Tag: John Metchie

Texans QB C.J. Stroud: Everyone knows how ‘special’ John Metchie III can be

C.J. Stroud is expecting big things from the Houston Texans’ offense and a promising thrid season for John Metchie III

While the Houston Texans recently added Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs to the offense, C.J. Stroud wanted to talk about another receiver who’s been working overtime this offseason.

Stroud praised third-year pass-catcher John Metchie III’s work ethic and progress Monday after recently working out with him in Los Angeles, stating how different he’s looked a full year into his remission.

“He has a ton of value, a huge impact that I think he will bring this season,” Stroud said. “I think last year was good to get his feet back in the water, coming off of an injury, then something so traumatic like being sick how he was. His mindset is that he’s just ready to come back and ball.”

A former second-round selection out of Alabama in 2022, Metchie missed the entirety of his rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer. Instead of hauling in passes from Davis Mills, he was undergoing chemotherapy over at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Consider the 2023 campaign Metchie’s de facto rookie year. In 15 games, the former go-to target for Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young hauled in 16 passes for 158 yards. Metchie’s most significant moment came against the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round, where his 27-yard catch set up an eventual touchdown pass to Nico Collins.

Stroud, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, recently invited Metchie, Diggs and Tank Dell out of L.A. to run drills at UCLA’s campus. Fully healthy, Stroud could see a spark in the slot receiver that could benefit the Texans’ passing attack this fall.

“Not only is he a great football player, but he’s a great person and I wouldn’t want anybody else other than those guys in that room,” said Stroud. “Metchie is looking amazing. Everything that he will put on this field will be no surprise, but I think everybody in this room knows how special he can be, and he’ll put that on the field.”

Metchie was named the Texans’ annual Ed Block Courage Award last season, recognizing his grit and determination to overcome great adversity. He now looks to be a staple of Houston’s offense en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance this upcoming season.

5 statistical takeaways from Texans’ Week 18 victory

Here are five reasons why the Houston Texans took down the Indianapolis Colts to secure a playoff spot Saturday.

The Houston Texans secured their spot in the playoffs in a pivotal victory Saturday night 23-19 over the Indianapolis Colts. Later, they won the AFC South when the Jacksonville Jaguars fell on the road to the division rival Tennessee Titans.

As such, it’s created one of the best stories in the NFL. After winning just seven games the past two seasons combined, head coach DeMeco Ryans has won 10 games and gifted the city where he once played their first playoff game (and home playoff game) since 2019. They’ll get a rematch with the Cleveland Browns, who easily dismantled Houston without C.J. Stroud in Week 16.

Even as the team turns its focus towards the playoffs, there are still some important takeaways from the team’s gutsy performance over the Colts in what was essentially a playoff game. Here are five takeaways looking at the advanced metrics from Saturday’s huge victory.

Texans vs. Cardinals live blog: 21-16 Houston, FINAL

Follow along for all of the action as the Houston Texans take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11.

The Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals were supposed to be also-rans at this point in the season, yet the Texans have found a way to expeditiously close the rebuild. Maybe the trade with Arizona on draft day worked out after all.

The Texans would like to ride their two-game win streak into a third victory. Th last time Houston won three games in a row was 2018 amid a nine-game losing streak that resurrected an 0-3 start into a respectable 9-3 mark by the streak’s end. It would give them credibility as a division threat in their rematch with the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12.

If you can’t catch the game any other conventional way, follow along here.

Texans OC Bobby Slowik says WR John Metchie is ‘always looking for contact’

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has observed that receiver John Metchie has a penchant for delivering contact.

John Metchie may have only played 70 offensive snaps for the Houston Texans through five weeks, but Bobby Slowik has been able to identify one part of the receiver’s game.

The second-year wideout from Alabama has caught six passes for 72 yards through four games. Aside from embodying a literal “never say die” attitude, Metchie has shown the Texans’ offensive coordinator another element to his playing style.

“He’s always finishing, he’s always looking for contact,” Slowik told reporters Oct. 12. “He’s the same way in the run game. He’s always playing with full effort at all times, and in his routes, you just see he keeps — like, that’s probably the thing that takes the most time to get back into the flow of — how you are in your route running and your stems and at the top. And he’s progressed every week.”

An opportunity for Metchie to get more game reps could exist in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints. Third-rounder Tank Dell is questionable with a concussion and seventh-year receiver Noah Brown is working back from an injury.

Each week Metchie gets opportunities, the better he acclimates to the game.

Said Slowik: “He’s gotten better in that regard in how fast he’s playing and how he’s coming out of breaks at the top. It’s been encouraging to see.”

The Texans kickoff at 12:00 p.m. Central Time against New Orleans at NRG Stadiuim.

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Texans WR John Metchie set to make NFL regular-season debut

Former Alabama WR set to make NFL debut after bout with Leukemia

Houston Texans wide receiver [autotag]John Metchie[/autotag] is set to make his anticipated NFL regular-season debut today in the feel-good story of the year. Metchie was a highly coveted second-round pick out of Alabama in the 2022 NFL Draft before tragedy struck.

Going into Metchie’s rookie season, he was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and missed the entirety of what would have been his rookie season in 2022. Metchie battled hard and was cleared to return to football-related activities in the early spring of this year.

Today, Metchie returns to the gridiron for his highly anticipated debut as the Texans square off against the Indianapolis Colts in Houston. With a rookie quarterback in CJ Stroud, the Texans will need all of the help they can get from their receiving core and Metchie is a very football-savvy mind. He also has a chance to be one of the best receivers in a somewhat uninspiring receiving room.

