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

No. 1: 49ers can exploit mismatches

The Niners are the far more talented team in this affair and will have plenty of chances to exploit the matchups that are in their favor.

The first place to start is the offensive and defensive lines, and San Francisco should be able to dominate the trenches in this one. As previously stated, the Texans offensive line frankly isn’t very good, and their defensive line doesn’t present much of a threat either. The 49ers’ O-line play has been solid all year in large part due to Pro Football Focus’ No. 1-ranked player in the NFL, left tackle Trent Williams, while left guard Laken Tomlinson is also having a spectacular year, having given up zero sacks this season.

Offensively, the Niners can run on the Texans with success, but if Kyle Shanahan wants to show off Trey Lance’s arm, there should be plenty of opportunity for that as well. The Texans secondary has been the one bright spot for them this season, which has recorded 16 interceptions.

However, their defense takes more of a bend-but-don’t-break approach, as Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 330 yards against Houston in its win over Los Angeles.

Still, the Texans are 26th in the NFL in yards per attempt and have given up 47 plays of 20-plus yards.

The 49ers won’t necessarily need to throw the football successfully to win, but they can certainly find success in doing so.