Over the last few years, the Houston Texans have unfortunately conditioned their fan base to expect the worst. Things are getting better, but there is certainly some PTSD still left over from the 2020 through 2022 seasons.
There was the perpetual fear that the eventual long term had coach would be a Patriots tree guy. There was concern that the team wouldn’t draft a quarterback in April, and once they did, the next concern was that C.J. Stroud would be on the bench for Week 1 in Baltimore. Well, after the two padded practices this past weekend, it appears that Texan fans can cross one mroe fear off the list.
C.J. Stroud was front and center, and appearing to be on the fast track to be the next face of the franchise this past weekend, with both practices occurring in front of suddenly rabid Texan fans, so there are plenty of witnesses to by four big Texans observations from over the weekend. Here we go:
This is C.J. Stroud’s team already
For the first half dozen or so practices, the split on reps with the first team offense was practically even, as was the verdict on who one each day at practice. However, the coaching staff (and likely, GM Nick Caserio) seem to have views this weekend as the optimal time for Stroud to get the lion’s share of the work with the first offensive unit. Stroud responded with two of his best practices, particularly on Saturday where everything was coming out of his hand on time, and he spread the ball around to all areas of the field accurately. Stroud made some very nice throws in red zone drills, in particular connections with RB Dameon Pierce and TE Dalton Schultz through the air. It would be a shock if Stroud didn’t start the preseason opener in New England this weekend.
The offensive line depth is the early Achilles heel
The Texans have already lost starting center Scott Quessenberry for the season wroth a torn ACL and MCL, forcing rookie center Juice Scruggs into the starting lineup, perhaps earlier than the team had hoped. Then on Saturday, during drills, an offensive lineman went down with a serious injury, and for about ten minutes, it wasn’t discernible as to who it was. In those uncertain moments, with fear it might be one of the starters like Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, or Shaq Mason, the anxiety was palpable over what the solution might be, if ti were one fo them. As it turned out, the injured player was recent signee D.J. Scaife, and obviously people feel terrible for him. The accompanying feeling, though, was certainly a “what if” should the team lose a starter. Then, shortly after that, Howard left with an undisclosed injury, and that feeling came back, but this time, it’s real.
Tank Dell showed up big on Saturday night
If there is a young Texans player who has double the support, it’s Dell, the diminutive third round pick, who led the nation in receiving last season at the University of Houston. Dell has gotten plenty of work on special teams in the return game, and as a wide receiver, he’s been getting rotated in with the first time. On Saturday, he was on the receiving end of multiple chunk plays in 11-on-11 drills, catching balls from both Stroud and Mills. Of all the wide receivers in camp, the one that seems to be perpetually open is Dell, and it should be fascinating to see how offensive coordinator finds ways to get the ball into his hands this season.
The secondary will be the group that surprises the league
If you’re scouring the internet for articles that rate various position groups around the NFL, as part of your preparation for the upcoming season, good luck finding one that lists a Texans position group among the top ten at its respective position. By and large, around the country, most writers are of a “same ol’ Texans” mindset until they see otherwise. The prediction here is that, by midway through the season, there will be midseason report cards touting the playmaking and coverage skills of this Texans secondary. Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre have “top five safety duo” potential, and if the Derek Stingley and Steven Nelson we are seeing in camp translate to the regular season, opposing wide receivers will have to work hard for what they get. I’m very bullish on this group.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
