Houston Texans Off Season Thread

[eagle eye]

Wow, there is some news to pass along from Texans-land! For a low key organization like Houston that is saying something! What news? Check it out.

 

Back at the beginning of the rookie camp after the draft Bill O'Brien called out 3rd round pick Jalen Strong for being overweight. He reported at the time at 231 lbs. Now just over a week away Strong is ready and he should not incur any of O'Brien's wrath when training camp begins next week because since that day in early May Strong has dropped 20 lbs and is now weighing just 211 lbs. Strong is coming into a situation that should benefit him because he won't be under any pressure to start right away. He will be behind veteran receivers Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington which should give Strong time to develop which rookie WRs generally need but rarely get. It generally takes a couple of years for a WR get up to speed being an NFL caliber receiver. The Texans WR corp is as strong as it's ever been and it's a great situation for Strong to be in. Now that he's down to his playing weight it should be nothing but full steam ahead for him.

 

NFL.com has reported that Jadeveon Clowney looks "spectacular". However that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be on the field any time soon. He is progressing well after microfracture surgery 7 months ago but it would be asking a lot for him to be back on the field when training camp starts or even be ready when Week 1 rolls around. I seriously would not be surprised if he doesn't begin the season on PUP. That would give Clowney an extra 6 weeks of rehab. Anthony Spenser had the same surgery in 2013 in October and he didn't see the field until November of 2014 and he wasn't really himself until January in the playoffs. All I can hope is that Houston doesn't try to rush him back too soon.

[eagle eye]

Training camp is just a few day away and the radio voice of the Texans, Marc Vandermeer, takes a look at the arrival of HBO's Hard Knocks crew. I sort of wish I had HBO just for the 5 weeks HK is on the air.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View-Hard-Knocks-invasion-at-NRG/ee20b849-7fcd-41c5-be99-bcac150d2254

 

On Wednesday Texans training camp tickets were released the public. Six minutes later they were all gone! Don't think folks are excited for the upcoming season? Yeah, right. Here's the article from Texans.com that also includes the training camp dates that are open to the public. There are tix available for the Academy Youth Day on August 11. Those tix are available only at Academy and will be explained in the article linked below.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-training-camp-tickets-sell-out-in-6-minutes/d5456531-d9db-42ff-87fa-31989ad20c17

 

Training camp practices officially begin next Saturday, August 1, at the Texans training facility across the street from NRG Stadium. So what that means is training camp is T-minus 8 days and counting.

[eagle eye]

It's the final week before training camp begins on Saturday. In an article from the Texans official website the voice of Texans radio, Marc Vandermeer, gives us 5 things unique about this upcoming training camp. Just 5? This is a pretty thought provoking 5 so enjoy! 5 days until the beginning of training camp.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Top-5-Firsts-for-2015-Texans-Training-Camp/0325a71b-45d3-4d71-80bc-6e3dddee4ca9

[eagle eye]

Just like I said in the spring, Jadeveon Clowney will not be ready for training camp or Week 1 of the coming season. Recovering from microfracture surgery is just too hard and long a process. Yesterday the Texas said that Clowney will begin the season on the PUP list meaning Clowney won't play for the first six weeks of the season and after which time the team has a five week window to allow the player to begin practicing. Once he begins practice the team has 21 days to activate him onto the 53 man roster. If they never activate him he must remain on PUP the remainder of the season. Now, since he is on the season PUP list Houston could activate him any time during training camp but if they do they can't put him back on PUP even if he practices for just a few minutes. The player would have to be put on the Injured Reserve list and he could not play at all during the season. I think the Texans are still holding out hope that Clowney will be back but I hope to goodness they don't rush him back and get him hurt again.

 

Besides Clowney and three other players will begin on PUP. David Quessenberry, the O-lineman who is recovering from cancer, will be on the Active/Non-Football injury list. WR Alan Bonner has been placed on the Active/Non-Football injury list as well. Since Bonner was drafted in 2013 he hasn't played a down for the Texans as he's been on injured reserve both in 2013 and 2014. It's entirely possible that Bonner's days as a Texan are numbered especially since he was drafted pre-Bill O'Brien and the current coaching staff has no dog in his hunt. The last man is like Clowney, on the Active/Football injury list and that is LB Akeem Dent who has been walking around OTAs and mini camp in a walking boot as he recovers from a foot injury.

[eagle eye]

Houston began training camp practices on Saturday but it's only shorts and jerseys per league rules. The first two days of training camp are only supposed to be without pads to help the players acclimate to being in training camp. That means Sunday's practice was also in shorts and jerseys.

 

So far in the first couple days Bill O'Brien has indicated that Ryan Mallett had good days starting out training camp. This doesn't mean much right now as Brian Hoyer is going to get his shots with 1's too.

