(SportsRadio 610) - As the Texans sit idle during the week six bye, general manager Nick Caserio met with the media Tuesday morning to discuss their 1-3-1 start to the season.
The Texans are starting five rookies this season, four of which they spent draft picks on, as fullback Troy Hairston went undrafted last April.
There's no question this rookie class has yielded plenty of early and encouraging results, including that of safety Jalen Pitre.
The former Baylor All-American proved early on that he's a starting caliber safety in the NFL, having his best game in the Texans' week three loss to the Bears.
Pitre, 23, recorded two interceptions on the game, including two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and first career sack.
He ranks second on the team in total tackles, behind fellow safety Jonathan Owens, first in assisted take downs and is second on the team in tackles-for-loss with three, behind only Jonathan Greenard who has five on the season.
Yet, one of the things that has been a weak point for Pitre and the Texans this season has been missed tackles.
The Texans have missed the most, 39, in the league, while Pitre unfortunately, has the designation for most missed tackles individually in the NFL, with nine whiffs through the first six weeks.
"I think one of the things Joe's (Danna) talked to Jalen (Pitre) about, Jalen is a good football player, but he's missed a lot of tackles," Caserio said. "If tackling is something you can certainly improve, we've talked to Jalen about that. Over the last couple of weeks, he's certainly gotten better."
Pitre is always looking to improve on his game.
Just a few weeks into his season, the rookie who has been lauded for being mature beyond his years both on and off the field, already had pin-pointed areas he saw from film study that needed his attention, including his tackling, patience and reads.
"Finding areas that you can improve as a football player, it's not just about all the splash," Caserio said. "It's about being consistent and improving areas that maybe you're not performing as well."
Caserio said Tuesday that Pitre's incredible work ethic is conducive to the type of improvement and impact he wants to make in games going forward.
"He's got the right attitude. He's got as good a routine as any young players from the time he walks in the building in the morning," Caserio said of Pitre. "Before practice, he's in the weight room, he's stretching, he's going through his preparation. Being a good player is about having the routine, having preparation, being committed to that week-after-week, day-after-day.
"That's what's going to make you a good player and then having a requisite physical skill behind it. All those factors go into it."
It's too early to say that Pitre won't ever become an elite tackler, as his miss-rate was much lower at Baylor. The maturity he's shown in his play and practice habits suggest a much higher ceiling for a player that embraces the grind every day.
Shaun Bijani has spent the last 16 years covering the Houston sports scene for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @ShaunBijani.
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