Texans vs. Eagles: Jalen Hurts & 3 to Watch Behind Enemy Lines
The Houston Texans face arguably their toughest test of the season on Thursday night, as they'll host the high-flying and undefeated Philadelphia Eagles (7-0).
Four of Philly's wins have come by 10 points or more, as the Eagles have blossomed into one of the league's most complete teams on both sides of the ball. The Texans have nothing to lose but will have to overcome recent defensive struggles in order to power past some of Philadelphia's impressive offensive talent in order to give themselves a chance to remain competitive.
QB Jalen Hurts
Becoming arguably one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, Philly's success begins and ends with Hurts.
He's blossomed into a well-rounded passer this season after struggling at times in that aspect last year. The Eagles aren't a team built on throwing the air out of the ball, but Hurts has still managed to pass for 1,799 yards and 10 touchdowns despite being in a run-first offense.
He's also been quite efficient, tossing just two interceptions this season and completing 67 percent of his passes, good for seventh in the league.
And, of course, he's always a threat to score with his legs in the red zone. Hurts leads all quarterbacks and is fourth among all players with six rushing touchdowns this season. Look for him to be a threat on QB sneaks at the goal line or in short-yardage scenarios.
WR AJ Brown
Brown is coming off arguably the best game of his career in Sunday's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he totaled six catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns. All of his scores came in the first half as the Eagles quickly built a big lead.
Brown has provided Hurts with the true No. 1 receiving threat that seemed to be missing when Philadelphia made a late-season surge into the playoffs last season. He's sixth in the league in receiving yards (659) despite being tied for the 13th-most catches (39). Brown may not see the volume other top passing options do, but he remains an elite scoring threat in an efficient offense.
WR DeVonta Smith
Brown taking over at the alpha in the passing game means more room for Smith, who proven to be one of the best No. 2 receiving options in the league this season. He's had some lows (zero catches on four targets in Week 1 and three catches for 17 yards in Week 4) but has had some impressive highs (eight catches for 169 yards and one touchdown in Week 3 and 10 catches for 87 yards in Week 5.
With attention on Brown, Smith has proven capable of producing some big games. The Texans' secondary might have to pick their poison.
RB Miles Sanders
Often overlooked in season's past, Sanders has still made a name for himself this season despite being on a team with some recognizable stars. He's tied for seventh in the league in rushing yards (563) and is in a seven-way tie for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (five).
Sanders will likely never see a true workhorse role alongside a mobile quarterback like Hurts, but he remains an all-too-important part of an Eagles offense that will be aiming to put Thursday's game out of reach early so Sanders and company can pound the rock into submission.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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