 

The Texans have stated that they are targeting August 17th for Jadeveon Clowney's first practices since he had microfracture surgery last December. The original date of rehab was 9 months and with the practices close that timetable he is right on schedule. However, it's still not clear if he will be able to play by Week 1. In pre-season PUP you can come off any time and the player could be available by Week 1. If the player isn't ready he can go on regular season PUP and he would have to miss at least the first six weeks of the season. Clowney MIGHT be back in October or November I just don't believe he will be healthy enough to play Week 1.

 

Reported in the link below Texans 1st round pick Kevin Johnson has had a good beginning to training camp but there is still a long way to go.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/CB-Kevin-Johnson-off-to-“a-good-start”/ebfd1ae7-c4d0-41c4-8af9-f8b13f59ddc7

 

Here are 23 observations from Day 2 of training camp by Texans.com's John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/23-observations-from-day-two-of-TexansCamp/b55cacaf-12d7-4f8f-802c-8742196b3467

[eagle eye]

On a day when Dallas announced it was going to honor one their all time great players the Texans had a much less enjoyable day. The Texans best back and the backbone of their offense, Arian Foster, hurt his groin. He hurt is so badly he will need surgery to repair it. The Texans are saying that he will not have to miss the whole season, that he will be back at some point, but right now there is no speculation when that point will be. He will almost certainly begin the season on the Injured/PUP list which means he will miss a minimum of 6 games. Rehab from an injury like this is varied and it all depends on the severity of the injury.

Houston worked out former Saint and current free agent Pierre Thomas and it was reported he had a very good workout. Trouble was Thomas and Texans could not come up with a number that Thomas liked so he was not signed.

Now, I don't know about anyone else but the list of retreads and has beens who could be trolling for a job right now do not interest me. Thomas was possibility but that seems to have gone by the wayside. Another guy I wouldn't mind seeing the Texans consider is Knowshon Moreno. He had a great 2013 season that landed him a free agent deal with Miami in 2014. He began the season lights out rushing for 134 yards in the season opener to lead the Dolphins to a 33-20 win over New England. The next week he was again looking like he would bust 100 yards in a game vs Buffalo until he sustained a dislocated elbow that virtually ended his season. If he's healthy I wouldn't mind putting Moreno in a mix with Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard. To be honest I am looking forward to seeing how these former LSU teammates mesh for the Texans.

 

Here are some observations from Texans.com's John Harris from yesterday's practice.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/17-observations-from-day-four-of-TexansCamp/085a99b4-6544-4089-8cf7-c640a8e98996

[eagle eye]

Houston is spending the next few days, beginning today, practicing with the Washington Redskins. Houston traveled to Richmond Virginia where the Redskins training camp is and they begin 3 days of pounding somebody other than each other.

 

With Arian Foster out RB Jonathan Grimes is taking on more of a load. Next man up, right? Bill O'Brien has praised Grimes for stepping up his game and noted that the past 3 practices Grimes has been consistently good. Grimes is a former UFA and I suppose it's worth noting that Arian Foster was a UFA too. I'm not saying Grimes is as good as Arian Foster but what I am saying is sometimes you find a diamond in the rough and sometimes lighting strikes the same place twice.

 

Here are 25 observations from today's practice with the Redskins from Texans.com's John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/25-observations-from-TexansCamp-against-Washington/a95b535b-536e-400c-937e-9c758895170a

[eagle eye]

Day 2 in DC, well actually in Virginia, and practice with the Redskins. So here's the news from Texans camp in the form of 24 observations from Day 2 practices by Texans.com's John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/24-observations-from-day-two-of-Texans-vs-Redskins-/4633d630-a527-4f35-bf14-ddd37452878a

 

Why Arian Foster felt the need to declare he didn't believe in God is something only Arian can explain but the questions arise that, for me, were answered by Fred Faour on ESPN 97.5 yesterday when he said, "I don't care what his beliefs are. Am I going to not be a Texans fan or a Foster fan now that I know he doesn't believe in God? Hell, no! If he or anyone, for that matter, performs on the field and the team I root for is successful I'm happy. I don't know the man personally and most fans don't know, really know, the players they root for. All they know is whether or not he's good at his job. I don't give a rip about he believes or doesn't believe." I don't agree with Faour all that much but on this one I have to agree. I'm going to say who cares and move on.

 

Good reports about WR Jalen Strong. That is never a bad thing to get positive reports on a player. Like, say for instance, 2nd year LB Max Bullock. Reports are that the guy is showing real progress and that's just another link in a strong defensive chain.

