HOUSTON (Sports Radio 610) - Yes, it was only their preseason opener – and the Texans were undefeated in their one preseason under Lovie Smith – but there was no denying they made a positive impression in their 20-9 victory at New England.
A lot of veterans didn’t suit up, but in DeMeco Ryans’ debut as their head coach, the Texans experienced the usual inconsistency of a preseason opener, but, ultimately, they were productive on both sides of the ball as well as special teams.
All eyes were on rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who struggled on two series.
He received poor protection from an offensive line that used two starters, center Juice Scruggs and left guard Kenyon Green.
Stroud was 2-of-4 for 13 yards and was under constant pressure. He took a 15-yard sack when he should have thrown the ball away. He made a poor decision when he threw an interception that set up a field goal. Stroud closed with a 17.7 rating. He wanted to play more, but Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik stuck to their plan.
“He got the reps that we were planning for him,” Ryans said. “We’ll address it each game, see where we are and how many reps he’ll get. I think it’s good to have some ups and downs. That’s what this league’s all about. It’s not always going to go great, not always going your way, but it’s all about how you respond to the things that happen to you.”
As every NFL coach tells us, even though the games don’t count as this time of the summer, there’s never a bad feeling after a preseason victory, and the players and coaches had to feel good on the trip home from Gillette Stadium.
“Anytime we line up, we want to get a win,” Ryans said. “It’s all positive when you get a win. It’s my first time going out as a head coach (and) I thought it was a fairly smooth operation offensively (and) defensively. It was a good first outing, and we’ll continue to build on what we’ve started.”
The players were off Friday, and when they return to practice, they’ll prepare for the Dolphins to come to Houston Methodist Training for joint practices and their first preseason game at NRG Stadium on Aug. 19. Ryans knows they have a lot of work to do before they host Miami.
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“Overall for us, just as we operate -- the communication -- everything we’re doing,” Ryans said. “I think it (Patriots) was a good start for us, a good first run with coaches, players (and) everybody working together, but we can always continue to improve.”
The Texans did positive things on offense and defense, including stopping the run. They were last in the NFL in run defense in 2022, and they surrendered only 78 yards rushing. Overall, they allowed 164 yards, including 75 on the Patriots’ only touchdown drive on New England’s last series when the Texans led 20-3.
Ryans and his staff saw a lot to like, especially from some young players, including their rookie class. Receiver Tank Dell, a third-round pick, had a team-leading five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, a fifth-round pick, led the defense with five tackles.
Dell stole the show playing with Davis Mills, who replaced Stroud. He played outside and inside and also returned a punt for 13 yards. Dell’s 6-yard touchdown reception with 12 seconds left in the first half was a thing of beauty. Mills threw a back-shoulder pass that Dell juggled and, while on the ground, used his feet and his hands to control the ball for the touchdown that gave the Texans a 7-3 halftime lead.
“He’s great, electrifying,” said Mills, who played like a veteran coming off two seasons as a starter. “I think that’s the best way to describe him. He’s going to make guys miss in tight windows, and when he catches a short pass, he’s going to try to score anywhere he gets it on the field.”
Mills, who finished with 9-of-12 for 99 yards and a 126.7 rating, found Dell working the middle of the field. Dell’s longest catch was 24 yards, and he showed the explosiveness that almost allowed him to get free and score another touchdown. Dell dazzled the Patriots the same way he dazzled University of Houston opponents the last three seasons.
“It was good to see Tank make some plays,” Ryans said. “We’ve seen him make a lot of plays throughout training camp -- some of these same plays -- so it was good to see him do the same thing in a game. He’s going to be an explosive playmaker for us, and we look forward to him continuing to make some of those plays.”
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Dell thinks the first preseason game showed what the Texans are capable of doing on offense.
“I think the offense is special,” Dell said. “I think we started a little slow, and then we got rolling. We have a really good running game and a well-balanced passing game. We have a lot of talent, and a lot of guys we can get the ball to and a lot of good guys up front to hold up. I think we have the quarterbacks to get the ball to the right guys, and I think it’s an exciting offense for sure.”
No other Texan caught more than two passes. Receiver Xavier Hutchinson, a sixth-round pick, caught one pass for 20 yards. Even though receiver John Metchie III isn’t a rookie, it was great for his teammates and coaches to see him on the field after missing his first season while undergoing treatment for Leukemia. He caught one pass for 5 yards.
While there was so much focus on Stroud and the offense, the defense can’t be overlooked. The Texans registered four sacks by linebacker Denzel Perryman, tackle Maliek Collins, tackle Kurt Hinish and end Chase Winovich. The only negative was the Texans failed to force a turnover.
“The defense did a good job of swarming,” Ryans said. “I liked the way we responded to sudden-change opportunities. Guys stood up, stood out and made plays. It was fun to see the way they attacked. That’s the type of style that we want to play.”
(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.)