There’s plenty on the line for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. A win over the Texans would give McVay his 50th career win and pull the Rams into a tie with the Cardinals for first place in the NFC West.
And if the Rams hold a halftime lead and go on to beat Houston, McVay would break Bill Belichick’s record for the most consecutive wins when leading at halftime with 43 straight victories.
Considering their opponent, all three of these things are very doable. The Rams are favored by more than two touchdowns and are facing a Texans team that will once again start Davis Mills at quarterback.
Houston has lost five straight with Mills under center, scoring a total of 39 points in that span. It’s as bad a team as there is in the NFL, even despite having one more win than the Lions, who the Rams beat last week.
A win by the Texans would go down as the biggest upset of the NFL season thus far. The Rams survived a scare from the Lions in Week 7 but today’s game against the Texans shouldn’t even be as close as their 28-19 win over Detroit. Los Angeles should win this one comfortably, boasting a far better offense and defense than Houston.
In order for the Rams to lose, it’ll take bunch of mental mistakes, some big plays from Houston and multiple turnovers. The Lions almost pulled off the upset with an onside kick, two fake punts and a 63-yard touchdown on a screen pass, none of which the Rams should’ve allowed to happen.
They’ll win by at least two touchdowns today and move to 7-1 on the year, tying the Cardinals at the top of the division.
Final score prediction: Rams 31, Texans 10