5 Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Face Texans in Week 14

Barely clinging onto playoff life, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks will pursue a second straight victory for the first time this season when they hit the road to face Davis Mills and the rebuilding Texans in Week 14.

Rebounding from three straight losses upon Wilson's return from finger surgery, Seattle took care of business at home last weekend to secure a season sweep of San Francisco in a 30-23 victory and improve to 4-8. Continuing to struggle mightily with a roster that has experienced remarkable turnover over the past calendar year, Houston got beat up by Indianapolis in a 31-0 shutout, dropping to 2-10 on the year.

With both sub-.500 teams set to battle in the Space City, which matchups will be most important to deciding who snags a win at NRG Stadium on Sunday?

--Seahawks running backs Alex Collins, Rashaad Penny, and DeeJay Dallas versus Texans linebackers Christian Kirksey, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and Neville Hewitt: Throughout the season, the Texans have been abysmal stopping the run, allowing opponents to run for nearly 145 yards per game, dead-last in the NFL. A big part of those struggles has been sub-par linebacker play, with recently-released Zach Cunningham and Grugier-Hill each being tagged with 11 missed tackles by Pro Football Focus. Kirksey has only missed five tackles, but he has had issues getting off blocks and maintaining run fits. With Collins returning healthy after sitting out last week, Penny coming off his best game of the season, and Dallas providing a viable three-down reserve option, the Seahawks should be able to get their run game going early with a chance to do significant damage if their backs can get to the second level against a subpar group of linebackers. In the red zone, they should also be go-to weapons against an opponent that has surrendered 20 rushing touchdowns this year, second-most in the league.

--Seahawks defensive ends Carlos Dunlap, Darrell Taylor, and Alton Robinson versus Texans tackles Tytus Howard and Charlie Heck: If the Texans had their best player in Laremy Tunsil available, this might be a matchup that favors the home team. But the star left tackle remains on injured reserve and won't suit up on Sunday, leaving Howard and Heck as the starters for a struggling front line. Howard, a former first-round pick out of Alabama State, has been respectable while mostly playing left guard this year. In two starts at left tackle, he's allowed just one pressure and one sack. But in 2020, he did allow 42 pressures at right tackle, so he can be vulnerable. As for Heck, the son of former Seahawks first-round pick Andy Heck, he's endured a somewhat challenging second season, allowing 5.0 sacks and 17 pressures. With an inexperienced rookie quarterback under center and multiple backups in the lineup in front of him, this has the look of a game where Dunlap, Taylor, and Robinson could wreak havoc off the edge and make life difficult for Davis Mills. If that trio can't get consistent pressure, however, that may allow Houston's offense to find traction early and keep the game within reach into the second half.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Dee Eskridge versus Texans cornerbacks Desmond King, Terrance Mitchell, and Tavierre Thomas: On one hand, Houston's secondary has been surprisingly effective creating turnovers, with King leading cornerbacks with two picks and Thomas and Mitchell both having one apiece. But the group has also been ripe for giving up explosives in the passing game, as the Texans have allowed nine passes of 40-plus yards, fourth-most in the league. None of their corners off much size, with King, Mitchell, and Thomas all standing 5-foot-11 or shorter, which could spell doom trying to defend the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Metcalf. The speed of Lockett and Eskridge could also be problematic, especially if they end up in the middle of the field working against linebackers and safeties. Seattle would appear to have the advantage on the outside talent-wise as long as Russell Wilson isn't careless with the football and has time to throw.

--Seahawks cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Sidney Jones versus Texans receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins: When it comes to scoring points, Houston has been allergic to finding the end zone most of the 2021 season. On six different occasions, the Texans have scored nine or less points in part due to the lack of playmakers on the outside. With that said, Cooks remains a viable deep threat who can take the top off a defense and ranks 14th in the league with 65 receptions. The Seahawks will have to make sure to have safety help behind Reed and Jones in the event the speedster races past them to eliminate big plays. While he has roughly a third of the receptions and isn't necessarily a downfield weapon, Collins offers a much different skill set with a 6-foot-4, 218-pound frame and the rookie from Michigan can be a handful working the middle field and in contested catch situations against smaller cornerbacks. Mills will certainly be aiming to get the ball to both receivers frequently and keeping them in check will be crucial for Seattle defensively.

--Seahawks tackles Duane Brown and Jake Curhan/Stone Forsythe versus Texans edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Jacob Martin: Returning to his old stomping grounds where he played for parts of 10 seasons, Brown will have to deal with a pair of electric pass rushers off the edge in Greenard and Martin, who have combined to produce 12.0 sacks and 53 quarterback pressures this season. While the veteran has been playing better football as of late and should be able to handle that assignment, the Seahawks will be starting either Curhan or Forsythe in the place of starting right tackle Brandon Shell, creating a matchup against a rookie that the Texans will want to expose. Curhan's biggest problem in limited action this year has been blocking against speed and quickness, which could pose a major problem if tasked with blocking the slippery Martin, who entered the league as a sixth-round pick with the Seahawks in 2018. Though more of a technician, Greenard can win with power and underrated burst, making him a player Wilson will have to keep tabs on every snap, especially when he's lined up across on the right side. For Seattle to click offensively, there may not be a more important key than keeping those two players away from their star quarterback.