going to be. The cartilage and scopes typically can be two weeks, guys come back in two weeks, sometimes it's longer," Holmgren said. "We just have to see how it is."

This is the first meeting between these teams since the Texans joined the NFL in 2002.

STANDINGS: Texans - 4th place, AFC South. Seahawks - 1st place, NFC West.

TEXANS LEADERS: Offense - Carr, 542 passing yards, 3 passing TDs and 1 rushing TD; Domanick Davis, 318 rushing yards and 18 receptions; Jabar Gaffney, 119 receiving yards; Davis, Corey Bradford and Moran Norris, 1 receiving TD. Defense - four with 1 sack.

SEAHAWKS LEADERS: Offense - Hasselbeck, 1,327 passing yards and 7 passing TDs; Alexander, 574 rushing yards and 8 rushing TDs; Jackson, 29 receptions and 376 receiving yards; Jurevicius, 3 receiving TDs. Defense - Rocky Bernard, 3 1/2 sacks; Jordan Babineaux, Kelly Herndon and Lofa Tatupu, 1 INT.

TEXANS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 123.8 yards per game (11th in NFL); Passing Offense - 89.3 ypg (32nd); Total Offense - 213.1 ypg (32nd). Rushing Defense - 118.8 ypg (26th); Passing Defense - 227.5 ypg (23rd); Total Defense - 346.3 ypg (25th).

SEAHAWKS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 135.2 ypg (5th); Passing Offense - 261.6 ypg (6th); Total Offense - 396.8 ypg (1st). Rushing Defense - 108.4 ypg (19th); Passing Defense - 209.4 ypg (19th); Total Defense - 317.8 ypg (17th).

STREAKS AND NOTES: Texans - C Steve McKinney, G Chester Pitts and LB Kailee Wong have started all 52 games in Texans history. ... Carr has thrown for 1,069 yards with seven TDs and one INT in his last four starts against NFC foes. ... Houston's defense allows opponents to convert only 32.6 percent on third down, third-best in the AFC. Seahawks - Hasselbeck has not thrown an INT in 146 straight pass attempts. ... LB Jamie Sharper started every game for Houston from 2002-04, posting 550 tackles and 11 1/2 sacks. ... Alexander needs 196 rushing yards to pass Chris Warren's franchise mark of 6,706.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Texans - 0-2 on the road; Seahawks - 2-0 at home.

INJURIES: Texans - OUT: LB Jason Babin (shoulder); DE Gary Walker (shoulder). QUESTIONABLE: WR Johnson (knee); WR Jerome Mathis (knee). PROBABLE: DE Jerry DeLoach (stomach); DE Junior Ioane (shoulder); DE Robaire Smith (elbow); P Chad Stanley (stomach); RB Jonathan Wells (toe). Seahawks - OUT: WR Engram (ribs); T Wayne Hunter (hamstring); WR Jackson (knee). DOUBTFUL: CB Andre Dyson (hamstring); T Floyd Womack (quadricep). PROBABLE: WR D.J. Hackett (hip); LB D.D. Lewis (knee).


Already the last remaining winless team in the NFL, the Texans begin a brutal stretch when they visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in an interconference matchup, the first between the teams.

With just 44 points in its first four games, Houston ranks last in overall offense and will be fighting for some semblance of an attack against some of the league's elite defensive units.

After taking on the Seahawks, who rank fifth in the league in sacks with 15, the Texans will meet Jacksonville, Cleveland and Indianapolis twice in the next four weeks, three of the top 13 scoring defenses in the league. The Colts rank No. 1 overall, allowing just 5.8 points per game.

Carr has been hounded by opponents and sacked 27 times, putting Houston on pace to break the all-time NFL record. The 1986 Philadelphia Eagles hold the standard with 104 sacks allowed.

The 26-year-old Carr has yet to throw for 200 yards this season, something he accomplished in his first nine games last year. He was sacked seven times and threw his fourth interception in last week's 34-20 loss to Tennessee.

To make matters worse, standout wide receiver Andre Johnson suffered a pulled calf muscle on the first play and may miss this weekend's game.