 

Drew Dougharty of Texans.com did his own recap of today's practice saying "it got intense". Check out his article linked below.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/“It-got-intense”-at-Friday’s-Texans-Washington-practice/4352991b-b357-4253-b790-bd99467c5d53

[eagle eye]

The biggest news today from Texans training camp was a virtual meltdown during the final day of joint practices with Washington Redskins. The teams had to be separated and ended up practicing apart on two different fields after there were 3 serious fights in a 5 minute span. Here are some tweets from Bleacher Report. As an aside, yesterday Bill O'Brien classified yesterday's practice with Washington as being intense. I guess after what happened today that underscores O'Brien's observation about the join practice sessions.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2543022-huge-brawls-break-out-at-redskins-and-texans-joint-practice

 

Prior to the fights that ended the joint practice with the Redskins new nose tackle Vince Wolfork totally overpowered Redskins center so bad that he drove the guy right into the Redskins RB on the play causing him to tackle his own man. Pretty awesome display of power!

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2543068-texans-vince-wilfork-makes-redskins-lineman-tackle-own-running-back

 

Here's a link from Texans.com that features an article and a video of Bill O'Brien's press conference following practice which feature 3 separate fights between Houston and Washington that resulted in the teams finishing practice separately on two different fields. It's more than a discussion of the fights, O'Brien talks about what he's seeing so far in camp. Should be good subject matter for "Hard Knocks". Too bad I don't have HBO!

[eagle eye]

The first episode of HBO's series "Hard Knocks" premieres tonight. It should include the first week and a half of Texans training camp including the brawls that occurred on Sunday in the Texans last joint practice with the Washington Redskins. Here's a preview of tonight's episode from Texans.com. Hit the link on the Texans home page for a Hard Knocks look at nose tackle Vince Wolfork.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/

 

Here's an article from Texans.com about the Texans new center Ben Jones.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Ben-Jones-settling-in-at-center/451f2b4a-f636-4a4f-8666-34c095fb22f6

 

This link is also from Texans.com. It's an article from John Harris titled, "Football 101: Alfred Blue's Skillset". Pretty interesting read.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-Alfred-Blues-skillset-/6ef90971-721b-43ad-b870-8de1221e5c3c

[eagle eye]

Okay, all I want to know is this, how did Hard Knocks go last night? I don't have HBO so I have no clue if the program was good or not. So, if somebody would give an update on the Hard Knocks episodes I would appreciate it.

 

Houston released it's first depth chart and not surprisingly Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer were both listed as starters.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/First-depth-chart-released-by-Texans/01f94127-f2bc-4f5a-a8e9-427a47d422f0

 

The Texans are still saying they expect Jadeveon Clowney to be back to practice on Monday the 17th but they are now hedging their bets saying they won't rush him back. He may participate in rehab exercises with trainers on the side but he won't actually be practicing. I still maintain that Clowney will begin the season on PUP while he rehabs his way back to the field.

 

Bill O'Brien has said that NT Louis Nix III will get a lot of snaps in the Texans first preseason game this Saturday in NRG Stadium against the 49ers. Nix was one of the 2014 draft picks that wasn't able to contribute to the team last year. Nix, OL Xavier Su'a-Filo and Clowney who either saw little or none of the field last season because of injuries. Nix is 2nd on the depth chart as he gets to learn his craft from veteran Vince Wolfork who was Nix's idol all the way back to Wolfork's Miami Hurricane days. O'Brien has questioned Nix's toughness back in OTA's and challenged him to step up and earn his 3rd round draft status. So far you would have to classify both Su'a-Filo and Nix as busts but they both have plenty of time to redeem themselves.

[eagle eye]

The Texans won the game but that's not the point of preseason. The point is to resolve position battles and evaluate the talent you have in training camp. I think the Texans got a good look at some important pieces. The Texans didn't really answer any questions about starting QB because all 3 QBs had a decent game. Brian Hoyer started and played one series. It was enough to lead the team to an opening drive TD. It came on deep in route by Cecil Shorts who caught the ball about 18 yards past the line of scrimmage and raced the rest of the way to the end zone, a total of 58 yards. That was 58 of Hoyer's 67 yards passing. Hoyer also hit DeAndre Hopkins with a back shoulder fade for a 2 point conversion.

Ryan Mallett was next and he looked pretty good too. He passed for 90 yards hitting on 10 of 11 passes he threw. He did not get a TD toss. One trip in the 1st quarter inside the red zone was unsuccessful. It wasn't Mallett's fault as Houston, inside the 5 yard line, tried seven straight runs. Not exactly seven straight. On 3rd and goal, the first 3rd and goal, Mallett attempted a pass to Alan Bonner was incomplete but it was because the 49ers CB was all over Bonner eliciting a pass interference call. 4 more run attempts failed to get the ball in the end zone and after the game Bill O'Brien said that red zone rushing was one area that needed work. The 49ers just beat the Texan O-line off the ball.

