Philadelphia @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 2, 2010 ) Houston 24, Philadelphia 34

The Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line has faced a considerable amount of adversity this season, but J.J. Watt provides a whole new level of stress. The Eagles will hope to contain Watt on Sunday when they visit the Houston Texans without as many as three of their starting offensive linemen. “If you’re a fan of football, you admire him,” Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly said of Watt, who had two more sacks last week, giving him five in the last three games. “If you’ve got to play him, you get a little nervous.”

The Eagles will not have Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis (knee) on Sunday while standout center Jason Kelce (groin) might play, although he would not be 100 percent. In addition, guard Todd Herremans tore his biceps in last week's loss to Arizona, although he will try to play through the pain. The Texans got No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney back for last Sunday's win over Tennessee, but they hope he'll be more productive as he continues to build strength in his right knee.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Eagles -2. O/U: 49

ABOUT THE EAGLES (5-2): While Philadelphia's issues on the offensive line are a built-in excuse, the fact of the matter is that Nick Foles, who ranks third in the NFL with nine interceptions, has to play better. Then there is the matter of LeSean McCoy, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2013 but has rushed for more than four yards per carry in only one game this season. One player who has certainly stepped up for Philadelphia is Jeremy Maclin, who caught 12 balls for a career-high 187 yards and two TDs against the Cardinals and has half of the team's 12 receiving scores this season.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (4-4): Arian Foster has run for 100-plus yards in four straight games for the first time in his career and has scored multiple TDs in three of those contests. DeAndre Hopkins has 11 catches for 203 yards over the last two games while Andre Johnson tied his season high with seven catches last week but still has not caught a ball for more than 26 yards all season. Ryan Fitzpatrick has not thrown for more than 289 yards in any game this year, but he could be due for a breakout performance against a Philadelphia defense that has only three interceptions - the second-lowest total in the NFL.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Eagles LB DeMeco Ryans, who played for the Texans from 2006-11 and made two Pro Bowls during his time in Houston, currently leads Philadelphia with 39 tackles.

2. Clowney, who is still searching for his first career sack, will be playing at home for the first time since suffering a knee injury in Week 1 against Washington.

3. The Texans have defeated every team in the NFL except the Minnesota Vikings and the Eagles.

PREDICTION: Texans 31, Eagles 23