The San Francisco 49ers will need their secondary at full strength to combat injuries on the defensive line vs. the Houston Texans.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is a former 49ers defensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan, so San Francisco knows how difficult of a challenge it will be against Houston. Jones went into further detail about the Texans, highlighting their linebackers in particular.

The Texans are without two of their top wide receivers, Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. Also out for Houston are offensive tackles Trent Brown (the cousin of 49ers rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins) and Jarrett Kingston (2024 sixth-round pick by the 49ers), defensive end Darrell Taylor, and quarterback Graham Mertz.

The San Francisco 49ers (5-2) visit the Houston Texans (2-4) Sunday in Week 8. Kickoff from NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, is at 1 p.m. ET (FOX). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NFL odds around the 49ers vs. Texans odds and make our expert NFL picks and predictions for the best bets.

The key is Jones beating the pass rush. The Houston defense is built around its front four getting pressure. Take that away and the 49ers can build long sustained drives and convert in the red zone against this defense. McCaffrey should have success on the ground, but could be limited in the air.

With starter Brock Purdy slowly working his way back from the right big toe injury that's kept him out since Week 4, the 49ers will again turn to backup Mac Jones on Sunday against the Texans. Ricky Pearsall also is out.

Brock Purdy continues to miss time. This will be the fourth missed game in a row for Purdy, who has sat out all but two contests this year. He started a Week 1 win over the Seahaw