Tom Savage had a good evening too with a game high 97 yards and a TD. None of the Houston QBs had a pick.

As for running back you'd have to say Alfred Blue won the first battle. He gashed the 49ers defense for 59 yards on just 9 carries before his night was over. That's a hair over 6 YPC. Chris Polk and rookie Kenny Hilliard each had more carries than Blue but with not nearly the success. You have to understand they didn't run behind the 1's we'll see going forward.

The WRs didn't get a lot of looks but Shorts, Hopkins and Demarias Johnson all had big catches in the game.

The Texans D looked pretty good as far as the 1's and 2's were concerned although they did let Torry Smith get behind them on a deep pattern but Colin Kaepernick over threw him. The Texans did record 4 sacks on the night while the Niners D failed to get a sack. There were no turnovers in the game.

All in all you'd have to say it was a good start for Houston and maybe a little encouraging for San Fran. For the Texans there are definitely things to build on and, of course, there are things to clean up.

One last thing, the broadcast featured former Oklahoma and NFL running back Spencer Tillman doing the color commentary and I thought he did a very good job. He certainly pointed out things that a lot of color men don't notice or mention. It was a good job but Tillman is a little bland in his delivery but I won't change the channel when he's on.

 

I was going to include a link to Bill O'Brien's post game comments but I upgraded (?) to Windows 10 and for some reason the link wouldn't post right.

 

Here's an article of Texans radio play by play man Marc Vandermeer giving his take on the game.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View-Checking-off-the-list/73f6d9c6-6d11-4daa-9773-f0b9118a83a6

 

 

 

[eagle eye]

Okay, I got found a good offer for a 30 trial for HBO Now app for my phone and jumped all over it. The app only had the 1st Hard Knocks episode but I watched it last night and it was pretty good. Highlights I took from the show:

 

> JJ Watt works his ass off. It's like Gary Player once said, "The more I practice the luckier I get.". This is the hallmark of why Watt is so freaking good. Sure he's got a world of talent but it's the work he puts in that makes the difference. He's also a nice guy and that don't hurt one bit either. I can't believe he got ripped for being a good guy after the episode aired last week. Haters love to hate.

 

> Rookie LB Rashad Cliett was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Prior to that the coaches, Bill O'Brien specifically, remarked what shame it was because he showed so much promise and worked so hard. Sad moment of the episode when the trainer was telling Cliett he could come back from this injury while he was lying on the training table in the locker room.

 

> Vince Wolfork is a damn good athlete. In a segment that showed Wilfork at home playing hoops. The man can move and he can shoot too!

 

> The training camp battle with Washington and how O'Brien got after the team after looking bad on Day 1 practice with the Redskins. JJ Watt followed with a speech of his own after O'Brien left.

 

> The opening sequence when O'Brien was telling his coaching staff that Houston was 88-120, 32 games under .500 as franchise. He also pointed out that Houston gets no respect at all. ESPN, nobody picks Houston to win squat. He said it was time to change all that. He also said he was tired of the media putting down Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, that both guys could play and they just need a chance. He said, "....and one of them will. But, they both need to be ready to play.". I liked O'Brien before but I think I really like him now that I've seen a little behind the scenes stuff.

 

Hard Knocks aside, at training camp on Tuesday the Astros Carlos Correa stopped by the Texans practice field and met with some of the Texans including JJ Watt. Correa was all the talk of the town on Monday after Correa's tackle of Jose Altuve after his game winning hit against Detroit Sunday afternoon. Correa marveled at the size of Watt and some of the other Texans players and afterwards he said he'll be happy to stick to baseball.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Carlos-Correa-catches-up-with-JJ-Watt-Texans/dfc4740e-1c03-44b7-99e4-ecacc44c2ee3

 

23 Things from Texans.com's John Harris as they move toward this week's game against Denver Saturday.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/23-observations-from-Tuesdays-TexansCamp/fa48fb0c-6d05-4b0f-8915-a53e66306f5e

 

The Texans have awarded a brand new mortgage free home to Army Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Bone and his wife. Houston has done this for a couple of years now rewarding local servicemen and women for their service to our country. Here's a link to the article from the Cypress Creek Mirror.