Houston's Domanick Davis rushed for a season-high 130 yards, the third straight game he has increased his total on the ground. Houston has followed Davis' lead, raising its points each of the last three games to a season-high 20 last week, giving the club a slight dose of optimism heading into Sunday.

Seattle has been another story, averaging 28.0 points in a 3-1 stretch after a season-opening loss at Jacksonville.

Despite playing without starting receivers Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram, the Seahawks rolled up 433 total yards in a 37-31 win at St. Louis last week.

In his second start for Seattle, Joe Jurevicius stepped up, making nine catches for 137 yards and his third touchdown of the year. With Jackson out for up to a month following right knee surgery and Engram still hampered by sore ribs, Matt Hasselback will be targeting Jurevicius again this weekend.

Hasselback threw for 316 yards and two TDs last week and has not thrown an interception since Week One, a span of 138 passes. He will be facing a defensive unit that has yet to record a turnover. The 1982 Baltimore Colts hold the NFL record for fewest turnovers forced in a season with 11.

Hasselback's arm has kept things open for Shaun Alexander, who leads the league with 574 rushing yards and is second with eight TDs.

Matchup to watch: Jurevicius, whose nine catches last week were a career high, faces right cornerback Dunta Robinson, who tied for third in the league last year with six interceptions as a rookie.

Series: First meeting.

Next week: Houston hosts Indianapolis, October 23 Seattle hosts Dallas, October 23.


Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks: The Texans are a mess. The offense is struggling and David Carr can't be protected. The Seahawks are back home after two weeks on the road. In front of the home fans they get it, but it won't be as easy as you think. Seattle 24, Houston 17





Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this week's matchup between the Texans and Seahawks. Now they're back with a second look.

The Seahawks are not much of a blitzing team, but against QB David Carr and the worst offensive line in the NFL, look for Seattle to call some zone blitzes this week. Carr is slow to recognize changing fronts and schemes, and dropping a defensive lineman into coverage could take away some of the underneath routes Houston is trying to incorporate in its 3- and 5-step drop pass plays.
When you really break down the Houston offense in the last couple of weeks, you see more motion and shifts and what looks like a more complex offense. However, the scheme really is very simple. The Texans are running a lot of basic plays out of all this movement, and it should make the reads easier for Carr. All Seattle has to do is play basic defense and counter Houston's basic plays. Rookie MLB Lofa Tatupu must play under control, and the Seahawks should be fine.

• The Seahawks remain banged up at receiver, so the Texans may actually have an advantage this week when playing tight man-to-man coverage with their corners in base packages. To counter this, look for Seattle to spread the Texans out and force them to utilize their nickel and dime packages. Even though they're depleted, the Seahawks still can outman the Texans in these situations.

• In their weekly attempt to improve the pass protection for David Carr, Houston is making changes to the left side of its offensive line. OC Steve McKinney, the team's best offensive lineman, will move to left guard. LOG Chester Pitts will move to left tackle, LOT Victor Riley will move to right tackle as a backup, and rookie Drew Hodgdon will get a start the start at center. At least these are the changes they are trying to practice. These moves sound good in theory, but three changes on the offensive line can affect continuity, especially for a zone blocking team -- and not a very good one at that.

• This certainly looks like a week that we would see run-oriented offenses from both teams because of injuries at receiver. Seattle is missing Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram, and Houston likely will be without its best playmaker, Andre Johnson. However, both teams may throw the football more than we think for different reasons. In Houston's case, the Texans may have to play from behind early and chuck it around to play catch-up. Seattle will spread the ball around in multi-receiver formations no matter who they have available at receiver.

• Houston's defense does not have a takeaway this season. They don't blitz a lot; they don't take a lot of chances; and they are a fairly easy 3-4 defense to attack. Because this Texans' offense is so bad, the defense cannot afford to give up a big play by gambling, which would force the offense to play from behind. On the other hand, by not forcing turnovers, the defense never gives the offense the opportunity to work with a short field.

