Tag: DeAndre Carter

Bears place WR/PR Dwayne Harris on injured reserve

The Bears placed punt returner Dwayne Harris on injured reserve after he suffered what’s believed to be a torn triceps.

The Chicago Bears have placed wide receiver and punt returner Dwayne Harris on injured reserve, the team announced Thursday.

Harris is believed to have suffered a torn triceps during Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Harris appeared in three games this season after being signed to the practice squad to bring insurance to the punt return game.

In three games with the Bears this season, Harris averaged 8.1 yards on 10 punt returns. His best outing came against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, where he averaged 10.7 yards on six punt returns. But he did have a costly muffed punt against the Vikings last week before his injury.

Receiver Anthony Miller took over for Harris following his injury last Monday night, where he returned two punts for 43 yards. But don’t expect Miller to take over as punt returner full time.

The Bears claimed former Houston Texans kick returner DeAndre Carter off waivers. Carter will become the fifth punt returner for the Bears this season.

Running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL on a punt return against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. filled in for him, but it was clear he wasn’t the answer. Which is when the Bears brought in Harris for a tryout and winded up signing him to the practice squad before elevating him to the active roster.

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Bears claim punt returner DeAndre Carter off waivers

The Bears have gone through 4 punt returners this season, and it’s likely soon to be a 5th with DeAndre Carter being claimed off waivers.

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The Chicago Bears haven’t had the best luck with punt returners this season. After losing running back Tarik Cohen to a torn ACL and releasing receiver Ted Ginn Jr., the Bears turned to Dwayne Harris.

While Harris got off to a solid start in three games, he muffed a punt against the Minnesota Vikings that proved to be costly. He was soon replaced by receiver Anthony Miller, who has served as a punt returner in the past. But it wasn’t because of production. It was because Harris is believed to have suffered a torn triceps.

Now, the Bears have made a move on the waiver wire in claiming receiver DeAndre Carter from the Houston Texans, who is a kick returner.

Carter, who was waived Monday by the Texans, appeared in nine games for Houston this season. He averaged 8.7 yards on 11 punt returns and 20.8 yards on 12 kickoff returns.

While Miller found success in the punt return game after replacing Harris — he returned two punts for 43 yards — the Bears aren’t likely to put Miller at risk returning punts when he’s one of Chicago’s top wideouts, especially considering Miller has suffered a shoulder injury in each of the last two seasons on a return.

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Who will benefit from the Texans waiving WR DeAndre Carter?

The Houston Texans waived receiver DeAndre Carter on Tuesday. Which players could see a benefit from the extra reps?

The Houston Texans waived receiver DeAndre Carter from the active roster Tuesday, two days after he had one punt return among his four special teams snaps in the 10-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Receiver Will Fuller also had a punt return, and running back C.J. Prosise had all two of the Texans’ kickoff returns.

Interim coach Romeo Crennel indicated Monday that the team was simply trying to get Fuller more involved on that particular day, and it wasn’t indicative of Carter’s performance on the season, where he has 11 punt returns for 96 yards and 12 kickoff returns for 250 yards.

With Carter no longer on the roster, it could be an opportunity for some receivers to get more reps.

The immediate candidate is Keke Coutee. The 2018 fourth-round pick from Texas Tech has had to battle with Carter for virtually his entire career. Carter wasn’t getting many offensive snaps, as he only saw 21 for the whole year. Still, that is more than the five that Coutee has seen since Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Coutee could have a shot to take Carter’s job at punt returner, as he worked on the skill in training camp.

Prosise could continue to see elevations from the practice squad to the game day roster to take the kickoff returns.

Whoever the Texans go with as a full-time punt returner, Fuller still needs to be considered as an option, as his most dangerous skill is getting the ball in space.

 

Texans WR DeAndre Carter continues to stake his claim for a roster spot

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Carter may be crossing into the realm of having a secure roster spot after having a consistent training camp.

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DeAndre Carter is challenged every day at training camp practice.

In offensive drills, the Houston Texans receiver is endeavoring to form cohesion with all three quarterbacks and demonstrate he is a reliable, trustworthy target. In special teams drills, chiefly return drills, Carter has to prove himself as a dependable option that will secure the ball, if not pick up chunks of yards.

The former Sacramento State product may be crossing over into the realm of having a secure roster spot and not having to worry about competition.

“DeAndre is a very solid player,” coach and general manager Bill O’Brien said. “He just works. He’s very consistent. He just does a lot of things pretty well. He can obviously return kicks. He’s very smart. He’s just a very solid guy, and so quarterbacks have confidence in him.

“They know that he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. They know that he’s going to know his assignment. Just a really consistent guy.”