All of Alabama nation is with Metchie today and excited to see what he can do!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Texans WR John Metchie remains patient as NFL debut nears

Houston Texans receiver John Metchie has been a paragon of patience in his short yet eventful time in the NFL.

If patience is a virtue, John Metchie could be approaching sainthood.

The Houston Texans receiver was already on target for a delayed debut in the NFL in his rookie season. The former 2022 second-round receiver was recovering from a torn ACL sustained in early December 2021, which was still keeping him out of team activities throughout Houston’s June mandatory minicamp. The hope was Metchie would use training camp to acclimate, but even a Week 1 target was not a guarantee.

During the break, Metchie was diagnosed with leukemia, which prioritized his life over his career. Assuredly Metchie’s rookie year was done, and returning to the NFL was at least a year away.

Metchie vanquished his leukemia. Now, what has stood in the way of Metchie seeing playing time is his hamstring. The Texans ruled Metchie out in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens as the wideout did not practice all week.

The former Alabama product was spotted at Houston Methodist Training Center and listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.

“It’s been great being able to be back out there and kind of start contributing to the team and stuff,” Metchie told Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV.

What Metchie’s acquisition of patience has taught him is that the team seeks consistency. When Metchie is able to hit the playing field, he knows the Texans want consistent results.

“Patience has definitely been a thing for me, and it’s something that I’ve had a lot of practice with in the last year of course,” said Metchie. “It’s just remaining consistent and that I have to remain consistent and keep showing up. The time will come. I just have to be ready.”

Metchie should get his fair share of reps against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 at NRG Stadium. Seven-year receiver Noah Brown is on injured reserve with a groin injury, which gives Metchie an opportunity to be a part of the offense.

Said Metchie: “I’m extremely excited, but I can’t get too ahead of myself. I just, like I said, have to be patient. That’s kind of the biggest thing. Although I’m real excited, I got to be patient and ready whenever my number is called.”

In Metchie’s final season at Alabama, he caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns through 13 games.

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What is the timeline for Texans WR John Metchie to produce?

Houston Texans WR John Metchie has proven he can’t be kept down. Still, how long until he can produce in the passing game?

It never has been a question of if John Metchie will be kept down, but a matter of how long.

The Houston Texans’ 2022 second-round receiver made the active roster and is eligible for his first career game Sept. 10 against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Although Metchie’s fierce determination to overcome leukemia during his rookie season has become a staple of time in Houston, the former Alabama wideout still has yet to play in a game.

General manager Nick Caserio laid out for reporters Aug. 30 what a timeline for Metchie looks like to work into the vision the club had for him.

“I would say a player like that, there is probably a chance that he’s going to be a little bit better six to eight weeks down the road than maybe he is now,” Caserio said. “Just when you miss that amount of time — it’s just like your team. You’re really evaluating your team the first four weeks. You kind of sort of hope you know what you have, but you’re really not sure and then you get to week or five and it’s like you have more information.”

Even though Caserio approached the realistic regarding Metchie, even the Texans’ front office boss couldn’t help but touch on the receiver’s fundamental quality.

Said Caserio: “His work ethic and just his ability to fight through something that probably not a lot of people could fight through with a great attitude.”

Metchie caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in his final season at Alabama.

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5 Texans fantasy prospects to scout versus the Saints

Here are five Houston Texans worth scouting for fantasy football purposes in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints.

The Houston Texans may have had some excellent individual performances last week, but they were overshadowed by the 28-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins. On a side note, anyone in an IDP (individual defensive player) league and dynasty should consider drafting Will Anderson. Naturally C.J. Stroud is a target in IDP and dynasty, and the former Ohio State product played better last week. Stroud’s feet were settled, and his pinpoint accuracy was on display. The Texans close out preseason against the New Orleans Saints Aug. 27. Let’s look at five Texans that need to really stand out so they can move their fantasy football draft stock.

Texans WR John Metchie’s advice on fighting cancer: ‘Just show up and fight’

Houston Texans receiver John Metchie provided advice on what he learned about battling acute promyelocytic leukemia.

A year ago John Metchie couldn’t help the Houston Texans; he was in a battle for his life.

In mid-July 2022, the former Alabama receiver was diagnosed with Houston Texans receiver John Metchie provided advice on what he learned about battling acute promyelocytic leukemia. His rookie season was over before it could begin, and the Texans’ second-round pick had to pivot towards treatments for a cancer of the blood.

Just as athletes watch film of others to take cues and add to their skillset, Metchie took the advice of other patients as he recovered from his illness.

“Yeah, the biggest thing I took away was just show up and fight,” Metchie told reporters Aug. 3 after training camp practice. “We kind of understand and take for granted life and everything we have to do or get to do during a day, but then when it’s taken away from you — whether you’re young or old in the hospital — you kind of realize that people see clearly what’s important to them and who’s important to them, right? Their family, their life, regardless of what they were complaining about or what stresses you have, you realize that the biggest gift you have is your breath and your heartbeat.”

What Metchie discovered is fighting was the common theme for everyone no matter their vital statistics otherwise.

Said Metchie: “The biggest thing I took away is, regardless of age, size, where you came from, everybody had to wake up and fight every day. So, just keeping that and keeping that gratitude at the forefront of your mind for me will always be a good thing.”

Metchie was a full participant in the Texans’ offseason workouts starting in April.

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