The San Francisco 49ers are taking on the Houston Texans in Week 8, looking to improve to 6-2 and potentially be the top team in the NFC.
It’ll be another injury-riddled week for the 49ers, who will be without
quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall once again, while cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is questionable.
They’ll be facing a Houston team that has gone 2-4 this season, with their lone wins being against the Tennessee Titans and a Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens team. They were riding a two-game winning streak after starting the year 0-3, but fell short in a 27-19 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last weekend.
Heading on the road for their first 10:00 a.m. kick of the season, how can the 49ers pull off the victory on Sunday? Here are three keys to a Niners victory over the Texans.
Red zone
The Texans have been one of the NFL’s best defenses this year, despite their 2-4 record.
They rank first in the NFL in opponent passer rating, fourth in yards allowed per game, third in third-down conversion percentage, and second in opponent completion percentage.
The one area where they’ve been somewhat susceptible is the red zone. The Texans currently rank 24th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage at 66.67 percent. Now, granted, they’re sixth in the NFL in red zone attempts per game (2.5), but that is an area where San Francisco will need to do well in.
The 49ers had struggled in the red zone early in the season and still rank 25th in the NFL, but were a perfect 2/2 against the Atlanta Falcons last weekend with George Kittle back. Houston has also been a porous red zone offense (21st in NFL), while the 49ers defense is middle-of-the-pack.
San Francisco needs to carry on their success from last weekend and continue to execute in the red zone on Sunday.
Run Game
The Texans have been an elite defense everywhere, and that extends to the run game, where they’ve allowed less than 100 yards per game and on 3.8 yards per carry.
Well, the 49ers finally got some success on the ground last weekend, albeit against an Atlanta team that has been up-and-down against the run, as George Kittle’s return made a big difference.
It will be tougher to run the ball on Sunday, but getting success on the ground has to be the 49ers identity to move the chains consistently.
Expect another heavy dosage for Christian McCaffrey, and this one to be a tough, grind-it-out environment on the ground against two quality run defenses.
Trench battle
As mentioned above, this one feels like a grind-out game, which puts a big emphasis on the trenches. But, with this particular matchup, that especially should be the case.
Houston’s offensive line has struggled after trading away Laremy Tunsil, as C.J. Stroud has been pressured and sacked at a high rate this year. The 49ers’ defensive line, however, hasn’t gotten as much pressure this season and are now down their top pass-rushers with Nick Bosa out for the year and Bryce Huff sustaining a hamstring injury.
The 49ers’ young core will need to find a way to get home and win the matchup against an inconsistent offensive line with a lot of new parts this season.
Subsequently, the 49ers offensive line will be facing a tough defensive front without starting center Jake Brendel. They must find ways to keep Mac Jones protected enough or for the quick passing game to work well, which usually requires some missed tackles.
