Posted on: November 3, 2022, 07:22h.
Last updated on: November 3, 2022, 12:08h.
Week 9 of the NFL regular season opens with a game at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, that pits teams with different realities against each other. The Philadelphia Eagles, the only undefeated team in the league with a 7-0 record, visit a downtrodden Houston Texans, who have one win, five losses, and one tie.
Amazon must be wondering if its decision to spend $13 billion to secure “Thursday Night Football” broadcasting rights was a smart move. So far this season, the Thursday NFL games haven’t exactly been riveting.
Today won’t be any different. The Eagles sit atop the NFC East and look like heavy favorites against the Texans, who sit in last place in the AFC South.
Eagles Safe in Their Nest
Jalen Hurts has been key to maintaining the winning pace for the Eagles. The QB will enter Thursday’s game with 10 wins as a starter, including the last three games he started in 2021. This is the longest streak in Philadelphia history for a quarterback.
| Philadelphia Eagles | Houston Texans | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -820 | +570 |
| Spread | -14 (-105) | +14 (+115) |
| Over/under | O45.5 (-105) | U45.5 (-115) |
| Courtesy of FanDuel |
Hurts leads the league’s quarterbacks list in combined passing and rushing yards, putting him in a unique class. He has 300.3 yards, and is number five in the QB ratings at 64.9, according to ESPN.
The Eagles lead the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns, six of which have come from Hurts. This means the Texans will need to be vigilant defensively. However, Houston is allowing 22 points per game this year, which doesn’t bode well.
Philadelphia has averaged 28 points per game. The team continues to perform without mistakes, having only lost two balls in seven games. At the same time, they’ve recovered 16 fumbles, which has them as the leaders of the category.
The 24-year-old Hurts is on track to tie or break some long-standing records. Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Dak Prescott each have 11 consecutive wins, good enough for third place. Hurts is quickly approaching that number. Only Ben Roethlisberger (15 in the 2004 season) and Lamar Jackson (13 in the 2019 season) have longer streaks.
Mills Tries to Find His Way
Texans QB Davis Mills hopes to continue to improve, building on earlier success. He’s started seven games so far this season, completing 149 out of 236 attempts for 1,502 yards. He’s also thrown eight TDs.
Mills has also been intercepted six times and sacked 16, and is likely to suffer more tonight. Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson leads the NFL with four interceptions and linebacker Haason Reddick has 5.5 sacks.
The Texans (1-5-1) haven’t had a winning record since going 10-6 and winning the AFC South in 2019. However, they’ve remained competitive. Four of their five losses were by 10 points or less.
Eagles Will Float for Next Two Weeks
The Eagles are on a path toward a deep postseason run, if not a definite Super Bowl appearance. After facing one of the worst teams in the league this season on Thursday night, they won’t be back on the field until November 14.
When they return, the Eagles will face the Washington Commanders, who sit last in the NFC East. After that, they take on the 3-4-1 Indianapolis Colts. Not until Week 12, when they face the Green Bay Packers, do the Eagles have a threat.
Philadelphia knows it doesn’t have to exert a lot of energy on Thursday night, especially since the Texans don’t have any real offensive threats. It’s a chance for them to possibly try out a few new tricks in anticipation of tougher games down the road.
The moneyline and spread don’t offer a lot of interest in this matchup. Taking the under on a total of about 45 points seems like an easy choice to pick up some extra cash.