 

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/news/army-veteran-receives-new-home/article_4685ddb5-6eb5-5c32-8230-6081139af49e.html

 

Back to Hard Knocks, here's NFL.com's recap of episode 2 which aired last night. Don't tell me what happened I haven't seen it yet.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000512564/article/hard-knocks-recap-no-2-cushing-a-compelling-bully

 

Finally, Jadeveon Clowney is actually back at practice. He doing stretching, participating in team walk-throughs and individual drills. That's enough right now. O'Brien is still hopeful he'll be ready for Week 1 but I'm still skeptical. But, I have to admit, I didn't believe he'd be back at practice right now either. Here's an article with Clowney's thoughts on his first day of training camp.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Jadeveon-Clowney-feeling-great-after-1st-practice/ad29ec38-4208-4883-9126-01e8a43a2233

[eagle eye]

I saw Hard Knocks episode 2 last night and I thought it was a little lame. There was a confrontation between RB Alfred Blue and LB Brian Cushing. Cushing doesn't take being disrespected lightly. The look on Blue's face when Cushing called him out in a one-on-one drills was pretty funny. Blue pissed of Cushing earlier in the drill and Cushing went about destroying him during the drill. Later in the episode DeAndre Hopkins asked Cush it he ever had a latte and he replied, "I went to Starbucks before until I realized I wasn't a chick.". Hopkins really showed his feminine side with the discussion about lattes and his desire to have a man-bag and to have a Yorkie dog to put in it. Hopkins is all testosterone on the field making play after play in practice and in the game they played. He seems to be embracing his role as #1 receiver and that's a good thing.

Too much uninteresting crap in the episode for the most part. The HBO folks need to up their game a little bit.

 

Here are 31 observations about yesterday's practice session from Texans.com's John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/31-observations-from-Wednesdays-TexansCamp/ee8da2d2-efd1-40a3-99eb-8af482d1f9d7

[eagle eye]

So, Houston didn't look all that good in the loss Saturday night to the Broncos. Well, that's not completely true. The defense looked pretty good in their brief time on the field but for the most part the Texans weren't terrible but they weren't that good. I can't wait to see Hard Knocks to see how Bill O'Brien breaks it down. It's becoming increasingly obvious that Houston won't have a "bell cow" running back. Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chirs Polk will share the load. If you're looking at Houston for a fantasy running back I think you may be barking up the wrong tree.

 

If you are looking at Houston and wondering which QB to take in fantasy you are 1) crazy or 2) a die-hard homer or 3) you're looking for a backup QB for bye weeks. The answer to the question of will it be Hoyer or Mallett? O'Brien answered that question yesterday by naming Brian Hoyer the starting QB for the 2015 Texans. I was a little surprised considering the hype over Mallett but I also believe that Hoyer is severely underrated. I've seen Hoyer play well and that was in Cleveland where playing well is difficult as hell considering they have had 3 different head coaches in the last 4 years and 4 different offenses to learn and so on and so forth. Cleveland lost their best receiver Josh Gordon to stupidity and only injuries really derailed Hoyer, both to him and his teammates. So here I am saying I think Hoyer should be given the benefit of the doubt. After all O'Brien and his coaching staff have seen Hoyer and Mallett every single day and they feel Hoyer is better. Judging by the poor performance against Denver Mallett pretty much played his way out of the starting lineup. He wasn't accurate, he made bad decisions and he threw picks. Sort of the trifecta of what a good QB doesn't do if he wants to play on Sundays.

 

Here they go again. Who? The dumbasses on ESPN's The Drive. AJ and Fred in a discussion of Hoyer being named the Texans starter they started in with their usual gloom and doom. While they acknowledge that the defense will be better than last year (which is amazing since they said before last season that the defense would suck because all they had was JJ Watt) but the offense is a flushable commodity because they have no Arien Foster and now they have somebody both consider mediocre at best. They didn't mention that O'Brien had Hoyer when they both were in New England and based on that O'Brien wanted him in this off season. O'Brien said in episode 1 of Hard Knocks that he was tired of people putting Hoyer and Mallett down. He said both guys were good players and one of them was going to get his chance. Now we know it's Hoyer. Maybe it's out of spite or because I think I'm a better judge of the Texans than the dimwit duo. Last season they said Houston would be lucky to win 6 games. I said that Houston would go either 9-7 or 10-6. They went 9-7 and missed the playoffs by a game. Yesterday AJ and Fred said that the reason Houston went 9-7 was because Ryan Fitzpatrick had a career year! Really? Fitz was inconsistent at best in the first half of the season and he was benched for Ryan Mallett who went 1-1 and his second game he gutted out a torn pectoral muscle as Houston lost to the Bengals. Fitz came back and was good until he broke his ankle and Tom Savage took over until he got hurt and Case Keenum finished the season. Fitz had a couple of really good years in Buffalo, certainly better than he had last year with Houston. AJ and Fred can be all gloom and doom because they have Hoyer as the starter and no Foster to lean on but I think O'Brien and his staff can put Hoyer in good positions and Houston can at least equal last year in wins. So, I'm saying Houston will go at least 9-7. O'Brien has a history of making teams better. He did it as OC in New England and he was successful at Penn State when the experts had the Nittany Lions dead and buried and they ended up with a winning record and he won NCAA Coach of the Year. Sorry guys, I think this is a well coached team and they will be successful.

