On the beat: 5 questions with Houston columnist Jerome Solomon

With the return of a new season, we're bringing back our weekly "5 questions..." feature here at BSJ where we check in with a writer for the other team that knows their stuff to get a better feel for the opponent. For the Texans, we spoke with old friend Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle who previously did a great job covering the Patriots for The Boston Globe. Check him out on Twitter here.

1. The Texans have two stars — J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson — coming off serious injuries. How did they look in the preseason, and are they ready to jump in 2018 without an issue? 



Solomon: Watt saw very limited action, but seemed to be at full strength in joint practices with the 49ers and in the one preseason game in which he played. He might never return to the best-in-the-NFL level of dominance that he had as a three-time defensive player of the year, but he enters the season fresh, hungry and ready to go. Watson had a torn ACL in college, so he has made the comeback from that injury before. He has looked just as quick as he did a year ago, and his passes have had zip on them and been accurate. The Texans might have fewer called runs for him early on, but that is just a precaution, as he is 100 percent.

2. Give the name of one guy we’re not talking about now who has a chance to have a sizable impact on Sunday.

Solomon: Nose tackle D.J. Reader could be a force inside as teams wisely concentrate on Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and Benardrick McKinney, the better-known members of the front seven. After learning from former Patriot Vince Wilfork for the past two seasons, Reader looks ready to have a breakout year and the Texans believe he is a Pro Bowl-caliber lineman. There is no better place for him to start than to provide up-the-middle pressure on Tom Brady.

3. Where is Houston most vulnerable?

Solomon: With four new starters and no established above-average players or highly-touted draft picks, the Texans’ offensive line is a huge question mark entering the season. The group should be better than a year ago, but that’s not saying much as the Texans’ o-line was one of the worst in the league. Houston QB’s were pressured on a league-high 40 percent of their dropbacks in 2017, and that percentage was the same whether the mobile Watson or the statue Tom Savage was under center.

4. Where are the Texans strongest, and are they capable of exploiting some of those positive matchups vs. New England?

Solomon: When healthy, the aforementioned front seven led by Watt, Clowney, Mercilus and McKinney is one of the best in the NFL. The Texans can apply relentless pressure on quarterbacks, even against teams like the Patriots, who get the ball out quick. Houston sacked Brady five times in their 2017 matchup, two more times than any other team managed last season.

5. The Texans win Sunday if…

Solomon: They capitalize on red zone opportunities, and their defense pressures Tom Brady enough to make him uncomfortable. Houston figures to move the ball against a questionable Patriots secondary, but can they close the deal as the Patriots bend? Expect New England to double-team DeAndre Hopkins down close, so the Texans will need someone else (a rookie tight end, perhaps?) to take advantage of single coverage and the lack of attention. Scoring is half the job. Stopping Brady and Co. is more of a challenge. Even if they get to Brady enough to knock him off balance, the Texans will need to make a couple plays in the secondary to keep the Patriots in check.

Jerome’s pick

Romeo Crennel’s defense will be fast and aggressive, and it will take a while before Tom Brady finds ways in which to attack it. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson will make plays to give the Texans an early lead. If the Texans can score TDs and not settle for field goals to end drives, and force a couple turnovers, they'll get out of Gillette Stadium with a win.

Texans, 24-21.