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Jets present a major challenge for the Texans
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Mark Sanchez makes his first NFL start at Houston (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
In terms of season openers, this one is about as important as they come for your high expectation Texans.
Lose this game and you're headed to Nashville needing a road win at a place where you haven't won in five years to avoid going 0-2.
That wouldn't be the way for a traditionally slow starting team to take advantage of a schedule that gives them three out of their first four at home.
Just be happy this one is in Week 1 before Rex Ryan gets all his pieces back and they know what they're doing - theoretically at least.
The Jets will be short a couple of starters on defense on Sunday - defensive end Shaun Ellis and outside linebacker Calvin Pace are serving suspensions - but they still have Kris Jenkins and Bart Scott who will (and I repeat, will) raise holy hell with the Texans offensive line.
Remember last year when the Ravens came in here and stomped a mud hole in your Texans?
Well, that was mainly because of a stout Ravens defense that frustrated Sage Rosenfels all day long.
And of course that Ravens defense was coached by Rex Ryan who brought his 3-4 defense to the Big Apple.
Ryan knows how to beat the Texans. He did it last year in a big way in our house. If you recall, that's the game where the Texans abandoned the run too early [Steve Slaton and Ahman Green combined for a total of eight carries while it still mattered with the Texans down by 6 at the end of the 3rd quarter] and Sage Rosenfels threw four interceptions due to pressure and confusion created by Ryan's defense.
Of course Ryan doesn't have guys named Suggs, Reed, Pryce, Lewis or Ngata on his Jets squad - but he does have Jenkins, who fills the Ngata role with his ability to overpower or move around, Scott, a terror at inside linebacker who followed Ryan to New York, and strong safety Jim Leonhard who also followed Ryan to New York from Baltimore.
The Jets offense is 'wait and see' with rookie Mark Sanchez making his first start, but the Jets offensive line (Ferguson, Faneca, Mangold, Moore and Woody) and running backs corps (Thomas Jones and Leon Washington) returns intact from last season. Expect the Jets to pound the ball and use short passes to mix things up.
The Jets receiving corps is not a team strength (Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey as starters) but athletic tight end Dustin Keller is a weapon and will definitely be a target of Sanchez.
Rumors abound that the Jets are trying to acquire wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Broncos. Adding fuel to that speculation is that the Jets gave up a draft pick yesterday in a trade with the Lions to acquire backup quarterback Kevin O'Connell. O'Connell was cut by the Patriots on Saturday, claimed by the Lions off waivers, and is well known by Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. Even if the trade comes down this week, it's unlikely that Marshall would be much of a factor against the Texans.
And don't overlook the little things. The Jets have been through about six punters in preseason. It seems like they bring in a new one every week.
Rex Ryan has achieved cult status with the New York media before he's coached his first game and what better venue than a nationally televised game in front of zillions of people in Week 1 to wipe that smirk off his face and force him to answer some tougher questions as he enters Week 2.
Talk is cheap unless you can back it up.
And with all the talk about the Texans and the playoffs, that rule applies to them as much as it does to Buddy's son.
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