 

There is an article on Texans.com about how DeAndre Hopkins learned the Texans Bill O'Brien offense. It's an interesting story and rather ingenious too. Still having issue with Windows 10 so I can't post a link. Also check out the preview of this week's Hard Knocks episode that features rookie UFA from Boise State Khari Lee doing his impression of O'Brien in a team meeting. Even O'Brien was cracking up!

 

Eureka! Finally figured out what is happening. I really don't have a solution for Microsoft 10 but the default browser that is downloaded with MS 10 is a system called Microsoft Edge with Bing as the search engine. The problem was I could copy links and paste them but they would not be "links". You couldn't click on them and go to a web page. I got back on Internet Explorer with Google as my default drive and the linking worked like a charm. Still don't know how to fix Microsoft Edge but I don't care anyway. Here are the links to the pages mentioned above.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/DeAndre-Hopkins-studied-Patriots-offense-to-learn-system/fa4871f3-21a6-46fb-975c-bb875512edd3

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/index.html

Edited August 25, 2015 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Hard Knocks Episode 3 was pretty good. It focused on training camp stuff more than Episode 2 but it also gave us a look beyond which is the point of the show. The rookie show was good especially the segment when rookie TE from Boise Khari Lee did a spot on Bill O'Brien that have everyone including O'Brien cracking up. Everyone, that is, except LB Brian Cushing who is sort of the epitome of the phrase Neanderthal in terms of the stereotype of the jock and football players in particular. I think Cushing was considering attacking Lee judging by the look on his face. The segment on the 13th birthday of O'Brien's older son Jack. The boy has a rare brain disorder and is totally dependent on his parents. It was a touching segment and makes me like O'Brien even more. Here's a recap of the episode from Texans.com. Included in the article are a couple of clips from the show.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/“Hard-Knocks”-Episode-3-Swennis-anyone/8e4d79d4-0437-444a-959a-8ddd002b232e

 

Much to my complete shock the Texans announced that Jadeveon Clowney is on track to play in Week 1. I still can't believe it. He won't likely play at all in preseason but he will be there Week 1.

[eagle eye]

It sure looks like O'Brien made the right choice. Brian Hoyer looked pretty good against the Saints. Not only that but the defense was pretty doggone stingy to Drew Brees and company as well. Hard knocks looks like there is some potential for some good drama. Not just for the win but minor dust-up over Ryan Mallett "over sleeping" and being late to practice on Wednesday last week. No big deal to me and for sure no big deal to O'Brien. I think it is pretty telling that the Texans defense played as well as it did on the road against a Saints team that reliving the emotional time 10 years ago after Hurricane Katrina made mincemeat of the levees around NOLA. The Saints definitely should have had a big emotional advantage on the face of things but as is the case of life in the NFL few of the current Saints were on the team 10 years ago. So, it was likely no advantage at all. Being on the road is supposed to be a disadvantage but it didn't bother the Texans. The defense, as I said, played well and did you notice it was done without JJ Watt in the lineup at all? Watt hasn't played a down in preseason which is pretty smart on O'Brien's part. No need to risk injuring your best player over meaningless games. I believe that Houston has some flash and some bang on offense too. I believe Hoyer is severely underrated and between Hopkins, Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington Houston has some nice weapons. As for the RB's I was impressed with Jonathan Grimes in very limited work. I do think Houston has depth at RB and with Grimes, Chris Polk, Kenny Hilliard and of course Alfred Blue Houston will be alright. I'm not sure I'll go out on that very thin limb and predict Houston will give Indianapolis a run for their money in the division but if things fall right ........................... you just never know.

[eagle eye]

The preseason finale against the Cowboys it was the showcase for all the non-starters to make their final case to the coaching staff that they need to make the final 53 man roster. I'll tell you, last night's game wasn't your typical sloppy, mistake prone snoozer these games usually are. It speaks well of both Houston and Dallas' depth quality that the game looked like a normal game. Not really any excessive penalties, pretty solid play on the field and it was not that boring a game to watch. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it. The starters for the most part didn't play except for draft picks and rotational guys. With only 75 players currently allowed on the roster some of the 2nd stringers had to play.

Here are some take-aways I got from this game.

