After spending two mornings practicing against the Dolphins this week, the Texans play Miami in the second preseason game Saturday afternoon at NRG Stadium. Then they head to New Orleans for practices against the Saints on Thursday and Friday.
The Texans won their first preseason game 20-9 at New England. The defense outplayed the offense, which has been the case for much of training camp. With a new offense installed by Bobby Slowik, a first-time play caller, and a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud, it’s not surprising the more-experienced defense has been more impressive under coach DeMeco Ryans and coordinator Matt Burke.
Make no mistakes – Stroud is the starter. Ryans hasn’t announced it as some teams have, and he may not announce it, but rest assured, Stroud is the starter over Davis Mills, who has performed well in training camp and preseason.
Ryans said this week all the healthy starters will play against the Dolphins. He didn’t say for how long. He also hasn’t disclosed his personnel strategy for the last preseason game against the Saints. What the coaches and fans want to see is improvement on both sides of the ball. Fortunately for the Texans, Frank Ross’ special teams are among the best in the NFL.
With the Texans preparing to kick off against the Dolphins, here are five things to watch at NRG Stadium, where they’ll continue to prepare for their first game of regular season on Sept. 10 at Baltimore:
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MORE PLAYING TIME FOR STROUD A MUST
C.J. Stroud struggled in his debut against the Patriots. On his two series, he was under a lot of pressure, and it showed. He was sacked for a 15-yard loss when he should have thrown away the ball. He was intercepted on a pass he shouldn’t have thrown rather than take the checkdown. Stroud had a good week of practice, especially against the Dolphins. He made some outstanding throws. He had some pinpoint completions. The coaches want to see him take what he did in practice against the Dolphins to the field against them Saturday afternoon. Because Miami has a pass rush that can dominate, Stroud could be throwing on the move more than he wants to. The coaches prefer for him to throw from the pocket or on rollouts.
PASS PROTECTION HAS TO IMPROVE
With left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right guard Shaq Mason starting with left guard Kenyon Green, center Juice Scruggs and right tackle George Fant, this game will be a good test for the offensive line as well as C.J. Stroud. In practices against the Dolphins, Miami got a lot of pressure up the middle. Scruggs is a rookie. Green is coming off a mediocre rookie year. Both have to show consistent improvement. Until right tackle Tytus Howard and swing tackle Charlie Heck are able to return from injuries, the line could continue to have issues. Overall, the linemen have to play better against the Dolphins than they did against the Patriots. The two areas are concern is interior protection and depth at tackle.
RECEIVERS COMING OFF TERRIFIC PRACTICES
Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Noah Brown are receivers who made outstanding catches against the Dolphins. Tight end Dalton Schultz caught just about everything thrown to him. Schultz means so much to the offense in general and C.J. Stroud in particular. If Collins can stay healthy and play in regular season the way he played Thursday, he could become a big-play producer. But he’s flashed before in camp and then suffered injuries that hampered his performance. Dell, who was outstanding against the Patriots, including a magnificent touchdown catch, consistently beat Miami defenders in practice. He needs to take that next step and show the coaches he can do it on a consistent basis so he can get more playing time. Collins and Robert Woods are starters. The third receiver has been a rotation among Brown, Dell and John Metchie III. At some point, one of them could separate from the group.
ANOTHER EFFECTIVE PASS RUSH ESSENTIAL
The Texans played excellent run defense and applied pressure to the quarterbacks at New England. Now the defense has to keep it up. Linebacker Denzel Perryman, tackle Kurt Hinish and end Chase Winovich recorded sacks. All eyes will be on rookie end Will Anderson Jr., who should receive more playing time against the Dolphins than he got against the Patriots. Anderson and ends Jonathan Greenard and Jerry Hughes should provide the bulk of the pass rush this season. The coaches are looking for others to pressure the passer. There’s a lot of competition at tackle next to Maliek Collins. The last two preseason games are the ideal time for the candidates to stand out and show Ryans and Burke who’s worthy of getting the other tackle job. Watch the coaches constantly rotate their linemen against the Dolphins.
MORE BIG PLAYS BY SECONDARY
Although the defense didn’t force a turnover against the Patriots, that could change against the Dolphins if practice is an indication. If the Texans can get an effective pass rush this season – and it doesn’t have to be dominating, just consistent – the secondary could show significant improvement. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre had impressive practices this week. Stingley is showing why he was the third overall pick last year. His coverage has been so impressive. Pitre continues to make big plays against the pass. The Texans have veteran depth in the secondary, and there shouldn’t be more than two spots available when they reduce the roster to 53 on Aug. 29. Special teams play a key role in who makes the team and who suits up on gameday. What the coaches need to see – and Saturday’s game would be a good time to do it – is the defensive backs making the kind of big plays they made in practice.
(John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on Sports Radio 610 and before every practice during training camp on Texans Radio. He also writes three columns a week and does two Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.)