One of Carter’s biggest challengers at both receiver is returner is former 2018 fourth-round pick Keke Coutee. Carter got his shots to supplant Coutee at receiver in 2018 when the former Texas Tech product battled hamstring injuries. In 2019, the battle continued as Coutee dealt with inconsistent play and ankle injuries.

Though Coutee has done a tremendous job of taking steps in his development despite the setbacks, a foot stress fracture kept Coutee out of practice for a few days. As a result, it has given Carter more opportunity to stake his claim on the roster.

Said O’Brien: “He’s had a good camp, and he’s out there every day. I think that’s the deal. This league is so much about health and some of that is not being lucky. Some guys just avoid it and take care of their bodies, and other guys take care of their bodies but just can’t avoid it. I think because DeAndre is out there every single day, he just gets better and better. That’s why you see him.”

Carter is less than two weeks away from beating out the competition for a spot on the roster. When he gets there, it may be a while before he loses his place.

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J.J. Watt downplays his speech at the end of Texans practice Tuesday

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt downplays the speech he gave that gave teammates chills to end practice on Tuesday.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt gave a speech at the end of practice on Tuesday that chilled his teammates.

However, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who is making a return from a torn pectoral on Oct. 27 that seemingly ended his season, is downplaying the impact of his words.

“I didn’t really give a speech,” Watt told reporters Wednesday. “I broke it down at the end of practice. Somebody’s got to break it down every day. Yesterday was my day so I broke it down. There’s really not much more to it than that. It was pretty standard.”

Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil was one of the Texans who went on record and used the term “chills” to describe the feeling that Watt’s words left with the team.

“I appreciate that,”  Watt said. “We can laugh about it, but coming from teammates and especially a guy like Laremy who is well respected, who’s extremely good at what he does and whose opinion I value very much, for a guy like him to say something like that means a lot to me.

“It’s nice to know that the words that you say and the message you try and get across does hit home. Like I said, I respect Laremy. I respect all those guys in that locker room so I appreciate if they did take notice.”

Returner DeAndre Carter, who has been with the Texans since midway through the 2018 season, expressed that the content of Watt’s breakdown at the end of practice Tuesday was what the team needed to hear. While Watt acknowledged Carter’s summary, he didn’t elaborate.

Said Watt: “I’m not going to go into details about what it was, it was just what I felt needed to be said. It’s very important, it’s a huge week. This is the NFL playoffs. 20 teams are at home, only 12 are left, so it’s very, very big.”

The Texans host the Buffalo Bills Saturday at 3:35 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium in the AFC wild-card. A win would get the Texans to their first divisional playoff since 2016 and their fourth ever in club history, and would set the club up with a legitimate chance to earn their first trip to the AFC championship game.

Texans WR DeAndre Carter is a ‘plug-and-play’ guy

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Carter demonstrated his versatility in the team’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday in Week 16.

Three years ago, DeAndre Carter’s income came from his side hustle as a substitute teacher in Hayward, Calif. Just as the former Sacramento State product juggled teaching with keeping his NFL career alive, on the gridiron, Carter routinely demonstrates versatility balancing his role as a returner and receiver.

After starting wide receiver Will Fuller went down with a groin injury in the first half of the Texans’ 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carter filled in. He played all over the field, taking snaps as a returner, slot receiver and out wide.

In the fourth quarter, Carter caught arguably the biggest play of the game for Houston, a 39-yard reception. It set up a go-ahead, and eventually game-winning, 37-yard field goal.

“That was a big play, that was a huge play,” coach Bill O’Brien said postgame.

Carter’s spot on the Texans is in large part due to that versatility.

“He can sub into any position and know what to do,” O’Brien said. “That is really a vital guy on your team – a guy that is a punt returner but has the knowledge of all the receiving positions and will know what to do. He is a plug-and-play guy. He has done that the last two years for us. He has made some big plays for us in times when we needed a play, so that is who DeAndre Carter is.”

Carter is all too aware of that. The 5-8, 190-pound 26-year-old may not have the gaudiest career receiving totals (27 catches for 313 yards), but he’s stuck around in Houston because of that plug-and-play ability.

“That’s my job, that’s my role,” Carter told reporters. “Being able to come in and play any position, any spot at receiver, kick-returner, punt returner, that’s my job, that’s my role. I take great pride in it. When the team needs me to come in and make a play, I pride myself on being able to do that.”

Carter be called upon more as the Texans host the Tennessee Titans in a relatively meaningless rematch in Week 17. The coaching staff may not want to risk Fuller to further injury, and it could mean more versatile action for Carter.