> Tom Savage looked pretty damn good. He was accurate, he made good decisions except for one pass that led to an easy pick six for Dallas. Trouble was in the 4th quarter the O-line which was getting pushed around all night by the Dallas defense allowed a breakout by DT Devon Coleman who tackled Savage falling right on top of him. Savage was sideways when he went down and he landed right on his right shoulder with Coleman's weight right on top of him. Savage was forced to leave the field and was taken to the locker room to be examined. After the game Bill O'Brien didn't have any update on Savage's injury. Savage looked like a guy who knew his way around an NFL huddle though and it's encouraging to think that Savage really could be the QB of the future for the Texans. I'm just a guy but for my money Savage's performance last night sort of tells me that in the not-too-distant future either Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett could become expendable.

> The defense played well. They were off and on successful stopping the Cowboys run game. They ended up allowing a total of 150 yards rushing and 2 TDs to Dallas but they did have their moments. As for pass rush, Houston harassed Dallas QB Dustin Vaughn relentlessly. They only recorded two sacks but they were in Vaughn's grill all night and only allowed 115 yards passing. Vaughn was 11/20 and most of the problem was the pressure Houston put on him.

> The O-line struggled against the Dallas D-line. Dallas held Houston to 75 yards rushing that includes a 9 yard scramble by Savage. I have to say that the Dallas D's dominance made yards hard to come by for Kenny Hilliard and Chris Polk but they were both involved in the passing game and looked pretty good. Hilliard got more carries 18 to 10 than Polk but Polk's YPC got more receiving yards for the same amount of catches. Both players had 4 but Polk gained 37 yards receiving while Hilliard got only 16. Polk also scored a TD on a really nice play that had Polk wide open in the flat and he was able to walk in for an easy 16 yard catch and run.

> Special teams was solid and Lechler, Bullock and LS Weeks look ready to go. Coverage units were okay but they did allow a big punt return by Lucky Whitehead but things like that get straightened out after the final roster cuts.

> In the battle of 1st round picks, Houston's Kevin Johnson and Dallas' Byron Jones I thought Johnson was better. Jones was beaten for a TD by Keshawn Martin but credit also must go to Savage who threw a great pass and Martin for making a contested catch.

 

Final cut downs are supposed to be done Saturday afternoon when all NFL teams have to be down to their final 53 man roster. I believe after all cuts clear waivers then teams will sign players to their practice squad and will happen on Monday. We are now 9 short days away from the beginning of the 2015 NFL season.

[eagle eye]

The Texans are down to their final 53 and their finale of Hard Knocks will have features about two players they have been following during the show's run. CB Charles James II and WR EZ Nwachukwu. Nwachukwu could end up on the practice squad but I'm not sure about James. He played hard but he got beat a little too often. Another Hard Knocks guy that got cut was LB Kourtni Brown. I really think he will end up on the practice squad too.

There were indications that Bill O'Brien isn't sentimental about draft picks. Last year the Texans drafted LB Max Bullock and NT Louis Nix III and both are gone. Nix has to be the biggest disappointment. The Texans used a 3rd round choice on him and he never played a down in the regular season for Houston. O'Brien was on Nix even in OTAs as it seemed like his heart wasn't into playing football. That's a shame because Nix was a highly touted player going into the 2014 draft.

If only Tom Savage could have lasted 7 more minutes. A breakout sack of Savage by the Cowboys Davon Coleman resulted in a what has been called a sprained shoulder has ended up costing Savage the whole 2015 season as he was placed on IR.

On Hard Knocks this week Bill O'Brien had to tell OL Dan Quessenberry that he was going to NFI list and his season is done. You may remember that Quessenberry was diagnosed with cancer before the 2014 season and he has been undergoing treatment. In the Hard Knocks episode he talked about the cancer being in remission and he was hoping to get back with the team this season. In a meeting with O'Brien Quessenberry was told that he just wasn't ready to play this year. O'Brien went on to say that the Texans were counting on him to be ready to go in 2016 and that the Texans were not giving up on him, thus his move to the Non-Football Injury List. The Texans will retain his rights and if I'm not mistaken he will still get paid. Class move by O'Brien and the Texans and Quessenberry realized it too despite being disappointed. Here is a link to Texans.com and the complete list of cuts and designations made by the Texans to get down to the final 53. Some of these names, if not claimed, I would imagine will end up on the practice squad.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/The-Texans-53-man-roster-is-set/a7726064-7bdc-4ab4-9d97-bdc2a20fc2cb

 

I guess I'll have to eat my hat because O'Brien is still saying that the Texans expect Jadeveon Clowney will be on the field in uniform Week 1 vs Kansas City. I have to honest, if somebody had bet me he would be back I'd have taken that bet in a New York minute. Good for Clowney and hopefully he's not back too soon but I wouldn't expect the #1 player in last year's draft to be anything close to what he will be later this year or even next year. That microfracture surgery is a royal bitch to come back from. Fact is, many don't.

