3 Bold Texans Predictions for Week 1 Opener vs. Rams

The Texans will be down their number-two option in the receiver room as offseason addition Christian Kirk will be sidelined due to a hamstring strain. That opens the door for a few wideouts on the roster to have a potentially expanded role on Sunday, but a major benefactor of his absence could be Nico Collins.

Collins dominated the Texans' target share at the tail end of last year with the Texans. From Week 11 to Week 18 following his mid-season injury return, Collins was averaging over seven targets a game, good for over 40% of the team's total target share that was on full display once both Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs were out of the fold.

Houston did tweak their receiving core this offseason to have the depth behind Collins and supplement this offense in case a key wideout like Kirk is out of the mix. But that doesn't mean Collins will get any less attention from Stroud, considering how he finished last season.

Expect the Texans' rookie receiver duo of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to get some early run in their official debut, but Collins especially should have a monster day.

2. Offensive Line Shows Some Growing Pains

Perfection doesn't happen overnight, and neither does putting together a stout offensive line.

The Texans did a solid job of remaining proactive this offseason in trying to fix up their front lines, placing four new starters in front of C.J. Stroud to begin Week 1, including rookie Aireontae Ersery (making his first career start vs. the Rams), three new names on the interior, and Tytus Howard being the only starting piece retained from 2024 at right tackle.

I believe in due time, this Texans offensive line will prove to be much better than the lapses they endured through 2024. But, in the first game of the regular season, on a West Coast road trip against a loaded Rams pass rush, there's reason to believe this protection has some issues for Stroud right from the jump.

There were eight games Stroud started last season in which he got taken down for at least four sacks on the day, including 2024's season opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Don't be surprised to see a similar outcome for Houston this Sunday.

3. Danielle Hunter Logs 2 Sacks

Leading up to this season, a lot of focus has been on third-year Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. to have a breakout campaign of sorts after an initial pair of productive seasons on the scene. But, instead, I'm looking at the experienced and dominant Danielle Hunter to have a strong Week 1 debut.

Hunter's Texans opener in 2024 remained relatively quiet. He logged just one total tackle despite playing 80% of Houston's defensive snaps, and wouldn't log his first sack until Week 2 vs. the Chicago Bears. This season, I think the presence of Anderson on the opposite end of the d-line grabs some major attention from this Rams' offensive front, allowing Hunter to take advantage, and make for a long day in the trenches for right tackle Rob Havenstein.

I'll pin two sacks to Hunter's name in this one, making the day a bit tougher for Matthew Stafford and Co.

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• Texans Rookie WR Prepared for Big Role Amid Christian Kirk Injury