Tag: Houston Texans

Ravens vs. Texans injury report: DT Michael Pierce missed Thursday’s practice

The Baltimore Ravens are pretty healthy for Week 11 against the Houston Texans but are still seeing defensive tackle Michael Pierce out.

The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 11 fairly healthy. After getting their Week 9 bye, Baltimore has managed to see the return of some previously injured players as they look to make a strong second-half run.

While the Ravens had three players miss practice entirely on Thursday, most of the injuries don’t seem to be terribly concerning. Rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown has been a frequent addition to the injury report each week but has played in all but two games this season. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams was held out for non-injury reasons. That leaves just defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who was considered day-to-day this week with an ankle injury.

Take a look at the full injury report below.

Baltimore Ravens injuries:

WR Marquise Brown (ankle) – DNP
DT Michael Pierce (ankle) – DNP
DT Brandon Williams (NIR) – DNP

WR Chris Moore (thumb) – LP

CB Brandon Carr (NIR) – FP
RB Mark Ingram (NIR) – FP
CB Jimmy Smith (NIR) – FP
Earl Thomas (NIR/knee) – FP

Houston Texans injuries:

LB Dylan Cole (Knee) – LP
WR Will Fuller V (Hamstring) – LP
S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (Back/wrist) – LP
G/T Tytus Howard (Knee) – LP
CB Bradley Roby (Hamstring) – LP
T Laremy Tunsil (Shoulder) – LP

Texans unsure if CB Vernon Hargreaves will play against the Ravens

The Houston Texans are unsure if newly acquired cornerback Vernon Hargreaves will play against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Houston Texans claimed cornerback Vernon Hargreaves off waivers on Wednesday. He walked through the canals of NRG Stadium on Thursday, though, he was not at the media portion of practice.

The Texans are unsure of Hargreaves’ ability to play on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Being that he found a home in Houston on Wednesday — after his cut by the Buccaneers on Tuesday — he is just beginning to adjust to his new team.

“What’s tough is the acclimation period, because it’s new terminology, it’s new teammates, it’s a new system, it’s new schedules and all of those. So, all of that — that acclimation period, that’s really tough and until he can get acclimated, he’s going to be a little off a little bit,” said defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on Thursday. “But then once that period is over with, then he kind of falls into step with everybody else.”

Hargreaves’ acclimation to Houston and the Texans’ defensive scheme will depict whether or not he plays on Sunday. His status as a first-round pick in 2016 does not impact the decision to play him or not.

“I know that he was a number one draft choice, but just like anyone new that we bring in, you’ve got to put them out there and you’ve got to see what they can do and get a feel for them, what their personality is and those kind of thing,” Crennel said. “So, we’ll start doing that and then I’ll have a better opinion.”

A former Florida Gator, Hargreaves allowed a 108.6 passer rating in coverage in 2019 before his release. In 35 career games played, 33 starts, he has 19 pass deflections and a pair of interceptions.

It doesn’t matter how talented Hargreaves is, if he doesn’t know the defensive play calls, he is susceptible to looking like a deer in the headlights. Communication is key, not experience in Tampa Bay.

“He’s been a starter and he’s played in the league,” said Crennel. “So, you can take a starter and put him into the game. Now, will he know all the communication that’s necessary and all that?”

Simply put, by Crennel, the Texans are “not sure” if Hargreaves will play on Sunday. If he doesn’t, they will rely on a healthy cornerback group, with Gareon Conley, Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby expected to start.

Texans 100: Facts and Figures for Ravens, No. 26-50

The Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens square off in Week 11, and we take a look at QB Lamar Jackson and coach Bill O’Brien.

The Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens hookup for an early battle for the second seed in the AFC Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at M&T Bank Stadium.

To get ready for the matchup, we continue our quest for 100 facts with a look at Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Texans coach Bill O’Brien.

Facts and Figures for Ravens, No. 1-25

lamar jackson facts

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

26. Jackson’s 27 scrambles are tied with Josh Allen for the third-most in the NFL.

27. Though Jackson’s touchdown passes are tied for the 10th-most in the NFL with 15, his 5.9% touchdown percentage is tied for the sixth-highest in the league.

28. Jackson’s 8.0 yards per pass attempt is the eighth-highest in the NFL.

29. Jackson’s 101.7 passer rating is the 10th-highest in the league.

30. Jackson’s average depth of target is 9.1 yards, tied with Philip Rivers and Josh Allen for the seventh-highest in the NFL.

31. Jackson’s five quarterback hits are the absolute lowest taken among quarterbacks who have started every game since Week 1.

32. Among quarterbacks who have started every game since Week 1, Jackson’s 11.0 yards per scramble are the highest in the NFL.

33. Among quarterbacks with at least 30 red zone passes, Jackson is 1/10 quarterbacks to have not thrown a red zone interception.

34. Jackson’s 21 red zone rushing attempts are the most among quarterbacks this season.

35. Jackson’s 8.4 yards per pass attempt on third down is the seventh-highest among quarterbacks with at least 50 passes on third down.

36. Jackson’s 113.4 passer rating on third down is the fourth-highest among quarterbacks with at least 50 third down attempts.