• Seattle's offense seems to be building an identity of thinking pass first to set up the run -- and it is working. The Seahawks will spread the field with three- and four-WR sets (eight different receivers caught passes last week). What that does is force the Houston linebackers to widen and makes it tough to put a safety in the box. That opens up good blocking angles for the physical Seahawks O-line and RB Shaun Alexander in the run game. This is a perfect example of using the pass to set up the run.

• The Houston offensive line takes a lot of heat for its lack of protection for Carr, but a lot of it is Carr's fault. He holds on to the ball too long and is hesitant getting the ball out. He seemingly doesn't trust his receivers until they get open, rather than anticipating their breaks and getting them the ball early. He also is a statue in the pocket, even though he has better mobility than he shows. You would think his coaches would incorporate some roll-outs and bootlegs to get Carr out of the pocket and not make him a sitting duck, but they haven't shown an inclination to use Car in that manner yet.

• Seattle uses some short techniques on their defensive line, and they have a rookie MLB who is overly aggressive. What does that mean in this game? Houston RB Domanick Davis is a better cutback runner than we think, and if he catches the Seahawks in a short technique and MLB Tatupu over-pursuing, their offensive line can seal off the backside and give Davis a chance for some big plays.

• The Seahawks love their overall team chemistry right now. They have gotten rid of most of their malcontents and have good veteran leadership with marginal off-field distractions. This is a locker room with a lot of confidence.

• Matt Hasselbeck doesn't face a lot of 3-4 defenses and could struggle with his pre-snap reads early in the game. However, Seattle has too much offensive talent for the Texans, and Hasselbeck will likely settle down quickly.

• The Seahawks count on their linebackers to make a lot of plays behind their defensive line, and even though this is not a dominating defense, Seattle has quietly upgraded the speed and range of this unit. You have good (but not great) players flying around and making athletic plays and guys who are getting better every week.

• Houston likely will play conservatively on both sides of the ball vs. Seattle. On offense, they would love to run the football and control the clock and keep the more explosive Seattle offense off the field. A good running game could actually give Houston some play-action opportunities. Defensively, they will stay basic with a bend-don't-break philosophy. Seattle's offense produces a lot of big plays, and Houston doesn't match up well, so the Texans must try to keep the Seahawks' offense in front of them and force a lot of multi-play drives.

Special Teams
Seattle has had a revolving door at punter in 2005 and is now on its third guy. Veteran Tom Rouen at least he gives the 'Hawks consistency. He no longer has the strongest leg in the NFL, but he is still an excellent directional punter. He is very effective at pinning the opponent inside the 20-yard line, which not only gives the offense a long field to work with but also makes it easier for the cover teams.

As bad as Houston is on offense, the Texans also are struggling on special teams. They have adequate cover teams, but their return game lacks explosiveness and a big-play component. Their kicking game isn't much better. On a team that desperately needs field position the special teams for the Texans are giving marginal help.

Matchups
• Seattle WR Joe Jurevicius vs. Houston DC Dunta Robinson or Demarcus Faggins
• Houston RB Domanick Davis vs. Seattle MLB Lofa Tatupu
• Seattle TE Jerramy Stevens vs. Houston DS Eric Coleman
• Houston ROT John Wade vs. Seattle LDE Bryce Fisher
• Seattle OC Robbie Tobeck vs. Houston NT Seth Payne


Scouts' Edge
These are two teams with opposite levels of confidence. Seattle is in midseason form on offense. Despite injuries, the Seahawks are still putting up excellent numbers, and their play calling and adjustments are outstanding. Houston is in a terrible slump, and it seems like whatever the Texans try on offense doesn't work. Pass protection for Carr is non-existent, despite changing schemes and offensive coordinators and shortening up the passing game. Defensively, both teams play hard, but neither boasts a dominating unit.

Seattle will move the ball with a balanced attack of run and pass and will catch the defense in some gambling situations which lead to big plays. Houston's offense will continue to struggle vs. the blitz, and turnovers will lead to a short field for Hasselbeck & Co. Unless the Texans have a huge night running the football, they won't stay close in this one.

Prediction: Seahawks 31, Texans 13

FYI it's rained here all week off and on and no the Hawks field is not covered but the field is synthetic and the field itself will not be a factor but Seahawks love dome teams coming into this enviorment!