[eagle eye]

Hard Knocks will be over tomorrow night. It was interesting to see behind the scenes of Texans training camp and you get to root for a few players who you may not have noticed otherwise. After the cuts on Saturday there were teams showing interest in LB Kourtnei Brown, CB Charles James II and EZ Nuwachukwu. Tampa Bay signed Brown to their practice squad, James was signed by Baltimore and as for EZ? EZ was signed by the Miami Dolphins. No sad stories here and that's good because I think we all came to like all three guys as we got to know them in Hard Knocks.

 

Is it really possible? Can former 2nd round draft pick be returning to practice in time to prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend? Probably not but then again with Su'a-Filo you just don't know.

 

Names to watch on the Texans defense according to reports are Brandon Brooks and Jared Crick. It would be sweet is they really are ready to break out of the JJ Watt shadow a little bit.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Jared-Crick-A-Force-Awakens/ba436d50-9f44-4bd9-a7bb-ce43d846abf3

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brandon-Brooks-Battling-Adversity/ab7edb02-8fe3-43cb-a161-261562c6794c

 

The Texans defense could be a top 5 unit this year. They are more than solid on the D-line and addition of Vince Wolfork to the mix is nothing but a good thing. The linebacking corp looks athletic and fast with a healthy, and I mean really healthy, Brian Cushing. With the Neanderthal-like attitude that Hard Knocks portrayed him as you may not realize that Cushing is over two full years in his post ACL knee injury issues. He wasn't himself last year, not really, but now he looks like the athletic and fast man-beast that he was coming out of college. The secondary has got a righteous mix of youth and experience to count on. 1st round draft pick Kevin Johnson looks like the real deal while he will get to learn from some pretty good vets like Jonathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson. Lonnie Balentine, Andre Hal and Rahim Moore have the safety position locked down. This group ought to be pretty salty and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing them play. They looked pretty damn good in the last two preseason games and JJ Watt didn't play a snap in preseason.

I was a little surprised to see Houston cut WR Damaris Johnson because he made plays for Houston working out of the slot last season. However, Houston has six really good WRs and it was just a case of too much talent and not enough room. Houston has DeAndre Hopkins who was in full beast mode this off season. They acquired Cecil Shorts in free agency and he could be THE steal of the entire NFL free agent class. Shorts is a really good receiver who will help this team. On the depth chart they have Nate Washington listed as well as 3rd round pick Jalen Strong. Strong struggled in camp but that's to be expected of a rookie. He gets the benefit of learning how to be an NFL receiver from some very wise old vets. The receiving corp is rounded out by a resurgent Keshawn Martin and the rookie from Michigan St Keith Mumphrey. Youth and experience. You gotta love it. The fact is, IMO Mumphrey looked better than Strong during the summer and I expect he will get looks in 4 and 5 wide formations especially if Strong continues to have trouble hanging on to the ball as depicted in Hard Knocks.

Everyone is praising Brian Hoyer's leadership skills since he was named the team's starting QB two weeks ago. I've said before I have seen Hoyer play very well in Cleveland where that isn't the easiest thing to do. Injuries killed Hoyer and gave the impression that he is not as good as I believe he really is. The thing is, Hoyer or any QB for that matter could use a good running game and Houston will have to figure one out with Arian Foster out. Houston got some good news this past weekend in that Foster could be back in the line either the end of September or first part of October. That's great news but until then Houston has to figure out who and how they are going to use Foster's backups. It looks like Alfred Blue will be the first guy to get a crack at the starting job. He will have to share carries with Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk who looked pretty good at times this summer. My feeling is Polk is the most complete back of the three but each has a little different skill set that I'm sure Bill O'Brien will take full advantage of. I can see Blue and Grimes sharing 1st and 2nd down carries with Polk coming in on 3rd downs. Polk is good coming out of the backfield in the passing game but more importantly he may be the best pass blocker of the 3 guys. If you have a fantasy team who the hell do you pick up. Boomer thinks it's Blue. Me too but Grimes will get carries and maybe the red zone touches as well. PPR leagues may love Polk as the year goes on as a flex player. The O-Line is solid and Duane Brown will be back at practice Wednesday meaning the Texans will be at full strength against the Chiefs daunting D-line. O-line or TE? Where do classify Garrett Graham? He may not be fantasy gold and he may lose touches to CJ Fiedorowicz who had a nice summer as well. This offense may not be a fantasy player's bonanza except for Hopkins but I believe they can get the job done especially when you consider the extra possessions this defense is going to provide them.

 

This will be the last post I make on this thread because it's time for the regular season to begin. It sure has been an eventful off season but Houston has definitely gotten better and I believe they will give the Colts all they can handle in a decidedly tougher AFC South.