Beginning Sunday, it’s going to be a busy four days for the Texans, especially general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans, who’ve been planning for weeks for the first game of the regular season at Baltimore, finish preseason on Sunday night at New Orleans.
After the Saints game, the Texans have to reduce their roster to 53 on Tuesday.
Coaches will never admit it, but barring injuries, they already have a pretty good idea who stays and who goes. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be coaching in the NFL. They’ve had their players since the rookie minicamp, OTAs, mandatory minicamp training camp and two preseason games. They’ve seen the players in the classroom and in team meetings as well as on the field.
Just because a player is waived doesn’t mean he’s gone. On Wednesday, teams can sign 12 players who cleared waivers to the practice squad. Keep in mind that the roster is an ongoing process as Caserio and Ryans try to find the right players for the Texans. Caserio will continue to subtract and add players to the bottom part of the roster as well as to the practice squad.
Training camp ended this week. The preseason schedule concludes Sunday night, so let’s check out five things to watch against the Saints while the Texans continue their preparations for the Ravens:
COACHES NEED TO SEE MORE PROGRESS FROM STROUD
Before he goes to Baltimore to start his first game, quarterback C.J. Stroud needs more playing time. In two preseason games, he’s had one good series. That was in the 28-3 loss to Miami in which he was 5-of-6 for 52 yards and looked terrific. Overall, he’s 9-of-16 for 73 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and one sack. His ratings have been 17.7 and 71.5. Against the Saints, he needs as much playing time as Ryans will give him. He still has to get in sync with his receivers and tight ends.
“Generally, I would say keep the mind at a constant state,” offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said this week about Stroud at New Orleans. “We don’t want a lot of fluctuations. His mind is slowing down, and the defensive players slow down and the field just becomes clearer. That really happened to him after about play five or six in this last game. He was able to see and articulate everything that happened on the field immediately after and was very aware. That’s usually a very big indicator of the game has slowed down for him. The more often we have that, the more he can just go put his skills to use.”
RUNNING GAME MUST BE MORE PRODUCTIVE
When they play the Ravens, Ryans and Slowik are going to make sure the running game is a big part of the offense. There’s nothing like a consistently productive running game to take pressure off a starting quarterback, especially a rookie like Stroud. To move in that direction, it has to be more productive against the Saints. Dameon Pierce didn’t play in the 20-9 victory at New England, and he had only six carries for 15 yards against the Dolphins. Mike Boone, a five-year veteran, has emerged as the third back. That means the top-three positions are set with Pierce, Devin Singletary and Mike Boone. Pierce should see limited playing time against the Saints and not get more than a few carries.
OFFENSIVE LINE CONTINUES TO BE A WORK IN PROGRESS
With the starters playing more against the Dolphins, the Texans got brutalized. As far as the offensive line, pass protection was sound, but the run blocking wasn’t very good. On a bright note, rookie center Juice Scruggs played well. He was physical at the point of attack and knocked defensive linemen and linebackers backward. Left guard Kenyon Green played well. Right tackle continues to be an issue. Nobody can say for sure if Tytus Howard will be able to return at right tackle against the Ravens. George Fant is the current starter. Caserio made a trade with Arizona this week to acquire tackle Josh Jones, a former third-round pick from the University of Houston. Swing tackle Charlie Heck, an important cog on game days, isn’t going to be ready anytime soon, so he’s expected to start the season on physically unable to perform and can’t return until he misses four games minimum.
RUN DEFENSE HAS TO IMPROVE FAST
After playing stout run defense against the Patriots, the Texans were awful against the Dolphins, allowing 205 yards, including a 65-yard run. It’s the same old story because the run defense has been horrible for the last four seasons. The Texans have to show improvement against the Saints because they’re going to play Lamar Jackson and the Ravens – one of the most run-oriented teams in the NFL every season.
“I think it’s hugely important,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said about the run defense. “I know it’s become a passing league, but if you can’t stop the run – if you’re struggling to do that – it’s impossible to do the other things as well. I think every time we put up whatever we’re trying to get done that week, it’s always going to be about stopping the run.
“The way we designed this defense to be good on the edges and be good on the perimeter (is) huge. If you can’t stop the run, and then they can work in the play action off the same looks, now you’re just swimming a little bit. I would say that’s a foundational piece for what we do and where we start our week. We’re usually looking at, ‘Okay, what are we going to do in the run game? How are we going to get this thing stopped?’”
And they better figure it out fast. Otherwise, the Baltimore game could be brutal.
EFFECTIVE PASS RUSH IS PARAMOUNT
If the Texans can produce an effective pass rush, it’ll help the secondary, of course. The defense could have one of the best secondaries in the NFL if the linemen can pressure the passer on a consistent basis. Fans got a glimpse of what rookie end Will Anderson Jr. can do against Miami. He obliterated a running back trying to block him before recording a strip sack. Against the Saints, the linemen need to generate pressure off the edge and up the middle. When they play the Saints, Ryans and Burke will have to figure out what players to play in which situations. They know Anderson should be the best pass rusher. Jonathan Greenard and Jerry Hughes are also capable of getting the quarterback. It’s essential for what Ryans and Burke want to do on defense when they play at Baltimore.
(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.)
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