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Three keys to victory
1. Stop the run with seven » Running back Arian Foster appears to be a legitimate weapon and a terrific fit for Houston’s stretch runs. Foster is a big back (6-foot-1, 227 pounds), but makes strong one-cut moves. He also tends to press the hole well, making it difficult to stop those cutbacks. Nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu will face undersized center Chris Myers, who often gets overpowered by big nose guards in a 3-4. If the Redskins have to devote eight defenders to the run, the game is over.
2. Beware Owen Daniels » With so many weapons on Houston’s offense, it will be easy to forget about some players. Yes, you have to stop receiver Andre Johnson and Foster. But Daniels is a major pest and can do more than just hurt a team. However, he did miss all of the preseason and only two passes were thrown to him. Still, ignore him at your own peril. He averages 12.1 yards per catch for his career, a healthy sum.
3. Control the ball » The key to any game in which the opposing offense can be explosive is to run the ball well yourself. That, of course, would limit the touches by Houston’s offense. In essence, that’s what the Texans did to the Colts last week. Besides, the Redskins’ offense is not equipped to get into a shootout. Washington hopes facing a 4-3 front will help its running game get moving. A 3-4 is better suited to stop cutback runs.
Key matchups
Trent Williams • Redskins • LT » Coming off a strong debut, gets another elite rusher — and unlikely to get help again.
vs.
Mario Williams • Texans • DE » Had a sack in the opener; uses more power than DeMarcus Ware but is fast.
DeAngelo Hall • Redskins • CB » Hard to imagine he’ll be on him all the time; Carlos Rogers can match up, too.
vs.
Andre Johnson • Texans • WR » In previous two years, he had a combined 216 catches for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Andre Carter • Redskins • OLB » Why not rush him sometimes from a three-point stance? They need him to apply more pressure.
vs.
Eric Winston • Texans • RT » Perhaps Houston’s top offensive lineman; he’s a key to opening the cutback lanes.
State of the teams
TEXANS » Houston had a defining win in the opener. That, plus a strong finish to 2009, only served to boost the Texans confidence even more. A suddenly tough running game will help a suspect defense.
REDSKINS » The Redskins also had a defining win. They weren’t quite as impressive as Houston, but they still beat a supposed Super Bowl contender. They’re confident they’ll stop the run and get their run game untracked.
Examiner predicts
This is an intriguing matchup because both teams have one strong unit. But Houston’s offense is more dangerous than Washington’s D, which is good but not great.
Texans 21, Redskins 17