37. Jackson has converted the most third downs on the ground with 14.

38. Jackson has rushed 25 times on third down, the most in the NFL. The second-closest is Seahawks running back Chris Carson with 19.

39. Jackson’s 198 rushing yards on third down are the most in the NFL. Second-closest is Jameis Winston with 100.

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Ravens coach John Harbaugh doesn’t see a hole in Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins’ game

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gives his scouting report on Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Very few wide receivers give defenses as many fits as DeAndre Hopkins does. A back-to-back All-Pro for the Houston Texans, Hopkins has the attention of whoever he plays. The Baltimore Ravens are no exception to the rule.

Hopkins, who is second in the NFL in catches (68), presents the Ravens defense that Baltimore coach John Harbaugh won’t undersell.

“Everybody is on the same page, but number 10 (Hopkins) is one of the best, if not the best, in the league,” said coach Harbaugh on a Wednesday conference call. “He’s right there.”

On the season, Hopkins has 68 receptions for 665 yards and four touchdowns. Recently, he has seen an uptick in targets, receiving at least 11 in his last four outings, as compared to one instance of 11+ in his first five.

In his previous three games against Baltimore combined, Hopkins has tallied 18 receptions for 223 yards. He has yet to face the Ravens with Deshaun Watson taking snaps.

Known for his physicality, Hopkins is often described as a nightmare to defend on the line of scrimmage. He boxes as if he were Mike Tyson to beat cornerbacks. His large catch radius, chemistry with Deshaun Watson and experience rounds out a full-fledged force.

“He’s really tough to cover, he bodies people up, he’s got great body control, he’s got great hands, he’s very strong, excellent after the catch,” continued Harbaugh. “I don’t see one hole in his game, and that’s what we’re confronted with and we’re going to try to do our best against him.”

Though the Ravens boast defensive secondary playmakers, Hopkins could be in-line for a big game against the coach that praises him. Baltimore is 22nd in the NFL in wide receiver catches (125) and yards allowed (1,654).

Harbaugh is prepared to face Hopkins. He has the scouting report. However, on Sundays, a scouting report will only get a team so far.

Texans-Ravens Thursday injury report: Will Fuller, Laremy Tunsil limited

The Houston Texans unveiled their Thursday injury report for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Will Fuller and Laremy Tunsil were limited.

The Houston Texans continue to regain their health ahead of Sunday’s AFC showdown with the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT.

On Thursday, the Texans did not see a change on the injury report. All six limited participants from Wednesday remained limited, while rookie cornerback Lonnie Johnson and guard Greg Mancz continue to practice in their return from concussion protocol.

Houston did not have players who were non-participants or deemed as full participants.

Limited participation
ILB Dylan Cole Knee
WR Will Fuller Hamstring
S Tashaun Gipson Back/Wrist
G/T Tytus Howard Knee
CB Bradley Roby Hamstring
OT Laremy Tunsil Shoulder

The Ravens had three players who did not participate, including wide receiver Marquise Brown (ankle), defensive tackle Michael Pierce (ankle) and defensive tackle Brandon Williams (NIR).

Wide receiver Chris Moore (thumb) was a limited participant in Baltimore. Running back Mark Ingram (NIR), cornerback Jimmy Smith (NIR), safety Earl Thomas (NIR/knee) and cornerback Brandon Carr (NIR) were full participants.

Irish in the NFL: Will Fuller nearing return for Texans

The Houston Texans will soon get back former Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, who has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 7.

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller V has been out with a hamstring injury since getting hurt in Week 7, but the speedy receiver is nearing a return for the Houston Texans.

After a bye week last week, Houston reported that Fuller is a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with the Ravens.

Fuller is Houston’s primary deep threat, recording 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Drops have continued to plague the speedy receiver, but his rapport with Deshaun Watson will be a welcome boost for this Houston offense.

Fuller is in his fourth NFL season, all spent with Houston after they plucked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft.

Fuller was a monster in college, recording back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons as a sophomore and junior, and totaling 30 career touchdowns.

Although he has yet to find that level of success in the NFL, he is liable to break out in any given week, and will help the Texans the rest of the way as soon as he is healthy.

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Texans’ Deshaun Watson thinks it is ‘cool’ to lead the next generation of QBs

Houston Texans third-year quarterback Deshaun Watson is leading the next generation of quarterbacks, which includes Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.

Quarterbacks aren’t what they used to be. No longer are pocket passers dominating the NFL. Corresponding with a league-wide uptick in passing efficiency is a Big Bang effect of scrambling, dual-threat quarterbacks.

Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson, along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, and the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray and others, are ushering in the new generation of quarterbacks bound to take over the NFL, with each more of a two-way threat than the previous kings of the hill.

Watson, who is at the forefront of the MVP debate, sees that as only a positive. There are no guarantees in football, the leaders of the early 2010s are fading out, while the pioneers of the 2020s are pouring in.

“It’s good to have the generation that’s behind legendary Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks like Tom (Brady), (Drew) Brees, Aaron (Rogers), Ben (Roethlisberger), (Philip) Rivers, all of those guys. Who knows how long they’re going to continue to play and continue to be around. ”

On Sunday, Watson, 24, will face Jackson, 22, in an AFC showdown highlighting their MVP resumés. It will be the first of a potentially budding professional — previously, the two thrilled in a 42-36 Clemson over Lousiville win in 2016.

