[Arky]

Sean Pendergast - NFL Week 16: Texans-Eagles — Four Things To Watch For:

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2. Nick Foles and the tight end reprieve
It's no secret that covering tight ends has not been high on the list of things the Texans' defense does well, so not only do the Texans avoid having to play Carson Wentz (Eagles QB, done for the season with a messed up back), but Wentz's replacement Nick Foles doesn't do nearly the peppering of the tight end position that Wentz does. (I'm also a believer that Foles is just not as good a player as Wentz, but every time I say that, he goes and beats the Rams in LA, or wins Super Bowl MVP.) TE Zach Ertz had built up a 100-catch season with Wentz tossing him the ball every week. Last week, against LA, Ertz was an afterthought. Now, the flip side of that is Foles likes to get the ball into the hands of his wide receivers, but I don't think that the Eagles' top WR threats (Alshon Jeffrey, Golden Tate, Nelson Agholor) are the downfield burner types that the Texans have struggled with the last few weeks (Calloway, Hilton, Anderson). Hoping for a "get right" day for the Texans' pass coverage on Sunday!

1. Where for art thou, D'Onta?
Lamar Miller got banged up (ankle) in the Jets game on Saturday, leaving Texan fans with the harrowing reality of Alfred Blue as the lone healthy human being with an NFL carry at running back on their roster. The end result? Blue, nine carries, SIX yards. Yuck. This week, the Texans must activate Foreman on game day, even if Miller intends to suit up, as well. Foreman, of course, is coming off the Achilles tear that ended his rookie season a year ago. O'Brien had been tossing passive aggressive conditioning barbs Foreman's way in media sessions since Foreman returned from the PUP list, but now O'Brien needs him. A nearly fully healthy Foreman could be an underrated difference maker for the Texans on Sunday and into January.

SPREAD: Eagles -2.5
PREDICTION: Texans 23, Eagles 21
RECORD: 9-5 SU, 6-8 ATS

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