The Houston Texans closed out the portion of their 2024 Training Camp that is open to the media and open to the public on Thursday afternoon, welcoming the Los Angeles Rams to town for a spirited session of joint practice activities, and ultimately a game on Saturday at noon at NRG Stadium. It was appropriate that it was a team from Hollywood in town, as the stars were out on Thursday morning, with J.J. Watt (and toddler son Koa) out there, along with the cohosts of the Pivot Podcast, former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor:
It was an overcast day, which made for kinder, gentler temperatures for the guests in from Southern California. There was a lot going on out there, with the Texans’ offense going against the Rams’ defense on one field, and vice versa on a second field. Here is what you need to know:
The Houston Texans, by most accounts, won the day
It wasn’t perfect for any of the four units out there, offense and defense for each of the two teams, but the Texans seemed to have more “WOW’ plays, which we will single out shortly, and they seemed to be the more physical of the two teams. It should be noted that two of the marquee stars who would normally be out there, Texans defensive end Will Anderson and Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua did not take part in practice today. We probably weren’t going to see either of them in the game on Saturday either, and I’m starting to get little concerned about Anderson and this lingering ankle injury.
Practice notes and observations
* The two rookie defensive backs, CB Kamari Lassiter and S Calen Bullock, continue to impress. Bullock was once again all over the field, swallowing up ground with all the field he covers, At one point, the two combined on a play where Lassiter used his physicality to tip a deep pass and Bullock was able to come up with the interception. These appear to be two very well scouted and evaluated fits for the Texans.
* I spent most of my time watching the offensive side of the football, but according to reports that I respect, like Cody Stoots of Houston Football, the standouts on defense included Lassiter, Bullock, Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair and Mario Edwards.
* C.J. Stroud and Stefon Diggs were at it again, with Stroud hitting Diggs on a deep ball for a touchdown early in practice, and then finding him again on an easy pitch and catch in the end zone during the red zone portion of the practice.
* RB Joe Mixon was VERY present as a pass catcher during the team drills, including a splendid wheel route out of the backfield that had everybody captivated.
* Xavier Hutchinson and Robert Woods both had some nice plays through physical contact today as they both try to make the 53-man roster.
* This will probably be the last time we see anyone remotely resembling a starter doing anything involving physical contact until the Texans kick off the season in Indianapolis against the Colts in Week 1 of the regular season.
Cal McNair’s annual cookout
For the third straight training camp, the Houston Texans celebrated the final fan-attended practice by treating the fans to complimentary hot dogs and hamburgers, courtesy of their owner and CEO Cal McNair. Cal’s Cookout started back in 2022, when the Q-rating for the team was still hovering at its all time low. Cal McNair and his wife, Hannah, decided to become much more front facing and “out in the public,” and the cookout was a big part of that initiative.
It’s one of those things that’s impossible, even for the most staunch Texans critic, to find fault with. I mean, the team is literally feeding its fan base for free. Now, with a winning product, the cookout is just the latest in a series of events that have made Cal McNair the coolest owner in the NFL in the eyes of envious fan bases around the league. The turnaround for the McNairs’ public perception remains one of the most incredible stories in recent history here in Houston.
Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
