Improvement on third down played a significant role in the Houston Texans’ early offensive success in Week 7, and their players have been talking to reporters in the team’s press conferences about how they can keep the momentum they built against the Las Vegas Raiders. Veteran receiver Phillip Dorsett made a salient point on the subject in his comments on Tuesday, telling reporters that success comes down to something very simple.
“You’ve just got to win your match up,” He explained. “Whoever’s across from you. If it’s man coverage, you’ve got to beat them. If it’s zone coverage, you’ve got to find the right spot in the zone. You’ve just got to be smarter. You’ve got to play smart football on third down, and that’s what we’ve got to continue to work on.”
Dorsett seems poised to take on a bigger role in the Texans’ offense, and with an impressive touchdown scored against the Raiders, has shown hints of excellence. Perhaps the next evolution of his game will come as a trusted late-down target for quarterback Davis Mills, who needs all the help he can get in moving his unit downfield.
As one of the league’s fastest receivers, big plays come naturally to the crafty Dorsett. He was a first-round pick in the 2015 draft by way of the Indianapolis Colts but has yet to find his stride at the professional level. Trade rumors regarding fellow speed merchant Brandin Cooks have swirled ahead of the deadline, so the die may be cast for Dorsett to take over on more snaps in the near future.
Houston will take whatever they can get from him for now, but with a big-time matchup against the Tennessee Titans just days away, Dorsett will have a huge opportunity to prove that his performance against Las Vegas was more than just a flash in the pan.