The Los Angeles Rams will wrap up their preseason slate on Saturday with a road game against the Houston Texans, who they just practiced against on Thursday. Sean McVay will continue holding his starters and key players out of action until the regular season, so don’t look for Matthew Stafford or Cooper Kupp on the field Saturday.
The Texans are a rising team in the AFC and are viewed as a sleeper to make a postseason run, much like the Rams, and will provide a good test for the Rams’ backups this weekend. It’s a team that’s loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and also a team with ties to the Rams thanks to players such as Ben Skowronek, Cam Akers and Robert Woods.
Ahed of Saturday’s game, we caught up with Texans Wire managing editor Cole Thompson. He answered five questions about the Texans, and even admitted Kobie Turner should’ve won Defensive Rookie of the Year over Will Anderson Jr.
1. How much better do you expect the Texans to be this season after such a remarkable run in 2023?
CT: I expect Houston to be a much more complete roster this year. Even if the record remains the same, remember that the Texans are playing a first-place schedule and have division matchups with the AFC East and NFC North. It’s a bit different than showdowns with the NFC South and other bottom-dwelling teams.
Houston’s attentiveness in the offseason was finding players for the long haul. It’s why names like Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair were at the top of DeMeco Ryans’ list for additions. It’s why Joe Mixon, who will have to live up to the contract, is the future answer for a woeful ground game. It’s why the Texans went after a physical cornerback in Kamari Lassiter during the draft and a rangy safety in Calen Bullock.
The Texans are in win-now mode with C.J. Stroud, Derek Stingley and Will Anderson Jr. all on rookie contracts. They may be 10-7 when the season is over, but they’ll be a roster teams won’t want to face in a winner-take-all matchup.
2. Will Anderson Jr. and C.J. Stroud both edged out Rams players for Rookie of the Year awards? Do you think Puka Nacua or Kobie Turner should’ve won their respective awards over Stroud or Anderson?
CT: Ha ha. Nacua over Stroud is a hard sell for me. Yes, he was phenomenal as the new No. 1 target for Matthew Stafford last season and likely would have won it any other year, but Stroud was on a different level. Not only did he lose multiple offensive linemen, but he also had minimal help on the ground between Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce. And on top of becoming the fifth rookie in league history to throw for 4,000 yards, Stroud also joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterback ever to lead the league in passing yards and touchdown-to-interception ratio in the same season.
I’ll give Turner his flowers. Anderson’s seven sacks were impressive for a player who only played in 15 games, but Turner was on another level while playing an extremely undervalued position. Nine sacks for a rookie is underheard of already. Nine sacks for any defensive tackle, experience aside, is worthy of the highest accolades.
Let’s say L.A. gets the DPOY and Houston keeps the offensive honors. Deal?
3. Who’s been one of the standout players of camp for the Texans this summer?
CT: It’s Kamari Lassiter far and away. If you were to go to one practice and pick out a rookie without looking at the depth chart, you’d likely point to a four or five-year vet and be wrong. That’s how quickly Lassiter has turned the corner since joining Ryans’ defensive front this summer.
When drafted out of Georgia, the Texans loved his physical approach to jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage, so they figured he’d play in the slot. They’ve had to move Jalen Pitre down since the second-rounder has already locked up one of the two starting boundary corner jobs. He’s held his own against every receiver in practice and forced Stroud to throw in the opposite direction.
I’ll give credit to Stefon Diggs, too. Take all the “bad behavior” takes with a grain of salt since Diggs has been exactly what the Texans envisioned when they traded for him this offseason. Let’s see if that carries over into the regular season, but he’s every bit a teacher and hustler in the huddle who is willing to help Stroud however he sees fit.
4. What is the Texans’ biggest weakness or concern in 2024?
CT: It’s the ground game. Let’s be clear: it’s NOT bad. It’s unknown because of the offensive line injuries. Houston has been without Laremy Tunsil most of training camp due to a knee procedure. Tytus Howard has missed time, though he’s back and seems to be cleared for the regular season.
Without Joe Mixon, the Texans have turned to several runners, including former Rams star Cam Akers. He’s actually been the most consistent, averaging just under four yards per attempt. Jawhar Jordan looks good, but he’s also going up against backups. Dameon Pierce in practice and Pierce on gamedays are a Jeykell/Hyde nightmare that seems to end only in tragedy rather than triumph.
5. How have former Rams players such as Cam Akers, Ben Skowronek and Robert Woods fared this offseason and which ones are expected to make the team?
CT: One should, one could and one likely won’t. Akers, who signed at the start of training camp, has been awesome in his short time with the team. He looks healthy, adds value in the open field as a pass-catcher and has shown a consistent burst against starters.
If you were to ask me about Skowronek a week ago, I’d likely say he’s a lock to make the roster because of his special team skills. Now, he’ll need a big game against his former team to justify the spot since John Metchie and Xaiver Hutchinson have been better options.
It’s so weird to think Woods is sixth — at best — on the depth chart heading into a contract year, but the Texans’ offseason pushed him down the pecking order. Everyone knows the starting three. Metchie has the most upside with two more years of control. Hutchinson is the same but add a third year. Noah Brown likely makes the roster because he’s owed $5 million regardless of whether he plays or not.
Woods has been a rumored trade target for multiple teams since the start of training camp, so I’d imagine he’s played his last down in Houston. There’s a scenario where the Texans outright release him, but it just doesn’t seem like there’s a home for him.