Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick and starting quarterback Jameis Winston had a rough debut in Week 1, with a pair of interceptions and a completion percentage under 50. But he got things back on track in Week 2, leading the Buccaneers to a win over the rival New Orleans Saints, while throwing a touchdown with no interceptions. It's safe to say he's feeling pretty good heading into Week 3 against the Houston Texans.
Buccaneers vs. Texans 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Jameis Winston versus Ryan Mallett is your quarterback battle for this game.
The Texans have their own situation to worry about at quarterback. Brian Hoyer, who was named the starter after an offseason battle with Ryan Mallett, was pulled midway through Week 1 for his poor play. Despite head coach Bill O'Brien saying that Hoyer wouldn't have a short leash, he lost his job to Mallett and his replacement wound up playing in Week 2 and will play again in Week 3.
Hoyer finished with 18-of-34 completions for 236 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Through one game and the bit he played in Week 1, Mallett has completed 35 of 71 passes for 342 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. That’s a 52.9 completion percentage for Hoyer and a 49.3 completion percentage for Mallett. Neither are inspiring much confidence heading into Week 3.
Tampa Bay doesn't have the best secondary, but it has turned in one solid performance against the Saints, and one really poor performance against the Tennessee Titans. Rookie Marcus Mariota shredded Tampa Bay's defense in Week 1, but the team rebounded nicely against Drew Brees in Week 2. Mallett is obviously not going to do the same kinds of things that Brees can, though the latter is working with limited firepower.
Houston's secondary has done little to limit quarterbacks thus far, allowing Alex Smith to throw three touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs, and allowing Cam Newton to throw for 195 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It's also worth noting that Newton rushed for 76 yards in that game and the Carolina Panthers had 172 yards rushing in total.
If this game winds up being a battle of running backs, then Tampa Bay has the edge. The Texans have the more talented back on their roster in Arian Foster, but he will miss Sunday's game with a groin injury. Chris Polk and Alfred Blue are the primary ball-carriers, but as a team, the Texans have run for just 159 yards in two games, while allowing 269 rushing yards.
The Buccaneers' ground attack, led by Doug Martin, has out-gained opponents 231 yards to 228 yards. Martin has 32 carries for 130 yards, a per-carry average of 4.1 yards. But they only have one rushing touchdown thus far, a scramble from Winston. Still, running the ball early and often and trying to pound away at Houston's defense is probably the best move for the Buccaneers are they try to keep pace in the NFC South.
How to Watch:
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: FOX
Commentators: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Holly Sonders
Online: NFL Game Pass
See More:
