4 ways Trey Lance, 49ers attack weak Texans team in Week 17

After a disappointing loss to the Titans, Trey Lance and the 49ers will look to rebound against an inferior opponent in the 4-11 Texans.

San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an injury in last week’s game against the Tennessee Titans, leaving his status in doubt for the upcoming game against the Houston Texans.

Presumably, rookie signal-caller Trey Lance would be making just his second start of the season in what would be one of the most anticipated starts for a Niners quarterback to date.

On paper, the Texans may appear to be an easy matchup for the rookie, but they have given teams fits as of late. They have won two consecutive games for the first time this season, and although they have a weak record, the 49ers should not overlook them.

Surprisingly, the Texans put on an incredible all-around performance against a playoff contender last week in the Los Angeles Chargers. Houston came away victorious in an impressive 41-29 victory over the Chargers, where they forced three turnovers including a game-sealing pick-six touchdown.

Although Houston has found success lately, the Niners have the personnel and talent to overwhelm a weaker Texans team. With little tape of Lance to view, it will be much more difficult for the Texans to prepare, which should give the advantage to head coach Kyle Shanahan and the offense.

The defense should also have opportunities against a Houston offense that ranks dead last in yards per game with just 276.8 yards per matchup. The Texans do a relatively good job of holding onto the football with a plus-3 turnover margin on the season but are still unable to effectively score points.

If the Niners also win the turnover margin in this one, it could be a blowout in favor of San Francisco.

There should be plenty of opportunities for the 49ers to attack a 4-11 Texans team in a variety of ways in Week 17.