Why didn’t Texans coach Bill O’Brien challenge the spot on WR DeAndre Carter’s third down catch?

Houston Texans coach shied away from challenging the spot on WR DeAndre Carter’s third down catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Carter produced two catches for 44 yards in the team’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at Raymond James Stadium, but maybe he should have had a yard more.

On a third-and-6 from the Texans’ 44-yard line, Carter caught a 5-yard pass that was short of the line to gain. Though it was outside two minutes and the Texans had a challenge to spare, and replay seemed to confirm Carter had crossed the 50-yard line to convert, coach Bill O’Brien decided against throwing the challenge flag.

“I did, but, you know, very few of those things get overturned,” O’Brien told reporters after the game. “So, then, and the official said that he went backwards on his own. I didn’t agree with that, but as soon as he said that, I knew that’s probably what he was hearing from New York. So, I said that probably wouldn’t be smart to challenge.”

O’Brien had won a challenge earlier in the ballgame over a receiver Breshad Perriman catch that the Texans claimed he stepped out of bounds before possessing the ball. On the season, O’Brien had not won a challenge in six tries coming into Week 16.

The referee for the game, rookie Scott Novak, entered Week 16 with the third-highest challenge overturn rate in the NFL at .500 (6-of-12).

Texans’ snap count observations from the 28-22 win over the Patriots

The Houston Texans defeated the New England Patriots 28-22 on Sunday night. Let’s take a gander at the snap counts from the upset win.

The Houston Texans slayed the dragon on Sunday Night Football, beating the, now 10-2, New England Patriots to move to 8-4 on the season, in turn, gaining full control of the AFC South and the AFC’s third seed.

Despite the Patriots winning the yardage and time of possession battles, the Texans won the game handily, though a six-point win doesn’t depict that. Outside of garbage time stat-padding, the Texans were dominant against a team they have struggled with since the conception of the franchise.

The Texans were able to get the win despite missing three starters. Right tackle Tytus Howard (injured reserve – MCL), cornerback Gareon Conley (hip) and outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett (shoulder) did not play. Let’s take a gander at the snap counts, which showed the impact of losing the three.

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OBSERVATIONS

Offensive line
  • Without Howard, the Texans rotated their right tackles, with Chris Clark and Roderick Johnson each receiving snaps. Clark got the start and saw 61% (34) of snaps, with Johnson got 39% (22).
  • The line allowed three sacks for 16 yards on the night, two of which weren’t solely their fault. They struggled to help out the run-game, as Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson ran for just 53 yards on 19 combined attempts.
Secondary
  • Houston has employed Jahleel Addae as their nickel safety for much of the 2019 campaign. That didn’t happen on Sunday, as he played just three defense snaps (3%).
  • Addae’s lack of usage likely correlates with Houston’s willingness to run four cornerbacks with the return of Bradley Roby. Romeo Crennel masterfully schemed up his gameplan to have slot cornerbacks covering running backs. In turn, Roby played 98% of snaps (85) and Vernon Hargreaves played 84% (73).
  • Lonnie Johnson saw 38 snaps (44%). Johnathan Joseph received 77 (89%). The Texans played with four cornerbacks, having Johnson as their fourth. The re-addition of Gareon Conley should make things interesting.
Front-seven
  • With Scarlett out, the Texans turned to Jacob Martin to produce as an edge-rusher. The investment paid off, as he tallied 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss in 45 snaps (52%).
  • Charles Omenihu continues to slowly eek his way into a starter role as a base defender. He saw his most snaps as a defender on Sunday, playing in 63 (72%). Last week, he saw an uptick in snaps going from 30% of snaps the week before to 43%.
  • Barkevious Mingo received defensive snaps with Scarlett not playing, specifically 17 (20%). On the Patriots’ first drive, he warranted an unnecessary roughness penalty, giving New England a first.
Offensive skill positions
  • Keke Coutee, again, was a healthy scratch. The Texans ran with DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills for the majority of their snaps. DeAndre Carter played sparingly, receiving seven snaps (12%).
  • The Texans continue to increase tight end Jordan Thomas’ snap count. The second-year Mississippi State man doubled his snap counts from Week 12 (seven) to 13 (14 – 25%). Darren Fells and Jordan Akins played the majority.
  • Duke Johnson edged out Carlos Hyde for running back snaps, playing 38 (68%) compared to Hyde’s 21 (38%). His increased usage correlated to the game plan, as he was Watson’s check down option (five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown) and also hauled in the game’s first touchdown.

Going forward, the Texans will host the 4-8 Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 8. Expect differing snap counts with Conley and Scarlett expected to return by then.