Watson — in his third year in the NFL — has the Texans at 6-3 and in the thick of the hunt for a first-round bye. He has passed for 2,432 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 70.2% completion rate, culminating in a 107.1 passer rating. With his legs, he has fought for 279 yards and five touchdowns.

Jackson — now a professional sophomore — has Baltimore at 7-2 and in possession of a first-round bye. With his arm, Jackson has 2,039 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 65.9% completion rate, worth a 101.7 passer rating. He leads the Ravens in rushing with 702 yards and six scores.

“So, you want that next generation to continue to have this league and have the NFL very exciting and have a lot of good teams and a lot of points being scored. It’s encouraging,” concluded Watson. “It’s very cool to be a part of that.”

Like Mahomes vs. Watson in Week 6, Jackson vs. Watson isn’t just a matchup between two of the NFL’s best. It’s an ushering in of the new NFL.

How much of a fit would Colin Kaepernick be for the Texans?

Free agent QB Colin Kaepernick is having a tryout open to all 32 NFL teams. How much of a fit would he be for the Houston Texans?

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is having a workout Saturday for all 32 NFL teams.

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis power ranked all 32 teams and their likelihood that they would be interested in Kaepernick. Davis has the Texans at No. 8.

Would you rather have Kaepernick and his skill set behind Deshaun Watson or roll with AJ McCarron? From an organizational standpoint, this would have been unthinkable a year ago, but the acquisition of [Kenny] Stills says a lot about the current top-down mind-set.

One advocate Kaepernick would have in the Texans locker room is All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who wore a Kaepernick jersey upon arriving to NRG Stadium for a Texans game on Dec. 2, 2018. Hopkins also said in a recent GQ interview that he was upset with the organization for not giving Kaepernick a workout when sensational rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson went down with a torn ACL on Nov. 2, 2017.

Coach Bill O’Brien wouldn’t get into whether or not the club was going to send a representative to Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta.

“I’ll tell you right now, I’m very focused on Baltimore and I would never talk about anything that’s relating to scouting or personnel, anything like that,” O’Brien told reporters Wednesday. “So, I’ll just tell you, I’m very — like I said to you the other day, if you put the Baltimore film on, we’ve got a lot to work on. We have a challenging game, so we’re very focused on Baltimore.”

Kaepernick has not played a down of football since Jan. 1, 2017, when he started for the 49ers in a Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Kaepernick completed 17-of-22 passing for 215 yards and a touchdown while taking five sacks. The loss sealed Kaepernick’s record as 1-10 for 2016 and left his career record at 28-30 and a career playoff record of 4-2.

WR DeAndre Hopkins is a leader for younger Texans players

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins may not be the most vocal player playing his position, but he is a leader for the team.

DeAndre Hopkins lets his actions do the talking. Never one to create a frenzy out of thin air, the Houston Texans wideout hailing from South Carolina rarely enters conversations for the words that come out of his mouth.

Though silent playing a position that is anything but mute, Hopkins is a leader for the Texans. Specifically, those younger players hoping to share the field with him snap-to-snap.

“Hop’s a really good teammate. I think he does a good job with the younger players. I think he’s very football smart,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Wednesday. “He’s played a lot of football, he’s got a lot of experience versus a lot of different coverages, a lot of different corners, so he can help a younger player relative to what the look might be.”

Hopkins, 27, is in his seventh year in the NFL. During those seven seasons, he has racked up 596 receptions, 8,102 yards and 51 touchdowns. He has missed just one game in his career, starting all 104 others.

Hopkins, otherwise known as “Nuk,” knows football. If he can share the knowledge that he has picked up over the years, he will do just that. As stated multiple times, the only goal of his is to win; progressing his teammates’ knowledge only helps achieve that goal.

“He helps even the running backs when they’re out there with him in the formation, ‘hey, this is what it might be, this is what it might be.’ So, I think he just does a good job of communicating all of his knowledge based on how much he’s played,” O’Brien said. “He’s been a successful player, but he’s successful for a lot of reasons, and one of him is his football savviness, his ability to understand what’s going on X’s and O’s wise.”

On Sunday, Texans-Ravens spectators may not see Hopkins chat as much as other receivers. When he does, however, it’s for a good reason.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson nominated for 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is a nominee for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

The NFL announced their nominees for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and quarterback Deshaun Watson was the representative for the Houston Texans.

A panel of former NFL players including Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler will select four finalists per conference, and the finalists will be on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Dec. 13.

A team cannot vote for its own player; therefore, if Watson were to win it, the votes would come from the other 31 NFL teams’ players.

The NFL created the award in 2014 in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers founding owner Art Rooney, who was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The award goes to the NFL player who, “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to a league statement.

WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014), CB Charles Woodson (2015), RB Frank Gore (2016), LB Luke Kuechly (2017), and QB Drew Brees (2018) have been past recipients.

Other quarterbacks nominated for 2019 include Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz.