A Monday where Texans fans get to celebrate a win is a happy Monday indeed. In easily their most complete game of the season, the Texans were able to come away with a win in Jacksonville, 31-20 over the Jaguars.
Rest easy, because unlike every other Pick 6 I’ve written this season, this one is entirely positive.
Pick 1: The Look With Foster
Yesterday’s game in Jacksonville marked the first time this season that we saw a regular starting workload for Arian Foster, and it made all the difference in the world for 
the Texans offense.
Foster had over 100 all-purpose yards, but just 58 on the ground. That hardly matters though, because having Foster consistently on the field and healthy at least provides the threat of a run game or pass out of the backfield. His presence on the field opens up the playbook and gives Hoyer so much more time in the pocket.
Pick 2: Speaking of Hoyer…
How about that performance from Brian Hoyer? The QB finished the game 24-of-36 for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns. He 
also finished with the second-highest QBR this weekend (pending tonight’s game of course) with a 92.6 QBR. That’s second only to Ryan Fitzpatrick’s remarkable 99 out of a possible 100.
Yeah, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Fitzpatrick had the two highest QBR’s of week six, and Peyton Manning had the third-worst. What’s happening? Regardless, Hoyer had the play action pass working for him, had time in the pocket, and made smart decisions with the football. It’s nice to see what this guy is capable of when he’s not getting smacked behind the line.
Pick 3: The Team Backs Hoyer, And So Should You
In the preseason, when we were deep in the heated debate of who should start at QB, I pointed out some of the key pros and cons of both Hoyer and Mallett. Look, Mallett has all the physical attributes you could want from a quarterback, but the mental aspect of the game is lacking tremendously for him. He’s inconsistent, inaccurate, and makes horrible decisions with the ball frequently.
Sure, Hoyer will have a bad throw here and there, but the biggest difference between these two was on display yesterday. Hoyer has that leadership component to his personality that Mallett may never have. After Hoyer took a seemingly dirty hit with his team behind, the entire Texans team rallied around him and their attitude completely changed. I don’t think you would’ve seen the same reaction if it had been Mallett that had taken the hit. This is Hoyer’s team. The players and coaches support him and are ready to go into battle with him every week and that’s one of the best things you can ask from a quarterback.
Pick 4: Nuk, Nuk On The Loose
DeAndre Hopkins is a bad, bad man. I could just put his game stats of 10 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns up and leave it at that, but it’s impossible to stop 
singing the praises of Hopkins. He’s now the first player in NFL history with at least nine catches and 145 yards in three straight games.
The man is stupid good. Just looking at the rapid progression he’s made from solely a deep threat to one of the most dependable number one receivers is astounding. When in doubt, just keep chucking it to your friendly neighborhood Spiderman Nuk!
Pick 5: Defense Stepping Up
For those of you still waiting for JJ Watt to have the same season he had last year, I hate to break it to you, but that was a season unlike any other from a defensive player and is all but impossible to duplicate. True, JJ Watt isn’t at his best right now, but he can’t be the entire Texans defense.
Finally, he didn’t have to be against Jacksonville. Players like Mercilus, Ballentine, and Hal stepped up and made their presence known on Sunday, allowing this Texans defense to look like the Texans defense again.
Houston had forced just two turnovers in their first five games. They picked off Blake Bortles three times in this game, and even returned one for a touchdown. The formula for success in Houston starts with the defense, and it just took a big step in the right direction.
Pick 6: A Good Spot In A Bad Division
Normally a 2-4 mark means time to panic or get it in gear. Fortunately for the Texans, they reside in the AFC South, which has been an absolute joke this season. With Indianapolis’ loss last night to New England, the Texans find themselves just one game back with Miami and Tennessee due up.
A .500 record may be enough to win this division this season. If the Texans can take advantage of games like their next two and build some momentum before the rough part of their schedule hits, a division title isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
