Texans look to build on momentum on Monday night at the Seahawks

Houston (2-3) at Seattle (4-2)

Monday, 10 p.m. EDT, ESPN.

BetMGM line: Seahawks by 3

Against the spread: Texans 2-3, Seahawks 4-2.

Series record: Seahawks lead 4-1.

Last meeting: Seattle beat Houston 33-13 in Houston on Dec. 12, 2021.

Last week: Houston had a bye, beat the Ravens in Baltimore 44-10 in Oct. 5. The Seahawks beat the Jaguars in Jacksonville 20-12.

Texans offense: overall (20), rush (16), pass (19), scoring (22)

Texans defense: overall (4), rush (7), pass (5), scoring (1)

Seahawks offense: overall (10), rush (24), pass (4), scoring (5)

Seahawks defense: overall (13), rush (2), pass (24), scoring (6)

Turnover differential: Texans plus-1; Seahawks minus-1.

Texans player to watch

QB C.J. Stroud was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Ravens where he threw for 244 yards and a season-high four touchdowns. He’s had six touchdown passes with no interceptions combined as the Texans have won two straight games after he had just two TD passes with three interceptions in their three-game losing streak to start the season.

Seahawks player to watch

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a season-high 162 receiving yards on eight catches, including a touchdown last weekend against the Jaguars. The third-year wideout out of Ohio State has 42 catches for an NFL-high 696 yards. Smith-Njigba has three touchdowns “He’s definitely having a Pro Bowl-caliber year,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.

Key matchup

The Texans had a strong defense last season that buoyed them, especially in the first half of the season, but offensive struggles and injuries hurt them in the latter half. This season Houston has the fourth-ranked defense overall, and top scoring defense, which will pose a challenge for Seahawks QB Sam Darnold, who has thrown for 1,541 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, his first in Seattle. Darnold is helped by his offensive line, which has allowed just seven sacks this season.

Key injuries

Texans: RB Joe Mixon remains sidelined with no timetable for a return. Mixon didn’t participate in training camp and has been out all season recovering from a foot injury he sustained in the offseason. He has been eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list but remained out against the Ravens with no word on when he would make his season debut. The bye gave DE Denico Autry and rookie S Jaylen Reed additional rest time for their knee injuries.

Seahawks: The Seahawks were without starting S Julian Love and cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen last weekend against Jacksonville. All three are questionable against the Texans as are G Josh Jones and LB Derick Hall. Coach Mike Macdonald said he hoped Witherspoon, who has played in just two games with an MCL contusion, would be able to practice this week.

Series notes

The Seahawks lead the series 4-1 and have won the past three in a row, including the most recent meeting, a 33-13 victory in Houston on Dec. 12, 2021. The Texans’ lone win in the series came on Dec. 13, 2009, when they routed Seattle 34-7 at home in Texas. Houston hasn’t visited Seattle since 2017.

Stats and stuff

Texans RB Nick Chubb ran for 61 yards and a touchdown in his previous game. He has seven rushing touchdowns and one TD catch in nine Monday night games. … Texans WR Nico Collins has had a touchdown reception in three of his past four games. He had five catches for 69 yards in his previous game against the Seahawks. … WR Christian Kirk led Houston with a season-high 64 yards receiving against Baltimore. He has had at least 75 yards receiving in three of his four career Monday games. … Houston DE Danielle Hunter has 9 1/2 sacks and 11 tackles for loss combined in his past eight Monday games. He has had a sack in two straight games against the Seahawks. … Seahawks QB Sam Darnold’s seven game-winning fourth-quarter or overtime drives since 2024 are tied for most in the NFL with Patrick Mahomes. … The 7 p.m. local time kickoff is the latest in Seahawks history. … The Texans got off to a rough start with three straight losses but have won their past two. … Seattle’s defense has allowed just two rushing touchdowns, tied for fewest in the league. … The Seahawks have 20 sacks, ranked second in the NFL, while the offense has allowed just seven sacks. … Seattle has seven interceptions this season.

Fantasy tip

While Smith-Njigba receives a lot of the attention, Seahawks TE AJ Barner is having a solid season. He needs one more touchdown this season to set a career high with five. Last week at Jacksonville, Barner had a 61-yard reception late in the fourth quarter that helped Seattle seal the victory. The second year player has 17 catches for 205 yards and four touchdowns this season.

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