New York Jets Offensive Stars Who Need to Shine Against the Houston Texans

The New York Jets will look to snap a five-game losing streak when they host the Houston Texans on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The game night, which falls on Halloween, is sure to draw a crowd of costumed fans. Fans of the Jets (2-6) are talking about how their team looks like a football team after missing another chance to beat New England on Sunday, losing 25-22 even though they held the lead for less than three minutes left.

Houston (6-2) has won four of its last five games and has an offense capable of scoring a lot of points. But the status of receivers Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs will be worth keeping an eye on throughout the week.

Here are the forwards to watch for both teams entering Thursday’s game.

WR Garrett Wilson

He’s having another great season and he proved on Sunday that he doesn’t need a lot of goals to be successful. He caught five passes for 113 yards, and each catch was difficult to make and went a long way in helping the Jets score some points. His season numbers are up: 51 catches for 573 yards and three touchdowns. New York is not a very good team, but you wouldn’t know it by their numbers.

TE Tyler Conklin

New York really needs to look for him on the rim more often. It worked Sunday against New England, when he made good strides for the Jets. He also caught a difficult pass early in the game. He has 26 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns. It seems like every catch he makes matters.

RB Braylon Allen

The Jets have been patient with Breece Hall, and his ineffectiveness at running back is best attributed to the offensive line. But Allen, a rookie, has a better yards-per-carry average than Hall (4.2 to 3.7) on far fewer attempts. He also has a touchdown. That doesn’t mean the Jets need to bench Hall. But perhaps it’s time to emphasize Allen even more given Hall’s struggles as a lead cornerback?

QB C.J. Stroud

Last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is putting together another stellar campaign. He threw for 1,948 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He passes for 285 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis, and he does it without some of his best tools.

RB Joe Mixon

The Texans signed the veteran in the offseason to improve their running game, and he arrived as advertised. He rushed for 503 yards and five touchdowns with a stunning average of 4.9 yards per carry. He is also a reliable target in the passing game. But with his weapons on the edge, Houston can allow him to focus on the ground.

WR Tank Dell

With Nico Collins set to miss at least one more game on injured reserve and Stefon Diggs suffering a non-contact injury on Sunday, Stroud will be keeping a close eye on Dell’s direction on Thursday. He’s been reliable, catching 24 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He just hasn’t produced the volume that Collins and Diggs have gotten this season.