Initially, DeMeco Ryans planned for Houston Texans rookie running back Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks to see exclusive reps during the fourth quarter of the Hall of Fame game last Thursday night against the Chicago Bears.
The weather decided to quite literally rain on the team’s plan and their parade in the eventual 21-17 loss in Canton, Ohio.
Jordan, a sixth-round pick out of Louisville, finished with just three carries for five yards. Brooks, an undrafted free agent from North Carolina, touched the ball once for a loss of two yards.
Reps are essential to determine if a player can withstand contact at the pro level, so Jordan and Brooks are expected to see an expanded total of carries Friday night when Houston takes on Pittsburgh in its second preseason.
That doesn’t mean either player hasn’t impressed the coaching staff with the minor opportunities.
“Out of the reps they did get, they made the most out of it,” Ryans said. “You see Brooks made a nice play on special teams. Jawhar had a run that we think we could’ve done a better job of finishing and running the ball, so now I see how he’s running the ball in practice. He’s done a great job this week. Probably his best week of camp so far.”
DeMeco Ryans says the rookie running backs made the most out of the limited reps in HOF game due to cancellation
Also says that Jawhar Jordan has had “probably his best week of camp so far” pic.twitter.com/if87R9oJ4e
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 7, 2024
Jordan, who last season finished with a 1,128 as Louisville’s top rusher, also adds value on special teams. He’s rotated in with Dameon Pierce, Tank Dell and others on kickoff and punt return drills.
Brooks, primarily used on third down in Chapel Hill last season, has been physical on kickoff and punt coverage while working with the third-team offense. In pass protection, he’s improved while guarding both Davis Mills and Case Keenum.
Although their rep counts were limited, Ryans views Thursday’s game as a positive baseline for both players to show what they must improve on if they hope to make the active roster.
A deep fantasy football relevant sleeper to watch out for in tonight’s Texans Bears game:
Jawhar Jordan, RB from Louisville, drafted at 205 overall to the Texans.
– Stands at 5’10”, 195 pounds.
– EXPLOSIVE runner, can take anything to the house.
– 21 catches in his final… pic.twitter.com/VBD2J0phBx— Hutchinson Brown (@hutchinsonb_ff) August 1, 2024
“That game definitely served its purpose of showing the young guys, ‘Hey, what does it truly take to build and get better in the league.’ They’ve got that answer. They’ve got that wake-up call, so to speak. And they’ve shown it this week in practice.”
The Texans will kick off at Acrisure Stadium at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on NFL Network.