NFL fans who watched Colin Kaepernick lead the San Francisco 49ers to last year’s Super Bowl never would’ve pegged the team to be 2-2 and have the league’s 21st-ranked offense. But that’s the situation the 49ers are in tonight as they host the Houston Texans on NBC Sunday Night Football. The Texans, also 2-2 on the season, are easily the most highly performing team with a .500 record, so they’ll arrive in San Francisco with something to prove. The matchup should definitely live up to its Sunday Night placement, so you’ll want to catch it live on NBC or at the very least find a way to watch Texans vs 49ers Sunday Night Football live online free streaming using one of several different methods.
Kickoff for tonight’s game between the Texans and 49ers is scheduled for 8:30pm Eastern / 5:30pm Pacific. Houston has won the past three times these teams have met, and they generally haven’t been close. Their 2009 game was the only nail-biter, with the Texans beating the 49ers 24-21. In 2010 the dealt the 49ers a 30-7 beatdown, while in 2012 the final score was Texans 20, 49ers 9. Yet in spite of the 49ers not playing past a 2-2 record this season, and in spite of that history of losing to Houston, the 49ers are still the unanimous favorite tonight against the Texans as voted on by ESPN analysts.
Had the Texans not lost at the last minute to the Seattle Seahawks last weekend, the odds would undoubtedly be flipped. But lose they did, with Texans QB Matt Schaub throwing a pick-six that ultimately led to the Seahawks’ victory. Schaub has had a knack for those this year, which is surely to blame for some of the pessimism as the Texans travel to San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. But NFL pundits are saying “Schaub will be rock steady for Houston,” and in fact that “the Houston Texans are angry about their 2-2 start… Plus, I like the way DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson match up with the 49ers’ defensive backs — consider what Colts receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and Reggie Wayne were able to accomplish against the Niners, recording 59 and 58 receiving yards, respectively.”
So why the attention to Matt Schaub over the media darling known as 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick? Let’s look at the tape, shall we? Through four weeks in the 2013 NFL season, Schaub has gone 116-177 for 1,193 yards and 8 touchdowns. Kaepernick, on the other hand, has gone just 68-117 for 856 yards and 5 TDs. So, what you’ll see when you watch Texans vs 49ers Sunday Night Football live online free streaming is a Houston Texans team ranked ninth in the NFL in passing, seventh in rushing, fifth in overall offense and has actually pulled-off the top-ranked defense in the league.
That defense will undoubtedly be licking its chops to get its hands on the scramble-happy but able-to-pass Kaepernick. The Texans’ defense has been a shining light amid some heartbreaking losses, but with that said, Houston has given up drives of 99 and 98 yards this season — and it would like to change that against a 49ers offense that has almost a 37% third-down conversion rate and can keep long drives going.
But make no mistake, the 49ers vs Texans game will really come down to Texans QB Schaub. As ESPN notes, Schaub “looked broken after [the Seahawks pick-six]. By contrast, in Week 2, Schaub threw a late pick-six against Tennessee that put the Texans in an eight-point hole, but he recovered quickly enough to lead a game-tying drive that forced overtime. … If he can’t recover, the Texans have no chance. But if he can rediscover the guy who led that comeback effort … against San Diego in Week 1, the Texans are in good shape.” See it unfold for yourself on NBC tonight or clicking these links to watch Texans vs 49ers Sunday Night Football live online free streaming on either NBC Sports’ website or DirecTV with the NFL Sunday Ticket package. The package isn’t free, but the ability to stream NFL games all season is free once you sign up.
