As dramatically as the Texans' offensive line improved against the Los Angeles Chargers, they're in for another difficult blocking assignment Sunday.
The Carolina Panthers' defense, headlined by Pro Bowl middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, create a lot of matchup problems.
Between the power of Gerald McCoy and Kawann Short, when he's healthy, and the speed of Mario Addison, Brian Burns and Shaq Thompson, it's a tough front seven.
Addison leads the Panthers with 3 1/2 sacks followed by two sacks apiece for Burns and Christian Miller.
"These guys, it's a big challenge up front," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said.